God enjoyeth that He is our fadir, mother, and spouse, and how the chosen have here a medlur of wele and wo, but God is with us in three manner; and how we may eschew synne but never it perfectly as in heaven. Fifty-second chapter.

The Marvelous Mixture of Weal and Woe

God rejoices in being our Father, Mother, and Spouse, yet we live in a blend of comfort and suffering, held by Christ's grace and awaiting His return.

And so I saw that God delights in being our Father, God delights in being our Mother, and God delights in being our true Spouse, and that our soul is His beloved wife.¹ And Christ delights in being our brother, and Jesus delights in being our Savior.^✦ There are five great joys, as I understand, in which He wants us to rejoice: praising Him, thanking Him, loving Him, endlessly blessing Him.² All who will be saved have in us, in this life, a marvelous mixture of both well-being and woe.³ We have within us our risen Lord Jesus; we have within us the wretchedness and harm of Adam's fall and death.^✦⁴ Through Christ we are steadfastly kept, and by His grace touching us, we are raised to sure trust of salvation. And by Adam's fall we are so broken in our feeling in various ways, by sins and by many kinds of pain, in which we are made dark and so blind that we can scarcely take any comfort.⁵ But in our intention we wait for God and faithfully trust to receive mercy and grace.⁶ And this is His own working in us, and out of His goodness He opens the eye of our understanding, by which we have sight — sometimes more and sometimes less, according as God gives us ability to receive it. And now we are raised into the one, and now we are allowed to fall into the other.⁷ And so this mixture is so marvelous in us that we scarcely know of ourselves or of our fellow Christians in what state we stand, because of the marvelousness of this varying feeling — except for that same holy assent that we give to God when we feel Him, truly willing to be with Him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength. And then we hate and despise our evil stirrings and everything that might be an occasion of sin, spiritually and bodily. And yet nevertheless, when this sweetness is hidden, we fall again into blindness, and so into woe and tribulation in various ways. But then this is our comfort: that we know in our faith that by the power of Christ, who is our keeper, we never assent to it, but we resist it and endure in pain and woe, praying until He shows Himself to us again.⁸ And so we stand in this mixture all the days of our life.

The Lord and the Servant: Fall and Redemption

Christ is with us in three ways, and the vision of the Lord and Servant reveals that Adam's fall becomes the occasion for mankind's greater exaltation through Christ's love.

But He wants us to trust that He is always with us, and that in three ways. He is with us in heaven, true man in His own person, drawing us upward, and that was shown in the spiritual thirst.^✦⁹ And He is with us on earth, leading us, and that was shown in the third, where I saw God in a point.¹⁰ And He is with us in our soul, dwelling there endlessly, ruling us and keeping us.¹¹ And that was shown in the sixteenth, as I will say. And thus in the servant was shown the harm and blindness of Adam's fall, and in the servant was shown the wisdom and goodness of God's Son.¹² And in the lord was shown the compassion and pity for Adam's woe, and in the lord was shown the high nobility and endless honor that mankind has come to through the power of the passion and death of His dearly loved Son.¹³¹⁴ And therefore He greatly rejoices in his falling, for the high raising and fullness of bliss that mankind has come to, surpassing what we would have had if he had not fallen.^✦¹⁵ And so, to see this surpassing nobility, my understanding was led into God at the same time that I saw the servant fallen. So we now have cause for mourning, because our sin is the cause of Christ's pains. And we have lasting cause for joy, because endless love made him suffer.

Rising from Sin through Grace

Grace enables us to hate sin, avoid mortal sin, and when we fall, rise again with humble trust, avoiding both despair and carelessness.

And therefore the creature that sees and feels the working of love by grace hates nothing but sin. For of all things, as I see it, love and hate are the hardest and most immeasurable opposites.¹⁶ And yet, I saw and understood in our Lord's meaning that we cannot keep ourselves from sin in this life in as holy and full a purity as we shall be in Heaven. But by grace we can keep ourselves from the sins that would lead us to endless pains, as Holy Church teaches us, and avoid venial sins as far as our strength reasonably allows.¹⁷ And if by our blindness and our wretchedness we fall at any time, then we should rise again quickly, knowing the sweet touch of grace, and willingly amend ourselves according to the teaching of Holy Church, in proportion to how grievous the sin is, and go at once to God in love; and neither on the one side fall too low, tilting toward despair, nor on the other side grow too reckless as if we didn't care—but plainly knowing our feebleness, knowing that we cannot stand for the twinkling of an eye except by the keeping of grace, and reverently cling to God, trusting in Him alone.¹⁸¹⁹

The Double Countenance of God

God sees us with mercy while we see ourselves with humility, and the outward countenance of compassion invites us to accuse ourselves truly while trusting His endless love.

For God's way of seeing is one thing, and man's way of seeing is another. For it belongs to man to accuse himself humbly. And it belongs to our Lord God's own goodness to courteously excuse people.²⁰ And these are the two parts that were shown in the double countenance with which the Lord beheld the fall of his beloved servant.²¹ The first was shown outwardly, very humbly and mildly, with great compassion and pity, and that was of endless love.²² And in the same way our Lord wills that we accuse ourselves, willingly and truly seeing and knowing our fall and all the harms that come from it, seeing and knowing that we can never restore it, and along with that, that we willingly and truly see and know His everlasting love that He has for us, and His plentiful mercy.²³ And thus to graciously see and know both together is the humble accusation that our Lord asks of us. And He Himself works it; then it is.²⁴

One Love in Lower and Higher Parts

The lower part of our life involves pain and mercy, while the higher part is pure joy; yet both are one love, and God turns all blame into endless honor.

And this is the lower part of human life, and it was shown in the outward countenance, and in that showing I saw two parts. The one is humanity's sorrowful fall; the other is the glorious satisfaction our Lord has made for us.²⁵ The other countenance was shown inwardly, and that was higher and all one. For the life and the virtue we have in the lower part come from the higher, and they come down to us from that self's natural love, by grace.²⁶ Between the one and the other there is nothing at all, for it is all one love—and that one blessed love now has a double working in us. For in the lower part there are pains and sufferings, compassion and pity, mercies and forgiveness, and other such things that are for our good. But in the higher part there are none of these—only one high love and marvelous joy, and in that marvelous joy all pains are gloriously restored.²⁷ And in this our good Lord showed not only how He excuses us, but also the honorable nobility He will bring us to, turning all our blame into endless honor.²⁸

Read the original Middle English

And thus I saw that God enjoyeth that He is our fader, God enjoyeth that He is our moder, and God enjoyeth that He is our very spouse, and our soule is His lovid wife. And Criste enjoyeth that He is our broder and Jesus enjoyeth that He is our Savior. Ther arn five hey joyes, as I understond, in which He wil that we enjoyen, Hym praysyng, Him thankyng, Him loveing, Him endlesly blissand. Al that shall be savid, for the tyme of this life, we have in us a mervelous medlur bothen of wele and wo. We have in us our Lord Jesus uprysen; we have in us the wretchidnes and the mischefe of Adams fallyng, deyand. Be Criste we are stedfastly kept, and be His grace touchyng, we are reysid into sekir troste of salvation. And be Adams fallyng we arn so broken in our felyng on divers manner, be synes and be sondry peynes, in which we arn made derke and so blinde that onethys we can taken ony comfort.

But in our menyng we abiden God, and faithfully trosten to have mercy and grace. And this is His owen werkyng in us, and of His godeness He opynyth the eye of our understondyng be which we have syte, sumtyme more and sumtyme less, after that God gevyth abilite to takyn. And now we arn reysid into that on, and now we are suffrid to fallen into that other. And thus is this medle so mervelous in us that onethys we knowen of ourselfe or of our evyn Cristen in what wey we stonden, for the merveloushede of this sundry felyng, but that ilke holy assent that we assenten to God whan we felyn Hym, truly willand to be with Him with al our herte, with al our soule, and with all our myte. And than we haten and dispisen our evil sterings and all that myte be occasion of synne, gostly and bodily. And yet nevertheles whan this sweteness is hidde, we falyn ageyn into blindhede, and so into wo and tribulation on divers manner. But than is this our comfort, that we knowen in our feith, that be the vertue of Criste which is our keper we assenten never therto, but we grutchin ther agen and duryin in peyne and wo, prayand into that tyme that He shewith Him agen to us. And thus we stonden in this medlur all the dayes of our life.

But He will we trosten that He is lestyngly with us, and that in three manner. He is with us in Hevyn, very man in His owne person, us updrawand, and that was shewid in the gostly thrist. And He is with us in erth, us ledand, and that was shewid in the thrid wher I saw God in a poynte. And He is with us in our soule endlesly wonand, us reuland and yemand. And that was shewid in the sixteenth, as I shal sey. And thus in the servant was shewid the mischefe and blyndhede of Adams fallyng, and in the servant was shewid the wisdam and godeness of God Son. And in the lord was shewid the ruth and pite of Adams wo, and in the lord was shewid the hey noblyth and the endles worship that mankynde is cum to be the vertue of the passion and the deth of His derworthy Son. And therfore mytyly He enjoyeth in His fallyng, for the hey reysing and fullhede of bliss that mankynde is cum to, overpassing that we shuld have had if He had not fallen.

And thus to se this overpassing nobleth was myn understondyng led into God in the same tyme that I saw the servant fallen. And thus we have now matter of morneing, for our synne is cause of Crists paynes. And we haive lestingly matter of joy, for endles love made hym to suffir.

And therfore the creature that seith and felith the werkyng of love be grace hatith nowte but synne. For of al thyng, to my syte, love and hate arn herdest and most onmesurable contraries. And notwithstondyng all this, I saw and understode in our Lord menyng that we may not in this life kepe us from synne as holy in ful clenes as we shal ben in Hevyn. But we may wele be grace kepe us from the synnes which will ledyn us to endles paynes, as Holy Church techith us, and eschewen venial resonable upon our myte. And if we be our blyndhede and our wretchedness ony tyme fallen, that we redily risen, knowand the swete touching of grace, and wilfully amenden us upon the techyng of Holy Chuirch, after that the synne is grevous, and gon forwith to God in love; and neither on the on syd fallen overlow enclynand to despeyr, ne on that other syd ben over rekles as if we gove no fors, but nakidly knowing our feblehede, witeand that we may not stond a twincklyng of an eye but be keping of grace, and reverently cleven to God, on Him only trostyng.

For otherwise is the beholdyng of God, and otherwise is the beholdyng of man. For it longyth to man mekely to accusen hymselfe. And it longith to the propir goodnes of our Lord God curtesly to excusen man. And these be two parties that were shewid in the double chere in which the lord beheld the fallyng of his lovid servant. That one was shewid outward, wel mekely and myldly with gret ruth and pite, and that of endless love. And ryth thus will our Lord that we accusen ourselfe, wilfully and sothly seand and knowand our fallyng and all the harmes that cum thereof, seand and witand that we may never restoren it, and therwith that we wilfully and truly sen and knowen His everlasting love that He hath us, and His plenteous mercy. And thus graciously to sen and knowen both togeder is the meke accusyng that our Lord askyth of us. And Hymselfe werkith it; then it is.

And this is the lowor parte of manys life, and it was shewed in the outward chere, in which shewing I saw two partes. That on is the reufull falling of man; that other is the worshipfull asseth that our Lord hath made for man. The other cher was shewid inward, and that was mor heyly and al on. For the life and the vertue that we have in the lower parte is of the heyer, and it cummith downe to us of the kinde love of the selfe be grace. Atwixen that on and that other is ryte nowte, for it is all one love, which on blissid love hath now in us double werking. For in the lower part arn peynes and passions, ruthes and pites, mercies and forgevenes, and swich other that arn profitable. But in the higer parte are none of these, but al on hey love and mervelous joye, in which mervelous joy all peynis are heyly restorid. And in this our good Lord shewid not only our excuseing, but also the worshipfull nobleth that He shall bring us to, turnand al our blame into endles worshippe.

Scripture echoes

↩Heb.2.11-Heb.2.12;Rom.8.29 — For both the one who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all from one; for this reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers. Heb.2.12 — saying, 'I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the assembly I will sing your praise.' Rom.8.29 — For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
↩Rom.6.4-Rom.6.5;Col.3.1 — Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life. Rom.6.5 — For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection. Col.3.1 — If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
↩John.19.28 — After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, said, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, 'I thirst.'
↩Rom.5.15-Rom.5.21 — But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the trespass of the one man, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. Rom.5.16 — And the gift is not like what came through the one who sinned. For the judgment following one trespass led to condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses led to justification. Rom.5.17 — For if by the trespass of the one man death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Rom.5.18 — So then, just as through one trespass there was condemnation for all people, so also through one act of righteousness there was justification leading to life for all people. Rom.5.19 — For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Rom.5.20 — The law came in alongside so that the trespass might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Rom.5.21 — so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notes

1 ↩ME enjoyeth here means takes joy/delight in being these things to us, not mere pleasure-taking; rendered as delights that.
2 ↩The five high joys most naturally point back to the five relationships just named (father, mother, spouse, brother, Savior); the text then lists four participial modes of response (praising, thanking, loving, endlessly blessing).
3 ↩medlur of wele and wo: Julian’s fixed pair; wele rendered as well-being (not worldly wealth), wo as woe.
4 ↩mischefe in ME is harm/misfortune, not playful mischief; deyand taken as parallel to fallyng (Adam’s falling and dying).
5 ↩onethys = scarcely/hardly; felyng = interior feeling/experience, not mere emotion.
6 ↩menyng can mean intention, purpose, or mind; rendered as intention to match Julian's usual interior-purpose sense.
7 ↩that on / that other picks up the chapter's mixture of weal and woe: consolation on one side, the wretchedness of the Fall on the other.
8 ↩grutchin ther agen rendered as resist it; ME grucchen can mean complain against or struggle against. The force is refusal of consent to the blindness/woe, not mere grumbling.
9 ↩ME very = true/actual; not the modern intensifier.
10 ↩Refers to the third showing/revelation, not a third place.
11 ↩ME yemen = to guard, care for, keep watch over.
12 ↩ME mischefe = harm, misfortune, calamity; not modern 'mischief' as playful trouble.
13 ↩ME worship here means honor, dignity, or glory, not liturgical worship.
14 ↩ME be = by; vertue = power/efficacy.
15 ↩Subject 'He' who rejoices is God; 'his/he' who fell is Adam/mankind (the servant in the parable).
16 ↩herdest: hardest/most extreme; onmesurable: immeasurable/unbounded in degree.
17 ↩eschewen venial resonable upon our myte is elliptical: venial [sins], avoided reasonably according to our might/ability.
18 ↩Source spelling Chuirch treated as Holy Church.
19 ↩that we redily risen is hortatory/jussive ('may we / we should rise'), not a mere relative clause.
20 ↩ME 'curtesly' is Julian's distinctive divine courtesy: gracious, gentle forbearance, not mere polite manners.
21 ↩'chere' rendered as countenance (face/expression of regard), matching Julian's Lord-and-Servant showing; 'parties' as parts, not factions.
22 ↩'ruth and pite' rendered as compassion and pity; 'and that of endless love' kept close to the source's elliptical claim that this pitying regard is of endless love.
23 ↩ME 'wilfully' rendered as willingly (voluntary assent), not modern pejorative willfully. 'sothly'/'truly' and 'witand'/'knowing' keep the paired seeing-and-knowing force.
24 ↩Elliptical close: God Himself effects this humble seeing-and-accusing in us; only then does it truly exist or stand as the accusing He asks.
25 ↩ME asseth/asseeth means satisfaction or amends (atonement), not modern 'asset.' Rendered as 'satisfaction' to keep Julian's reparative sense.
26 ↩kinde = natural/created nature; selfe points to the higher substantial self. Rendered as 'that self's natural love, by grace,' preserving Julian's nature-and-grace descent from higher to lower.
27 ↩Julian's restorid often means raised into honor/glory, not merely healed. 'Gloriously restored' keeps that elevating sense.
28 ↩ME worshippe here means honor/glory, not liturgical worship. Rendered as 'honorable' / 'honor' to avoid modern misreading.

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

Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app) →