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Chapter 47ScalePerfB1.1.47

What profite is to have the desire of Jhesu.

The Supremacy of Holy Desire

The author argues that a pure, loving desire for Jesus is superior to all external spiritual phenomena or bodily penances.

Truly, I'd rather feel and have a true desire and a pure, loving longing in my heart for my Lord Jesus—even if I could not see anything of His Godhead with my spiritual eye—than to have, without this desire, all the bodily penance of every living person, all visions or revelations of angels appearing, songs and sounds, savors or scents, burnings and any delights felt in the body—and, in short, all the joys of heaven and of earth that I might have without this desire for my Lord Jesus. David the prophet felt as I do—or so I understand it—when he said: Quid enim michi est in celo, et a te quid volui super terram?✦1 (Psalms 72:25). Lord, what is there for me in heaven, or what would I want above the earth without You? It’s as if he said: Lord Jesus, what heavenly joy could please me without a desire for You while I am on earth, or without love of You when I reach heaven? In other words, none at all. So if you want to feel anything of Him, bodily or spiritually, long for nothing but this: to feel truly in your heart a desire for His grace and His merciful presence, so that it seems to you your heart can find no other rest in anything but Him. That is how David longed when he said: Concupivit anima mea desiderare iustificaciones tuas in omni tempore (Psalms 118:20).✦2

The Diligent Search for Wisdom

The seeker is encouraged to diligently search for Jesus within the heart, casting aside worldly attachments to find the true Wisdom of God.

Lord, my soul longed for the desire of Your righteousness at all times.✦ Seek then, as David did, desire upon desire; and if through your desire in your prayers and meditations you can feel the intimate and merciful presence of your Lord Jesus Christ in your mind, bind your heart firmly to it so that you don't fall away from Him, and if you stumble, so that you may find Him again soon.3 Seek then Jesus, whom you have lost, just as He sought you. He wants to be sought, and He can in some measure be found, for He says Himself: Everyone who seeks finds (Matthew 7:8).✦4 Everyone who seeks will find.✦ The seeking is full of toil, but the finding is blissful. So do as the wise man counsels if you want to find Him: If you seek wisdom as money, and dig for it as for treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find knowledge (Proverbs 2:4–5).✦ If you seek wisdom (which is Jesus) as silver and gold, and dig deep after it, you will find it.✦ You need to dig deep into your heart, for He is hidden there, and cast out completely all loves and likings, sorrows and fears of all earthly things; and in this way, you will find wisdom, Jesus.

Read the original Latin

Sotheli y hadde lever feele and have a sothfast desire and a clene love longynge in myn herte to my Lord Jhesu, though y myghte not seen of His Godhede with my goostli iye, thanne for to have withoutin this desire alle bodili penaunce of alle men lyvynge, alle visiouns or revelacions of angels apperynge, songes and sownes, savours or smelles, brennynges and ony likynges, bodili felande, and schortli for to seie, alle the joies of hevene and of erthe whiche y myght have withouten this desire to my Lord Jhesu. David the prophete felid as y seie, as I undirstonde, whanne he seide thus: Quid enim michi est in celo, et a te quid volui super terram? (Psalms 72:25). Lord, what thynge is to me in hevene, or what wolde y, withouten Thee above the erthe? As yif he seide thus: Lord Jhesu, what heveneli joie is likynge to me, withouten desire of Thee whiles y am in erthe, or withouten love of Thee whanne I come to hevene? As who seith, right noon. Thanne yif thou woldest fele onythynge of Hym bodili or goostli, coveite not but for to fele soothfasteli in thyn herte a desire of His grace and of His merciful presence that thee thenketh that thyn herte mai fynde noon othir reste in nothynge but in Hym. Thus coveitide David whanne he seide thus: Concupivit anima mea desiderare iustificaciones tuas in omni tempore (Psalms 118:20).

Lord, my soule coveitide the desire of Thi rightwisenesse in every tyme. Seke thanne, as David dide, desire bi desire; and yif thou mai fele bi thi desire in thi praieres and in thy meditacions the homli and the merciful presence of thi Lord Jhesu Crist in thi mynde, bynde thyn herte feste therto, that thou falle not from Hym, and yif thou stumble, that thou myght fynde Hym soone agen. Seke thanne Jhesu, whom thou haste loste, as He sought thee. He wole be sought and He mai sumdel be founde, for He seith hymsilf: Omnis qui querit, invenit (Matthew 7:8). Every man that seketh schal fynde. The sekynge is traveilous, but the fyndynge is blisful. Doo therfore aftir the conceile of the wise man, yif thou wilt fynde Hym: Si quisieris quasi pecuniam sapienciam, sicut thesaurum effoderis illam; tunc intelliges timorem domini, et scienciam invenies (Proverbs 2:4-5). Yif thou seke wisdoom (which is Jhesu) as silver and gold, and delf deepe therafter, thou schalt fynde it.

Thee bihoveth for to delve deepe in thyn herte, for thereinne He is hid, and cast ought clenli alle loves and likynges, sorwis and dreedis of alle ertheli thynges; and so schalt thou fynde wisdom, Jhesu.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Ps.73.25 — Whom have I in heaven but you? And with you I desire nothing on earth.
  2. ↩Ps.118.20 — This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
  3. ↩Ps.118.20 — This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
  4. ↩Matt.7.8 — For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.
  5. ↩Matt.7.8 — For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.
  6. ↩Prov.2.4-Prov.2.5 — If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures— Prov.2.5 — Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
  7. ↩Prov.2.4-Prov.2.5 — If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures— Prov.2.5 — Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Latin Vulgate wording of the psalm is left as quoted in the source; English sense follows in s4.
  2. 2 ↩Latin Vulgate of Ps 118:20 (Heb. 119:20) is kept as quoted; the next section supplies Hilton's English sense.
  3. 3 ↩ME 'homli' means near, familiar, intimate presence (Hilton's 'homely' presence of Jesus), not 'plain-looking'; rendered 'intimate' for modern readability.
  4. 4 ↩ME 'sumdel' = somewhat / in some measure; keeps Hilton's guarded claim that Christ may be partly found in this life, not fully possessed.

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