bue aschamed to do faire þinges & goode þinges ; & þat is confessions ;
Aman
schold þinke þat god seþe & wote al his þouhtes & his werkes to him maie no-
þinge bu hudde ne couerde ;
Men scholde eke remembre hem of þe schame
þat is to come att þõ daie of dome to hem þt biene nouȝt penitence & lif in
persent lif
990
For al þe creatures in heuen in erþe & in heƚƚ scholne seen aper-
tely al þat hiden in þis werlde ;
Nowe for to speke of þe hope of hem þat
bien so neclygent & slowe to schriuen ham it stant in tuo maners ;
þat on is ;
þt he hopeþ to leue longe ; & for to prchase muchel riches for his delite & þan
he wil schriue hime as he seiþe ; he maie as him semeþ timely ynouhe cōme
to schrifte
¶ Anoþere is of þe surquydrye þt he haþe in haþe in cristes mercye ;
And aȝeines þe first he schal þinke þat oure lif is in no sekernesse ; & eke þt
al þe reches in þe werlde bien in aduenture & passinge as a schadowe on a
wal
995
¶ And as seiþe seinte Gregorie ; þat it apparteneþ to þe grete rihtwis-
nesse of god ; þat neuere schal þe peine stinte of hem þt neuere wolde wt drawe
hem fro sinne her þankes bot euer continue in sinne ¶ For þilke perpetuele wil
to do sinne scholne þei haue perpetuel peyne
¶ whanhope is in tuo maners
¶ þe first whanhope is in þe mercye of criste ; þat oþere is þat þei þenke þt þei
myht nouht longe perseuerne in goodnesse
¶ þe first wanhope cōmeþ of
þat he demeþ þat he haþ sinned so gretely ; so ofte & so longe lyggen ī sinne
þat he schal nouht be sauede
¶ Certez aȝeines þat cursed wanhope he schold
þinke þat þe passion of ihū criste is more stronge for to vnbynde ; þan sinne is
for to binde
¶ And aȝeines þe secunde wanhope ; he schal þinke þt as oft as
he falleþe he schal arisen be penitence ; And þouhe he neuer so longe haue ly-
en in sinne ; þe mercye of criste is alwey redy to receyuen him to mercye ;
1000
¶ Aȝeines þe wanhope þat he demeþ þt he schold nouht longe perseuere in goodnes ;
He schal þinke þt þe febelne of þe deuel may noþinge done bot men wil
suffren him
¶ And eke he schal haue streynkeþ of god & of al holy chirche
& of þe proteccions of Angels if him luste
¶ þan schol men vndirstande
what is þe fruyte of penaūce as after þe worde of ihū criste ; It is þe
Endeles blisse of heuen
þere Ioye haþe none contariousce of woo ne greuāce
þere aƚƚ harmes bien passed of þis persent lif ; þere as is þõ sekernesse fro þe pey-
ne of heƚƚ ; þere as þe blisful compaignie þat reioysen hem euermore ; Eueryche
of oþeres Ioye ;
þere as þõ body of man þt whilom was foule & derke ; is more clere
þan is þe sōne ¶ þere as whilom þe body was seeke & frele ; & mortale is vnmor-
tale ; & so stronge & so hole ; þt þere maye no þinge empeyre it ;
1005
þer as neyþere is hun-
ger þurst ne colde ; Bot euery soule replenyscheþ wt þe siht of þe parfit knoweynge
of god
¶ þis blisfuƚƚ Regne may man puchace be pouerte espiritueƚƚ & þe
glorie be lowenesse ; þe plentee of Ioye be hunger & þerste ; & þe reste
be trauayle ; & þõ lyf be deþ ; & mortificacione of sinne ;
To þilke lif he vs
bringe þat bouht vs wiþ his percious blode AmeN
Explicit Fabula . Rectoris