nd fighteth
against them, he hath thereby a good token that he is in God's
favour, and that God assisteth him and helpeth him. And he may
make himself sure that so will God never cease to do, unless he
himself fail and fall from him first. And beside that, this
conflict that he hath against the temptation shall, if he will not
fall where he need not, be an occasion of his merit and of a right
great reward in heaven. And the pain that he taketh therein shall
for so much, as Master Gerson well showeth, stand him in stead of
his purgatory.

The manner of the fight against temptation must stand in three
things: that is, in resisting, and in contemning, and in the
invocation of help.

Resist must a man for his own part with reason, considering what a
folly it would be to fall where he need not, since he is not
driven to it in avoiding of any other pain or in hope of winning
any manner of pleasure, but contrariwise he would by that fall
lose everlasting bliss and fall into everlasting pain. And if it
were in avoiding of other great pain, yet could he avoid none so
great thereby as the one he should thereby fall into.

He must also consider that a great part of this temptation is in
effect but the fear of his own fancy, the dread that he hath lest
he shall once be driven to it. For he may be sure that (unless he
himself will, of his own folly) all the devils in hell can never
drive him to it, but his own foolish imagination may. For it
fareth in his temptation like a man going over a high bridge who
waxeth so afraid, through his own fancy, that he falleth down
indeed, when he would otherwise be able enough to pass over
without any danger. For a man upon such a bridge, if folk call
upon him, "You fall, you fall!" may fall with the fancy that he
taketh thereof; although, if folk looked merrily upon him and
said, "There is no danger therein," he would pass over the bridge
well enough--and he would not hesitate to run upon it, if it were
but a foot from the ground. So, in this temptation, the devil
findeth the man of his own foolish fancy afraid and then crieth in
the ear of his heart, "Thou fallest, thou fallest!" and maketh the
foolish man afraid that he should, at every foot, fall indeed. And
the devil so wearieth him with that continual fear, if he give the
ear of his heart to him, that at last he withdraweth his mind from
due remembrance of God, and then driveth him to that deadly
mischief indeed. Therefore, like as, ag