Revelations of Divine Love by of Norwich Julian
CHAPTER LXX
572 words | Chapter 77
"Above the Faith is no goodness kept in this life, as to my sight,
and beneath the Faith is no help of soul; but _in_ the Faith, _there_
willeth the Lord that we keep us"
In all this blessed Shewing our good Lord gave understanding that the
Sight should pass: which blessed Shewing the Faith keepeth, with His
own good will and His grace. For He left with me neither sign nor token
whereby I might know it, but He left with me His own blessed word in
true understanding, bidding me full mightily that I should believe it.
And so I do,--Blessed may He be!--I believe that He is our Saviour that
shewed it, and that it is the Faith that He shewed: and therefore I
believe it, rejoicing. And thereto I am bounden by all His own meaning,
with the next words that follow: _Keep thee therein, and comfort thee
therewith, and trust thou thereto_.
Thus I am bounden to keep it in my faith. For on the same day that it
was shewed, what time that the Sight was passed, as a wretch I forsook
it, and openly I said that I had raved. Then our Lord Jesus of His
mercy would not let it perish, but He showed it all again _within in
my soul_[1] with more fulness, with the blessed light of His precious
love: saying these words full mightily and full meekly: _Wit it now
well: it was no raving that thou sawest this day_. As if He had said:
_For that the Sight was passed from thee, thou losedst it and hadst
not skill to keep[2] it. But wit[3] it now_; that is to say, _now that
thou seest it_. This was said not only for that same time, but also to
set thereupon the ground of my faith when He saith anon following: _But
take it, believe it, and keep thee therein and comfort thee therewith
and trust thou thereto; and thou shalt not be overcome_.
In these six words that follow (_Take it_--[etc.]) His meaning is to
fasten it faithfully in our heart: for He willeth that it dwell with
us in faith to our life's end, and after in fulness of joy, desiring
that we have ever steadfast trust in His blissful behest--knowing His
Goodness.
For our faith is contraried in diverse manners by our own blindness,
and our spiritual enemy, within and without; and therefore our precious
Lover helpeth us with spiritual sight and true teaching in sundry
manners within and without, whereby that we may know Him. And therefore
in whatsoever manner He teacheth us, He willeth that we perceive Him
wisely, receive Him sweetly, and keep us in Him faithfully. For above
the Faith is no goodness kept in this life, as to my sight, and beneath
the Faith is no help of soul; but in the Faith, there willeth the Lord
that we keep us. For we have by His goodness and His own working to
keep us in the Faith; and by His sufferance through ghostly enmity we
are assayed in the Faith and made mighty. For if our faith had none
enmity, it should deserve no meed, according to the understanding that
I have in all our Lord's teaching.
[1] see ch. lxviii.
[2] "couthest not."
[3] _i.e._ learn, perceive, know for certainty by the conviction of
reason and consciousness--grasp once for all the truth beheld.
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