HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
That a man shall not take ensample of Saint Martin and of
Saint Stephen, for to strain his imagination bodily upwards in the time of his
prayer.
FOR that that they say of Saint Martin and of Saint Stephen, although they saw
such things with their bodily eyes, it was shewed but in miracle and in
certifying of thing that was ghostly. For wit they right well that Saint
Martin's mantle came never on Christ's own body substantially, for no need that
He had thereto to keep Him from cold: but by miracle and in likeness for all us
that be able to be saved, that be oned to the body of Christ ghostly. And whoso
clotheth a poor man and doth any other good deed for God's love
bodily or ghostly to any that hath need, sure be they they do it unto Christ
ghostly: and they shall be rewarded as substantially therefore as they had done
it to Christ's own body. Thus saith Himself in the gospel. And yet thought He
it not enough, but if He affirmed it after by miracle; and for this cause He
shewed Him unto Saint Martin by revelation. All the revelations that ever saw
any man here in bodily likeness in this life, they have ghostly bemeanings. And
I trow that if they unto whom they were shewed had been so ghostly, or could
have conceived their bemeanings ghostly, that then they had never been shewed
bodily. And therefore let us pick off the rough bark, and feed us off the sweet
kernel.
But how? Not as these heretics do, the which
be well likened to madmen having this custom, that ever when they have drunken
of a fair cup, cast it to the wall and break it. Thus should not we do if we
will well do. For we should not so feed us of the fruit, that we
should despise the tree; nor so drink, that we should break the cup when we
have drunken. The tree and the cup I call this visible miracle, and all seemly
bodily observances, that is according and not letting the work of the spirit.
The fruit and the drink I call the ghostly bemeaning of these visible miracles,
and of these seemly bodily observances: as is lifting up of our eyes and our
hands unto heaven. If they be done by stirring of the spirit, then be they well
done; and else be they hypocrisy, and then be they false. If they be true and
contain in them ghostly fruit, why should they then be despised? For men will
kiss the cup for wine is therein.
And what thereof, though our Lord when He
ascended to heaven bodily took His way upwards into the clouds, seen of His
mother and His disciples with their bodily eyes? Should we therefore in our
ghostly work ever stare upwards with our bodily eyes, to look after
Him if we may see Him sit bodily in heaven, or else stand, as Saint Stephen
did? Nay, surely He shewed Him not unto Saint Stephen bodily in heaven, because
that He would give us ensample that we should in our ghostly work look bodily
up into heaven if we might see Him as Saint Stephen did, either standing, or
sitting, or else lying. For howso His body is in heaven--standing, sitting, or
lying--wots no man. And it needeth not more to be witted, but that His body is
oned with the soul, without departing. The body and the soul, the which is the
manhood, is oned with the Godhead without departing also. Of His sitting, His
standing, His lying, needeth it not to wit; but that He is there as Him list,
and hath Him in body as most seemly is unto Him for to be. For if He shew Him
lying, or standing, or sitting, by revelation bodily to any creature in this
life, it is done for some ghostly bemeaning: and not for no manner
of bodily bearing that He hath in heaven. See by ensample. By standing is
understood a readiness of helping. And therefore it is said commonly of one
friend to another, when he is in bodily battle: "Bear thee well, fellow, and
fight fast, and give not up the battle over lightly; for I shall stand by
thee." He meaneth not only bodily standing; for peradventure this battle is on
horse and not on foot, and peradventure it is in going and not standing. But he
meaneth when he saith that he shall stand by him, that he shall be ready to
help him. For this reason it was that our Lord shewed Him bodily in heaven to
Saint Stephen, when he was in his martyrdom: and not to give us ensample to
look up to heaven. As He had said thus to Saint Stephen in person of all those
that suffer persecution for His love: "Lo, Stephen! as verily as I open this
bodily firmament, the which is called heaven, and let thee see My bodily
standing, trust fast that as verily stand I beside thee ghostly by
the might of My Godhead. And I am ready to help thee, and therefore stand thou
stiffly in the faith and suffer boldly the fell buffets of those hard stones:
for I shall crown thee in bliss for thy meed, and not only thee, but all those
that suffer persecution for Me on any manner." And thus mayest thou see that
these bodily shewings were done by ghostly bemeanings.