"To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself. "

Thomas á Kempis

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"It is better to be burdened and in company with the strong than to be unburdened and with the weak. When you are burdened you are close to God, your strength, who abides with the afflicted. When you are relieved of the burden you are close to yourself, your own weakness; for virtue and strength of soul grow and are confirmed in the trials of patience."

St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

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"O Lord, my God, who will seek you with simple and pure love, and not find that you are all one can desire, for you show yourself first and go out to meet those who seek you? "

St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

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Blessed John of Rusybroeck   (1293-1381)

 

THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE

by Blessed John of Rusybroeck

CONTENTS


Introduction
Title Page
 

THE FIRST BOOK

Prologue
1. Of the Active Life
2. Showing how we shall consider the Coming of Christ in Three Ways
3. Of Humility
4. Of Charity
5. Of Patient Endurance
6. Of the Second Coming of Christ
7. Of the Blessed Sacraments
8. Of the Third Coming of Christ
9. Showing what Christ will do in the Day of Doom
10. Of the Five Kinds of Men who shall appear at the Judgment
11. Of a Spiritual Going Out with all Virtues
12. How Humility is the Foundation of all other Virtues
13. Of Obedience
14. Of the Renunciation of Self-Will
15. Of Patience
16. Of Meekness
17. Of Kindliness
18. Of Compassion
19. Of Generosity
20. Of Zeal and Diligence
21. Of Temperance and Sobriety
22. Of Purity
23. Of Three Enemies to be overcome by Righteousness
24. Of the Kingdom of the Soul
25. Of a Spiritual Meeting of God and Ourselves
26. Of the desire to know the Bridegroom in His Nature
   
  THE SECOND BOOK
  Prologue
1. How we achieve Supernatural Sight in our Inward Workings
2. Of a Three-fold Unity which is in us by Nature
3. Of the Inflow of the Grace of God into our Spirit
4. Showing how we should found our Inward Life on a Freedom from Images
5. Of a Three-fold Coming of our Lord in the Inward Man
6. Of the Second Coming of our Lord in the Inward Man
7. Of the Third Coming of our Lord
8. How the First Coming has Four Degrees
9. Of Unity of Heart
10. Of Inwardness
11. Of Sensible Love
12. Of Devotion
13. Of Gratitude
14. Of Two Griefs which arise from Inward Gratitude
15. A Similitude how we should perform the First Degree of our Inward Exercise
16. Another Similitude concerning the same Exercise
17. Of the Second Degree of our Inward Exercise, which increases Inwardness by Humility
18. Of the Pure Delight of the Heart and the Sensible Powers
19. Of Spiritual Inebriation
20. What may hinder a Man in this Inebriation
21. A Similitude how a Man should act and bear himself in this case
22. Of the Third Degree of the Spiritual Coming of Christ
23. Of the Pain and Restlessness of Love
24. Of Ecstacies and Divine Revelations
25. An Example showing how one is hindered in this Exercise
26. Another Example
27. A Parable of the Ant
28. Of the Fourth Degree of the Coming of Christ
29. Showing what the Forsaken Man should do
30. A Parable: How one may be hindered in this Fourth Degree
31. Of another Hindrance
32. Of Four Kinds of Fever wherewith a Man may be Tormented
33. Showing how these Four Degrees in their Perfection are Found in Christ
34. Showing how a Man should Live if he would be Enlightened
35. Of the Second Coming of Christ, or, the Fountain with Three Rills
36. The First Rill adorns the Memory
37. The Second Rill enlightens the Understanding
38. The Third Rill establishes the Will to every Perfection
39. Showing how the Established Man shall go out in Four Ways
40. He shall go out towards God and towards all Saints
41. He shall go out towards all Sinners
42. He shall go out towards his Friends in Purgatory
43. He shall go out towards himself and towards all Good Men
44. Showing how we may recognise those Men who fail in Charity to all
45. How Christ was, is, and ever will be the Lover of all
46. Reproving all those who live on Spiritual Goods in an Inordinate Manner
47. Showing how Christ has given Himself to all in common in the Sacrament of the Altar
48. Of the Unity of the Divine Nature in the Trinity of the Persons
49. Showing how God possesses and moves the Soul both in a Natural and a Supernatural way
50. Showing how a Man should be adorned if he is to receive the most Inward Exercise
51. Of the Third Coming of Christ
52. Showing how the Spirit goes out through the Divine Stirring
53. Of an Eternal Hunger for God
54. Of a Loving Strife between the Spirit of God and our Spirit
55. Of the Fruitful Works of the Spirit, the which are Eternal
56. Showing the way in which we shall meet God in a Ghostly Manner both with and without Means
57. Of the Essential Meeting with God without Means in the Nakedness of our Nature
58. Showing how one is like unto God through Grace and unlike unto God through Mortal Sin
59. Showing how one possesses
60. Showing how we have need of the grace of God, which makes us like unto God and leads us to God without means
61. Of how God and our Spirit visit each other in the Unity and in the Likeness
62. Showing how we should go out to meet God in all our Works
63. Of the ordering of all the Virtues through the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost
64. Of the Highest Degree of the most Interior Life
65. Of Three Kinds of most Inward Practices
66. Showing how some Men live contrary to these Exercises
67. Of another kind of Perverted Men
   
  THE THIRD BOOK
1. Showing the Three Ways by which one enters into the God-Seeing Life
2. How the Eternal Birth of God is renewed without interruption in the nobility of the Spirit
3. How our Spirit is called to go out in Contemplation and Fruition
4. Of a Divine Meeting which takes place in the Hiddenness of our Spirit