Chapter 6

This Shewing was made to learn our soul wisely to cleave to the Goodness of God.

This revelation was given to teach our souls to hold wisely to the goodness of God.

And in that time the custom of our praying was brought to mind: how we use for lack of understanding and knowing of Love, to take many means [whereby to beseech Him].¹

At that time, I was reminded of our customary way of praying. Because we lack understanding and knowledge of Love, we use many ways [to ask him for help].¹

Then saw I truly that it is more worship to God, and more very delight, that we faithfully² pray to Himself of His Goodness and cleave thereunto by His Grace, with true understanding, and steadfast by love, than if we took all the means that heart can think. For if we took all these means, it is too little, and not full worship to God: but in His Goodness is all the whole, and there faileth right nought.

Then I saw clearly that it honors God more and brings more true delight when we faithfully² pray to him for his goodness. By his grace, we hold fast to his goodness with true understanding and steadfast love. This honors him more than using every means we can think of. For even if we used all these means, they would be too little and would not fully honor God. But in his goodness is everything, and there nothing at all is lacking.

For this, as I shall tell, came to my mind in the same time: We pray to God for [the sake of] His holy flesh and His precious blood, His holy Passion, His dearworthy death and wounds: and all the blessed kindness,³ the endless life that we have of all this, is His Goodness. And we pray Him for [the sake of] His sweet Mother's love that Him bare; and all the help we have of her is of His Goodness. And we pray by His holy Cross that he died on, and all the virtue and the help that we have of the Cross, it is of His Goodness. And on the same wise, all the help that we have of special saints and all the blessed Company of Heaven, the dearworthy love and endless friendship that we have of them, it is of His Goodness. For God of His Goodness hath ordained means to help us, full fair and many: of which the chief and principal mean is the blessed nature that He took of the Maid, with all the means that go afore and come after which belong to our redemption and to endless salvation. Wherefore it pleaseth Him that we seek Him and worship through means, understanding that He is the Goodness of all.

For, as I shall explain, this came to mind at the same time: We pray to God for the sake of his holy flesh and precious blood, his holy Passion, his beloved death and his wounds. All the blessed kindness,³ and the endless life we receive from all this, is his goodness. We pray to him for the sake of the love of his sweet Mother, who gave birth to him. All the help we receive from her comes from his goodness. We pray through his holy Cross, on which he died. All the power and help we receive from the Cross comes from his goodness. In the same way, all the help we receive from particular saints and all the blessed Company of Heaven comes from his goodness. So too does the precious love and endless friendship we receive from them. For God, in his goodness, has provided many beautiful ways to help us. The chief of these is the blessed nature he took from the Virgin. This includes all the means that came before and after, which belong to our redemption and endless salvation. So it pleases him when we seek and worship him through these means, understanding that he is the goodness in all of them.

For the Goodness of God is the highest prayer, and it cometh down to the lowest part of our need. It quickeneth our soul and bringeth it on life, and maketh it for to waxen in grace and virtue. It is nearest in nature; and readiest in grace: for it is the same grace that the soul seeketh, and ever shall seek till we know verily that He hath us all in Himself enclosed.

For God’s goodness is the highest prayer, and it reaches down to the deepest part of our need. It brings our soul to life and makes it grow in grace and virtue. God’s goodness is closest to us by nature and most readily available through grace. For it is the very grace the soul seeks. The soul will always seek it until we know for certain that he holds us all within himself.

For He hath no despite of that He hath made, nor hath He any disdain to serve us at the simplest office that to our body belongeth in nature, for love of the soul that He hath made to His own likeness.

For he does not despise what he has made. Nor does he consider it beneath him to serve our bodies in their simplest natural needs, for love of the soul he made in his own likeness.

For as the body is clad in the cloth, and the flesh in the skin, and the bones in the flesh, and the heart in the whole,⁴ so are we, soul and body, clad in the Goodness of God, and enclosed. Yea, and more homely: for all these may waste and wear away, but the Goodness of God is ever whole; and more near to us, without any likeness; for truly our Lover desireth that our soul cleave to Him with all its might, and that we be ever-more cleaving to His Goodness. For of all things that heart may think, this pleaseth most God, and soonest speedeth [the soul].

Just as the body is clothed in cloth, the flesh in skin, the bones in flesh, and the heart in the whole body,⁴ so our souls and bodies are clothed and enclosed in the Goodness of God. Indeed, God's Goodness enfolds us even more intimately. For cloth, skin, flesh, and bones may all waste and wear away, but the Goodness of God remains whole forever. God's Goodness is also closer to us than anything else could be. For our Lover truly desires that our souls cling to him with all their strength, and that we cling to his Goodness forever. Of all the things the heart can think of, this pleases God most and helps the soul most quickly.

For our soul is so specially loved of Him that is highest, that it overpasseth the knowing of all creatures: that is to say, there is no creature that is made that may [fully] know⁵ how much and how sweetly and how tenderly our Maker loveth us. And therefore we may with grace and His help stand in spiritual beholding, with everlasting marvel of this high, overpassing, inestimable⁶ Love that Almighty God hath to us of His Goodness. And therefore we may ask of our Lover with reverence all that we will.

Our soul is so specially loved by the Most High that his love is beyond the understanding of all creatures. That is to say, no creature can [fully] know⁵ how deeply, sweetly, and tenderly our Maker loves us. So, with his grace and help, we may contemplate in spirit the love Almighty God has for us in his goodness. We may marvel forever at this supreme, surpassing, immeasurable⁶ love. And so we may reverently ask our Lover for all that we wish.

For our natural⁷ Will is to have God, and the Good Will of God is to have us; and we may never cease from willing nor from longing till we have Him in fullness of joy: and then may we no more desire.

Our natural⁷ will is to have God, and God's good will is to have us. We can never stop wanting and longing until we have him in fullness of joy. Then we can desire nothing more.

For He willeth that we be occupied in knowing and loving till the time that we shall be fulfilled in Heaven; and therefore was this lesson of Love shewed, with all that followeth, as ye shall see. For the strength and the Ground of all was shewed in the First Sight. For of all things the beholding and the loving of the Maker maketh the soul to seem less in his own sight, and most filleth him with reverent dread and true meekness; with plenty of charity to his even-Christians.⁸

For he wants us to devote ourselves to knowing and loving until we are made complete in Heaven. Therefore this lesson of Love was shown, along with all that follows, as you shall see. For the strength and foundation of all was shown in the First Sight. For, of all things, beholding and loving the Maker makes the soul seem smaller in its own sight. It also fills the soul most fully with reverent awe, true humility, and abundant love for fellow Christians.⁸