Companion to the English prose works of Richard Rolle : a selection / from the edition by Carl Horstman.

Hou a mon schal haue [him] warli in þouȝt & disire, & wisli vse þe grace þat god haþ ȝiuen to hym. Capitulo xxo octauo.

Anoþur þing is þis þat þe be-houeþ be war of. ȝif þi þouȝt be ocupyed in ymaginacion of þe monhede of vr lord or in eny such oþer, and aftur þis þou art bisy wiþ al þi disyre of þin herte for to seke knowyng or felyng more gostly of þe godhede, prese not ouur-muche þer-in, ne suffre not þin herte falle fro þe disyre as ȝif þou were a-bydyng or gapyng aftur sum queynte sturyng, or sum wonderful felyng, oþur þen þou hast had. Þou schalt not do so. Hit is inouȝ to þe, & to me, for to haue desyre and longyng to vre lord, and ȝif he wole of his grace, ouer þis desyre, sende vs of his gostly liȝt [& open] vre gostli eȝen for to seo & knowe more of him þen we haue had bifore be comon trauayle, þonke we him þerof, and ȝif he wol not so, for we are not ȝit meke inouȝ, or elles we are not disposed be clennes of lyuyng on oþur sydes forte receyue his grace, þen schal we mekely knowe vr owne synnes & vre wrecchednes, & hald vs payed wiþ þe disyre þat we aue to him, & wiþ vre comon þouȝtes

þat may liȝtli falle vnder vre ymaginacions, as of vre synnes, & of Cristes passion, or of such oþur; or elles wiþ preyers of þe sauter, or of sum oþer, & loue him wiþ al ȝoure hertes þat he wole ȝeue vs þat. // Ȝif þou do oþur-wyse, þou maiȝt liȝtli be bigyled be þe spirit of errour, ffor hit is presumpcion þat a man be his oune wit schulde prese ouer-muche in to knowyng of gostli þinges, but he feled plente of grace. For þe wyse mon seiþ: Scrutator maiestatis opprimetur a gloria, þat is forte sai: «Ronsaker of þe miȝt & of þe maieste wiþ-oute gret clannes & meknes schal be ouurleyd & oppressed of him-self.»—