To-gedyr mow þey neuer be. [neuer mowe þey be.]
Line 11912
For somë, whan þey come to shryfte,
No more wyl þey here herte vp lyfte
To God for grace, but beþ harde as stone,
So longe haue þey with here synne gone;
Sorowe of synnë haue þey noȝt,
So ys here soule beneþë broȝt.
For, a lymme þat ys ded or drye
Line 11919
Þurgh sykenes, or smete yn pallësye,
Þogh men prykkë hyt wyþ oghte, [See French, l. 8729 below.]
For hyt ys dede, hyt feleþ noȝte;
No more of grace, þe soule may fonge,
Þat haþ ley yn synne so longe;
Line 11924
But Ihesu cryst, þat none wyl tyne,
he boghte alle mankynde wyþ pyne,
And graunteþ hym grace, hys shryfte by|gynne,
Line 11927
And yn hys shryfte, to sorowe hys synne.
Þurgh swyche sorow, cumþ þe lyfe of grace,
Þe deþ of synne awey to chace.
Þan ys þys a feyrë ȝyfte,
Þe lyfe of euer, þurg þy shryfte;
Line 11932
Þy soule þat was for synnë lore,
Þurgh shryfte haþ grace and lyfe byfore;
Þys ys þe grace and þe fyrst vertu,
Þat shryfte doþ to þy soulë pru.
Line 11936
þe [þe O, Te H.] secunde grace þat shryfte ȝyueþ.
A-noþer ȝyfte he ȝyueþ large;
hyt aleggeþ þe of heuy charge;
For euery synne, as hyt amounteþ,
