Mysticism in English LiteratureSpurgeon, Caroline F. E. (Caroline Frances Eleanor)
Religion
Mysticism in English Literature
Spurgeon, Caroline F. E. (Caroline Frances Eleanor)
English literature -- History and criticism; Mysticism -- Great Britain; Mysticism in literature
Her vision is of Love: Love is its meaning, and it was shown her for
Love; she sees that God is Love and that God and man are one. "God is
nearer to us than our own soul, for man is God, and God is in all." If we
could only know ourselves, our trouble would be cleared away, but it is
easier to come to the knowing of God than to know our own soul.[65] "Our
passing life here that we have in our sense-soul knoweth not what our
Self is," and the cause of our disease is that we rest in little things
which can never satisfy us, for "our Soul may never have rest in things
that are beneath itself." She actually saw God enfolding all things.
"For as the body is clad in the cloth, and the flesh in the skin, and
the bones in the flesh, and the heart in the whole, so are we, soul and
body, clad in the Goodness of God, and enclosed." She further had sight
of all things that are made, and her description of this "Shewing" is so
beautiful and characteristic that it must be given in her own words.
"In this same time our Lord shewed me a spiritual sight of His
homely loving.... He shewed me a little thing, the quantity of an
hazel-nut, in the palm of my hand; and it was as round as a ball. I
looked thereupon with the eye of my understanding, and thought:
_What may this be_? And it was answered generally thus: _It is all
that is made_. I marvelled how it might last, for methought it
might suddenly have fallen to naught for little[ness]. And I was
answered in my understanding: _It lasteth, and ever shall [last]
for that God loveth it_. And so All-thing hath the Being by the
love of God." Later, she adds, "Well I wot that heaven and earth,
and all that is made is great and large, fair and good; but the
cause why it shewed so little to my sight was for that I saw it in
the presence of Him that is the Maker of all things: for to a soul
that seeth the Maker of all, all that is made seemeth full little."
"In this Little Thing," she continues, "I saw three properties. The
first is that God made it, the second is that God loveth it, the
third, that God keepeth it. But what is to me verily the Maker, the
Keeper, and the Lover--I cannot tell; for till I am Substantially
oned to Him, I may never have full rest nor very bliss: that is to
say, till I be so fastened to Him, that there is right nought that
is made betwixt my God and me" (_Revelations_, pp. 10, 18).
Julian's vision with regard to sin is of special interest. The problem
of evil has never been stated in terser or more dramatic form.
After this I saw God in a Point, that is to say, in mine
understanding which sight I saw that He is in all things. I beheld
and considered, seeing and knowing in sight, with a soft dread, and
thought: _What is sin?_ (_Ibid_, p. 26).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account