by a blackbird's sudden song overhear, "in woodlands within," a joy
out of the heart of the Life of life.[3] Speaking of the spiritual
sight Julian relates: "I saw God in a point.--by which sight I saw
that He is in all things." To the mystical soul, quiet to listen to
"the music of the spheres," all sweet accordant sounds are singing
_Holy, Holy, Holy_; to the mystical soul, "full of eyes within"--like
those _Creatures of Life_ seen on the plain by the prophet of the Law
of life as renewed for Hope, and seen in the heights by the herald
of the Evangel of life as fulfilled in Love--all symmetrical sights
are as doors that are opened in Heaven. But it is most of all in the
music and the symmetry made of adverse life and death by the power of
love, as this is seen from highest to lowest, from lowest to highest,
that the Revelation of God as Love that is All in all is received. And
looking thereon in the highest manifestation, the manifestation of
Christ, which is made for all men, the mystics meet other beholders,
who are not called "mystics," yet who have not merely in greater or
less degree, with them, the common gift of Reason, but, after their
different manner and in their own share, the gift of the feeling
"Mind." For both from the seeing of Truth and from the beholding of
Wisdom comes the "holy wondering delight in God" that is simply delight
of love in Love. So they of the East and they of the West sit down
together to partake of the Bread and the Wine of the Table of God in
His Kingdom.
There is no other than one Food of the Divine Life consecrated and
made ready and offered to man for his human spirit to feed on;
but the Christian mystic finds an offering of that Food, which is
the sanctified Life of the Christ of God, not only in its constant
presentment to the spirit alone, by the Spirit of God through Christ.
To him, as to other Christians, the sight and the offering of the
Life in God is given in that memorial, mediate, expectant Sacrament
consecrated for the spirit's nurture through those elected Symbols of
sense that are the most perfect and sacred symbols because in their
earlier, natural use they most immediately minister to the whole human
life on earth of the Giver and of the receivers. But along with this
chosen Sacrament, and as one with it, there is shewn to the mystic the
Life Divine in diverse manners of working: he sees God's Christ from
afar, _fore-sees_ the Eucharistic Sacrament of His most sacred Death
and Life, _now_ raised in the Bread and the Wine on high,--seeing its
promise low in the ground in the earliest, ageless life of the wheat
and the vine: seed cast away, bruised corn of wheat, and dying Body,
and broken Bread, and daily obedience; a hidden root, crushed fruit of
the vine, and Blood poured forth, and uplifted Wine, and joy of Love
over Death: one Life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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