[The Pentateuch]

This is a book worthy to be read in day and night and never to be out of hands. For it is the most excellent of all the books of Moses It is easy also and light and a very pure gospel that is to wit, a preaching of faith and love: deducing the love to God out of faith, and the love of a mans neighbour out of the love of God. Herein also thou mayst learn right meditation or contemplation, which is nothing else save the calling to mind and a repeating in the heart of the glorious and wonderful deeds of God, and of his terrible handling off his enemies and merciful entreating of them that come when he calleth them which thing this book doth and almost nothing else.

THis is a boke worthye to be rede in daye and nyghte and neuer to be oute of handes. For it is the most excellent of all the bokes of Moses It is easye also and light and a very pure gospell that is to wete, a preachinge of fayth and loue: deducinge the loue to God oute of faith, and the loue of a mans neyghboure out of the loue of God. Herin also thou mayst lerne right meditacion or contemplacyon, which is nothing els saue the callynge to mynde and a repeatyng in the hert of the gloriouse ād wonderfull deades of God, and of his terreble handelinge off his enemyes and mercyfull entreating of them that come when he calleth them which thinge this boke doth and almost nothinge els.

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