God kepyth His chosen ful sekirly althowe thei synne, for in these is a godly will that never assayed to synne. Thirty-seventh chapter.
The Showing of Sin as a Universal Comfort
Julian learns that the revelation of her own sin is intended not for her alone but for all fellow Christians, teaching her to receive it with humility and love.
God brought to my mind that I would sin, and because of the delight I had in seeing Him, I didn't readily pay attention to that showing. And our Lord most mercifully waited and gave me grace to pay attention, and I took this showing as applying especially to myself alone. But by all the gracious comfort that follows, as you will see, I was taught to take it as applying to all my fellow Christians, all in general and nothing in particular. Though our Lord showed me that I would sin, through me alone all is understood.1
God's Secure Keeping in the Midst of Dread
In response to Julian's soft dread, God assures her of His perfect keeping, a security that extends to all the saved as one soul, inspiring love for the whole Christian community.
And in this I conceived a soft dread; and to this our Lord answered: I keep you fully securely.2 This word was said with more love and security and spiritual keeping than I can or may tell. For just as it was shown that I would sin, so too was the comfort shown: security and keeping for all my fellow Christians. What could make me love my fellow Christians more than to see in God that He loves all who will be saved as if they were all one soul?
The Godly Will and the Constancy of Divine Love
Julian describes the godly will that never consents to sin, the eternal love with which God regards us now and forever, and how our own failure in love causes all our hardship.
For in every soul that will be saved there is a godly will that never assented to sin and never will. Just as there is a beastly will in the lower part that can will nothing good, so there is a godly will in the higher part — a will so good that it can never will evil, but only ever what is good.3 And therefore we are those He loves, and endlessly we do what pleases Him — and this our Lord showed in the wholeness of love in which we stand in His sight.4 Yes: He loves us now just as well while we are here as He will when we are there before His blessed face.✦ But because of the failing of love on our part, that is why all our hardship comes.5
Read the original Middle English
God browte to my mynd that I shuld synne, and for lykyng that I had in beholdyng of Hym, I entended not redily to that shewyng. And our Lord full mercifully abode and gave me grace to entendyn, and thys shewyng I toke singularly to myselfe. But be al the gracious comforte that folowyth, as ye shal seen, I was leryd to take it to al my even Cristen, al in general and nothing in special. Thowe our Lord shewid me I should synne, by me alone is understode al. And in this I concyvid a soft drede; and to this our Lord answerid: I kepe the ful sekirly. This word was seid with more love and sekirness and gostly kepyng than I can or may telle. For as it was shewid that I should synne, ryth so was the comforte shewid, sekirnes and kepyng for al myn even Cristen. What may make me more to love myn evyn Cristen than to seen in God that He lovyth all that shal be savid as it wer al on soule?
For in every soule that shal be savid is a godly wil that never assentid to synne ne never shal. Ryth as there is a bestly will in the lower party that may willen no good, ryth so ther is a godly will in the heyer party which will is so good that it may never willen yll, but ever good. And therfore we arn that He lovith, and endlesly we do that that Hym lykyt, and this shewid our Lord in the holehede of love that we stonden in in His syght. Ya, that He lovith us now as wele whil we arn here, as He shal don whan we arn there afore His blissid face. But for faylyng of love on our party, therefore is al our travel.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'by me alone is understode al' means Julian is shown as the representative figure through whom the whole body of the saved is understood, not that only her case matters.
- 2 ↩'Soft drede' is retained as soft dread: a mild, awed fear, not terror or despair.
- 3 ↩bestly will / lower party and godly will / heyer party: Julian's contrast between the sensual lower will and the higher godly will that cannot consent to evil.
- 4 ↩holehede of love: rendered as wholeness of love (completeness/integrity of the love in which the soul stands before God).
- 5 ↩travel: Middle English travail (toil, hardship, suffering of this life), not modern travel.
Revelations of Divine Love (Showings) companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent