this is not angel's song; but it is a song of the soul by virtue of
the name and by touching of the good angel.[175] For when a soul
offereth him to Jesu truly and meekly, putting all his trust and his
desire in Him, and busily keepeth Him in his mind, our Lord Jesu,
when He will, pureth[176] the affection of the soul, and filleth it,
and feedeth it with sweetness of Himself, and maketh His name in the
feeling of the soul[177] as honey, and as song, and as any thing
that is delectable; so that it liketh the soul evermore for to cry
Jesu, Jesu. And not only he hath comfort in this, but also in psalms
and hymns, and anthems of holy Church, that the heart singeth them
sweetly, devoutly, and freely, without any travail of the soul, or
bitterness in the same time,[178] and notes that holy Church useth.
This is good, and of the gift of God, for the substance of this
feeling lies in the love of Jesu, which is fed and lightened[179] by
such manner of songs. Nevertheless, in this manner of feeling, a
soul may be deceived by vain glory; not in that time that the
affection singeth to Jesu, and loveth Jesu in sweetness of Him, but
afterward, when it ceaseth and the heart keeleth[180] of the love of
Jesu, then entereth in vain glory. Also some man is deceived on this
wise: he heareth well say that it is good to have Jesu in his mind,
or any other good word of God; then he straineth his heart mightily
to that name, and by a custom he hath it nearhand alway in his mind;
and, nevertheless, he feeleth not thereby in his affection
sweetness, nor light of knowing in his reason, but only a naked mind
of God,[181] or of Jesu, or of Mary, or of any other good word. Here
may be deceit, not for it is evil for to have Jesu in mind on this
wish but if he this feeling and this mind, that is only his own
working by custom, hold it a special visitation of our Lord,[182]
and think it more than it is. For wete thou well that a naked mind
or a naked imagination of Jesu, or of any ghostly thing, without