Chapter XLIV
"God is endless, sovereign Truth, - Wisdom, - Love, not-made; and man's Soul is a creature in God which has the same properties made"
GOD shewed in all the Revelations, often, that man works evermore His will and His worship lastingly without any stinting. And what this work is, was shewed in the First, and that in a marvellous example: for it was shewed in the working of the soul of our blissful Lady, Saint Mary: that is, the working of Truth and Wisdom. And how it is done I hope by the grace of the Holy Spirit I shall tell, as I saw.
Truth sees God, and Wisdom beholds God, and of these two cometh the third: that is, a holy marvellous delight in God; which is Love. Where Truth and Wisdom are truly, there is Love truly, coming of them both. And all of God's making: for He is endless sovereign Truth, endless sovereign Wisdom, endless sovereign Love, unmade; and man's Soul is a creature in God which has the same properties made, and evermore it does that it was made for: it sees God, it beholds God, and it loves God. Whereof God enjoys in the creature; and the creature in God, endlessly marvelling.
In which marvelling he sees his God, his Lord, his Maker so high, so great, and so good, in comparison with him that is made, that scarcely the creature seems ought to the self. But the clarity and the clearness of Truth and Wisdom makes him to see and to bear witness that he is made for Love . in which God endlessly keeps him.
CHAPTER XLV
"All heavenly things and all earthly things that belong to Heaven are comprehended in these two judgments"
GOD assesses us looking on our Nature-Substance, which is ever kept one in Him, whole and safe without end: and this doom is because of His rightfulness in the which it is made and kept. And man judges looking on our changeable Sense-soul, which seems now one thing, now other, - according as it taketh of the higher or lower parts, - and is that which shows outward. And this wisdom of man's judgment is mingled because of the diverse things it beholds. For sometimes it is good and easy, and sometimes it is hard and grievous. And in as much as it is good and easy it belongs to the rightfulness; and in as much as it is hard and grievous by reason of the sin saw, which shews in our Sense-soul, our good Lord Jesus reforms it by the working in our Sense-soul of mercy and grace through the virtue of His blessed Passion, and so brings it to the rightfulness.
And though these two judgments be thus accorded and joined, yet both shall be known in Heaven without end. The first doom, which is of God's rightfulness, is because of His high endless life in our Substance; and this is that fair sweet doom that was shewed in all the fair Revelation, in which I saw Him assign to us no manner of blame. But though this was sweet and delectable, yet in the seeing only of this, I could not be fully eased: and that was because of the doom of Holy Church, which I had before understood and which was continually in my sight. And for that by this doom I thought I understood that sinners are worthy sometime of blame and wrath; but these two could I not see in God; and for that my desire was more than I can or may tell. For the higher doom was shewed by God Himself in that same time, and for that me behoved needs to take it; and the lower doom was learned me before in Holy Church, and for that I might in no way leave the lower doom. Then was this my desire: that I might see in God in what manner that which the doom of Holy Church teaches is true in His sight, and how it belongs to me truly to know it; whereby the two dooms might both be saved, so as it were
worshipful to God and right way to me.
And to all this I had none other answer but a marvellous example of a lord and of a servant, as I shall tell after: - and that mistily shewed. And yet I stand desiring, and will to my end, that I might by grace know these two dooms as it belongs to me. For all heavenly, and all earthly things that belong to Heaven, are comprehended in these two dooms. And the more understanding, by the gracious leading of the Holy Spirit, that we have of these two dooms, the more we shall see and know our failings. And ever the more that we see them, the more, of nature, by grace, we shall long to be fulfilled of endless joy and bliss. For we are made thereto, and our Nature-Substance is now blissful in God, and has been since it was made, and shall be without end.