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. 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
- ↑ "Cher," in earlier chapters rendered by manner of Countenance or Regard.
- ↑ 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-hawen—; 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."
- ↑ that have to "; S. de C, " have need to."
