We are lernyd to our synne, and not to our neighbors, but for their helpe; and God will we know whatsomever stering we have contrary to this shewing, it comith of our enemy. For the gret love of God knowen, we should not ben the more reckles to fallen, and if we fallen, we must hastily risen or ell we are gretly onkind to God. Seventy-ninth chapter.
Learning to See Our Own Sin
Julian learns that the showing of her own sin is meant for all humanity, teaching her to focus on her own faults rather than others' and to humbly fear her own frailty.
Also, in this, I gained more understanding. When He showed me that I would sin, I took it simply as applying only to myself, for I wasn't stirred otherwise at that time.1 But by the great and gracious comfort of our Lord that followed, I saw that His meaning was for all of humanity—that is, all people who are sinful and will be so until the last day—of which humanity I am a member, as I hope, by the mercy of God.2 For the blessed comfort that I saw is large enough for us all. And here I was taught that I should look to my own sin and not to other people's sins, unless it might be for the comfort and help of my fellow Christians.3 And also in this same showing where I saw that I would sin, I was then taught to be fearful because of my own uncertainty, for I don't know how I will fall, nor do I know the measure or the greatness of sin.4 For I would have known that with dread; and to that I had no answer.5
The Unchanging Love of God
In contrast to human uncertainty, God reveals the endless and unchangeable love that keeps the soul united to Him, providing both humility and comfort.
Also our courteous Lord, at the same time, showed most surely and mightily the endlessness and the unchangeableness of His love.6 And also, by His great goodness and His grace, keeping us inwardly, He showed that the love of Him and our soul will never be parted in two, without end.7 And so, in this dread, I have cause for humility that saves me from presumption. And in the blessed showing of love, I have cause for true comfort and joy that saves me from despair.
Discerning the Enemy's Stirring
Julian teaches that any stirring contrary to God's intimate love comes from the enemy, and that when we fall we must quickly turn to Christ who eagerly waits for us.
All this intimate showing from our courteous Lord is a lovely lesson and a sweet, gracious teaching from Himself for the comforting of our soul.8 For He wants us to know, by the sweetness and intimate loving of Him, that everything we see or feel, within or without, that is contrary to this comes from the enemy, and not from God. Like this: if we're stirred to grow more careless about how we live or about the keeping of our hearts because we know this plentiful love, then we greatly need to beware. For this stirring, if it comes, is untrue, and we ought greatly to hate it, for it has no likeness at all to God's will. And when we have fallen through frailty or blindness, then our courteous Lord touches us, stirs us, and keeps us, and then He wants us to see our wretchedness and meekly acknowledge it. But He does not want us to remain like this, nor does He want us to busy ourselves greatly with accusing ourselves, nor does He want us to be wretchedly absorbed in ourselves.9 But He wants us to turn promptly to Him, for He stands all alone and waits for us in sorrow and with mourning until we come, and He is eager to have us to Himself, for we are His joy and His delight, and He is our healing and our life.10 Though I say He stands all alone, I leave aside speaking of the blessed company of Heaven, and speak of His office and His working here on earth according to the condition of the showing.
Read the original Middle English
Also I had in this more understondyng. In that He shewid me that I should synne, I toke it nakidly to myne owne singular person, for I was none otherwise stirrid at that time. But be the hey, gracious comfort of our Lord that followid after, I saw that His menyng was for the general man, that is to sey, all man which is synfull and shall ben into the last day, of which man I am a member, as I hope, be the mercy of God. For the blissid comfort that I saw, it is large enow for us all. And here was I lerid that I shuld se myn owne synne and not other mens synns but if it may be for comfort and helpe of myn evin Cristen. And also in this same shewing where I saw that I shuld synne, then was I leryd to be dredfull for onsekirness of myselfe, for I wott not how I shall fallen, nor I know not the mesure ner the gretness of synne. For that wold I have wist dredfully; and therto, I had non answere. Also our curtes Lord, in the same tyme, He shewid full sekirly and mytyly the endleshede and the onchongeabilitie of His love.
And alsa, be His grete goodnes and His grace inwardly keping, that the love of Him and our soule shal never be departid in two, without end. And thus in this drede I have matter of mekeness that savith me from presumption. And in the blissid shewing of love, I have matter of tru comfort and of joy that savith me fro dispeir.
All this homley shewing of our curtes Lord, it is a lovely lesson and a swete, gracious teching of Himselfe in comforting of our soule. For He will that we knowen be the swetenes and homley loveing of Him, that all that we seen or felyn, within or without, which is contrarious to this is of the enemy, and not of God. As thus: if we be stired to be the more recles of our living or of the keping of our herts be the cause that we have knowing of this plenteous love, than needs us gretly to beware. For this stering, if it come, it is ontrew, and gretly we owen to haten it, for it all hath no likeness of Gods will. And whan that we be fallen be frelte or blyndhede, than our curtes Lord touchith us, stireth us, and kepith us, and than will He that we seen our wretchidness and mekely ben it aknowen. But He will not we abiden thus, ne He will not that we beseyn us gretly about our accusing, nor He will not that we ben wretchfull of our selfe. But He will that we hastily entenden to Him, for He stondyth al alufe, and abideth us swemefully and monyngly till whan we come, and hath hast to have us to Him, for we arn His joy and His deligte, and He is our salve and our life. Tho I sey He stondyth al alone, I leve the speking of the blissid company of Hevyn, and speke of His office and His werking here on erth upon the condition of the shewyng.
Notes
- 1 ↩nakidly: rendered as 'plainly' (simply/without qualification), not physically naked; singular person: her own individual self as opposed to humankind in general.
- 2 ↩general man / all man: Julian's inclusive sense of sinful humankind until the end of time, not adult males only; be = by (instrumental).
- 3 ↩but if → unless; evin Cristen → fellow Christians (Julian's characteristic phrase).
- 4 ↩dredfull: holy/salutary fear, not panic; onsekirness: insecurity or lack of sure knowledge of oneself.
- 5 ↩wist dredfully: she wanted to know (the measure/greatness of her falling) with fearful urgency; therto → concerning that / to that desire.
- 6 ↩curtes kept as 'courteous,' Julian's distinctive name for God's gracious nobility; full sekirly and mytyly → most surely and mightily.
- 7 ↩Middle English continues the previous sentence's verb of showing elliptically after 'And also'; 'He showed' is supplied from that immediate antecedent so the 'that'-clause reads as a complete modern sentence.
- 8 ↩enm 'homley' (Julian's 'homely'): familiar, near, intimate presence—not ordinary or plain. Rendered 'intimate' for contemporary readability.
- 9 ↩enm 'wretchfull of our selfe': absorbed in self-misery / full of wretchedness about ourselves—not merely 'feeling wretched,' but lingering in self-accusation.
- 10 ↩enm 'alufe' clarified by the next sentence as 'alone' (not distant aloofness). 'swemefully and monyngly': with grief and mourning. 'salve': healing remedy/balm—rendered 'healing.'
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