RELIGIOUS RESIGNATION.

John de Ruysbroeck, in Latin Rusbrochius, was so called from the village of Ruysbroeck in Brabant, between Brussels and Hall, where he was born. He was first curate and then rector of the church of St Gudula at Brussels, and afterwards founder and first prior of a convent of canons regular of the order of St Augustin at Groendal, in the forest of Soignies, two leagues from Brussels; and lastly reformer of the order in all the Low Countries. He was a man of no learning, but very devout and contemplative, and altogether internal; and went so far into the depths of mystical divinity, that he passed for one of the great masters in that science. He was called a Dionysius Areopagita. He wrote several books in Dutch, the manuscripts of which are kept in the monastery of Groendal, with the Latin version of some of them translated by William Jordan, his contemporary, and of the same fraternity with the author. By reason of his ignorance, it was thought that he was to be accounted one of those who have written by inspiration, or without any other assistance save that of a profound meditation. He retired into a remote corner of the forest, and there expected the inspirations from above, and as he received them, he wrote them in his pocket-book. The character of this mystical divine may be learnt from his submission to the divine will, which extended even to the torments of hell; that is he found nothing was better than to be willing to suffer whatever God should be pleased to send,

death, or life, or even the pains of hell. In this manner he explained himself one day, when some body attempted to inspire him with the fear of infernal pains. “When Gerhard perceiving Ruysbroeck professed faith, love, and trust in God, would sometimes try to excite in him the fear of the divine judgment, and of hell, by quoting several passages of scripture to that effect; the man was so far from being moved thereby, that his love to God seemed to be more inflamed; and at last he would answer: 'M. Gerhard, assure yourself that from my heart I am willing to suffer whatever the Lord shall be pleased to lay on me, whether it be death or life, or even the intolerable pains of hell. For I judge nothing more pleasant, or better, or more to my advantage, nor do I seek or desire any thing else, than that my beloved Lord God may always find me willing and prepared to comply with the good pleasure of his will.' This briefly discovers the principles of the man. Arnold. Hist. Theol. Mystic. p. 308. ⁵⁹” Mr Arnold, from whom I have taken what I have related, says that Ruysbroeck was not so much as other mystics occupied in squaring his actions according to the law from a principle of the servile fear of punishment, but all his endeavour and study was the exercise of a free evangelical virtue, manifesting itself by the filial spirit that operates in every true believer.

We may observe by the bye, that there is no doctrine for which the mystics are so much exclaimed against, as for that of consenting to their own eternal damnation.

Ruysbroeck died the second day of December, 1381, at the age of eighty-eight years.—Art. Ruysbroeck.