The Book of the Craft of Dying/fragment
THIS FOLLOWS THE CRAFT OF DYING IN MS. BOD. 423
Have in mind that thou hast one God that made thee of nought; which hath given thee thy right wits, thy right limbs, and other worldly ease, more than to another, as thou mayst see all day — which live in much disease and great bodily mischief.[1]
Think also how sinful thou art, and were [it] not the keeping of that good Lord God, thou shouldst fall into all manner of sin, by thine own wretchedness; and then thou mayst think soothly as of thyself there is none more sinful than thou art.
Also if thou have any virtue or grace of good living, think it cometh of God's fonde[2] and nothing of thyself. Think also how long and how oft God hath suffered thee in sin. He would not take thee into damnation when thou had deserved it, but gladly hath abiden thee till thou wouldst leave sin and turn thee to goodness; for loth Him were to forsake that He bought full sore with bitter pains. And, for He would not lose thee. He became man, born of a maiden, suffering great passion and death to save thee.