Whereof the image of Jhesu is maad, and the ymage of synne and hou we aren passynge
The Image of Sin vs. The Image of Christ
The author contrasts the unstable, fleshly image of the fallen Adam with the virtuous image of the heavenly Christ.
forward by the image of sin. This is not the image of Jesus, but it's more like an image of the devil; for the image of Jesus is made of virtues with humility, perfect love, and charity. But this image is one of false, fleshly lust for yourself, with all these members attached to it. You carry this image with you—as does everyone, whoever they may be—until by the grace of Jesus it is partially destroyed and broken down. This seems to be what David says in the Psalter: Verumptamen in ymagine pertransit homo; sed et frustra conturbatur (Psalms 38:7).✦ That is to say, though a person was made at the beginning in the image of God, stable and steadfast, nevertheless because of sin he first lives out his life in this world in this image of sin, by which he is unstable and troubled in vain. Saint Paul also speaks of this image this way: Sicut portavimus ymaginem terreni hominis, sic portemus ymaginem celestis hominis (1 Corinthians 15:49).✦ That is to say, if we want to reach the love of God, just as we have previously borne the image of the earthly man—that is, of the first Adam, which is this image of sin—so now may we bear the image of the heavenly man, Jesus, which is the image of virtues.
Crucifying the Old Self
The believer is called to actively mortify the fleshly desires and the 'image of sin' by imitating Christ's sacrifice.
What, then, should you do with this image of sin? I answer you with the words the Jews said to Pilate about Christ: 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him!'1 (John 19:15).✦ Take this body of sin and put it on the Cross—that is, break down this image and kill the false love of sin in yourself. As Christ's body was slain for our trespass, so you must, if you want to be like Christ, kill your bodily feeling and fleshly lust in yourself.2 As Saint Paul said: Those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its vices and desires (Galatians 5:24).✦ You who are Christ's followers have crucified and slain your flesh—that is, the image of sin—with all its lusts and disordered pleasures.3
Putting on the New Man
The author provides a list of virtues to replace vices and concludes with an exhortation to rely on Jesus for the strength to transform.
Then kill and break down pride, and set up meekness; also break down anger and envy, and raise up love and charity toward your fellow Christian; also, in place of covetousness, poverty of spirit; in place of sloth, fervor of devotion with a glad readiness for every good deed; and in place of gluttony and lechery, sobriety and chastity in body and soul.✦ So Saint Paul counsels when he said: Deponentes veterem hominem cum suis actibus, qui corrumpitur secundum desideria erroris; et induite novum hominem, qui secundum deum creatus est in sanctitate et iusticia (Ephesians 4:22, 24).✦ You must put down the old man — that is, the image of the old Adam with all his members — for he is rotten in the desires of error; and you must form yourselves and clothe yourselves in a new man, which is the image of God, through holiness and righteousness and the fullness of the virtues.✦ Who will help you break down this image? Truly, your Lord Jesus. In His power and in His name, you will break down the idol of sin. Pray to Him earnestly and desire Him, and He will help you.
Read the original Latin
forth by the image of synne.
This is not the ymage of Jhesu, but it is likere an image of the devyl; for the ymage of Jhesu is maad of vertues with mekenesse, parfite love, and charité. But this ymage is of fals fleschli luste to thisilf, with alle thise membris festned therto. This ymage berist thou aboute, and eche man, what that he be, until bi the grace of Jhesu it be sumdel destroied and broken doun. Thus it semeth that David seith in the sautier: Verumptamen in ymagine pertransit homo; sed et frustra conturbatur (Psalms 38:7). This is for to seie, though it so were that a man were maad in the bigynnynge to the ymage of God, stable and stidefast, neveretheles bicause of synne he firste passith lyvynge in this world, in this image of synne, bi the whiche he is unstable and trobiled in veyn. Also Seynt Poule speketh of this ymage thus: Sicut portavimus ymaginem terreni hominis, sic portemus ymaginem celestis hominis (1 Corinthians 15:49). That is to seie, yif we wolen come to the love of God, as we have bore bifore the ymage of the ertheli man, that is of the first Adam, that is this ymage of synne, right so now that we myght bere the ymage of the heveneli man Jhesu, whiche is the image of vertues.
What schalt thou thanne doo with this ymage of synne? Unto this I answere thee bi the word that the Jewes seiden to Pilat of Crist: Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum! (John 19:15). Take this bodi of synne and doo hym on the Cros, that is for to seie, breke doun this image and slee the fals love of synne in thisilf. As Cristis bodi was slayn for oure trespace, right so thee bihoveth, yif thou wole be like to Crist, slee thi bodili feelynge and fleschli luste in thisilf. Thus seid Seynt Poul: Qui autem Christi sunt, carnem suam crucifixerunt cum viciis et concupiscenciis (Galatians 5:24). Ye that aren Cristis folweres have crucified and slayn here fleisch, that is the image of synne, with alle the lustis and the unskilful likynges of it.
Slee thanne and breke doun pride and sette up mekenesse; also breke doun ire and envie and reise up love and charité to thyn even Cristene; also in stide of coveitise, poverté in spirite; in stide of accidie, fervour of devocioun with a glaad redynesse to alle good deedes; and in stide of glotonye and leccherie, sobirté and chastité in bodi and in soule. Thus counceileth Seynt Poul whanne he seid thus: Deponentes veterem hominem cum suis actibus, qui corrumpitur secundum desideria erroris; et induite novum hominem, qui secundum deum creatus est in sanctitate et iusticia (Ephesians 4:22, 24). Ye schal put doun the olde man, that is the ymage of the olde Adam with alle his membris, for he is roten in desires of errour, and ye schal schape you and clothe you in a newe man, whiche is the ymage of God, bi holynesse and rightwisenesse and fulheed of vertues. Who schal helpe thee to breke doun this ymage? Sothli thi Lorde Jhesu. In the vertue and in the name of Hym schal thou breke doun the mawmet of synne. Prai Hym bisili, and desire, and He schal helpe thee.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.38.7 — I am bent over, I am bowed down greatly; all day long I go about in mourning.
- ↩1Cor.15.49 — And just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we will also bear the image of the heavenly one.
- ↩John.19.15 — So they cried out, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."
- ↩Gal.5.24 — And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- ↩Matt.5.3 — Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- ↩Eph.4.22 — you were taught to put off your former way of life, the old self, which is being corrupted according to the desires of deceit;
- ↩Eph.4.22-Eph.4.24 — you were taught to put off your former way of life, the old self, which is being corrupted according to the desires of deceit; Eph.4.23 — and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, Eph.4.24 — and put on the new self, created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Notes
- 1 ↩Hilton reuses the crowd's cry against Christ (Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum) as a command to put the image of sin to death—not as approval of the crucifixion itself.
- 2 ↩ME 'bodili feelynge' is rendered as 'bodily feeling' (sensual appetite/sensation), paired with 'fleschli luste' as fleshly lust; not mere emotion in a modern psychological sense.
- 3 ↩ME 'unskilful likynges' means irrational/disordered delights (likings without right reason), not modern 'unskilled'; rendered as 'disordered pleasures'.
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