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The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage

By Jan van Ruysbroeck

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Contents

Introduction

 

THE ADORNMENT
OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
 
THE FIRST BOOK
 

Prologue

I. Of the Active Life

II. Showing how we shall consider the Coming of Christ in Three Ways

III. Of Humility

IV. Of Charity

V. Of Patient Endurance

VI. Of the Second Coming of Christ

VII. Of the Blessed Sacraments

VIII. Of the Third Coming of Christ

IX. Showing what Christ will do in the Day of Doom

X. Of the Five Kinds of Men who shall appear at the Judgment

XI. Of a Spiritual Going Out with all Virtues

XII. How Humility is the Foundation of all other Virtues

XIII. Of Obedience

XIV. Of the Renunciation of Self-Will

XV. Of Patience

XVI. Of Meekness

XVII. Of Kindliness

XVIII. Of Compassion

XIX. Of Generosity

XX. Of Zeal and Diligence

XXI. Of Temperance and Sobriety

XXII. Of Purity

XXIII. Of Three Enemies to be overcome by Righteousness

XXIV. Of the Kingdom of the Soul

XXV. Of a Spiritual Meeting of God and Ourselves

XXVI. Of the desire to know the Bridegroom in His Nature

 

THE SECOND BOOK
 

Prologue

I. How we achieve Supernatural Sight in our Inward Workings

II. Of a Three-fold Unity which is in us by Nature

III. Of the Inflow of the Grace of God into our Spirit

IV. Showing how we should found our Inward Life on a Freedom from Images

V. Of a Three-fold Coming of our Lord in the Inward Man

VI. Of the Second Coming of our Lord in the Inward Man

VII. Of the Third Coming of our Lord

VIII. How the First Coming has Four Degrees

IX. Of Unity of Heart

X. Of Inwardness

XI. Of Sensible Love

XII. Of Devotion

XIII. Of Gratitude

XIV. Of Two Griefs which arise from Inward Gratitude

XV. A Similitude how we should perform the First Degree of our Inward Exercise

XVI. Another Similitude concerning the same Exercise

XVII. Of the Second Degree of our Inward Exercise, which increases Inwardness by Humility

XVIII. Of the Pure Delight of the Heart and the Sensible Powers

XIX. Of Spiritual Inebriation

XX. What may hinder a Man in this Inebriation

XXI. A Similitude how a Man should act and bear himself in this case

XXII. Of the Third Degree of the Spiritual Coming of Christ

XXIII. Of the Pain and Restlessness of Love

XXIV. Of Ecstacies and Divine Revelations

XXV. An Example showing how one is hindered in this Exercise

XXVI. Another Example

XXVII. A Parable of the Ant

XXVIII. Of the Fourth Degree of the Coming of Christ

XXIX. Showing what the Forsaken Man should do

XXX. A Parable: How one may be hindered in this Fourth Degree

XXXI. Of another Hindrance

XXXII. Of Four Kinds of Fever wherewith a Man may be Tormented

XXXIII. Showing how these Four Degrees in their Perfection are Found in Christ

XXXIV. Showing how a Man should Live if he would be Enlightened

XXXV. Of the Second Coming of Christ, or, the Fountain with Three Rills

XXXVI. The First Rill adorns the Memory

XXXVII. The Second Rill enlightens the Understanding

XXXVIII. The Third Rill establishes the Will to every Perfection

XXXIX. Showing how the Established Man shall go out in Four Ways

XL. He shall go out towards God and towards all Saints

XLI. He shall go out towards all Sinners

XLII. He shall go out towards his Friends in Purgatory

XLIII. He shall go out towards himself and towards all Good Men

XLIV. Showing how we may recognise those Men who fail in Charity to all

XLV. How Christ was, is, and ever will be the Lover of all

XLVI. Reproving all those who live on Spiritual Goods in an Inordinate Manner

XLVII. Showing how Christ has given Himself to all in common in the Sacrament of the Altar

XLVIII. Of the Unity of the Divine Nature in the Trinity of the Persons

XLIX. Showing how God possesses and moves the Soul both in a Natural and a Supernatural way

L. Showing how a Man should be adorned if he is to receive the most Inward Exercise

LI. Of the Third Coming of Christ

LII. Showing how the Spirit goes out through the Divine Stirring

LIII. Of an Eternal Hunger for God

LIV. Of a Loving Strife between the Spirit of God and our Spirit

LV. Of the Fruitful Works of the Spirit, the which are Eternal

LVI. Showing the way in which we shall meet God in a Ghostly Manner both with and without Means

LVII. Of the Essential Meeting with God without Means in the Nakedness of our Nature

LVIII. Showing how one is like unto God through Grace and unlike unto God through Mortal Sin

LIX. Showing how one possesses God in Union and Rest, above all likeness through Grace

LX. Showing how we have need of the Grace of God, which makes us like unto God and leads us to God without Means

LXI. Of how God and our Spirit visit each other in the Unity and in the Likeness

LXII. Showing how we should go out to meet God in all our Works

LXIII. Of the ordering of all the Virtues through the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost

LXIV. Of the Highest Degree of the most Interior Life

LXV. Of Three Kinds of most Inward Practices

LXVI. Showing how some Men live contrary to these Exercises

LXVII. Of another kind of Perverted Men

 

THE THIRD BOOK
 

I. Showing the Three Ways by which one enters into the God-Seeing Life

II. How the Eternal Birth of God is renewed without interruption in the nobility of the Spirit

III. How our Spirit is called to go out in Contemplation and Fruition

IV. Of a Divine Meeting which takes place in the Hiddenness of our Spirit

 

 

THE SPARKLING STONE
 

Prologue

I. Through Three Things a Man becomes Good

II. Through Three Things a Man becomes Inward

III Through Three Things a Man becomes God-Seeing

IV. Of the Sparkling Stone, and of the New Name written in the Book of the Secrets of God

V. Of the works which God works in all in common, and of Five Kinds of Sinners

VI. Of the difference between the Hirelings and the Faithful Servants of God

VII. Of the difference between the Faithful Servants and the Secret Friends of God

VIII. Of the difference between the Secret Friends and the Hidden Sons of God

IX. How we may become Hidden Sons of God, and attain to the God-Seeing Life

X. How we, though One with God, must eternally remain Other than God

XI. Of the great difference between the Brightness of the Saints and the Highest Brightness to which we can attain in this Life

XII. Of the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Thabor

XIII. How we ought to have Fruition of God

XIV. Of that Common Life which comes from the Contemplation and Fruition of God

 

 
THE BOOK OF SUPREME TRUTH
 

Prologue

I. Wherefore this Book was Written

II. A short repetition of all the Highest Teachings written by the Author

III. Of the Union through Means

IV. Of the Men who practise a False Vacancy

V. Of the Union without Means

VI. Of Heavenly Weal and Hellish Woe

VII. Showing wherefore all Good Men do not attain to the Unmediated Union with God

VIII. Showing how the Inward Man should exercise himself, that he may be united with God without Means

IX. Of the Inward Working of God's Grace

X. Of the Mutual Contentment of the Divine Persons, and the Mutual Contentment between God and Good Men

XI. How Good Men in their Contemplation have the Love of God before them, and how they are lifted up into God

XII. Of the Highest Union, without Difference or Distinction

XIII. Of the Three-fold Prayer of Christ, that we might be one with God

XIV. Here the Author declares that he submits all that he has written to the judgment of Holy Church

Notes