How that a man’s affection is marvelously changed in ghostly feeling of this naught, when it is nowhere wrought.

WONDERFULLY is a man’s affection varied in ghostly feeling of this naught when it is nowhere wrought. For at the first time that a soul looked thereupon, it shall find all the special deeds of sin that ever he did since he was born, bodily or ghostly, privily or darkly painted thereupon. And howsoever that he turned it about, evermore they will appear before his eyes; until the time be, that with much hard travail, many sore sighings, and many bitter weeping, he have in great part washed them away. Sometime in this travail him think that it is to look thereupon as on hell; for him think that he despaired to win to perfection of ghostly rest out of that pairs Thus far inwards come many, but for greatness of pain that they feel and for lacking of comfort, they go back in beholding of bodily things: seeking fleshly comforts without, for lacking of ghostly they have not yet deserved, as they should if they had abided.

For he that abided feels sometime some comfort, and hath some hope of perfection; for he feeleth and seeth that many of his fordone special sins be in great part by help of grace rubbed away. Nevertheless yet ever among he feeleth pain, but he thinketh that it shall have an end, for it waxeth ever less and less. And therefore he calleth it nought else but purgatory. Sometime he can find no special sin written thereupon, but yet him think that sin is a lump, he wot never what, none other thing than himself; and then it may be called the base and the pain of the original sin. Sometime him think that it is paradise or heaven, for diverse wonderful sweetness and comforts, joys and blessed virtues that he findeth therein. Sometime him think it God, for peace and rest that he findeth therein. –Cloud of Unkowning chapter 69