Chapter 53

And I saw that He willeth that we understand He taketh not harder the falling of any creature that shall be saved than He took the falling of Adam, which, we know, was endlessly loved and securely kept in the time of all his need, and now is blissfully restored in high overpassing joy. For our Lord is so good, so gentle, and so courteous, that He may never assign default [in those] in whom He shall ever be blessed and praised.

And I saw that he wants us to understand that he judges the fall of any creature who will be saved no more harshly than he judged Adam’s fall. We know that Adam was loved endlessly and kept safe throughout all his time of need. Now he is restored to bliss and surpassing joy. For our Lord is so good, so gentle, and so gracious that he can never find fault in those who will bless and praise him forever.

And in this that I have now told was my desire in part answered, and my great difficulty¹ some deal eased, by the lovely, gracious Shewing of our good Lord. In which Shewing I saw and understood full surely that in every soul that shall be saved is a Godly Will that never assented to sin, nor ever shall: which Will is so good that it may never will evil, but evermore continually it willeth good; and worketh good in the sight of God. Therefore our Lord willeth that we know this in the Faith and the belief; and especially that we have all this blessed Will whole and safe in our Lord Jesus Christ. For that same Kind² that Heaven shall be filled with behoveth needs, of God's rightfulness, so to have been knit and oned to Him, that therein was kept a Substance which might never, nor should, be parted from Him; and that through His own Good Will in His endless foreseeing purpose.

In what I have now told, my desire was partly answered and my great difficulty¹ somewhat eased by the lovely, gracious showing of our good Lord. In this showing, I saw and understood with complete certainty that every soul that will be saved has a godly will. This will has never consented to sin and never will. It is so good that it can never will evil. It always wills good and does good in God's sight. Therefore our Lord wants us to know this through faith and belief. Above all, he wants us to know that we have all this blessed will whole and safe in our Lord Jesus Christ. For the same human nature² that will fill Heaven had to be joined and united to him, as God's righteousness required. In this union, a substance was kept that could never be separated from him and never would be. And that was through his own goodwill, in his eternal purpose that foresaw all things.

But notwithstanding this rightful knitting and this endless oneing, yet the redemption and the again-buying of mankind is needful and speedful in everything, as it is done for the same intent and to the same end that Holy Church in our Faith us teacheth.

But despite this rightful joining and endless union, the redemption and buying back of humankind is necessary and effective in every respect. For it is done with the same purpose and toward the same end that Holy Church teaches us in our faith.

For I saw that God began never to love mankind: for right the same that mankind shall be in endless bliss, fulfilling the joy of God as anent His works, right so the same, mankind hath been in the foresight of God: known and loved from without beginning in his³ rightful intent. By the endless assent of the full accord of all the Trinity, the Mid-Person willed to be Ground and Head of this fair Kind: out of Whom we be all come, in Whom we be all enclosed, into Whom we shall all wend,⁴ in Him finding our full Heaven in everlasting joy, by the foreseeing purpose of all the blessed Trinity from without beginning.

For I saw that God never began to love humanity. In endless bliss, humanity will fulfill God’s joy in his works. And just as humanity will be then, so humanity has been in God’s foreknowledge, known and loved from eternity in his³ just purpose. By the eternal agreement of all three persons of the Trinity, the Middle Person chose to be the foundation and head of this beautiful human nature. From him we have all come, in him we are all enclosed, and to him we shall all go.⁴ In him we shall find our complete heaven in everlasting joy. This was the purpose of all the blessed Trinity, foreseen from eternity.

For ere that He made us He loved us, and when we were made we loved Him. And this is a Love that is made, [to our Kindly Substance], [by virtue] of the Kindly Substantial Goodness of the Holy Ghost; Mighty, in Reason, [by virtue] of the Might of the Father; and Wise, in Mind, [by virtue] of the Wisdom of the Son. And thus is Man's Soul made by God and in the same point knit to God.

Before he made us, he loved us. And when we were made, we loved him. This love is made in our natural substance through the natural, essential goodness of the Holy Ghost. It is mighty in reason through the might of the Father, and wise in mind through the wisdom of the Son. Thus God makes the human soul and at the same moment joins it to himself.

And thus I understand that man's Soul is made of nought: that is to say, it is made, but of nought that is made. And thus:—When God should make man's body He took the clay of earth, which is a matter mingled and gathered of all bodily things; and thereof He made man's body. But to the making of man's Soul He would take right nought, but made it. And thus is the Nature-made rightfully oned to the Maker, which is Substantial Nature not-made: that is, God. And therefore it is that there may nor shall be right nought atwix God and man's Soul.

And so I understand that the human soul is made from nothing. That is, it is made, but not from anything that was made. When God was to make the human body, he took clay from the earth. This clay is matter mixed and gathered from all bodily things. From it he made the human body. But to make the human soul, he chose to take nothing at all. He simply made it. In this way, created nature is rightly united with its Maker, who is uncreated, substantial Nature, that is, God. And so there can be, and shall be, nothing at all between God and the human soul.

And in this endless Love man's Soul is kept whole, as the matter of the Revelations signifieth and sheweth: in which endless Love we be led and kept of God and never shall be lost. For He willeth we⁵ be aware that our Soul is a life, which life of His Goodness and His Grace shall last in Heaven without end, Him loving, Him thanking, Him praising. And right the same that we shall be without end, the same we were treasured in God and hid, known and loved from without beginning.

In this endless love, the human soul is kept whole, as the revelations mean and show. In this endless love, God leads and keeps us, and we will never be lost. For he wants us⁵ to know that our soul is a life. Through his goodness and grace, that life will last in heaven without end, loving, thanking, and praising him. And just as we will be without end, so we were treasured and hidden in God, known and loved from before the beginning.

Wherefore He would have us understand that the noblest thing that ever He made is mankind: and the fullest Substance and the highest Virtue is the blessed Soul of Christ. And furthermore He would have us understand that His⁶ dear worthy Soul [of Manhood] was preciously knit to Him in the making [by Him of Manhood's Substantial Nature] which knot is so subtle and so mighty that (it)⁷—[man's soul]—is oned into God: in which oneing it is made endlessly holy. Furthermore He would have us know that all the souls that shall be saved in Heaven without end, are knit and oned in this oneing and made holy in this holiness.

Therefore, he wants us to understand that humanity is the noblest thing he ever made. The blessed soul of Christ is the fullest substance and the highest virtue. He also wants us to understand that his⁶ dear and worthy soul [in his humanity] was joined to him. This happened when he made [the substantial nature of humanity]. The bond is so subtle and so strong that (it)⁷, [the human soul], is united with God. In this union, the soul is made holy forever. He also wants us to know that all souls who will be saved in heaven forever are joined in this same union. All are made holy in this same holiness.