That mekenesse and charité are the special lyveré of Jhesu, thorugh the whiche mannys
The Livery of Christ
The soul is reformed to God's likeness by clothing itself in the virtues of humility and charity, which serve as Christ's livery.
The soul is reformed into His likeness.✦1 So, shape yourself to be clothed in His likeness—that is, in humility and charity, which is His livery—and then He will know you intimately and show you His secrets. As He told His disciples: Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will reveal myself to him (John 14:21).✦ Whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will show Myself to him. There is no virtue or work you can do that will make you like our Lord without humility and charity; for these are, above all, God’s livery.
Learning the Master's Ways
Christ explicitly commands his followers to learn humility and mutual charity from Him, rather than focusing on external works or miracles.
That is clear enough in the Gospel, where our Lord speaks of humility like this: Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).✦ Learn from Me, He says—not to go barefoot, nor to go into the desert and fast for forty days, nor to choose disciples for yourselves, but learn humility from Me, for I am mild and meek of heart. Of charity, He also says: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.✦ Again: By this people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35).✦ This is My command: that you love one another as I have loved you; for by that, people will know you are My disciples. Not because you work miracles, cast out demons, preach, or teach, but only if each of you loves the other in charity.2 That charity is this: that you can love your fellow Christian as well as yourself.3
Read the original Latin
soule is reformed to the liknes of Him.
Forthi schape thee for to be araied in His likenes, that is in mekenesse and charité, whiche is His lyveré, and thanne wole He hoomli knowe thee and schewe to thee His privytee. Thus seide Himsilf to His disciplis: Qui diligit me, diligetur a patre meo, et manifestabo ei meipsum (John 14:21). Whoso loveth Me, schal be loved of My Fadir, and I schal schewe Mysilf unto Him. There is no vertu ne werk that thou mai doo mai make thee like to oure Lord, withouten mekenesse and charitee; for thise aren special Goddis lyveré. And that semeth wel in the Gospel, where oure Lord speketh of mekenesse thus: Discite a me, quia mitis sum et humilis corde (Matthew 11:29). Lereth of Me, He seith, not for to goo baarfoot ne for to goo into desert and faste fourti daies, ne for to cheese yow disciplis, but lerith of Me mekenesse, for I am mylde and meke of herte. Also of charitee He seith thus: Hoc est preceptum meum: ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos. Item: in hoc cognoscent homines quia discipuli mei estis, si dileccionem habueritis ad invicem (John 13:34-35).
This is My biddynge, that yee love you togedere, as I have loved you; for in that schal men knowe yow for My disciples. Not for ye worchen miraclis or casten out develis, or prechen or techen, but yif eche of you love other in charité. That charité is that thou coudest als wel love thyn even Cristene as thisilf.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gen.1.26-Gen.1.27;Col.3.10;Rom.8.29 — Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Gen.1.27 — So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Col.3.10 — and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator 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.
- ↩John.14.21 — The one who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.
- ↩Matt.11.29 — Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
- ↩John.15.12 — This is my commandment: that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
- ↩John.13.34-John.13.35;John.13.35 — A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John.13.35 — By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John.13.35 — By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Notes
- 1 ↩The ENM unit begins mid-phrase ("soule is reformed…") and completes the chapter title’s sense: humility and charity are Christ’s livery, through which man’s soul is reformed to His likeness. Hilton’s technical term "reformed" is retained.
- 2 ↩ME 'charité' names the theological virtue; rendered 'charity' rather than generic 'love' to keep the virtue-term force of the chapter's livery theme.
- 3 ↩'even Cristene' is the ME even-Christian (fellow Christian / Christian neighbor); rendered 'fellow Christian' rather than the now-archaic even-Christian.
Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection) 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.
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