HERE BEGINNETH THE FIRST CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SECOND CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRD CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWELFTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
How a man shall have him in this work against all thoughts, and specially against all those that arise of his own curiosity, of cunning, and of natural wit.
AND if any thought rise and will press continually above thee betwixt thee and that darkness, and ask thee saying, "What seekest thou, and what wouldest thou have?" say thou, that it is God that thou wouldest have. "Him I covet, Him I seek, and nought but Him."
And if he ask thee, "What is that God?" say thou, that it is God that made thee and bought thee, and that graciously hath called thee to thy degree. "And in Him," say, "thou hast no skill." And therefore say, "Go thou down again," and tread him fast down with a stirring of love, although he seem to thee right holy, and seem to thee as he would help thee to seek Him. For peradventure he will bring to thy mind diverse full fair and wonderful points of His kindness, and say that He is full sweet, and full loving, full gracious, and full merciful. And if thou wilt hear him, he coveteth no better; for at the last he will thus jangle ever more and more till he bring thee lower, to the mind of His Passion.
And there will he let thee see the wonderful kindness of God, and if thou hear him, he careth for nought better. For soon after he will let thee see thine old wretched living, and peradventure in seeing and thinking thereof he will bring to thy mind some place that thou hast dwelt in before this time. So that at the last, or ever thou wit, thou shalt be scattered thou wottest not where. The cause of this scattering is, that thou heardest him first wilfully, then answeredest him, receivedest him, and lettest him alone.
And yet, nevertheless, the thing that he said was both good and holy. Yea, and so holy, that what man or woman that weeneth to come to contemplation without many such sweet meditations of their own wretchedness, the passion, the kindness, and the great goodness, and the worthiness of God coming before, surely he shall err and fail of his purpose. And yet, nevertheless, it behoveth a man or a woman that hath long time been used in these meditations, nevertheless to leave them, and put them and hold them far down under the cloud of forgetting, if ever he shall pierce the cloud of unknowing betwixt him and his God. Therefore what time that thou purposest thee to this work, and feelest by grace that thou art called of God, lift then up thine heart unto God with a meek stirring of love; and mean God that made thee, and bought thee, and that graciously hath called thee to thy degree, and receive none other thought of God. And yet not all these, but if thou list; for it sufficeth enough, a naked intent direct unto God without any other cause than Himself.
And if thee list have this intent lapped and folden in one word, for thou shouldest have better hold thereupon, take thee but a little word of one syllable: for so it is better than of two, for ever the shorter it is the better it accordeth with the work of the Spirit. And such a word is this word GOD or this word LOVE. Choose thee whether thou wilt, or another; as thee list, which that thee liketh best of one syllable. And fasten this word to thine heart, so that it never go thence for thing that befalleth.
This word shall be thy shield and thy spear, whether thou ridest on peace or on war. With this word, thou shalt beat on this cloud and this darkness above thee. With this word, thou shall smite down all manner of thought under the cloud of forgetting. Insomuch, that if any thought press upon thee to ask thee what thou wouldest have, answer them with no more words but with this one word. And if he proffer thee of his great clergy to expound thee that word and to tell thee the conditions of that word, say him: That thou wilt have it all whole, and not broken nor undone. And if thou wilt hold thee fast on this purpose, be thou sure, he will no while abide. And why? For that thou wilt not let him feed him on such sweet meditations of God touched before.