<County: Sussex>
<Code: L5660>
<MS reference: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodley 110>
<Text: Religious prose>


<fol. 168r><lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Good men & good women our~ lord
ihesu crist techyngge his disciplus & by hem alle cristyne
þat in euery good werk ferst godus worschep & aftur-ward hele of soule
principalyche is to be desyred seyet hem in þis wyse . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> þat is to seyngge Fader our~ þat hert in heuene yhalwed
by þi name þy kyngdom be ous to-commyng werfor~ suth
no werk is of more vertu þat þe word of god skylfullyche in þe
by-gynnyngge of godus+word we schoulde desyre to worschepe
god & helpe our~ soules werfor~ suth our~ purpos at þis tyme
is to speke sumwat to þe worschep of god & help of our~ soules it is
ful skylful þat we sey & wt our~ herte desyre as crist vs halt hath y-tawyth
þat is to wyte . <lat></lat> hauyng in 3owr~ prayr~
y-recommendyd alle lyues & deþus þe wyche good wole at þis tyme
þat we haue in mynde & in special
Good men & women þus wordus þe wyche y take to speke to 3ow of
buth wrete in þe pistel of þis day & þus myche to say in 3owr~
englych tongge . jn an holy syte ich haue y-rest me . 3e schul
vnderstonde þat after þe tyme þat our~ forme faderus adam & eue
hadde trespassid in paradys a-3en godus commaundement takyng
of þe fruyt þat was hum for-bode hy wer~ iput fro rest to trauayl
& cume of þis wrechede wordle departyd fro þe kyngdom
of heuene . in to tyme þat godalmy3tty of his heulys goodnesse
& mercy chese him a place of rest in þe holy syte of our~ lady yconseyuyd
in hur~ by þe holy gost þe weche after ward y-bor~ of þt
blessyd moder her~ leuyngge a-monggus hus & after-ward
suffrynd deth for hus opnede þe 3ates of þe holy syte of
<fol. 168v>heuene partyng mankynde in rest þe weche þorw sene was broþ in
to trauayl & wo þys seynge þe wyse man & þorw grace of þe holi gost
ytau3te . jn persone of crist & forþermore of mankuynde seyth by þe wordus
þt y seyde by-for~ jn an holy sete ich haue y-rest me . Bote
frendus 3e schul vnderstonde þt þer buth þre syteys þat is to seyng
þre places þe wyche crist hath halwyd þorw vertu of his passioun
to mannus rest . On þt is wt-in vs þe wyche is mannus soule . An oþer
þat is wt-out hus þe wyche is holi chirche . þe þridde þat is aboue
vs þe wyche is heuene in blisse . furst y sey þer is a place
of reste y-halwyd wt-yn vs þat is mannus soule . We seith wel by
kyndlych reson þat euery best or brid y-pursuyd wt hys enemys drawt
hum to a place o refute if he be nat y-let as þe doer to þe park þe
fox to his hole & so of oþere rith man y-trauaylyd wt hys gostlych enemyis
þat is to seying wt þe fuynd his flesch & wordle kyndelyche
scholde desyre draw him to a place of refuyt & reste . but serte
in þis wordle vt-ward þer nys no place of so myche reste & refuyt
a-3en þes gostlyche henemyis as is mannus mynde inward
For þe wyche of þis syteys wt-inne hus may wel be gostlyche
vnderstondyng<e added above y> þat crist seyde to his disciples . Mathi~ . xo .
<lat></lat> Þat is to say . 3yf
3owre gostlyche henemyis pursu 3ow in þis syteye þat is to sey
in þis wordlych lyuygge draw 3ow in to a-noþer sytey þat is
wt-inne 3ow selue by þenkynge vp-on þe longe lif þat hath non
ende & how schort ys mannus lif & vnstabyle wordlyche wele
how large is þe wey to damnacioun þat manye goth inne & how
strait is þe wey to sauacion~ þat crist him self & alle holy hauyth
y-pas<tear>syd by-for~ hus hynne ow3 hy3 is þe blysse of
<fol. 169r>heuene to hem þat schul be sauyd how dup & dredful ys þe dom payne
of helle to hem þat schul be damnyd . þes þenkyngus ho so wel
by-þenkuth in hym self þer nys no temtacioun so gret þat a+man my3te
haue þur3 þe fend ys flesch or þe wordle þat it ne schal by-gynne
to slake . But trewlychys frendus ri3th as in a bodylyche place
y-schap to mannus reste þre þyngus buth by-houable . þat ys to
sey þat þer ben non enemyus wt-inne forþ þat it be clene & wel
y-helyd . Ry3t so gostlyche wyllyng to reste wt-in hem selue in þe
sytey of his soule þur3 holy by-þenkynge . it wer nedful furst
to loke þat gostlyche enemys if þer eny wer~ wtynne yherbor3wyd
furst wer~ y-put . þes gostlyche enemys beth dedlyche sunnus
as pride enuye . W . S . ko . l . & glotenye þe wyche in wom so euere
þey be ne suffren nat man to reste y-lyk to wykede spyritus þat
traualuth man yn body & soule . for þe wyche we reduþ of blessyde
woman marie mawdeleyne þat wan he was ordayned to reste
in god & good lyuyyngge crist put out of her~ vij fendus þe wyche
as sent gregor seyuth buth noþyng ellus but þese vij dedlyche
sunnus wt alle þe spycys þat to hem longuth in to-kne þat
ho so euere ys schapt to rest in god furst hem by-houeþ to outputte
þor3 sorue of herte & schirft of mowþe alle skynnus synnus
For þe wyche hous bydduth þe wyse man in his bok of wysdom
<lat></lat> þat ys to sey gostlyche . put out
synne & dysturbanns schal nat a-byde wt-ynne . Þe secunde þyng
þat by-longuth to reste wt-ynne vs ys clennus by þys clennus
ych vnderstonde vertuus þat hy3tuth mannus soule as gay aparel
hy3t<ill><1-2 chars></ill>th þe body . wer-for~ to þat ende þat our soule be ordayned
<fol. 169v>to resseyue god in hys reste to lyue nat onlyche it neduth synnus
to for-sake but also vertuus vse & take . þus bydduth þe profet
dauid . <lat></lat> Þat is to sey fle euel & do good
þus dude þys glorius & blesside woman our~ lady sent marye þe wyche
fly3t & wt-stode alle skynnus synnus yhy3t wt vertues for þe wyche
he in god & god in hur~ chese a place of reste . þer-for~ of hur~ speer~allyche
mow be seyd þe wordus of my teme <lat></lat>
But frendus owr~ lord ihesu crist þe wyche of hys mercy & goodnesse
chese hym a special place of reste in owr~ lady sent marie
takynge of hur~ flesche & blod for sauacion@ of man-kynde desyruth
in mannus soule to reste þru3 is grace þe wyche he hath
y-haluyd þorw vertu of hys passioun 3yf he be nat out put
þorw vnclennus of synne . wer~-for~ alle synnus for-sakynge at ensaumple
of owr~ lady & oþer holye hy3t we hus wt vertuus þat is to
seynge mekynesse a3en pride w . charite a3en enuye w . paciens
a3en wreþe wt good besynesse a3en slowþe wt almesdede
& truþe a3en kouytyse wt sobrenusse a3en glotenye & wt
chast lyuyngge a3en lecherie þat god in hus & we in hym
mow be worþy to reste for as y by-for~ seyde <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> y seyde al so by-for~ þat þe secunde sytey or place
þat god hath y-ordaynyd in herþe to mannus reste & suyrte<changed from surrte>
ys holi cherche God þat wul alle men to be saued knoynge
owr~ freyelte & redynesse to synne þat we by-gyled by þe fend
þe flesch or wordle ne be nat for owr~ synne endylyche yda@nyd
hath ordayned in herþe holi cherche to synneful mannus
sauacioun rest & refuyt þat wan so euer we veluth vs wt synne
y-gryued we draw to holy cherche þer mercy to crye & schreue
of owr~ synnus wylly to amend vs wyle we hauyth lif þys
<fol. 170r>was by-tokynd as y rede in þe olde lawe <lat></lat> were
y rede þat god bad to moyses þat he scholde ordeyne certeyne cyteys of
refuyt & reste to þys ende þat if a+ma~ hadde y-do a trespas as in hastifnesse
y-maymed a+ma@ or y-culd hym by my3t fle to on of þys cyteys
& sauy hys lif fro alle hys enemyes . Ry3t þus gostlyche euery
cristyn ma@ knowynge þat he hath in hys ynward ma@ þat is hys
soule y-woundyd wt venyal synne oþer y-slawe wt dedlyche synne . wyllynge
to saue hi@ selue fro endelys deth to þe wyche þe kynnes me@
of synne þat is þe fend & his angelus beth a-boute to brynge hym
jt helputh hym to drawe to holy+chirche þer mercy & grace of god askynge
& of hys defautys holyche . screuynge in þe wyche <add>place þt ys
to seyynge holychyrche wo so heuer~ steduastlyche þor3 parfyt</add><different hand and ink, on erasure>
by-leue stonde a3en alle hys gostlyche enemys schal be warsched
& reste fynde, werfor~ of þys cytey may wel be seyd þat y
rede & <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> þat ys to sey . <add>þer ys syteye her~ by-syde to þe whyche y may fle</add><different hand and ink, on erasure>
& be sauyd þer in . of þis cytey is is þat crist seyth in þe gostspel . jn
holy cherche ho so euere askyth þat is to sey mercy or grace he taketh .
ho so seyth [<1 word illegible>] he fyndeth & to hym þat knocketh it schal be opned .
But trewlyche many ma@ faruth now a day as þe olde sawe seith
þe ner chirche þe ferþer god; for oþer for wordly bysenysse as couytes
men & klyl<sic> on þe wordle oþer for fleschlych+lustfulnesse
as slowe me@ & ale goares . no place loþe þan holi chirche & þerfor
ofte it falluth wt sewyche þat wan þey wolde þey mow nat . for
er wt hur couytes a-blend & hope of long lif oþer wt glotenye
& dronkschep euerkome er þan þey be war þey falluth in to þe deuelus
daunger wt-out schreft & esel deynge & bestes & <add>worþylyche</add><different hand and ink, on erasure>
for it is sayd in olde sawe ho so nel nat wan he may he schal
<fol. 170v>nat wan he wolde & þer-for~ bydduth vs þe profet <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Þat is to sey sechuth god
þe wylus he may be founde askuth him þe wylus he is ny3 Good
men in þis wordle wyle haueth our~ wyttus þe wyle god ys
vs redier þorw is grace to her~ vs þan we hem to seyche þer-after
But þo3 in alle place hys my3te & hys mercy be rede to hu@
þat askuth þer-after in holi chirche namlyche þat is a place of prayer
& special reste in god it may be founde seynge crist in þe gostpel
<lat></lat>
Þe þrydde syte or place y-ordayned to mannus rest as y by-fore
seyde is þe kyngdom of heuene we seuth wel syrus þat after trauail
sewyth reste & as þe olde sawe seith after serueseschep schal a ryse
werfor~ suþe mannus lif is ordeynyd to labor & to seruise of god
in herþe reson for-3effeth þat so traualluth in godus seruise her~ schal
reste wt god ellus-wer~ þat is to sey in þe kyngdom of heuene
wytnussynge crist him self þat seith in þe gostspel <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Þat is to
sey many schul come & reste wt abraham ysaac & iacob in þe kyngdom
of heuene & trewlyche to speke of ful reste it may neuer
be founde in þis wordly lyuyynge for woþer so euer a ma@ draw
him so desese he schal fynde fort he come to þat sytey of lyf
þe wyche is clepid þe eritage of god þat seyng wel þe wyse ma@
seyth & <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> þat is to vnderstonde jn alle places y haue y-so3t
reste in þe eritage of god y schal duelle as if a seyde þe may
no ful rest be founde a ma@ to duelle inne wt-out godus eritage
þat þe kyngdom of heuene in þe wyche is hele wt-out sycnus
pays wt-out werr~ ful charite wt-out enuye & lif wt-out deth
<fol. 171r>wer-for~ þis blesside syte & ful of rest spekith a gret clerk & ys sent
austyn <lat></lat> þe blisse of þis syte þat is to seyng þe
kyngdom of heuene ys so myche & reste so ful þat if it ne wer~ luful but
for þe space of ho day þer to a-byde alle þe delytes of þe wordle ver þey neuer
so long ma@ wold for-sake þys vnderstondynge þe profet dauid wryteth
in hys boke of þis syte & seith þus <lat></lat>
Blisful þyngus buth y-seyd of þe godus syte But trwlyche fullyche to
speke þe blisse of þus syte no tongge may suffise for it passuth al
mannus wyt <lat></lat> neuer y ne sey3 ne
neuer hurde ne furþer-mor~ hurte my3te þenke so myche blisse as god hath
ordaynyd to þe þat louyuth wer-for~ ho so in þis wordle for þe loue of
god wt-drawyth hys lustus & besyuth he@ in gowde trewlyche schal rest
wt god endelyslyche in blisse seynge wt þe wyse ma@ þaty by-for~ sayde <lat></lat>