Chapter 43

Prayer oneth the soul to God. For though the soul be ever like to God in kind and substance, restored by grace, it is often unlike in condition, by sin on man's part. Then is prayer a witness that the soul willeth as God willeth; and it comforteth the conscience and enableth man to grace. And thus He teacheth us to pray, and mightily to trust that we shall have it. For He beholdeth us in love and would make us partners of His good deed, and therefore He stirreth us to pray for that which it pleaseth him to do. For which prayer and good will, that we have of His gift, He will reward us and give us endless meed.

Prayer unites the soul with God. The soul is always like God in its nature and substance, restored by grace. Yet because of human sin, the soul is often unlike God in its condition. Prayer shows that the soul wills what God wills. It comforts the conscience and makes us able to receive grace. In this way, he teaches us to pray and to trust firmly that we will receive what we pray for. He looks upon us with love and wants us to share in his good work. So he moves us to pray for what he is pleased to do. The prayer and goodwill we have are his gifts. For them, he will reward us and give us an endless reward.

And this was shewed in this word: And thou beseechest it. In this word God shewed so great pleasance and so great content, as though He were much beholden to us for every good deed that we do (and yet it is He that doeth it) because that we beseech Him mightily to do all things that seem to Him good: as if He said: What might then please me more than to beseech me, mightily, wisely, and earnestly, to do that thing that I shall do?

This was shown in the words: And you ask for it. In these words God showed such great pleasure and satisfaction. It was as though he were deeply indebted to us for every good deed we do (though he is the one who does it). This is because we ask him fervently to do all that seems good to him. It was as if he said: What could please me more than for you to ask me fervently, wisely, and earnestly to do what I will do?

And thus the soul by prayer accordeth to God.

And so, through prayer, the soul comes into harmony with God.

But when our courteous Lord of His grace sheweth Himself to our soul, we have that [which] we desire. And then we see not, for the time, what we should more pray, but all our intent with all our might is set wholly to the beholding of Him. And this is an high unperceivable prayer, as to my sight: for all the cause wherefor we pray it, is oned into the sight and beholding of Him to whom we pray; marvellously enjoying with reverent dread, and with so great sweetness and delight in Him that we can pray right nought but as He stirreth us, for the time. And well I wot, the more the soul seeth of God, the more it desireth Him by His grace.

But when our gracious Lord, in his grace, shows himself to our soul, we have what we desire. Then, for the time being, we cannot see what more we should pray for. Instead, we devote all our attention and all our strength to gazing at him. As I see it, this is a high and imperceptible prayer. For all the reasons we pray are united in seeing and gazing at the one to whom we pray. We rejoice wonderfully in him, with reverent awe and such great sweetness and delight that we can pray for nothing except as he moves us, for the time being. And I know well that the more the soul sees of God, the more it desires him through his grace.

But when we see Him not so, then feel we need and cause to pray, because of failing, for enabling of our self, to Jesus. For when the soul is tempested, troubled, and left to itself by unrest, then it is time to pray, for to make itself pliable and obedient¹ to God. (But the soul by no manner of prayer maketh God pliant to it: for He is ever alike in love.)

But when we do not see him this way, we feel the need to pray to Jesus for strength because we are weak. For when the soul is troubled, tossed about, and left to itself in unrest, it is time to pray. The soul must pray to make itself willing and obedient¹ to God. (But no prayer can make God yield to the soul, for his love is always the same.)

And this I saw: that what time we see needs wherefor we pray, then our good Lord followeth us, helping our desire; and when we of His special grace plainly behold Him, seeing none other needs, then we follow Him and He draweth us unto Him by love. For I saw and felt that His marvellous and plentiful Goodness fulfilleth all our powers; and therewith I saw that His continuant working in all manner of things is done so goodly, so wisely, and so mightily, that it overpasseth all our imagining, and all that we can ween and think; and then we can do no more but behold Him, enjoying, with an high, mighty desire to be all oned unto Him,—centred to His dwelling,—and enjoy in His loving and delight in His goodness.

And this is what I saw: when we see needs that lead us to pray, then our good Lord follows us, helping our desire. And when, by his special grace, we see him clearly and see no other needs, then we follow him and he draws us to him by love. For I saw and felt that his wonderful and abundant goodness fills all our powers. And I also saw that he works continually in all things. His work is so good, so wise, and so powerful that it is beyond all we can imagine, suppose, or think. Then we can only look at him with joy and a deep, powerful desire to be completely united with him. We long to be centered in his dwelling, to rejoice in his love, and to delight in his goodness.

And then shall we, with His sweet grace, in our own meek continuant prayer come unto Him now in this life by many privy touchings of sweet spiritual sights and feeling, measured to us as our simpleness may bear it. And this is wrought, and shall be, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, so long till we shall die in longing, for love. And then shall we all come into our Lord, our Self clearly knowing, and God fully having; and we shall endlessly be all had in God: Him verily seeing and fully feeling, Him spiritually hearing, and Him delectably in-breathing, and [of] Him sweetly drinking.²

And so, with his sweet grace and through our own humble, constant prayer, we will come to him in this life. We will come through many secret touches of sweet spiritual visions and feelings, given as our simple nature can bear them. This is, and will be, brought about by the grace of the Holy Spirit, until we die longing for love. Then we will all come into our Lord, clearly knowing ourselves and fully possessing God. And we will all belong entirely to God forever. We will truly see him and fully feel him, hear him spiritually, breathe him in with delight, and drink of him with sweetness.²

And then shall we see God face to face, homely and fully. The creature that is made shall see and endlessly behold God which is the Maker. For thus may no man see God and live after, that is to say, in this deadly life. But when He of His special grace will shew Himself here, He strengtheneth the creature above its self, and He measureth the Shewing, after His own will, as it is profitable for the time.

And then we shall see God face to face, intimately and fully. The created being shall see and endlessly behold God, its maker. For no one can see God in this way and live afterward, that is, in this mortal life. But when God chooses to show himself here by his special grace, he strengthens the creature beyond its own strength. He measures the showing according to his own will, in whatever way is beneficial at the time.