Chapter 55

And thus Christ is our Way, us surely leading in His laws, and Christ in His body mightily beareth us up into heaven. For I saw that Christ, us all having in Him that shall be saved by Him, worshipfully presenteth His Father in heaven with us; which present full thankfully His Father receiveth, and courteously giveth it to His Son, Jesus Christ: which gift and working is joy to the Father, and bliss to the Son, and pleasing to the Holy Ghost. And of all things that belong to us [to do], it is most pleasing to our Lord that we enjoy in this joy which is in the blessed Trinity [in virtue] of our salvation. (And this was seen in the Ninth Shewing, where it speaketh more of this matter.) And notwithstanding all our feeling of woe or weal, God willeth that we should understand and hold¹ by faith that we are more verily in heaven than in earth.

And so Christ is our Way, guiding us safely through his laws. In his body, Christ carries us powerfully up to heaven. For I saw that Christ holds within himself all of us who will be saved by him. He presents us with honor to his Father in heaven. His Father receives this gift with great thanks and graciously gives it to his Son, Jesus Christ. This gift and its giving bring joy to the Father, bliss to the Son, and pleasure to the Holy Ghost. Of all the things we have to do, what pleases our Lord most is for us to share in this joy. It is the joy of the blessed Trinity in our salvation. (This was seen in the Ninth Shewing, which says more about the matter.) And whatever sorrow or happiness we feel, God wants us to understand and hold¹ by faith that we are more truly in heaven than on earth.

Our Faith cometh of the natural Love of our soul, and of the clear light of our Reason, and of the steadfast Mind which we have from² God in our first making. And what time that our soul is inspired into our body, in which we are made sensual, so soon mercy and grace begin to work, having of us care and keeping with pity and love: in which working the Holy Ghost formeth, in our Faith, Hope that we shall come again up above to our Substance, into the Virtue of Christ, increased and fulfilled through the Holy Ghost. Thus I understood that the sense-soul is grounded in Nature, in Mercy, and in Grace: which Ground enableth us to receive gifts that lead us to endless life.

Our faith comes from the natural love of our soul and the clear light of our reason. It also comes from the steadfast mind we receive from² God when we are first made. When our soul is breathed into our body, we become able to experience the world through our senses. At once, mercy and grace begin to work, caring for and protecting us with pity and love. Through this work, the Holy Ghost forms within our faith the Hope that we shall rise again to our Substance. We shall enter into the power of Christ, increased and made complete through the Holy Ghost. Thus I understood that the sense-soul is grounded in nature, mercy, and grace. This foundation enables us to receive gifts that lead us to endless life.

For I saw full assuredly that our Substance is in God, and also I saw that in our sense-soul³ God is: for in the self-[same] point that our Soul is made sensual, in the self-[same] point is the City of God ordained to Him from without beginning; into which seat He cometh, and never shall remove [from] it. For God is never out of the soul: in which He dwelleth blissfully without end. And this was seen in the Sixteenth Shewing where it saith: The place that Jesus taketh in our soul, He shall never remove [from] it. And all the gifts that God may give to creatures, He hath given to His Son Jesus for us: which gifts He, dwelling in us, hath enclosed in Him unto the time that we be waxen and grown,—our soul with our body and our body with our soul, either of them taking help of other,—till we be brought up unto stature, as nature worketh. And then, in the ground of nature, with working of mercy, the Holy Ghost graciously inspireth into us gifts leading to endless life.

I saw with complete certainty that our Substance is in God. I also saw that God is in our sense-soul³. For at the very moment our soul becomes capable of sensation, the City of God is ordained as his dwelling, as it has been from before the beginning. He comes to dwell there and will never leave. For God is never absent from the soul, where he dwells in bliss without end. This was seen in the Sixteenth Shewing, where it says: The place Jesus takes in our soul, he will never leave. God has given his Son Jesus, for our sake, all the gifts he can give to creatures. Jesus dwells in us and keeps these gifts within himself until we have matured and grown. Our soul and body each help the other until we reach full stature, as nature works. Then, in the ground of nature and through the working of mercy, the Holy Ghost graciously breathes into us gifts that lead to endless life.

And thus was my understanding led of God to see in Him and to understand, to perceive and to know, that our soul is made-trinity, like to the unmade blissful Trinity,⁴ known and loved from without beginning, and in the making oned to the Maker, as it is aforesaid. This sight was full sweet and marvellous to behold, peaceable, restful, sure, and delectable.

And so God led me to see and understand, to perceive and know, in him that our soul is a made-trinity, like the unmade, blessed Trinity.⁴ Our soul has been known and loved from before the beginning. As I said before, it was united with its Maker when it was made. This vision was very sweet and wonderful to see, peaceful, restful, sure, and delightful.

And because of the worshipful oneing that was thus made by God betwixt the soul and body, it behoveth needs to be that mankind shall be restored from double death: which restoring might never be until the time that the Second Person in the Trinity had taken the lower⁵ part of man's nature; to Whom the highest⁶ [part] was oned in the First-making. And these two parts were in Christ, the higher and the lower: which is but one Soul; the higher part was one in peace with God, in full joy and bliss; the lower part, which is sense-nature,⁷ suffered for the salvation of mankind.

Because God made this sacred union between soul and body, humanity must be restored from double death. This restoration could not happen until the Second Person of the Trinity had taken on the lower⁵ part of human nature. The highest⁶ part had been united with him at the First-making. Both parts were in Christ, the higher and the lower, and together they were one soul. The higher part was united with God in peace, in complete joy and bliss. The lower part, which is sense-nature,⁷ suffered for the salvation of humanity.

And these two parts [in Christ] were seen and felt in the Eighth Shewing, in which my body was fulfilled with feeling and mind of Christ's Passion and His death, and furthermore with this was a subtile feeling and privy inward sight of the High Part which I was shewed in the same time when I could not, [even] for the friendly⁸ proffer [made to me], look up into Heaven: and that was because of that mighty beholding [that I had] of the Inward Life. Which Inward Life is that High Substance, that precious Soul, [of Christ], which is endlessly rejoicing in the Godhead.

I saw and felt these two parts [in Christ] in the Eighth Showing. My body was filled with the feeling and remembrance of Christ's suffering and death. At the same time, I also had a subtle feeling and a private inward sight of the High Part. It was shown to me when I could not look up into heaven, even though I was offered a friendly⁸ invitation to do so. I could not look up because I was so deeply absorbed in contemplating the Inward Life. This Inward Life is the High Substance, the precious soul [of Christ], which rejoices endlessly in the Godhead.