Thus I am bounden to keep it in my faith. For on the same day that it was shewed, what time that the Sight was passed, as a wretch I forsook it, and openly I said that I had raved. Then our Lord Jesus of His mercy would not let it perish, but He showed it all again _within in my soul_[1] with more fulness, with the blessed light of His precious love: saying these words full mightily and full meekly: _Wit it now well: it was no raving that thou sawest this day_. As if He had said: _For that the Sight was passed from thee, thou losedst it and hadst not skill to keep[2] it. But wit[3] it now_; that is to say, _now that thou seest it_. This was said not only for that same time, but also to set thereupon the ground of my faith when He saith anon following: _But take it, believe it, and keep thee therein and comfort thee therewith and trust thou thereto; and thou shalt not be overcome_. In these six words that follow (_Take it_--[etc.]) His meaning is to fasten it faithfully in our heart: for He willeth that it dwell with us in faith to our life's end, and after in fulness of joy, desiring that we have ever steadfast trust in His blissful behest--knowing His Goodness. For our faith is contraried in diverse manners by our own blindness, and our spiritual enemy, within and without; and therefore our precious Lover helpeth us with spiritual sight and true teaching in sundry manners within and without, whereby that we may know Him. And therefore in whatsoever manner He teacheth us, He willeth that we perceive Him wisely, receive Him sweetly, and keep us in Him faithfully. For above the Faith is no goodness kept in this life, as to my sight, and beneath the Faith is no help of soul; but in the Faith, there willeth the Lord that we keep us. For we have by His goodness and His own working to keep us in the Faith; and by His sufferance through ghostly enmity we are assayed in the Faith and made mighty. For if our faith had none enmity, it should deserve no meed, according to the understanding that I have in all our Lord's teaching. [1] see ch. lxviii. [2] "couthest not." [3] _i.e._ learn, perceive, know for certainty by the conviction of reason and consciousness--grasp once for all the truth beheld. CHAPTER LXXI "Three manners of looking seen in our Lord's Countenance" Glad and joyous and sweet is the Blissful lovely Cheer[1] of our Lord to our souls. For He [be]holdeth[2] us ever, living in love-longing: and He willeth that _our_ soul be in glad cheer to Him, to give Him His meed. And thus, I hope, with His grace He hath [drawn], and more shall draw, the Outer Cheer to the Inner Cheer, and make us all one with Him, and each of us with other, in true lasting joy that is Jesus.