CHAPTER VI
OF DIVERS GIFTS OF GOD'S CHOSEN: AND HOW SAINTS COME TO LOVE
IN PRAYING, MEDITATING, LOVING, SUFFERING, ADVERSITY AND HATING VICE, AND THAT
LOVE COMES FROM GOD AND THAT HIS LOVE IS NECESSARY, AND THAT TRUE LOVERS FALL
NOT BY TEMPTATIONS OF THE FLESH, AS OTHER IMPERFECT ONES: NOR ARE HURT BY THE
DREGS OF SIN ALTHOUGH THEY
LAST.
The chosen truly that are fulfilled with
love, and take more heed in mind to loving than to aught else, have wonderfully
shown to us the secrets of lovers the which, surpassing in fervour and
supernaturally, have received the fire of love, and with a wonderful desire
have yearned after their Beloved Jesu. Divers gifts truly are disposed to God's
lovers: some are chosen to do; some to teach; some to love. Nevertheless all
the holy covet one thing and run to one life, but by divers paths: for everyone
chosen goes to the kingdom of bliss by that way of virtue in the which he is
most used. And if that virtue in which he surpasses more burningly draws him to
the sweetness of God's love, the which is supposed stronger in the most rest,
truly when he shall come to God, he receives for meed that dwelling-place of
heavenly joy and the seat that Christ has ordained to be had withouten end by
the most perfect lovers.
The lover therefore says the glorious ditties of
love he has made; and he that is surpassingly chosen to God's love, first he
cares and desires that his heart never depart from his Beloved; so that the
memory of Jesu be to him as melody of music at a feast and is sweeter in his
mouth than honey or the honeycomb. But the longer he exercises himself in
ghostly study the sweeter to him it is. And then it withdraws his mind from
vain and evil thoughts, and binds it to the desires of his Maker, and
altogether gathers it into Christ and it is stabled in Him, the Well of love.
So that he loves Him only, and he prays that he may be glad only in Him.
Now sweet affections come into his soul, and
wonderful meditations favourable only to God, the which being tasted, and
spread in this mind with intentness, affect her more than may be spoken; they
lead with great liking and sweetness of spirit to the contemplation of heavenly
things, and they cleanse from desire of worldly solace. So that God's lover
seeks nothing in this world but that he may be in the wilderness, and only
takes heed to the likings of his Maker. Afterward truly strongly and well used
in praying, and given to high rest in meditation, killing all wickedness and
uncleanness, and taking a strait way with discretion, he greatly profits in the
virtue of everlasting love. And his affection goes up on high, so that the
entrance is opened, in the beholding of heavenly mysteries, to the eye of his
mind. The burning also, which before he felt not, begins to kindle his soul,
and whiles he is profitably occupied in that, now quicklier and now more slowly
it warms--as this corruptible body suffers the soul that it heavies, and
ofttimes with divers heaviness down casts. So that the same soul anointed with
heavenly sweetness, and quickening with heavenly delight, cheers herself mickle
to pass forth by good desire, and irks to dwell in this mortal flesh.
Nevertheless she gladly suffers adversity that happens, for sweetly she rests
in the joy of eternal love.
And all these things that happen can not destroy
that joyful song that she had received, made glad in Jesu, nay but the fiend's
falsehoods fly away ineffectual; and the beguiling vanity of worldly honours
goes in despite, nor is fleshly softness sought or loved. These things are
armed against God's chosen so that all they that have their conversation in
heaven might together fall, unavised, to their overturning.
But it profits not to overcome them unless the
holy Lover of God, in Christ's Name, resolute and as it were without strife,
being glad says: Tu autem susecptor menus es: `Lord, Thou art my taker,'
that the malicious prickings of my froward enemies make me not unrestful.
Gloria mea: my Joy, for in Thee is all my joy. Not in my virtue, for it
is not sent save from Thee. Worthily is all given to Thee, nothing to me. Et
exaltans caput meum: `and my head,' that is to say the highest part of my
soul by the which the netherer, Thee favouring, is governed. Lifting her up to
ghostly song and contemplation Thou sufferest her not to be cast down or bound
into the low and foul likings of this world. This soothly is the head that in
the oil of ghostly gladness Thou hast made fat, that it should increase in
charity and be to me a Calix inebrians: that is to say a drink of inward
sweetness inebriating my soul with love of my Maker. And sleepy shall I lie,
verily turned from love of temporal things; and so as it wee with sweetness,
feeling nothing of earthly mirth or heaviness, I shall be led to the
everlasting cleanness.
Truly in this sweetness of high love the
conscience shines. For cleanness lasts there, and the heart waxes likingly
warm; and the mind, mirthed with gifts, waxes hot. Nor likes she to behold the
pleasures of this exile, but she halses the bitterness of this world more
gladly than the sweetness to follow; for enjoying the delights that fail not,
she ceases not to cleave to the love of Jesu with such burning desire, that as
soon and as lightly thou mightest turn the world upside down as callback her
mind from her Saviour.
All things forsooth she hates that are contrary
to God's love; and she burns unweariedly to fulfill those things that she sees
and knows are pleasing to God. This certain she would not leave for any pain or
wretchedness, but would hie the quicklier to do God's will if she should
perceive any hard thing she might offer for that cause. Nor truly does she
think or desire any other thing but to love Christ truly, and to do His will in
everything without ceasing.
A mind that has received this burning will, in
goodness from his Beloved, is made rich with devotion from God. Forsooth He
chose her that she might be such a one that might abide Christ's perfect lover;
and be a choice vessel that shall be filled with the noblest liquor of the
sweetness of heavenly life. And His name which is chosen out of thousands shall
continue in everlasting remembrance, and be ever withheld within the self in
thought. And then by God's help she shall cast out all lettings to love and
shall be glad in God. For the darts of our enemies shall not avail against such
a lover, but she shall receive from her love sickerness of conscience, with
untrowed cleanness of inward sweetness, and every hour shall yield up her
spirit. For being in ghostly crying, she is friendlily cleansed every day by
the burning of love, so that no filth of spiritual foulness may last. Whiles in
continual thought she is with God, she casts out all wickedness that the malice
of our enemy moves to; and the fire of love verily biding in her mind, it
cleanses all the contagion of sin that is drawn out by an ungotten desire.
Truly the affection set in a great height is so
sicker that it is alway ware of negligence and casts it away as a deadly enemy;
and whiles it lives it leaves not busyness and dread. For the better a man is,
and the more acceptable to God, the more he burns in charity, and the more he
is stirred by the prickings of love to work more busily and strongly that that
belongs to his degree and life. And he is alway busy that the memory of his
sweetest Beloved slide not from his thought for a minute, that not only as a
clothing but as deed he may have and think of Him whom he knows he is bidden to
love with all his heart. And he greatly dreads lest he be drawn into these
things that the least grieve Him. He certain not only busies him with all his
heart to fulfill that--as he is bidden--to love Christ; but also he is taken
with great delight, so that he never forgets his Beloved nor bowing to temporal
liking will part himself from His love--if he might withouten pain do that he
would. He is truly expert that ghostly liking is sweeter than bodily love; and
therefore it were marvel if he should slip into so great wrongs; and if,
forsaking ghostly cheerfulness, he would make ready to rejoice in this feigned
and as it were false felicity; or overcome by fleshly beauty, would desire that
which forsooth ilk holy lover of God hates.
No marvel that fleshly desire has beguiled some;
and beauty shown to the sight has drawn away some wise and even devout men to
unlawful halsing, because they were not perfectly grounded in charity, nor
cleaved they alway to eternal love; wherefore haled by temptations, when they
seemed to ascend, before they might come to height have fallen down.
But a true lover of everlasting doubtless holds
himself stable among temptations, and in that strife he wins a crown, when
others, unsteadfast, are slain. And Christ's lovers cease not to cut away all
obstacles, and they shed forth all their heart wholly before their Maker--and
not as these that have not fastened their foot in love, and, cast down from the
height of their endeavour, wax lean--but rather going on without change, stand
stable in the well begun, and are nourished and brought forth in the sweetness
of heavenly savour; that they may give light by example of holiness to them
that are without, and within they may burn sweetly with the fire of love.
Errors also of fleshly desire they shall slay by
the desire of cleanness; although no man in this life can fully slaken
engendered concupiscence, or be so perfect that he may live in flesh and never
sin. And so neither by this nor that shall a perfect man be here perfectly
healed, but in heaven where the light of joy comforts his wits to behold God;
and everlasting peace shall discomfit and cast out griefs and heaviness, that
now no grief of corruption be, now when everlasting bliss confirms the
discomforter.
In the meantime the mind is awakened and desires
to be kindled by abiding love, and it studies to eschew the liking for these
seen vanities. Truly the dregs of sin abide unto death, but they and the
longing of nature perish in death. So that every chosen one, abling himself to
love, and strengthened by high grace against these dregs, and armed with
cleanness, should exercise himself in glorious battles, and should cast down
all things that hostile lovers pursue.
Herefore sickerly whiles the fighting one
overcomes and is not overcome he is lift up to a marvellous mirth in which all
his inward members joy. For he feels himself inspired by a mystery of love, and
he ascends on high in honeysweet heat and contemplates with ghostly song the
sweet praise shed forth to the lovers--hastening to death and to nothingness at
the movings of the fleshly affections.
Some add hereto: saying that a sweet thing sounds
in his heart, and ghostly song, wherefore, thirsting, he is ravished and
gladdened. But they have not expounded it so that I could understand how their
thought was changed to song and melody abides in the mind; and in what manner
of praising he sings his prayers.