"God is simplicity in His Being, clarify in His understanding, and outflowing and universal love in His works. And the more we are like unto God in these three things, so much the more closely are we united with Him. And for this reason we must remain simple in our ground, and must apprehend all things by means of enlightened reason, and must flow forth through all things in universal love."

The Adornment of The Spiritual Marriage

John van Ruysbroek, like many mystics, understood the spiritual life as consisting of three phases - Active, Interior, and Superessential. These three ways correspond to the Purgative, Illuminative, and Unitive 'ways' of the mystic life which are described by many of the mystic writers. This book gives an almost scientifically precise description of each of these three phases, keying off of the phrase "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him" - describing how we behold Him, the manner of His coming, how we 'go out' to meet Him, and what the nature of that meeting is.

The Sparkling Stone

A short work which clarifies some of the aspects of the three phases of the spiritual life introduced in The Adornment of The Spiritual Marriage, and which counters some accusations made against certain poorly understood passages which it contained.

For the Wheaton College archive, click here.

 

 

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