XVII. Loue that god loueth.
[Digby 102, leaf 116.] [25 stanzas of 8, abab, abab.]
(1)
That ilke man wole lerne wel
To loue god wiþ al his myȝt,
Þat loue in his herte fele.
Þere god doþ loue, loue þou ryȝt;
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There god doþ hate euerydele,
Hate it boþe day and nyȝt,
Ȝeue hym [folio 116b] noþer mete ne mele,
But flyt hym fere out of ȝoure syȝt.
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(2)
¶ Many gret[e] causes is,
To loue god, why men ouȝte.
He shop vs lyk ymage his,
And wiþ his deþ, fro pyne vs bouȝt,
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And ȝut, þouȝ we don ofte amys,
For eche a gylt he beteþ vs nouȝt;
And we þenke to amende, he profreþ to kys.
Man, of loue he haþ besouȝt.
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(3)
¶ Ȝif a lord ȝeue fee or rent
For to do a gret office,
To serue hym wel is þyn atent,
For thy profyt, but not for his,
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For he fyndeþ þe þy vaunsement;
Þy loue vppon þe profyt lys.
Suche worldly louers are gostly blent;
Suche loue to god is cold as yse.
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(4)
¶ Ȝif þou serue god for helle drede,
Or loue god for his blisse,
Þat loue is worth no parfyt mede:
Þou [sechest] thy profyt, and not hisse.
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