Chapter 71
"Three manners of looking seen in our Lord's Countenance"
"Three expressions seen on our Lord's face"
Glad and joyous and sweet is the Blissful lovely Cheer of our Lord to our souls. For He [be]holdeth us ever, living in love-longing: and He willeth that our soul be in glad cheer to Him, to give Him His meed. And thus, I hope, with His grace He hath [drawn], and more shall draw, the Outer Cheer to the Inner Cheer, and make us all one with Him, and each of us with other, in true lasting joy that is Jesus.
Our Lord's loving face is blessed, glad, joyful, and sweet to our souls. For he always looks upon us with loving longing. He wants our souls to turn to him with gladness, giving him the reward he deserves. And so, I hope that by his grace he has drawn our outward expression toward our inner feeling. I hope he will draw it closer still. He will make us all one with him and with one another in the true, lasting joy that is Jesus.
"Cher," translated in earlier chapters as manner of Countenance or Regard.
The manuscript’s word might be "he havith" (possibly "draweth"), "behadith" or "behavith." The verb "bi-hawen" means to behold. Its other forms include bihabben and bi-halden. "behave" meant to manage, govern. Elsewhere in the manuscript, to regard, if not to fix the eyes upon, is expressed simply by to "holden" without the prefix. This occurs, for example, in xxxix. S. de Cressy has "he beheld" here.
I have signifying of Three manners of Cheer of our Lord. The first is Cheer of Passion, as He shewed while He was here in this life, dying. Though this [manner of] Beholding be mournful and troubled, yet it is glad and joyous: for He is God.—The second manner of Cheer is [of] Ruth and Compassion: and this sheweth He, with sureness of Keeping, to all His lovers that betake them to His mercy. The third is the Blissful Cheer, as it shall be without end: and this was [shewed] oftenest and longest-continued.
I was shown three expressions of our Lord. The first is the expression of his suffering, as he showed it while dying here in this life. Though the sight is mournful and troubling, it is also glad and joyful, because he is God. The second is the expression of pity and compassion. He shows this, with the assurance of his protection, to all his lovers who turn to his mercy. The third is the blissful expression, as it will be without end. This was shown most often and for the longest time.
"that have to". S. de Cressy, "have need to."
And thus in the time of our pain and our woe He sheweth us Cheer of His Passion and His Cross, helping us to bear it by His own blessed virtue. And in the time of our sinning He sheweth to us Cheer of Ruth and Pity, mightily keeping us and defending us against all our enemies. And these be the common Cheer which He sheweth to us in this life; therewith mingling the third: and that is His Blissful Cheer, like, in part, as it shall be in Heaven. And that [shewing is] by gracious touching and sweet lighting of the spiritual life, whereby that we are kept in sure faith, hope, and charity, with contrition and devotion, and also with contemplation and all manner of true solace and sweet comforts.
In times of pain and sorrow, he shows us the face of his suffering and his cross. Through his own blessed power, he helps us bear our pain and sorrow. When we sin, he shows us a face of compassion and pity. He powerfully guards and defends us against all our enemies. These are the faces he usually shows us in this life. Yet he also shows us a third face, his joyful face, partly as it will be in Heaven. He shows us this through gracious touches and sweet illumination of our spiritual life. Through these, we are kept secure in faith, hope, and love, with sorrow for sin and devotion. We are also kept in contemplation and all kinds of true solace and sweet comfort.