Of sothfast knowing that it is Jesus that shewid all this, and it was no ravyng; and how we owen to have sekir troste in all our tribulation that we shall not be overcome. Sixty-eighth chapter.
The Restful Sight of Christ Sitting
Julian describes the delightful and restful sight of Christ sitting, which signifies endless dwelling, unites the soul in rest and peace, and gives her sure knowledge that it is He who showed her everything.
This was a delightful sight and a restful revelation: that it is so without end. And while we are here, seeing this is very pleasing to God and of very great help to us.1 And the soul that sees in this way — this makes it like Him who is seen, and unites it in rest and peace by His grace.2 And this was a unique joy and bliss to me: that I saw Him sitting. For the certainty of sitting shows endless dwelling.3 And He gave me certain knowledge that it was He who had shown me everything before.
You Will Not Be Overcome
The Lord speaks words of comfort, declaring that what Julian saw is no raving and that she will not be overcome; this promise is for all Christians, and God wills that we trust Him mightily, for all shall be well, after which the showing closes.
And when I had looked at this with careful attention, then our good Lord spoke words very meekly, without voice and without opening His lips, just as He had done before, and said very sweetly: 'Know well now that what you saw today was no raving, but take it and believe it, and keep yourself in it, and comfort yourself with it, and trust in it, and you will not be overcome.'✦45 These last words were said to teach true certainty: that it is our Lord Jesus who showed me everything; and just as in the first word our good Lord showed — meaning His blissful Passion — 'By this the devil is overcome,' just so He said in the last word, with full true certainty, meaning us all: 'You will not be overcome.'✦✦6 And all this teaching in this true comfort is general to all my fellow Christians, as was said before, and so is God's will. And these words — You will not be overcome — were said very sharply and very powerfully, for certainty and comfort against all tribulations that may come. He did not say, You will not be storm-tossed, you will not be hard-pressed, you will not be distressed; but He said, You will not be overcome. God wills that we take these words to heart, and that we be always strong in sure trust in good times and bad, for He loves us and delights in us, and so He wills that we love Him and delight in Him, and trust Him mightily—and all shall be well. And soon after, it all ended, and I saw no more.
Read the original Middle English
This was a delectable syte and a restfull shewyng, that it is so withouten end. And the beholding of this while we arn here, it is ful plesant to God, and full gret spede to us. And the soule that thus beholdyth, it makith it like to Him that is behaldyn and onyth it in rest and peas be His grace. And this was a singlar joy and bliss to me, that I saw Him sitten. For the sekirnes of sitting shewith endles dwelling. And He gave me knowing sothfastly that it was He that shewid me al aforn. And whan I had beholden this with avisement, than shewid our good Lord words full mekely, withouten voice and withouten openyng of lipps, ryte as He had done, and said full swetely: Wete it now wele that it was no raveing that thou saw today, but take it and leve it, and kepe the therin and comfort the therwith and troste thou therto, and thou shalt not be overcome. These last words wer seid for leryng of trew sekirness that it is our Lord Jesus that shewid me all, and ryte as in the first worde that our good Lord shewid, menyng His blissfull passion, Herwith is the devill overcome, ryte so He seid in the last word with full trew sekirness, menand us all, Thou shalt not ben overcommen.
And all this leryng in this trew comfort, it is generall to all myn even Cristen as it is afornseid, and so is Gods will. And these words, Thou shalt not ben overcome, was seid full sharply, and full mightily, for sekirness and comfort agens all tribulations that may comen.
He seid not, Thou shalt not be tempestid, thou shalt not be travelled, thou shalt not be disesid, but He seid, Thou shalt not be overcome. God will that we taken heede at these words, and that we be ever myty in sekir troste in wele and wo, for He lovith and lekyth us, and so will he that we love Him and lekin Him, and mytily trosten in Him, and al shal be wele. And sone after al was close, and I sow no more.
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.16.33;Rom.8.37 — I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart — I have overcome the world. Rom.8.37 — No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
- ↩John.12.31;Heb.2.14;1John.3.8 — Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Heb.2.14 — Since, therefore, the children have shared in blood and flesh, he himself also in like manner partook of the same, so that through death he might destroy the one having the power of death, that is, the devil, 1John.3.8 — Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.
- ↩John.16.33;Rom.8.37 — I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart — I have overcome the world. Rom.8.37 — No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Notes
- 1 ↩enm 'spede' rendered as 'help' (spiritual benefit/advantage), not modern 'speed'.
- 2 ↩Subject of 'makith'/'onyth' is left slightly open in the enm: rendered as the beholding conforming and uniting the soul; some readers take God as the implied agent. Grace remains the means either way.
- 3 ↩enm 'sekirnes' rendered as 'certainty' (assurance/security); 'sitting' figures settled, enduring presence.
- 4 ↩enm 'leve it' rendered as 'believe it' (MED leven, to believe/trust), not 'leave it'.
- 5 ↩Christ's address modernized from 'thou' to 'you' per modern-you register; uncontracted forms kept for solemn direct speech.
- 6 ↩The sentence pairs the first showing-word about the Passion overcoming the devil with the last consoling word that the believer will not be overcome.
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