A Ryght Profytable Treatyse Compendiously Drawen Out Of Many and Dyvers Wrytynges Of Holy Men | Page 5

paynes for a lytell delectac?n & pleasyr in synne. Also ymagyne the Ioye of paradyse / & how that shal neuer be fynysshed & how shortly and soone it may be goten. Than thynke what sorowe & waylynge may be to them [that] for so lytell a thynge here haue lost so grete Ioye contynuell. And whan [thou] hast ony thynge that doth dysplease the / or elles [thou] dredest to haue it / thynke & yf [thou] were in helle [thou] sholdest haue that / & all that [thou] woldest not haue / & so shalt [thou] suffre all thynge for crystus sake & his loue. Also whan [thou] hast ony thynge that pleaseth the / or elles that [thou] desyrest to haue / thynke & yf thou were in paradyse [thou] sholdest haue it & all other thynges that thou woldest desyre. Also whan there falleth ony fest of ony saynt thynke on h[ym] what payne he suffred here for goddes sake & how shorte his payne was. Than thynke how greate Ioye he hath in heuen for that whiche is euerlastynge. And soo thou mayst thynke that the trybulacion or tourmentynge of the good men is soone gone. And in lyke wyse the Ioye of euyll men fadeth anone. but good men with theyr trybulacyon here geteth eternall glorye. And euyll men with theyr ouermoche Ioye here geteth euerlastynge payne. Furthermore whan [thou] art accombred [with] slouth & lackest deuoc?n / take this wrytynge & ymagyne dilygently all these thynges rehersed. Than thynke of the tyme [that] [thou] lesest in vayne ydelnes / & thynke [that] they that ben in helle wolde gyue all the worlde for so moche tyme to redeme theyr synnes yf they myght haue it. Whan [thou] hast ony trouble / thynke that they [that] ben in paradyse shall neuer haue suche trouble. And whan [thou] hast ony spirytuell consolacyon or comforte / thynke [that] they that ben in helle shall euer lacke that. Whan thou goost to bedde or to thy rest / thynke what [thou] hast thought / what [thou] hast sayd / what [thou] hast done that daye. And how prouffytable [thou] haste spende thy tyme / the whiche was gyuen the to spende it vertuously / to obteyne euerlastynge lyf. Yf [thou] haue spended it well / gyue praysynge to god. And yf [thou] haue spended it euyll / wepe & be sory for it. And the next daye yf thou may / dyfferre not to be confessed. Yf [thou] haue sayd or done ony thynge that greueth thy conscyence sore / ete no mete vntyll [thou] be shryuen & [thou] mayst. Now for a conclusyon / ymagyne in thy mynde two cytees / one full of trouble & mysery whiche is helle / an other full of Ioye and comforte whiche is paradyse. And how to one of these two ye must nedes come. Than thynke in thyself what thynge sholde cause the to do euyll / or what thynge sholde drawe the fro god. And I trowe [thou] shalt fynde none suche. I am certayne yf thou kepe well all these [that] ben wryten here. The holy goost wyll be with the & teche [the] to kepe them parfytly. Wherfore kepe well all these preceptes & c?ma?dementes & leue none behynde. Rede them twyes in the weke / on wensdaye & saterdaye. And as [thou] fyndest thou hast done as it is wryten. Gyue praysynge to god / whiche is euer pyteous & mercyfull in worlde withouten ende Amen.
? A deuoute prayer for relygyous people / or for theym that entre in to relygyon. Remembrynge the termes / and to do theym in dede.
Ihesu my maker & sauyour to thy wyll and ordyna?ce I commytte me euery houre. Besechynge the entyerly for grace & mercy / so that I may be one of them that shall be saued. Teche me good lorde thy commaundementes to fulfylle / and to do that I come fore / eschewynge all euyll. Gyue me grace to loue the and to drede the aboue all thynge. Remembrynge thy grete benefettes / and euer to gyue the thankynge. And to kepe euer charyte / obedyence / pacyence / sylence / with humylyte / demynge euer the best / saye well / telle the trouthe / and neuer to lye. Lothe to offende / sory for my synne / and to helpe whan nede is / & to serue the euer deuoutly with mekenes to haue mede. Of [the] trespaces of other to haue compassyon / [with] good co?sell example & frendely consolacyon / & to do after good prechynge & holy saynt[es] lyues / kepynge my tonge & conscyence clene & to flee bacbytyng & stryues / & to gyue none occasyon of