CHAPTER V
WHEREFORE IT IS BETTER TO TAKE ENTENT TO THE LOVE OF GOD THAN
TO KNOWLEDGE OR DISPUTATION
In all things that we work or
think be we more taking heed to the love of God than to knowledge or
disputation. Love truly delights the soul and makes conscience sweet, drawing
it from love of lusty things here beneath, and from desire of man's own
excellence. Knowledge without charity builds not to endless health but puffs up
to most wretched undoing.
Be our souls therefore strong in the taking of
hard labours for God; and be they wise with heavenly, not worldly, savour. May
they desire to be lightened with endless wisdom, and to be inflamed by that
fire with which some are stirred to love and desire our Maker only, and
mightily are made strong to the despising of all transitory things. Not
counting their greatest solace in these things that abide not, for they here
have no dwelling, but without ceasing they seek the heavenly place not made
with hands, and cry: Mihi vivere Christus est, et mori lucrum. `Christ
to me is life, and great winning to die.'
He forsooth truly loves God that consents to no
wicked likings. Certainly man is far from Christ's love in as mickle as he
delights himself in worldly things. Wherefore if thou love God thy work shows
that; for he is never proved to love God whiles he is made to consent to wicked
desires.
Therefore to all that are in this exile this I
dare show: that all they that will not love the Maker of all things shall be
cast into endless darkness; and there shall they that would not here be
lightened with the love of their Gainbuyer feel the burning withouten end of
the fire of hell. They shall be sundered from the company of singers, in
charity with their Maker; and busily shall they sorrow cast out from the mirth
of those singing in Jesu, wanting in the clearness and the joy of them that
shall be crowned. For liever had they tarry a little while in worldly softness
than suffer penance that their sins might be cleansed, and they might come full
of piety before the Defender of all good.
Truly, in this vale of weeping, they have been
delighted in the slippery way and the broad; where is no place of gladness but
of labour, wherefore in torments withouten release they shall sorrow: when the
poor, which were arrayed with virtues, shall be born to everlasting peace and
be made glad in the delight of full truly seeing the Life-giving Godhead. And
in ghostly heat they have happily flourished, although they have taken no
solace in the worthy height of this world, nor have sown pride among foolish
wise men; but they have borne griefs from wicked men, and have excluded
temptations from the soul that they might be holden in peace at the throne of
the Trinity. And they have truly voided old unthriftiness of venomous life,
clearly and most gladly praising ghostly beauty; and plays of softness, which
youth accepts and unwise worldly men desire, they have deems worthy reproof,
thinking with continuance of the song full of charity ascending to our
Maker.
For which thing the receivers of the joy of love,
conceiving heat that may not be consumed, join together in song of clear
chorus; and in lovely harmony and friendly mirth have they set a heavenly
shadow against all heat of lechery and filth. Wherefore in this burning of
sweetest love they are taken up to the beholding of their Beloved, and by means
of this most happy flame they are flourishing in virtue, and freely enjoy their
Maker: and their mind, changed, now passes into the melody that lasts. And from
henceforth their thoughts become song, and heaviness being cast out, the hall
of their soul is fulfilled with wonderful music, so that it has entirely lost
the former pricking and evermore abides whole in high sweetness, full
marvellously singing in heavenly sweet meditation.
Furthermore when they go from this hardness and
from the diseases that happen here, then the time comes that they shall be
taken, and withouten doubt be born withouten sorrow to God, and have their
seats among the seraphim; for they are altogether set on fire with the most
high fire of love, burning within their souls. So sweetly and devoutly have
they loved God that whatsoever they have felt in themselves was ghostly heat,
heavenly song and godly sweetness. Herefore it is truly that they die without
heaviness, soothly passing with joy; and are lift up unto so great a degree in
endless worship, and are crowned in the contemplation of the great
plenteousness of their Maker, singing with clearest choirs; the which also more
burningly desire after that Godhead that rules all things.
And forsooth though now they clearly behold the
chere of truth, and are moistened with the most delectable sweetness of the
Godhead, yet no marvel if after a little while they shall be made more
marvellous: when the bodies of the saints, that are at this time holden in
earth, shall be raised from their graves, and their souls shall be knitted to
them in the last examination. Then forsooth shall they take principality among
the peoples, and the unrighteous shall they deem to be damned; and they shall
show that the meanly good were blessed to come to Blissfulness. The general
doom thus done, soothly they shall be borne into everlasting song, and go up
with Christ to the height of truth, enjoying the Face of God in love withouten
end.
By this it is shown that everlasting sweetness
moistens their minds, the which binds the bands of true charity, unable to be
loosed. Wherefore let us seek rather that the love of Christ burn within us
than that we take heed to unprofitable disputation. Whiles truly we take heed
to unmannerly seeking, we feel not the sweetness of the eternal savour.
Wherefore many now so mickle savour in the burning of knowledge and not of
love, that plainly they know not what love is, or of what savour; although the
labour of all their study ought to spread unto this end, that they might burn
in the love of God. Alas, for shame! An old wife is more expert in God's love,
and less in worldly pleasure, than the great divine, whose study is vain. For
why, for vanity he studies, that he may appear glorious and so be known, and
may get rents and dignities: the which is worthy to be held a fool, and not
wise.