CAPITULUM VIII
HOW PERFECT HATRED OF SIN RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
AND therefore it is that after Issachar Zebulun is born, that is to say, hatred
of sin. And here it is to wete why that hatred of sin is never perfectly felt
in a man's affection, ere the time that ghostly joy of inward sweetness be felt
in the affection, and this is the skill: for ere this time was never the true
cause of hatred felt in the affection. For the feeling of ghostly joy teacheth
a man what sin harmeth the soul. And all after that the harm in the soul is
felt much or little, thereafter is the hatred measured, more or less, unto the
harming. But when a soul, by the grace of God and long travail, is come to
feeling of ghostly joy in God, then it feeleth that sin hath been the cause of
the delaying thereof. And also when he feeleth that he may not alway last in
the feeling of that ghostly joy, for the corruption of the flesh, of the which
corruption sin is the cause; then he riseth with a strong feeling of hatred
against all sin and all kind of sin. This feeling taught David us
to have, where he saith in the psalm: "Be ye wroth and will ye not sin";[86] that is thus to mean: Be ye wroth with the
sin, but not with the kind.[87] For kind
stirreth to the deed, but not to sin. And here it is to wete that this wrath
and this hatred is not contrary to charity, but charity teacheth how it shall
be had both in a man's self and in his even Christian;[88] for a man should [not] hate sin [so that he destroy his
kind, but so that he destroy the sin and the appetite of sin] in his kind. And,
as against our even Christian, we ought to hate sin in him, and to love him;
and of this hatred speaketh David in the psalm, where he saith thus: "With
perfect hatred I hated them."[89] And in
another psalm he saith that "he had in hatred all wicked ways."[90] Thus it is well proved that, ere Zebulun was born, Judah
and Issachar were both born. For but if a man have had charity and ghostly joy
in his feeling first, he may in no wise feel this perfect hatred of sin in his
affection. For Judah, that is to say, charity, teacheth us how we shall hate
sin in ourself and in our brethren; and Issachar, that is to say, ghostly
feeling of joy in God, teacheth us why we shall hate sin in ourself
and in our brethren. Judah biddeth us hate sin and love the kind; and Issachar
biddeth us destroy the sin and save the kind; and thus it falleth for to be
that the kind may be made strong in God and in ghostly things by perfect hatred
and destroying of sin. And therefore is Zebulun cleped in the story "a dwelling
stead of strength."[91] And Leah said in his
birth: "My husband shall now dwell with me";[92] and so it is that God, that is the true husband of our
soul, is dwelling in that soul, strengthening it in the affection with ghostly
joy and sweetness in His love, that travaileth busily to destroy sin in himself
and in others by perfect hatred of the sin and all the kind of sin. And thus it
is said how Zebulun is born.
[86] Ps iv. 5. Harl. MS. 674 has:
"Wraththes and willeth not synne, or thus: Beeth wrothe and synnith
not."
[87] Human nature in our fellow-man.
[88] Fellow-Christian. The words in square
brackets are omitted in Harl. MS. 674.
[89] Ps. cxxxix. (Vulgate cxxxviii. ) 21.
[90] Ps. cxix. (Vulgate cxviii.) 104.
[91] Habitaculum fortitudinis.
[92] Gen. xxx. 20.
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