His angels
and Saints and to serve the fiend and follow his counsel with lusts and
likings and works of sin: that heart which was hallowed through the Holy
Ghost to be GOD'S temple, that was raised here above his nature to have
heavenly likings and joy with GOD, all soon makes itself loathly and
foul with foul thoughts: those ears that heard the words that it is
allowable to speak to none, open themselves to hear back-bitings and
lyings and other idle speech; those eyes that just now were baptized
with tears, open themselves to see vanities: that tongue that just now
spake to GOD in prayer, all soon with that dirty tongue, forswears,
backbites, and speaks foul words. Pray we to GOD that of His goodness He
keep us from these vices. Of GOD'S coming men may know by this that S.
Bernard says: "When thou art stirred of man in outer or inner spirit to
care for righteousness and stand up for it, to be meek and patient, to
love thy brothers in GOD, to be buxom to thy superiors, to love chastity
and cleanness in body and soul, token is it that Almighty GOD comes to
visit thy soul." If thou takest godly chastening from thy friend for thy
sin, or words that stir thee to virtues and good ways, this makes way
for and token of GOD'S coming. Then if thou puttest from thee slowness
and heaviness, and with a love-yearning likest such words; then
dear-worthy GOD thy Lord hastes Him to thee, for the desire that GOD has
to thee; kindles thy desires to have likings for such words, and makes
thee bitterly repent thy sin and amend thy life. For, at His incoming,
He wakens the soul, stirs it and softens it, and washes its wounds with
wine, and softens them with oil; that is, stirs it to repent bitterly
what it has misdone, and softens it with hope of mercy and forgiveness
of sins. He rives sin up by the roots, as a gardener does evil weeds,
and grafts good trees, and sows good seed, where the weeds grew. So does
GOD, who is called a gardener while He is in man's soul: He rives up
sins by the roots, and grafts in that soul virtues and good ways: what
was dry He bedews it with grace: what was black and mirk, He makes it
white: what was bound, He looses: what was cold, He makes warm with
love. By these stirrings, mayst thou know thy Lord is come; by stirring
of thy heart, destroying of vices, withdrawing from lusts, amending of
life, repenting misdeeds, beginning of a new man in GOD, every day more
and more. And by this mayst thou wit, when He goes