g himself as one
going out of the world even straight unto the giving up his
reckoning unto God of his sinful living. There, before an altar or
some pitiful image of Christ's bitter passion, the beholding of
which may put him in remembrance of the thing and move him to
devout compassion, let him then kneel down or fall prostrate as at
the feet of almighty God, verily believing him to be there
invisibly present, as without any doubt he is. There let him open
his heart to God and confess his faults, such as he can call to
mind, and pray God for forgiveness. Let him call to remembrance
the benefits that God hath given him, either in general among
other men or privately to himself, and give him humble hearty
thanks for them. There let him declare unto God the temptations of
the devil, the suggestions of the flesh, the occasions of the
world--and of his worldly friends, much worse many times in
drawing a man from God than are his most mortal enemies, as our
Saviour witnesseth himself where he saith, "The enemies of a man
are they that are his own familiars." There let him lament and
bewail unto God his own frailty, negligence, and sloth in
resisting and withstanding of temptation; his readiness and
proneness to fall into it. There let him lamentably beseech God,
of his gracious aid and help, to strengthen his infirmity--both to
keep him from falling and, when he by his own fault misfortuneth
to fall, then with the helping hand of his merciful grace to lift
him up and set him on his feet in the state of his grace again.
And let this man not doubt but that God heareth him and granteth
him gladly his boon.

And so, dwelling in the faithful trust of God's help, he shall
well use his prosperity, and persevere in his good profitable
business, and shall have the truth of God so compass him about
with a shield of his heavenly defence that he shall not need to
dread of the devil's arrow flying in the day of worldly wealth.

VINCENT: Forsooth, uncle, I like this good counsel well. And I
should think that those who are in prosperity and take such order
therein, may do much good both to themselves and to other folk.

ANTHONY: I beseech our Lord, cousin, to put this and better in
the mind of every man who needeth it.

And now will I touch one word or twain of the third temptation, of
which the prophet speaketh in these words: "From the business
walking in the darknesses." And then will we call for our dinner,
leaving the last te