HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
How and why that short prayer pierceth
heaven
AND why pierceth it heaven, this little short prayer of one little syllable?
Surely because it is prayed with a full spirit, in the height and in the
deepness, in the length and in the breadth of his spirit that prayeth it. In
the height it is, for it is with all the might of the spirit. In the deepness
it is, for in this little syllable be contained all the wits of the spirit. In
the length it is, for might it ever feel as it feeleth, ever would it cry as it
cryeth. In the breadth it is, for it willeth the same to all other that it
willeth to itself.
In this time it is that a soul hath comprehended after the lesson of Saint Paul with all saints--not fully,
but in manner and in part, as it is according unto this work--which is the
length and the breadth, the height and the deepness of everlasting and
all-lovely, almighty, and all-witting God. The everlastingness of God is His
length. His love is His breadth. His might is His height. And His wisdom is His
deepness. No wonder though a soul that is thus nigh conformed by grace to the
image and the likeness of God his maker, be soon heard of God! Yea, though it
be a full sinful soul, the which is to God as it were an enemy; an he might
through grace come for to cry such a little syllable in the height and the
deepness, the length and the breadth of his spirit, yet he should for the
hideous noise of his cry be always heard and helped of God.
See by ensample. He that is thy deadly enemy, an
thou hear him so afraid that he cry in the height of his spirit this little
word "fire," or this word "out"; yet without any beholding to him
for he is thine enemy, but for pure pity in thine heart stirred and raised with
the dolefulness of this cry, thou risest up--yea, though it be about
midwinter's night--and helpest him to slack his fire, or for to still him and
rest him in his distress. Oh, Lord! since a man may be made so merciful in
grace, to have so much mercy and so much pity of his enemy, notwithstanding his
enmity, what pity and what mercy shall God have then of a ghostly cry in soul,
made and wrought in the height and the deepness, the length and the breadth of
his spirit; the which hath all by nature that man hath by grace? And much more,
surely without comparison, much more mercy will He have; since it is, that that
thing that is so had by nature is nearer to an eternal thing than that which is
had by grace.