"Himself is nearest and meekest, highest and lowest, and doeth all."
"Love suffereth never to be without Pity"
By three things man standeth in this life; by which three God is
worshipped, and we be speeded,[1] kept and saved.
The first is, use of man's Reason natural; the second is, common
teaching of Holy Church; the third is, inward gracious working of the
Holy Ghost. And these three be all of one God: God is the ground of our
natural reason; and God, the teaching of Holy Church; and God is the
Holy Ghost. And all be sundry gifts to which He willeth that we have
great regard, and attend us thereto. For these work in us continually
all together; and these be great things. Of which great things He
willeth that we have knowing here as it were in an A.B.C., that is to
say, that we have a little knowing; whereof we shall have fulness in
Heaven. And that is for to speed us.
We know in our Faith that God alone took our nature, and none but He;
and furthermore that Christ alone did all the works that belong to
our salvation, and none but He; and right so He alone doeth now the
last end: that is to say, He dwelleth here with us, and ruleth us
and governeth us in this living, and bringeth us to His bliss. And
this shall He do as long as any soul is in earth that shall come to
heaven,--and so far forth that if there were no such soul but one,
He should be withal alone till He had brought him up to His bliss. I
believe and understand the ministration of angels, as clerks tell us:
but it was not shewed me. For Himself is nearest and meekest, highest
and lowest, and doeth all. And not only all that we need, but also He
doeth all that is worshipful, to our joy in heaven.
And where I say that He abideth sorrowfully and moaning, it meaneth
all the true feeling that _we_ have in our self, in contrition and
compassion, and all sorrowing and moaning that we are not oned with our
Lord. And all such that is speedful, it is Christ in us. And though
some of us feel it seldom, it passeth never from Christ till what time
He hath brought us out of all our woe. For love suffereth never to be
without pity. And what time that we fall into sin and leave the mind of
Him and the keeping of our own soul, then keepeth Christ alone all the
charge; and thus standeth He sorrowfully and moaning.
Then belongeth it to us for reverence and kindness to turn us hastily
to our Lord and leave Him not alone. He is here alone with us all: that
is to say, only for us He is here. And what time I am strange to Him by
sin, despair or sloth, then I let my Lord stand alone, in as much as it
is in me. And thus it fareth with us all which be sinners. But though
it be so that we do thus oftentimes, His Goodness suffereth us never to
be alone, but lastingly He is with us, and tenderly He excuseth us, and
ever shieldeth us from blame in His sight.
[1] _i.e._ helped onwards.