Whiche aren the lymes of the ymage of synne.
The Anatomy of the Image of Sin
The author identifies the head, back, and breast of the 'image of sin' as pride, covetousness, and envy.
It's an ugly image to look at. The head is pride, for pride is the chief and first sin, as the wise man says: Initium omnis peccati superbia (Ecclesiasticus 10:15). The beginning of every kind of sin is pride. The back and the hinder part is covetousness, as Saint Paul says: Quae retro sunt obliviscens, in anteriora me extendam (Philippians 3:13).✦ I'll forget all worldly things that lie behind, and I'll stretch myself forward toward eternal things.1 The breast, where the heart is, is envy, for it's not a fleshly sin, but a devil's sin, as the wise man says: Invidia diaboli mors intravit in orbem terrarum. Imitantur illum omnes qui ex parte eius sunt (Wisdom 2:24-25).2 By the envy of the devil, death came into all the world; therefore, all who are on his side follow him in it.
The Members of the Fallen Self
The author continues the metaphor, mapping wrath, gluttony, lechery, and sloth to the limbs and extremities of the image.
Its arms are wrath, inasmuch as a person takes revenge with the arms of his wrath, against Christ's forbidding in the Gospel: Si quis percusserit te in unam maxillam, prebe sibi et alteram (Matthew 5:39).✦ If a man strikes you on one cheek with his hand, you must not strike him back, but offer him the other cheek. The belly of this image is gluttony, as Saint Paul says: Esca ventri, et venter escis; deus hunc et has destruet (1 Corinthians 6:13).✦ Food is for the belly, and the belly is for food; but God will destroy both the belly and the food. That will happen at the very end, during the full reforming of the chosen and the judging of the reprobate.3 Its members are lechery, of which Saint Paul says: Non exhibeatis membra vestra arma iniquitatis ad peccatum (Romans 6:13).✦ You must not offer your members—especially your private parts—as weapons for sin.✦ The feet of this image are sloth, and therefore the wise man says to the sluggard, to stir him to good works: Discurre, festina, suscita amicum tuum (Proverbs 6:3).✦4
Awakening from Sloth
The author concludes with a call to action, urging the reader to overcome sloth through prayer and meditation on Jesus.
In other words, be quick to do good works and push yourself hard, because time is passing; and lift up your friend, who is Jesus, through devout prayer and meditation.✦
Read the original Latin
Thanne is this an uggli ymage for to loke upon. The heed is pride, for pride is principal and the firste synne, as the wise man seith: Inicium omnis peccati superbia (Ecclesiasticus 10:15). The bigynnynge of al maner synne is pride. The baak and the hyndre part of it is coveitise, as Seynt Poul seith: Que retro sunt obliviscens, in anteriora me extendam (Philippians 3:13). I schal forgete alle wordli thynges whiche aren bakward, and I schal strike me forward to endelees thynges. The brest, in whiche is the herte, is envie, for it is noo fleischli synne, but it is a develis synne, as the wise man seith: Invidia diaboli mors intravit in orbem terrarum. Imitantur illum omnes qui ex parte eius sunt (Wisdom 2:24-25). Bi envie of the devil deeth com into al the world; forthi al thoo that aren of his part folwen hym thereinne.
The armes of it aren wraththe, in as moche as a man wreketh hym with his armes of his wraththe, agens Cristis forbedynge in the Gospel: Si quis percusserit te in unam maxillam, prebe sibi et alteram (Matthew 5:39). Yif a man smyte thee upon the ton cheke with his hond, thou schalt not smyte hym agen, but offre hym that othir cheke. The beli of this image is glotonye, as Seynt Poul seith: Esca ventri, et venter escis; deus hunc et has destruet (1 Corinthians 6:13). Mete serveth to the beli, and the beli serveth for to gete mete; but God schal distroie bothe the beli and the mete. That schal be in the laste ende, in the fulle reformynge of chosene, and in the demynge of the reproved. The membris of hit aren leccherie, of the whiche Seynt Poul seith thus: Non exhibeatis membra vestra arma iniquitatis ad peccatum (Romans 6:13). Yee schullen not gyve youre membres, speciali youre pryvé membres, to be armes to synne. The feet of this ymage aren accidie, and therfore the wise man seith to the slowe for to stire him to goode werkis thus: Discurre, festina, suscita amicum tuum (Proverbs 6:3).
That is to seie, renne quykli aboute to good werkes, and haste thee swithe, for the tyme passeth; and reise up thi freend, whiche is Jhesu, bi devoute praier and meditacioun.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Phil.3.13 — Brothers, I do not yet consider myself to have taken hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
- ↩Matt.5.39 — But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
- ↩1Cor.6.13 — Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food — but God will do away with both of them. The body, however, is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
- ↩Rom.6.13 — And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
- ↩Rom.6.13 — And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
- ↩Prov.6.3 — So do this, my son, and deliver yourself, for you have come into the power of your neighbor. Go, press your plea, and urge your neighbor.
- ↩Prov.6.3 — So do this, my son, and deliver yourself, for you have come into the power of your neighbor. Go, press your plea, and urge your neighbor.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'strike me forward' renders Latin extendam: stretch/press myself forward, not strike a blow.
- 2 ↩Latin scriptural continuation kept as quoted; sense is expanded in the next sentence: all who are of the devil's party imitate him.
- 3 ↩Source 'reformynge' is Hilton's technical language for the restoration of the soul's image; rendered 'reforming' to keep that force rather than a looser 'renewal'.
- 4 ↩Source 'accidie' is the technical term (acedia); rendered 'sloth' for modern readability while keeping the deadly-sin sense.
Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection) companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent