In the .iiij. first chapters he rehearseth the benefits of God done unto them, to provoke them to love, and his mighty deeds done above all natural power and beyond all natural capacity of faith, that they might believe God and trust in him and in his strength. And thirdly he rehearseth the fierce plagues of God upon his enemies and on them which through impatience and unbelief fell from him: partly to ⟨image 316⟩tame and abate the appetites of the flesh which alway fight against the spirit, and partly to bridle the wild raging lusts of them in whom was no spirit: that though they had no power to do good of love, yet at the lest way they should abstain from outward evil for fear of wrath and cruel vengeance which should fall upon them and shortly find them out, if they cast up God's nurture and run at riot beyond his laws and ordinances. Moreover he chargeth them to put nought to nor take ought away from God's words, but to be diligent only to keep them in remembrance and in the heart and to teach their children, for fear of forgetting. And to beware ether of making imagery or of bowing them selves unto images saying: Ye far no image when God spake unto you, but heard a voice only and that voice keep and thereunto cleave, for it is your life and it shall save you. And finally if (as the frailty of all flesh is) they shall have fallen from God and he have brought them in to trouble, adversity, and cumbrance and all necessity: yet if they repent and turn, he promiseth them that God shall remember his mercy and receive them to grace again
In the .iiij. first chaptres he reherseth the benefites of God done vnto thē, to prouoke thē to loue, ād his mightie deades done aboue all naturall power ād beyonde all naturall capacite of faith, that they might beleue God ād trust in him and in his strength. And thyrdlye he reherseth the firce plages of God vppon hys enemyes and on them which thorowe impacientie and vnbele••e fell from him: partelye to ⟨image 316⟩tame and abate the appetites of the fleshe whiche alwaye fyght agenst the spirite, and partely to bridle the wilde raginge lustes of thē in whom was no spirite: that though they had no power to do good of loue, yet at the lest waye they shulde absteyne from outwarde euell for feare of wrath and cruell vengeaunce whiche shuld fall vppon them and shortly finde them oute, yf they cast vpp goddes nurter and runne at ryotte beyonde his lawes and ordinaunces. Moreouer he chargeth them to put nought to nor take oughte awaye from goddes wordes, but to be diligent onlye to kepe them in remē braunce and in the harte and to teache theire childern, for feare of forgettinge. And to beware ether of makynge imagerye or of bowinge them selues vnto images sayenge: Ye sar•e no image when God spake vnto you, but herde avoyce onlye and that voyce kepe and therunto cleaue, for it is youre liffe and it shall saue you. And finally yf (as the frayltie of al flesh is) they shall haue fallen from God and he haue brought them in to troble, aduersyte, ād cō braunce ād all necessite: yet yf they repent and turne, he promyseth them that God shall remē bre his mercie ād receave thē to grace agayne
