Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶How the ymage of synne shall be broken downe / Caplm lxxxix. (Book 89)

BEgynne thenne on and breke this ymage whan thou hast Inwardely bethoughte the of thyselfe and of thy wretchydnesse as I haue sayd / how prowde. how vayne. and how enuyous / how malencolyous / how couetous / how fles¦shly / and how full of corrupcyon / Also how lityll knowyng felyng or sauour thou haast of god / and of ghostly thynges / How wyse. how quicke / and how moche sauour thou hast in erthly thynges / And shortly that the thynketh the also full of synne as the hyde is full of flesshe / Be thou not to moche a∣dradde though thou thynke soo of thyselfe / And whan thou hast doon thus lyft vp thenne the desyre of thy herte to thy lor¦de Ihesu / and praye hym of helpe / Erye to hym by grete desy∣res and syghinges that he wyll helpe the to bere this grete bo¦urden of this ymage. or elles that he wyll breke it / Thynke al¦so suche a shame it is for the to be fedde wyth swynes mete of flesshly sauours that sholdest fele a ghostly sauour of heuē¦ly Ioye / If thou doo thus / thenne begynnest thou for to aryse

ayenste the hole grounde of synne in the as I haue sayd / And it maye soo be that thou shalt fele payn and sorow / for thou shalt vnderstonde that there maye noo soule lyue wythout gre¦te payne but yf he haue reste and delyte eyther in his creatour or in a creature / Thenne whan thou rysest ayenst thyself by a feruente desyre for to fele of thy lorde Ihesu / and for to dra∣ew out thy loue fro al bodyly thynges / and fro reste in thy bo¦dily felynge. in soo moche that thou arte encombred of thisel¦fe / And the thynketh that all creatures rysē ayenst the / and all thynges whiche thou haddest delyte in before tourneth the to payne / And whan thou forsakest thus thyself / and thou may not lyghtly fynde comforte in god / nedelynges thy soule shall suffre payne / Neuerthelesse I hope who soo wold suffre this payne awhyle stedfastly cleuynge vpō that desyre and naked mynde of Ihesu cryste / and vpon desyre that he wolde not ha∣ue but his lorde and falle not lyghtly therfro / ne seche noo cō¦forte outwarde for a tyme / for it lastyth not longe / Our lor∣de is nyghe and soone shall ease the herte / For he wyll helpe to bere thy body full of corrupcyon / And he woll wyth hys mercyful myghte of gracyous presence breke downe this fal¦se ymage of loue in thyselfe / Not all atones / but lityll and ly¦tyll tyll thou be somdele refourmed to his lyckenesse /