The Cell of Self-Knowledge : seven early English mystical treatises printed by Henry Pepwell in 1521
Religion
The Cell of Self-Knowledge : seven early English mystical treatises printed by Henry Pepwell in 1521
Devotional literature; Mysticism -- Great Britain; Mysticism -- History -- Middle Ages, 600-1500; Religious thought -- Middle Ages, 600-1500
Our Lord said: "Daughter, thou hast desired in thy mind to have many
priests in the town of Lynn, that might sing and read night and day
for to serve Me, worship Me, and praise Me, and thank Me for the
goodness that I have done to thee in earth; and therefore, daughter,
I promise thee that thou shalt have meed and reward in heaven for
the good wills and good desires, as if thou haddest done them in
deed.
"Daughter, thou shalt have as great meed and as great reward with Me
in heaven, for thy good service and thy good deeds that thou hast
done in thy mind, as if thou haddest done the same with thy bodily
wits withoutforth.[148]
"And, daughter, I thank thee for the charity that thou hast to all
lecherous men and women; for thou prayest for them and weepest for
them many a tear, desiring that I should deliver them out of sin,
and be as gracious to them as I was to Mary Magdalene, that they
might have as much grace to love Me as Mary Magdalene had; and with
this condition thou wouldest that everich[149] of them should have
twenty pounds a year to love and praise Me; and, daughter, this
great charity which thou hast to them in thy prayer pleaseth Me
right well. And, daughter, also I thank thee for the charity which
thou hast in thy prayer, when thou prayest for all Jews and
Saracens, and all heathen people that they should come to Christian
faith, that My name might be magnified in them. Furthermore,
daughter, I thank thee for the general charity that thou hast to all
people that be now in this world, and to all those that are to come
unto the world's end; that thou wouldest be hacked as small as flesh
to the pot for their love, so that I would by thy death save them
all from damnation, if it pleased Me. And, therefore, daughter, for
all these good wills and desires, thou shalt have full meed and
reward in heaven, believe it right well and doubt never a deal."
She said: "Good Lord, I would be laid naked upon an hurdle for Thy
love, all men to wonder on me and to cast filth and dirt on me, and
be drawen from town to town every day my life time, if Thou were
pleased thereby, and no man's soul hindered. Thy will be fulfilled
and not mine."
"Daughter," He said, "as oftentimes as thou sayest or thinkest:
Worshipped be all the holy places in Jerusalem, where Christ
suffered bitter pain and passion in: thou shalt have the same pardon
as if thou were there with thy bodily presence, both to thyself and
to all those that thou wilt give to.[150]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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