Chapter 11
THE THIRD REVELATION
The Third Revelation
"All thing that is done, it is well done: for our Lord God doeth all." "Sin is no deed"
"Everything that is done is well done, because our Lord God does everything." "Sin is not a deed"
And after this I saw God in a Point, that is to say, in mine understanding,—by which sight I saw that He is in all things.
After this, I saw God in a point. I mean that I saw him in my understanding. Through this vision, I saw that he is in all things.
See below: "He is in the Mid-point," and lxiii. p. 158, "the blessed Point from which nature came: that is, God." See also xxi. p. 45, "Where is now any point of thy pain?" (meaning the least part), and xxi. p. 46, "abiding unto the last point". See also lxiv. p. 161, "set the point of our thought." These uses of the word may be compared with the following.
From the Banquet of Dante Alighieri, tr. by K. Hillard (Kegan Paul, Trench & Co.), Bk. II. xiv. 12: "Geometry moves between the print and the circle"; as Euclid says, "the point is the beginning of Geometry, and according to him, the circle is the most perfect figure, and therefore may be considered its end.... The point by reason of its indivisibility is immeasurable, and the circle by reason of its arc cannot be exactly squared, and therefore cannot be measured with precision."
Notes by Miss Hillard: "This is why the Deity is represented by a point. Paradiso, xxviii. 16: 'A point beheld I,' 'Heaven and all nature, hangs upon that point,' etc. Bk. IV. 6, quoting Aristotle's Physics: 'The circle can be called perfect when it is a true circle. And this is when it contains a point which is equally distant from every part of its circumference.' In the Vita Nuova Love appearing, says—'I am as the centre of a circle, to which all parts of the circumference bear an equal relation' ('Amor che muove il sole e l'altre stelle')."
From Neoplatonism, by C. Bigg, D.D. (S.P.C.K.), p. 122: "Thus we get a triplet—Soul, Intelligence, and a higher Intelligence. The last is spoken of as One, as a point, as neither good nor evil because above both."
I beheld and considered, seeing and knowing in sight, with a soft dread, and thought: What is sin?
I looked and reflected, seeing and understanding in my vision with a gentle fear. I thought: What is sin?
For I saw truly that God doeth all-thing, be it never so little. And I saw truly that nothing is done by hap nor by adventure, but all things by the foreseeing wisdom of God: if it be hap or adventure in the sight of man, our blindness and our unforesight is the cause. For the things that are in the foreseeing wisdom of God from without beginning, (which rightfully and worshipfully and continually He leadeth to the best end,) as they come about fall to us suddenly, ourselves unwitting; and thus by our blindness and our unforesight we say: these be haps and adventures. But to our Lord God they be not so.
For I truly saw that God does everything, no matter how small. And I truly saw that nothing happens by chance or accident. All things happen through God’s wisdom, which foresees everything. If something seems to happen by chance or accident to us, it is because we are blind and cannot foresee it. For God’s wisdom has foreseen all things from eternity. He rightly, gloriously, and continually guides them to the best end. Yet when these things happen, they come upon us suddenly and without our knowing beforehand. So, because we are blind and cannot foresee them, we call them chance and accident. But to our Lord God they are not so.
Wherefore me behoveth needs to grant that all-thing that is done, it is well-done: for our Lord God doeth all. For in this time the working of creatures was not shewed, but [the working] of our Lord God in the creature: for He is in the Mid-point of all thing, and all He doeth. And I was certain He doeth no sin.
Therefore, I must accept that everything that is done is well done, because our Lord God does everything. For at this time, I was not shown the work of creatures, but [the work] of our Lord God in creatures. For he is at the center of everything, and he does everything. And I was certain that he commits no sin.
And here I saw verily that sin is no deed: for in all this was not sin shewed. And I would no longer marvel in this, but beheld our Lord, what He would shew.
And here I saw clearly that sin is not an act, for in all this, sin was not shown. I stopped wondering about this and watched our Lord to see what he would show me.
And thus, as much as it might be for the time, the rightfulness of God's working was shewed to the soul.
And so, as much as was possible at the time, the soul was shown the rightness of God's work.
Rightfulness hath two fair properties: it is right and it is full. And so are all the works of our Lord God: thereto needeth neither the working of mercy nor grace: for they be all rightful: wherein faileth nought.
Righteousness has two beautiful qualities: it is right and complete. So are all the works of our Lord God. They need neither mercy nor grace to act upon them, for they are all righteous and lack nothing.
But in another time He gave a Shewing for the beholding of sin nakedly, as I shall tell: where He useth working of mercy and grace.
But at another time, he gave me a showing in which I saw sin laid bare. I will tell of this showing, in which he works through mercy and grace.
And this vision was shewed, to mine understanding, for that our Lord would have the soul turned truly unto the beholding of Him, and generally of all His works. For they are full good; and all His doings are easy and sweet, and to great ease bringing the soul that is turned from the beholding of the blind Deeming of man unto the fair sweet Deeming of our Lord God. For a man beholdeth some deeds well done and some deeds evil, but our Lord beholdeth them not so: for as all that hath being in nature is of Godly making, so is all that is done, in property of God's doing. For it is easy to understand that the best deed is well done: and so well as the best deed is done—the highest—so well is the least deed done; and all thing in its property and in the order that our Lord hath ordained it to from without beginning. For there is no doer but He.
As I understood it, this vision was shown because our Lord wants the soul to turn fully toward him and all his works. For all his works are very good, and everything he does is easy and sweet. His works bring great peace to the soul that turns from the blind judgment of humans to the fair, sweet judgment of our Lord God. People see some deeds as well done and others as evil, but our Lord does not see them that way. Just as everything that exists in nature is made by God, so everything done belongs to God’s work. It is easy to understand that the best deed is well done. And the least deed is done just as well as the best and highest deed. Everything is done according to its nature and in the order our Lord has ordained for it from the beginning. For he alone is the doer.
I saw full surely that he changeth never His purpose in no manner of thing, nor never shall, without end. For there was no thing unknown to Him in His rightful ordinance from without beginning. And therefore all-thing was set in order ere anything was made, as it should stand without end; and no manner of thing shall fail of that point. For He made all things in fulness of goodness, and therefore the blessed Trinity is ever full pleased in all His works.
I saw with complete certainty that he never changes his purpose in any matter, and never will, for all eternity. For nothing in his just ordering of things was ever unknown to him. Therefore, before anything was made, everything was set in order as it would remain forever. Nothing will fail to remain as it was ordered. For he made all things in complete goodness, and therefore the blessed Trinity is always fully pleased with all his works.
On this subject, including the "Two Deemings" and "the Godly Will," see xlv., xxxv., xxxvii., lxxxii.
And all this shewed He full blissfully, signifying thus: See! I am God: see! I am in all thing: see! I do all thing: see! I lift never mine hands off my works, nor ever shall, without end: see! I lead all thing to the end I ordained it to from without beginning, by the same Might, Wisdom and Love whereby I made it. How should any thing be amiss?
He showed all this with great joy, meaning: See! I am God. See! I am in everything. See! I do everything. See! I never take my hands off my works, and I never will. See! I lead everything to the end I intended for it before time began. I do this through the same power, wisdom, and love with which I made it. How could anything be wrong?
Thus mightily, wisely, and lovingly was the soul examined in this Vision. Then saw I soothly that me behoved, of need, to assent, with great reverence enjoying in God.
In this vision, the soul was examined with great power, wisdom, and love. Then I truly saw that I had to give my assent, rejoicing in God with great reverence.