¶ The .xxiii. Chaptre of the meditacion of dethe.

PRouyde for thy selfe whyles thou arte here: for thou seest that thys day a man is: and the morowe he apperethe nat. And whan he is wyth∣drawen frome the bodely syght / he ys sone forgotē gostely. O the great dulnes / and hardnes of manes herte that more myndeth & prouydeth for transeto∣ry thynges present: than eternall thynges for to co¦me. If thou woldest in euery worde / warke / & thou¦ghte remembre as thou shuldest sone dye than thou hauynge a good conscience shuldest nat so inordy∣natly fere deth. It is more profitable to auoide syn∣ne than to flee dethe. If thou be nat redy this day to Page  [unnumbered] dye by the same reson thou shalt nat be redy to mo∣rowe. For to morowe is a day vncerteyne and thou knoeste nat whether thou shalte contynue therto or nay. What auayleth yt to lyue longe & thy lyfe to be lytell or nothynge amended. A longe lyfe encreseth nat alweye vertue: but dyuers tymes sinne and vi∣ce. Wolde god we myght be conuersaunt eueriday in thys worlde withoute any offence. ¶There be many that counte many yeres of conuersacion: but full fewe of frutfull lyuynge. O it ys ferefull to dye but perauenture it is more ieoperdyous to lyue len∣ger. Blessed be tho persons that contynually haue the houre of deth before theyr syght: and that euery daye dispose them selfe to dye. Reduce to thy remē∣braunce some persone that thou haste seene departe. and thynke that lyke wyse thou must nedes departe Whan thou rysest in the mornynge doute whether thou shalte contynue in bodely helthe vnto nyghte And therfore euer dispose thy selfe to be redye that dethe neuer may fynde the vnredy ne a slepar / and remembre howe many do departe sodaynlye. and whan they leest haue beleued they haue gone. The sonne of man both god and man our Iuge shal co∣me that tyme whan we leest wene as he saythe hym selfe. Whan thy last houre comethe than shalte thou repent full sore of thy remysse / and neclygente lyfe: Howe gracyous / and happy is that soule that now in his lyfe laboreth to be in that state that it desireth to be founde in hys dethe. To contempne the worl∣de {per}fytely: ys a greate desyre to profyttein vertue. Page  [unnumbered] lo•e of dysciplene / labour / in penaunce / a prompte wyll to obedience / redy to forsake theyr owne wyll the supportacion of euery trybulacyon for the loue of oure lorde these shall enduce vs to haue a greate confydence to departe happyly out of thys worlde It ys moche better by tyme to prouyde for thy selfe and fynde thy goodes before the / than to truste to other that perauenture shall uought or lytell {pro}uy∣de for the. And thou labour nat nowe besily for thy selfe who shalbe besy for the in tyme to come. Now the tyme is very precious: But it is lamentable to spende that tyme vnprofitably where we myght de serue goodes of the whiche we shulde lyue and ioy eternally the tyme shall come that thou woldeste be gladde to haue one day or houre to amende thyselfe in / but I knowe nat whether thou shalt obteyne yt ornaye. O thou vncircūspecte soule of howe greate {per}yll & fere myghtest thou delyuer thyselfe of now yf thou woldest nowe fere to offende god & suspecte y^t comynge of deth. Study nowe to lyue so that ī the houre of thy dethe thou mayste rather ioye than fe∣re. Lerne nowe to dye frome the worlde that thann thou maist begynne to lyue with criste. Lerne now to contempne all wordly thynges that than •^u maist frely without any impediment goo to criste. Chasti s•thy body nowe by penaunce & than thou maist ha¦ue certen confidence of reward. O thou vnwise mā¦••hy makist thou so great and sure prouysiō for the ••me to come / whanne thou arte nat sure that thou ••alte nat lyue o one daye to the ende. Howe manye Page  [unnumbered] haue be deceyued thinkynge to lyue longe & soden∣ly haue decessed. Howe of tymes hast thou herde of those that be departed: howe some haue be slaine w^t swerde: some drowned: some fallynge fro hie place haue broken theyr necke: some etynge haue be strā∣gled: some with: fire: some with yron: some with the ues haue be distroyed & so the ende of euery man in thys worlde ys dethe: & the lyfe of man in this worl¦de as a shadowe vanisshe aweye. Who shall remē∣bre or praie for the after thy dethe thou knowest nat Therfore nowe instore thy selfe of ryches īmortall that shall continue after thy dethe. Euer laboure for that thynge that may honour god & helpe thy sowle & attende therto: studye to make the sayntes of heuē & the frendes of god thy frendes: & they shall recey∣ue the into euerlastynge tabernacles: Thou religi∣ous soule behaue thy selfe vpon erthe as a pylgrim & a straunger: For it perteyneth no thynge to the to intermyt of the besines of this worlde. Preserue thi herte fre & directe it to our lorde for thou hast no ci∣te here abidynge & therfore directe thy dayly mour∣nynge & prayer vpwarde: that after thy spirite de{per}∣te fro thy bodye it may be worthy to be graciously translated into that celestiall & perpetuall Cyte.