| 65. "The Charity of God makes in us such a unity that, when truly seen, no man can part himself from other" | ||||
AND thus I understood that what man or woman with firm will chooses God in this life, for love, he may be sure that he is loved without end: which endless love works in him that grace. For He wills that we be as assured in hope of the bliss of heaven while we are here, as we shall be in sureness while we are there. And ever the more pleasance and joy that we take in this sureness, with reverence and meekness, the better pleases Him, as it was shown. This reverence that I mean is a holy courteous dread of our Lord, to which meekness is united: and that is, that a creature sees the Lord marvellous great, and itself marvellous little. For these virtues are had endlessly by the loved of God, and this may now be seen and felt in measure through the gracious presence of our Lord when it is [seen]: which presence in all things is most desired, for it works marvellous assuredness in true faith, and sure hope, by greatness of charity, in dread that is sweet and delectable. | ||||
It is God's will that I see myself as much bound to Him in love as if He had done for me all that He has done; and thus should every soul think inwardly of its Lover. That is to say, the Charity of God makes in us such a unity that, when it is truly seen, no man can part himself from other. And thus ought our soul to think that God has done for it all that He has done. | ||||
And this shows He to make us to love Him and nought dread but Him. For it is His will that we perceive that all the might of our Enemy is taken into our Friend's hand; and therefore the soul that knows assuredly this, he shall not dread but Him that he loves. All other dread he setts among passions and bodily sickness and imaginations. And therefore though we be in so much pain, woe, and distress that it seems to us we can think [of] truly nothing but [of] that [which] we are in, or [of] that [which] we feel, [yet] as soon as we may, pass we lightly over, and set we it at nought. And why? For that God wills we know [Him]; and if we know Him and love Him and reverently dread Him, we shall have peace, and be in great rest, and it shall be great pleasance to us, all that He does. And this showed our Lord in these words: What should it then aggrieve you to suffer awhile, sith it is my Will and my worship? | ||||
Now have I told you of Fifteen Revelations, as God vouchsafed to minister them to [my] mind, renewed by lightings and touchings, I hope of the same Spirit that showed them all. | ||||
Of which Fifteen Showings the First began early in the morn, about the hour of four; and they lasted, showing by process full fair and steadily, each following other, till it was nine of the day, overpassed. | ||||