Chapter XLIII
"Prayer unites the soul to God"
PRAYER unites 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 wills as God wills; and it comforts the conscience and enables man to grace. And thus He teaches us to pray, and mightily to trust that we shall have it. For He beholds us in love and would make us partners of His good deed, and for that He stirs us to pray for that which it pleases him to do. For which prayer and good will, that we have of His gift, He will reward us and give us endless reward.
And this was shewed in this word: And you beseech it. In this word God shewed so great pleasure and so great content, as though He were much seen to us for every good deed that we do (and yet it is He that does 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?
And thus the soul by prayer is reconciled to God.
But when our courteous Lord of His grace shews 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 seeing of Him. And this is a high unconscious prayer, as to my sight: for all the cause wherefore we pray it, it is joined into the sight and seeing of Him to whom we pray; marvellously enjoying with reverent fear, and with so great sweetness and delight in Him that we can pray right nothing but as He stirs us, for the time. And well I know, the more the soul sees of God, the more it desires Him by 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 obedient to God. (But the soul by no manner of prayer makes God pliant to it: for He is ever alike in love.)
And this I saw: that when we see needs that we pray for, then our good Lord follows us, helping our desire; and when we of His special grace plainly behold Him, seeing none other needs, then we follow Him and He draws us to Him by love. For I saw and felt that His marvellous and plentiful Goodness fulfils all our powers; and with it I saw that His continuant working in all manner of things is done so goodly, so wisely, and so mightily, that it passes all our imagining, and all that we can wish and think; and then we can do no more but behold Him, enjoying, with a high, mighty desire to be all joined to Him, - centred to His dwelling, - and enjoy in His loving and delight in His goodness.
And then shall we, with His sweet grace, in our own meek continuant prayer come to Him now in this life by many hidden 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 Spirit, 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 truly seeing and fully feeling, Him spiritually hearing, and Him delectably in-breathing, and of Him sweetly drinking.
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 strengthens the creature above its self, and He measures the Shewing, after His own will, as it is profitable for the time.
REGARDING CERTAIN POINTS IN THE FOREGOING FOURTEEN REVELATIONS