# The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church/XIX

| FERIA III. | TUESDAY. |
| DE DOMINICA ORATIONE. | ON THE LORD'S PRAYER. |
| Se Hælend Crist, syððan he to ðisum life cóm, and man wearð geweaxen, þaða hé wæs ðritig wintra eald on þære menniscnysse, þa begánn he wundra to wyrcenne, and geceas ða twelf leorning-cnihtas, þa ðe we apostolas hatað. Þa wæron mid him æfre syððan, and he him tæhte ealne þone wisdom ðe on halgum bocum stent, and þurh hí ealne cristendom astealde. Þa cwædon hi to ðam Hælende, "Léóf, tæce ús hu we magon us gebiddan." Ða andwyrde se Hælend, and þus cwæð, "Gebiddað eow mid þisum wordum to minum Fæder and to eowrum Fæder, Gode Ælmihtigum: Pater noster, þæt is on Englisc, Þu, ure Fæder, þe eart on heofonum, Sy þín nama gehalgod. Cume ðín ríce. Sy ðín wylla on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. Syle ús to-dæg urne dæghwamlican hláf. And forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfað ðam þe wið us agyltað. And ne lǽd ðu na us on costnunge. Ac alys us fram yfele. Sy hit swa." | Jesus Christ, after he came to this life, and was grown to manhood, when he was thirty years old in his human nature, began to work miracles, and chose the twelve disciples whom we call apostles. These were afterwards always with him, and he taught them all the wisdom which stands in holy books, and through them established all christianity. Then said they to Jesus, "Sir, teach us how we may pray." Jesus answered, and thus said, "Pray in these words to my Father and your Father, God Almighty: Pater noster, that is in English, Thou, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Be thy will on earth as in heaven. Give us to-day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them who trespass against us. And lead thou us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. So be it." |
| God Fæder Ælmihtig hæfð ænne Sunu gecyndelice and menige gewiscendlice. Crist is Godes Sunu, swa þæt se Fæder hine gestrynde of him sylfum, butan ælcere meder. Næfð se Fæder nænne lichaman, ne he on ða wisan his Bearn ne gestrynde þe menn doð: ac his Wisdom, þe hé mid ealle gesceafta geworhte, se is his Sunu, se is æfre of ðam Fæder, and mid þam Fæder, God of Gode, ealswa mihtig swa se Fæder. We men sind Godes bearn, forðon þe hé us geworhte; and eft, ðaða we forwyrhte wæron, he sende his agen Bearn us to alysednysse. Nu sind we Godes bearn, and Crist is ure broðer, gif we ðam Fæder onriht gehyrsumiað, and mid eallum mode hine weorðiað. Crist is ure heafod, and we sind his lima: he is mid ure menniscnysse befangen, and he hæfð urne lichaman, þone ðe hé of ðam halgan mædene Marían genam; forði we magon cuðlice to him clypian, swa swa to urum breðer, gif we ða broðerrædene swa healdað swa swa he us tæhte; þæt is, þæt we ne sceolon na geðafian þæt deofol mid ænigum unðeawum us gewéme fram Cristes broðorrædene. | God, the Father Almighty, has one Son naturally, and many adoptively. Christ is the Son of God, seeing that the Father begot him of himself without any mother. The Father has no body, nor begot he his Son in that wise which men do: but his Wisdom, with which he wrought all creatures, is his Son, who is ever of the Father and with the Father, God of God, as mighty as the Father. We men are children of God, because he made us; and afterwards, when we were undone, he sent his own Son for our redemption. Now are we children of God, and Christ is our brother, if we will duly obey the Father, and with all our mind worship him. Christ is our head, and we are his limbs: he is invested with our humanity, and he has our body, which he received of the holy maiden Mary; therefore may we manifestly cry to him, as to our brother, if we so observe our brotherhood as he has taught us; that is, that we should not allow the devil with any evil practices to seduce us from the brotherhood of Christ. |
| Witodlice se man þe deofle geefenlæcð, se bið deofles bearn, na þurh gecynd oððe þurh gesceapenysse, ac ðurh þa geefenlæcunge and yfele geearnunga. And se man ðe Gode gecwemð, he bið Godes bearn, na gecyndelice, ac þurh gesceapenysse and ðurh gode geearnunga, swa swa Crist cwæð on his godspelle, "Se ðe wyrcð mines Fæder willan seðe is on heofonum, he bið min broðer, and min moder, and min sweoster." Forði nu ealle cristene men, ægðer ge ríce ge heane, ge æðelborene ge unæðelborene, and se hlaford, and se ðeowa, ealle hí sind gebroðra, and ealle hí habbað ænne Fæder on heofonum. Nis se welega na betera on ðisum naman þonne se ðearfa. Eallswa bealdlice mót se ðeowa clypigan God him to Fæder ealswa se cyning. Ealle we sind gelice ætforan Gode, buton hwá oðerne mid godum weorcum forðeo. Ne sceal se ríca for his welan þone earman forseón; forðan oft bið se earma betera ætforan Gode þonne se ríca. God is ure Fæder, þi we sceolon ealle beon gebroðru on Gode, and healdan þone broðerlican bend unforedne; þæt is, ða soðan sibbe, swa þæt ure ælc oðerne lufige swa swa hine sylfne, and nanum ne gebeode þæt þæt he nelle þæt man him gebeode. Se ðe ðis hylt, he bið Godes bearn, and Crist, and ealle halige men ðe Gode geðeoð, beoð his gebroðru and his gesweostru. | Verily the man who imitates the devil is a child of the devil, not by nature nor by creation, but by that imitation and evil deserts. And the man who makes himself acceptable to God is a child of God, not naturally, but by creation and by good deserts, as Christ said in his gospel, "He who doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and my mother, and my sister." Now therefore all christian men, whether high or low, noble or ignoble, and the lord, and the slave, are all brothers, and have all one Father in heaven. The wealthy is not better on that account than the needy. As boldly may the slave call God his Father as the king. We all are alike before God, unless any one excel another in good works. The rich for his wealth is not to despise the poor; for the poor is before God often better than the rich. God is our Father, therefore should we all be brothers in God, and hold the brotherly bond unbroken; that is, true peace, so that each of us love other as himself, and command to no one that which he would not another should command to him. He who observes this is a child of God, and Christ, and all holy persons who thrive to God, are his brothers and his sisters. |
| We cweðað, "Pater noster qui es in celis," þæt is, "Ure Fæder ðe eart on heofonum;" forðan þe God Fæder is on heofonum, and he is æghwar, swa swa he sylf cwæð, "Ic gefylle mid me sylfum heofonas and eorðan." And eft þæt halige godspel be him þus cwyð, "Heofon is his þrymsetl, and eorðe is his fot-sceamul." We wendað ús eastweard þonne we us gebiddað, forðan ðe ðanon arist seo heofen: na swilce on east-dæle synderlice sy his wunung, and forlæte west-dæl, oððe oðre dælas, se þe æghwar is andweard, na ðurh rymyt þære stowe, ac þurh his mægenðrymmes andweardnysse. Þonne we wendað ure neb to east-dæle, þær seo heofen arist, seoðe is ealra lichomlicra ðinga oferstigende, þonne sceal ure mód beon mid þam gemyngod, þæt hit beo gewend to ðam hehstan and þam fyrmestan gecynde, þæt is, God. We sceolon eac witan, þæt se synfulla is eorðe geháten, and se rihtwisa is heofen geháten; forðan þe on rihtwisum mannum is Godes wunung, and se goda man bið þæs Halgan Gastes templ. Swa eac ðær-togeanes se fordóna man bið deofles templ, and deofles wunung: forði þonne swa micel is betwux gódum mannum and yfelum, swa micel swa bið betwux heofenan and eorðan. | We say, "Pater noster qui es in cœlis," that is, "Our Father which art in heaven;" for God the Father is in heaven, and he is everywhere, as he himself said, "I fill with myself heaven and earth." And again, the holy gospel says thus concerning him, "Heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool." We turn eastward when we pray, because from thence the heaven rises; not as though his dwelling be particularly in the east part, and that he forsakes the west or other parts, who is everywhere present, not through the space of the place, but by the presence of his majesty. When we turn our face to the east part, where the heaven rises, which rises over all bodily things, then should our mind be thereby admonished that it turn to the highest and first nature, that is, God. We should also know that the sinful is called earth, and the righteous is called heaven; for in righteous men is a dwelling-place of God, and the good man is a temple of the Holy Ghost. So also, on the other hand, the wicked man is a temple of the devil, and an habitation of the devil: therefore there is as great a difference between good and evil men as there is between heaven and earth. |
| Seofon gebédu sint on þam Pater noster. On þam twam formum wordum ne synd nane gebedu, ac sind herunga: þæt is, "Ure Fæder þe eart on heofonum." Þæt forme gebéd is, "Sanctificetur nomen tuum:" þæt is, "Sy ðin nama gehalgod." Nis þæt na swá to understandenne, swylce Godes nama ne sy genoh halig, seðe æfre wæs halig, and æfre bið, and hé us ealle gebletsað and gehalgað: ac þis word is swá to understandenne, þæt his nama sy on us gehalgod, and he us þæs getiðige, þæt we moton his naman mid urum muðe gebletsian, and he us sylle þæt geðánc, þæt we magon understandan þæt nan ðing nis swa halig swa his nama. | In the Pater noster are seven prayers. In the first two words are no prayers, but praises: that is, "Our Father which art in heaven." The first prayer is, "Sanctificetur nomen tuum:" that is, "Hallowed be thy name." This is not to be so understood as if the name of God were not sufficiently holy, who ever was holy, and ever will be, and who blesses and hallows us all: but these words are thus to be understood, that his name be hallowed in us, and that he grant us that we may bless his name with our mouth, and give us the thought that we may understand that nothing is so holy as his name. |
| Þæt oðer gebéd is, "Adueniat regnum tuum:" þæt is, on urum gereorde, "Cume ðin ríce." Æfre wæs Godes ríce, and æfre bið: ac hit is swá to understandenne, þæt his ríce beo ofer ús, and he on us rixige, and we him mid ealre gehyrsumnysse underþeodde syn, and þæt ure ríce beo us gelǽst and gefylled, swa swa Crist us behét, þæt he wolde ús éce ríce forgyfan, þus cweðende, "Cumað, ge gebletsode mines Fæder, and gehabbað þæt ríce þæt eow gegearcod wæs fram anginne middangeardes." Þis bið ure ríce, gif we hit nu geearniað; and we beoð Godes ríce, þonne Crist ús betæcð his Fæder on domes dæge, swa swa þæt hálige gewrit cwyð, "Cum tradiderit regnum Patri suo:" þæt is, "Þonne hé betæcð ríce his Fæder." Hwæt is þæt ríce þæt hé betæcð his Fæder, buton ða halgan menn, ægðer ge weras ge wíf, þa þe hé alysde fram helle-wíte mid his agenum deaðe? Þa he betæcð his agenum Fæder on ende þisre worulde, and hí beoð þonne Godes ríce, and mid Gode on ecnysse rixiað, ægðer ge mid sawle ge mid lichaman, and beoð þonne gelice englum. | The second prayer is, "Adveniat regnum tuum:" that is, in our tongue, "Thy kingdom come." Ever was God's kingdom, and ever will be: but it is so to be understood, that his kingdom be over us, and he reign in us, and that we with all obedience be subject to him, and that our kingdom be realized and fulfilled to us, as Christ has promised to us, that he would give us an eternal kingdom, thus saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, and possess the kingdom that was prepared for you from the beginning of the world." This will be our kingdom, if we now will merit it; and we shall be God's kingdom, when Christ delivers us to his Father on doomsday, as the holy writ says, "Cum tradiderit regnum Patri suo:" that is, "When he shall deliver the kingdom to his Father." What is the kingdom that he shall deliver to his Father, but those holy persons, both men and women, which he redeemed from hell-torment by his own death? These he will deliver to his own Father at the end of this world, and they will then be God's kingdom, and will reign with God for ever, both with soul and with body, and will then be like unto angels. |
| Þæt ðridde gebéd is, "Fiat uoluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra:" þæt is, "Geweorðe þín willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum." Þæt is, Swa swa englas on heofonum þe gehyrsumiað, and mid eallum gemete to ðe geðeodað, swa eac menn þe on eorðan sind, and of eorðan geworhte, beon hí ðinum willan gehyrsume, and to ðe mid ealre geornfulnysse geðeodan. On þam mannum soðlice gewyrð Godes willa, þe to Godes willan gewyrceað. Ure sawul is heofonlic, and ure lichama is eorðlic. Nu bidde we eac mid þisum wordum, þæt Godes willa geweorðe, ægðer ge on ure sawle ge on urum lichaman, þæt ægðer him gehyrsumige, and he ægðer gehealde and gescylde, ge ure sawle ge urne lichaman, fram deofles costnungum. | The third prayer is, "Fiat voluntas tua sicut in cœlo et in terra:" that is, "Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." That is, As the angels in heaven obey thee, and in every way attach themselves to thee, so also may men, who are on earth and formed of earth, be obedient to thy will, and with all fervour attach themselves to thee. In those men verily God's will is done, who work according to God's will. Our soul is heavenly, and our body is earthly. Now, with these words, we also pray that God's will be done both in our soul and in our body, that both may obey him, and that he may preserve and shield both our soul and our body from the temptations of the devil. |
| Þæt feorðe gebéd is, "Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:" þæt is, on urum gereorde, "Syle us nu to-dæg urne dæghwamlican hláf." Þæt is on ðrim andgitum to understandenne: þæt hé us sylle fodan urum lichaman, and sylle eac ure sawle þone gastlican hláf. Se gastlica hláf is Godes bebod, þæt we sceolon smeagan dæghwamlice, and mid weorce gefyllan; forðan swa swa se lichama leofað be lichamlicum mettum, swa sceal seo sawul lybban be Godes láre, and be gastlicum smeagungum. Hraðe se lichama aswint and forweornað, gif him bið oftogen his bigleofa: swa eac seo sawul forwyrð, gif heo næfð þone gastlican bigleofan, þæt sind Godes beboda, on þam heo sceal geðeon and beon gegódad. Eac se gastlica hláf is þæt halige husel, mid þam we getrymmað urne geleafan; and ðurh ðæs halgan husles þýgene ús beoð ure synna forgyfene, and we beoð gestrangode ongean deofles costnunge. Þi we sceolon gelomlice mid þam gastlican gereorde ure sawle geclænsian and getrymman. Ne sceal þeah se ðe bið mid healicum synnum fordón, gedyrstlæcan þæt he Godes husel þicge, buton he his synna ær gebete: gif he elles deð, hit bið him sylfum to bealowe geðyged. Se hláf getacnað ðreo ðing, swa swa we cwædon. An is þæs lichaman bígleofa; oðer is ðære sawle; ðridde is þæs halgan husles ðygen. Þyssera ðreora ðinga we sceolon dæghwamlice æt urum Drihtne biddan. | The fourth prayer is, "Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie:" that is, in our tongue, "Give us to-day our daily bread." This is to be understood in three senses: that he give us food for our body, and give ghostly bread to our soul. The ghostly bread is the commandment of God, on which we should daily meditate, and with works fulfil; for as the body lives by bodily meats, so shall the soul live by the precepts of God, and by ghostly meditations. The body quickly wastes away and decays, if its sustenance is withdrawn from it; in like manner the soul perishes, if it has not ghostly sustenance, that is, God's commandments, on which it shall thrive and be cherished. The ghostly bread is also the holy housel, with which we confirm our belief; and through partaking of the holy housel our sins will be forgiven us, and we shall be strengthened against the temptations of the devil. Therefore should we frequently cleanse and confirm our soul with ghostly refection. Yet may not he who is polluted with deadly sins dare to partake of God's housel, unless he first atone for his sins: if he do otherwise, he will partake of it to his own injury. The bread, as we said, betokens three things. One is sustenance of the body; the second, of the soul; the third is the partaking of the holy housel. For these three things we should pray daily to the Lord. |
| Þæt fifte gebéd is, "Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:" þæt is, "Forgif us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgifað þam mannum þe wið us agyltað." We sceolon dón swa swa we on ðisum wordum behatað; þæt is, þæt we beon mildheorte us betwynan, and, for ðære micclan lufe Godes, forgyfan ðam mannum þe wið us agyltað, þæt God Ælmihtig forgyfe us ure synna. Gif we ðonne nellað forgyfan þa lytlan gyltas ðæra manna þe us gegremedon, þone nele eac God us forgyfan ure synna mycele and manega: swa swa Crist sylf cwæð, "Þonne ge standað on eowrum gebédum, forgyfað swa hwæt swa ge habbað on eowrum mode to ænigum men, and eower Fæder, þe on heofonum is, forgyfð eow eowre synna. Gif ge þonne nellað forgyfan mid inweardre heortan þam ðe eow gremiað, þonne eac eower Fæder, ðe on heofonum is, nele eow forgyfan eowre synna; ac he hæt eow gebindan, and on cwearterne settan, þæt is on helle-wíte; and eow ðær deofol getintregað, oðþæt ge habban ealle eowre gyltas geðrowade, oðþæt ge cumon to anum feorðlincge." Is hwæðere getæht, æfter Godes gesetnysse, þæt wise men sceolon settan steore dysigum mannum, swa þæt hi þæt dysig and ða unðeawas alecgan, and þeah ðone man lufigan swa swa agenne broðor. | The fifth prayer is, "Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:" that is, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those men who trespass against us." We should do as we promise in these words, that is, we should be merciful to each other, and, for the great love of God, forgive those men who trespass against us, that God Almighty may forgive us our sins. But if we will not forgive the little trespasses of those men who have angered us, then will not God forgive us our great and many sins: as Christ himself said, "When ye stand at your prayers, forgive whatever ye have in your mind against any man, and your Father, which is in heaven, will forgive you your sins. But if ye will not, with inward heart, forgive those who anger you, then your Father, which is in heaven, will not forgive you your sins; but he will command you to be bound and set in prison, that is, in hell-torment; and there the devil will torture you, until ye shall have suffered for all your trespasses, until ye come to one farthing." It is, however, taught, according to the book of God, that wise men should institute correction for foolish men, so that they lay aside their folly and their evil practices, and should, nevertheless, love the man as their own brother. |
| Þæt sixte gebéd is, "Et ne nos inducas in temptationem:" þæt is, "Ne geðafa, ðu God, þæt we beon gelædde on costnunge." Oðer is costnung, oðer is fandung. God ne costnað nænne mannan; ac hwæðere nán man ne cymð to Godes ríce, buton he sy afandod: forði ne sceole we na biddan þæt God ure ne afandige, ac we sceolon biddan þæt God us gescylde, þæt we ne abreoðon on ðære fandunge. Deofol mót ælces mannes afandigan, hwæðer he aht sy, oððe naht; hwæðer he God mid inweardlicre heortan lufige, oððe he mid híwunge fáre. Swa swa man afandað gold on fyre, swa afandað God þæs mannes mod on mislicum fandungum, hwæðer hé ánræde sy. Genoh wel wát God hu hit getimað on þære fandunge; ac hwæðere se man næfð na mycele geðincðe, buton he afandod sy. Þurh ða fandunge he sceal geðeon, gif he þam costnungum wiðstent. Gif he fealle, he eft astande: þæt is, gif he agylte, he hit georne gebete, and syððan geswíce; forði ne bið nán bót naht, buton þær beo geswicenes. Se man þe gelomlice wile syngian, and gelomlice betan, he gremað God; and swa he swiðor syngað swa he deofle gewyldra bið, and hine þonne God forlæt, and he færð swa him deofol wissað, swa swa tobrocen scíp on sǽ, þe swa færð swa hit se wind drifð. Se goda man swa he swiðor afandod bið swa he rotra bið, and near Gode, oðþæt hé mid fulre geðincðe færð of ðisum life to ðam ecan life. And se yfela swa he oftor on ðære fandunge abryð, swa he forcuðra bið, and deofle near, oðþæt he færð of ðisum life to ðam ecan wite, gif he ær geswican nolde, þaþa he mihte and moste. Forði anbidað God oft þæs yfelan mannes, and læt him fyrst, þæt he his mándæda geswice, and his mód to Gode gecyrre ær his ende, gif he wile. Gif he þonne nele, þæt he beo butan ælcere ladunge swiðe rihtlice to deofles handa asceofen. Forði is nu selre cristenum mannum, þæt hi mid earfoðnyssum and mid geswince geearnian þæt éce ríce and ða écan blisse mid Gode and mid eallum his halgum, ðonne hi mid softnysse and mid yfelum lustum geearnian þa ecan tintrega mid eallum deoflum on helle-wíte. | The sixth prayer is, "Et ne nos inducas in tentationem:" that is, "Permit not, thou, O God, that we be led into temptation." One thing is temptation, another thing is trial. God tempts no man, but, nevertheless, no man comes to the kingdom of God, unless he has been tried: therefore we should not pray that God try us not, but we should pray to God to shield us, so that we sink not under trial. The devil may try every man, whether he be aught or naught; whether he love God with inward heart, or act with hypocrisy. As a man tries gold in the fire, so God tries the mind of man in divers trials, whether he be steadfast. God knows full well, how it befalls in trial; but yet a man will have no great honour, unless he have been tried. By trial he shall flourish, if he withstand temptations. If he fall, let him rise again: that is, if he sin, let him earnestly atone for it, and cease therefrom afterwards; for no atonement will avail, if there be not cessation. The man who frequently sins and frequently atones, angers God; and the more he sins the more he will be subject to the devil, and God will then forsake him, and he will go as the devil shall direct him, as a shattered ship at sea, which goes as the wind drives it. The good man the more he is tried the more cheerful he will be, and the nearer to God, until with full honour he shall go from this life to the life eternal. And the evil man, the oftener he sinks under trial, the more wicked he will be, and the nearer to the devil, until he goes from this life to eternal torment, if he would not cease previously, when he could and might. God therefore often awaits the evil man, and leaves him time, that he may cease from his wicked deeds, and before his end turn his mind to God, if he will. But if he will not, that he be, without any exculpation, very justly be thrust into the hand of the devil. Therefore is it now better for christian men, that with hardships and toil they earn the everlasting kingdom and eternal bliss with God and with all his saints, than that they by softness and evil lusts earn eternal tortures with all the devils in hell-torment. |
| Þæt seofoðe gebéd is, "Set libera nos a malo:" þæt is, "Ac alys us fram yfele:" alys us fram deofle and fram eallum his syrwungum. God lufað us, and deofol us hatað. God us fett and gefrefrað, and deofol us wile ofslean, gif he mót; ac him bið forwyrned þurh Godes gescyldnysse, gif we us sylfe nellað fordón mid unðeawum. Forði we sceolon forbugan and forseon þone lyðran deoful mid eallum his lotwrencum, forðan ðe him ne gebyrað naht to ús, and we sceolon lufian and filigan urum Drihtne, seðe us lǽt to ðam ecan life. | The seventh prayer is, "Sed libera nos a malo:" that is, "But deliver us from evil:" deliver us from the devil and from all his wiles. God loves us, and the devil hates us. God feeds and comforts us, and the devil will slay us if he may; but he will be prevented through the protection of God, if we will not fordo ourselves with evil practices. Therefore should we eschew and despise the vicious devil with all his devices, for there behoves him nothing for us, and we should love and follow our Lord, who will lead us to everlasting life. |
| Seofon gebédu, swa swa we ær sædon, beoð on ðam Pater noster. Þa ðreo forman gebédu beoð us ongunnene on ðysre worulde, ac hí beoð á ungeendode on þære toweardan worulde. Seo halgung þæs mæran naman Godes ongann ús mannum þaþa Crist wearð geflæschamod mid ure menniscnysse; ac seo ylce halgung wunað on ecnysse, forðan ðe we on ðam ecan life bletsiað and herigað æfre Godes naman. And God rixað nu, and his ríce stent æfre butan ende, and Godes willa bið gefremod on ðisum life ðurh góde menn: se ylca willa wunað á on ecnysse. Þa oðre feower gebédu belimpað to ðisum life, and mid þisum life geendiað. | In the Pater noster there are, as we before said, seven prayers. The first three prayers are begun by us in this world, but they will ever be unended in the world to come. The hallowing of the great name of God began with us men when Christ became incarnate with our humanity; but the same hallowing will continue to eternity, because in the life eternal we shall ever bless and praise the name of God. And God reigns now, and his kingdom stands for ever, without end, and the will of God will be fulfilled in this life by good men: the same will will continue to all eternity. The other four prayers belong to this life, and with this life end. |
| On ðisum lífe we behófiað hláfes, and láre, and husel-ganges. On þam toweardan lífe we ne behófiað nanes eorðlices bigleofan, forðan ðe we þonne mid þam heofonlicum mettum beoð gereordode. Her we behófiað láre and wisdomes. On ðam heofonlican life beoð ealle ful wíse, and on gastlicre lare full geráde, þa ðe nu, þurh wísra manna láre, beoð Godes bebodum underþeodde. And her we behófiað ðæs halgan husles ðygene for ure beterunge, soðlice on ðære heofonlican wununge we habbað mid us Cristes lichaman, mid þam he rixað on ecnysse. | In this life we require bread, and instruction, and partaking of the housel. In the life to come we require no earthly food, for we shall then be nourished with heavenly meats. Here we require instruction and wisdom. In the heavenly life all will be full wise, and in ghostly lore full skilled, those who now, through the precepts of wise men, are obedient to the commandments of God. And here we require to partake of the holy housel for our amendment, for in the heavenly dwelling we shall have the body of Christ with us, with which he reigns to eternity. |
| On þyssere worulde we biddað ure synna forgyfenysse, and na on þære toweardan. Se man ðe nele his synna behreowsian on his life, ne begyt he nane forgyfenysse on ðam toweardan. And on ðisum life we biddað þæt God us gescylde wið deofles costnunga, and us alyse fram yfele. On ðam ecan life ne bið nán costnung ne nán yfel; forði ðær ne cymð nán deofol ne nán yfel mann, ðe us mæge dreccan oððe derian. Þær beoð geþwære sawul and lichama, þe nu on ðisum life him betweonan winnað. Ðær ne bið nán untrumnys, ne geswinc, ne wana nanre gódnysse, ac Crist bið mid ús eallum, and ús ealle ðing deð, butan edwite, mid ealre blisse. | In this world we pray for forgiveness of our sins, and not in that to come. The man who will not repent of his sins in this life, will obtain no forgiveness in that to come. And in this life we pray God to shield us against the temptations of the devil, and to deliver us from evil. In the life eternal there will be no temptation and no evil; for there will come no devil nor evil man who may trouble or hurt us. There will be in concord soul and body, which now in this life strive with each other. There will be no sickness, no toil, no lack of any goodness, but Christ will be with us all, and will do all things for us, without reproach, with all alacrity. |
| Crist gesette þis gebéd, and swa beleac mid feawum wordum, þæt ealle ure neoda, ægðer ge gastlice ge lichamlice, ðæron sind belocene; and þis gebéd he gesette eallum cristenum mannum gemænelice. Ne cwyð na on ðam gebéde, 'Min Fæder, þu ðe eart on heofonum,' ac cwyð, "Ure Fæder;" and swa forð ealle ða word ðe þær-æfter fyligað sprecað gemænelice be eallum cristenum mannum. On ðam is geswutelod hu swiðe God lufað ánnysse and geþwærnysse on his folce. Æfter Godes gesetnysse ealle cristene men sceoldon beon swa geðwære swilce hit án man wære: forði wa ðam men þe ða annysse tobrycð. Swa swa we habbað on anum lichaman manega lima, and hi ealle ánum heafde gehyrsumiað, swa eac we sceolon manega cristene men Criste on ánnysse gehyrsumian; forðon þe he is ure heafod, and we synd his lima. We magon geseon on urum agenum lichaman hú ælc lim oðrum þenað. Þa fét berað ealne ðone lichaman, and ða eagan lædað ða fét, and þa handa gearciað ðone bigleofan. Hraðe lið þæt heafod adúne, gif þa fét hit ne feriað; and hraðe ealle ða lima togædere forweorðað, gif þa handa ne doð þone bigleofan þam muðe. Swa eac se ríca man, þe sitt on his heahsetle, hraðe geswicð he his gebeorscipes, gif ða ðeowan geswicað ðæra teolunga. Beo se ríca gemyndig þæt he sceal ealra ðæra góda þe him God alænde agyldan gescead hu he}} ða atuge. | Christ instituted this prayer, and so confined it within a few words, that all our needs, both ghostly and bodily, are therein included; and this prayer he instituted for all christian men in common. He says not in that prayer, 'My Father, which art in heaven,' but says, "Our Father;" and so forth all the words which follow speak universally of all christian men. Herein is manifested how much God loves unity and concord among his people. According to the book of God all christian men should be so united as though they were one man: wo therefore to the man who breaks that unity asunder. So as we have in one body many limbs, and they all obey one head, so also we many christian men should obey Christ in unity; for he is our head, and we are his limbs. We may see in our own bodies how each limb serves another. The feet bear the whole body, and the eyes lead the feet, and the hands prepare the sustenance. Soon will the head lie down, if the feet bear it not; and soon will all the limbs perish together, if the hands put not the sustenance to the mouth. In like manner the rich man, who sits on his high seat, will soon discontinue his feasting, if the servants discontinue their toils. Let the rich be mindful that of all the good things which God has lent him, he shall render an account how he employed them. |
| Se bið ðin hand oððe ðin fót, seðe þe ðine neoda deð. Se bið þin eage, seðe þe wisdom tæcð, and on rihtne weg þe gebrincð. Se ðe þe múndað swa swa fæder, he bið swylce hé ðin heafod sy. Ealswa wel behófað þæt heafod þæra oðera lima, swa swa ða lima behófiað þæs heafdes. Gif án lim bið untrum, ealle ða oðre þrowiað mid þam anum. Swa we sceolon eac, gif bið an ure geferena on sumre earfoðnysse, ealle we sceolon his yfel besárgian, and hógian embe ða bote, gif we hit gebetan magon. And on eallum ðingum we sceolon healdan sibbe and annysse, gif we willað habban þa micclan geðincðe þæt we beon Godes bearn, seðe on heofonum is, on ðære he rixað mid eallum his halgum on ealra worulda woruld on ecnysse. Amen. | He is thy hand or thy foot, who supplieth thy wants. He is thine eye who teacheth thee wisdom, and bringeth thee into the right way. He who protecteth thee as a father is, as it were, thy head. As the head requireth the other members, so these members require the head. If one limb be diseased, all the others suffer with that one. So also should we, if one of our fellows be in any distress, all lament his evil, and meditate concerning its reparation, if we can repair it. And in all things we should hold peace and unity, if we will have the great distinction of being children of God, who is in heaven, in which he ruleth with all his saints, through all ages, to eternity. Amen. |