Of the twynynge of the thridde partie of contemplacion fro the secunde, and of praysynge
The Nature of Contemplative Love
Contemplation is distinguished from simple devotion as a higher, more spiritual tasting of heavenly joy that serves as solid food for the mature soul.
of it. That other part may be called burning love in devotion, but this is burning love in contemplation. That is the lower; this is the higher. That is sweeter to bodily feeling; this is sweeter to spiritual feeling, for it is more inward, more spiritual, more worthy, and more wonderful. For this is truly a tasting—and as it were a sight—of heavenly joy, not clearly, but half in darkness, which will be fulfilled and openly made clear in the bliss of heaven, as Saint Paul says: Videmus nunc per speculum in enigmate; tunc autem videbimus facie ad faciem (1 Corinthians 13:12).✦ We see God now through a mirror, as it were in darkness, but in heaven we will see Him openly face to face.✦ This is the illumination of understanding in the delights of loving, as David says in the Psalter: Et nox mea illuminacio mea in deliciis meis (Psalms 138:11).1 My night is my light in my delights. That other part is milk for children; this is solid food for the perfect, who have trained senses to tell good from evil, as Saint Paul says: Perfectorum est solidus cibus qui habent sensus exercitatos ad discrecionem boni et mali (Hebrews 5:14).✦2
The Transformation of the Soul
Contemplation requires prior reformation into the likeness of Christ and manifests as a brief, Spirit-led transformation from faith to understanding.
No one can have the working and the full use of this gift unless he is first reformed into the likeness of Jesus by the fullness of the virtues. No one living in mortal flesh can have it continually in its fullness, but only at times when he is visited.3 As I understand from the writings of holy people, it lasts only a very short time, for soon afterward one falls back into the sobriety of bodily feeling.4 And charity does all this work.5 Thus, as I understand it, Saint Paul said of himself: Sive excidimus, deo, sive sobrii sumus, vobis; caritas Christi urget nos (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). Whether we pass beyond our bodily senses to God in contemplation, or we are more sober toward you in bodily feeling, the charity of Christ stirs us. Saint Paul speaks of this kind of contemplation and conformity to God: Nos autem revelata facie gloriam domini speculamur, transformati in eandem ymaginem, a claritate in claritatem tanquam a domini spiritu (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is to say that Saint Paul, speaking for himself and for all perfect people, says: We who have first been reformed by the virtues into the likeness of God see, with the face of our soul unveiled by the opening of the spiritual eye, and behold as in a mirror heavenly joy—fully formed and united to the image of our Lord—from the brightness of faith into the brightness of understanding, or else from the clarity of desire into the clarity of blessed love.6
The Gift of Contemplation
While God may grant the gift of contemplation to anyone, its full exercise is a special grace typically reserved for those in the contemplative life.
As Saint Paul says, the Spirit of our Lord works all of this within a person's soul. God gives this part of contemplation wherever he wills—to the learned or the unlearned, to men or women occupied in high church office, and to solitaries as well—but it is special and not common.7 And even if someone living the active life should have the gift of it by a special grace, still, as I believe, no one can have the full use of it unless that person is solitary and lives the contemplative life.8
Read the original Latin
of it.
That othir partie mai be called brennande love in devocioun, but this is brennande love in contemplacion. That is the lowere, this is the highere. That is the swettere to the bodili felinge, this is swettere to the goostli felynge, for it is more inward, more goostli, and more worthi and more wonderful. For this is verili a taastynge, and as it were a sight of heveneli joye, not cleerli, but half in derkenesse, which schal be fulfillid and opynli clerid in the blisse of hevene, as Seynt Poul seith: Videmus nunc per speculum in enigmate; tunc autem videbimus facie ad faciem (1 Corinthians 13:12). We seen now God bi a myrour, as it were in deerkenesse, but in hevene we schulen see openli face to face. This is the illuminacion of undirstondynge in delites of lovynge, as David seith in the sautier: Et nox mea illuminacio mea in deliciis meis (Psalms 138:11). Mi nyght is my light in my delitees. That othere partie is mylk for children, this is hool mete for perfite men, which han assaied wittes to knowe the gode from the yvel, as Seynt Poul seith: Perfectorum est solidus cibus qui habent sensus exercitatos ad discrecionem boni et mali (Hebrews 5:14).
The wirkynge and the ful use of this gift may no man have, but yif he bee first reformed to the likenesse of Jhesu bi fulheed of vertues. Ther may no man lyvande in fleisch dedli have contynueli it in his fulheed, but bi tymes whanne he is visited. And as I conceyve of the writynge of holi men, it is ful schort tyme, for soone after he falleth into sobirté of bodili felynge. And alle this werke maketh charité. Thus, as I undirstonde, seid Seynt Poul of hymsilf: Sive excidimus, deo, sive sobrii sumus, vobis; caritas Christi urget nos (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). Whether we overpasse oure bodili wittes to God in contemplacion, or we aren more sobre to yow in bodily felynge, the charité of Crist stireth us. Of this partie of contemplacioun and conformynge to God speketh Seint Poul: Nos autem revelata facie gloriam domini speculamur, transformati in eandem ymaginem, a claritate in claritatem tanquam a domini spiritu (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is thus moche for to seie, Seynt Poul in the persone of hymsilf and of perfight men seith thus: We, first reformed bi vertues to the likenes of God se the face of oure soule unhiled bi openynge of the goostli iye, bihalden as in a myrour heveneli joye, ful schapen and oned to the ymage of oure Lord, fro brightnesse of feith into brightnesse of undirstondynge, or elles from clerté of desire into cleerté of blissid love.
And al this is wrought of the sprite of oure Lord in a mannes soule, as Seynt Poule seith. This part of contemplacioun God gyveth where that he wole, to lerid or to lewed, men or women occupied in prelacie, and to solitarie also, but it is special and not comone. And also though a man which is actif have the gifte of it bi a special grace, neverthelees the ful use of it as I hoope may no man have, but he be solitarie and in liyf contemplatif.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
- ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
- ↩Heb.5.14 — But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source cites Psalms 138:11 (Vulgate numbering); many modern Bibles place the verse at Psalm 139:11. The Latin is retained as given.
- 2 ↩hool mete rendered as 'solid food' to keep the Hebrews 5:14 food-for-the-mature sense; assaied wittes as 'trained senses' for exercised spiritual faculties.
- 3 ↩"Visited" means graced by a divine visitation, not ordinary human company.
- 4 ↩"Sobriety of bodily feeling" is the ordinary, non-ecstatic state of the senses after the contemplative rapture ends—not moral sobriety as such.
- 5 ↩Middle English "charité" rendered as charity for the theological virtue (caritas), matching the following Pauline citation.
- 6 ↩"Unhiled" rendered as "unveiled," matching revelata facie in the Latin of s7; "oned" as "united."
- 7 ↩ME 'lewed' means lay/unlearned, not modern 'lewd'. ME 'prelacie' means prelacy (episcopal or high ecclesiastical office).
- 8 ↩ME 'as I hoope' here means 'as I think/believe,' not bare wishing. ME 'but he be' is exceptive ('unless he is').
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.
- 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