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.
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