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John Van Ruysbroeck, The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage
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THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
CHAPTER II SHOWING HOW WE SHALL CONSIDER THE COMING OF CHRIST IN THREE WAYS
CHAPTER VI OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
CHAPTER VII OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENTS
CHAPTER VIII OF THE THIRD COMING OF CHRIST
CHAPTER X OF THE FIVE KINDS OF MEN WHO SHALL APPEAR AT THE JUDGMENT
CHAPTER XI OF A SPIRITUAL GOING OUT WITH ALL VIRTUES
CHAPTER XII HOW HUMILITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL OTHER VIRTUES
CHAPTER XIV OF THE RENUNCIATION OF SELF WILL
CHAPTER XX OF ZEAL AND DILIGENCE
CHAPTER XXI OF TEMPERANCE AND SOBRIETY
CHAPTER XXIII OF THREE ENEMIES TO BE OVERCOME BY RIGHTEOUSNESS
CHAPTER XXIV OF THE KINGDOM OF THE SOUL
CHAPTER XXV OF A SPIRITUAL MEETING OF GOD AND OURSELVES
CHAPTER XXVI OF THE DESIRE TO KNOW THE BRIDEGROOM IN HIS NATURE
CHAPTER I HOW WE ACHIEVE SUPERNATURAL SIGHT IN OUR INWARD WORKINGS
CHAPTER II OF A THREE-FOLD UNITY WHICH IS IN US BY NATURE
CHAPTER III OF THE INFLOW OF THE GRACE OF GOD INTO OUR SPIRIT
CHAPTER IV SHOWING HOW WE SHOULD FOUND OUR INWARD LIFE ON A FREEDOM FROM IMAGES
CHAPTER V OF A THREE-FOLD COMING OF OUR LORD IN THE INWARD MAN
CHAPTER VI OF THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD IN THE INWARD MAN
CHAPTER VII OF THE THIRD COMING OF OUR LORD
CHAPTER VIII HOW THE FIRST COMING HAS FOUR DEGREES
CHAPTER XIV OF TWO GRIEFS WHICH ARISE FROM INWARD GRATITUDE
CHAPTER XV A SIMILITUDE HOW WE SHOULD PERFORM THE FIRST DEGREE OF OUR INWARD EXERCISE
CHAPTER XVI ANOTHER SIMILITUDE CONCERNING THE SAME EXERCISE
CHAPTER XVII OF THE SECOND DEGREE OF OUR INWARD EXERCISE, WHICH INCREASES INWARDNESS BY HUMILITY
CHAPTER XVIII OF THE PURE DELIGHT OF THE HEART AND THE SENSIBLE POWERS
CHAPTER XIX OF SPIRITUAL INEBRIATION
CHAPTER XX WHAT MAY HINDER A MAN IN THIS INEBRIATION
CHAPTER XXI A SIMILITUDE HOW A MAN SHOULD ACT AND BEAR HIMSELF IN THIS CASE
CHAPTER XXII OF THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE SPIRITUAL COMING OF CHRIST
CHAPTER XXIII OF THE PAIN AND RESTLESSNESS OF LOVE
CHAPTER XXIV OF ECSTACIES AND DIVINE REVELATIONS
CHAPTER XXV AN EXAMPLE SHOWING HOW ONE IS HINDERED IN THIS EXERCISE
CHAPTER XXVII A PARABLE OF THE ANT
CHAPTER XXVIII OF THE FOURTH DEGREE OF THE COMING OF CHRIST
CHAPTER XXIX SHOWING WHAT THE FORSAKEN MAN SHOULD DO
CHAPTER XXX A PARABLE: HOW ONE MAY BE HINDERED IN THIS FOURTH DEGREE
CHAPTER XXXI OF ANOTHER HINDRANCE
CHAPTER XXXIIOF FOUR KINDS OF FEVER WHEREWITH A MAN MAY BE TORMENTED
CHAPTER XXXIIISHOWING HOW THESE FOUR DEGREES IN THEIR PERFECTION ARE FOUND IN CHRIST
CHAPTER XXXIVSHOWING HOW A MAN SHOULD LIVE IF HE WOULD BE ENLIGHTENED
CHAPTER XXXVOF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, OR, THE FOUNTAIN WITH THREE RILLS
XXXVICHAPTER XXXVITHE FIRST RILL ADORNS THE MEMORY[1]
CHAPTER XXXVIITHE SECOND RILL ENLIGHTENS THE UNDERSTANDING
CHAPTER XXXVIIITHE THIRD RILL ESTABLISHES THE WILL TO EVERY PERFECTION
CHAPTER XXXIXSHOWING HOW THE ESTABLISHED MAN SHALL GO OUT IN FOUR WAYS
CHAPTER XLHE SHALL GO OUT TOWARDS GOD AND TOWARDS ALL SAINTS
CHAPTER XLIHE SHALL GO OUT TOWARDS ALL SINNERS
CHAPTER XLIIHE SHALL GO OUT TOWARDS HIS FRIENDS IN PURGATORY
CHAPTER XLIIIHE SHALL GO OUT TOWARDS HIMSELF AND TOWARDS ALL GOOD MEN
CHAPTER XLIVSHOWING HOW WE MAY RECOGNISE THOSE MEN WHO FAIL IN CHARITY TO ALL
CHAPTER XLVHOW CHRIST WAS, IS, AND EVER WILL BE THE LOVER OF ALL
CHAPTER XLVIREPROVING ALL THOSE WHO LIVE ON SPIRITUAL GOODS IN AN INORDINATE MANNER
CHAPTER XLVIISHOWING HOW CHRIST HAS GIVEN HIMSELF TO ALL IN COMMON IN THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR
CHAPTER XLVIIIOF THE UNITY OF THE DIVINE NATURE IN THE TRINITY OF THE PERSONS
CHAPTER XLIXSHOWING HOW GOD POSSESSES AND MOVES THE SOUL BOTH IN A NATURAL AND A SUPERNATURAL WAY
CHAPTER LSHOWING HOW A MAN SHOULD BE ADORNED IF HE IS TO RECEIVE THE MOST INWARD EXERCISE
CHAPTER LIOF THE THIRD COMING OF CHRIST
CHAPTER LIISHOWING HOW THE SPIRIT GOES OUT THROUGH THE DIVINE STIRRING
CHAPTER LIIIOF AN ETERNAL HUNGER FOR GOD
CHAPTER LIVOF A LOVING STRIFE BETWEEN THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND OUR SPIRIT
CHAPTER LVOF THE FRUITFUL WORKS OF THE SPIRIT, THE WHICH ARE ETERNAL
CHAPTER LVIIOF THE ESSENTIAL MEETING WITH GOD WITHOUT MEANS IN THE NAKEDNESS OF OUR NATURE
CHAPTER LVIIISHOWING HOW ONE IS LIKE UNTO GOD THROUGH GRACE AND UNLIKE UNTO GOD THROUGH MORTAL SIN
CHAPTER LIXSHOWING HOW ONE POSSESSES GOD IN UNION AND REST, ABOVE ALL LIKENESS THROUGH GRACE
CHAPTER LXIOF HOW GOD AND OUR SPIRIT VISIT EACH OTHER IN THE UNITY AND IN THE LIKENESS
CHAPTER LXIISHOWING HOW WE SHOULD GO OUT TO MEET GOD
CHAPTER LXIIIOF THE ORDERING OF ALL THE VIRTUES THROUGH THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST
CHAPTER LXIVOF THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF THE MOST INTERIOR LIFE
CHAPTER LXVOF THREE KINDS OF MOST INWARD PRACTICES
CHAPTER LXVISHOWING HOW SOME MEN LIVE CONTRARY TO THESE EXERCISES
CHAPTER LXVIIOF ANOTHER KIND OF PERVERTED MEN
CHAPTER I SHOWING THE THREE WAYS BY WHICH ONE ENTERS INTO THE GOD-SEEING LIFE
CHAPTER III HOW OUR SPIRIT IS CALLED TO GO OUT IN CONTEMPLATION AND FRUITION
CHAPTER IV OF A DIVINE MEETING WHICH TAKES PLACE IN THE HIDDENNESS OF OUR SPIRIT
Inward devotion often brings forth gratitude; for none can thank and praise God so well as the inward and devout man. And it is just that we should thank and praise God, because He has created us as reasonable creatures, and has ordained and destined heaven and earth and the angels to our service; and because He became man for our sins, and taught us, and lived for our sake, and showed us the way; and because He has ministered to us in humble raiment, and suffered an ignominous death for the love of us, and promised us His eternal kingdom and Himself also for our reward and for our wage. And He has spared us in our sins, and has forgiven us or will forgive us; and has poured His grace and His love into our souls, and will dwell and remain with us, and in us, throughout eternity. And He has visited us and will visit us all the days of our lives with His noble sacraments, according to the need of each, and has left us His Flesh and His Blood for food and drink, according to the desire and the hunger of each; and has set before us nature and the Scriptures and all creatures, as examples, and as a mirror, that therein we may look and learn how we may turn all our deeds to works of virtue; and has given us health and strength and power, and sometimes for our own good has sent us sickness; and in outward need has established inward peace and happiness in us; and has caused us to be called by Christian names and to have been born of Christian parents. For all these things we should thank God here on earth, that hereafter we may thank Him in eternity.
We should also praise God by means of everything that we can offer to Him. To praise God, means that all his life long a man glorifies, reverences and venerates the Divine Omnipotence. The praise of God is the meet and proper work of the angels and the saints in heaven, and of loving men on earth. God should be praised by desire, by the lifting up of all our powers, by words, by works, with body and with soul, and faith whatsoever one possesses; in humble service, from without and from within. He who does not praise God while here on earth shall in eternity be dumb. To praise God is the dearest and most joyous work of every loving heart; and the heart which is full of praise desires that every creature should praise God. The praise of God has no end, for it is our bliss; and most justly shall we praise Him in eternity.