The Fire of Love (Incendium Amoris)

If I will truly show this process it behoves me preach solitary life. The spirit forsooth has set my mind on fire to have and to love this, the which henceforth to lead according to the measure of my sickness I have taken care. Nevertheless I have dwelt among them that have flourished in the world, and have taken food from them. Flatterings also, that ofttimes might draw worthy fighters from high things to low, I have heard. But these out-casting for the sake of one, my soul was taken up to the love of my Maker; and desiring to be endlessly delighted with sweetness, I gave my soul up so that in devotion she should love Christ. The which she has forsooth received of her Beloved so that now loneliness appears most sweet to her, and all solace in which the error of man abounds she counts for nought.

I was wont forsooth to seek rest, although I went from place to place. For it is not ill for hermits to leave cells for a reasonable cause, and afterwards, if it accord, to turn again to the same. Truly some of the holy Fathers have done thus, although they have therefore suffered the murmuring of men; nevertheless not of the good. The evil truly speak ill; and if they had abode right there they would also have done that, for it is customary to them. If the covering of a privy is put by, nothing but stink flies out; and ill speaking is spoken out of the heart's plenty, in which the venom of adders lurks. This have I known, that the more men have raved against me with words of backbiting, so mickle the more I have grown in ghostly profit. Forsooth the worst backbiters I have had are those which I trusted before as faithful friends. Yet I ceased not for their words from those things that were profitable to my soul; truly I used more study, and ever I found God favorable. I called to mind what is written: Maledicent illi, et tu benedices, that is to say: They shall curse him, and thou shalt bless.'

And in process of time great profit in ghostly joy was given me. Forsooth three years, except three or four months, were run from the beginning of the change in my life, and of my mind, to the opening of the heavenly door; so that, the Face being shown, the eyes of the heart might behold and see by what way they might seek my Love, and unto Him continually desire. The door forsooth yet biding open, nearly a year passed until the time in which the heat of everlasting love was verily felt in my heart. I was sitting forsooth in a chapel, and whiles I was mickle delighted with sweetness of prayer or meditation, suddenly I felt within me a merry and unknown heat. But first I wavered, for a long time doubting what it could be. I was expert that it was not from a creature but from my Maker, because I found it grow hotter and more glad.

Truly in this unhoped for, sensible and sweet-smelling heat, half a year, three months and some weeks have out run, until the inshedding and receiving of this heavenly and ghostly sound; the which belongs to the songs of everlasting praise and the sweetness of unseen melody; because it may not be known or heard but of him that receives it, whom it behoves to be clean and departed from the earth.

Whiles truly I sat in this same chapel, and in the night before supper, as I could, I sang psalms, I beheld above me the noise as it were of readers, or rather singers. Whiles also I took heed praying to heaven with my whole desire, suddenly, I wot not in what manner, I felt in me the noise of song, and received the most liking heavenly melody which dwelt with me in my mind. For my thought was forsooth changed to continual song of mirth, and I had as it were praises in my meditation, and in my prayers and psalm saying I uttered the same sound, and henceforth, for plenteousness of inward sweetness, I burst out singing what before I said, but forsooth privily, because alone before my Maker. I was not known by them that saw me as, peradventure, if they had known me, they would have honoured me above measure, and so I should have lost part of the most fair flower, and should have fallen into desolation.

In the meanwhile wonder caught me that I should be taken up to so great mirth whiles I was in exile; and because God gave gifts to me that I knew not to ask, nor trowed I that any man, not the holiest, could have received any such thing in this life. Therefore I trow this is given to none meedfully, but freely to whom Christ will; nevertheless I trow no man receives it unless he specially love the Name of Jesu, and in so mickle honours It that he never lets it pass from his mind except in sleep. I trow that he to whom it is given to do that, may fulfill the same.

Wherefore from the beginning of my changed soul unto the high degree of Christ's love, the which, God granting, I was able to attain - in which degree I might sing God's praises with joyful song - I was four years and about three months. Here forsooth, with the first disposition of love gathered into this degree, she bides to the very end; and also after death she shall be more perfect: because here the joy of love or burning of charity is begun, and in the heavenly kingdom it shall receive its most glorious ending. And forsooth she profits not a little, set in these degrees in this life, but she ascends not into another degree; but, as it were confirmed in grace, as far as mortal man can, she rests. Wherefore without ceasing I desire to give grace and praise to God, the which both in diseases, heaviness, and persecution gives me solace; and in prosperity and flatterings makes me with sickerness await an endless crown. Therefore, in Jesu joying, I continually yield praise; the which has vouchsafed me, least and wretched, to mingle with sweet ministers, from whom songs of melody, yet heavenly, spring forth through the Spirit.

Continually with joy shall I give thanks because He has made my soul in clearness of conscience like to singers clearly burning in endless love; and whiles she loves and seethes in burning, the changed mind, resting and being warmed by heat, and greatly enlarged by desire and the true beauty of lovely virtue, blossoms without vice or strife in the sight of our Maker; and thus beating praise within herself, gladdens the longer with merry song and refreshes labours. Many and great are these marvellous gifts, but among the gifts of this way none are such as those which full dearly in figure confirm the shapeliness of the unseen life in the loving soul; or which so sweetly comfort the sitter, and being comforted, ravish him to the height of contemplation and the accord of the angels praise. Behold, brethren, I have told you how I came to the burning of love, not that ye should praise me, but that ye should glorify my God, of whom I received ilk good deed that I had; and that ye, thinking that all things under the sun are vanity, may be stirred to follow, not to backbite.

THE PRAYER OF THE POOR, AND THE LOVING AND DESIRING TO DIE: AND OF THE PRAISING OF GOD'S CHARITY When the devout poor man is noyed on account of his defaults, he can, if he will, pray and say: Lord my God, Jesu Christ, have mercy on me and vouchsafe to behold the grievous yoke that is put upon my body, and therefore tarries not to cast down my soul. My flesh truly fails in the griefs of this life; wherefore also ghostly virtue is made weary. For all that I had in this world or of this world is ended, and nought is left but that Thou lead my soul to another world where my treasure is most precious and my substance richest, and unfailingly abides. Wherefore I shall live without default; I shall joy without sorrow; I shall love without irksomeness; and loving Thee, seeing Thee, and joying in Thee, I shall be endlessly fed. Thou truly art my Treasure, and all the Desire of my heart; and because of Thee I shall perfectly see Thee, for them I shall have Thee. And I spake thus to death: O Death, where dwellest thou? Why comest thou so late to me, living but yet mortal? Why halsest thou not him that desires thee?

Who is enough to think thy sweetness, that art the end of sighing, the beginning of desire, the gate of unfailing yearning? Thou art the end of heaviness, the mark of labours, the beginning of fruits, the gate of joys. Behold I grow hot and desire after thee: if thou come I shall forthwith be safe. Ravished, truly, because of love, I cannot fully love what I desire after, until I taste the joy that Thou shalt give to me. If it behoves me, mortal - because forsooth it so befalls - to pass through thee as all my fathers have gone, I pray thee tarry not mickle; from me abide not long! Behold, I truly languish for love; I desire to die; for thee I burn; and yet truly not for thee, but for my Saviour Jesu, whom, after I have had thee, I trow to see withouten end.

O Death, how good is thy doom to needy man, whose soul, nevertheless, is made sweet by love; to the man, forsooth, truly loving Christ and contemplating heavenly things, and sweetly burned with the fire of the Holy Ghost. After death he is taken soothly to songs of angels; because now being purged, and profiting, he dwells in the music of the spirit. And in melody full marvellous shall he die, the which when alive thought pithily upon that sweet Name; and with the companies meeting him, with heavenly hymns and honour, he shall be taken into the hall of the Eternal Emperor, being among heavenly dwellers in the seat of the blessed. To this has charity truly brought him, that he should thus live in inward delight, and should gladly suffer all that happens, and should think on death, not with bitterness but with sweetness. Soothly then he trows himself truly to live, when it is given him to pass from this light.

O sweet Charity, thou art plainly the dearest sweetness; that catchest and takest the mind to thy love; and so clearly thou moistenest it that quickly thou makest it despise all passing things and vain joys, and only to marvellously yearn after thy desires. Thou hast come into me, and behold, all mine inward soul is fulfilled by the sweetness of heavenly mirth, and plenteous in the fervour of ghostly joy. Therefore, truly I long after love, the fairest of flowers, and I am inwardly burned by the flame of fire. Would God I might go from the dwelling of this exile! Thus it warms, man thinks not how, save that he feels solace in himself; the heart singing ditties and taken captive with the charge of charity. Soothly this that I thus receive is most merry, and I nearly die while it is thus made steadfast with burning love. Now grant my best Beloved that I may cease; for death, that many dread, shall be to me as heavenly music. Although I am sitting in the wilderness, yet I am now as it were set stable in Paradise, and there sweetly is sounding a loving song in the delights that my Love has given me.

HOW PERFECT LOVE IS GOTTEN BY CLEANNESS AND LOVE: AND OF IMPERFECT LOVE AND FAIRNESS, AND OF THREE MIGHTS OF GOD'S LOVE: AND OF THE RICH AND POOR: AND OF ALMS From cleanness of conscience and plenteousness of ghostly gladness and inward mirth, rises the song of joy and the burning of endless love in a mind loving truly. No marvel that loving in this manner, love has been perfectly had, great in desire, with a moving altogether dressed to God, and by no letting removed from His love; withouten strife of vain thoughts, constantly cleaving to Christ; in Jesu ever joying; from Him never distracted; with ill never moved; whom dead flies never deceive or cast down from the sweetness of the ointment.

The world, the flesh, and the devil have none effect upon him, although they prick him; but he treads them under his feet, setting their strength at nought. Withouten seething he boils; he loves with great desire; he sings with sweetness; he shines with heat; he is delighted in God without gainstanding; he contemplates with unbroken upgoing. He vanquishes all things; he overcomes all things; of all the things that he likes nothing seems to him impossible. Truly whiles any man is busy to love Christ with all his strength he feels in himself, forsooth, great sweetness of eternal life. We are turned truly to Christ if we strive to love Him with our whole mind. Certain, so marvellous a Thing is God and so liking to see, that I wonder that any man can be so mad and go out of the way that he should take no heed to the sight of Him in his soul. Truly not he that does great and many things is great; but he that loves God mickle is great, and loved of God.

Philosophers forsooth have travailed mickle, and yet without fruit they have vanished. And many that seemed Christians have done great things and showed forth marvels, and yet they were not worthy to be saved; for the plenteousness of the heavenly crown is not for the doers, but for the lovers of God. Lord Jesu, I ask Thee, give unto me movement in Thy love withouten measure; desire withouten limit; longing withouten order; burning without discretion. Truly the better the love of Thee is, the greedier it is; for neither by reason is it restrained, nor by dread distressed, nor by doom tempted. No man shall ever be more blest than he that for greatness of love can die. No creature truly can love too mickle. In all other things all that is too mickle turns to vice, but the more the strength of love surpasses the more glorious it shall be. The lover truly languishes if he has not by him the likeness of that he loves. Therefore it is said: Nunciate dilecto quia amore langueo, that is to say: Show to my love that I languish for love.' As who should say: Because I see not that I love, for love I wax slow also in body.'

Forsooth turned to Christ with all my heart, I am tied first by true penance, and so forsaking all things that long to vanity, after the taste of ghostly sweetness, I shall be ravished to sing in songful and godly praise. Whereof I say: Ego cantabo dilecto meo; and in the psalm: In te cantatio mea semper. That is to say: To my love I shall sing'; and in the psalm: In thee is ever my song.' No marvel that they therefore that thus have lived in God's love, and sweetly have burned in inward flagrance withouten dread, in death shall pass from this light, but truly with joy; and after death ascend to the heavenly kingdoms. Therefore it is said of the flame of God's love that it takes the mind to wound it. I am wounded by charity, and I am made to languish for my love'; whereof it is said, Amore langueo, for love I languish'; and to moisten it, that it so goes out towards the Beloved that it forgets the self and other things besides Christ. Therefore he says: Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum; that is to say: As a token set me on Thy heart.'

What is love but the transforming of desire into the thing loved? Or love is great desire for the fair, the good, and lovely, with continuance of thought going in to that thing that it loves, the which, when it has, then it joys; for joy is not caused save by love. All those loving are truly made like to their love, and love makes him that loves like to that that is loved. Truly neither God nor other creature disdains or forsakes to be loved, but gladly all things say they would be loved, and are gladdened by love. They are not heavy truly in loving unless they have loved an unkind thing; or if they trow they can not have that thing they have lovingly sought. This is never so in the love of God, but ofttimes this happens in the love of the world or of woman.

I dare not say that all love is good, for that love that is more delighted in creatures than in the Maker of all things, and sets the lust of earthly beauty before ghostly fairness, is ill and to be hated; for it turns from eternal love and turns to temporal that can not last. Yet peradventure it shall be the less punished; for it desires and joys more in love and be loved than to defile or be defiled. The fairer a creature is, the more lovable it is in the sight of all. Therefore some were wont busily to get health from a shapely form rather than from a despised, which has many occasions of bringing in ill. And nature teaches the fairer the thing, the more sweetly to be loved. Nevertheless ordinate charity says the greater the good, the more it is to be loved; for ilk fleshly beauty is as hay, lightly vanishing, but godliness truly hides; and ofttimes God chooses the sick and despised of the world, and forsakes the strong and fair. Wherefore it is said in the psalm: Tradidit in captivitatem virtutem eorum, et pulcritudinem eorum in manus inimici; that is to say: Their strength has he given to bondage, and their fairness into the hands of their enemies.' And in another place: Habens fiduciam in pulcritudine tua, fornicata es; that is in English: Having trust in thy fairness, thou hast done fornication.'

It is of love also to melt the mind; as it is written: Anima mea liquefacta est, ut dilectus locutus est; that is to say: My soul was molten as my Love spake.' Truly sweet and devout love melts the heart in God's sweetness, so that the will of man is made one with the will of God in wonderful friendship. In which onehood such sweetness of liking heat and song is inshed into a loving soul, how great the feeler cannot tell.

Love forsooth has strength in spreading, in knitting, and turning. In spreading, truly: for it spreads the beams of its goodness not only to friends and neighbours, but also to enemies and strangers. In knitting truly: for it makes lovers one in deed and will; and Christ and every holy soul it makes one. He truly that draws to God is one spirit, not in nature but in grace, and in onehood of will. Love has also a turning strength, for it turns the loving into the loved, and ingrafts him. Wherefore the heart that truly receives the fire of the Holy Ghost is burned all wholly and turns as it were into fire; and it leads it into that form that is likest to God. Else had it not been said: Ego dixi dii estis et filii Excelsi omnes; that is to say: I have said ye are gods, and are all the children of the high God.'

Forsooth some men have so loved each other that they nearly trowed there were but one soul in them both. Truly the man poor in worldly goods, though he is rich in mind, is far from such love. It were marvel truly if he that behoves ever to take and seldom or never can give, had a friend in the which he might trust in all things. By others, therefore, trowed unworthy of true love, he has a steadfast friend, Christ; and of Him he can faithfully ask whatsoever he will. Truly where man's help fails, without doubt God's is near.

Nevertheless it were more profitable to the rich if he chose a holy poor man to his special friend, with whom he would share in common and gladly give him all that he had, yea more than the poor wills, and love him affectionately as his best and kindest friend. Therefore Christ said unto the rich, Make you friends,' meaning, forsooth, the holy poor who are God's friends; and gladly God gives to the true lovers of such poor, for their love, the joys of Paradise. Soothly I trow that such rich should be well pleased with their friendship! But the verse now is true that saith: Pontus erit siccus cum pauper habebit amicum; The sea shall be dry when a poor man has a friend.'

Some rich soothly I have found giving as they thought their meat to the holy poor, who would not give clothing or other necessaries, trowing it were enough if they gave but meat; and so they make themselves half friends, or in part; caring no more for the friendship of the good poor than of the evil poor. And all things of any price that might be given, they save for themselves and their children. And so the holy poor are holden no more to them but as they are to others of their good-doers, that give them clothes or other goods. And yet, what is worse, the poor seem a full great burden to the rich.

OF THE PRAISE AND MIGHT OF CHARITY: AND OF FORSAKING THE WORLD: AND OF THE WAY OF PENANCE TO BE TAKEN Charity is the queen of virtues; the fairest star; the beauty of the soul that does all these things in the soul: that is to say, it wounds her; makes her languish; moistens, melts and makes fair; it gladdens and enflames; whose ordinate deed is full fair habit. It behoves without doubt that all virtue, if it be truly called virtue, be rooted in charity. No virtue can be truly held that has not been set in God's love. Soothly he who multiplies virtues and good deeds without God's love, casts as it were precious stones into a bottomless privy. Shown it is and known that all deeds that men do help not in the end to get health, if they be not done in the charity of God and of their neighbour. Wherefore, since it is charity only that makes us blessed, we ought to desire rather to lose our life than in mind, or mouth, or deed, defile charity. In this the strivers with sin joy; in this the overcomers are crowned.

Truly ilk Christian is imperfect that cleaves with love to earthly riches, or is joined to any worldly solace; for he forsakes not all that he has, without which no man can come to perfection. When any man truly desires to love God perfectly, he studies to do away all things, inward as well as outward, that are contrary to God's love and let from His love. And that a man may do that truly he has great business, for he shall suffer great strifes in doing it; afterwards truly he shall find sweetest rest in that that he seeks.

We have heard truly that the way is strait that leads to life. This is the way of penance that few find, the which therefore is called strait; for by it, and it be right, the flesh is stripped from unlawful solace of the world, and the soul is restrained from shrewd pleasure and unclean thoughts, and is only dressed to the love of God. But this is seldom found in men, for nearly none savour that which belongs to God: but they seek earthly joy and in that they are delighted, wherefore following their bodily appetite, and despising their ghostly, they forsake all the ways that are healthful to their soul, and they abhor them as strait, sharp, and unable to be borne by their lust.

Nevertheless every mortal man ought to consider that he will never come to the heavenly kingdom by the way of riches and fleshly liking and lust, since, forsooth, it is written of Christ: Quod oportuit Christum pati, et ita intrare in gloriam suam; that is to say: that Christ behoved to suffer and so enter His joy.' If we be members of our Head, Jesu Christ, we shall follow Him; and if we love Christ, it behoves us go as He has gone; else are we not His members, for from the Head we are divided. Truly if we be sundered from Him, it is greatly to be dreaded, for then are we joined to the fiend, and in the last doom Christ is to say: I have not known you.' He, truly, by a noyous gate and strait way entered to heaven; how should we, that are wretches and sinners, be made rich by the poor, and feed our lust with unlawful things and flatteries of this world, and all vanity and softness of flesh and desire for delight, and nevertheless reign with Christ in the life to come?

Christ when He was rich for us became poor; and when we are poor there is nothing that we so mickle covet as to be or seem plenteous. Christ when He was Lord of all is become the Servant of all: and we, whiles we are unprofitable and unworthy servants, yet would we be lords of all. He, when He was great God, is become a meek Man; and we, when we are sick and simple men, because of pride we raise ourselves in as mickle as if we were gods. He was conversant with men that He might raise us to the heavens; and we through all our life desire earthly things. Therefore it is shown that we love Him not, for we will not meek our will to His; nor busy we to fulfill what ilk day we ask, saying: Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra; 'Thy will be done as in heaven and in earth.' In vain forsooth such men trow to receive the heritage with them that are chosen; for they are not partners of Christ's gainbuying, the which, by their wicked and unclean works, despise the blood by which we are gainbought, and freely yield themselves to the bondage of the fiend.

OF FAIRNESS OF MIND: VANITY OF THE WORLD: LOVE OF GOD: AND UNION WITH OUR NEIGHBOUR: AND WHETHER PERFECT LOVE CAN BE LOST AND GOTTEN IN THIS WAY If thou be gladdened in fairness know it well, for the fairness of thy mind shall make thee beloved of the highly Fair if for love of Him only thou keepest it undefiled. Soothly the corruptible flesh with all its beauty is full feeble and to be despised, because, soon passing, it beguiles all its lovers. Therefore the virtue of our life stands in this: that vanity being despised and spurned, we cleave unpartingly to truth.

All earthly things which are desired on earth are vain; true soothly are the heavenly and eternal which can not be seen. Ilk Christian man in this shows himself truly chosen of God, that he sets these earthly things at nought; his desires are altogether spread in God, and he receives thereof a privy sound of love that no man umbelapped with worldly desires knows, being wretchedly withdrawn from the savour of heavenly joy. But no marvel that the shining soul, utterly intent to the love of the everlasting and inwardly desiring Christ, is wont to have his heart's capacity fulfilled with plenteousness of sweetness; so that in this flesh made merry, as it were with angels' life, they are gladdened with songful mirth.

Therefore if our love be pure and perfect, whatever our heart loves it is God. Truly if we love ourself, and all other creatures that are to be loved, only in God and for God, what other in us and in them love we but Him? For when our God truly is loved by us with a whole heart and all virtue, then, without doubt, our neighbour and all that is to be loved, is most rightly loved. If therefore we shed forth our heart before God and in the love of God being bound with Him, and holden with God, what more is there by which we can love any other creature?

Truly in the love of God is the love of my neighbour. Therefore as he that loves God knows not but to love man, so he that truly knows to love Christ is proved to love nothing in himself but God. Also all that we are loved by and love - all to God the Well of love we yield: because He commands that all the heart of man be given to Himself. All desires also, and all movings of the mind, He desires be fastened in Him. He forsooth that truly loves God feels nothing in his heart but God, and if he feel none other thing nought else has he; but whatso he has he loves for God, and he loves nought but that God wills he should love; wherefore nothing but God he loves and so all his love is God. Forsooth the love of this man is true, for he conforms himself to his Maker, the which has wrought all things for Himself; and so he loves all things for God.

Soothly when the love of the everlasting is truly kindled in our souls, without doubt all vanity of this world and all fleshly love is held but as foulest filth; and whiles the soul is given to continual devotion, she desires nothing but the pleasance of the Maker. Marvellously she burns in herself with the fire of love, that, slowly profiting and growing in ghostly good, henceforth she falls not into the slippery way and the broad that leads to death, but rather, raised up by a heavenly fire, she goes and ascends into contemplative life.

Truly contemplative life is not perfectly gotten of any man in this vale of tears, even a little, unless first his heart is inflamed from its depths with the torches of eternal love so that he feels it burn with the fire of love, and his conscience he knows molten with heavenly sweetness. So no marvel a man is truly made contemplative whiles both tasting sweetness and feeling burning he nearly dies for the greatness of love. And therefore he is fastened in the halsing, as it were bodily, of endless love; for contemplating unceasingly with all his desire, he busies him to go up to see that undescried light. Forsooth such a man knows to grant no comfort in his soul but God's, in whose love now languishing to the end of his life he is made to desire, crying grievously with the psalmist: Quando veniam et apparebo ante faciem Dei? that is to say: When shall I come and appear before the face of my God?'

This is perfect love. But it may not incongrously be asked whether this standing in love, once had, may at any time be lost. Truly whiles man can sin he can lose charity; but not to be able to sin belongs not to the state of this way but to the country above: wherefore ilk man, howsoever holy he be in this life, yet he can sin and mortally; for the dregs of sin are fully slakened in no pilgrim of this life after common law. Truly if there were any such the which neither desire nor could be tempted, they should belong to the state of heaven rather than of this way; nor were it of meed to them not to default, whiles they can not sin. I wot not if any such be living anywhere in flesh for, I speak for myself, the flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and after the inward man I am glad in God's law, but I know not yet so mickle love that I could utterly slake all fleshly desire.

Nevertheless I trow that there is a degree of perfect love, the which whosoever attains he shall never afterwards lose. For truly it is one thing to be able to lose, and another alway to hold, what he will not leave although he can. The perfect truly abstain themselves, as mickle as in them is, from ilk thing by which their perfection can be destroyed or else let. Truly with the freeness of their choice they are fulfilled with the grace of God, with which they are busily stirred to love, to speak and do good; and they are withdrawn from ill of heart, mouth, and work. When a man is therefore perfectly turned to Christ he despises all passing things, and he fastens himself immovably to the desire only of his Maker, as far as he is let by mortality because of the corruption of the flesh. Then no marvel, manly using his might, first the heaven as it were being opened, with the eye of his understanding he beholds the citizens of heaven; and afterward he feels sweetest heat as it were a burning fire. Then he is imbued with marvellous sweetness, and henceforth he is joyed by a songly noise.

This therefore is perfect charity, which no man knows but he that receives it; and he that has received never leaves it: sweetly he lives, and sickerly shall he die.

OF THE PROFIT AND WORTHINESS OF PRAYER AND MEDITATION Constant prayer helps mickle to get and hold to this stableness of mind; for if it be grounded in mind it undoes the might of fiends. Though God truly knows all things, and before we ask anything He knows perfectly what we will ask, yet we ought to pray for many causes. Because Christ gave example to us to pray when He nighted alone on the hill in prayer. And because it is the commandment of the Apostle, Sine intermissione orate. Oportet enim orare, et non deficere. Withouten ceasing pray ye. Soothly it behoves to pray, and not to fail.' Also that we may be worthy of grace in this life, and joy in time to come: wherefore Ask and ye shall receive. He that asks receives, and to the caller it shall be opened.'

Also because the angels offer our prayers to God to help their fulfillment. Truly thoughts and desires are bare and open only to God; yet angels know when saints think worthy and holy things and are inflamed greatly with the love of eternal life, by God's showing and by the experience of their outward deeds, because they see them serve God only. Wherefore the angel said to Daniel: Vir desideriorum es. 'A man thou art of desires.' Also because by the continuance of prayer the soul is burnt with the fire of God's love; our Lord truly says by His prophet: Nonne verba mea quasi ignis, et quasi malleus conterens petras? 'Are not my words as burning fire, and as a mallet breaking stones?' The psalm also says: Ignitum eloquium tuum vehementer; 'thy speech is hugely burned.' But there are many now that forthwith cast out the word of God from the mouth and heart, not suffering it there to rest in them; and therefore they are not burnt with the heat of comfort but bide cold in sloth and negligence, even after innumerable prayers and meditation of scripture, because forsooth they neither pray nor meditate in mind; whiles others that put back all sloth are within a short while greatly burned, and in Christ's love full strong.

Therefore it follows full well: Et servus tuus dilexit illud; that is to say: And Thy servant has loved it.' Therefore truly is he burned because Thy word, Lord, he loved; that is to say to ponder, and after it to work. Thee he has sought sooner than Thine, and has received of Thee both Thee and Thine. Others serve Thee in order to have Thine and for Thee they care little. Truly they feign they would be under Thy service, to get worldly honour and to seem glorious among men; but whiles they joy to have found a few things, they lose many; because of Thee and Thine, and themselves and theirs. It also behoves us to pray that we may be saved; therefore James warns, saying: Orate pro invicem ut salvemini, 'Pray for yourselves, that ye be saved.' Also that we be not made slow, and that we be continually occupied in good: therefore it is said: Vigilate et orate ne intretis in temptationem, that is to say: Wake ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.' Truly we ought ever to pray or read or meditate, with other profitable deeds, that our enemy never find us idle.

But it must be taken heed to with all busyness that we wake in prayer, that is to say not be lulled by vain thoughts that withdraw the mind and make it forget whither it is bound and alway let, if they can, to overcome the effect of devotion; the which the mind of the pray-er would perceive if he prayed with wakefulness, busyness and desire.

THAT CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE IS WORTHIER AND MEEDFULLER THAN ACTIVE: AND OF BOTH PRELACY AND PREACHING By some truly it is doubted which life is more meedful and better; contemplative or active. It seems to not a few that active is meedfuller because of the many deeds and preachings that it uses. But these err unknowingly, for they know not the virtue of contemplative. Yet there are many active better than some contemplative; but the best contemplative are higher than the best active. Therefore we say the contemplative life is altogether the better, the sweeter, the more worthy, and the more meedful as to the true meed, that is joy of the unwrought good, because the contemplative more burningly loves God. And more grace is asked if contemplative life be led rightly, than active. The reason of more fervent love in contemplative life than in active is because in contemplative they are in rest of mind and body, and therefore they taste the sweetness of eternal, before all mortal love. The active truly serve God in labour and outward running about, and tarry but little in inward rest, wherefore they can not be delighted save seldom and shortly; the contemplative soothly love as if they were continually within the halsing of their Beloved.

Forsooth some gainsetting say: active life is more fruitful; for it does works of mercy, it preaches and works other such deeds; wherefore it is more meritorious. I say, nay, for such works belong to accidental reward, that is, joy of the thing wrought. And so one that shall be taken into the order of angels can have some meed that he that shall be in the order of cherubim or seraphim shall not have; that is to say joy of some good deed that he did in this life, the which another - that without comparison surpasses in God's love - did not. Also ofttimes it happens that some one of less meed is good, and preaches; and another preaches not, that mickle more loves. Is not this one better because he preaches? No; but the one that loves more is higher and better, although he be less in preaching he shall have some meed, because he preached not, that the greater was not worthy of. Therefore it is shown that man is not holier or higher for the outward works that he does. Truly God that is the Beholder of the heart rewards the will more than on the deeds. For the more burningly that a man loves, in so mickle he ascends to a higher reward.

Truly, in true contemplative men, there is a full sweet heat and the plenteousness of God's love abiding, from the which a joyful sound is sent into them with untrowed mirth; and this is never found in active men in this life, because they take not heed only to heavenly things, so that they might be worthy to joy in Jesu. And therefore active life is worthily put behind; and contemplative life, in this present and in the life to come is worthily preferred. Wherefore in the litter of the true Solomon the pillars are of silver and the resting place of gold. The pillars of the chair are the strong upbearers and the good governors of holy kirk; these are of silver, for in conversation they are clear and in preaching full of sound. The gold resting place are contemplative men; on the which, being in high rest, Christ especially rests His Head, and they forsooth in Him singularly rest. These are of gold, for they are purer and dearer in honesty of living, and are redder in burning of loving and contemplating.

God forsooth has forordained His chosen to fulfill divers services. It is not given truly to ilk man to execute or fulfill all offices, but ilk man has that that is most according to his state. Wherefore the Apostle says: Unicuique nostrum data est gracia secundum mensuram donationis Christi; that is to say: To ilk one of us is grace given after the measure of Christ's gift.' Some truly do alms of righteously gotten goods; others to their death defend the truth; others clearly and strongly preach God's word, and others show their preaching in their writing; others suffer for God great penance and wretchedness in this life; others, by the gift of contemplation, are only busy to God and set themselves straitly to love Christ. But without doubt, among all estates that are in the kirk, they that are become contemplative joy with a special gift; they are now worthy with singing to joy in God's love.

Truly if any man might get both lives, that is to say contemplative and active, and keep and fulfill them, he were full great; that he might fulfill bodily service, and nevertheless feel the heavenly sound in himself, and be melted in singing into the joy of heavenly love. I wot not if ever any mortal man had this. To me it seems impossible that both should be together. Christ truly in this respect is not to be numbered among men, nor His blest Mother among women. For Christ had no wandering thoughts, and He was not contemplative in a common manner, as saints in this life are contemplative; truly He needed not to labour as we need, because, from the beginning of His Conceiving, He saw God. No marvel by great exercise of ghostly works there comes into us a songful joy, and we receive the sweetest sound from heaven; and so henceforward we desire to stand in rest, that with great sweetness we may joy. Therefore he that serves active life well is busy to go up to contemplative life.

He who truly is raised in the manner aforesaid with the gift of heavenly contemplation, comes not down to active; unless peradventure he be compelled to take governance of Christians; that I trow has seldom or never happened. But other contemplatives can well be chosen for that, because they are less imbued with heat of love. Forsooth lesser saints are sometimes more able than greater for the office of prelacy, because they that could not rest perfectly in inward desires shall behave themselves more accordingly about outward business.

THE BURNING OF LOVE PURGES VICES AND SINS: AND OF THE TOKENS OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP The burning of love truly taken into a soul purges all vices; it voids both too mickle and too little, and plants the beauty of all virtues. It never stands with deadly sin, and if it do with venial yet nevertheless the moving and desire of love in God can be so burning that they waste all venial sins, without also thinking in deed of these same venial sins: for whilst the true lover is borne to God with strong and fervent desire, all things displease him that withdraw him from the sight of God. Truly whiles he is gladdened by songly joy, his heart may not express what he feels of heavenly things, and therefore he languishes for love. Perfect men also never bear what may be burned to the life to come, for in the heat of Christ's love all their sins are wasted. But lest any man ween himself perfect in vain when he is not, let him hear when a man has perfection in himself.

This truly is the life of the Perfect: to cast away all charge of worldly errands; to forsake father and mother and all thy goods for Christ; to despise all passing goods, for endless life; to destroy worldly desires with long labour; as far as it is possible to refrain from lechery and all unlawful movings; to burn only in the love of our Maker; after bitter sorrows and surpassing busyness in ghostly works, to feel the sweetness of heavenly contemplation: and so, I speak of men privileged, for the joy of God's love, to be taken by contemplation into ghostly song or heavenly sound, and to bide sweetly in inward rest, all disturbances being put aback, in so mickle that whiles it is lawful to the man of God to work nothing outward, he is taken within to sing the sweetness of eternal love in songs of delight and unmeasured mirth. Thus, no marvel that he shall have sweetness in mind such as the angels have in heaven; although not so mickle.

Soothly in this wise is man made perfect; and he shall not need to be purged with fire after this life, who, being in the flesh, burns burningly with the fire of the Holy Ghost. And yet this perfect love makes not a man ay not to sin, but that sin lasts not in him but is wasted forthwith by the fire of love. Truly such a lover of Jesus Christ says not his prayers like other righteous men, for, set in righteous mind, and ravished above himself by the love of Christ, he is taken into marvellous mirth, and a goodly sound is shed into him, so that he as it were sings his prayers with notes; also offering with his mouth melody that, though hidden from human sense, is full bright to God and to himself. Strength and ghostly virtue have now truly so mickle overcome in him heaviness of the flesh that he can be ay glad in Christ; whose heart, turned into fire of love, feels verily heavenly heat, so that he can scarcely with life bear the greatness of such burning love. But the goodness of God keeps him until the time ordained; the which gave it him that he so mickle, might love, and truly say, I languish for love.'

As the Seraphim burned, he burns and loves; he signs and joys, he praises and grows warm; and the more pleasing he is, the hotter he burns in love. He not only dreads not death, but he is glad to die with the Apostle: Mihi, inquit, Christus vivere vita est, et mori gaudium, that is to say: Christ to me is life; and to die great joy'; etc.

THAT PERFECT LOVE MINGLES NOTHING WITH GOD: AND WHY. AND THAT IT IS NEEDFUL TO LOVE: AND OF THE BLINDNESS OF FLESHLY LOVE If we perfectly forsake the filth of sins and the vices of this world, we love nothing but God. How truly should God be all in all if anything were in man beside His love? No man truly has joy unless he loves the good. The more therefore that a man loves God, no marvel the more plenteously he shall joy in Him; because the more busily and fervently we desire anything, it being gotten, the more heartily we joy. Therefore truly has a man joy because he has God; and God truly is that Joy: the which forsooth none of them have that seek anything besides God. For if I desire anything for myself, and I set not my God as the end of that desire, sicker it is that I have made a traitor of myself, and my hidden guilt is openly shown.

God truly will be loved in this wise: that no man be mingled with Him in His love. For if thou dividest thy heart and dreadest not to love another thing with Him, without doubt know well that thy love is forsaken of God; the which vouchsafes not for to behold a part of love. All the whole truly or nought He takes; for He gainbought the whole. For in the sin of Father Adam forsooth thy body and thy soul were damned; wherefore God is come down into a Maiden's body and become man, and has given the price of thy deliverance, that not only He might deliver thy soul from the power of the fiends, but also He might make thy body with thy soul blessed at the end of the world. Therefore thou hast the commandments of eternal life. If thou wilt enter the kingdom, lost, and after reparalled with Christ's blood, it behoves thee to keep God's commandments.

And truly as thou desirest after thy death to ascend into full and perfect joy, so it behoves thee in this life to have mind to love God with a whole and perfect heart. Else as now thou art not given to God's love, so then not perfect joy but endless torment shalt thou have. For truly whiles thou takest not heed to thy Maker with whole love and mind, thou art proved soothly to love some creature of God more than is honest or lawful. A soul can not be reasonable without love whiles it is in this life: wherefore the love thereof is the foot of the soul, by which, after this pilgrimage, it is borne to God or the fiend; that it may be subject to him whose will here it served. Nothing truly can be loved but for the goodness that it has, or else seems that it has, and which is either in the loved or certainly thought to be in that that is loved. Herefore truly it is that lovers of bodily beauty or worldly riches are beguiled as it were by witchcraft; for delight is not those things the which we think we feel or see, nor the joy that is feigned, nor the good name that we give it.

No man therefore more damnably forgets his soul than he that sets his eye on woman for lechery; truly whilst the sight of the eye kindles the soul, anon from the things seen thought enters and engenders desire in the heart, and defiles the inward beauty. Wherefore suddenly with burning of a noyous fire it is umbelapped and blinded, that it may not see the sentence of the strait Judge. And thus the soul, taken from heavenly sight by evil and unclean love, stints not to show tokens of her error; and unless she may bring forth the filth that is conceived, she mistrusts of her prosperity. Filth forsooth she conceived, that is to say wicked desire; thereby shall wickedness worthily be brought forth, because the soul the sooner slides to slippery lust inasmuch as she takes no heed to the great peril in which she errs. The dooms of God are withdrawn also from her face. Whiles truly she begins to take pleasure in fleshly desires, she sees not into how great a pit of wretchedness she casts herself.

Soothly the doom of God is that he who wilfully despised God, casting himself down into deadly sin, shall, God deeming, unwillingly be damned after this life. In the time to come truly he can not defend himself from the pains of hell, that, set in this life, would not, when he could, with all his power forsake deadly sins, and wholly hate all wickedness.

OF THE STINK OF LECHERY AND THE PERIL OF TOUCHING: AND OF THE CURSEDNESS OF COVETOUSNESS: AND OF UNGODLY GLADNESS Whiles a man weds not for pure love of God and virtue and chastity, but is busy to live in chastity and in array of all virtue, doubtless he gets to himself a great name in heaven; for as he ceases not to love God here, so in heaven he shall never cease from His praising. Wedlock soothly is good in itself; but when men constrain themselves under the band of matrimony for the fulfilling of their lust, they turn forsooth good into ill, and whereby they ween to profit, thereof they cease not to be worse. Whosoever loves wedlock for this intent, because by it he trows he may be rich, is, without doubt, busy to loose the bridle of wantonness; and overflowing in lust and riches, he joys full mickle to have found medicine for his slippery flesh.

There are forsooth froward men that love their wives unmannerly for their beauty; and the sooner their bodily strength is broken the more loose are they to fulfill their bodily lust. For the more lust they have the sooner they fail, and whiles they have prosperity they perish; and whiles they are busy to be fed with lust, they wretchedly lose strength of body and mind.

Nothing soothly is more perilous, fouler and more stinking for man than to put his mind on woman's love, and desire her as blissful rest. No marvel what before he desired with mickly anguish as great bliss, after the deed straightway waxes foul. Afterward he knows truly that he has cowardly gone wrong in such lust, when he perceives lust so short and diseases long. For it is shown that he was strongly bound with a foul band of feeble vanity. But because he would not turn to God with all his heart, he knew not his wretchedness until the time he felt it; and therefore he fell into the pit of bondage, because he beheld not the seat of joy. If truly he had felt one drop of the sweetness of eternal life, never should fleshly fairness - that is beguiling and vain grace - have appeared so sweet to his mind. But alas! he takes no heed how stinking and odious is his wretched lust in the sight of God Almighty, and in his conscience he sees not himself beguiled.

No man certainly can be given to uncleanness of the flesh unless he err from the ways of righteousness. Truly whiles the fire of earthly love ceases not to inflame man's mind, no marvel it wastes in it all the moisture of grace, and making it both void and dry, it alway increases its heat; and from the fire of covetousness kindles the fire of lechery. And so the thrall soul, marvellously mazed, covets nothing but fleshly desires, or to increase riches, and making his end in them, labours always to get new things; and he sees not those pains that he goes to because he cared not for God's words and His commandments. And because he desires only these outward joys, and is blinded to the inward and unseen, as it were sightless he goes to the fire. And truly when the unhappy soul shall pass from the body, she shall know perfectly in the Judgment how wretched she was; the which trowed herself, whiles she was in the flesh, not only guiltless, but also happy.

In ilk thing therefore cleanness of mind more than of body is to be cared for; for certain it is less wicked to touch the flesh of woman with bare hands than to be defiled with wicked lust in mind. Truly if we touch women and think nothing evil in heart it ought not to be called sin, although through it temptation of the flesh sometimes arises; for man falls not into evil whiles his mind is steadfast in God. Whiles the heart of the toucher is caught by divers desires, or is bowed in evil sweetness, and he is not straightway refrained by the love of God and steadfastness in virtue, know without doubt that that man has the sin of uncleanness within himself, though he be never so far not only from women but also from men. And forsooth if a true man be untied with an untrue woman, it is full near that his mind be turned to untruth. Truly it is the manner of women that when they feel themselves loved out of measure by men, they beguile men's hearts by cherishing flattery; and they draw to those things that their wicked will stirred up, the which before they assayed by open speech.

Solomon soothly was wise and true to God for a while, but afterward, for the too mickle love by which he drew to women, he failed most foully in steadfastness and in the commandments of God; the more worthy to be grievously smitten in that he, set in great wisdom, suffered himself to be overcome by a fond woman. Let no man therefore flatter himself, and no man presume to say of himself I am sicker, I do not dread, the world can not beguile me,' whilst thou hearest of the wisest man the unwittest deed. Covetousness is also ghostly fornication; for the covetous heart, for the love of peace, opens his bosom to the strumpetry of the fiend. When God was loved before the love of money, as very Spouse, and afterward He is forsaken because of unclean love and wicked wooers received, what else is done but fornication and idolatry? Be we therefore busy to keep our hearts clean in the sight of God Almighty, and to destroy venomous delectations; and if anything have been done in our heart by frailty, let nothing now be shown before God but perfectness.

Sometimes truly we are hated by some men for mickle mirth, and sometimes we joy in words and laughter, and although this, and more such, may be done with a clean soul before God, nevertheless before men we know well it is taken and expounded ill; and therefore moderation is to be had; and that we keep ourselves wisely nor place ourselves where we trow we can do ought that is like evil. It is good for the servants of Christ to be near God, because in desire for Him they receive the heat of the fire of the Holy Ghost; and they sing the sweetness of endless love with sweetest heavenly sound like to honey. Wherefore melliflui facti sunt coeli: that is to say: the heavens are made sweet as honey,' that is to mean: saints that so burningly have loved Christ, knowing that He has suffered so mickle for them. Whence truly the minds of the saints are knitted to endless love, unable to be loosed; and although ravished as it were by the sweetness of heavenly life, by a melody as it were felt before, are gladdened in that.

OF PERFECT LOVE: AND WHAT MUST BE HAD FOR GHOSTLY JOY: AND OF LOVE AND CORRECTION Excellence of meed stands in greatness of love; so that a lover burns with ever burning fire and is fulfilled within with heavenly sweetness. He truly that loves most shall be set highest in heaven. For this love is in the heart, and the more it loves God the more joy it feels in itself. They err therefore that but seldom and shortly have the joy of love, and that trow they love as mickle as he that is fed, as it were all day, with the sweetness of love. Some truly love with difficulty and some with ease, but the love of God is the more blessed in that it be light; the lighter, the heartier; the quicker, the sweeter; the sweeter, the more. Truly it is greater in resters than in labourers; therefore they that continually rest and fervently love are higher than they that some time take heed to rest, and some time to other occupations.

Nothing truly is better than love, nothing sweeter than holy charity. For to be loved and to love is a sweet change; the delight of all man's life, and of angel's, and of God's; and also the meed of all blessedness. If therefore thou desirest to be loved, love; for love gainyields itself. No man has ever lost by good love who keeps in view the end of love. Soothly he that knows not to burn in love knows not to be glad. Therefore never is a man more blessed than he that is borne without himself by the might of love, and by the greatness of God's love receives within himself a songful sweetness of everlasting praising. But this happens not anon to every man; but when a man, turned to God, marvellously exercises himself and has cast away all desire for worldly vanity; then God sheds into His lovers that unspoken praising. The mind truly disposed to cleanness, receives from God the thought of eternal love; and soothly clean thought rises up to ghostly song. Clearness of heart, certain, is worthy to have heavenly sound; and so that God's praising should bide in ghostly joy, the soul is warmed with God's fire, and is gladdened with full marvellous delight.

But although a man forsake the world perfectly; and busily take heed to prayer, waking, and fasting; and have cleanness of conscience, so that he desire to die for heavenly joy, and to be dissolved and be with Christ; unless his mind be fully knit unto Christ, and it lasts in desires and thoughts of love - the which are certain and endlessly intent - and which thoughts, wherever he be, sitting or going, he meditates within himself without ceasing, desiring nothing but Christ's love; he else soothly receives not the heavenly sound, nor in ghostly song shall he sing JESU, nor His praise, in mind or mouth. Pride forsooth destroys many; when they trow they have done aught that others have not, anon they bear themselves before others, and they that are better than themselves they put behind. But, know it well, he himself knows not love that presumes to despise common nature in his brother; for he does wrong to his own condition that knows not his right in another. He that honours not the community of nature in his neighbour, defiles the law of man's fellowship.

In this many men err from the love of God, nor know they how to come to His love because they study not to love their brother as they are bound. And soothly they either leave the sinner uncorrected, or if they correct or rebuke the sinner, with so great sharpness and fierceness they speak that oft they that they snib are made, by their words, worse than they are. Truly with meekness they should speak, that by sweet words they might win those that sharp correcting would make worse.

OF THE SIGHINGS, DESIRE, AND MEEKNESS OF A PERFECT LOVER: AND OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORLDLY LOVE AND GODLY: AND ALSO OF MEDITATION The voice of the soul languishing with endless love bears the likeness of the seeker of His Maker, saying: Osculetur me osculo oris sui; that is to say: the Godhead might glad me with knitting me to His Son.' Therefore for love I long; because whom I love with all my mind I desire to see in His fairness. In the meanwhile, truly, in the labour and strife of my pilgrimage, I beseech He make me glad with sweetness of His love; and unto the time I can clearly see my Beloved, I shall think of His full sweet Name, holding it, joying, in my mind.

And no marvel that he be glad thereof in this life that has lust ever to fulfill the desires of His Maker. Nothing is merrier than JESU to sing, nothing more delightful than JESU to hear. Hearing it truly mirths the mind; and song uplifts it. And truly, whiles I want this, sighing, and heavy as it were with hunger and thirst, think myself forsaken. Forsooth when I feel the halsing and kissing of my Love, with untold delight as it were I overflow; whom true lovers, for love only of His unmeasured goodness, set before all things. Coming therefore into me, He comes inshedding perfect love. My heart also He refreshes, giving continuance; He warms me, and also makes fat, all lettings to love putting away.

Who then shall say that he must fall into stinking uncleanness of flesh, whom Christ has vouchsafed to fulfill with the sweetness of heavenly contemplation. Therefore henceforward it is sung: Laetabimur in te, memores uberum tuorum super vinnum. As who says: We desire to worship and joy in Thee; in Thy gladness we are merry, forsaking the lust and riches of worldly vanity, the which so beguile their lovers, that they know not the noy they suffer. And although we may not yet see Thy face, nevertheless so hotly we desire Thee, that though we should live for ever we should seek none other love.' For the longer we live the hotter we desire Thee, and the more joy we feel in Thy love, and painfully we hasten to Thee; for to Thy lovers noyous things pass, and mirth in ghostliness follows. That soul truly good JESU that loves Thee, would rather choose to suffer a horrible death than consent to any sin.

Nor soothly does he love Christ perfectly that dreads any but Christ; whiles all things turn to good to God's lovers. Perfect love overcomes pain, and also threats, because it feels no dread of any creature; it puts away all pride, and meekly gives stead to ilk thing; whereof it is said: Recti diligunt te, that is: Righteous men love Thee.' The righteous are the meek, loving truly, forgetting nothing, and though they stand in high perfection they behave themselves most meekly in mind and deed. And so ilk true lover may say within himself; Ilk man passes me in despising the world, and hate of sin; in desire for the heavenly kingdom; in sweetness and heat of Christ's love, and brotherly charity: some flourish in virtue, some shine in miracles; some are raised by the gift of heavenly contemplation; and some seek the secrets of scripture. When I behold the worthy life of so many, methinks I am as right nought, and among all others lowest.

Therefore the righteous flee full fast all earthly encumbrances, only drawing unto everlasting joys; in desire for all temporal things they greatly fail, and they rise with a high desire in God's love. And it is worthily said they love God; for going in the right way and the plain of shining charity, they seek nor savour nothing but Christ. To whose contraries it is said by the psalmist: Obsurentur oculi corum ne videant, et dorsum corum semper incurva; that is to say: Their eyes be dim that they see not, and their back bow thou always,' so that they only take heed to earthly things; everlasting putting behind. And therefore God's wrath is shed on them and righteous vengeance, with great fierceness of umbelapping torments. The righteous forsooth putting back all feignedness of heart, mouth, and deed, endeavour to joy without ceasing in the sight of God; and they bow themselves not to the love of void vanity, that, in their pilgrimage, they be not disturbed from the path of righteousness.

He therefore that desires to please Christ will do nothing, for good nor ill, against Christ's will. Full horrible it is to go into the fire of hell; but more to be hated is it to will to have lust in sin, because of which he may lose Christ for evermore. Forsooth a soul parted from worldly vices, and sundered from venomous sweetness of the flesh; being given to heavenly desires, and as it were ravished, enjoys a marvellous mirth; because she feels now the gladness of the Beloved's love, so that she may contemplate more clearly, and desire more likingly. Also at this time the mouth of the Spouse and His sweetest kissing she asks, saying with voice: All earthly things are irksome to me: I feel the love of my Beloved; I taste the moisture of His marvellous comfort; busily I yearn after that sweetness so that I fail not, being put far from Him by temptation; Love makes me hardy to call Him that I love best, that He, comforting me and filling me, might kiss me with the kissing of His mouth.

Truly the more I am lift from earthly thoughts, the more I feel the sweetness desired; the more fleshly desires are slakened, the truelier everlasting are kindled. I beseech He kiss me with the sweetness of His refreshing love, straitly halsing me by the kissing of His mouth so that I fail not, and putting grace in me that I may continually grow in love. As children are nourished with their mother's milk, so chosen souls, burning in love, are fed with heavenly delight, by the which they shall be brought to the sight of the everlasting clearness. Truly the delights of Christ's love are sweeter than all the delights of the world, and of fleshly savour. Forsooth all imaginations of fleshly lust and all plenteousness of worldly riches is but wretchedness and abomination in comparison with the least sweetness that is shed by God into a chosen soul. As great difference as is betwixt the sweetness of the highest plenty of worldly riches and the greatest need of worldly poverty, so infinitely more is it betwixt the sweetness of Thy love, my God, and the lust of worldly joy that fleshly men desire and go about, and in the which only they joy: for nought of Thy love they feel, in whom alone they should be glad.

Ghostly gifts truly direct a devout soul to love burningly; to meditate sweetly; to contemplate highly; to pray devoutly, and praise worthily; to desire JESU only, to wash the mind from filth of sins; to slaken fleshly desires; and to despise all earthly things and to paint the wounds and Christ's cross in mind; and, with an unwearied desire, with desire to sigh for the sight of the most glorious Clearness. Such are the precious ointments with which a hallowed soul is best anointed and made fair with God's love.

OF TRUE MEEKNESS AND ADVERSITY: AND OF THE EXAMPLE OF THE SAINTS: AND OF THE MANNER OF GHOSTLY PROFITING: AND OF THINKING ON CHRIST'S PASSION The very meek behold not other men's sins, but their own; and not their good deeds, but other men's they praise. The rejected truly do the reverse; for they see rather other men's sins than their own, and in comparison they count their own sins as little or none; but their good deeds - if any happen - they praise before all others, whose goodness they desire to lessen if they cannot fully destroy it. Two things have I been heavy to hear: one was when they praised me, wretched, whom I knew only as despised; another, when I saw my neighbour, the which I loved in God and for God, reproved or with slander backbitten. Nevertheless thou that forsakest the world and art busy to follow Christ in poverty, be busy to know thyself; for truly if thou forsakest the deeds and desires of the world, thou bindest thyself to suffer worldly diseases gladly for Christ, and truly to flee wealth strongly. If, forgetting, thou takest no heed to this, thou goest beguiled from Christ's love.

Therefore marvel not though thou be noyed with divers and many temptations; for if thou withstand steadfastly, thou shalt be dearer and sweeter before God. Have in mind that God proves His own as gold is proved by fire. They truly that inwardly feel the sweetness of Christ's love, gladly halsing tribulation, seek not outward worldly solace. For the sweetness in mind of those truly loving Christ is so mickle that if the joys of the world were gathered together in one place, they were liever run to the wilderness than to once look thereon with the eye. And certain it is no marvel, for all worldly cheer seems to it heaviness rather than comfort.

Soothly the soul that is wont to be visited with the joy of Christ's love, can not be fed with vain joy, whose heart is not parted from his Beloved, for he would sooner die than offend his Maker. And that thou mayest have this grace keep thy sins in thy mind as an example of penitence and be busy to follow saints' lives; so that thou a sinner, yet turned to God's service, may rise to hope by sinners raised to heaven, and by the ransacking of the lives of righteous men refrain thyself from all pride. Truly by mind of a holier thing is the holy man's mind meeked; for whose life soever thou findest written or hearest told, alway trust it without comparison better than thine. Such truly are called Christ's lovers that for His name receive sharp adversity from the world, and despise prosperity and vainglory. They are fulfilled with despisings, reproofs, and slanders, and in their praising they are punished, the which for God live solitary in this world, and dying are taken up to the company of angels in heaven.

Truly I fled into the wilderness because I could not accord with men; for sickerly they oft let me from joy, and because I did not as they did, they put error and indignation upon me; and therefore I have found sorrow and tribulation, but I have ay worshipped the Name of our Lord. Therefore that we fail not in temptation let us study to be weary of all earthly comforts, and constantly to keep in mind the crown of eternal joy, that being found waking we may receive the bliss promised. In the meantime also use we such rule that fleshly desires may be utterly restrained and worldly covetousness wisely forsake the heart, so that the body may alway stand stable and strong in God's service.

He truly that for Jesu's love forsakes all things, and leaves the having of his will, and abides steadfast and profiting, says with joy, I have found that my soul loves.' Christ is truly found in the heart when the heat of endless love is felt in it, the which covets to be sought without feigning. Christ certain alights in a soul with honey sweetness and ghostly song, so that he that has this joy may boldly say: I have found my Love.' Whosoever, truly, whiles he prays, sees his mind raised high, yea lift up above this bodily heaven, if he fail not but alway more and more desires to savour everlasting things, may therefore merrily abide the meekness of Christ; for within a few years he shall feel himself ravished to behold glorious things. Wherefore with meek heart, he shall not cease advancing in profit unto the time he comes to the fellowship of everlasting rest.

If the eye of thy heart be ravished in prayer to behold heavenly things, then full near is it that thy soul, passing earthly things, be made perfect in Christ's love. He soothly that in praying is not yet raised to behold heavenly things, must not cease discreetly to meditate, pray, and wake, unto the time he may perceive higher joys; so that he, lying on the earth, be not despised with griefs and diseases. Egredimini filiae Syon et videte regem Salomonem in diademate. That is to say: Go forth ye souls renewed, and understand Christ truly, put to death for your health. Behold Him, and ye shall see His godly head with thorns crowned; His face bespat; His full fair eyes wan by pain; His back scourged; His breast hurt; His worthy hands thirled; His sweetest side with a spear wounded; His feet nailed through, and wounds set through all His soft flesh; as it is written: From the sole of His foot to the crown of His head there is no health in Him.' Go forth, therefore, from your unlawful desires and see what Christ has suffered for you; that your sins be altogether cast out, and your hearts be taught the burning of love.

THAT A TRUE LOVER DESPISES WORLDLY THINGS AND DESIRES HEAVENLY: AND OF THE HATING OF PRIDE, AND HALSING OF MEEKNESS Behold, thou wretched little man, how in the liking of fleshly lust the cruelty of endless damnation sleeps. Therefore thou oughtest to gainstand them that are busy to destroy those things - that is to say virtues - that Christ desires. Thy heart, truly, must empty out all desire for all kinds of passing vanity before it can burn with Christ's love. For the mind burning with Christ's spirit is fed only with the love of endless things, and is gladdened in a joyful song. Truly if the sweetness of endless love be now biding in thy soul, withouten doubt it destroys all wantonness of fleshly wickedness; and delighting thee in Christ, it suffers thee to feel nothing but Christ; for neither thou fallest from Him, nor feelest anything sweet but Him. Forsooth the perfect when they die are brought anon before God and set in the seats of blissful rest, for they see that Christ is God and enjoy Him.

They that begin to love Christ, afterward in great joy of love and honeysweet burning shall not cease to sing full lovely songs to Jesu Christ. Truly no earthly thing pleases him that truly loves Christ, for by the greatness of love all passing things seem foul. With the bodily eyes fleshly things are seen, but the righteous behold heavenly things with a clean and meek heart: the which, enlightened by the flame of heavenly sight, feel themselves loosed from the burden of sin, and afterward they cease to sin in will; whose heart turned into fire halses in desire nothing earthly but always in busy to thirl high things.

They that are sickerly ordained to holiness, in the beginning of their turning, for dread of God, forsake sins and worldly vanities: and then they set their flesh under strait penance, afterward setting Christ's love before all other, and feeling a delight in heavenly sweetness in devotion of mind they profit mickle. And so they pass from degree to degree and flourish with ghostly virtues; and so, made fair by grace, they come at last to the perfection that stands in heart, and word, and deed. Christ's love certain makes him that has swallowed it as it were dead to receive these outward things: he savours what is upward, he seeks that which is above, and nought that is on earth.

No marvel the mind, sighing in desire of the heavenly kingdom, grows in love of the Spouse, and joying with gladness inshed bares itself from desire of earthly things; and fulfilled with the longing for true love tents with all his mind to see God in His fairness. Wherefore lightened with the flame of His love, it is busy only in His desire and seeks nothing but Him. Whiles a true soul, certain, desires burningly only the presence of the spouse, it is perfectly cooled from all wantonness of vainglory. For love therefore it longs, because it sets at nought all earthly things whiles it thus hies to endless joys. He that delights himself in Christ's love, and desires to have His comfort continually, not only covets not the solace of man, but also with great desire flees it, as if it were smoke that hurts his eyes.

Like as the air is stricken by the sunbeam, and by the shining of his light is altogether shining; so a devout mind, enflamed with the fire of Christ's love and fulfilled with desire for the joys of heaven, seems all love, because it is altogether turned into another likeness; the substance abiding although it be wonderfully mirthed. For when the mind is kindled by the fire of the Holy Ghost, it is bared from all idleness and uncleanness, and it is made sweet with the spring of God's delight, alway contemplating and never failing; seeing not earthly things until it be glorified with the sight of the Lover.

Truly it behoves us to eschew all pride and swelling of heart, for this it is that has cast sad men into great wretchedness. What is more shameful? What more worthy to be punished? It is great scorn truly, and plain abomination, that the foulest worm, the worst sinner, the lowest of men, sets about to make himself great on earth, for whom the highest King and Lord of Lords has liked so mickle to meek himself. It thou wilt clearly behold Christ's meekness, of whatsoever degree thou mayest be, how mickle soever the riches or virtues thou hast, thou shalt find in this no matter of pride but of despising thyself, and a cause of meekness. Thou therefore that despisest sinners, behold thyself, for thou makest thyself much worse than others; for truly God is more displeased with a proud righteous man than a meek sinner. When true meekness is set in thy mind, whatsoever thou doest well is done to the praise of thy Maker, so that despising thy virtue thou seekest His worship; that thou, being given to vanity, lose not thy meed everlasting. Think therefore on Jesu with thy heart's desire; pass thy prayer to Him; be not weary ever to seek Him; care for nothing but Him alone.

Happy are the rich that have such a possession; and to have this forsake thou the vanities of the world; and He shall overcome thine enemy and bring thee to His kingdom. The fiend that noys thee shall be overcome; the flesh that grieves thee be made subject; the world that assays thee for to beguile, shall be despised, if thy heart cease not to seek Christ's love.

The man truly sits not idle the which in mind cries to Christ although his tongue be still; for the body never rests in fleshy rest whiles the mind stints not to desire heavenly things; nor is he idle that is greedy ever to covet things everlasting. Truly the thoughts of Christ's lovers are swift in going up and harmonious in course; they will not be bound to passing things nor tied to fleshly contagion, but cease not to ascend until they have come to the heavens. For whiles the body is weary in Christ's service, ofttimes the spirit being uplifted is taken up to heavenly refreshment and the contemplation of God. He truly that prays devoutly has not his heart wavering among earthly things but raised to God in the heavens. He that desires to have that he prays, busily takes heed what he prays, for whom he prays and to what end he prays, and that he loves Him Whom he prays; lest a wretch, asking reward from this life, be beguiled.

Saints forsooth have so great meekness that they think they know nought, and think themselves as those who say they do nought; they call themselves lowest of all and unworthiest, yea, like as them that they chastise with reproving. These, after God's commandment, rest in the lowest place, whose lowly sitting receives no reproof from God, but honour; not unthank nor loss of meed, but great and worthy worship, to the which meekness best disposes. Truly this meekness gives praise to Christ, noy to the fiend, and joy to God's people; it makes Christ's servant to love more burningly, to serve more devoutly, to praise more worthily; and makes him fuller of charity. The more that a man meeks himself the more he raises God's worship on high. He that truly perseveres in the love of God and of his neighbour, and yet thinks himself unworthier and lower than others, by meekness and knowledge of himself overcomes enemies, and conquers the love of the High Judge, and shall be received into endless joy by the angels when he passes from this light.

THE TEACHING OF THE BOISTEROUS AND UNTAUGHT, DESIRING TO LOVE: AND OF THE ESCHEWING OF WOMEN A true soul, the spouse of Jesus Christ, casts out pride, for deeply she loves meekness; she abhors vainglory, for desiring only everlasting mirth, she follows Christ; she hates fleshly liking and softness, for feeling before the sweetness of the everlasting honey, she desires alway to feel love for the loveliest. Evil wrath she has not, because she is ready to suffer all things for Christ's love. She knows not envy of others, for shining with true love she joys in ilk man's profit and health. Truly no man is envious but if he in truth be little and weens he be mickle, wherefore he raises slanders against others lest they be likened to him; or if any other among the people be called greater, fairer, or stronger, anon he is heavy, being touched with the venom of envy. But the soul the which is but a little kindled with heavenly contemplation can not seek that vainglory of slipping praise. Whereby it is plainly shown that men therefore have envy because they have not the love of God that is in ilk chosen soul. For where any are that love God, they truly desire the profit of their fellows as of themselves.

If thou wilt therefore surpass in God's love thou hatest all earthly praising. The despisings of men and their scorns thou halsest for Christ, and strongly thou spreadest thy mind to get eternal joy. Rather choose with the rejected to feel the torment of fire in pain than common in sin with them. Certain he lives sicker that loves Christ burningly, and in the joy of His love sings lustily. It is more pleasing to him to fall into everlasting fire than once to sin deadly. Forsooth there are such saints, because they live in cleanness. They despise all earthly things, and from heat and ghostly gladness joying, they sing what before they said. They burn in the love of Christ; they study after heavenly sights; they are ever busy, as much as in them is, with good works; they overflow with the likings of everlasting life; and yet to themselves them seem most foul, and among others they think themselves the last and lowest.

Therefore thou that art boisterous and untaught be busy to stand strongly against thy ghostly enemies, and to suffer no ill thought to rest in thy heart; and set thy wisdom against the waitings of the fiends. When an unclean imagination or thought, contrary to the purpose of thy mind, withstands thee, fail not but fight manly. Cry to Christ without ceasing, until thou be clad with God's armour. And if thou desire to follow the despisers of the world think not what thou forsakest but what thou despisest; with what desire thou offerest thy will to God; with how great desire of love thou presentest thy prayers; with how great heat for the sight of God thou longest to be joined to Him. If thou perfectly hate all sin; if thou desire nothing that passes; if thy soul refuses to be cheered with earthly solace; if thou savour to behold heavenly things and desire most God's Son; if thou speak mannerly and wisely, because he speaks not, except he be made, whose spirit is melted with the honey of God's love and the sweetness of the song of Jesu; behold by these, and other such, sometimes used, thou shalt come to perfection.

No marvel God approves such a despiser of the world. Truly the soul that is both sweet with the shining of conscience, and fair with the charity of endless love, may be called Christ's garden; for she is cleansed from sins, flourishes with virtues and joys with the sweetness of high song, like as with songs of birds. Therefore set we all our mind to please and obey God, to serve and love Him, and in ilk good deed we do be we busy to come to God. What value is it to covet earthly things or to desire fleshly love? We can have nothing thereby that lasts but the Judge's wrath, that is to say everlasting pain. Soothly fleshly love stirs temptation and blinds the soul that she may not have perfect cleanness; it hides sins done, and it casts her down unwisely to new wickedness; it enflames to all cursed lusts; it disturbs all rest of the soul, and it lets, so that Christ may not be burningly loved; and wastes all virtue gotten before.

Therefore he that covets to love Christ, let not the eye of his mind look to woman's love. Women if they love men are fond, because they know not to keep measure in loving; and truly when they are loved they prick full bitterly. They have one eye for waitings, and another for true sorrow; whose love distracts the wits, perverts and overturns reason, changes wisdom of mind to folly, withdraws the heart from God and makes the soul bond to fiends. And forsooth he that beholds a woman with fleshly love - although it be not with the will to fulfill lust - keeps not himself undefiled from unlawful movings or unclean thoughts, but ofttimes defiles himself with stinking filth; and, peradventure, he feels a liking for to do worse.

Truly the beauty of women beguiles many men, through desire whereof the hearts of the righteous also are some time overturned, so that they that began in spirit end in the flesh. Therefore beware, and in the good beginning of thy conversation keep no speech with women's fairness lest receiving thereof the venomous sickness of lust for to proffer and fulfill foulness of mind, and being deceived knowingly and cowardly, thou be drawn away by the discomfits of thine enemies. Therefore flee women wisely and alway keep thy thoughts far from them, because, though a woman be good, yet the fiend by pricking and moving, and also by their cherishing beauty, thy will can be overmickle delighted in them, because of frailty of flesh. But if thou wouldst call again Christ's love without ceasing, and have Him with dread in thy sight in all places, I trow thou shouldest never be beguiled by the false cherishing of a woman; but truly the more that thou seest thou art assayed with false flatterings - if thou despise them as japes or trifles as they are - no marvel that thou shouldest have the more joy of God's love.

Christ truly does marvellously in His lovers, the which, with a special and a perfect love He takes to Himself. Truly they desire not softness of the flesh or the beauty thereof; all worldly things they forget; they love not temporal prosperity nor dread the world's frowardness. They love full well to be by themselves that, without letting, they may fall into the gladness that they feel in God's love; full sweet they think it to suffer for Christ, and nothing hard. For he that wills worthily to honour the victory of martyrs, let him fulfill the devotion of virtue by the following of virtue. Let him hold the cause of the martyrs if that he suffer not the pain; let him keep patience, in which he shall have full victory. A soul truly forsaking the folly of ill love enters the way of strait life, in the which is felt the earnest of the sweetness of heavenly life: which, when she feels so comfortable that she overcomes all passing liking, she prays God that He would vouchsafe such comfort to give and refresh her ghostly, and that He would give the grace of continuance lest she fail, being made weary by divers errors.

If a young man begin to do well let him ever think to continue; let him not sleep nor cease from his good purpose, but ay profit in mind, rising from less to more. Forsooth the shadow of error being forsaken, and the venomous sweetness of a wretched life despised, taking the strait life, he halses now the sweetness of full high devotion. And thus, as it were by degrees, he ascends to the height and contemplation of God by the gifts of the Holy Ghost; in the which heat of eternal love being rested and gladdened, he overflows with heavenly delights, as far as is lawful to mortal man. Certainly a good soul umbeset with many diseases, and noyed with the heat of temptation, can not feel the sweetness of God's love as it is in itself; nevertheless she is expert in the joy of love and in stable course draws to her Lover; and though the soul may want so wonderful sweetness, yet with so great desire she loves Christ that for His love only she shall perseveringly stand.

But how mickle is His most kind help to be praised in which every true lover is expert; that it comforts all the sorry; makes sweet the forsaken; sets in peace the disturbed, and lays waste all distracting noise. The soul departed from the sins of the world, and withdrawn from fleshly desire, is purged of sin; and thereby she understands a sweetness of future mirth coming near to her, in which hope she is confirmed, and is sicker to have the kingdom. And in this life she gives to Christ a drink full likingly made of hot love, with greetings of ghostly gifts and with flowers of virtues, that Christ receives, pleased, who for love drank of the well of penance in this life.

OF GOD'S PRIVY DOOM: AND THAT THEY THAT FALL AGAIN BE NOT DEEMED BY US: AND OF GREAT ARGUMENTS AGAINST PURCHASOURS But some are wont to ask how it can be that many that have led the hardest life and have utterly forsaken this world's joy, afterwards dread not to slide again into sin; and they shall not end in a good end.