y travail, with the which we may
buy the kingdom of heaven. For, if thou lovest poverty and despisest
riches and delights of this world, and holdest thyself vile and poor,
and thinkest thou hast naught of thyself save sin: for this poverty,
thou shalt have riches without end. And if thou hast _sorrow for thy
sins_, and because thou art so long in exile out of thy country, and
forsakest the solace of this life: thou shalt have for this sorrow the
joy of heaven. And if thou beest _in travail_, and punishest thy body
reasonably and wisely, by wakings, fastings, and in prayers and
meditations, and sufferest heat and cold, hunger and thirst, privation
and anguish for the love of JESUS Christ; for this travail thou shalt
come to rest that lasts aye, and sit on a settle of joy with angels. But
some there are who love not wisely, like children who love an apple,
more than a castle. So do many; they give the joy of heaven for a little
delight of their flesh, that is not worth a plum. Now canst thou see,
that whoso will love wisely, it behoves him to love lasting things,
lastingly; and passing things, passingly; so that his heart be settled
and fastened on nothing but GOD. And if thou wilt love JESUS verily,
thou shalt not only love Him stalwartly and wisely, but also _devoutly
and sweetly_. Sweet love is when thy body is chaste and thy thought
clean. Devout love is; when thou offerest thy prayers and thy thoughts
to GOD with ghostly joy, and burning heart in the heat of the Holy
Ghost; so that men think that thy soul is as it were drunken for
delight and solace of the sweetness of JESUS; and thy heart conceivest
so much of GOD'S help that men think thou mayst never be departed from
Him: and then thou comest into such rest and peace in soul, and quiet,
without thoughts of vanity, (or) of vices, as if thou wert in silence
and sleep, and set in Noe's ship, so that nothing may hinder thee from
devotion and sweet love. For thou hast gotten His love: all thy life,
until death come, in joy and comfort: and thou art verily Christ's
lover: and he rests in peace whose place is made in peace.
The fourth asking was: _how thou mightest know that thou wast in love
and charity_. I answer: that no man wots on earth that they are in
charity; save it be through any privilege or special grace that GOD has
given to any man or woman: that all others may not take example by. Holy
men and women trow that they have truth and hope and charity: and in
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