CHAPTER 11
After this I saw God in a point; that is to say, in my understanding and in this view I saw that he is in all things.
I beheld and considered, seeing and knowing in the sight. And with a quiet dread I wondered: ‘What is sin?’ For I saw truly that God does all things, however small they may be. And I saw truly that nothing is done by chance or by accident, but that all things occur through the foreseeing wisdom of God. If it appears as chance or accident to us, then it is our blindness and short-sightedness which is the cause. The things that are in the foreseeing wisdom of God from the beginning, and which he rightfully, honourably and continually handles for the best outcome, seem to fall suddenly on us when they occur, and catch us unawares. And then in our blindness and short-sightedness we say: ‘This is by chance and accident!’ But to our Lord God they are not so.
By this I am led to discern that all things that are done are well done, for our Lord God does them all. For during this time, the working of creatures was not shown at all, but only the working of our Lord God in the creature; for he is in the mid-point of all things, and it is he who acts. And I was certain he does no sin. And here I saw truly that sin is no deed: for throughout the revelation, sin was not shown. And I could no longer marvel in this, but beheld our Lord and whatever he would show me.
And so for this period of time, the rightfulness of God’s working was shown to my soul. Rightfulness has two fair properties: it is right and it is full. And so are all the works of our Lord God, and to them belongs neither the working of mercy nor grace, for where nothing fails, all is right.
(But on another occasion, he gave a revelation in which I beheld naked sin, as I shall tell; and there he used works of mercy and grace.)
Now this vision was shown to my understanding, because our Lord desires a soul which turns in true contemplation to him and to all his works. For they are fully good, and all his doings are easy and sweet, and bring great ease to the soul that turns away from the beholding our own blind judgements and turns instead towards the fair and sweet judgements of our Lord God. For to us, some deeds appear well done and some deeds evil; but our Lord does not look at them in this way; for everything that has being in nature is of God’s making; and in this way all that is done is contained in God’s doing. It is easy to understand that the best deed is well done; yet both the best and highest deed done and the least deed done are contained in God’s doing, from the beginning of time; for there is no doer but he.
I saw most surely that he never changes his purpose in any matter, nor ever shall, without end; for there is no thing which is unknown to him in his good ordinance from the beginning of time. And therefore all things were set in order before anything was made, as they should stand without end; and no manner of thing shall fail at that point, for he made all things completely good; and therefore the blessed Trinity is always completely pleased in all his works.
And all this showed a most wonderful meaning: ‘See! I am God. See! I am in all things. See! I do all things. See! I never lift my hands off my works, nor ever shall, without end. See! I lead all things to the end I ordained for them from before the beginning of time, by the same might, wisdom and love from which I made it. How could any thing be amiss?’
Thus mightily, wisely and lovingly was the soul examined in this vision. Then I saw truthfully that it was necessary for me, out of need, to assent with great reverence, simply enjoying it in God.