horted to provide and procure himself his soul's heal by very contrition and confession — and if it be expedient for him, that shall greatly avail to his bodily heal; and so he shall be most quiet and sure.
And forasmuch, witnessing Saint Gregory, as a man hath seldom very contrition, and as Saint Austin saith also, in the fourth Book of Sentences, the twentieth distinction, and other doctors also: Repentance that is deferred, and had in a man's last end, unneth[1] is very repentance or penance sufficient to everlasting heal. And specially in them that all their time before neither the commandments of God nor their voluntary avows kept not effectually nor truly, but only feignedly and to the outward seeming.
Therefore to every such man that is in such case and is come to his last end, is to be counselled busily that he labour, with reason of his mind after his power, to have ordinate and very repentance; that is to mean — notwithstanding the sorrow and grievance of sickness, and dread that he hath of hasty death — that he use reason as much as he may, and enforce himself to have, wilfully, full displeasing of all sin, for the due end and perfect intent that is for God; and withstand his evil natural inclining to sin, though he might live longer, and also the delectations of his sins before; and labour as much as he may to have a very displeasure of them, though it be never so short. And lest he fall into despair tell him, and arm him with
- ↑ seldom
