A full deuoute and gostely treatyse of the imytacyon and folowynge the blessed lyfe of our moste mercyfull Sauyour cryste compyled in Laten by the right worshypful Doctor Mayster Iohn Gerson: and translate into Englisshe the yere of owre lorde M.d.ii. by maister william Atkynson Doctor of diuinite: at ye speciall request [and] co[m]maundeme[n]t of the full excellent Pryncesse Margarete moder to our souerayne lorde Kynge Henry the. vii. and Countesse of Rychemount and Derby.

¶ The .xv. chaptre: of the hyd iugementes of god to be cōsidered for y^u repressyon of vayne glory and magnyfiynge of man in graces receyued.

THou good lorde saith the deuout soule casti¦ste terrybly thy iugementis vpō me so that with great fere thou alterest all my body & bonis to gyder & my soule is troubled with great fere & dred I stande astonied & rsider that heuynes be nat cle∣ne in thy sight / if thou founde thy angels defectyue & impure: and therfore thou didest nat spare theim what shall fall vpon me that am dust & asshes y^• an¦gels fell from heuen: what than maye I presume? Suche people as in semynge had workes of com∣mendacion haue fall ful lowe: & suche as were fede with the mete of angels I haue sene be glad of swi∣nes mete. There is therfore no holynes in man yf y^u lorde withdrawe thy hande. Noo wysdome maye auayle yf thou withdrawe thy hande of gouernaū∣ce. No sure chastite is if thou defende it nat / ne {pro}pre¦custodie may {pro}fite man: if that the helpe of god be nat there. For if we be forsakē of god almyghty we be drowned & we perisshe. And if we be viseted and helped we be raysed vp to lyfe. Of oure selfe we be vnstable: but by the good lorde we be confermed: & made stedfaste we be colde of oure selfe: but by y^• we be accended & kyndled ī goodnes. O how meke¦ly & obiect ought I to cōsider my selfe / how sīple / & litell be my good dedes if I haue any How {pro}foūde¦ly

ought I to submytte me to thy hy•• & depeiuge∣mentis good lorde wherin I fynde my selfe nothīg valēt & nought. O thou īmesurable weght. O thou īpassable see wherin I can nat fynde me but al peris¦shed & adnichilat / where nowe is become al wordly glory what cōfidende may I haue of al vaine glory y^• I haue be exalted by before. Lo al vayne wordly glory is vanisshed by the depnesse of thy hyd iuge∣mentis y^t thou hast shewed vpō me what is any mā in thy sight good lorde: but cley or erth. & what may clay or erthe haue any gloriacion or pride agaynste his maker he that hath his herte truly roted by loue & humbles in god may uat be extolled by no vayne flaterīge ageynst his pleasure ne he shal nat be mo¦ued by any flaterynge that putteth his hole hope in god they that vse suche flaterynge be nought & eua¦nissheth at the last with the sounde of worbes: but y^• truthe of our lorde shall alwey abyde and also they with hym that cleueth to hym.