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XXXIV God shewyth the privityes necessarye to His lovers; and how they plese God mekyl that receive diligently the prechyng of Holy Church. Thirty-fourth chapter. Our Lord God shewid to manner of privityes. On is this gret privyte with al the prive peynts that longen therto, and these privites He wil we knowen hid into the tyme that He wil clerly shewen hem to us. That other arn the privytes that He wil maken opyn and knowen to us; for He wil we wetyn that it is His wil we knowen hem. It arn privytes to us, not only that He wil it ben privytes to us, but it arn privytes to us for our blyndnes and our onknowyng. And therof hath He gret ruthe; and therfore He wil Hymself maken hem more opyn to us wherby we may knowen Hym, and loven Hym, and clevyn to Him. For al that is spedeful to us to wetyn and to knowen, ful curtesly wil our Lord will shewen us, and that is this, with al the prechyng and techyng of Holy Church. God shewid ful gret plesance that He hath in al men and women that mytyly and mekely and wilfully taken the prechyng and techyng of Holy Church, for it is His Holy Church. He is the ground, He is the substance, He is the techyng, He is the techer, He is the leryd, He is the mede wherfor every kynd soule travellith. And this is knowen and shall be knowen to every soule to which the Holy Gost declarith it. And hope sothly that al those that seke this, He shal spedyn; for they seke God. Al this that I have now seid, and more that I shal sey after, is comfortyng ageyn synne. For in the thred shewyng when I saw that God doith al that is don, I saw no synne, and than saw I that al is wele. But whan God shewid me for synne, than seid he, Al shal be wele. XXXV How God doith al that is good and suffrith worshipfully al by His mercy, the which shal secyn whan synne is no longer suffrid. Thirty-fifth chapter. And whan God almyty had shewid so plenteuously and so fully of Hys gode- nes, I desired to wetyn a certeyn creature that I lovid, if it shuld continu in good lyvyng, which I hopid be the grace of God was begonne. And in this syngular desire it semyd that I lettyd myselfe, for I was not taught in this tyme. And than was I answerid in my reson, as it were be a freindful mene: "Take it generally and behold the curtesy of thi Lord God as He shewith to the, for it is mor worship to God to behold Hym in al than in any special thyng." I assentid, and there- with I leryd that it is more worship to God to knowen al things in general than to lyken in onythyng in special. And if I shuld do wysely after this techyng, I shuld not only be glad for nothyng in special, ne gretly disesid for no manner of thyng, for al shal be wele. For the fulhede of joy is to beholden God in al. For be the same blissid myte, wisdam, and love that He made al thyng, to the same end our good Lord ledyth it continually, and therto Hymselfe shal bryng it. And whan it is tyme we shal sen it. And the grounde of this was shewid in the first and more openly in the third, wher it seyth I saw God in a peynte. Al that our Lord doeth is rythful, and that He suffrith is worshipful, and in these two is comprehendid good and ille. For al that is good our Lord doith; and that is evil, our Lord suffrith. I sey not that ony evil is worshipful, but I sey the sufferance of our Lord God is worshipfull, wherby His goodnes shal be know withoute end in His mervelous mekeness and myldhede by the werkyng of mercy and grace. Rythfulhede is that thyng that is so goode that may not be better than it is. For God Hymselfe is very rythfulhede, and al His werkes arn don rythfully as they arn ordeynid from wythout begynnyng by His hey myte, His hey wisdom, His hey goodnes. And ryth as He ordeynid onto the best, ryth so He werkyth continualy and ledyth it to the same end. And He is ever ful plesid with Hymselfe and with al His werks. And the beholdyng of this blisful accord is ful swete to the soule that seith by grace. Al the sowlys that shal be savid in Hevyn without ende be mad rythful in the syte of God, and be His owen goodnes, in which rythfulhede we arn endlesly kept and mervelously, aboven al creatures. And mercy is a werkyng that comith of the goodnes of God, and it shal lestyn in werkyng al along, as synne is suffrid to pursue rythful souls. And whan synne hath no lenger leve to pursue, than shal the werkyng of mercy secyn, and than shal al be browte to rythfulhede and therein stondin withoute ende. And by His sufferaunce we fallyn, and in His blisful love, with His myte and His wisdom, we are kept. And be mercy and grace we arn reysid to manyfold more joyes. And thus in rythfulhede and in mercy He wil be knowen and lovid now without ende. And the soul that wisely beholdyth it in grace, it is wel plesyd with bothen and endlesly enjoyeth. XXXVI Of another excellent dede that our Lord shal don, which be grace may be known a party here, and how we shul enjoyen in the same, and how God yet doith myracles. Thirty-sixth chapter. Our Lord God shewid that a dede shall be done, and Hymselfe shal don it. And I shal do nothyng but synne, and my synne shal not lettyn His goodnes werkyng. And I saw that the beholdyng of this is an heyly joy in a dredful soule, which evermore kyndly be grace desirith Godds wille. This dede shal be begonne here, and it shal be worshipful to God and plentously profitable to His lovers in erth. And ever as we come to Hevyn we shalle sen it in mervelous joye. And it shal lestyn thus in werkyng on to the last day; and the worship and the bliss of it shal lestyn in Hevyn aforn God and al His holy without end. Thus was this dede sene and understond in our Lords menyng, and the cause why He shewid it, is to maken us enjoyen in Hym and in al His werks. Whan I saw His shewing continuid, I understod that it was shewid for a grete thyng that was for to come, which thyng God shewid that Hymselfe should don it, which dede hath these properties afornseid. And this shewid He wel blisfully, menand that I should take it wysely, feithfully, and trostily. But what this dede shuld be, it was kepid privy to me. And in this I saw that He wil not we dredyn to know the thyngs that He shewith. He shewith hem for He will we know hem, be which knowing He will we love Hym and lekyn and end- lesly enjoyen in Hym. And for the grete love that He hat to us, He shewith us al that is worshipfull and profitable for the tyme. And the thyngs that He will now hav privy, yet of His grete goodness He shewith hem close, in which shewyng He will we leven and understonden that we shal sen it verily in His endles bliss. Than owe we to enjoyen in Hym for al that He shewith and al that He hidyth. And if we wilfully and mekely doe thus, we shal fynd therin gret ese, and endles thanks we shall have of Hym therfore. And thus is the understondyng of this word, that it shal be don by me, that is the general man, that is to sey, al that shal be save. It shalle be worshipful and mervelous and plenteuous; and God Hymself shal don it. And this shal be the heyest joye that may ben, to beholden the dede that God Hymselfe shal don. And man shal do ryte nowte but synne. Than menyth our Lord God thus, as if He seid, "Behold and se: here hast thou matter of mekenes, here hast thou matter of love, here hast thou matter to nowten thyself, her hast thou matter to enjoyen in me, and for my love enjoye in me, for of al thyngs, therwith myte thou most plese me." And as long as we arn in this lif, what tyme that we be our folly turne us to the beholdyng of the reprovyd, tenderly our Lord God toucht us, and blisfully clepyth us seyand in our soule: Lete be al thi love, my dereworthy child. Entend to me. I am enow to the, and enjoye in thi Savior and in thi salvation. And that this is our Lordys werkyng in us, I am sekir. The soule that is aperceyvid therein be grace shal sen it and felen it. And thow it be so that this dede be truly taken for the general man, yet it excludith not the special; for what our good Lord will do be His pore creatures, it is now onknowen to me. But this dede and the tother afornseid, they arn not both on, but two sundry. But this dede shal be don sooner, and that shal be as we come to Hevyn. And to whom our Lord gevyth it, it may be knowen her in party. But the gret dede afornseid shal nether be knowen in Hevyn ner erth till it is don. And moreover, He gave special understondyng and techyng of werkyng of miracles. As thus: It is knowen that I have done miracles her aforn, many and fele, heygh and mervelous, worshipful and grete, and so as I have don, I do now con- tinualy, and shal don in coming of tyme. It is know that afor miracles comen sorow and anguish and tribulation. And that is that we showld know our owne febilnes and our myschevis that we arn fallen in by synne to meken us and maken us to dreden God, cryen for helpe and grace. Myracles commen after that, and that of the hey myte, wisdam, and goodnes of God shewand His vertue and the joyes of Hevyn so as it may be in this passand life; and that for to strength our feith, and to encresyn our hope in charite; wherfor it plesyth Hym to be knowen and worshippid in miracles. Than menyth He thus: He wil that we be not born overlow for sorrow and tempests that fallen to us, for it hath ever so ben aforn myracle comyng. XXXVII God kepyth His chosen ful sekirly althowe thei synne, for in these is a godly will that never assayed to synne. Thirty-seventh chapter. God browte to my mynd that I shuld synne, and for lykyng that I had in beholdyng of Hym, I entended not redily to that shewyng. And our Lord full mercifully abode and gave me grace to entendyn, and thys shewyng I toke singu- larly to myselfe. But be al the gracious comforte that folowyth, as ye shal seen, I was leryd to take it to al my even Cristen, al in general and nothing in special. Thowe our Lord shewid me I should synne, by me alone is understode al. And in this I concyvid a soft drede; and to this our Lord answerid: I kepe the ful sekirly. This word was seid with more love and sekirness and gostly kepyng than I can or may telle. For as it was shewid that I should synne, ryth so was the com- forte shewid, sekirnes and kepyng for al myn even Cristen. What may make me more to love myn evyn Cristen than to seen in God that He lovyth all that shal be savid as it wer al on soule? For in every soule that shal be savid is a godly wil that never assentid to synne ne never shal. Ryth as there is a bestly will in the lower party that may willen no good, ryth so ther is a godly will in the heyer party which will is so good that it may never willen yll, but ever good. And therfore we arn that He lovith, and endlesly we do that that Hym lykyt, and this shewid our Lord in the holehede of love that we stonden in in His syght. Ya, that He lovith us now as wele whil we arn here, as He shal don whan we arn there afore His blissid face. But for faylyng of love on our party, therefore is al our travel. XXXVIII Synne of the chosen shall be turnyd to joye and worship. Exemple of David, Peter, and John of Beverley. Thirty-eighth chapter. Also God shewid that synne shal be no shame but worship to man. For ryth as to every synne is answeryng a peyne be trewth, ryth so for every synne to the same soule is goven a bliss by love. Ryth as dyvers synnes arn punyshid with dyvers peynes after that thei be grevous, ryth so shal thei be rewardid with dyvers joyes in Hevyn after thei have be peynful and sorowful to the soule in erthe. For the soule that shal come to Hevyn is pretious to God, and the place so worshipful that the goodnes of God suffrith never that soul to synne that shal come there but which synne shal be rewardid. And it is made knowen without end, and blisfully restorid be overpassyng worshipps. For in thys syte myn understondyng was lift up into Hevyn, and than God browte merily to my minde David and other in the Old Law without numbre. And in the New Law He browte to my mynd first Mary Magdalen, Peter and Paul, and Thomas of Inde, and Saynt John of Beverly, and other also without noumbre, how thei are knowen in the church in erth with ther synnes, and it is to hem no shame, but al is turnyd hem to worship. And therfore our curtes Lord shewith for them here in party like as it is there in fulhede. For ther the token of synne is turnyd to worshippe. And Seynt John of Beverley, our Lord shewid hym ful heyly in comfort to us for homlyhed, and browte to my mynde how he is an hende neybor and of our knowyng. And God called hym Seynt John of Beverley pleynly as we doe, and that with a full glad, swete chere, shewyng that he is a ful hey seynt in Hevyn in His syght, and a blisfull. And with this he made mention that in his youngth and in his tendyr age he was a derworthy servant to God, mekyl God lovand and dredand; and nevertheless God suffrid him to fall, hym mercyfully kepand that he perishid not ne lost no tyme. And afterward God reysyd hym to manyfold more grace; and be the contrition and mekenes that he had in his living, God hat goven hym in Hevyn manyfold joyes overpassing that he shuld hav had if he had not fallen. And that thys is soth, God shewith in erth with plentiuous miracles doyng aboute his body continuly. And al was this to make us glad and mery in love. XXXIX Of the sharpnes of synne and the godenes of contrition, and how our kynd Lord will not we dispair for often fallyng. Thirty-ninth chapter. Synne is the sharpest scorge that any chousyn soule may be smyten with, which scorge al forbetyth man and woman and noyith him in his owne syte, so ferforth that otherwhile he thynkyth hymself he is not worthy but as to synken in Helle, til whan contrition takyth hym be touchyng of the Holy Gost and turn- yth the bitternes in hopes of Gods mercy; and than he begynnyth his woundis to helyn, and the soule to quickyn tunyd into the life of Holy Chirch. The Holy Gost ledyth hym to confession wilfully to shewyn his synnes nakidly and truely, with grete sorow and grete shame that he hath defoulyd the fair ymage of God. Than undertakyth he penance for every synne, enjoynid by his domysman; that is groundid in Holy Church be the teaching of the Holy Ghost. And this is on mekenes that mekyl plesyt God; and also bodely sekenes of Gods sendyng, and also sorow and shame from withoute, and reprove and dispyte of this world, with al manner grevance and temptations that wil be cast in, bodily and gostly. Ful pretiously our Lord kepyth us whan it semyth to us that we arn nere for- sakyn and cast away for our synne and because we have deservyd it. And because of mekenes that we gettyn hereby we arn reysyd wol hey in Godds syte be His grace, with so grete contrition, also with compassion and trew longyng to God. Than thei be sodenly delyveryd of synne and of peyne and taken up to bliss, and made even hey seynts. Be contrition we arn made clene; be compassion we arn made redy; and be trew longyng to God we arn made worthy. Thes arn three menys, as I understond, wherby that al soulis come to Hevyn, that is to seyn, that have ben synners in erth and shal be save. For be these medycines behovyth that every soule be helyd. Thow he be helyd, his wounds arn seen aforn God, not as wounds, but as worships. And so on the contraryewise, as we ben ponishid here with sorow and with penance, we shal be rewardid in Hevyn be the curtes love of our Lord God Almyty that wil that non that come there lose his travel in no degre. For He holdyth synne as sorow and peyne to His lovers, in whome He assigneth no blame for love. The mede that we shal underfongyn shal not be litil, but it shal be hey, glori- ous, and worshipfull; and so shal shame be turnyd to worship and more joye. For our curtes Lord wil not that His servants dispeir for often ne for grevous fallyng. For our fallyng lettyth not Hym to love us. Peas and love arn ever in us beand and werkand. But we be not alway in pese and in love. But He wil that we takin hede thus: that He is ground of al our hole life in love, and furthermore that He is our everlestyng keper and mytyly defendith us ageyn our enemys that ben ful fel and fers upon us; and so mech our nede is, the more - for we gyven Hym occasion be our fallyng. XL Us nedyth to longyn in love with Jesus, eschewyng synne for love; the vyleness of synne passith al peynes; and God lovith wol tenderly us while we be in synne, and so us nedyth to doe our neybor. Fortieth chapter. This is a severayn frendshyp of our curtes Lord, that He kepyth us so tenderly whil we be in synne. And furthermore He touchyth us ful privily and shewyth us our synne be the swete lyte of mercy and grace. But whan we seen ourselfe so foule, than wene we that God were wroth with us for our synne, and than aren we steryd of the Holy Gost be contrition into prayers and desire to amendyng of our life with al our mytes, to slakyn the wreth of God, on to the tyme we fynd a rest in soule and softnes in consciens, and than hope we that God hath forgoven us our synnes. And it is soth. And than shewith our curtes Lord Hymselfe to the soul wol merily and with glad cher with frendful welcummyng as if He had ben in peyn and in prison, sayand swetely thus: "My derlyng, I am glad thou art comen to me; in al thi wo I have ever be with the, and now seist thou my lov- yng, and we be onyd in bliss." Thus arn synnes forgoven be mercy and grace, and our soule worshipfully receivid in joye, like as it shal be whan it comyth to Hevyn, as oftentymes as it comys be the gracious werkyng of the Holy Gost and the vertue of Crists passion. Here understond I sothly that al manner thyng is made redy to us be the grete goodnes of God so ferforth that what tyme we ben our selfe in peas and charite we be verily save. But for we may not have this in fulhede whil we arn here, therefore it befallyth us evermore to leven in swete prayor and in lovely longyng with our Lord Jesus. For He longyth ever to bryng us to the fulhede of joy, as it is afornseid where He shewith the gostly threst. But now because of al this gostly comfort that is afornseyd, if ony man or woman be sterid be foly to seyn or to thinken, "If this be soth, than were it good to synne to have the more mede," or ell to chargyn the less to synne - beware of this steryng. For sothly if it come it is ontrew, and of the enemy of the same trew love that techith us all this comforte. The same blissid love techith us that we should haten synne only for love. And I am sekir, by myn owen felyng, the more that every kinde soul seith this in the curtes love of our Lord God, the lother is hym to synne, and the more he is ashamid. For if afor us were layd al the peynes in Helle and in Purgatory and in erth - deth and other - and synne, we should rather chose al that peyne than synne. For synne is so vile and so mekyl to haten, that it may be liken to no payne, which peyne is not synne. And to me was shewid no herder helle than synne. For a kynde soule hath non helle but synne. And we gevyn our intent to love and mekenes, be the werkyng of mercy and grace we arn mad al fair and clene. And as mygty and as wyse as God is to save man, as wyllyng He is, for Criste Hym- selfe is ground of all the lawis of Cristen men; and He tawth us to doe good ageyn ille. Here may we se that He is Hymselfe this charite, and doith to us as He techith us to don. For He will we be like Hym in holehede of endless love to ourselfe and to our even Cristen. No more than His love is broken to us for our synne, no more will He that our love be broken to ourselfe and to our evyn Cristen. But nakidly hate synne and endlesly loven the soule as God lovith it; than shal we haten synne lyke as God hatith it, and love the soule as God lovyth it. For this word that God seid is an endless comfort: I kepe the sekirly. XLI The fourteenth Revelation is as afornseyd etc. It is impossible we shuld pray for mercy and want it; and how God will we alway pray thow we be drey and barryn, for that prayer is to Him acceptabil and plesante. Forty-first chapter. After this, our Lord shewid for prayers, in which shewing I se two conditions in our Lordis menyng. On is rytfulnes; another is sekir troste. But yet often- tymes our troste is not full, for we arn not sekir that God herith us, as us thynkith, for our onworthyness and for we felyn ryth nowte, for we arn as barren and dry oftentimes after our prayors as we wer aforn. And this, in our felyng, our foly, is cause of our wekenis. For thus have I felt in myselfe. And al this browte our Lord sodenly to my mend and shewed these words and said: I am ground of thi besekyng. First it is my wille that thou have it, and sythen I make the to willen it, and sithen I make the to besekyn it, and thou besekyst it. How shuld it than be that thou shuld not have thyn besekyng? And thus in the first reason with the three that followen, our good Lord shewith a mytye comforte as it may be seen in the same words. And in the first reason, thus He seith: And thou besekyst it. There He shewith ful grete plesance and endles mede that He will gevyn us for our besekyng. And in the sixth reason, there He seith: How shuld it than be? etc., this was seid for an impossible. For it is most impossible that we shuld besekyn mercy and grace and not have it. For of all thyng that our good Lord makyth us to besekyn, Hymselfe hath ordeynid it to us from withoute begynnyng. Here may we seen that our besekyng is not cause of Godis goodness, and that shewid He sothfastly in al these swete words when He seith: I am grounde. And our good Lord wille that this be knowen of His lovers in erth, and the more that we knowen, the more shuld we besekyn, if it be wisely taken; and so is our Lords menyng. Besekyng is a new, gracious, lestyng will of the soule onyd and festenyd into the will of our Lord be the swete privy werke of the Holy Gost. Our Lord Hymselfe, He is the first receyvor of our prayors, as to my syte, and takyth it ful thankfully and heyly enjoyand; and He sendyth it up aboven, and settith it in tresour wher it shal never perishen. It is ther aforn God with al His holy, continuly receyvyd, ever spedand our nedys. And whan we shal underfongyn our bliss it shal be gevyn us for a degre of joye with endles worshipful thankyng of Hym. Full glad and mery is our Lord of our prayors, and He lokyth therafter, and He wil have it. For with His grace He makyth us lyke to Hymself in condition as we arn in kynd, and so is His blisful will, for He seith thus: Pray inderly thow the thynkyth it savowr the nott. For it is profitable thow thou fele not, thow thou se nowte, ya, thow thou thynke thou myghte nowte. For in dryhede and in barrenhede, in sekenes and in febelnes, than is thyn prayers wel plesant to me, thow thou thynk- yth it savowr the nowte but litil; and so is al thy levyng prayers in my syte. For the mede and the endles thanke that He wil gevyn us, therfore He is covetous to have us pray continuly in His syhte. God acceptith the good will and the travel of His servant, howsoever we felen. Wherfore it plesyth Hym that we werkyn and in our prayors and in good levyng be Hys helpe and His grace resonably with discrecion, kepand our myght to Hym, til whan that we have Hym that we sekyn in fulhede of joy - that is, Jesus. And that shewid He in the fifteenth Revelation aforn this word: Thou shalt have Me to thy mede. And also to prayors longyth thankyng. Thankyng is a new, inward knowing with gret reverens and lovely drede turnyng ourselfe with all our myghts into the werkyng that our good Lord steryth us to, enjoyng and thankyng inwardly. And sometyme, for plenteoushede, it brekyth out with voyce, and seith, "Good Lord, grante mercy. Blissid mot Thou be." And sumtyme whan the herte is drey and felyth not, or ell be temptation of our enemy, than it is dreven by reason and be grece to cryen upon our Lord with voyce, rehersyng His blissid passion and His gret goodnes. And the vertue of our Lords word turnyth into the soule, and quicknith the herte, and entrith it be His grace into trew werkyng, and makyth it prayen wel blisfully and trewly to enjoyen our Lord; it is a ful blisfull thankyng in His syte. XLII Off three thyngs that longyn to prayor, and how we shuld pray; and of the goodnes of God that supplyeth alway our imperfection and febilnes whan we do that longyth to us to do. Forty-second chapter. Our Lord God wille we have trew understondyng, and namely in three thyngs that longyn to our prayors. The first is be whom and how that our prayors springyth. Be whome, He shewith when He seith, I am ground; and how, be His goodness, for He seith, first, It is my wille. For the secund, in what manner and how we should usen our prayors, and that is that our wil be turnyd into the will of our Lord, enjoyand; and so menith He whan He seith, I mak the to willen it. For the thred, that we knowen the frute and the end of our prayors: that is, to be onyd and lyk to our Lord in al thyng. And to this menyng and for this end was al this lovely lesson shewid; and He wil helpyn us, and we shall make it so - as He seith Hymselfe. Blissid mot He ben. For this is our Lords wille, that our prayors and our troste ben both alyk large. For if we trost not as mekyl as we preyen, we doe not ful worship to our Lord in our prayors, and also we taryen and peyn ourselfe. And the cause is, as I leve, for we know not truly that our Lord is ground on whom our prayors springith. And also that we know not that it is goven us be the grace of His love. For if we knew this, it would maken us to trosten to have, of our Lords gyfte, al that we desire. For I am sekir that no man askyth mercy and grace with trew menyng, but mercy and grace be first geyvin to hym. But sumtyme it cum- yth to our mynd that we have prayd long tyme, and yet, thynkyth us, that we have not our askyng. But herfor should we not be hevy, for I am sekir be our Lords menyng, that eyther we abyden a better tyme, or more grace, or a better gyfte. He will we have trow knowyng in Hymself that He is beyng; and in this knowyng He will that our understondyng be growndid with al our mytys, and al our entent, and al our menyng. And in this grownd He will that we taken our stede and our wonynge. And be the gracious lyte of Hymself, He will we have understondyng of the thyngs that folow. The first is our noble and excellent makyng; the second, our pretious and derworthy agen byeing; the thred, althyng that He hath made benethen us to serven us, and, for our love, kepith it. Than menyth He thus, as if He seyd: Behold and se that I have don al this, beforn thi prayors, and now thou art, and prayest me. And thus He menyth that it longyth to us to wetyn that the gretest deds be don as Holy Church techyth. And in the beholdyng of thys with thank- yng, we owte to pray for the dede that is now in doyng, and that is that He reule us and gyde us to His worshippe in thys lif and bryng us to His bliss. And therfore He hath don all. Than menyth He thus, that we sen that He doth it, and we prayen therfor. For that on is not enow. For if we prayen and sen not that He doth it, it makyth us hevy and doutful; and that is not His worshippe. And if we sen that He doth and we pray not, we do not our dette - and so may it not ben, that is to seyen, so is it not in His beholdyng. But to sen that He doth it and to pray forthwith, so is He worshippid and we sped. Althyng that our Lord hath ordeynyd to don, it is His will that we prayen therfor, other in speciyal or in generall; and the joy and the bliss that it is to Hym, and the thanke and the worshippe that we shall have therfore, it passyth the understondyng of cretures, as to my syte. For prayor is a rythwis under- stondyng of that fulhede of joye that is for to cume with wel longyng and sekir troste. Faylyng of our bliss that we ben kyndly ordeynid to makyth us for to longen. Trew understondyng and love, with swete mynd in our Savior, graciously mak- yth us for to trosten. And in these two werkyngs our Lord beholdyth us continuly. For it is our dett, and His goodnes may no less assignen in us. Than longyth it to us to don our diligens, and whan we have don it, than shal us yet thinken that is nowte; and soth, it is. But do we as we may, and sothly aske mercy and grace. Al that us faylyth, we shal fynd in Hym; and thus menyth He wher He seith: I am grounde of thy besekyng. And thus in this blisful word, with the shewing, I saw a full overcomyng agens al our wekenes and al our douteful dredis. XLIII What prayor doth, ordeynyd to God will; and how the goodnes of God hath gret lekyng in the deds that He doth be us, as He wer beholden to us, werkyng althyng ful swetely. Forty-third chapter. Prayor onyth the soule to God; for thow the soule be ever lyke to God in kynde and substance restorid be grace, it is often onlyke in condition be synne on manys partye. Than is prayor a wittnes that the soule will as God will, and com- fortith the conscience and ablith man to grace. And thus He techith us to prayen, and mytyly to trosten that we shal have it. For He beholdith us in love, and wil makyn us partyner of His gode dede. And therfore He steryth us to prayen that that likyth Hym to don; for which prayors and gode will that He wil have of His gyft, He wil reward us and gevyn us endless mede. And this was shewid in this word, And thou besekyst it. In this word God shewid so gret plesance and so gret lykyng as He were mekyl beholden to us for every god dede that we don, and yet it is He that doth it. And for that we besekyn Hym mytyly to don althyng that Him lekyt, as if He seid, "What myte then plese Me more, than to besekyn mytyly, wisely, and wilfully to do that thyng that I shal don?" And thus the soule be prayor accordyth to God. But whan our curtes Lord of His grace shewith Hymselfe to eur soule, we have that we desire, and than we se not for the tyme what we shuld more pray, but al our entent with al our myte is sett holy to the beholdyng of Hym, and this is an hey, unperceyvable prayor as to my syte. For al the cause wherfor we prayen, it is onyd into the syte and beholdyng of Hym to whome we prayen, mervelously enjoyand with reverent drede and so grete sweteness and delite in Hym, that we can pray ryth nowte but as He steryth us for the tyme. And wel I wote the mor the soule seeth of God, the more it desyrith Hym be His grace. But whan we sen Hym not so, than fele we nede and cause to pray - for faylyng - for ablyng of ourselfe to Jesus. For whan the soule is tempested, troublid, and left to hymself be onreste, than it is tyme to prayen to maken hymselfe supple and buxum to God. But he be no manner of prayor makyth God supple to hym. For He is ever alyke in love. And thus I saw that what tyme we se nedys wherfore we prayen, than our good Lord folowyth us, helpand our desire. And whan we of His special grace planely beholden Hym seying non other nedys, than we folowen Hym, and He drawith us into Hym be love. For I saw and felt that His mervelous and fulsome goodnes fulfillith al our mytys, and then I saw that His continuate werkyng in al manner thing is don so godely, so wysely, and so mytyly that it overpassyt al our imagyning and all that we can wenyn and thynken; and than we can do no more but behold Hym, enjoyeng with an hey, myty desire to be al onyd into Hym, and entred to His wonyng, and enjoy in Hys lovyng, and deliten in His godeness. And then shal we, with His swete grace, in our owen meke continuat prayors, come into Hym now in thys life be many privy tuchyngs of swete gostly syghts and felyng, mesurid to us as our simplehede may bere it, and this wrowte, and shal be, be the grace of the Holy Gost, so long til we shal dey in longyng for love. And than shal we all come into our Lord, ourselfe clerely knowand and God fulsomely havyng; and we endlesly ben al had in God, Hym verily seand, and fulsomly feland, Hym gostly heryng, and Hym delectably smellyng, and Hym swetely swelowyng; and than shal we sen God face to face, homly and fulsumly. The creature that is made shal sen and endlesly beholden God which is the maker. For thus may no man sen God and leven after, that is to sey, in this dedly life. But whan He of His special grace wil shewn Him here, He strengthyth the creature above the selfe, and He mesurith the shewing after His own wille as it is profitable for the tyme. XLIV Of the properties of the Trinite; and how mannys soule, a creature, hath the same properties, doyng that that it was made for: seyng, beholdyng, and mervelyng his God, so, by that, it semyth as nowte to the selfe. Forty-fourth chapter. God shewid in al the Revelations oftentymes that man werkyth evermore His will and His wership lestyngly withoute ony styntyng. And what this worke is was shewid in the first, and that in a mervelous grounde. For it was shewid in the werkyng of the soule of our blisfull Lady Seynt Mary, treuth and wisdam; and how, I hope, be the grace of the Holy Gost, I shal say as I saw. Treuth seith God, and wisedam beholdyth God; and of these two comyth the thred, that is, an holy, mervelous delyte in God, which is love. Wher treuth and wisdam is, verily there is love, verily commend of hem bothyn, and al of God makyng. For He is endles soverain trueth, endles severeyn wisdam, endles sover- eyn love onmade. And man soule is a creature in God, which hath the same propertyes made, and evermore it doith that it was made for: It seith God, it beholdyth God, and it lovyth God, wherof God enjoyith in the creature, and the creature in God, endlesly mervelyng, in which mervelyng he seith his God, his Lord, his Maker, so hey, so gret, and so good in reward of hym that is made, that onethys the creature semyth owte to the selfe. But the clertye and the clenes of treuth and wisdam makyth hym to sen and to beknowen that he is made for love, in which God endlesly kepyth him. XLV Of the ferme and depe jugement of God and the variant jugement of man. Forty-fifth chapter. God demyth us upon our kynde substance which is ever kept on in Hym hoole and save without end, and this dome is of His rythfulhede. And man jugith upon our changeabil sensualyte, which semyth now on, now other, after that it takyth of the parties and shewyth outward. And this wisdam is medyllid, for sumtyme it is good and esye and sumtyme it is herd and grevous. And in as mekil as it is good and esy it longyth to the rythfulhede. And in as mekyl as it is herd and grevous, our good Lord Jesus reformyth it be mercy and grace throw the vertue of His blissid passion and so bryngith into the rythfulhede. And thow these two be thus accordid and onyd, yet it shal be knowen, both, in Hevyn without end. The first dome, which is of God rythfulhed, and that is of His hey, endless life; and this is that faire swete dome that was shewid in al the fair reve- lation in which I saw Him assigne to us no manner of blame. And thow this was swete and delectabil, yet only in the beholdyng of this, I cowd nowte be full esyd. And that was for the dome of Holy Church, which I had aforn understond and was continuly in my syte. And therfore be this dome methowte me behovyd neds to know me a synner, and be the same dome I understode that synners arn worthy sumtime blame and wreth. And these two cowth I not se in God. And there my desir was more than I can or may tell. For the heyer dome God shewid Hymselfe in the same tyme, and therfore me behovyd neds to taken it, and the lower dome was lern me aforn in Holy Church, and therfore I myte in no way levyn the lower dome. Than was this my desire - that I myte sen in God in what manner that the dome of Holy Church herin techyth is trew in His syte, and how it longyth to me sothly to knoyn it, wherby thei myte both be savid so as it wer worshipfull to God and ryte way to me. And to al this I had non other answere but a mervelous example of a lord and of a servant, as I shal seyn after, and that ful mytyly shewid. And yet I stond in desire, and will into my end, that I myte be grace knowen these two domys as it longyth to me. For al hevenly and al erthly things that longyn to Hevyn arn comprehendid in thes two domys. And the more under stondyng be the gracious ledyng of the Holy Gost that we have of these two domys the more we shal sen and known our faylyngs. And ever the more that we sen hem, the more kyndly be grace we shal longen to be fulfillid of endles joye and bliss. For we arn made therto, and our kindly substance is now blisful in God, and hath ben sithen it was made, and shall, without end. XLVI We cannot knowen ourself in this life but be feith and grace, but we must know ourself synners; and how God is never wreth, being most nere the soule, it kepyng. Forty-sixth chapter. But our passand lif that we have here in our sensualite knowith not what our- self is. Than shal we verily and clerly sen and knowen our Lord God in fulhede of joy. And therfore it behovyth neds to be that the nerer we be our bliss, the more we shall longen; and that both be kynd and be grace. We may have know- ing of ourselfe in this life be continuant helpe and vertue of our hey kynd, in which knowing we may encrecin and wexen be forthing and speding of mercy and grace. But we may never full know ourselfe in to the laste poynte, in which poynte this passend life and manner of peyne and wo shall have an end. And therfore it longyth properly to us, both be kynd and be grace, to longen and desiren with al our myghts to knowen ourselfe in fulhede of endles joye. And yet in al this tyme from the begynnyng to the end I had two manner of beholdyng. That one was endless continuant love with sekirnes of kepyng and blisfull salvation. For of this was al the shewyng. That other was the common techyng of Holy Church in which I was aforn enformyd and growndid and wil- fully haveing in use and understondyng. And the beholdyng of this come not from me. For be the shewing I was not sterid ne led therfrom in no manner poynte, but I had therin teching to loven it and liken it, wherby I myte, be the helpe of our Lord and His grace, encrese and resyn to more hevynly knowyng and heyer lovyng. And thus in al this beholdyng methowte it behovyd nedys to sen and to knowen that we arn synners, and don many evill that we owten to leven, and levyn many good dedes ondon that we owten to don, wherfore we deserve peyne and wreth. And notwithstondyng al this, I saw sothfastly that our Lord was never wreth ne never shall. For He is God - good, life, trueth, love, peas. His charite and His unite suffrith Hym not to be wroth. For I saw trewly that it is agens the properte of myte to be wroth, and agens the properte of His wisdam, and agens the properte of His goodnes. God is the goodnes that may not be wroth, for He is not but goodnes. Our soule is unyd to Hym, onchangable goodnes, and betwix God and our soule is neyther wroth nor forgifenes in Hys syte. For our soule is fulsomly onyd to God of His owen goodnes, that atwix God and soule may ben ryth nowte. And to this understondyng was the soul led by love, and drawne be mygte in every shewing. That it is thus, our good Lord shewid, and how it is thus sothly, of His gret goodnes; and He will we desire to wetyn, that is to seyen, as it longyth to His creature to wetyn it. For althyng that the simple soule understode, God will that it be shewid and knowen. For the thyngs that He will have privy, mytyly and wisely Hymselfe He hydeth hem for love. For I saw in the same shewing that mech privity is hid, which may never be knowen into the tyme that God of His goodnes hath made us worthy to sen it. And therwith I am wele paid, abyding our Lords will in this hey mervel. And now I yeele me to my moder Holy Church as a simple child owyth. XLVII We must reverently mervelyn and mekly suffren, ever enjoyand in God; and how our blyndhede, in that we se not God, is cause of synne. Forty-seventh chapter. Tweyn poynts longen to our soule be dett. On is that we reverently mervelyn. That other is that we mekely suffryn, ever enjoyand in God; for He will we wetyn that we shal in short tyme se clerly in Hymself al that we desire. And notwithstondyng al this, I beheld and mervelyd gretly: What is the mercy and forgivenes of God? For be the techyng that I had aforn, I understode that the mercy of God shuld be the forgevenes of His wreth after the tyme that we have synned. For methowte to a soule whose menyng and desire is to loven, that the wreth of God wer herder than any other peyne. And therfor I toke that the forgevness of His wreth shuld be one of the principal poynts of His mercy. But for nowte that I myte beholden and desyrin I could no se this poynte in al the shewyng. But how I understode and saw of the werks of mercy I shal sey sumdel, as God wil geve me grace. I understode this: Man is chongeable in this lif and be frelte and over- cummyng fallith into synne. He is onmytye and onwise of hymself, and also his wil is overleyd, and in this tyme he is in tempest and in sorow and wo. And the cause is blindhede, for he seith not God. For if he sey God continuly, he shuld have no mischevous felyng, ne no manner steryng the yernyng that servyth to synne. Thus saw I and felt in the same tyme; and methowte that the syte and the felyng was hey and plentiuous, and gracious in reward that our commen felyng is in this lif, but yet I thowte it was but smal and low in reward of the great desire that the soule hath to sen God. For I felt in me five manner of werkyngs, which be these: enjoying, morning, desir, drede, and sekir hope. Enjoyeng, for God gave me understondyng and knowing that it was Hymself that I saw. Morning, and that was for faylyng. Desir, and that was that I myte sen Hym ever more and more, understondyng and knowyng that we shal never have ful rest til we sen Hym verily and clerly in Hevyn. Drede was for it semyd to me in al that tyme that that syte shuld fayle and I ben left to myselfe. Sekir hope was in the endles love, that I saw I shuld be kept be His mercy and browte to His bliss. And the joyeing in His syte with this sekir hope of His mercyful kepyng made me to have felyng and comforte so that morneing and drede were not gretly peynfull. And yet in al this I beheld in the shewing of God that this manner syte of Him may not be continuant in this lif, and that for His owen worship and for encreas of our endles joy. And therefore we failen oftentymes of the syte of Hym, and anon we fallen into ourself and than fynde we no felyng of ryth - nowte but contrarioust that is in ourselfe, and that of the elder rote of our first synne with all that followyn of our contrivans; and in this we arn traveylid and tempestid with felyng of synnys and of peynes in many dyvers manner, gostly and bodyly, as it is knowen to us in this lif. XLVIII Off mercy and grace and their propertyes; and how we shall enjoy that ever we suffrid wo patiently. Forty-eighth chapter. But our good Lord the Holy Gost, which is endles lif wonnyng in our soule, ful sekirly kepyth us, and werkyth therin a peas, and bryngith it to ese be grace, and accordith it to God, and makyth it buxum. And this is the mercy and the wey that our Lord continuly ledyth us in as longe as we ben here in this lif which is chongeabile. For I sow no wrath but in mannys partie, and that forgevyth He in us. For wreth is not ell but a frowardness and a contrarioste to peace and to love. And eyther it commyth of faylyng of myte, or of faylyng of wisdam, or of faylyng of goodnes, which faylyng is not in God, but it is on our partie, for we be synne and wretchidnes have in us a wretchid and continuant contrariuste to peace and to love, and that shewid He full often in His lovely chere of ruth and pety. For the ground of mercy is love, and the werkyng of mercy is our kepyng in love, and this was shewid in swich manner that I cowth not aperceyven of the partye of mercy otherwise but as it were alone in love, that is to sey, as to my syte. Mercy is a swete, gracious werkyng in love medilyd with plenteuous pitte. For mercy werkith, us kepand; and mercy workyth, turnyng to us althyng to good. Mercy be love suffrith us to faylen be mesur, and in as mech as we faylen, in so mekyl we fallen, and in as mekyl as we fallen, so mekyl we dyen. For us behovyth nedes to deyen, in as mech as we failen syght and felyng of God that is our lif. Our faylyng is dredful, our falling is shamefull, and our deyng is sorowfull. But in al this the swete eye of pite and love cummyth never of us, ne the werkyng of mercy cessyth not. For I beheld the properte of mercy and I beheld the properte of grace, which have two manner werkyng in one love. Mercy is a pitifull propirte which longyth to the moderhode in tendyr love. And grace is a wor- shipful propirte which longyth to the ryal Lordshipp in the same love. Mercy werkyth, kepyng, suffring, quecknyng, and helyng; and al is of tendernes of love. And grace werkyth, reysing, rewardyng, and endlessly overpassyng that our lovyng and our travel deservyth, spreding abrode, and shewyng the hey, plen- tiuous largess of Godds ryal Lordship in His mervelous curtesye; and this is of the abondance of love. For grace werkyth our dredfull faylyng into plentiuous endles solace, and grace werkyth our shamefull fallyng into hey worship reysyng, and grace werkyth our sorowfull deying into holy blisfull lif. For I saw full sek- irly that ever as our contrarioust werkyth to us here in erth peyne, shame, and sorow, ryth so on the contrariewise, grace werkyth to us in Hevyn solace, worship, and bliss; and overpassyng - so fer forth that whan we cum up and receivyn the swete reward which grace hath wrowte to us, than we shal thankyn and blissyn our Lord, endlesly enjoyand that ever we suffrid wo. And that shal be for a properte of blissid love that we shall know in God, which we myte never a knowen with- oute wo goeing afore. And whan I saw all this, me behovid nedis to granten that the mercy of God and the forgiveness is to slaken and wasten our wreth. XLIX Our lif is growndid in love withoute the which we perish; but yet God is never wroth, but in our wreth and synne He mercifully kepith us, and tretith us to peace, rewarding our tribulations. Forty-ninth chapter. For this was an hey mervel to the soule which was continely shewid in al, and with gret diligens beholden: that our Lord God anempts Hymself may not for- gevyn, for He may not be wroth. It were impossible. For this was shewid, that our lif is all groundid and rotid in love, and without love we may not levyn. And therfore to the soul that of His special grace seyth so ferforth of the hey, mer- velous godenes of God, and that we arn endlesly onyd to Hym in love, it is the most impossible that may ben that God shuld be wreth. For wreth and frendship be two contraries. For He that westith and destroyith our wreth, and makyth us meke and mylde, it behovyth neds to ben that He be ever on in love, meke and myld, which is contrarious to wreth. For I saw ful sekirly that wher our Lord apperith, peas is taken and wreth hath no place. For I saw no manner of wreth in God, neyther for short tyme ne for longe, for sothly, as to my syte, if God myte be wroth a touch we shuld never have lif, ne stede, ne beyng. For verily as we have our beyng of the endles myte of God and of the endless wisdam and of the endless godeness, as verily we have our kepyng in the endles myte of God, in the endles wisdom, and in the endless goodnes. For thow we felyn in us wretches, debates, and strives, yet arn we al mannerfull beclosyd in the mildhede of God and in His mekehede, in His benignite, and in His buxum- hede. For I saw full sekirly that al our endles frendship, our stede, our lif, and our beyng is in God. For that same endles goodnes that kepith us whan we synne that we perish not, the same endles goodnes continuly tretyth in us a peace agaynst our wreth and our contrarious fallyng, and makyth us to sen our nede with a trew drede, mytyly to sekyn into God to have forgivenes with a gracious desire of our salvation. For we may not be blisfully save til we be verily in peace and in love, for that is our salvation. And thow we, be the wreth and the contrariouste that is in us, be now in tribulation, desese, and wo, as fallyth to our blindnes and frelte, yet arn we sekirly safe be the mercifull kepyng of God that we perish not. But we arn not blisfully saf in havyng of our endles joy till we ben al in peace and in love, that is to sey, ful plesid with God and with al His werks, and with al His domys, and lovand and pessible with ourselfe and with our even Cristen, and with al that God lovith, as love likyth. And this doeth Gods goodnes in us. Thus saw I that God is our very peace, and He is our sekir keper whan we arn oureselfe at onpeace, and He continuly werkith to bring us into endles peas. And thus whan we, be the werkyng of mercy and grace, be made meke and mylde, we arn ful safe. Sodenly is the soule onyd to God whan it is trewly pesid in the selfe, for in Him is fonden no wreth. And thus I saw whan we arn all in peace and in love, we fynde no contrariouste, ne no manner of lettyng; of that contrariouste which is now in us, our Lord of His goodnes makyth it to us ful profitable. For that contrarioust is cause of our tribulations and al our wo, and our Lord Jesus takyth hem and send hem up to Hevyn, and there arn thei made more swete and delectable than herte may thynken or tongue may tellen. And whan we cum thither we shal fynd hem redy al turnyd into very faire and endless worships. Thus is God our stedfast ground, and He shal be our full bliss and make us onchongeable as He is whan we arn there. L How the chosen soule was nevere ded in the syte of God, and of a mervel upon the same; and three things boldid hir to aske of God the understondyng of it. Fiftieth chapter. And in this dedly lif, mercy and forgivenes is our wey and evermore ledyth us to grace. And be the tempest and the sorow that we fallen in on our parte, we be often dede as to manys dome in erth, but in the syte of God, the soule that shal be save was never dede ne never shall. But yet here I wondrid and mervelid with al the diligens of my soul menand thus: Good Lord, I se the that art very truth and I know sothly that we synne grevously al day and ben mekyl blame- worthy, and I ne may neyther levyn the knowyng of this sothe, ner I ne se the shewyn to us no manner of blame. How may this be? For I knew be the common techyng of Holy Church, and be myn owne felyng, that the blame of our synne continuly hangith upon us from the first man into the tyme that we come up into Hevyn. Than was this my mervel, that I saw our Lord God shewand to us no more blame than if we were as clene and as holy as angelys be in Hevyn. And atwix these two contraries my reason was gretly traveylid by my blynd- hede and cowde have no rest for drede that His blyssid presens shuld passyn from my syte, and I to be left in onknowyng how He beholdyth us in our synne. For either behovid me to sen in God that synne were al don awey, or ell me behovid to sen in God how He seith it, wherby I myte trewly knowen how it longyth to me to se synne and the manner of our blame. My longyn indurid, Hym continuly beholding, and yet I cowde have no patience for great awer and perplexitie, thynkand: If I take it thus that we be not synners ne no blame- worthy, it semyth as I shuld eryn and faile of knoweing of this soth. And if it be so that we be synners and blameworthy, Good Lord, how may it than ben that I can not sen this sothnes in The, which art my God, my maker, in whom I desire to sen al trueths? For three poynts makyn me herdy to ask it. The first is for it is so low a thyng, for if it wer an hey, I should ben adred. The second is that it is so common, for if it were special and privye, also I shuld ben adred. The third is that it nedyth me to wetyn it, as me thynkyth, if I shall levyn here, for knowyng of good and evill wherby I may be reason and grace the more depart hem on sundre, and loven goodnes and haten evill as Holy Church techyth. I cryed inwardly with al my myte sekyng into God for helpe, menand thus, "A, Lord Jesus, King of bliss, how shall I ben esyd? Ho that shal techyn me and tellyn me that me nedyth to wetyn if I may not at this tyme sen it in The?" LI The answere to the doute afor by a mervelous example of a lord and a servant; and God will be abidyn, for it was nere twenty yeres after ere she fully understode this example; and how it is understod that Crist syttith on the ryth hand of the Fader. Fifty-first chapter. And than our curtes Lord answerd in shewing full mystily a wondirful example of a lord that hath a servant, and gave me syte to my understondyng of botyrn, which syght was shewid double in the lord, and the syte was shewid dowble in the servant. Than on partie was shewid gostly in bodily lyknes, and the other partie was shewid more gostly without bodyly lyknes. For the first, thus: I saw two persons in bodyly likenes, that is to sey, a lord and a servant, and therewith God gave me gostly understondyng. The lord sittith solemnly in rest and in peace; the servant standyth by, aforn his lord reverently, redy to don his lords will. The lord lookyth upon his servant ful lovely, and swetely and mekely he sendyth hym to a certain place to don his will. The servant, not only he goeth, but suddenly he stirtith and rynnith in grete haste for love to don his lords will, and anon he fallith in a slade and takith ful grete sore. And than he gronith and monith and waylith and writhith, but he ne may rysen ne helpyn hymself be no manner wey. And of all this the most myscheif that I saw him in was faylyng of comforte. For he cowde not turne his face to loke upon his lovyng lord which was to hym ful nere, in whom is ful comfort; but as a man that was febil and onwise for the tyme, he entended to his felyng, and induryd in wo, in which wo he suffrid seven grete peynes. The first was the sore brosyng that he toke in hys fallyng, which was to hym felable peyne. The second was the hevynes of his body. The third was febilnes folowyng of these two. The fourth, that he was blinded in his reason and stonyed in his mend so ferforth that almost he had forgotten his owne luf. The fifth was that he myte not rysen. The sixth was most mervelous to me, and that was that he lay alone. I lokid al aboute and beheld, and fer ne nere, hey ne low, I saw to him no helpe. The seventh was that the place which he lay on was a lang, herd, and grevous. I merveled how this servant myte mekely suffren there al this wo. And I beheld with avisement to wetyn if I cowth perceyve in hym any defaute, or if the lord shuld assigne in hym any blame. And sothly ther was none seen. For only his good will and his grete desire was cause of his fallyng. And he was as unlothful and as good inwardly as whan he stode afor his lord redy to don his wille. And ryth thus continualy his lovand lord ful tenderly beholdyth him, and now with a double cher - on outward, ful mekely and myldely with grete ruth and pety, and this was of the first; another inward, more gostly, and this was shewid with a ledyng of my understondyng into the lord which I saw hym heyly enjoyen for the worshipful resting and nobleth that he will and shall bryng his servant to be his plenteuous grace; and this was of that other shewyng. And now my understondyng led agen into the first, both kepand in mynd. Than seith this curtes lord in his menyng: Lo, lo my lovid servant, what harme and disese he hath takeyn in my service for my love, ya, and for his good will; is it not skyl that I reward hym his afray and his drede, his hurt and his mayme, and al his wo? And not only this, but fallith it not to me to gevyn a geft that be better to hym and more worshipfull than his own hole shuld have ben? And ell me thynkyth I dede hym no grace. And in this an inward gostly shewing of the lords menyng descendid into my soule, in which I saw that it behovith neds to ben, stondyng his grete and his own worship, that his dereworthy servant which he lovid so mech shuld ben verily and blisfully rewardid without end aboven that he shuld a ben if he had not fallen; ya, and so ferforth that his fallyng and his wo that he hath taken therby shall be turnyd into hey and overpassing worship and endles bliss. And at this poynte the shewing of the example vanishid, and our good Lord led forth myn understondyng in syte and in shewing of the Revelation to the end. But notwithstondyng al this forthledyng, the mervelyng of the example cam never from me for methowth it was goven me for an answere to my desir. And yet cowth I not taken therin ful understondyng to myn ese at that tyme. For in the servant that was shewid for Adam, as I shal seyn, I saw many dyvers properties that myten be no manner way ben aret to single Adam. And thus in that tyme I stode mekyl in onknowyng. For the full understondyng of this mervelous example was not goven me in that tyme, in which mystye example three propertes of the revelation be yet mekyl hidde. And notwithstondyng this, I saw and understode that every shewing is full of privities. And therfore me behovith now to tellen three propertes in which I am sumdele esyd. The frest is the begynnyng of tech- yng that I understod therein in the same tyme. The second is the inward lernyng that I have understodyn therein sithen. The third, al the hole revelation from the begynnyng to the end, that is to sey, of this boke, which our Lord God of His goodnes bryngyth oftentymes frely to the syte of myn understondyng. And these three arn so onyd as to my understondyng that I cannot, ner may, depart them. And be these three as on, I have techyng wherby I owe to leyvyn and trostyn in our Lord God, that of the same godenes that He shewid it, and for the same end, ryth so, of the same goodnes and for the same end, He shal declaryn it to us whan it is His wille. For twenty yeres after the tyme of the shewing, save three monethis, I had techyng inwardly, as I shal seyen. It longyth to the to taken hede to all the pro- pertes and condition that weryn shewd in the example thow thou thynke that they ben mysty and indifferent to thy syte. I assend wilfully with grete desire, and see- ing inwardly with avisement al the poynts and propertes that wer shewid in the same tyme as ferforth as my witt and understondyng wold servyn, begynning myn beholding at the lord and at the servant, and the manner of sytting of the lord and the place that he sate on and tho color of his clothyng, and the manner of shapp and his cher withouten and his nobleth and his godeness within; at the manner of stondyng of the servant, and the place wher and how, at his manner of clothyng, the color and the shappe, at his outward havyng, and at his inward goodnes and his onlothfulhede. The lord that sate solemnly in rest and in peace, I understond that he is God. The servant that stode aforn the lord, I understode that it was shewid for Adam, that is to seyen, on man was shewid that tyme, and his fallyng, to maken therby understonden how God beholdith a man and his fallyng. For in the syte of God, al man is on man, and on man is all man. This man was hurte in hys myte and made ful febil, and he was stonyed in his understondyng, for he turnyd from the beholdyng of his lord. But his will was kept hole in God sygte, for his will I saw our lord commenden and approven. But hymselfe was lettid and blyndyd of the knowing of this will, and this is to him grete sorow and grevous disese. For neither he seith clerly his lovyng lord, which is to him ful meke and mylde, ne he seith trewly what himself is in the sygte of his lovyng lord. And wel I wote whan these two are wysely and treuly seyn, we shall gettyn rest and peas her in parte, and the fulhede of the bliss of Hevyn be His plentiuous grace. And this was a begynnyng of techyng which I saw in the same tyme wherby I myte com to knowyng in what manner He beholdyth us in our synne. And than I saw that only paynys blamith and punishith, and our curtis Lord comfortith and sorowith, and ever He is to the soule in glad cher, lovand and longand to bryngen us to bliss. The place that our Lord sat on was symple, on the erth, barren and desert, alone in wildernes. His clothyng was wide and syde, and ful semely as fallyth to a lord. The color of His cloth was blew as asure, most sad and fair. His cher was merciful. The color of His face was faire browne with fulsomely featours; His eyen were blak, most faire and semely, shewand ful of lovely pety; and within Him, an hey ward, longe and brode, all full of endles hevyns. And the lovely lokeing that He loked upon His servant continuly, and namely in his fallyng, methowte it myte molten our herts for love and bresten hem on to for joy. The fair lokyng shewid of a semely medlur which was mervelous to beholden. That on was ruth and pety, that other was joye and bliss. The joy and bliss passith as fer reuth and pite as Hevyn is aboven erth. The pite was erthly, and the blis was hevenly. The ruth in the pite of the Fadir was of the falling of Adam, which is His most lovid creatur. The joy and the bliss was of His dereworthy Son, which is evyn with the Fadir. The merciful beholdyng of His lofly cher fulfilled al erth and descendid downe with Adam into Helle, with which continuant pite Adam was kept from endles deth. And this mercy and pite dwellyth with mankind into the tyme we com up into Hevyn. But man is blindid in this life, and therfore we may not sen our Fader, God, as He is. And what tyme that He of His goodnes will shewin Hym to man, He shewith Him homley as man. Notwithstonding I saw sothly we owen to knowen and levyn that the Fader is not man. But His sitting on the erth barreyn and desert is this to menyn: He made mans soule to ben His owen cyte, and His dwellyng place, which is most plesyng to Hym of al His werks. And what tyme that man was fallen into sorow and peyne, he was not al semly to servyn of that noble office. And therfore our kind Fader wold adyten him no other place, but sitten upon the erth abeydand mankynd which is medlid with erth till what time be His grace His derworthy Son had bowte ageyn His cyte into the noble fayrhede with His herd travel. The blewhede of the clothing betokinith His stedfastnes; the brownhede of His fair face with the semely blakhede of the eyen was most accordyng to shew His holy sobirnes. The larghede of His clothyng which were fair, flamand abowten, betokenith that He hath beclesid in hym all hevyns and al joy and blis. And this was shewid in a touch, wher I sey, myn understondyng was led into the Lord, in which I saw Him heyly enjoyen for the worshipful restoring that He wil and shal bring His servant to be His plenteous grace. And yet I mervellyd, beholdyng the lord and the servant afornseid. I saw the lord sitten solemnly and the servant stondand reverently aforn his lord, in which servant is double understondyng, on withouten, another within. Outward, he was clad simply as a labourer which wer disposid to travel, and he stode ful nere the lord, not even fornempts hym, but in partie asyd, that on the lift. His clothyng was a white kirtle, sengil, old and al defacid, died with swete of his body, streyte fittyng to hym and short, as it were an handful benethe the knee, bar, semand as it shuld sone be weryd up redy to be raggid and rent. And in this I mervelid gretly, thynkand: This is now an onsemely clothyng for the servant that is so heyly lovid, to stondyn afor so worship lord. And inward, in him was shewid a ground of love, which love he had to the lord was even like to the love that the lord had to hym. The wisdam of the ser- vant saw inwardly that ther was on thing to don which shuld be to the worshipp of the lord. And the servant, for love, haveing no reward to hymselfe ne to nothing that might fallen on him, hastely he stirt and ran at the sendyng of his lord to don that thing which was his will and his worship. For it semyd be his outward clothyng as he had ben a continuant labourer of leng tyme. And be the inward syte that I had both in the lord and in the servant, it semyd that he was anew, that is to sey, new begynnyng to travellyn, which servant was never sent out aforn. Ther was a tresor in the erth which the lord lovid. I mervelid and thowte what it myte ben. And I was answered in myn understondyng: It is a mete which is lovesome and plesant to the lord. For I saw the lord sitten as a man, and I saw neither mete ner drynke wherwith to servyn hym. This was on mervel. Another mervel was that this solemn lord had no servant but on, and hym he sent owte. I beheld, thynkyng what manner labour it myte ben that the servant shud don, and than I understode that he shuld don the gretest labor and herdest travel that is. He shuld ben a gardiner, delvyn and dykyn, swinkin and swetyn, and turne the earth upsodowne, and sekyn the depnes, and wattir the plants in tyme, and in this he shuld continu his travel and make swete flods to rennen, and noble and plenteous fruits to springen which he shuld bryng aforn the lord and servyn hym therwith to his lykyng. And he shuld never turne agen till he had dygte this mete al redye as he knew that it lekyd the lord, and than he shuld take this mete with the drinke in the mete, and beryn it ful worshipfully aforn the lord. And al this tyme the lord shuld sytten on the same place abydand his servant whome he sent out. And yet I merveylid from whens the servant came. For I saw in the lord that he hath wythyn hymselfe endles lif and al manner of goodnes, save that tresor that was in the erth, and that was groundyd in the lord in mer- velous depenes of endles love. But it was not all to the worship till this servant had dygte thus nobly it, and browte it aforn him, in hymself present. And with- out the lord was nothing but wildernes. And I understod not all what this example ment, and therfore I merveylid whens the servant cam. In the servant is comprehendid the Second Person in the Trinite, and in the servant is comprehendid Adam, that is to sey, al man. And therfore whan I sey the Son, it menyth the Godhede which is even with the Fadir; and whan I sey the servant, it menyth Christs manhood which is rythful Adam. Be the nerehede of the servant is understode the Son, and be the stondyng on the left syde is under- stod Adam. The lord is the Fadir, God; the servant is the Son, Christ Jesus; the Holy Gost is even love which is in them both. Whan Adam fell, God Son fell. For the rythfull onyng which was made in Hevyn, God Son myte not fro Adam, for by Adam I understond all man. Adam fell fro lif to deth into the slade of this wretchid world, and after that into Hell. Gods Son fell with Adam into the slade of the Mayden wombe which was the fairest dawter of Adam, and therfor to excuse Adam from blame in Hevyn and in erth, and mytyly He fetchid him out of Hell. Be the wisdam and goodnes that was in the servant is understode Godds Son. Be the por clothyng as a laborer standand nere the left syde is understode the manhood and Adam, with al the mischef and febilnes that folowith. For in al this, our good Lord shewid His owne Son and Adam but one man. The vertue and the goodnes that we have is of Jesus Criste, the febilnes and the blindnes that we have is of Adam; which two wer shewid in the servant. And thus hath our good Lord Jesus taken upon Him al our blame, and therfore our Fadir may, ne will, no more blame assigne to us than to His owen Son, derworthy Criste. Thus was He the servant aforne His comeing into erth, stondand redy aforne the Fader in purposs till what tyme He would send hym to don that worshipfull dede be which mankynde was browte ageyn into Hevyn, that is to seyn, notwith- stondyng that He is God, evyn with the Fadir as anempts the Godhede. But in1995 His forseeing purpose that He wold be man to saven man in fulfilling of His Faders will, so He stode afore His Fader as a servant wilfully takyng upon Hym al our charge. And than He stirt full redily at the Faders will, and anon He fell full low in the Maydens womb, haveing no reward to Himselfe ne to His herd peyns. The which kirtle is the flesh; the syngulhede is that there was ryte now atwix the godhod and manhede. The steytehede is povertye. The eld is of Adams waring; the defaceing of swete, of Adams travel. The shorthede shewith the servant labour. And thus I saw the Son stonding, sayeing in His menyng: Lo, my der Fader, I stond befor The in Adams kirtle alredy to sterten and to rennen. I wold ben in the erth to don Thy worship whan it is Thy will to send me. How long shal I desiren? Ful sothfastly wist the Son whan it was the Fader will, and how long He shal desiren. That is to sey, anempt the Godhede, for He is the wisdam of the Fader. Wherfor this mening was shewid in understondyng of the manhode of Criste. For all mankynd that shal be savid be the swete incarnation and blisful passion of Criste, al is the manhood of Criste. For He is the hede, and we be His mem- bers, to which members the day and the tyme is onknown whan every passand wo and sorow shal have an end and the everlestyng joy and bliss shall be ful- fylid, which day and time for to se al the company of Hevyn longyth. And al that shall ben under Hevyn that shal come thider, ther wey is be longyng and desire, which desir and longing was shewid in the servant stondyng aforen the Lord, or ell thus, in the Sons stondyng aforn the Fadir in Adams kirtle. For the langor and desire of al mankynd that shal be savid aperid in Jesus, for Jesus is al that shal be savid, and al that shal be savid is Jesus - and al of the charite of God, with obediens, mekeness, and patience, and vertues that longyn to us. Also in this mervelous example I have techyng with me as it were the begyn- nyng of an ABC, wherby I may have sum understondyng of our Lordis menyng. For the privities of the Revelation ben hidd therin, notwithstondyng that al the shewing arn ful of privityes. The syttyng of the Fadir betokynyth His Godhede, that is to sey, for shewyng of rest and peas, for in the Godhede may be no travel. And that He shewid Hymselfe as Lord, betokynith to our manhode. The stondyng of the servant betokynyth travel; on syde and on the left betokynyth that he was not al worthy to stonden ever ryth aforn the Lord. His stertyng was the God- hede, and the rennyng was the manhede. For the Godhede sterte from the Fadir into the Maydens wombe, falling into the taking of our kynde. And in this falling He toke gret sore. The sore that He toke was our flesh in which He had also swithe felyng of dedly peynis. Be that He stod dredfully aforn the Lord, and not even ryth, betokynith that His clothyng was not honest to stond in even ryth aforn the Lord. Ne that myte not, ne shuld not, ben His office whil He was a laborer. Ne also He myte not sitten in rest and peace with the Lord till He had woon His peace rythfully with His herd travel. And be the left syde, that the Fadir left His owne Son wilfully in the manhode to suffre all mannys paynys without sparing of Him. Be that His kirtle was in poynte to be raggid and rent is understonden the sweppys and the scorgis, the thornys and the naylys, the drawyng and the draggyng, His tendir flesh rendyng - as I saw in sum partie the flesh was rent from the hedepanne, falland in pecys into the tyme the bledyng failyd, and than it began to dryand, agen clyngand to the bone. And be the wallowyng and wrythyng, gronyng and monyng, is understonden that He myte never rysen al mytyly from the tyme that He was fallen into the Maydens wombe till His body was slaine and ded, He yeldyng the soule in the Fadirs hands with al mankynd for whom He was sent. And at this poynte He began first to shewen His myte, for He went into Helle, and whan He was there He reysid up the gret rote out of the depe depenes, which rythfully was knit to Hym in hey Hevyn. The body was in the grave till Estern morow, and from that tyme He lay never more. For then was rythfully endid the walowyng and the wrythyng, the groning and the monyng. And our foule dedly flesh that Gods Son toke on Hym, which was Adams old kirtle, streyte, bare and short, than be our Savior was made fair, now white and bryte, and of endles cleness, wyde and syde, fairer and richer than was than the clothyng which I saw on the Fadir. For that clothyng was blew, and Christs clothyng is now of a fair semely medlur which is so mervelous that I can it not discrien, for it is al of very worshipps. Now sittith not the Lord on erth in wilderness, but He sittith in His noblest sete which He made in Hevyn most to His lekyng. Now stondith not the Son aforn the Fadir as a servant aforn the Lord, dredfully, unornely clad, in party nakid, but He stondith aforn the Fadir ever rythe rechely clad in blissfull largess with a corone upon His hede of pretious richess. For it was shewid that we be His corone, which corone is the Fadirs joye, tho Sonys worshippe, the Holy Gost lekyng, and endless mervelous bliss to all that be in Hevyn. Now stondith not the Son aforn the Fadir on the left syde as a laborer, but He sittith on His Fadirs ryte hond in endles rest and peace. But it is not ment that the Son syttith on the ryte hond, syde be syde, as on man sittith be another in this lif, for ther is no such syttyng, as to my syte, in the Trinite. But He sittith on His Fadirs ryte hand, that is to sey, in the heyest noblyth of the Fadirs joyes. Now is the spouse, Gods Son, in peace with His lowvid wife which is the fair mayden of endles joye. Now sittith the Son, very God and man, in His cety in rest and peace which His Fadir hath adyte to Him of His endles purpose, and the Fadir in the Son, and tho Holy Gost in the Fadir and in the Son. LII God enjoyeth that He is our fadir, mother, and spouse, and how the chosen have here a medlur of wele and wo, but God is with us in three manner; and how we may eschew synne but never it perfectly as in heaven. Fifty-second chapter. And thus I saw that God enjoyeth that He is our fader, God enjoyeth that He is our moder, and God enjoyeth that He is our very spouse, and our soule is His lovid wife. And Criste enjoyeth that He is our broder and Jesus enjoyeth that He is our Savior. Ther arn five hey joyes, as I understond, in which He wil that we enjoyen, Hym praysyng, Him thankyng, Him loveing, Him endlesly blissand. Al that shall be savid, for the tyme of this life, we have in us a mervelous medlur bothen of wele and wo. We have in us our Lord Jesus uprysen; we have in us the wretchidnes and the mischefe of Adams fallyng, deyand. Be Criste we are stedfastly kept, and be His grace touchyng, we are reysid into sekir troste of salvation. And be Adams fallyng we arn so broken in our felyng on divers manner, be synes and be sondry peynes, in which we arn made derke and so blinde that onethys we can taken ony comfort. But in our menyng we abiden God, and faithfully trosten to have mercy and grace. And this is His owen werkyng in us, and of His godeness He opynyth the eye of our understondyng be which we have syte, sumtyme more and sumtyme less, after that God gevyth abilite to takyn. And now we arn reysid into that on, and now we are suffrid to fallen into that other. And thus is this medle so mer- velous in us that onethys we knowen of ourselfe or of our evyn Cristen in what wey we stonden, for the merveloushede of this sundry felyng, but that ilke holy assent that we assenten to God whan we felyn Hym, truly willand to be with Him with al our herte, with al our soule, and with all our myte. And than we haten and dispisen our evil sterings and all that myte be occasion of synne, gostly and bodily. And yet nevertheles whan this sweteness is hidde, we falyn ageyn into blindhede, and so into wo and tribulation on divers manner. But than is this our comfort, that we knowen in our feith, that be the vertue of Criste which is our keper we assenten never therto, but we grutchin ther agen and duryin in peyne and wo, prayand into that tyme that He shewith Him agen to us. And thus we stonden in this medlur all the dayes of our life. But He will we trosten that He is lestyngly with us, and that in three manner. He is with us in Hevyn, very man in His owne person, us updrawand, and that was shewid in the gostly thrist. And He is with us in erth, us ledand, and that was shewid in the thrid wher I saw God in a poynte. And He is with us in our soule endlesly wonand, us reuland and yemand. And that was shewid in the sixteenth, as I shal sey. And thus in the servant was shewid the mischefe and blyndhede of Adams fallyng, and in the servant was shewid the wisdam and godeness of God Son. And in the lord was shewid the ruth and pite of Adams wo, and in the lord was shewid the hey noblyth and the endles worship that mankynde is cum to be the vertue of the passion and the deth of His derworthy Son. And therfore myt- yly He enjoyeth in His fallyng, for the hey reysing and fullhede of bliss that mankynde is cum to, overpassing that we shuld have had if He had not fallen. And thus to se this overpassing nobleth was myn understondyng led into God in the same tyme that I saw the servant fallen. And thus we have now matter of morneing, for our synne is cause of Crists paynes. And we haive lestingly matter of joy, for endles love made hym to suffir. And therfore the creature that seith and felith the werkyng of love be grace hatith nowte but synne. For of al thyng, to my syte, love and hate arn herdest and most onmesurable contraries. And notwithstondyng all this, I saw and under- stode in our Lord menyng that we may not in this life kepe us from synne as holy in ful clenes as we shal ben in Hevyn. But we may wele be grace kepe us from the synnes which will ledyn us to endles paynes, as Holy Church techith us, and eschewen venial resonable upon our myte. And if we be our blyndhede and our wretchedness ony tyme fallen, that we redily risen, knowand the swete touching of grace, and wilfully amenden us upon the techyng of Holy Chuirch, after that the synne is grevous, and gon forwith to God in love; and neither on the on syd fallen overlow enclynand to despeyr, ne on that other syd ben over rekles as if we gove no fors, but nakidly knowing our feblehede, witeand that we may not stond a twincklyng of an eye but be keping of grace, and reverently cleven to God, on Him only trostyng. For otherwise is the beholdyng of God, and otherwise is the beholdyng of man. For it longyth to man mekely to accusen hymselfe. And it longith to the propir goodnes of our Lord God curtesly to excusen man. And these be two parties that were shewid in the double chere in which the lord beheld the fallyng of his lovid servant. That one was shewid outward, wel mekely and myldly with gret ruth and pite, and that of endless love. And ryth thus will our Lord that we accusen ourselfe, wilfully and sothly seand and knowand our fallyng and all the harmes that cum thereof, seand and witand that we may never restoren it, and therwith that we wilfully and truly sen and knowen His everlasting love that He hath us, and His plenteous mercy. And thus graciously to sen and knowen both togeder is the meke accusyng that our Lord askyth of us. And Hymselfe werkith it; then it is. And this is the lowor parte of manys life, and it was shewed in the outward chere, in which shewing I saw two partes. That on is the reufull falling of man; that other is the worshipfull asseth that our Lord hath made for man. The other cher was shewid inward, and that was mor heyly and al on. For the life and the vertue that we have in the lower parte is of the heyer, and it cummith downe to us of the kinde love of the selfe be grace. Atwixen that on and that other is ryte nowte, for it is all one love, which on blissid love hath now in us double werking. For in the lower part arn peynes and passions, ruthes and pites, mercies and forgevenes, and swich other that arn profitable. But in the higer parte are none of these, but al on hey love and mervelous joye, in which mervelous joy all peynis are heyly restorid. And in this our good Lord shewid not only our excuseing, but also the worshipfull nobleth that He shall bring us to, turnand al our blame into endles worshippe. LIII The kindness of God assigneth no blame to His chosen, for in these is a godly will that never consent to synne. For it behovyth the ruthfulhede of God so to be knitt to these that ther be a substance kept that may never be departid from Hym. Fifty-third chapter. And I saw that He will we wettynn He takith not herder the fallyng of any creatur that shall be save than He to toke the fallyng of Adam which we knowen was endlesly lovid and sekirly kept in the tyme of all His nede, and now is blisfully restorid in hey, overpassing joyes. For our Lord God is so good, so gentill, and so curtes that He may never assigne defaute in whom He shall ever be blissid and praysid. And in this that I have now seyd was my desire in partie answerid, and myn grete awer sumdele esid be the lovely gracious shewing of our good Lord - in which shewing I saw and understode ful sekirly that in every soule that shal be save is a godly wille that never assent to synne, ne never shall; which wille is so good that it may never willen ylle, but evermore continuly it will good and werkyth good in the syte of God. Therefore our Lord will we knowen it in the feith and the beleve, and namly and truly, that we have all this blissid will hole and safe in our Lord Jesus Christe. For that ilke kind that Hevyn shall be fulfillid with behovith nedes, of Gods rythfulhede, so to be knitt and onyd to Him that therin were kept a substance which myte never, ne shuld, be partid from Him, and that throw His owne good will in His endles forseing purpos. And notwithstonding this rythfull knitting and this endles onyng, yet the redemption and the ageyn byeng of mankynd is nedefull and spedefull in everything, as it is don for the same entent and to the same end that Holy Church in our feith us techith. For I saw that God began never to loven mankynd. For ryte the same that mankynde shal ben in endles bliss fulfilland the joye of God as anempts His werks, ryte so the same mankynd hath ben, in the forsyte of God, knowen and lovid from without begynnyng in His rytefull entent and be the endles assent of the full accord of al the Trinite. The Mid-Person would be ground and hede of this fair kinde, out of whom we be al cum, in whom we be all inclosid, into whome we shall all wyndyn, in Him fynding our full Hevyn in everlestand joye be the forseing purpos of all the blissid Trinite from without begynnyng. For er that He mad us, He lovid us; and whan we were made we lovid Hym; and this is a love made of the kindly substantial goodnes of the Holy Gost, mytye in reson of the myte of the myte of the Fadir, and wise in mend of the wisdam of the Son. And thus is man soule made of God, and in the same poynte knitt to God. And thus I understond that mannys soule is made of nought - that is to sey, it is made, but of nought that is made, as thus: Whan God shuld make mans body, He tooke the slyppe of erth, which is a matter medlid and gaderid of all bodily things, and therof He made mannys bodye. But to the makyng of manys soule, He wold take ryte nought, but made it. And thus is the kynd made ryte- fully onyd to the maker, which is substantial kynd onmade, that is God. And therefor it is that ther may, ne shall, be ryte nowte atwix God and mannys soule. And in this endles love mans soule is kept hole as the matter of the revelations menyth and shewith, in which endless love we be led and kept of God, and never shall be lost. For He will we wetyn that our soule is a lif, which lif, of His goodnes and His grace, shall lestin in Hevyn without end, Him loveand, Him thank- and, Him praysand. And ryte the same we shall be withoute end, the same we were tresurid in God, and hidde, knowen, and lovid from withoute begynnyng. Wher- fore He will we wettyn that the noblest thing that ever He made is mankynd. And the fullest substance and the heyest vertue is the blissid soule of Criste. And furthermore, He will we wettyn that His derworthy soule was preciousley knitt to Him in the makeing, which knott is sotil, and so myty that it is onyd into God, in which onyng it is made endlesly holy. Furthermore, He will we wettyn that al the soules that shall be savid in Hevyn without end ar knitt and onyd in this onyng, and made holy in this holyhede. |