And thus, in my folly, afore this time often I wondered why by the great foreseeing wisdom of God the beginning of sin was not letted: for then, methought, all should have been well. This stirring [of mind] was much to be forsaken, but nevertheless mourning and sorrow I made therefor, without reason and discretion. But Jesus, who in this Vision informed me of all that is needful to me, answered by this word and said: _It behoved that there should be sin;[1] but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well._ In this naked word _sin_, our Lord brought to my mind, generally, _all that is not good_, and the shameful despite and the utter noughting[2] that He bare for us in this life, and His dying; and all the pains and passions of all His creatures, ghostly and bodily; (for we be all partly noughted, and we shall be noughted following our Master, Jesus, till we be full purged, that is to say, till we be fully noughted of our deadly flesh and of all our inward affections which are not very good;) and the beholding of this, with all pains that ever were or ever shall be,--and with all these I understand the Passion of Christ for most pain, and overpassing. All this was shewed in a touch and quickly passed over into comfort: for our good Lord would not that the soul were affeared of this terrible sight. But I saw not _sin_: for I believe it hath no manner of substance nor no part of being, nor could it be known but by the pain it is cause of. And thus[3] pain, _it_ is something, as to my sight, for a time; for it purgeth, and maketh us to know ourselves and to ask mercy. For the Passion of our Lord is comfort to us against all this, and so is His blessed will. And for the tender love that our good Lord hath to all that shall be saved, He comforteth readily and sweetly, signifying thus: _It is sooth[4] that sin is cause of all this pain; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner [of] thing shall be well._ These words were said full tenderly, showing no manner of blame to me nor to any that shall be saved. Then were it a great unkindness[5] to blame or wonder on God for my sin, since He blameth not me for sin. And in these words I saw a marvellous high mystery hid in God, which mystery He shall openly make known to us in Heaven: in which knowing we shall verily see the cause why He suffered sin to come. In which sight we shall endlessly joy in our Lord God.[6] [1] "Synne is behovabil, but al shal be wel & al shal be wel & al manner of thyng shal be wele." [2] Being made as nothing, set at nought. [3] S. de Cressy has "this" instead of _thus_. [4] _i.e._ truth, an actual reality. See lxxxii. [5] As it were, an unreasonable contravention of natural, filial trust.