over much heaviness, therefore shalt thou knit to thy first thought
this other thought that followeth. Thou shalt think steadfastly that
if thou may, through the grace of God, distinctly pronounce the
words of that prayer, and win to the end thereof, or if thou die
before thou come to the end, so that thou do that in thee is, that
then it shall be accepted of thee unto God, as a full aseeth[194] of
all thy recklessness from the beginning of thy life unto that
moment. I mean thus: standing that thou hast before time, after thy
conning and thy conscience, lawfully amended thee after the common
ordinance of holy Church in confession; this short prayer, so little
as it is, shall be accepted of thee unto God for thy full salvation,
if thou then didst die, and to the great increase of thy perfection,
if thou didst live longer. This is the goodness of God, the which,
as the prophet saith, forsaketh none that truly trusteth in Him with
will of amendment;[195] and sith that all amendment standeth in
two--that is, in leaving of evil and doing of good--means to get
these two are none readier than the ghostly working of these two
thoughts touched before. For what reaveth from a soul[196] more
readily the affection of sinning, than doth a true working of dread
of death? And what moveth a soul[197] more fervently to working of
good, than doth a certain hope in the mercy and the goodness of God,
the which is brought in by this second thought? For why, the ghostly
feeling of this second thought, when it is thus truly joined to the
first, shall be to thee a sure staff of hope to hold thee by in all
thy good doings. And by this staff thou mayst sikerly climb in to
the high mount of perfection, that is to say, to the perfect love of
God; though all this beginning be imperfect, as thou shalt hear
after. For, what for the general sight that thou hast of the mercy
and of the goodness of God, and this special experience that thou
feelest of His mercy and His goodness in this acceptation of this