The secound chapitre. A schort stering to meeknes and to the werk of this book.
A Call to Humility
The author challenges the reader to recognize their own wretchedness and the greatness of God's calling, urging humility and love toward the spiritual spouse.
Look up now, weak wretch, and see what you are. What are you, and what have you deserved to be called like this by our Lord? What weary, wretched heart, sleeping in sloth, is that which isn't wakened by the pull of this love and the voice of this calling?1 Beware now, wretch, in this time of your enemy; and never count yourself the holier or the better for the worthiness of this calling and for the singular form of living you're in—but rather the more wretched and cursed, unless you do what is in you, by grace and by counsel, to live according to your calling.23 And all the more should you be meek and loving toward your spiritual spouse, inasmuch as He who is the Almighty God, King of kings and Lord of lords, would humble Himself so low toward you, and among all the flock of sheep would so graciously choose you to be one of His special ones, and then set you in the place of pasture where you may be fed with the sweetness of His love, as an earnest of your inheritance—the kingdom of heaven.4
Begin the Work with Desire
The author urges immediate action, focusing on desire and letting go of past attainments, trusting in God's jealous love that works alone in the will.
Go on, then, I pray you—quickly. Look ahead now, and leave behind what is behind. And look at what you lack, not at what you have: for that is the surest way to gain and keep humility.5 Your whole life now must always stand in desire, if you're going to advance in the degree of perfection. This desire must always be worked in your will by the hand of Almighty God and your consent. But one thing I tell you: He is a jealous lover and will have no rival, and He will not work in your will unless He is alone with you by Himself.6 He asks for no help but only yourself. He wants you to do nothing but look at Him and leave Him alone.7
Guard the Heart and Persist
The author advises protecting the soul from distractions and urges a meek pressing upon God through prayer, assuring that God is ready and waiting.
And keep the windows and door shut against the flies and enemies that attack you. And if you're willing to do this, you need only meekly press upon Him with prayer, and soon He will help you.8 Press on, then: let's see how you carry yourself. He is fully ready, and does nothing but wait for you. But what will you do, and how will you press upon Him?9
Read the original Middle English
Look up now, weike wreche, and see what thou arte. What arte thou, and what hast thou deserved thus to be clepid of oure Lorde? What weri wrechid herte and sleping in sleuthe is that, the whiche is not waknid with the drawght of this love and the voise of this cleping? Bewar now, wreche, in this while with thin enemye; and holde thee never the holier ne the beter for the worthines of this cleping and for the singuler fourme of levyng that thou art in; bot the more wrechid and cursid, bot yif thou do that in thee is goodly, bi grace and bi counsel, to lyve after thi cleping. And insomochel thou schuldest be more meek and lovyng to thi goostly spouse, that He, that is the Almighty God, King of kynges and Lorde of lordes, wolde meek Hym so lowe unto thee, and amonges alle the flok of scheep, so graciously wolde chese thee to be one of His speciales, and sithen set thee in the stede of pasture, where thou maist be fed with the swetnes of His love, in erles of thin heritage, the kingdome of heven.
Do on than, I preie thee, fast. Look now forwardes, and lat be bacwardes. And see what thee faileth, and not what thou haste: for that is the rediest getyng and keping of meeknes. Alle thi liif now behoveth algates to stonde in desire, yif thou schalt profite in degré of perfeccion. This desire behoveth algates be wrought in thi wille bi the honde of Almighti God and thi consent. Bot oo thing I telle thee: He is a gelous lover and suffreth no felawschip, and Him list not worche in thi wille bot yif He be only with thee bi Hymself. He asketh none helpe, bot only thiself. He wil thou do bot loke on Hym and late Him alone.
And kepe thou the windowes and the dore for flies and enemies assailyng. And yif thou be willy to do this, thee thar bot meekly put apon Him with preier, and sone wil He help thee. Put on than: lat see how thou berest thee. He is ful redy, and doth bot abideth thee. Bot what schalt thou do, and how schalt thou put?
Notes
- 1 ↩drawght rendered as "pull" (drawing/attraction of love); also possible as "draft" or "drawing," but the sense is the loving tug that should wake the sleeper.
- 2 ↩singuler fourme of levyng keeps the work's technical "singular" degree of living (solitary/special vocation), not mere uniqueness.
- 3 ↩do that in thee is goodly rendered as "do what is in you"; the idiom means do all that lies in your power, fittingly/well, by grace and counsel.
- 4 ↩erles rendered as "earnest" (pledge/down payment of the inheritance), not "earls"; Middle English erles/erres = earnest-money.
- 5 ↩meeknes rendered as humility; Cloud's 'meekness' is the interior lowliness that receives grace, not mere mild manners.
- 6 ↩felawschip rendered as 'rival': God tolerates no shared claim on the will, not a ban on human friendship.
- 7 ↩late Him alone = leave Him free to work in the will, not abandon prayer; the next section continues the 'put upon Him' counsel.
- 8 ↩ME 'put apon Him with preier' is rendered as 'press upon Him with prayer' (urge/apply yourself to Him in prayer); 'thee thar bot' = 'you need only'.
- 9 ↩Source ends elliptically with 'how schalt thou put?'; 'upon Him' is supplied from the preceding 'put apon Him' to keep the discourse link clear for modern readers.
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