A loveand soule hatith synne for vilehede more than all the peyn of Hell; and how the beholdyng of other mannys synne (but if it be with compassion), lettith the beholdyng of God; and the devill, be putting in remembrans our writchidness, would letten for the same; and of our slawth. Seventy-sixth Chapter.

I speke but littil of reverent drede, for I hope it may be seen in this matter afornseid. But wele I wot our Lord shewid me no soules but those that dred Him. For wele I wott the soule that trewly takith the techyng of the Holy Gost, it hatith more synne for vilehede and horibilite, than it doth all the peyne that is in Hell. For the soule that beholdith the kindenes of our Lord Jesus, it hatith non helle but synne, as to my sygte. And therefore it is Goddis will that we knowen synne, and prayen bysyly, and travellyn willfully, and sekyn teching mekely, that we fall not blindly therin; and, if we fallen, that we risen redily. For it is the most peyne that the soule may have, to turne fro God ony time be synne. The soule that will be in rest, whan other mannys synne commith to my mynde, he shall fleen it as the peyne of Helle, seking into God for remedy, for helpe agayne it. For the beholdyng of other mannys synnes, it makith, as it were, a thick myst aforne the eye of the soule, and we may not for the tyme se the fairehede of God - but if we may beholden hem with contrition with him, with compassion on him, and with holy desire to God for him.

For withouten this it noyeth and tempestith and lettith the soule that beholdith hem. For this I understode in the shewing of compassion.

In this blisfull shewing of our Lord, I have understondyng of two contaries. That one is the most wisdam that ony creture may don in this life; that other is the most foly. The most wisdam is a creature to done after the wille and councell of his heyest, sovereyn freind. This blissid freind is Jhesus, and it is His will and His councell that we holden us with Him, and festyn us to Him, homley, evermore in what state so we ben, for whether so that we ben foule or clene we arn al one in His loveing. For wele ne for wo, He will never we fleen Him.

But for the chongeabilitie that we arn in, in ourselfe we fallen often into synne. Than we have this be the stering of our enemy and be our owne foly and blyndhede. For they seien thus: Thou wittest wele thou art a wretch, a synner, and also ontrew, for thou kepist not the command; thou behotist oftentymes our Lord that thou shalt don better, and anon after, thou fallest agen in the same, namely in slauth, in lesyng of tyme. For that is the begynning of synne, as to my syghte, and namely to the creatures that have goven hem to serven our Lord with inward beholding of his blissid goodness. And this makith us adred to apear afore our curtes Lord. Than is it our enemy that will putt us on bakke with his false drede of our writchidnes, for peyne that he threatith us by, for it is his menyng to make us so hevy and so wery in this that we shuld lettyn out of mende the fair, blisfull beholdyng of our everlasting freind.