Chapter 59

And all this bliss we have by Mercy and Grace: which manner of bliss we might never have had nor known but if that property of Goodness which is God had been contraried: whereby we have this bliss. For wickedness hath been suffered to rise contrary to the Goodness, and the Goodness of Mercy and Grace contraried against the wickedness and turned all to goodness and to worship, to all these that shall be saved. For it is the property in God which doeth good against evil. Thus Jesus Christ that doeth good against evil is our Very Mother: we have our Being of Him,—where the Ground of Motherhood beginneth,—with all the sweet Keeping of Love that endlessly followeth. As verily as God is our Father, so verily God is our Mother; and that shewed He in all, and especially in these sweet words where He saith: I it am.¹ That is to say, I it am, the Might and the Goodness of the Fatherhood; I it am, the Wisdom of the Motherhood; I it am, the Light and the Grace that is all blessed Love: I it am, the Trinity, I it am, the Unity: I am the sovereign Goodness of all manner of things. I am that maketh thee to love: I am that maketh thee to long: I it am, the endless fulfilling of all true desires.

We have all this bliss through mercy and grace. We could never have had or known this bliss unless the goodness that is God had been opposed. This is how we came to have it. Wickedness was allowed to rise against goodness. In turn, the goodness of mercy and grace opposed wickedness. For all who shall be saved, goodness turned everything to good and to God’s glory. For it is God’s nature to do good against evil. So Jesus Christ, who does good against evil, is our true mother. We have our being from him. This is where motherhood begins, along with all the tender care of love that follows without end. As surely as God is our father, so surely is God our mother. He showed this in everything, especially in these sweet words: I am.¹ That is to say, I am the power and goodness of fatherhood. I am the wisdom of motherhood. I am the light and the grace that is all blessed love. I am the Trinity. I am the Unity. I am the supreme goodness of all things. I am the one who makes you love. I am the one who makes you long. I am the endless fulfillment of all true desires.

For there the soul is highest, noblest, and worthiest, where it is lowest, meekest, and mildest: and [out] of this Substantial Ground we have all our virtues in our Sense-part by gift of Nature, by helping and speeding of Mercy and Grace: without the which we may not profit.

The soul is highest, noblest, and most worthy when it is lowest, most humble, and most gentle. From this Substantial Ground we receive all the virtues of our sensory nature as a gift of Nature. Mercy and Grace help and advance these virtues. Without Mercy and Grace, we cannot make progress.

Our high Father, God Almighty, which is Being, He knew and loved us from afore any time: of which knowing, in His marvellous deep charity and the foreseeing counsel of all the blessed Trinity, He willed that the Second Person should become our Mother. Our Father [willeth], our Mother worketh, our good Lord the Holy Ghost confirmeth: and therefore it belongeth to us to love our God in whom we have our being: Him reverently thanking and praising for² our making, mightily praying to our Mother for³ mercy and pity, and to our Lord the Holy Ghost for⁴ help and grace.

Our heavenly Father, God Almighty, who is Being, knew and loved us before time began. In his marvelous, deep love and with the foreseeing counsel of all the blessed Trinity, he willed that the Second Person should become our Mother. Our Father wills, our Mother works, and our good Lord the Holy Ghost confirms. Therefore, we should love our God, in whom we have our being. We should reverently thank and praise him for² creating us. We should pray fervently to our Mother for³ mercy and pity, and to our Lord the Holy Ghost for⁴ help and grace.

For in these three is all our life: Nature, Mercy, Grace: whereof we have meekness and mildness; patience and pity; and hating of sin and of wickedness,—for it belongeth properly to virtue to hate sin and wickedness. And thus is Jesus our Very Mother in Nature [by virtue] of our first making; and He is our Very Mother in Grace, by taking our nature made. All the fair working, and all the sweet natural office of dearworthy Motherhood is impropriated⁵ to the Second Person: for in Him we have this Godly Will whole and safe without end, both in Nature and in Grace, of His own proper Goodness. I understood three manners of beholding of Motherhood in God: the first is grounded in our Nature's making; the second is taking of our nature,—and there beginneth the Motherhood of Grace; the third is Motherhood of working,—and therein is a forthspreading by the same Grace, of length and breadth and height and of deepness without end. And all is one Love.

For all our life is found in these three: Nature, Mercy, and Grace. From them we receive humility and gentleness, patience and compassion, and hatred of sin and wickedness. For it belongs to virtue to hate sin and wickedness. So Jesus is our true Mother in Nature because he first made us. And he is our true Mother in Grace because he took on our created nature. All the beautiful acts and all the sweet, natural duties of beloved Motherhood belong⁵ to the Second Person. For in him we have this Godly Will, whole and safe forever, in both Nature and Grace, through his own Goodness. I understood three ways of seeing Motherhood in God. The first is grounded in the making of our Nature. The second is his taking of our nature, and there the Motherhood of Grace begins. The third is the Motherhood of working. In this Motherhood, the same Grace spreads out in length and breadth and height and depth without end. And all is one Love.