Chapter 1

This is a Revelation of Love that Jesus Christ, our endless bliss, made in Sixteen Shewings, or Revelations particular.

This is a revelation of love that Jesus Christ, our endless joy, made in sixteen separate visions, or revelations.

Of the which the First is of His precious crowning with thorns; and therewith was comprehended and specified the Trinity, with the Incarnation, and unity betwixt God and man's soul; with many fair shewings of endless wisdom and teachings of love: in which all the Shewings that follow be grounded and oned.¹

The first showing is of his precious crowning with thorns. It also revealed and made clear the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the unity between God and the human soul. It included many beautiful revelations of endless wisdom and teachings of love. All the showings that follow are grounded and united in these.¹

The Second is the changing of colour of His fair face in token of His dearworthy² Passion.

The second is the change in color of his beautiful face, as a sign of his precious² Passion.

The Third is that our Lord God, Allmighty Wisdom, All-Love, right as verily as He hath made everything that is, all-so verily He doeth and worketh all-thing that is done.

The third is that our Lord God is almighty wisdom and all love. Just as surely as he made everything that exists, he does and brings about everything that happens.

The Fourth is the scourging of His tender body, with plenteous shedding of His blood.

The fourth is the whipping of his tender body, with much of his blood shed.

The Fifth is that the Fiend is overcome by the precious Passion of Christ.

The fifth is that the devil is defeated by the precious suffering of Christ.

The Sixth is the worshipful³ thanking by our Lord God in which He rewardeth His blessed servants in Heaven.

The sixth is the honorable³ thanks our Lord God gives as he rewards his blessed servants in heaven.

The Seventh is [our] often feeling of weal and woe; (the feeling of weal is gracious touching and lightening, with true assuredness of endless joy; the feeling of woe is temptation by heaviness and irksomeness of our fleshly living;) with ghostly understanding that we are kept all as securely in Love in woe as in weal, by the Goodness of God.

The seventh is our frequent experience of well-being and sorrow. Well-being is a gracious touch and illumination, with true assurance of endless joy. Sorrow is the temptation that comes from the heaviness and weariness of our bodily life. Along with these feelings comes the spiritual understanding that, through the goodness of God, we are all kept just as securely in love in sorrow as in well-being.

The Eighth is of the last pains of Christ, and His cruel dying.

The eighth is about Christ’s final suffering and his cruel death.

The Ninth is of the pleasing which is in the Blissful Trinity by the hard Passion of Christ and His rueful dying: in which joy and pleasing He willeth that we be solaced and mirthed⁴ with Him, till when we come to the fulness in Heaven.

The Ninth is about the joy in the Blessed Trinity at Christ’s painful Passion and sorrowful death. He wants us to be comforted and gladdened⁴ with him in this joy and delight until we reach fullness in Heaven.

The Tenth is, our Lord Jesus sheweth in love His blissful heart even cloven in two, rejoicing.

In the tenth, our Lord Jesus lovingly shows his blissful heart, split in two, rejoicing.

The Eleventh is an high ghostly Shewing of His dearworthy Mother.

The eleventh is a profound spiritual vision of his beloved mother.

The Twelfth is that our Lord is most worthy Being.

The twelfth is that our Lord is the most worthy being.

The Thirteenth is that our Lord God willeth we have great regard to all the deeds that He hath done: in the great nobleness of the making of all things; and the excellency of man's making, which is above all his works; and the precious Amends⁵ that He hath made for man's sin, turning all our blame into endless worship.⁶ In which Shewing also our Lord saith: Behold and see! For by the same Might, Wisdom, and Goodness that I have done all this, by the same Might, Wisdom, and Goodness I shall make well all that is not well; and thou shalt see it. And in this He willeth that we keep us in the Faith and truth of Holy Church, not desiring to see into His secret things now, save as it belongeth to us in this life.

The Thirteenth is that our Lord God wants us to give great attention to all his deeds. These include the great nobility of his creation of all things, and the excellence of his creation of humanity, which is above all his works. They also include the precious amends⁵ he has made for humanity’s sin, turning all our blame into endless honor.⁶ In this Showing, our Lord also says: Look and see! By the same Might, Wisdom, and Goodness with which I have done all this, I shall make well all that is not well, and you shall see it. In this, he wants us to remain faithful to the faith and truth of Holy Church. He does not want us to seek to see his secret things now, except as it is fitting for us in this life.

The Fourteenth is that our Lord is the Ground of our Prayer. Herein were seen two properties: the one is rightful prayer, the other is steadfast trust; which He willeth should both be alike large; and thus our prayer pleaseth Him and He of His Goodness fulfilleth it.

The fourteenth revelation is that our Lord is the foundation of our prayer. In this, I saw two qualities: right prayer and steadfast trust. He wants both to be equally abundant. In this way, our prayer pleases him, and in his goodness he answers it.

The Fifteenth is that we shall suddenly be taken from all our pain and from all our woe, and of His Goodness we shall come up above, where we shall have our Lord Jesus for our meed and be fulfilled with joy and bliss in Heaven.

The fifteenth is that we shall suddenly be taken from all our pain and sorrow. Through his goodness, we shall rise to Heaven, where our Lord Jesus will be our reward. There we shall be filled with joy and bliss.

The Sixteenth is that the Blissful Trinity, our Maker, in Christ Jesus our Saviour endlessly dwelleth in our soul, worshipfully ruling and protecting all things, us mightily and wisely saving and keeping, for love; and we shall not be overcome of our Enemy.

The sixteenth is that the blessed Trinity, our Maker, lives forever in our soul through Christ Jesus our Saviour. The Trinity rules and protects all things with majesty. Out of love, the Trinity powerfully and wisely saves and keeps us, and we shall not be overcome by our Enemy.