I have signifying of Three manners of Cheer of our Lord. The first is Cheer of Passion, as He shewed while He was here in this life, dying. Though this [manner of] Beholding be mournful and troubled, yet it is glad and joyous: for He is God.--The second manner of Cheer is [of] Ruth and Compassion: and this sheweth He, with sureness of Keeping, to all His lovers that betake them[3] to His mercy. The third is the Blissful Cheer, as it shall be without end: and this was [shewed] oftenest and longest-continued. And thus in the time of our pain and our woe He sheweth us Cheer of His Passion and His Cross, helping us to bear it by His own blessed virtue. And in the time of our sinning He sheweth to us Cheer of Ruth and Pity, mightily keeping us and defending us against all our enemies. And these be the common Cheer which He sheweth to us in this life; therewith mingling the third: and that is His Blissful Cheer, like, in part, as it shall be in Heaven. And that [shewing is] by gracious touching and sweet lighting of the spiritual life, whereby that we are kept in sure faith, hope, and charity, with contrition and devotion, and also with contemplation and all manner of true solace and sweet comforts. [1] "Cher," in earlier chapters rendered by _manner of Countenance_ or _Regard_. [2] The word of the MS. might be: "he havith" (possibly "draweth"), or "behadith" or "behavith." There is a verb "bi-hawen" _to behold_--in other forms bihabben, bi-halden--; and "behave" had the meaning of to _manage, govern_. Elsewhere in the MS. to _regard_, if not _to fix the eyes upon_, is expressed (_e.g._ in xxxix.) simply by _to "holden"_ without the prefix. S. de Cressy has here "he beheld." [3] "that have to"; S. de Cressy, "have need to." CHAPTER LXXII "As long as we be meddling with any part of sin we shall never see clearly the Blissful Countenance of our Lord" But now behoveth me to tell in what manner I saw sin deadly in the creatures which shall not die for sin, but live in the joy of God without end.