HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRD CHAPTER
How the work of this book shall be wrought, and of the
worthiness of it before all other
works.
LIFT up thine heart unto God with a meek stirring of love; and mean Himself,
and none of His goods. And thereto, look the loath to think on aught but
Himself. So that nought work in thy wit, nor in thy will, but only Himself. And
do that in thee is to forget all the creatures that ever God made and the works
of them; so that thy thought nor thy desire be not directed nor stretched to
any of them, neither in general nor in special, but let them be, and take no
heed to them. This is the work of the soul that most pleaseth God. All saints
and angels have joy of this work, and hasten them to help it in all
their might. All fiends be furious when thou thus dost, and try for to defeat
it in all that they can. All men living in earth be wonderfully holpen of this
work, thou wottest not how. Yea, the souls in purgatory be eased of their pain
by virtue of this work. Thyself art cleansed and made virtuous by no work so
much. And yet it is the lightest work of all, when a soul is helped with grace
in sensible list, and soonest done. But else it is hard, and wonderful to thee
for to do.
Let not, therefore, but travail therein till
thou feel list. For at the first time when thou dost it, thou findest but a
darkness; and as it were a cloud of unknowing, thou knowest not what, saving
that thou feelest in thy will a naked intent unto God. This darkness and this
cloud is, howsoever thou dost, betwixt thee and thy God, and letteth thee that
thou mayest neither see Him clearly by light of understanding in thy reason,
nor feel Him in sweetness of love in thine affection.
And therefore shape thee to bide in this darkness
as long as thou mayest, evermore crying after Him that thou lovest. For if ever
thou shalt feel Him or see Him, as it may be here, it behoveth always to be in
this cloud in this darkness. And if thou wilt busily travail as I bid thee, I
trust in His mercy that thou shalt come thereto.