The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church Part 23

{402} DOMINICA XI. POST PENTECOSTEN.

c.u.m adpropinquaret Iesus Hierusalem: et reliqua.

"On sumere tide waes se Haelend farende to Hierusalem: aa he genealaehte aere ceastre and he hi geseah, a weop he ofer hi:" et reliqua.

Gregorius se trahtnere cwae, aet se Haelend beweope aere ceastre toworpennysse, e gelamp aefter his rowunge, for aere wrace heora mandaeda, aet hi one heofenlican aeeling manfullice acwellan woldon. He spraec mid woplicre stemne, na to am weorc-stanum, oe to aere getimbrunge, ac spraec to am ceastergewarum, a he mid faederlicere lufe besarG.o.de, foran e he wiste heora forwyrd hraedlice toweard. Feowertig geara fyrst G.o.des mildheortnys forlet am waelhreowum ceastergewarum to behreowsunge heora mandaeda, ac hi ne gymdon nanre daedbote, ac maran mandaeda gefremedon, swa aet hi oftorfodon mid stanum one forman G.o.des cyere Stephanum, and Iacob.u.m, Iohannes broer, beheafdodon. Eac one rihtwisan Iacob.u.m hi ascufon of am temple, and acwealdon, and ehtnysse on a ore apostolas setton. Seo G.o.des gelaung, e on aere byrig, aefter Cristes rowunge, under am rihtwisan Iacobe drohtnigende waes, ferde eal samod of aere byrig to anre wic wi a ea Iordanen; foran e him com to G.o.des h?s, aet hi sceoldon fram aere manfullan stowe faran, aeram e seo wracu come. G.o.d a oncneow aet a Iudeiscan nanre d?dbote ne gymdon, ac ma and ma heora mandaeda geyhton: sende him a to Romanisc folc, and hi ealle fordyde.

Uespasia.n.u.s hatte se casere, e on am dagum geweold ealles middangeardes cynedomes. Se asende his sunu t.i.tum to oferwinnenne a earman Iudeiscan. a gelamp hit swa aet hi waeron gesamnode binnan aere byrig Hierusalem, six hund usend manna, swylce on anum cwearterne beclysede; and hi wurdon a utan ymbsette mid Romanisc.u.m here swa lange aet aer fela usenda mid hungre wurdon acwealde; and for aere menigu man ne mihte hi bebyrigan, ac awurpon {404} a lic ofer one weall. Sume eah for maeiglicre sibbe hi bebyrigan woldon, ac hi hraedlice for maegenleaste swulton. Gif hwa hwaet lytles aeniges bigwistes him sylfum gearcode, him scuton sona to reaferas, and one mete him of am mue abrudon. Sume hi cuwon heora gesc, sume heora haetera, sume streaw, for aere micclan angsumnysse aes hatan hungres. Hit nis na gedafenlic aet we on isum halgan G.o.dspelle ealle a sceamlican yrmu gereccan e gelumpon am ymbsettum Iudeisc.u.m, aeran e hi on hand gan woldon. Wear a se maesta dael aera arleasra mid am bysmerlic.u.m hungre adyd, and a lafe aes hungres ofsloh se Romanisca here, and a burh grundlunga towurpon, swa aet aer ne belaf stan ofer stane, swa swa se Haelend ?r mid wope gewiteG.o.de. aera cnapena e binnan syxtyne geara ylde waeron, hund-nigontig usenda hi tosendon to gehwylc.u.m leodscipum to eowte, and on am earde ne belaf nan ing aes awyrgedan cynnes. s...o...b..rh wear syan on ore stowe getimbrod, and mid am Sarascenisc.u.m gesett.

Se Haelend geswutelode for hwilc.u.m intingan eos tostencednys aere byrig gelumpe, aa he cwae, "Foran e u ne oncneowe one timan inre geneosunge." He geneosode a buruhware urh his menniscnysse, ac hi naeron his gemyndige, naor ne urh lufe ne urh ege. Be aere gymeleaste spraec se witega mid ceorigendre stemne, us cweende, "Storc and swalewe heoldon one timan heora to-cymes, and is folc ne oncneow G.o.des dom." Drihten cwae to aere byrig, "Gif u wistest hwaet e toweard is, onne weope u mid me.

Witodlice on isum daege u wunast on sibbe, ac a toweardan wraca sind nu bediglode fram inum eagum." s...o...b..ruhwaru waes wunigende on woruldlicere sibbe, aa heo orsorhlice waes undereodd flaesclic.u.m l.u.s.tum, and hwonlice hoG.o.de ymbe a toweardan yrma, e hyre a-gyt bediglode waeron. Gif heo aere yrme forewittig waere, ne mihte heo mid orsorgum mode aere gesundfulnysse andweardes lifes brucan.

{406} Drihten adraefde of am temple a cpmen, us cweende, "Hit is awriten, aet min hus is gebed-hus, and ge hit habba gedon sceaum to screafe." aet tempel waes G.o.de gehalG.o.d, to his enungum and lofsangum, and to gebedum am geleaffullum; ac a gytsigendan ealdor-biscopas geafedon aet aer cyping binnan gehaefd waere. Drihten, aa he aet unriht geseah, he worhte ane swipe of rapum, and hi ealle mid gebeate ut-ascynde. eos todraefednys getacnode a toweardan toworpennysse urh one Romaniscan here, and se hryre gelamp swyost urh gyltas aera ealdor-biscopa e, binnan am temple wunigende, mid gehywedre halignysse aes folces lac underfengon, and aera manna ehton e butan lace aet tempel gesohton. Hwaet waes aet tempel buton swylce sceaena scraef, aa a ealdor-biscopas mid swylcere gytsunge gefyllede waeron, and a leaslican ceapas binnan am G.o.des huse geafedon?

Hit is on orum G.o.dspelle awriten, aet aer saeton myneteras, and aer waeron gecype hryeru, and scep, and culfran. On am dagum, aefter gesetnysse aere ealdan ?, man offrode hryeru, and scep, and culfran, for getacnunge Cristes rowunge: a tihte seo gitsung a sacerdas aet man illic orf aer to ceape haefde, gif hwa feorran come, and wolde his lac G.o.de offrian, aet he on gehendnysse to bicgenne gearu haefde. Drihten a adraefde illice cypan of am halgan temple, foran e hit naes to nanum ceape araered, ac to gebedum.

"Him a to genealaehton blinde and healte, and he hi gehaelde, and waes laerende aet folc daeghwomlice binnan am temple." Se mildheorta Drihten, e laet scinan his sunnan ofer a rihtwisan and unrihtwisan gelice, and sent renas and eorlice waestmas G.o.dum and yfelum, nolde ofteon his lare am wyrum Iudeisc.u.m, foran e manega waeron G.o.de betwux am yfelan, e mid aere lare gebeterode waeron, eah e a wyran hyre wicwaedon. He eac mid wundrum a lare getrymde, aet a gecorenan y geleaffulran waeron: and a wiercorenan nane beladunge nabba, foran e hi ne {408} urh G.o.dcunde tacna, ne urh liflice lare, am sofaestan Haelende gelyfan noldon. Nu cwy se eadiga Gregorius, aet heora toworpennys haef sume gelicnysse to gehwilc.u.m wyrlic.u.m mannum, e blissia on yfel-daedum, and on am wyrstan ingum faegnia. Swilcera manna besarga se mildheorta Drihten daeghwomlice, see a a losigendlican buruhware mid tearon bem?nde. Ac gif hi oncneowon a genierunge e him onsih, hi mihton hi sylfe mid sarigendre stemne heofian.

Solice aere losigendlican sawle belimp es aefterfiligenda cwyde, "On ysum daege u wunast on sibbe, ac seo towearde wracu is nu bediglod fram inum eagum." Witodlice seo wyre sawul is on sibbe wunigende on hire daege, onne heo on gewitendlicere tide blissa, and mid wurmyntum bi up-ahafen, and on hwilwendlic.u.m bric.u.m bi ungefoh, and on flaesclic.u.m l.u.s.tum bi tolysed, and mid nanre fyrhte aes toweardan wites ne bi geegsod, ac bedygela hire sylfre a aefterfiligendan yrma; foran gif heo embe a smea, onne bi seo woruldlice bliss mid aere smeagunge gedrefed. Heo haef onne sibbe on hire daege, onne heo nele a andweardan myrhe gew?can mid nanre care aere toweardan ungesaele, ac gae mid beclysedum eagum to am witnigendlic.u.m fyre. Seo sawul e on as wisan nu drohtna, heo is to geswencenne onne a rihtwisan blissia; and ealle a ateorigendlican ing, e heo nu to sibbe and blisse tala, beo hire onne to byternysse and to ceaste awende; foran e heo micele sace wi hi sylfe haef, hwi heo a genierunge, e heo onne ola, nolde aer on life mid aenigre carfulnysse foresceawian. Be am is awriten, "Eadig bi se man e symle bi forhtigende; and solice se heardmoda befyl on yfel." Eft on ore stowe mynega aet halige gewrit, "On eallum inum weorc.u.m beo u gemyndig ines endenextan daeges, and on ecnysse u ne syngast."

Seo halige raeding cwy, "Se tyma cym aet ine fynd e ymbsitta mid ymbtrymminge, and e on aelce healfe {410} genyrwia, and to eoran e astrecca, and ine bearn samod e on e sind." aera sawla fynd sind a h.e.l.lican gastas e besitta aes mannes forsi, and his sawle, gif heo fyrenful bi, to aere geferr?dene heora agenre genierunge mid micelre angsumnysse laedan willa. a deoflu aeteowia aere synfullan sawle aeger ge hyre yfelan geohtas, and a derigendlican spraeca, and a manfullan daeda, and hi mid maenigfealdum reatungum geangsumia, aet heo on am forsie oncnawe mid hwilc.u.m feondum heo ymbset bi, and eah nan ut-faer ne gemet, hu heo am feondlic.u.m gastum ofleon mage. To eoran heo bi astreht urh hire scylda oncnawennysse, onne se lichama e heo on leofode to duste bi formolsnod. Hire bearn on deae hreosa, onne a unalyfedlican geohtas, e heo nu acen, beo on aere endenextan wrace eallunga toworpene, swa swa se sealm-sceop be am gyddigende sang, "Nella ge getruwian on ealdormannum, ne on manna bearnum, on am nis nan h?l. Heora gast gewit, and hi to eoran gehwyrfa, and on am daege losia ealle heora geohtas."

Solice on am G.o.dspelle fylig, "And hi ne forl?ta on e stan ofer stane." aet wyre mod, onne hit gehp yfel ofer yfele, and wyrnysse ofer wyrnysse, hwaet de hit buton swilce hit lecge stan ofer stane? Ac onne seo sawul bi to hire witnunge gelaed, onne bi eal seo getimbrung hire smeagunge toworpen; foran e heo ne oncneow a tid hire geneosunge. On manegum gemetum geneosa se aelmihtiga G.o.d manna sawla; hwiltidum mid lare, hwilon mid wundrum, hwilon mit untrumnyssum; ac gif heo as geneosunga forgymeleasa, am feondum heo bi betaeht on hire geendunge, to ecere witnunge, am e heo ?r on life mid healic.u.m leahtrum gehyrsumode. onne beo a hire witneras on aere h.e.l.lican susle, a e ?r mid mislic.u.m l.u.s.tum hi to am leahtrum forspeonon.

Drihten eode into am temple, and mid swipe a cypan ut-adraefde. a cypmen binnon am temple getacnodon {412} unrihtwise lareowas on G.o.des gelaunge.

aer waeron gecype oxan, and scep, and culfran, and aer saeton myneteras. Oxa teola his hlaforde, and se lareow syl oxan on G.o.des cyrcan, gif he begae his hlafordes teolunga, aet is, gif he boda G.o.dspel his undereoddum, for eorlic.u.m gestreonum, and na for G.o.dcundre lufe. Mid sceapum he manga, gif he dysigra manna herunga cep on arfaestum weorc.u.m. Be swylc.u.m cwae se Haelend, "Hi underfengon edlean heora weorca;" aet is se hlisa idelre herunge, e him gecweme waes.

Se lareow bi culfran cypa, e nele a gife, e him G.o.d forgeaf butan his geearnungum, orum mannum butan sceattum nytte don; swa swa Crist sylf taehte, "Butan ceape ge underfengon a gife, sylla hi orum butan ceape."

Se e mid gehywedre halignysse him sylfum teola on G.o.des gelaunge, and nateshwon ne cara ymbe Cristes teolunge, se bi untwylice mynet-cypa getalod. Ac se Haelend todraef swylce cypan of his huse, onne he mid genierunge fram geferraedene his gecorenra hi totwaem.

"Min hus is gebed-hus, and ge hit habba gedon sceaum to scraefe." Hit getima forwel oft aet a wyran bec.u.ma to micclum hade on G.o.des gelaunge, and hi onne gastlice ofslea mid heora yfelnysse heora undereoddan, a e hi sceoldon mid heora benum geliffaestan. Hwaet sind yllice buton sceaan? Anes gehwilces geleaffulles mannes mod is G.o.des hus, swa swa se apostol cwae, "G.o.des tempel is halig, aet ge sind." Ac aet mod ne bi na gebed-hus, ac sceaena scraef, gif hit forlys unscaeignysse and bilewitnysse sore halignysse, and mid wyrlic.u.m geohtum hoga orum dara.

"And he waes taecende daeghwomlice binnan am temple." Crist laerde a aet folc on his andweardnysse, and he laer nu daeghwomlice geleaffulra manna mod mid G.o.dcundre lare smeaancellice, aet hi yfel forbugon and G.o.d gefremman. Ne bi na fulfremedlic am gelyfedan aet he yfeles geswice, buton he G.o.d gefremme. Se eadiga Gregorius cwae, "Mine gebroru, ic wolde eow ane lytle race gereccan, seo maeig earle eower mod getimbrian, gif ge mid gymene hi gehyran {414} wylla. Sum aeelboren mann waes on aere scire Ualeria, se waes gehaten Crisaurius, se waes swa micclum mid leahtrum afylled swa micclum swa he waes mid eorlic.u.m welum gewelG.o.d. He waes tounden on modignysse, and his flaesclic.u.m l.u.s.tum undereod, and mid ungefohre gytsunge ontend. Ac aa G.o.d gemynte his yfelnysse to geendigenne, a wear he geuntrumod, and to forsie gebroht. a on aere ylcan tide e he geendian sceolde, a beseah he up, and stodon him abutan swearte gastas, and mid micclum reate him onsigon, aet hi his sawle on am forsie mid him to h.e.l.lic.u.m clysungum gegripon. He ongann a bifian and blacian, and ungefohlice swaetan, and mid micclum hreame fyrstes biddan, and his sunu Maximus, one ic geseah munuc syan, mid gedrefedre stemne clypode, and cwae, Min cild, Maxime, gehelp min; onfoh me on inum geleafan: naes ic e derigende on aenigum ingum. Se sunu a Maximus mid micclum heofe gedrefed, him to com. He wand a swa swa wurm; ne mihte geolian a egeslican gesihe aera awyrgedra gasta. He wende hine to wage, aer hi him aetwaeron; he wende eft ongean, aer he hi funde.

aa he swa swie geancsumod his sylfes orwene waes, a hrymde he mid micelre stemne, and us cwae, Laeta me fyrst o to merigen, huru-inga fyrst o to merigen: ac mid isum hreame a blacan fynd tugon a sawle of am lichaman, and aweg gelaeddon." Be am is swutol, aet seo gesih him wear aeteowod for ora manna beterunge, na for his agenre. La hwaet fremode him, eah e he on forsie a sweartan gastas gesawe, onne he ne moste aes fyrstes habban e he gewilnode? Ac uton we beon carfulle, aet ure tima mid ydelnysse us ne losige, and we onne to wel-daedum gecyrran willan, onne us se dea to forsie gereata.

u, aelmihtiga Drihten, gemiltsa us synfullum, and urne forsi swa gefada, aet we, gebettum synnum, aefter isum frecenfullum life, inum halgum geferlaehte beon moton. Sy e lof and wuldor on ealra worulda woruld. Amen.

{403} THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

c.u.m adpropinquaret Jesus Hierusalem: et reliqua.

"On a time Jesus was going to Jerusalem: when he came near to the city and saw it, he wept over it," etc.

Gregory the expounder said, that Jesus bewailed the overthrow of the city, which happened after his pa.s.sion, in vengeance of their crimes, because they would sinfully slay the heavenly Prince. He spake with weeping voice, not to the work-stones, nor to the building, but spake to the inhabitants, whom he bewailed with fatherly love, because he knew that their destruction was speedily to take place. A s.p.a.ce of forty years the mercy of G.o.d left the cruel inhabitants for repentance of their crimes, but they cared for no penitence, but perpetrated greater crimes, so that they slew with stones Stephen, the first martyr of G.o.d, and beheaded James, the brother of John.

The righteous James also they thrust from the temple, and slew, and raised persecution against the other apostles. The congregation of G.o.d which, after Christ's pa.s.sion, was continuing in the city under the righteous James, went all together from the city to a village on the river Jordan; for G.o.d's command had come to them, that they should go from the wicked place, ere the vengeance came. G.o.d knew then that the Jews cared for no penitence, but more and more increased their crimes: he therefore sent to them the Roman people, and they ruined them all.

Vespasian the emperor was called, who in those days ruled the kingdom of the whole world. He sent his son t.i.tus to conquer the miserable Jews. It then so happened that they were a.s.sembled within the city of Jerusalem, six hundred thousand men, enclosed as it were in a prison; and they were surrounded without by the Roman army so long that many thousands were killed by hunger; and they could not bury them by reason of the number, but cast the corpses over the {405} wall. Some, however, would bury them for the sake of kins.h.i.+p, but they soon died from weakness. If any one had provided any little sustenance for himself, robbers would suddenly rush on him, and pull the meat from his mouth. Some chewed their shoes, some their garments, some straw, for the great anguish of hot hunger. It is not fitting that we, in this holy gospel, recount all the shameful miseries which befell the besieged Jews before they would yield. The greater part of the wicked ones was then destroyed by the ignominious famine, and the Roman host slew the leavings of the famine, and razed the city to the ground, so that there remained not stone over stone, as Jesus had erewhile with weeping prophesied. Of boys who were within sixteen years of age, they sent ninety thousand to all nations in slavery, and in the country there remained nothing of the accursed race. The city was afterwards built in another place, and peopled with Saracens.

Jesus showed for what cause this dispersion of the city happened, when he said, "Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." He visited the inhabitants in his humanity, but they were not mindful of him, neither by love nor by fear. Of that heedlessness the prophet spake with lamenting voice, thus saying, "The stork and the swallow keep the time of their coming, and this people knew not the doom of G.o.d." The Lord said to the city, "If thou knewest what is to befall thee, then wouldst thou weep with me. Verily on this day thou dwellest in peace, for the vengeances to come are now hidden from thine eyes." The inhabitants were dwelling in worldly peace, while they were heedlessly subservient to fleshly l.u.s.ts, and little thought of the miseries to come, which were yet hidden from them. If they had been foreknowing of that misery, they could not with heedless mind have enjoyed the prosperity of the present life.

{407} The Lord drove the chapmen from the temple, thus saying, "It is written, that my house is a house of prayer, and ye have made it a den for thieves." The temple was hallowed to G.o.d, for his services, and songs of praise, and prayers of the faithful; but the covetous high-priests allowed chapping to be held therein. The Lord, when he saw that wickedness, made a scourge of ropes, and with beating hurried them all out. This dispersion betokened the future destruction by the Roman army, and the ruin happened chiefly through the sins of the high-priests, who, dwelling within the temple, with pretended holiness received the people's offerings, and persecuted those men who sought the temple without offerings. What was that temple but, as it were, a den of thieves, when the chief priests were filled with such covetousness, and allowed false bargains within the house of G.o.d? It is written in another gospel, that there sat moneyers, and there were oxen for sale, and sheep, and doves. In those days, according to the inst.i.tute of the old law, they offered oxen, and sheep, and doves, in token of Christ's pa.s.sion: then covetousness stimulated the priests to have such animals there for sale, that, if any one came from afar, and would offer his gift to G.o.d, he might have it ready at hand to buy. The Lord then drove such chapmen from the holy temple, because it was not raised for any trading, but for prayers.

"Then the blind and the halt drew near unto him, and he healed them, and was teaching the folk daily within the temple." The merciful Lord, who lets his sun s.h.i.+ne over the righteous and unrighteous alike, and sends rains and earthly fruits to the good and evil, would not withdraw his instruction from the perverse Jews, because many were good among the evil, who were bettered by that instruction, although the perverse opposed it. He also confirmed his instruction by miracles, that the chosen might be the more believing: and the rejected shall have no excuse, because they neither by divine {409} signs, nor by vital lore, would believe in the true Saviour.

Now the blessed Gregory says, that their desolation has some likeness to all perverse men, who exult in evil deeds, and rejoice in the worst things.

Such men the merciful Lord bewails daily, who then the peris.h.i.+ng townsfolk with tears bemoaned. But if they knew the condemnation that hangs over them, they would themselves lament with sorrowing voice.

Verily this following sentence applies to the peris.h.i.+ng soul, "On this day thou dwellest in peace, for the vengeance to come is now hidden from thine eyes." The perverse soul is indeed dwelling in peace in its day, when in transient time it rejoices, and is exalted with dignities, and in temporary enjoyments is immoderate, and is dissolved in fleshly l.u.s.ts, and is awed by no fear of future punishment, but hides from itself the miseries following after; because if it reflect on them, then will worldly bliss be troubled by that reflection. It has then peace in its day, when it will not afflict the present mirth with any care for the future unhappiness, but goes with closed eyes to the penal fire. The soul which in this wise now lives, shall be afflicted when the righteous rejoice; and all the perishable things, which it now accounts as peace and bliss, shall then be turned for it to bitterness and strife; for it will have great contention with itself, why it would not before in life with any carefulness foresee the condemnation which it then is suffering. Concerning which it is written, "Blessed is the man who is ever fearing; and verily the hardened shall fall into evil."

Again in another place holy writ admonishes, "In all thy works be thou mindful of thy last day, and in eternity thou wilt not sin."

The holy lesson says, "The time cometh that thy foes shall encompa.s.s thee with a leaguer, and shall straiten thee on {411} every side, and shall prostrate thee to earth, together with thy children which are in thee." The foes of the soul are the h.e.l.lish spirits which beset a man's departure, and with great tribulation will lead his soul, if it be sinful, to the fellows.h.i.+p of their own d.a.m.nation. The devils show to the sinful soul its evil thoughts, and pernicious speeches, and wicked deeds, and with manifold reproaches afflict it, that on its departure it may know by what foes it is beset, and yet find no outlet whereby it may flee from the hostile spirits.

To earth it shall be prostrated by a knowledge of its sins, when the body in which it lived shall be rotted to dust. Its children shall fall in death, when the unallowed thoughts, which it now gives birth to, shall, in the last vengeance, be wholly rendered vain, as the psalmist melodiously sang, "Trust not in princes, nor in the children of men, in whom there is no health. Their spirit departs, and they return to earth, and in that day all their thoughts perish."

Verily in the gospel it follows, "And they shall not leave in thee stone over stone." The perverse mind, when it heaps evil over evil, and perversity over perversity, what does it, but as though it lay stone over stone? But when the soul shall be led to its punishment, then will all the structure of its cogitation be overthrown; for it knew not the time of its visitation. In many ways the Almighty G.o.d visits the souls of men; sometimes with instruction, sometimes with miracles, sometimes with diseases; but if it neglect these visitations, it will be at its end delivered for eternal punishment to fiends, whom it had previously with deadly sins obeyed in life. Then shall those be its tormentors in h.e.l.l-torment, who had before allured it by divers pleasures to those sins.

The Lord went into the temple, and with a scourge drove out the chapmen.

The chapmen within the temple betokened {413} unrighteous teachers in G.o.d's church. There were for sale oxen, and sheep, and doves, and there sat moneyers. The ox toils for his lord, and the teacher sells oxen in G.o.d's church, if he perform his Lord's tillage, that is, if he preach the gospel to those under his care, for earthly gains, and not for G.o.dly love. With sheep he traffics, if he seek after the praises of foolish men in pious works. Of such Jesus said, "They have received the reward of their works;"

that is the fame of idle praise, which was pleasing to them.

The teacher is a chapman of doves, who will not without money give for use of other men, the gift which G.o.d, without his deserts, has given to him; as Christ himself taught, "Without price ye have received the gift, give it to others without price." He who with a.s.sumed holiness toils for himself in G.o.d's church, and cares nothing for Christ's tillage, will undoubtedly be accounted a money-chapman. But Jesus will drive such chapmen from his house, when, with condemnation, he shall separate them from the fellows.h.i.+p of his chosen.

"My house is a prayer-house, and ye have made it a den for thieves." It happens too often that the perverse come to great dignity in G.o.d's church, and they then, with their evilness, spiritually slay those placed under their care, whom they ought with their prayers to quicken. What are such but thieves? The mind of every believing man is a house of G.o.d, as the apostle said, "The temple of G.o.d is holy, which ye are." But the mind will be no prayer-house, but a den of thieves, if it lose the innocence and meekness of true holiness, and with perverse thoughts meditate harm to others.

"And he was teaching daily within the temple." Christ then taught the people in his presence, and he now daily teaches the minds of believing men with G.o.dly lore, by meditation, to eschew evil and perform good. It is not perfect for the believing man to cease from evil, unless he performs good.

The blessed Gregory said, "My brothers, I would relate to you a little narrative, which may greatly edify your minds, if ye with heedfulness will hear it. There was a {415} certain n.o.bleman in the province of Valeria, who was called Chrysaurius, who was as much filled with sins as he was enriched with earthly riches. He was inflated with pride, and a slave to his fleshly l.u.s.ts, and inflamed with excessive covetousness. But when G.o.d designed to put an end to his wickedness, he became sick, and brought to departure hence. Then at the very time that he should die, he looked up, and there stood about him swart spirits, and in a great company descended on him, that they might s.n.a.t.c.h his soul, on its departure, with them to the barriers of h.e.l.l. He began then to tremble and grow pale, and incredibly to sweat, and with great cry to pray for a respite, and with troubled voice called his son Maximus, whom I afterwards saw as a monk, and said, My child, Maximus, help me; receive me in thy faith: I have not in any way been hurtful to thee. The son Maximus then, troubled with great sorrowing, came to him. He was then turning like a worm; he could not endure the dreadful sight of the accursed spirits. He turned himself to the wall, there they were present to him; he turned back again, there he found them.

When he, so greatly afflicted, was hopeless of himself, he cried with a loud voice, and thus said, Grant me a respite till to-morrow, at least a respite till to-morrow: and with this cry the black fiends drew the soul from the body, and led it away." From this it is manifest, that the vision was shown to him for the bettering of other men, not for his own. Alas, what did it profit him, though, on his departure, he saw the swart spirits, when he might not have the respite which he desired? But let us be careful, that our time escape not from us in vanity, and we turn to good deeds, when death urges us to departure.

Thou, Almighty Lord, have mercy on us sinful, and so order our departure, that we, having atoned for our sins, may, after this perilous life, be a.s.sociated with thy saints. To thee be praise and glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

{416} IIII. IDUS AUGUSTI.

Pa.s.s...o...b..ATI LAURENTII MARTYRIS.

On Decies daege, aes waelhreowan caseres, waes se halga biscop Sixtus on Romana byrig drohtnigende. a faerlice het he his gesihum, one biscop mid his preostum samod geandwerdian. Sixtus a unforhtmod to his preostum clypode, "Mine gebrora, ne beo ge afyrhte, c.u.ma, and eower nan him ne ondraede a scortan tintregunga. a halgan martyras gerowodon fela pinunga, aet hi orsorge becomon to wulder-beage aes ecan lifes." a andwyrdon his twegen diaconas, Felicissimus and Agapitus, "u, ure faeder, hwider fare we butan e?" On aere nihte wear se biscop mid his twam diaconum hraedlice to am reum ehtere gebroht. Se casere Decius him cwae to, "Geoffra ine lac am undeadlic.u.m G.o.dum, and beo u aera sacerda ealdor." Se eadiga Sixtus him andwyrde, "Ic symle geoffrode, and gt offrige mine lac am aelmihtigan G.o.de, and his Suna, Haelendum Criste, and am Halgum Gaste, hluttre onsaegednysse and ungewemmede." Decius cwae, "Gebeorh e and inum preostum, and geoffra. Solice gif u ne dest, u scealt beon eallum orum to bysne."

Sixtus solice andwyrde, "Hwene aer ic e saede, aet ic symle geoffrige am aelmihtigum G.o.de." Decius a cwae to his cempum, "Laeda hine to am temple Martis, aet he am G.o.de Marti geoffrige: gif he nelle offrian, beclysa hine on am cwearterne Mamortini." a cempan hine laeddon to am deofolgylde, and hine reatodon aet he aere deadan anlicnysse his lac offrian sceolde. aa he aes caseres haese forseah, and am deofolgylde offrian nolde, a gebrohton hi hine mid his twam diaconum binnan am blindan cwearterne.

a betwux am com LAURENTIUS, his erce-diacon, and one halgan biscop mid isum wordum gespraec, "u, min faeder, hwider siast u butan inum bearne?

u halga {418} sacerd, hwider efst u butan inum diacone? Naes in gewuna aet u butan inum diacone G.o.de geoffrodest. Hwaet mislicode e, min faeder, on me? Geswutela ine mihte on inum bearne, and geoffra G.o.de one e u getuge, aet u y orsorglicor bec.u.me to am aeelan wulder-beage." aa se eadiga Laurentius mid isum wordum and ma orum bem?nde aet he ne moste mid his lareowe rowian, a andwyrde se biscop, "Min bearn, ne forlaete ic e, ac e gerist mara campdom on inum gewinne. We underfo, swa swa ealde men, scortne ryne aes leohtran gewinnes; solice u geonga underfehst miccle wulderfulran sige aet isum rean cyninge. Min cild, geswic ines wopes: aefter rim dagum u cymst sigefaest to me to am ec.u.m life. Nim nu ure cyrcan mamas, and dael cristenum mannum, be an e e gewyr."

Se erce-diacon a, Laurentius, be aes biscopes haese ferde and daelde aere cyrcan mamas preostum, and aeleodigum earfum, and wudewum, aelc.u.m be his neode. He com to sumere wudewan, hire nama waes Quiriaca, seo haefde behyd on hire hame preostas and manega laewede cristenan. a se eadiga Laurentius woh heora ealra fet, and a wudewan fram hefigtimum heafod-ece gehaelde.

Eac sum ymesene man mid wope his fet gesohte, biddende his haele. Laurentius a mearcode rode-tacen on aes blindan eagan, and he aerrihte beorhtlice geseah. Se erce-diacon a-gyt geaxode ma cristenra manna gehwaer, and hi aer his rowunge mid gastlicere sibbe and mid fot-weale geneosode.

aa he anon gewende, a waes his lareow Sixtus mid his twam diaconum of am cwearterne gelaedd, aetforan am casere Decium. He wear a gehathyrt ongean one halgan biscop, us cweende, "Witodlice we beorga inre ylde: gehyrsuma urum bebodum, and geoffra am undealic.u.m G.o.dum." Se eadiga biscop him andwyrde, "u earming, beorh e sylfum, and wyrc daedbote for aera halgena blode {420} e u agute." Se waelhreowa cwellere mid gebolgenum mode cwae to his heah-gerefan, Ualeriane, "Gif es bealdwyrda biscop acweald ne bi, sian ne bi ure ege ondraedendlic." Ualeria.n.u.s him andwyrde, "Beo he heafde becorfen. Hat hi eft to aes G.o.des temple Martis gel?dan, and gif hi nella to him gebigedum cneowum gebiddan, and heora lac offrian, underfon hi beheafdunge on aere ylcan stowe." aes caseres cempan hine laeddon to am deofolgylde mid his twam diaconum: a beseah se biscop wi aes temples, and us cwae, "u dumba deofolgyld, urh e forleosa earme menn aet ece lif: towurpe e se aelmihtiga G.o.des Sunu." a mid am worde tobaerst sum dael aes temples mid faerlic.u.m hryre. Laurentius a clypode to am biscope, "u halga faeder, ne forl?t u me, foran e ic aspende aere cyrcan mamas swa swa u me bebude." Hwaet a cempan a hine gelaehton, foran e hi gehyrdon hine be am cyrclic.u.m madmum sprecan. Sixtus a solice underhnah swurdes ecge, and his twegen diaconas samod, Felicissimus and Agapitus, aetforan am temple, on am sixtan daege yses mones.