"The Kind, loving, Mother"
But now behoveth to say a little more of this forthspreading, as I
understand in the meaning of our Lord: how that we be brought again by
the Motherhood of Mercy and Grace into our Nature's place, where that
we were made by the Motherhood of Nature-Love: which kindly-love, it
never leaveth us.
Our Kind Mother, our Gracious Mother,[1] for that He would all wholly
become our Mother in all things, He took the Ground of His Works full
low and full mildly in the Maiden's womb. (And that He shewed in the
First [Shewing] where He brought that meek Maid afore the eye of mine
understanding in the simple stature as she was when she conceived.)
That is to say: our high God is sovereign Wisdom of all: in this low
place He arrayed and dight Him full ready in our poor flesh, Himself to
do the service and the office of Motherhood in all things.
The Mother's service is nearest, readiest, and surest: [nearest, for
it is most of nature; readiest, for it is most of love; and surest][2]
for it is most of truth. This office none might, nor could, nor ever
should do to the full, but He alone. We know that all our mothers'
bearing is [bearing of] us to pain and to dying: and what is this but
that our Very Mother, Jesus, He--All-Love--beareth us to joy and to
endless living?--blessed may He be! Thus He sustaineth[3] us within
Himself in love; and travailed, unto the full time that He would suffer
the sharpest throes and the most grievous pains that ever were or ever
shall be; and died at the last. And when He had finished, and so borne
us to bliss, yet might not all this make full content to His marvellous
love; and that sheweth He in these high overpassing words of love: _If
I might suffer more, I would suffer more_.
He might no more die, but He would not stint of working: wherefore then
it behoveth Him to feed us; for the dearworthy love of Motherhood hath
made Him debtor to us. The mother may give her child suck of her milk,
but our precious Mother, Jesus, He may feed us with Himself, and doeth
it, full courteously and full tenderly, with the Blessed Sacrament
that is precious food of my life; and with all the sweet Sacraments He
sustaineth us full mercifully and graciously. And so meant He in this
blessed word where that He said: _It is I[4] that Holy Church preacheth
thee and teacheth thee._ That is to say: _All the health and life of
Sacraments, all the virtue and grace of my Word, all the Goodness that
is ordained in Holy Church for thee, it is I_. The Mother may lay the
child tenderly to her breast, but our tender Mother, Jesus, He may
homely lead us into His blessed breast, by His sweet open side, and
shew therein part of the Godhead and the joys of Heaven, with spiritual
sureness of endless bliss. And that shewed He in the Tenth [Shewing],
giving the same understanding in this sweet word where He saith: _Lo!
how I loved thee_; looking unto [the Wound in] His side, rejoicing.
This fair lovely word _Mother_, it is so sweet and so close in Nature
of itself[5] that it may not verily be said of none but of _Him_;
and to her that is very Mother of Him and of all. To the property of
Motherhood belongeth natural love, wisdom, and knowing; and it is
good: for though it be so that our bodily forthbringing be but little,
low, and simple in regard of our spiritual forthbringing, yet it is He
that doeth it in the creatures by whom that it is done. The Kindly,[6]
loving Mother that witteth and knoweth the need of her child, she
keepeth it full tenderly, as the nature[7] and condition of Motherhood
will. And as it waxeth in age, she changeth her working, but not her
love. And when it is waxen of more age, she suffereth that it be
beaten[8] in breaking down of vices, to make the child receive virtues
and graces. This working, with all that be fair and good, our Lord
doeth it in them by whom it is done: thus He is our Mother in Nature by
the working of Grace in the lower part for love of the higher part. And
He willeth that we know this: for He will have all our love fastened
to Him. And in this I saw that all our duty that we owe, by God's
bidding, to Fatherhood and Motherhood, for [reason of] God's Fatherhood
and Motherhood is fulfilled in true loving of God; which blessed love
Christ worketh in us. And this was shewed in all [the Revelations] and
especially in the high plenteous words where He saith: _It is I that
thou lovest_.
[1] Our Mother by Nature, our Mother In Grace.
[2] These clauses, probably omitted by mistake, are in S. de Cressy's
version.
[3] S. de Cressy has "sustained." See lvii. p. 139.
[4] "I it am."
[5] "so kynd of the self."
[6] "kynde."
[7] "kind."
[8] "bristinid."