Scala perfectionis

¶How the ymage of synne shal be ••roken downe / Capitulum / lxxxix

BEginne then on & breke this ymage whan thou hast Inwardely bethought the of thyselfe and of thy wrecchydnesse as I haue sayd / howe prowde. howe vayne. and how enuyous / how malencolyous / how co¦uetous / how flesshly / & how ful of corrupciō / Also how lytyl knowyng felyng or sauour thou haast of god / and of ghostly thynges / How wyse. how quycke / & how mo¦che sauour thou hast ī erthly thynges / And shortly that the thynketh the also ful of syn as y^e hyde is ful of flesshe Be thou not to moche adradde though thou thynke soo of thyself / And whan thou haste doon thus lyft vp then the desyre of thy herte to thy lorde Ihesu / & praye hym of helpe / Crye to hym by grete desyres & syghinges that he wyl helpe the to bere this grete bourden of this ymage.

or elles that he wyl breke it / Thynke also suche a sha∣me it is for the to be fedde with swynes mete of flesshly sauours that sholde fele a ghostly sauonr of heuēly Ioy If thou do thus / then begynnest thou for to aryse ayen¦ste the hole grounde of synne in the as I haue sayd / And it maye so be that thou shalt fele payne and sorowe / for thou shalt vnderstonde that there maye noo soule lyue without grete payne but yf he haue reste or delyte eyther in his creatour or in a creatour / Thenne whan thou ry¦sest ayenst thyself by a feruent desyre for to fele of thy lor¦de Ihesu / & for to drawe out thy loue fro al bodely thyn∣ges / and fro reste in thy bodely felyng / in so moche that thou arte encombred of thyselfe / And the thynketh that al creatures rysen ayenst the / & al thynges whiche thou haddest delyte in before tourneth y^e to payne / And whā thou forsakest thus thyself / and thou maye not lyghtly fynde comforte in god / nedelynges thy soule shal suffre payne / Neuerthelesse I hope who soo wolde suffre this payne a whyle stedfastly cleuyng vpon y^e desyre and na¦ked mynde of Ihesu cryste / and vpon desyre y^t he wolde not haue but his lorde & falle not lyghtly therfro / ne se∣che no comforte outwarde for a tyme / for it lastyth not longe / Our lorde is nyghe and sone shal ease the herte / For he wyl helpe to bere thi body ful of corrupcōn / And he wol with his mercyful myght of gracyous presence breke downe this false ymage of loue in thyselfe / Not al atones / but lytyl and lytyl tyl thou be somdele refour¦med to his lyckenesse /