ings, that thou shalt longer live.[189] For though it
may be sooth in thee in deed that thou shalt live longer, yet it is
ever in thee a false leasing for to think it before, and for to
behight[190] it to thine heart. For why, the soothfastness of this
thing is only in God, and in thee is but a blind abiding of His
will, without certainty of one moment, the which is as little or
less than a twinkling of an eye. And, therefore, if thou wilt pray
wisely as the prophet biddeth when he saith in the psalm: Psallite
sapienter;191 look that thou get thee in the beginning this very
working of dread. For, as the same prophet saith in another psalm:
Initium sapientiae timor Domini;192 that is: "The beginning of
wisdom is the dread of our Lord God." But for that there is no full
sikerness standing[193] upon dread only, for fear of sinking in to
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