To read Julian’s Revelations in order, which is far better, I suggest you begin at the Introduction
Chapter 53
The kindness of God assigneth no blame to His chosen, for in these is a godly will that never consent to synne. For it behovyth the ruthfulhede of God so to be knitt to these that ther be a substance kept that may never be departid from Hym.
He wants us to know He looks no harder
on the fall of any creature that shall be saved
than He looked on Adam’s fall,
who we know was endlessly loved,
kept secure in his greatest need,
and now blissfully restored in high surpassing joy.
For our Lord God is so good,
so gentle and courteous
that He never blames those by whom
He shall ever be blessed and praised.
Here, and in an increasing number of places,
Julian refers back to the apparent conflict,
at the end of Chapter 50,
between the her visions given by God in Christ
and the teaching of the church
of sin, blame, damnation and hellfire.
I used to think she was treading a careful path
in fear of echoes of the Spanish Inquisition,
but she finds a sure way through the apparent conflict.
My desire was partly answered I this,
and my great awe somewhat eased
by the lovely gracious showing of our good Lord,
in which I saw and understood, fully, securely,
that in every soul to be saved is a godly desire
that never assented to sin, nor ever shall;
a desire so good that it never wishes ill,
but forever continually wishes and works good in God’s sight.
Therefore our Lord wants us to know
in faith and belief, namely and truly,
that we all have this blessed will
whole and safe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
For that same nature that shall fill Heaven
shall, in God’s righteousness,
be so knitted and united in Him
that its substance can never be parted from Him,
by His own good will and endless foreseeing purpose.
Yet notwithstanding this true knitting, this endless union,
mankind’s redemption and restoration is necessary,
profitable in everything;
for the same intent, to the same end,
that Holy Church teaches us in our faith.
For I saw God never began loving mankind.
For just as mankind shall, in endless bliss,
fulfil God’s joy in His works,
so mankind has been in God’s foresight,
known and loved beyond all beginning
in His true intent, and the whole Trinity’s endless assent.
The Trinity’s Second Person would be the soil,
and head, of this fair nature,
out of whom we are all come,
in whom we are all enclosed,
into whom we shall all entwine,
finding our full Heaven in Him in everlasting joy,
in the blessed Trinity’s foreseeing purpose
from outwith all beginning.
Before He made us, He loved us;
and when we were made we loved Him;
a love made of the Holy Spirit’s kindred, substantial goodness,
mighty in reason, in the power of the Father’s might,
and wise in the wisdom of the Son’s mind.
So man’s soul is made of God,
and in that making, bound into God.
Thus I see man’s soul is made of nought,
that is to say it is made, but out of nothing else.
When God made man’s body, He took clay of earth,
matter mingled and gathered of all bodily things,
and from it made man’s body.
But in making man’s soul, He used nothing,
He simply made it.
Its nature is truly one with the maker,
who is substantial, unmade, God.
So there neither may nor shall be
anything between God and man’s soul.
In this endless love man’s soul is kept whole
as the revelations mean and show.
In this endless love God leads and keeps us,
and we shall never be lost.
He wants us to know that our soul is life,
which, in His goodness and grace,
shall last in Heaven without end,
loving Him, thanking Him, praising Him,
and just as we shall endlessly be,
so we were treasured by God,
kept safe, known, loved,
from beyond the beginning.
In this He wishes us to know
mankind is the noblest thing He ever made.
And the fullest substance, the highest virtue,
is the blessed soul of Christ.
He wants us to know His dear, worthy soul
was preciously knit to Him in its making,
a knot so subtle and mighty that it is united to God,
in which union it is made endlessly holy.
Furthermore, He wishes us to know
that all souls to be saved endlessly in Heaven
are knit and bound in this union,
made holy in this holiness.