CHAPTER VIII
THAT THE PERFECT LOVER OF GOD HAD LIEVER RUN INTO GREAT PAIN
THAN BY SIN ONCE GRIEVE GOD: AND WHY GOD TORMENTS THE RIGHTEOUS BY THE
WICKED
From the great fire of love so
great beauty of virtue grows in souls that a righteous man would rather choose
to suffer all pain than once grieve God; although he knew he might rise by
penance and afterward please God more and be holier. For ilk one perfect
understands this: that nothing is more dear to God than innocence, nothing more
pleasing than good will. For truly if we love God rightly we would sooner lose
great meed in heaven than once sin venially; for most righteous is it to ask no
meed of righteousness but the friendship of God, that is Himself. Therefore it
is better ever to suffer tormentry than once, wilfully and knowingly, to be led
from righteousness to wickedness.
Wherefore it follows that they who so burningly
love Christ that they will in no wise sin, not only shall be free from pain,
but shall joy endlessly with angels. They truly that serve wicked deeds, and
ween that worldly and fleshly solace is to be greatly loved, loving those
things they desire, forsooth they lose both the joy that they love, and run
into the wickedness that they eschewed not.
But it is wont to be asked by some why God
almighty chastises the wicked and the righteous together. Thou seest under the
flail both corn and chaff at once; but in the winnowing the chaff is cast out
and the corn is busily gathered to man's use. If all men lived truly, without
doubt we should dwell in peace and tranquillity, withouten debate and battle;
but since among the few good are many evil, many diseases comes that evil may
be chastised: and thus evil things happen to good men because they are mingled
with the evil unto their death. The righteous also, because they are ready to
sin, so that their readiness be not brought to deed are taught to take a light
scouring here, that they may escape the bitter scouring that is to come.
Therefore if thou suffer persecution,
wretchedness, and other diseases, thou hast that which accords to the place in
the which thou dwellest. Is not this the vale of tears and tribulations in
which thou art? How wouldest thou therefore be glad in prison, and live in all
prosperity in thine exile, or go thy long pilgrimage withouten diseases? Have
mind that Christ and His apostles have suffered tormentry, and thou by bliss
seekest to come to joy! But thou shalt not. Forsooth either, in this life, the
fire of God's love shall waste the rust of our sins and cleanse our souls to
make them able to flee to bliss, or else, after this life, the fire of
purgatory shall punish our souls, if it happen we escape the fire of hell. Or
else, if the strength of love be not so mickle in us that it can altogther burn
us, it behoves us to be cleansed with tribulation, sickness and dis-eases.
This also we have withouten doubt: that no young
man can be made holy among flatterings, and sweet words of fair women, and
plenteousness of liking things, unless it be by the untrowed greatness of God's
grace; where so many and so great things stir many to fall, so that holy men
have also ofttimes been lost. Wherefore I trow it is a great miracle when man
by the grace of God and the love of Christ perfectly despises these cherishings
and manfully goes up betwixt these enemies to the soul--although they seem soft
to the flesh--to the high holiness of heavenly contemplation. And, withouten
fail, the holier he is and the more plenteously filled within with the solace
of God's love, although he be set in the fire, he knows not how to burn; and
the foul lusts of an unclean life offering themselves, he has perfectly
slakened them.
It is no marvel (that sometimes), though it be
seldom, Christ works in some beloved to Him, of whom it is said: Expandit
nubem in protectionem eorum, et ignem ut luceret eis per noctem; that is to
say: He has spread a cloud, the shadow of God's grace, for their defence
against fleshly desires, and the fire of endless love to give them light within
to mind, through the night of this life, that they be not taken by the
unlawfulness of vain beauty. Truly Christ's love burns in them with so great
sweetness, that all fleshly and unlawful liking they think of as most foul, and
therefore they despise it.
Therefore touch thou not lecherously that which
is lawful neither to desire nor to have. Have in mind also to withhold thy
hand, thy tongue, and thy body; and displease not they conscience concerning
women. Truly the stirrings of lechery are the array of men and women. Also hot
lectuaries, and other meats that with their heat too mickle enflame the
flesh--which nourishers of bodies and killers of souls are busy to make--should
be eschewed by the chaste.