Off three thyngs that longyn to prayor, and how we shuld pray; and of the goodnes of God that supplyeth alway our imperfection and febilnes whan we do that longyth to us to do. Forty-second chapter.

Our Lord God wille we have trew understondyng, and namely in three thyngs that longyn to our prayors. The first is be whom and how that our prayors springyth. Be whome, He shewith when He seith, I am ground; and how, be His goodness, for He seith, first, It is my wille. For the secund, in what manner and how we should usen our prayors, and that is that our wil be turnyd into the will of our Lord, enjoyand; and so menith He whan He seith, I mak the to willen it. For the thred, that we knowen the frute and the end of our prayors: that is, to be onyd and lyk to our Lord in al thyng. And to this menyng and for this end was al this lovely lesson shewid; and He wil helpyn us, and we shall make it so - as He seith Hymselfe. Blissid mot He ben.

For this is our Lords wille, that our prayors and our troste ben both alyk large. For if we trost not as mekyl as we preyen, we doe not ful worship to our Lord in our prayors, and also we taryen and peyn ourselfe. And the cause is, as I leve, for we know not truly that our Lord is ground on whom our prayors springith. And also that we know not that it is goven us be the grace of His love. For if we knew this, it would maken us to trosten to have, of our Lords gyfte, al that we desire. For I am sekir that no man askyth mercy and grace with trew menyng, but mercy and grace be first geyvin to hym. But sumtyme it cumyth to our mynd that we have prayd long tyme, and yet, thynkyth us, that we have not our askyng. But herfor should we not be hevy, for I am sekir be our Lords menyng, that eyther we abyden a better tyme, or more grace, or a better gyfte.

He will we have trow knowyng in Hymself that He is beyng; and in this knowyng He will that our understondyng be growndid with al our mytys, and al our entent, and al our menyng. And in this grownd He will that we taken our stede and our wonynge. And be the gracious lyte of Hymself, He will we have understondyng of the thyngs that folow.

The first is our noble and excellent makyng; the second, our pretious and derworthy agen byeing; the thred, althyng that He hath made benethen us to serven us, and, for our love, kepith it. Than menyth He thus, as if He seyd: Behold and se that I have don al this, beforn thi prayors, and now thou art, and prayest me. And thus He menyth that it longyth to us to wetyn that the gretest deds be don as Holy Church techyth. And in the beholdyng of thys with thankyng, we owte to pray for the dede that is now in doyng, and that is that He reule us and gyde us to His worshippe in thys lif and bryng us to His bliss. And therfore He hath don all. Than menyth He thus, that we sen that He doth it, and we prayen therfor. For that on is not enow. For if we prayen and sen not that He doth it, it makyth us hevy and doutful; and that is not His worshippe.

And if we sen that He doth and we pray not, we do not our dette - and so may it not ben, that is to seyen, so is it not in His beholdyng. But to sen that He doth it and to pray forthwith, so is He worshippid and we sped.

Althyng that our Lord hath ordeynyd to don, it is His will that we prayen therfor, other in speciyal or in generall; and the joy and the bliss that it is to Hym, and the thanke and the worshippe that we shall have therfore, it passyth the understondyng of cretures, as to my syte. For prayor is a rythwis understondyng of that fulhede of joye that is for to cume with wel longyng and sekir troste. Faylyng of our bliss that we ben kyndly ordeynid to makyth us for to longen. Trew understondyng and love, with swete mynd in our Savior, graciously makyth us for to trosten. And in these two werkyngs our Lord beholdyth us continuly. For it is our dett, and His goodnes may no less assignen in us. Than longyth it to us to don our diligens, and whan we have don it, than shal us yet thinken that is nowte; and soth, it is. But do we as we may, and sothly aske mercy and grace.

Al that us faylyth, we shal fynd in Hym; and thus menyth He wher He seith: I am grounde of thy besekyng. And thus in this blisful word, with the shewing, I saw a full overcomyng agens al our wekenes and al our douteful dredis.