vnfaythful / and with out fayth no man maye please the / and thus all my lyfe is dyspleasynge vnto the. ¶ A good lorde what shall I do for I want fayth of the / fere of the / loue of the / drede of the / but I want not the drede of the worlde / loue of the worlde / and shame of the worlde And thus the ymage of my soule is defauted made foule iÌ„ thy syght and is depreued thy grete vertues where by it sholde be made fayre and acceptable to the what shall I do than but tourne me to the aske mercy for that I haue spenbed my lyfe so myserably A than I maye calle my soule a synfull soule whiche is without drede of the wtout shame of synne vnderstandynge that after the ordre of thy ryghtwysnesse synne muste haue sorowe / than my soule ought to haue sorowe / and al my lyfe sholde he we pynge / who shal gyue teres ynough to myn eyen that I maye wepe ynough for my myserable lyuynge / and lamente that I euer haue spent so myserably my tyme which I can not now reuoke agayen / ne fruytfully recoÌ„pence but by sorowe for my synne ¶ Alas I haue loste the well of lyfe and of al true solace / and I haue delued in the olde stynkynge cysterne of synne / and the deceyuable water ther of whiche semeth in yâ— begyÌ„nynge swete and delectable / now it is tourned in to bytternesse / abhomynacyon / and grete sorowe ¶ O moost mercyfull lorde whiche arte the wel of pyte of grace frome whome the flode of celestyall glorye doth streme vpon all the heueÌ„ly courte Replenysshynge them with all pleasure delectacyons passynge yâ— possybylyte of mannes thynkynge / gyue me good lorde in this vale of my serye for the glorye of thy name the spyryte of compunccyon that I may bytterly wepe for my synnes and to be preuylegyate by thy grace neuer frome hens forward daÌ„pnably to affend the. ¶ O merueylous god how myserably is my soule / whiche only can not sorowe accordynge to the greuous offences that it hath done in this lyfe but also it is in maner benomen and deed / for it feleth not the grete goostly sorowes that it hath / wherby excepte it haue helpe by meane of penaunce it shal be broughte to the bytter paynes of euerlastynge deth A I may curse synne the whiche hath brought me so ferre frome the good lord / and so ferre fro my selfe that I haue loste my felyÌ„ge yâ— quyckenesse of my spyryte / and the goostyly taste of all sprytuall pleasure and delectacyons in vertue ¶ A myserable soule a synfull soule why arte thou so dulle so slowe to all good werkes whiche art to the pleasure of god / and to thy perpetuall promocyon and endlesse Ioye / perpetual blysse and hertely gladnesse / why arte thou so prompte and so redy to all wretchednesse and al werkes of abhomynable synnes whiche are to yâ— grete dyspleasure of almyghty god / and to thy grete payne and sorowe and dampnacyon bothe of soule of body Why arte thou so oblyuyous and forgetfull of fruytfull vertuous doctryne / and so retentyâ—e of euyll fpekynge and wordes Incytynge to synne Woo woo mayst thou be whiche leueste the waye of vertue chosest the waye of hyces / leuest the waye of saluacyoÌ„ and takest the waye of dampnacyon Thou haste lyfe and deth bothe layde before the / and whiche thou wylt thou mayste chose Louest thou not lyfe / hatest thou not deth louest thou not delectacyoÌ„ and pleasure / hatest not thou payne and sorowe Alas how vnhappy arte yâ— than whiche chosest the waye of synne / the waye of deth / yâ— waye of payne endlesse sorowe / and wylfully leuest yâ— waye of vertue whiche ledeth to lyâ—e Ioye and endlesse myrth with al yâ— herte can thynke or desyre consolacyon Thou rennes to bodely deth not only bodely wherby thy soule shall be departed frome thy body / but also the goostly syght of deth where thou shalt be for euer departed frome the face and clere vysyon of god whiche is yâ— lyfe to thy soule lyke as thy soule is lyfe to thy body / the paynes of fyre and the terryble syght of the deuylles shall not be so greuous vnto the / as the sondrynge frome thy lord god whiche full sure the thou shalte se hym in his glorye Wold not thou saye that suche a man were worthy sorowe and payne whiche wolde chose to go that way were it neuer so pleasauÌ„t there he knewe certaynly / yf he contynued therin that he shal be taken with theues robbed and put to the moost bytterest payne of deth Then I counseyll the by tymes leue the waye of synne / for the ende therof is endlesse sorowe / and the pleasure yâ— cometh therof be it neuer so grete it shall hastly passe And yf thou come to that ende thou shalt take thy leue also true as god is true frome all pleasures without ende Our lorde of his grete mercy offred to the eternall pleasure for a shorte temporall payne suffred accordynge to the ordenauÌ„ce of his wyl / yf thou wylt refuse so grete a lucre for so lytel a payment than thou arte an vnhappy marchaunt Then yf thou wylt not folowe the wyll of god in suffryÌ„ge of this payne / but wyll fulfyll thynowne wyll in takynge thy shorte synfull pleasures of this lyfe / arte not thou than worthy / by the ryghtwysenes of god to lose and be depryued of this perpetuall Ioye pleasure thou canst not resonably saye nay For thou that wylt refuse so inestymable a Ioye for so lytell a pryce / than thou settest lytell therby / in that thou dysablest thy self to haue it ¶ And of very equyte thou whiche wylfully and syÌ„fully forsakest â—â—â—â—nal saluacyon / thou deseruest by the ryghtwysnesse of god to haue eternall payne and dampnacyon Then beholde vpon the ryght syde the mercy of god whiche is redy to gyue the perpetuall Ioye for a shorte vertuous payne And beholde vpon the lyfte hande the ryghtwysnesse of god whiche shall gyue the eternall payne for refusynge of eternal Ioye whiche thou forsokest for a shorte syÌ„ful pleasur / thaÌ„ beware what thou doost / he of his grete grace offereth the perpetuall Ioye And yf thou wylt so lyghtly refuse it / than he thryteth the with endelesse sorowe and payne that thou mayste not escape his handes / chose the now whether thou wylt for a lytel payne haue endelesse pleasure / or for a lytel symple solace haue endelesse payÌ„e and sorowe / and one thou muste nedes chose I counseyll the to take payne and leue pleasure / drawe the to the ryght hande that thou be not founde at the daye of dome amonge the damned people vpon the lyfte hande / leue vayne and synfull temporall Ioye for the ende therof is sorowe / yf thou lyuest after thy pselaunt desyres of thy flesshe it shall
thou wylt contynue in vnkynde vnto hym / this synÌ„e of vnkyndenesse ingratytude / yf thou hast none other synne it is ynough to procure the Ire or wrath of this Iuge / why wylt thou than vnkynde soule dayly multyply newe offenses why remembrest not thou yâ— grete Ieopardy that thou standest in for thyne olde synne ¶ O wretche lerne to wepe applye to take wylful sorowe / yâ— moche cause hast thou to wepe and to sorowe / for yf thou myght wepe as moche water as is in the see yet it were of thy selfe suffycyeÌ„te to wasshe thy soule frome synne thou doost â–ª as a malefactour whiche hathe offended his prynce is sory for to be taken to suffre grete payne / yet wylfully he wyll more outrageously offende hym knowynge well that he shall suffre therfore the more payne / thou sayst to me that this prynce is mercyfull I saye to the that he is mercyful to none but to suche as haue mercy vpon them selfe wyll leue theyr wretched lyuynge / than haue mercy vpon thy selfe and leue yâ— myserye of synne / for thou shalte be called soner than thou trustest to thy acompte of all thy werkes of all thy ydelnes of all thy wordes / of all thy sylence / of all thy slepynge / of all thy wakynge / of all thy sekenesse / of al thy helthe / of all thy rychesse / of all thy pouerte / of all thy fedynge / of all abstynences / and of all thynge that thou haste done and lefte vndone to the leest thought of thy soule / and of al thynge perteynynge to thy power whiche thou haste not ordeyned to the wyll of god saluacyon of thy soule / and thy body shall be punysshed with yâ— for it synned with the and thou in it for the cause of synne is in it and it shall haue no payne but for the / for it myght not synne but by the. Alas why wylt not thou see whether thou goest beholde yâ— ende of thy passage that thou demest that thou goest to pleasures / as a blyndfull man thou goest euen contrarye towarde payne / thou thynkest thou goest for to haue thy wyll / and thou goest there thou shalt haue all thynge contrarye to thy wyll / and yâ— desyrest myrth and thou takest yâ— waye of endles laboure perpetuall payne euerlastynge dampnacyon â—Edet aiÌ„am mea n vite mee ¶ A my soule hath a grete cause to be wery of my lyfe / for I lyue not as yâ— louer of god sholde lyue / but as a wretched catyfe whiche forgeteth god / deserued to be forgoteÌ„ of hym ¶ I haue no mynde vpon my saluacyon / my mynde is rather vpon thynge of dampnacyon I endure me not to form me I laboure not to represse the wretched mocyon whiche I fele in me I suffre my mynde at large to renne in vanytees / as a creature that hath no god or Iuge ne thynge to answere for / ne thynge to sorowe for ne to fere / for helpe is offred to me and I wyll not aske it / it is offred to me and I wyll not put my hande therto myn enemyes myn accusers I consente to / to my lorde my louer I wyll not consent A good lorde what shall I do at yâ— dredefull day of deth at the terryble dome in the day of Iugement ¶ A how many thousande synnes shall come thaÌ„ vpoÌ„ me wtout onâ— prouysyon as they laye in watche to take me whiche I see not now / I toke no kepe to delyuer myselfe by playne confessyon and many a thynge whiche I truste now is no synÌ„e shall thaÌ„ appere greuous synÌ„e / and many a deed whiche I trust now is good / than I shall fynde them euyl blacke and abhomynable they yâ— shal appere to me / there I shal receyue in soule body moche woo as I haue done in soule and body moche wretchednesse / than shall I be wâ— for I shal receyue yâ— woful and sorowfull endlesse payne whan the tyme shall be passed except I leue now synne and torne me to god and deserue by vertuous lyuynge to haue mercy / there shal be payne vnprofytable and vnfruytfull penaunce / for that payne shall not remeue the synne of them whiche in this lyfe wolde not take wylful payne to be delyuered frome synÌ„e and able to be dampned from grace that they shall haue no power to recompence and to satysfye for theyr offences / for whan grace was offred to them they refused it / and whan the tyme of penauÌ„ce was layed afore them / vnfruytfully neclygently they passed it ¶ O good lorde now I ought for to remembre what I haue done and what that I haue deserued to receyue for my doynge / all my yeres I shold recorde in the bytternesse of my soule / saye how my tyme is consumed without profyte / what woo I haue wrought to myselfe / yf I coude remembre that I had done many good thynges than I sholde be gladde / but I remeÌ„bre yâ— I haue done many wretched euyl thynges and fewe good / therfore I haue grete cause to be woo / yf I wyll not applye me to be wo where I shall be woo there I shal neuer departe therfro ¶ A wo wo be to this grete hardenesse of myn hert / for these grete hamers of remembrauÌ„ce of eternall tormentes moost sorowfull vyces are to lyght to breke it ¶ O dulnesse insanable and vnable to be heled all this sharpe braydes are not suffycyent to quycken yâ— / they are all to blunt for the. ¶ Alas sythen the grete paynes yâ— god hath ordeyned for synne are to lytel to put the in fere / and make the to be dylygent for thy saluacyon ¶ A god mercy / a dedly dulnesse yâ— is in me sythen the terryble thondre of my synÌ„es ghostly syght of yâ— grete abhomynable multytude of paynes causeth no quyckenes of deuocyoÌ„ / no myserye of teres / no fere of god in me ¶ A wo may I be whiche fele myselfe in this grete myserye / not redy to aryse but rather desyred to fall deper I am worse than a stone / for it is descended of nature for to descende / but I descende by malyce agaynst nature ¶ A deâ—e lorde I loue more erthly vanyte than I do yâ— or the place of thy glorye / my soule is croked al downe to the erthe / for there yâ— loue is of the ther it is fyxed and not vpon yâ— / and therfore it loked not vp to the / here is mater of myserye in me to exyte an hondreth soules to sorowe make them contynue vneasely in wepynge but my soule is so dryed fro al moysture grace yâ— there cometh no teres fro me and thus I maye se myselfe a drye stocke / a seer tree redy to fyre A merueylous god how am I comen to this dulnesse to this dryenesse / to this blyndnesse
brynge the to endelesse and paynfull dethe / yf thy flesshe lyue after thy soule / and thy soule after god / than thou shalt lyue eternally ¶ A my seke vnstable soule / dulle soule / myserable synfull soule / thou wold haue helth / strength / loue / power thou wold be moche made of / haue rychesse / fredom frēdshyp / thou wolde be wtout fere wtout heuynesse / thou wolde be swyfte / lyght / ympossyble / why sekest thou the goddes in the regyon of dethe they are not here they are only there where is very lyfe / and no lyfe may be called very lyfe but only that lyfe whiche is eternall lyfe / for there deth hath no power ony thynge to mynysshe thy lyfe or ony thynge that apperteyneth to that lyfe / for frome y◠lyfe dethe is perpetuelly exyled whiche maketh this lyfe no lyfe / and all thynge to vanysshe awaye whiche perteyneth to this lyfe ¶ A my soule loue that lyfe that lorde aboue all thynge whiche shall gyue the that Ioyful lyf that blessed lyfe perdurable and eternal lyuynge what hast thou in this mortal lyf but laboure werynesse sorow and payne / with these thou begynnest lyfe / with these thou cōtynuest thy lyfe / with these thou shalt ende thy lyfe / that pleasures are shortly passynge / the sorowes and paynes are longe abydynge / and all erthly Ioyes are medled with myserye of synne / thou thynkest synne is but lytell / wolde god thou woldest call it to mynde how greuous it is in the syght of the grete Iuge of the worlde a ▪ myghty god remembre how greuously he hath punysshed syn̄e / grete parte of the aungelles he caste out of heuen for synne whiche are of all creatures moost excellent in naturall perfeccyon ¶ O how shalt thou thynke thā that he shal spare the whiche arte synfull / for thou arte no thynge so precyous ī nature as the leest aungell whiche was loste and dampned for synne / thy body is but a dounghylle and a sacke of stynkynge myste / than truste thou that yf thou wylt not leue synne thou shalte perysshe with them / for the ryghtwysnesse of god wyll punysshe synne / ryght they shall perysshe frome y◠perpetual pleasure glorye of god whiche wyll not leue synne / all we are exyled frome paradyse for synne / all the worlde was drowned excepte .viii. persones in y◠tyme of Noes floode for synne the fyue cytees of whiche one was Sodome Gomorre were distroyed with fyre and brymstone sanke downe for synne / the Egipcyans were drowned in the rede see for synne / the chyldren of Israel were kylled a grete nombre in deserte for synne / now all the .xii. trybus are in captyuyte for syn̄e / translacyons of kyngdomes Empyres fro man to man is for synne / batayles / pestylence / and hungre in comyn plages of god contynually in some parte of the worlde or vpon the people is for synne and fynally all desyre of synne shall cease frome all pleasure and tourne to vnremedyable paynes and synners shall be put with synners in euerlastynge woo there as they shal neuer tourne to Ioy or pleasure agayne ¶ A wretched soule why sorowest not thou for synne / seeste thou not how my lorde loued the and hated synne whiche wolde suffre the moost paynfull deth to delyuer the frome synne / lerne to loue thy louer but thou hatest thy louer / for whā thou doeste syūe thou doeste playnely that is ī to make hym to suffre deth agayne thou louest syn̄e whiche is the moost gretest enemy for it shal brynge the except thou leue it to endlesse horryble payne thou set test lytell by synne a wolde god our lorde myght set so lytell ther by / for than thou sholde be delyuered frome grete fereheuynesse payne whiche thou haste deserued for syn̄e but wo sholde I be good lorde for euery transgressyō of thy cōmaundement for yf there come none other therof dysobedyence it dyshonoured the / a how sholde I saye that synne is lytell for I can not truely saye that the dyshonour of y◠is lytell / a how I boūde to honour the thou desyrest it not for al that thou haste done to me but that I shold honour do to y◠I receyue thy benefetes thou mayst no thynge receyue of me but honour / thou gyuest my goodnesse this may growe I may gyue to y◠no goodes wherby thou mayste be the better for my goodnesse may not growe I maye gyue to y◠honour this may not growe in y◠but in me / whan thyn honour groweth in me than thy goodnesse in me / al the prouffytes of my dydes in to me and none to the / for I may by dydes no thȳge make the to better / but I may make me y◠better by thy grace ī y◠I do honour to y◠A dere lorde how wo sholde I than be to dishonour the / I may do no more dyshonour to the thā to do syn̄e whiche can not be done in mynde in wyll ne dyde but in the clere syght of the / a how woo sholde I than be to do syn̄e ther by for to dyshonoure the whiche arte my lorde and my god / my maker my redemer preseruer / and fynally wolde brȳge me to se thy glorye to haue with the honour in eternyte A how shall I saye y◠synne is lytell sythen y◠syn̄e dyshonoured y◠/ no thynge sholde be more shamfull sorowfull in me than for to do ony dyde to dyshonoure the. Alas how may I fynde in my herte to to dyshonoure y◠whiche haue none helpe but only of the ¶ O wretched myserable soule why remembrest thou not the trouthe of god / for thou knowest it wel y◠it is Impossyble that he sholde make ony lye / thou knoweste well that he promysed no thynge but that it shal be fulfylled for the power is so grete that no thynge may lette hym / than thou knowest veryly that thou shalte appere afore hym and acompte all thy lyfe / and of all that thou haste receyued of hym / what sayest thou arte thou redy to thy rekenynge / canste thou shewe that thou hast wel expended and well vsed all the goodes that thou haste receyued of god / haste not thou vaynly loste and vaynly suffred for to be loste many of these gyftes of our lorde god / and many thou haste expended that thou haste to reasō for to laye cōforte the at thyn acompte but that thou arte worthy to be dampned for them ¶ Alas sythē thou canste not gyue a good rekenynge of thy tyme expended / why wylt not thou amende the / by the wyl spendynge of thy lyfe to come for to procure the fauoure of this ryghtwyse Iuge / he is redy of his ryght grete mercy to take one daye well spended for a yere ¶ O than sythen he is thus kynde to the