The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage, by Jan van Ruysbroeck, [1916]
Introduction
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
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
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
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
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