Chapter 20

And thus I saw our Lord Jesus languoring long time. For the oneing with the Godhead gave strength to the manhood for love to suffer more than all men might suffer: I mean not only more pain than all men might suffer, but also that He suffered more pain than all men of salvation that ever were from the first beginning unto the last day might tell or fully think, having regard to the worthiness of the highest worshipful King and the shameful, despised, painful death. For He that is highest and worthiest was most fully made-nought and most utterly despised.

And so I saw our Lord Jesus suffering for a long time. His union with the Godhead gave his humanity the strength to suffer more than all people could suffer, for love. I do not mean only that he suffered more pain than all people could suffer. He also suffered more pain than all the saved, from the beginning to the last day, could describe or fully imagine. This is so when we consider the dignity of the highest and most worthy King and his shameful, despised, painful death. For he who is highest and most worthy was made most completely as nothing and was most utterly despised.

For the highest point that may be seen in the Passion is to think and know what He is that suffered. And in this [Shewing] He brought in part to mind the height and nobleness of the glorious Godhead, and therewith the preciousness and the tenderness of the blessed Body, which be together united; and also the lothness that is in our Kind to suffer pain. For as much as He was most tender and pure, right so He was most strong and mighty to suffer.

The highest insight we can gain from the Passion is to consider and understand who it was that suffered. In this [Showing], he brought partly to mind the greatness and nobility of the glorious Godhead. He also brought to mind the preciousness and tenderness of the blessed Body, united with the Godhead. He also brought to mind our human nature’s reluctance to suffer pain. For just as he was supremely tender and pure, he was also supremely strong and able to suffer.

And for every man's sin that shall be saved He suffered: and every man's sorrow and desolation He saw, and sorrowed for Blindness and love. (For in as much as our Lady sorrowed for His pains, in so much He suffered sorrow for her sorrow;—and more, in as greatly as the sweet manhood of Him was worthier in Kind.) For as long as He was passible He suffered for us and sorrowed for us; and now He is uprisen and no more passible, yet He suffereth with us.

He suffered for the sins of every person who will be saved. He saw each person’s sorrow and desolation, and he sorrowed because of blindness and love. (Our Lady sorrowed for his pains, and he suffered sorrow for her sorrow. His sorrow was greater, just as his sweet human nature was greater in worth.) For as long as he could suffer, he suffered and sorrowed for us. Now he has risen and can no longer suffer, yet he suffers with us.

And I, beholding all this by His grace, saw that the Love of Him was so strong which He hath to our soul that willingly He chose it with great desire, and mildly He suffered it with well-pleasing.

By his grace, I saw all this. I saw that his love for our soul was so strong that he willingly chose it with great desire. He suffered it gently and gladly.

For the soul that beholdeth it thus, when it is touched by grace, it shall verily see that the pains of Christ's Passion pass all pains: [all pains] that is to say, which shall be turned into everlasting, o'erpassing joys by the virtue of Christ's Passion.

For when a soul that sees it this way is touched by grace, it will truly see that the suffering of Christ's Passion surpasses all suffering. [All suffering] means all suffering that, through the power of Christ's Passion, will be turned into everlasting, surpassing joys.