[6-text p 647] circunstaunces of goodnesse ben so grevous & so chargeable for to suffre / that he dar nat vndertake to don workes of goodnesse / as seith seint Gregorie /
[693] Now cometh wanhope / that is dispeire of the [¶ Wanhope.] mercy of god / that cometh somtyme of to meche out|ragious sorow / And somtyme of to meche drede / ymagen|ynge [MS Arch. Seld. B. 14 folio 292a] that he hath don so meche synne / that hit wold nat availe him / though he wolde repent him / & for sake synne & do good / [694] thorugh whiche dispeire or drede / he habundith his herte to euery manere synne / as seith seint Austyne / [695] whiche dampnable synne if it contenue vn-to his ende / hit is cleped synnynge in the holy gost / [696] this orrible synne is so perilous / that he that is dispeired ther is no felonye ne no synne that he douteth for to do / as shewed wel bi Iudas / [697] Certes abouen alle synnes / than is this synne most displesaunce to crist / & most aduersarie [698] to god / sothly he that dispeirith him / is like the cowarde Champion recreant / & seith creant withouten nede / Allas allas nedeles is he recreant / & nedeles dispeired / [699] ffor certes the mercy of god is euere redy to the penitente / & is above alle his workes / [700] Allas can nat a man bi-thinke him on the gospel of seint Luke. xvmo. where as criste seith / That as wel shal [¶ luce .xvmo.] ther be Ioye in heuen vppon a sinful man / that doth penaunce / than vppon nynety & nyne. that. . . . [no gap in the MS.] nedith no penaunce / [701] loke ferthermore in the gospel / the Ioye & the feste of the goodman that had lost his sone / whan his sone with repentaunce was retourned to his fader / [702] Can thei nought remembre hem that as seith seint luke. xiijo. Capitulo / how that the theff seide that was [¶ luce .xiijo. co.] honged bi-side ihesu cristes side / lord remembre on me whan thow comest vn-to thi kingdome / [703] ffor sothe seide criste / to day thow shalt be with me in Paradise [704] Certes ther is noon so orrible synne of
