Revelations of Divine Love by of Norwich Julian

"Above the Faith is no goodness kept in this life, as to my sight, and beneath the Faith is no help of soul; but _in_ the Faith, _there_ willeth the Lord that we keep us" In all this blessed Shewing our good Lord gave understanding that the Sight should pass: which blessed Shewing the Faith keepeth, with His own good will and His grace. For He left with me neither sign nor token whereby I might know it, but He left with me His own blessed word in true understanding, bidding me full mightily that I should believe it. And so I do,--Blessed may He be!--I believe that He is our Saviour that shewed it, and that it is the Faith that He shewed: and therefore I believe it, rejoicing. And thereto I am bounden by all His own meaning, with the next words that follow: _Keep thee therein, and comfort thee therewith, and trust thou thereto_. Thus I am bounden to keep it in my faith. For on the same day that it was shewed, what time that the Sight was passed, as a wretch I forsook it, and openly I said that I had raved. Then our Lord Jesus of His mercy would not let it perish, but He showed it all again _within in my soul_[1] with more fulness, with the blessed light of His precious love: saying these words full mightily and full meekly: _Wit it now well: it was no raving that thou sawest this day_. As if He had said: _For that the Sight was passed from thee, thou losedst it and hadst not skill to keep[2] it. But wit[3] it now_; that is to say, _now that thou seest it_. This was said not only for that same time, but also to set thereupon the ground of my faith when He saith anon following: _But take it, believe it, and keep thee therein and comfort thee therewith and trust thou thereto; and thou shalt not be overcome_. In these six words that follow (_Take it_--[etc.]) His meaning is to fasten it faithfully in our heart: for He willeth that it dwell with us in faith to our life's end, and after in fulness of joy, desiring that we have ever steadfast trust in His blissful behest--knowing His Goodness. For our faith is contraried in diverse manners by our own blindness, and our spiritual enemy, within and without; and therefore our precious Lover helpeth us with spiritual sight and true teaching in sundry manners within and without, whereby that we may know Him. And therefore in whatsoever manner He teacheth us, He willeth that we perceive Him wisely, receive Him sweetly, and keep us in Him faithfully. For above the Faith is no goodness kept in this life, as to my sight, and beneath the Faith is no help of soul; but in the Faith, there willeth the Lord that we keep us. For we have by His goodness and His own working to keep us in the Faith; and by His sufferance through ghostly enmity we are assayed in the Faith and made mighty. For if our faith had none enmity, it should deserve no meed, according to the understanding that I have in all our Lord's teaching. [1] see ch. lxviii. [2] "couthest not." [3] _i.e._ learn, perceive, know for certainty by the conviction of reason and consciousness--grasp once for all the truth beheld.