The seventh Revelation is of oftentymes felyng of wele and wo etc.; and how it is expedient that man sumtymes be left withoute comfort, synne it not causeing. Fifteenth chapter.
The Alternation of Spiritual Joy and Desolation
Julian describes a sovereign spiritual delight that fills her with assurance, followed by a sudden turn to heaviness and weariness, and then a return of comfort, with this alternation repeating many times.
And after this He showed a sovereign spiritual delight in my soul. I was filled with everlasting assurance, mightily sustained without any painful dread.1 This feeling was so glad and so spiritual that I was in complete peace and rest, so that there was nothing on earth that could have grieved me. This lasted only a while, and I was turned and left to myself in heaviness and weariness of my life and such irksomeness of myself that I could scarcely have patience to live.2 There was no comfort or ease for me except faith, hope, and charity.✦3 And these I had in truth, but little in feeling. And immediately after this our blessed Lord gave me again the comfort and the rest in soul, in delight and assurance so blissful and so mighty that no dread, no sorrow, nor any bodily pain that could be suffered would have distressed me. And then the pain showed again to my feeling, and then the joy and the delight—now the one, and now the other, at different times; I suppose about twenty times.
Echoes of Scripture in Joy and Pain
In joy Julian could say with Saint Paul that nothing separates her from Christ's love, and in pain she could cry with Peter, 'Lord, save me; I am perishing.'
And in that same joyful moment, I could have said with Saint Paul, 'Nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ.'✦ And in the pain, I could have said with Peter, 'Lord, save me; I am perishing.'✦
God's Purpose in Alternating Comfort and Woe
Julian explains that this alternation is helpful for souls, that God keeps us secure in both states, and that we should pass over pain to hold ourselves in endless delight.
This vision was shown to me according to my understanding that it is helpful for some souls to feel in this way: sometimes to be in comfort, and sometimes to fail and be left to themselves. God wants us to know that He keeps us just as secure in our suffering as in our well-being. For the good of a person's soul, they are sometimes left to themselves, though sin isn't always the cause. For in this time I had not sinned in a way that I should be left to myself, for it was so sudden.4 Also, I didn't deserve to have this blessed feeling. But our Lord gives freely when He wills, and sometimes lets us remain in suffering—and both are one love.5 For it is God's will that we hold onto comfort with all our strength, because bliss lasts forever, while pain is passing and will be brought to nothing for those who are to be saved. Therefore, it is not God's will that we dwell on feelings of pain in sorrow and mourning, but that we quickly move past them and hold ourselves in endless delight.6
Read the original Middle English
And after this He shewid a soveren gostly lekyng in my soule. I was fulfillid of the everlesting sekirnes migtily susteinid withoute any peynful drede. This felyng was so gladd and so gostly that I was in al peace and in reste, that there was nothing in erth that should a grevid me. This lestenid but a while, and I was turnyd and left to myselfe in hevynes and werines of my life and irkenes of myselfe that onethis I coude have patience to leve. There was no comfort nor none ease to me, but feith, hope, and charite. And these I had in truthe, but litil in feling. And anone after this our blissid Lord gave me ageyne the comfort and the rest in soule in likyng and sekirnes so blisful and so mycti, that no drede, no sorow, ne peyne bodily that might be suffrid, should have desesid me. And than the peyne shewid ageyn to my feling, and than the joy and the lekyng, and now that one, and now that other, dyvers tymes, I suppose aboute twenty tymes.
And in the same tyme of joy I migte have seid with Seynt Paul, nothing shal depart me from the charite of Criste. And in the peyne I migte have seid with Peter, Lord save me, I perish.
This vision was shewid me after myn understondyng that it is spedeful to some soulis to fele on this wise, somtime to be in comfort, and somtyme to faile and to be left to hemselfe. God wille we knowen that He kepyth us even alike sekir in wo and in wele. And for profitt of manys soule, a man is sumtyme left to himselfe, althowe synne is not ever the cause. For in this tyme I synned not wherfore I shulde be left to myselfe, for it was so soden. Also I deservyd not to have this blissid felyng. But frely our Lord gevyth whan He wille, and suffrith us in wo sumtyme, and both is one love. For it is Godds wil we hold us in comfort with al our migte for blisse is lestinge without ende, and peyne is passand and shal be browte to nougte to hem that shall be savyd. And therefore it is not Godds will that we folow the felynge of peyne in sorow and mornyng for hem, but sodenly passing over and holden us in endless likyng.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.13.13 — And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
- ↩Rom.8.35-Rom.8.39 — Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Rom.8.36 — As it is written, 'For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep for slaughter.' Rom.8.37 — No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Rom.8.38 — For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither the present nor the future, nor powers Rom.8.39 — nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
- ↩Matt.14.30 — But when he saw the wind — [strong] — he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!'
Notes
- 1 ↩ME sekirnes covers security, certainty, and assurance; rendered as assurance for the spiritual sense of sure trust without dread.
- 2 ↩onethis = scarcely/barely (unnethes); leve = live. irkenes = irksomeness, tedium, self-weariness.
- 3 ↩charite kept as charity for the theological-virtue triad with faith and hope; love remains the default elsewhere.
- 4 ↩"wherfore I shulde be left" rendered as "in a way that I should be left" — causal/relative force: no sin that would warrant being left to herself.
- 5 ↩"suffrith us in wo" = permits/allows us to be in woe (not merely "suffers with us"); rendered "lets us remain in woe".
- 6 ↩"for hem" taken as referring to the pains/feelings of pain ("over it"); "likyng" rendered as "delight" for sustained spiritual joy, not casual preference.
Revelations of Divine Love (Showings) companion
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