One time mine understanding was led down into the sea-ground, and there
I saw hills and dales green, seeming as it were moss-be-grown, with
wrack and gravel. Then I understood thus: that if a man or woman were
under the broad water, if he might have sight of God so as God is with
a man continually, he should be safe in body and soul, and take no
harm: and overpassing, he should have more solace and comfort than all
this world can tell. For He willeth we should believe that we see Him
continually though that to us it seemeth but little [of sight]; and in
this belief He maketh us evermore to gain grace. For He will be seen
and He will be sought: He will be abided and he will be trusted.
This Second Shewing was so low and so little and so simple, that my
spirits were in great travail in the beholding,--mourning, full of
dread, and longing: for I was some time in doubt whether it was a
Shewing. And then diverse times our good Lord gave me more sight,
whereby I understood truly that it was a Shewing. It was a figure and
likeness of our foul deeds' shame that our fair, bright, blessed Lord
bare for our sins: it made me to think of the Holy Vernacle[2] at
Rome, which He hath portrayed with His own blessed face when He was in
His hard Passion, with steadfast will going to His death, and often
changing of colour. Of the brownness and blackness, the ruefulness
and wastedness of this Image many marvel how it might be, since that
He portrayed it with His blessed Face who is the fairness of heaven,
flower of earth, and the fruit of the Maiden's womb. Then how might
this Image be so darkening in colour[3] and so far from fair?--I desire
to tell like as I have understood by the grace of God:--
We know in our Faith, and believe by the teaching and preaching of Holy
Church, that the blessed Trinity made Mankind to[4] His image and to
His likeness. In the same manner-wise we know that when man fell so
deep and so wretchedly by sin, there was none other help to restore
man but through Him that made man. And He that made man for love, by
the same love He would restore man to the same bliss, and overpassing;
and like as we were like-made to the Trinity in our first making, our
Maker would that we should be like Jesus Christ, Our Saviour, in heaven
without end, by the virtue of our again-making.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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