"The Charity of God maketh in us such a unity that, when it is truly
seen, no man can part himself from other"
And thus I understood that what man or woman with firm will[1] chooseth
God in this life, for love, he may be sure that he is loved without
end: which endless love worketh in him that grace. For He willeth 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 pleaseth Him, as it was shewed. This reverence that I mean is
a holy courteous dread of our Lord, to which meekness is united: and
that is, that a creature seeth 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 worketh 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[2] to Him in love as
if He had done for me all that He hath done; and thus should every soul
think inwardly of its[3] Lover. That is to say, the Charity of God
maketh 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 hath done
for it[4] all that He hath done.
And this sheweth 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 knoweth
assuredly this, he[5] shall not dread but Him that he loveth. All
other dread he[6] setteth among passions and bodily sickness and
imaginations. And therefore though we be in so much pain, woe, and
distress that it seemeth to us we can think [of] right nought 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 willeth 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 doeth. And this shewed
our Lord in these words: _What should it then aggrieve thee 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 shewed them all.
Of which Fifteen Shewings the First began early in the morn, about
the hour of four; and they lasted, shewing by process full fair and
steadily, each following other, till it was nine of the day, overpassed.
[1] "wilfully."
[2] "bounden" = beholden.
[3] "his."
[4] "him."
[5] _i.e._ the soul.
[6] _i.e._ the soul.