[6-text p 596] wikkede giltes is penitence / that may be likned vn to a tree /
[113] ¶ The roote of this tree is contricion / þat hideth hym in the herte of hym / þat is verray repentant right as the roote of a tree hideth hym in the erthe ‖ [114] Of the roote of Contricion spryngeth a stalke þat bereth branches / and leues of confession / and fruyt of satisfaccion ‖ [115] for which / crist seith in his gospel ‖ Dooth digne fruyt of penitence / for by this fruyt may men knowe this tree / and nat by the roote / that is hyd / in the herte of man / ne by the branches / ne the leues of Confession ‖ [116] And therfore / oure lord Ihu crist seith thus ‖ by the fruyt of hem / shul ye knowe hem ‖ [117] Of this roote eek spryngeth a seed of grace / the which Seed / is moder of Sikernesse / and this Seed / is egre and hoot ‖ [118] the grace of thys Seed / spryngeth of god thurgh re|membrance on the day of dome / & on the peynes of helle ‖ [119] Of this matere / seith Salomon ‖ that in the drede of god / man forleteth his synne ‖ [120] the hete of thys seed / is the loue of god / & the desirynge of the Ioye perdurable / [121] this hete / draweth the herte of man to god & dooth hym hate his synne / [122] for soothly / ther is no thyng þat sauoureth so wel to a child / as the mylk of his norice / ne no thyng is to hym moore ab|homynable / than thilke mylk/ whan it is medled with oother mete ‖ [123] right so the synful man / þat loueth his synne / hym semeth / it is to hym moost swete of any thyng ‖ [124] but fro þat tyme / þat he loueth sadly oure lord Ihu crist/ & desireth the lyf perdurable / ther nys to hym / no thyng moore abhomynable / [125] for soothly / the lawe of god / is the loue of god ‖ for which / Dauid the prophete seith ¶ I haue loued thy lawe & hated wikkednesse & hate / he þat loueth god/kepeth his lawe & his word; [126] this tree saugh the prophete daniel in spirit vp on the auysion of Nabugodonosor / whanne he con|seiled hym / to do penitence; [127] Penance / is the tree of lyf / to hem þat it receyuen / & he þat holdeth hym
