CHAPTER VI
"The Goodness of God is the highest prayer, and it cometh down to the lowest part of our need"
THIS Shewing was made to learn our soul wisely to cleave to the Goodness of God.
And in that time the custom of our praying was brought to mind: how we use for lack of understanding and knowing of Love, to take many means [whereby to beseech Him].[1]
Then saw I truly that it is more worship to God, and more very delight, that we faithfully[2] pray to Himself of His Goodness and cleave thereunto by His Grace, with true understanding, and steadfast by love, than if we took all the means that heart can think. For if we took all these means, it is too little, and not full worship to God: but in His Goodness is all the whole, and there faileth right nought.
For this, as I shall tell, came to my mind in the same time: We pray to God for [the sake of] His holy flesh and His precious blood. His holy Passion, His dear-
- ↑ MS. "To make many menys." So in Letter 385 of The Paston Letters 1422–1509 a.d.—"Our Soverayn Lord hath wonne the feld, & uppon the Munday next after Palmesunday, he was resseved in York with gret solempnyte & processyons. And the Mair & Comons of the said cite mad ther menys to have grace be [by] Lord Montagu & Lord Barenars, which be for the Kyngs coming in to the said cite, which graunted hem [them] grace." Letter 472 (from Margaret Paston).—"Your ryth wele willers have kounselyd me that I xuld kownsell you to maken other menys than ye have made, to other folks, that wold spede your matyrs better than they have done thatt ye have spoken to therof" (ed. by James Gairdner, vol i.). See ch. iv. p. 8.
- ↑ i.e. trustingly.
