The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church Part 30

"The Lord was speaking at a certain time to his apostles in parables, thus saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king who made a marriage for his son. Then sent he his messengers to invite his subjects,"

etc.

We follow in this text the exposition of pope Gregory.

My dearest brothers, I have frequently told you, that everywhere in the holy gospel this present church is called the kingdom of heaven. Verily a gathering of righteous men is called the kingdom of heaven. G.o.d said through his prophet, "Heaven is my seat." Paul the Apostle said that "Christ is G.o.d's Might and G.o.d's Wisdom." Clearly we may understand that the soul of every righteous man is heaven, when Christ is G.o.d's Wisdom, and the soul of a righteous man is the seat of wisdom, and heaven is his seat.

Of this the psalmist said, "The heavens make known the glory of G.o.d." He calls the heavens G.o.d's messengers. But the congregation of holy men is the kingdom of heaven, because their hearts are not occupied in earthly desires, but they sigh for that which is above; and G.o.d now long since reigns in them, as in the heavenly dwellings.

The king who made a marriage for his son is G.o.d the Father, who a.s.sociated the holy church with his Son through the mystery of his incarnation. The holy church is Christ's bride, by which he daily begets spiritual children, and she is the mother of all christian men, and, nevertheless, an undefiled maiden. Through belief and baptism we are begotten to G.o.d, and adopted as his spiritual children, through Christ's humanity, and through grace of the Holy Ghost.

G.o.d sent his messengers, that he might invite everyone to {523} this marriage. He sent once and again; for he sent his prophets, who announced his Son's humanity to come, and again, he afterwards sent his apostles, who announced his advent accomplished, as the prophets had erst prophesied it.

When they would not come to the marriage, he sent again, thus saying, "Say to those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my meats, I have slain my oxen and my fatted fowls, and have prepared all my things: come to the marriage."

The oxen betoken the patriarchs of the old law, who might then, by permission of the old law, slay their foes in the manner of an ox. It is thus written in the old law, "Love thy friend, and hate thy foe." Thus it was allowed to men of old, that they might with strong might oppress, and with weapons slay the adversaries of G.o.d and their own foes. But the same G.o.d, who gave this permission through the law of Moses before his advent, the same afterwards, when he through human nature came to the world, changed the mandate, thus saying, "I command you, Love your foes, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for your persecutors, that ye may be children of the Heavenly Father, who letteth his sun s.h.i.+ne over good and evil, and he giveth rain-showers and fruits to the righteous and to the unrighteous." What betoken the oxen but the fathers of the old law? What were they but the like of oxen, when, by permission of the old law, they struck their foes with the horn of bodily might?

The fatted fowls betoken the holy teachers of the New Testament. These are fatted with the grace of the Holy Ghost to that degree, that they desire the heavenly journey with the wings of spiritual life. What is it for a man to set his thoughts on sublunary things but, as it were, a tenuity of mind?

He who is filled with the food of heavenly love, is as though he were fatted with generous meats. With this fatness the psalmist would be fatted, when he said, "Be my soul filled as with fat and with tallow."

{525} What is, "My oxen and my fatted fowls are slain," but as though he had said, 'Behold the lives of the old fathers, and understand the singing of the prophets, and the preaching of the apostles concerning my Son's humanity, and come to the marriage'? That is, 'Come with faith, and a.s.sociate yourselves to the holy church, which is his bride and your mother.'

"They neglected it, and went, some to their farms, some to their merchandise." He goes to his farm and neglects G.o.d's preparation, who immoderately attends to earthly pursuits to that degree that he neglects G.o.d's portion. He goes about his traffic, who with covetousness heeds worldly gains more than the riches of eternal life. But when they busy themselves immoderately, some with earthly pursuits and some with worldly treasures, then they cannot for that business meditate on the humanity of Jesus; and it also seems to them very irksome to adjust their conduct to his rule. Some also are so perversely minded, that they may not hear G.o.d's preaching, but with persecution afflict G.o.d's messengers, as the gospel hereafter says, "Some seized the messengers, and with injury afflicted them, and slew them. But the king, when he was informed of this, sent his army, and destroyed the murderers and burned their city."

He destroyed the murderers, because he fiercely slew the impious persecutors, as we read everywhere in the pa.s.sions of the martyrs. Nero, the cruel emperor, [commanded Peter and Paul to be beheaded, but he was suddenly driven from his realm, and wolves tore him in pieces. Herod beheaded the apostle James, and brought Peter into prison, but G.o.d saved him from his captivity, and when the king was inquiring how he came out of the prison, G.o.d's angel came to him afterwards and slew him to death.

Astryges, the Indian king, who slew Bartholomew, became mad, and in a fit of madness departed. In like manner Egeas, who {527} crucified Andrew, ended forthwith in a fit of madness. Longsome would it be to recount the ends of all the impious persecutors, how sternly the Almighty G.o.d avenged on them the sufferings of his saints. The gospel says, that he burned their city, because they will be, both with soul and with body, burned in everlasting torment. "He sent his army," because through his angels he destroys the wicked. What are the hosts of angels but the army of the Heavenly King? He is called Dominus Sabaoth, that is 'Lord of an army,' or 'Lord of Hosts.'

The king then said to his servants, "The marriage is ready, but those whom I have thereto invited were not worthy of it. Go now to the outlets of the ways, and whomsoever ye find, invite to the marriage." Ways are the various deeds of men. Outlets of ways are the peris.h.i.+ng of worldly works; and those very often come to G.o.d, who in earthly works but little prosper. Hereupon the king's messengers went through the ways, gathering all whom they found, both evil and good, and at length made the marriage. In this present church are mingled evil and good, as clean corn with foul c.o.c.kle: but at the end of this world the true Judge will bid his angels gather the c.o.c.kle by burthens, and cast it into the unquenchable fire. By burthens they will gather the sinful from the righteous: then will murderers be tied together within the h.e.l.lish fire, and robbers with robbers, the covetous with the covetous, adulterers with adulterers; and so all wicked a.s.sociates, bound together, shall suffer in everlasting torments; and the clean wheat shall be brought into G.o.d's barn: that is, the righteous shall be brought to everlasting life, where storm comes not nor any tempest that may injure the corn. Then will the good be nowhere but in heaven, and the evil nowhere but in h.e.l.l.

My brothers, if ye are good, then should ye bear with equanimity the evilness of reprobate men, as long as ye {529} continue in this present life. He is not good who will not bear with the evil. On this the voice of G.o.d said to the prophet Ezekiel, "Thou son of man, unbelieving and prompters to evil are with thee, and thou dwellest with the worst wormkind." Again Paul the Apostle praised and confirmed the lives of believing men, thus stimulating them, "Dwell among perverse mankind: s.h.i.+ne among them as stars, holding the word of life."

"The king went in, and beheld the guests, when he saw one man there who was not clad in a marriage garment." The marriage garment betokens the true love of G.o.d and men. That love our Creator manifested to us in himself, when he vouchsafed to redeem us from eternal death with his precious blood, as John the Evangelist said, "So greatly G.o.d loved this world, that he gave his only-begotten Son for us." The Son of G.o.d, who through love came to men, signified in the gospel that which the marriage garment betokened,--true love. Every of those who with faith and baptism incline to G.o.d, comes to the marriage; but he comes not with a marriage garment, if he holds not true love. For ye see that everyone is ashamed, if he is invited to a worldly marriage, to come meanly clad to that short pleasure; but a much greater shame is it for him who with a sordid garment comes to G.o.d's marriage, so that for his foul habit he shall be cast from eternal bliss into eternal darkness. So as a garment adorns a man bodily, so also true love adorns our soul with spiritual fairness. Though a man have full faith, and give alms, and do much good, all will be vain, whatsoever he does, unless he have true love for G.o.d and for all christian men. It is true love, that everyone love his friend well, and his foe for his good. The Heavenly King goes daily to the marriage, that is, into his church, and looks whether we are clad within in the marriage garment; and whomsoever he finds without {531} true love, him he questions with wrath, thus saying, "Thou friend, how durstest thou come to my preparation without a marriage garment?" "Friend" he called him, and, nevertheless, cast him from his guests. A friend he was through faith, and a reprobate in works. He was forthwith silent, because at G.o.d's doom there is no exculpation nor defence; for the Judge who convicts without, is cognizant of his mind within. Though any one have not true love perfectly, yet should he not despair of himself, for of such the prophet spake to G.o.d, "My Lord, thine eyes have seen my imperfections, and in thy book all] are written."

The king said to his servants, "Bind the misclad hands and feet, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth." The hands and the feet which are not now bound through awe of G.o.d from perverse works, shall then, through the sternness of G.o.d's doom, be fast bound. The feet which will not visit the sick, and the hands which give nothing to the poor, shall then be bound in torment; because they are now wilfully bound from good works. The misclad was cast into outer darkness. The inner darkness is the blindness of the heart. The outer darkness is the swart night of eternal condemnation. The condemned will then by compulsion suffer in outer darkness, because he now wilfully pa.s.ses his life in blindness of heart, and has no remembrance of the true light, that is, Christ, who said of himself, "I am the light of the world; he who followeth me goeth not in darkness, but hath the light of life." In the outer darkness shall be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth. There the eyes shall weep in the h.e.l.lish flame, which now libidinously roll about with unallowed desires; and the teeth, which now rejoice in gluttony, shall there grate in the unspeakable torments, which are prepared for the adversaries of G.o.d. Verily the eyes will smart with the powerful smoke, and the teeth quake with the great chill; for the reprobates shall suffer intolerable {533} heat, and unspeakable chill. Verily the h.e.l.lish fire has unspeakable heat and no light, but burns eternally in swart darkness.

If any one doubt concerning the resurrection, he may in this gospel understand, that there will be a true resurrection, where there are eyes and teeth. Eyes are of flesh, and teeth of bone; for we shall, whether we will or not, arise at the end of this world with flesh and with bone, and receive the reward of all our deeds, either a dwelling with G.o.d for good deserts, or h.e.l.l-torment with the devil for deeds of wickedness. Of this the blessed Job said, "I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall on the last day from earth arise, and that I shall again be clothed in my flesh, and that in my flesh I shall see G.o.d, I myself, and no other." That is, no other form through me, but I myself shall see him.

The ending of this gospel is very awful: "Many are called and few chosen."

Behold now the voices of us all call Christ, but the lives of us all call him not; for many deny in their practices that which they profess with their voice. Some men have a good beginning for some while, but they end in evil. Some have an evil beginning, and end well through true penitence.

Some begin well and end better. Now everyone should greatly fear, though he lead a good life, and not presume on himself; for he knows not whether he is worthy to enter into the eternal kingdom. Nor should he despair of another, though he fall into vices; for he knows not the manifold abundance of G.o.d's mercy.

St. Gregory now says, that a certain brother entered into a monastery which he himself had founded, and after regular probation received monkhood. A fleshly brother followed him to the monastery, not for desire of a good life, but for fleshly love. The ghostly brother, through his good life, was exceedingly liked by the monks of the monastery; and his fleshly brother with perverseness greatly contradicted {535} the usages of his life. He lived in the monastery rather from necessity than for bettering. He was idle of speech, and perverse in deeds; appearing well in raiment, and evil in morals. He had no patience, if any one exhorted him to a good course.

Hence was his life very irksome to the brothers, but they endured it calmly on account of his brother's goodness. He could do nothing good, nor would he hear any good. He was then suddenly seized with some disease, and brought to death. When he was raised up for departure, the brothers came that they might pray for his soul. He lay chilled in his lower limbs: in his breast alone the spirit yet breathed. The brothers then prayed for him the more fervently, the more they saw that he would quickly depart. He then suddenly cried, thus saying, "Depart from me. Lo here is a dragon come which is to swallow me, but he cannot for your presence. He has seized my head in his jaws. Give place to him, that he may no longer afflict me. If I am given to this dragon to be swallowed, why should I suffer delay through your presence?"

The brothers said to him, "Why speakst thou with such great despair? Mark thyself with the sign of the holy rood." He answered as he was able, "I would joyfully bless myself with the sign of the holy rood, but I have not the power, for the dragon sorely oppresses me." Whereupon the monks prostrated themselves with weeping to the earth, and begun more fervently to pray to the Powerful G.o.d for his salvation. Lo then, the sick man suddenly started, and with exulting voice said, "I thank G.o.d: behold now the dragon which would swallow me is put to flight through your prayers. He is driven from me, and could not stand against your intercession. Be now my interceders, praying for my sins; for I am ready to turn to monastic life, and to forsake all worldly practices." His cold limbs then requickened, and he turned {537} with all his heart to G.o.d, and by long sickness in his conversion was justified, and at length died of the same disease; but he saw not the dragon at his departure, for he had overcome him by the conversion of his heart.

We should not be hopeless, though in this present church many are evil and few good; for Noah's ark on the waves of the great flood was a type of this church, and it was in the lower part wide and in the upper narrow. In the lowermost bottom dwelt the fierce beasts and creeping worms. On the second flooring dwelt birds and clean animals. On the third flooring dwelt Noah with his wife, and his three sons with their three wives. In the bottom the ark was roomy, where the fierce beasts dwelt, and narrowed above, where the dwelling of men was; for the holy church is in fleshly men very broad, and in spiritual narrow. She spreads her bosom where the rugged dwell in brutal habits, and she is narrowed at the end which the discreet inhabit, living in spiritual practices; for the holier they are in this present church, so the less of them there is. Much more is there of those men who live for their own l.u.s.ts, than there is of those who regulate their life's actions after the commandments of G.o.d: yet is the number of holy men ever increased through the diminution of impious men. The number of G.o.d's chosen is not little, as Christ said in another place, "Many shall come from the east part and from the west, and shall sit with the patriarch Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." Again, the psalmist said of G.o.d's chosen, "I counted them, and their number is greater than the sand-grains." In this present life the chosen appear few in comparison with the number of the reprobates, but when they shall be gathered to the eternal life, their number will be so manifold, that it will exceed, according to the prophet's saying, the number of the sand-grains.

{539} Lead us, Almighty G.o.d, to the number of thy chosen saints, into the everlasting bliss of thy kingdom, which thou hast prepared from the beginning of the world for those who love thee, thou who livest and reignest with the Eternal Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever.

Amen.

[=KL]. NOUE[=MB].

NATALE OMNIUM SANCTORUM.

Halige lareowas raeddon aet seo geleaffulle gelaung isne daeg EALLUM HALGUM to wurmynte maersige, and arwurlice freolsige; foran e hi ne mihton heora aelc.u.m synderlice freolstide gesettan, ne nanum menn on andweardum life nis heora eallra nama cu, swa swa Iohannes se G.o.dspellere on his gastlican gesihe awrat, us cweende, "Ic geseah swa micele menigu, swa nan man geryman ne maeg, of eallum eodum and of aelcere maege, standende aetforan G.o.des rym-setle, ealle mid hwitum gyrlum gescrydde, healdende palm-twigu on heora handum, and sungon mid hluddre stemne, Sy h?lu urum G.o.de e sitt ofer his rym-setle. And ealle englas stodon on ymbhwyrfte his rym-setles, and aluton to G.o.de, us cweende, Sy urum G.o.de bletsung and beorhtnys, wisdom and ancung, wurmynt and streng, on ealra worulda woruld. Amen."

G.o.des halgan sind englas and menn. Englas sind gastas butan lichaman. a gesceop se aelmihtiga Wealdend on micelre faegernysse, him sylfum to lofe, and to wuldre and wurmynte his maegenrymme on ecnysse. Be am we forhtia fela to sprecenne, foran e G.o.de anum is to gewitenne hu heora ungesewenlice gecynd, butan aelcere besmitennysse oe wanunge, on ecere hluttornysse urhwuna. eah-hwaeere we oncnawa on halgum gewritum, aet nigon {540} engla werod sind wunigende on heofonlic.u.m rymme, e naefre nane synne ne gefremedon. aet teoe werod urh modignesse losode, and to awyrgedum gastum behwyrfede wurdon, and ascofene of heofonlicere myrhe inn to h.e.l.licere susle.

Solice sume aera haligra gasta, e mid heora Scyppende urhwunodon, to us asende c.u.ma, and towearde ing cya. Sume hi wyrca, be G.o.des dihte, tacna and gelomlice wundra on middangearde. Sume hi synd ealdras gesette am orum englum, to gefyllenne a G.o.dcundlican gerynu. urh sume gesett G.o.d and toscaet his domas. Sume hi sind swa micclum to G.o.de geeodde, aet nane ore him betwynan ne synd, and hi onne on swa micclan maran lufe byrnende beo, swa micclum swa hi G.o.des beorhtnysse scearplicor sceawia.

Nu is es daeg isum englum arwurlice gehalG.o.d, and eac am halgum mannum, e urh miccle geinca fram fryme middangeardes G.o.de geugon. Of isum waeron ?rest heahfaederas, eawfaeste and wuldorfulle weras on heora life, witegena faederas, aera gemynd ne bi forgiten, and heora nama urhwuna on ecnysse; foran e hi waeron G.o.de gecweme urh geleafan, and rihtwisnysse, and gehyrsumnysse. isum fylig aera witegena gecorennys: hi waeron G.o.des gesprecan, and am he aeteowde his digelnysse, and hi onlihte mid gife aes Halgan Gastes, swa aet hi wiston a towerdan ing, and mid witigendlicere gyddunge bododon. Witodlice a gecorenan witegan mid manegum tacnum and forebicnungum on heora life scinende waeron. Hi gehaeldon manna untrumnysse, and deaddra manna lic to life araerdon. Hi eac for folces wyrnysse heofonan scuras oftugon, and eft miltsigende getiodon. Hi heofodon folces synna, and heora wrace on him sylfum forscytton. Cristes menniscnysse, and his rowunge, and aerist, and upstige, and one micclan dom, urh one Halgan Gast gelaerede, hi witeG.o.don.

On aere Nywan Gecynysse forstop Iohannes se {542} Fulluhtere, see mid witegunge Cristes to-cyme bodode, and eac mid his fingre hine gebicnode.

"Betwux wifa bearnum ne aras nan maerra mann onne is Iohannes se Fulluhtere." isum G.o.des cempan gewaerlaec aet twelffealde getel Cristes apostola, e he sylf geceas him to leorning-cnihtum, and hi mid rihtum geleafan and sore lare geteah, and eallum eodum to lareowum gesette, swa aet se sweg heora bodunge ferde geond ealle eoran, and heora word becomon to gemaerum ealles ymbhwyrftes. To isum twelf apostolum cwae se aelmihtiga Haelend, "Ge sind middangeardes leoht: scine eower leoht swa aetforan mannum, aet hi geseon eowre G.o.dan weorc, and wuldrian eowerne Faeder e on heofonum is. Ge sind mine frynd, and ic cye eow swa hwaet swa ic aet minum Faeder gehyrde." Eornostlice Drihten forgeaf a mihte his twelf apostolum, aet hi a ylcan wundra worhton e he sylf on middangearde gefremode. And swa hwaet swa hi binda ofer eoran, aet bi on heofonum gebunden; and swa hwaet swa hi unbinda ofer eoran, aet bi unbunden on heofonum. Eac he him behet mid sofaestum behate, aet hi on am micclum dome ofer twelf dom-setl sittende beo, to demenne eallum mannum e aefre on lichaman lif underfengon.

aefter am apostolican werode we wuria one gefaestan heap G.o.des cyera, e urh mislice tintrega Cristes rowunge werlice geefenlaehton, and urh martyrdom aet upplice rice geferdon. Sume hi waeron mid waepnum ofslagene, sume on lige forswaelede, ore mid swipum ofbeatene, ore mid stengum urhyde, sume on hengene gecwylmede, sume on widdre s? besencte, ore cuce behylde, ore mid isenum clawum totorene, sume mid stanum ofhrorene, sume mid winterlic.u.m cyle geswencte, sume mid hungre gecwylmede, sume handum and fotum forcorfene, folce to waefersyne, for geleafan and halgum naman Haelendes Cristes. as sind a sigefaestan G.o.des frynd, e aera forscyldG.o.dra ealdormanna haesa forsawon, and nu hi sind gewuldor-beaG.o.de midsige {544} heora rowunga on ecere myrhe. Hi mihton beon lichamlice acwealde, ac hi ne mihton fram G.o.de urh nane tintregunga beon gebigede. Heora hiht waes mid undeadlicnysse afylled, eah e hi aetforan mannum getintreG.o.de waeron. Hi waeron sceortlice gedrehte, and langlice gefrefrode; foran e G.o.d heora afandode swa swa gold on ofne, and he afunde hi him wyre, and swa swa halige offrunga, hi underfeng to his heofonlican rice.

aefter ablunnenre ehtnysse rera cynega and ealdormanna, on siblicere drohtnunge G.o.des gelaunge, waeron halige sacerdas G.o.de eonde, a mid sore lare and mid halgum gebysnungum folces menn to G.o.de symle gebigdon. Heora mod waes hluttor, and mid claennysse afylled, and hi mid claenum handum G.o.de aelmihtigum aet his weofode enodon, maersigende a halgan gerynu Cristes lichaman and his blodes. Eac hi offrodon hi sylfe G.o.de liflice onsaegednysse butan womme, oe gemencgednysse wyrlices weorces. Hi befaeston G.o.des lare heora undereoddum, to unateorigendlic.u.m gafele, and heora mod mid reatunge, and bene, and micelre gymene to lifes wege gebigdon, and for nanum woruldlic.u.m ege G.o.des riht ne forsuwodon; and eah e hi swurdes ecge ne gefreddon, eah urh heora lifes geearnunga hi ne beo martyrdomes bedaelede, foran e martyrdom bi gefremmed na on blodes gyte anum, ac eac swylce on synna forhaefednysse, and on biggenge G.o.des beboda.

ysum fylig ancersetlena drohtnung, and synderlic ingehyd. a on westenum wunigende, woruldlice estas and gaelsan mid strec.u.m mode and stium life fortraedon. Hi forflugon woruld-manna gesihe and herunge, and on waclic.u.m screafum oe hulc.u.m lutigende, deorum geferlaehte, to engelic.u.m spraec.u.m gewunode, on micclum wundrum scinende waeron. Blindum hi forgeafon gesihe, healtum faereld, deafum hlyst, dumb.u.m spraece. Deoflu hi oferswydon and afligdon, and a deadan urh G.o.des mihte araerdon. s...o...b..c e is gehaten Uitae Patrum sprec menigfealdlice {546} embe yssera ancersetlena, and eac gemaenelicra muneca drohtnunge, and cwy, aet heora waes fela usenda gehwaer on westenum and on mynstrum wundorlice drohtnigende, ac swa-eah swyost on Egypta-lande. Sume hi leofodon be ofete and wyrtum, sume be agenum geswince, sumum enodon englas, sumum fugelas, oaet englas eft on eaelic.u.m forsie hi to G.o.de feredon.

Eala u, eadige G.o.des cennestre, symle maeden Maria, tempel aes Halgan Gastes, maeden ?r geeacnunge, maeden on geeacnunge, maeden aefter geeacnunge, micel is in maer on isum freols-daege betwux am foresaedum halgum; foran e urh ine claenan cenninge him eallum becom halignyss and a heofonlican geincu. We spreca be aere heofonlican cwene endebyrdlice aefter wifhade, eah-hwaeere eal seo geleaffulle gelaung getreowfullice be hire sing, aet heo is geuferod and ahafen ofer engla werod to am wuldorfullan heahsetle.

Nis be nanum orum halgan gecweden, aet heora aenig ofer engla werod ahafen sy, buton be Marian anre. Heo aeteowde mid hire gebysnungum aet heofonlice lif on eoran, foran e maeghad is ealra maegna cwen and gefera heofonlicra engla. yses maedenes gebysnungum and fotswaum fyligde ungerim heap maeghades manna on claennysse urhwunigende, forlaetenum giftum, to am heofonlic.u.m brydguman Criste geeodende mid anraedum mode, and haligre drohtnunge, and sidefullum gyrlan, to an swie, aet heora for wel menige for maeighade martyrdom gerowodon, and swa mid twyfealdum sige to heofonlic.u.m eardung-stowum wuldorfulle becomon.

Eallum isum foresaedum halgum, aet is, englum and G.o.des gecorenum mannum, is yses daeges wurmynt gemaersod on geleaffulre gelaunge, him to wurmynte and us to fultume, aet we urh heora ingraedene him geferlaehte beon moton.

aes us getiige se mildheorta Drihten, e hi ealle and us mid his deorwuran blode fram deofles haeftnedum alysde. We sceolon on yssere maerlican freols-tide {548} mid halgum gebedum and lofsangum us geinnian, swa hwaet swa we on orum freols-dagum ealles geares ymbrynes, urh mennisce tyddernysse hwonlicor gefyldon, and carfullice hogian aet we to aere ecan freols-tide bec.u.mon.

EUANGELIUM.

Videns Iesus turbas ascendit in montem: et reliqua.

aet halige G.o.dspel, e nu lytle ?r aetforan eow geraedd waes, micclum gewaerlaec yssere freols-tide, foran e hit geendebyrt a eahta eadignyssa e a halgan to heofonlic.u.m geinc.u.m gebrohton.

Matheus awrat on ysum daegerlican G.o.dspelle, aet se Haelend on sumere tide "gesawe micele menigu him fyligende; a astah he upp on ane dune. aa he gesaet, a genealaehton his leorning-cnihtas him to, and he undyde his mu, and hi laerde, us cweende, Eadige beo a gastlican earfan:" et reliqua.

Se wisa Augustinus trahtnode is G.o.dspel, and saede, aet seo dun e se Haelend astah getacna a healican bebodu sore Rihtwisnysse: a laessan beboda waeron gesette am Iudeiscan folce. An G.o.d eah-hwaeere gesette, urh his halgan witegan, a laessan bebodu Iudeiscre eode, e mid ogan a-gyt gebunden waes; and he gesette, urh his agenne Sunu, a maran bebodu cristenum folce, a e he mid sore lufe to alysenne com. Sittende he taehte: aet belimp to wurscipe lareowdomes. Him to genealaehton his discipuli, aet hi gehendran waeron lichamlice, a e mid mode his bebodum genealaehton. Se Haelend geopenode his mu. Witodlice se geopenode his mu to aere G.o.dspellican lare, see on aere ealdan ? gewunelice openode aera witegena mu. eah-hwaeere his mues geopenung getacna a deoplican spraece e he a for-ateah. He cwae, "Eadige beo a gastlican earfan, foran e heora is heofonan rice." Hwaet sind a gastlican earfan buton a eadmodan, e G.o.des ege {550} habba, and nane toundennysse nabba? G.o.des ege is wisdomes angynn, and modignyss is aelcere synne anginn. Fela sind earfan urh hafenleaste, and na on heora gaste, foran e hi gewilnia fela to haebbenne. Sind eac ore earfan, na urh hafenleaste ac on gaste, foran e hi synd, aefter aes apostolican cwyde, "Swa swa naht haebbende, and ealle ing geagnigende." On as wisan waes Abraham earfa, and Iacob, and Dauid, see, on his cynesetle ahafen, hine sylfne geswutelode earfan on gaste, us cweende, "Ic solice eom waedla and earfa." a modigan rican ne beo earfan ne urh hafenleaste ne on gaste, foran e hi synd gewelG.o.de mid aehtum, and toundene on mode. urh hafenleaste and on gaste synd earfan a fullfremedan munecas, e for G.o.de ealle ing forlaeta to an swie, aet hi nella habban heora agenne lichaman on heora anwealde, ac lybba be heora gastlican lareowas wissunge; and fori swa micclum swa hi her for G.o.de on hafenleaste wunia, swa micclum hi beo eft on am toweardan wuldre gewelG.o.de.

"Eadige beo a lian, foran e hi aet land geagnia." a synd lie and gedefe, a e ne wistanda yfelum, ac oferswya mid heora goodnysse one yfelan: hi habba aet land e se sealm-sceop embe spraec, "Drihten, u eart min hiht: beo min dael on aera lybbendra eoran." aera lybbendra eore is seo staelfaestnyss aes ecan eardes, on am gerest seo sawul swa swa se lichama on eoran. Se eard is rest and lif gecorenra halgena.

"Eadige beo a e heofia, foran e hi beo gefrefrode." Na beo a eadige, e for hynum oe lirum hwilwendlicra hya heofia; ac a beo eadige, e heora synna bewepa, foran e se Halga Gast hi gefrefra, see de forgyfenysse ealra synna, se is gehaten Parac.l.i.tus, aet is, Frefrigend, foran e he frefra aera behreowsigendra heortan urh his gife.

"Eadige beo a e sind ofhingrode and ofyrste aefter rihtwisnysse, foran e hi beo gefyllede." Se bi {552} ofhingrod and ofyrst aefter rihtwisnysse, see G.o.des beboda l.u.s.tlice gehyr, and l.u.s.tlicor mid weorc.u.m gefyl: se bi onne mid am mete gefylled e Drihten embe spraec, "Min mete is, aet ic wyrce mines Faeder willan, aet is rihtwisnys." onne maeg he cwean mid am sealm-sceope, "Drihten, ic beo aeteowed mid rihtwisnysse on inre gesihe, and ic beo gefylled, onne in wuldor geswutelod bi."

"Eadige beo a mildheortan, foran e hi begyta mildheortnysse." Eadige beo a e earmra manna urh mildheortnysse gehelpa, foran e him bi swa geleanod, aet hi sylfe beo fram yrme alysede.

"Eadige beo a claenheortan, foran e hi geseo G.o.d sylfne." Stunte synd a e gewilnia G.o.d to geseonne mid flaesclic.u.m eagum, onne he bi mid aere heortan gesewen; ac heo is to claensigenne fram leahtrum, aet heo G.o.d geseon mage. Swa swa eorlic leoht ne maeg beon gesewen buton mid claenum eagum, swa eac ne bi G.o.d gesewen buton mid claenre heortan.

"Eadige beo a gesibsuman, foran e hi beo G.o.des bearn gecigede." On sibbe is fulfremednyss aer aer nan ing ne wyra: fori synd a gesibsuman G.o.des bearn, foran e nan ing on him ne wiera ongean G.o.d. Gesibsume sind a on him sylfum, e ealle heora modes styrunga mid gesceade gelogia, and heora flaesclican gewilnunga gewylda swa aet hi sylfe beo G.o.des rice.