# The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church/XXVIII

| DOMINICA XI. POST PENTECOSTEN. | THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. |
| Cum adpropinquaret Iesus Hierusalem: et reliqua. | Cum adpropinquaret Jesus Hierusalem: et reliqua. |
| "On sumere tide wæs se Hælend farende to Hierusalem: ðaða he genealæhte þære ceastre and hé hí geseah, ða weop hé ofer hí:" 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. |
| Gregorius se trahtnere cwæð, þæt se Hælend beweope ðære ceastre toworpennysse, ðe gelamp æfter his ðrowunge, for ðære wrace heora mándæda, þæt hí ðone heofenlican Æðeling mánfullice acwellan woldon. He spræc mid woplicre stemne, na to ðam weorc-stánum, oððe to ðære getimbrunge, ac spræc to ðam ceastergewarum, þa hé mid fæderlicere lufe besargode, forðan ðe hé wiste heora forwyrd hrædlice toweard. Feowertig geara fyrst Godes mildheortnys forlét ðam wælhreowum ceastergewarum to behreowsunge heora mándæda, ac hí ne gymdon nanre dædbote, ac maran mándæda gefremedon, swa þæt hí oftorfodon mid stanum ðone forman Godes cyðere Stephanum, and Iacobum, Iohannes broðer, beheafdodon. Eac ðone rihtwisan Iacobum hí ascufon of ðam temple, and acwealdon, and ehtnysse on ða oðre apostolas setton. Seo Godes gelaðung, þe on ðære byrig, æfter Cristes ðrowunge, under þam rihtwisan Iacobe drohtnigende wæs, ferde eal samod of ðære byrig to anre wíc wið ða éá Iordanen; forðan ðe him com to Godes hǽs, þæt hi sceoldon fram ðære mánfullan stowe faran, ærðam ðe seo wracu come. God ða oncneow þæt ða Iudeiscan nanre dǽdbote ne gymdon, ac má and má heora mándæda geyhton: sende him ða to Romanisc folc, and hí ealle fordyde. | Gregory the expounder said, that Jesus bewailed the overthrow of the city, which happened after his passion, 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 space of forty years the mercy of God 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 God, 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 God which, after Christ's passion, was continuing in the city under the righteous James, went all together from the city to a village on the river Jordan; for God's command had come to them, that they should go from the wicked place, ere the vengeance came. God 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. |
| Uespasianus hatte se casere, ðe on ðam dagum geweold ealles middangeardes cynedomes. Sé asende his sunu Titum to oferwinnenne ða earman Iudeiscan. Þa gelámp hit swa þæt hí wæron gesamnode binnan ðære byrig Hierusalem, six hund ðusend manna, swylce on anum cwearterne beclysede; and hí wurdon ða utan ymbsette mid Romaniscum here swa lange þæt ðær fela ðusenda mid hungre wurdon acwealde; and for ðære menigu man ne mihte hí bebyrigan, ac awurpon ða líc ofer ðone weall. Sume ðeah for mæiglicre sibbe hí bebyrigan woldon, ac hí hrædlice for mægenleaste swulton. Gif hwa hwæt lytles æniges bigwistes him sylfum gearcode, him scuton sona to reaferas, and ðone mete him of ðam muðe abrudon. Sume hí cuwon heora gescý, sume heora hætera, sume streaw, for ðære micclan angsumnysse ðæs hatan hungres. Hit nis na gedafenlic þæt we on ðisum halgan godspelle ealle ða sceamlican yrmðu gereccan þe gelumpon ðam ymbsettum Iudeiscum, ærðan ðe hi on hand gán woldon. Wearð ða se mæsta dæl ðæra arleasra mid þam bysmerlicum hungre adyd, and þa lafe ðæs hungres ofsloh se Romanisca here, and ða burh grundlunga towurpon, swa þæt ðær ne beláf stán ofer stáne, swa swa se Hælend ǽr mid wope gewítegode. Þæra cnapena ðe binnan syxtyne geara ylde wæron, hund-nigontig ðusenda hí tosendon to gehwylcum leodscipum to ðeowte, and on ðam earde ne beláf nan ðing ðæs awyrgedan cynnes. Seo burh wearð syððan on oðre stówe getimbrod, and mid ðam Sarasceniscum gesett. | Vespasian the emperor was called, who in those days ruled the kingdom of the whole world. He sent his son Titus to conquer the miserable Jews. It then so happened that they were assembled 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 wall. Some, however, would bury them for the sake of kinship, 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. |
| Se Hælend geswutelode for hwilcum intingan ðeos tostencednys þære byrig gelumpe, ðaða hé cwæð, "Forðan þe ðu ne oncneowe ðone timan ðinre geneosunge." He geneosode ða buruhware ðurh his menniscnysse, ac hí næron his gemyndige, naðor ne ðurh lufe ne þurh ege. Be ðære gymeleaste spræc se witega mid ceorigendre stemne, ðus cweðende, "Storc and swalewe heoldon ðone timan heora to-cymes, and þis folc ne oncneow Godes dóm." Drihten cwæð to ðære byrig, "Gif þu wistest hwæt þe toweard is, þonne weope ðu mid me. Witodlice on ðisum dæge þu wunast on sibbe, ac ða toweardan wraca sind nu bediglode fram ðinum eagum." Seo buruhwaru wæs wunigende on woruldlicere sibbe, þaþa heo orsorhlice wæs underðeodd flæsclicum lustum, and hwonlice hógode ymbe ða toweardan yrmða, ðe hyre ða-gyt bediglode wæron. Gif heo ðære yrmðe forewittig wære, ne mihte heo mid orsorgum mode ðære gesundfulnysse andweardes lifes brucan. | 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 God." 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 lusts, 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. |
| Drihten adræfde of ðam temple ða cýpmen, þus cweðende, "Hit is awriten, þæt min hús is gebed-hús, and ge hit habbað gedon sceaðum to screafe." Þæt tempel wæs Gode gehalgod, to his ðenungum and lofsangum, and to gebedum ðam geleaffullum; ac ða gytsigendan ealdor-biscopas geðafedon þæt ðær cyping binnan gehæfd wære. Drihten, ðaða he þæt unriht geseah, he worhte áne swipe of rápum, and hí ealle mid gebeate út-ascynde. Þeos todræfednys getacnode ða toweardan toworpennysse ðurh þone Romaniscan here, and se hryre gelámp swyðost þurh gyltas ðæra ealdor-biscopa ðe, binnan ðam temple wunigende, mid gehywedre halignysse þæs folces lác underfengon, and ðæra manna ehton ðe butan lace þæt tempel gesohton. Hwæt wæs þæt tempel buton swylce sceaðena scræf, þaþa ða ealdor-biscopas mid swylcere gytsunge gefyllede wæron, and ða leaslican ceapas binnan ðam Godes huse geðafedon? Hit is on oðrum godspelle awriten, þæt ðær sæton myneteras, and ðær wæron gecype hryðeru, and scép, and culfran. On ðam dagum, æfter gesetnysse ðære ealdan ǽ, man offrode hryðeru, and scép, and culfran, for getacnunge Cristes ðrowunge: ða tihte seo gitsung þa sacerdas þæt man ðillic orf þær to ceape hæfde, gif hwá feorran come, and wolde his lác Gode offrian, ðæt hé on gehendnysse to bicgenne gearu hæfde. Drihten ða adræfde ðillice cypan of ðam halgan temple, forðan ðe hit næs to nanum ceape aræred, ac to gebedum. | 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 God, 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 God? 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 institute of the old law, they offered oxen, and sheep, and doves, in token of Christ's passion: 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 God, 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. |
| "Him ða to genealæhton blinde and healte, and he hi gehælde, and wæs lærende þæt folc dæghwomlice binnan ðam temple." Se mildheorta Drihten, ðe læt scinan his sunnan ofer ða rihtwisan and unrihtwisan gelice, and sent renas and eorðlice wæstmas gódum and yfelum, nolde ofteon his lare þam ðwyrum Iudeiscum, forðan ðe manega wæron góde betwux þam yfelan, þe mid ðære lare gebeterode wæron, þeah ðe ða þwyran hyre wiðcwædon. Hé eac mid wundrum ða lare getrymde, þæt ða gecorenan ðy geleaffulran wæron: and ða wiðercorenan nane beladunge nabbað, forðan ðe hí ne ðurh godcunde tacna, ne þurh líflice lare, þam soðfæstan Hælende gelyfan noldon. Nu cwyð se eadiga Gregorius, þæt heora toworpennys hæfð sume gelicnysse to gehwilcum þwyrlicum mannum, þe blissiað on yfel-dædum, and on ðam wyrstan ðingum fægniað. Swilcera manna besargað se mildheorta Drihten dæghwomlice, seðe ða þa losigendlican buruhware mid tearon bemǽnde. Ac gif hí oncneowon ða geniðerunge þe him onsihð, hí mihton hí sylfe mid sarigendre stemne heofian. | "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 shine 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 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 perishing townsfolk with tears bemoaned. But if they knew the condemnation that hangs over them, they would themselves lament with sorrowing voice. |
| Soðlice ðære losigendlican sawle belimpð þes æfterfiligenda cwyde, "On ðysum dæge þu wunast on sibbe, ac seo towearde wracu is nu bediglod fram ðinum eagum." Witodlice seo ðwyre sawul is on sibbe wunigende on hire dæge, þonne heo on gewitendlicere tide blissað, and mid wurðmyntum bið up-ahafen, and on hwilwendlicum bricum bið ungefoh, and on flæsclicum lustum bið tolysed, and mid nanre fyrhte þæs toweardan wites ne bið geegsod, ac bedygelað hire sylfre ða æfterfiligendan yrmða; forðan gif heo embe ða smeað, þonne bið seo woruldlice bliss mid þære smeagunge gedrefed. Heo hæfð ðonne sibbe on hire dæge, ðonne heo nele ða andweardan myrhðe gewǽcan mid nánre care þære toweardan ungesælðe, ac gæð mid beclysedum eagum to ðam witnigendlicum fyre. Seo sawul ðe on ðas wisan nu drohtnað, heo is to geswencenne ðonne ða rihtwisan blissiað; and ealle ða ateorigendlican ðing, þe heo nu to sibbe and blisse talað, beoð hire ðonne to byternysse and to ceaste awende; forðan ðe heo micele sace wið hí sylfe hæfð, hwí heo ða geniðerunge, ðe heo ðonne ðolað, nolde ær on life mid ænigre carfulnysse foresceawian. Be ðam is awriten, "Eadig bið se man þe symle bið forhtigende; and soðlice se heardmoda befylð on yfel." Eft on oðre stowe mynegað þæt halige gewrit, "On eallum ðinum weorcum beo ðu gemyndig þines endenextan dæges, and on ecnysse ðu ne syngast." | Verily this following sentence applies to the perishing 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 lusts, 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." |
| Seo halige ræding cwyð, "Se tyma cymð þæt ðine fynd ðe ymbsittað mid ymbtrymminge, and ðe on ælce healfe genyrwiað, and to eorðan þe astreccað, and ðine bearn samod ðe on ðe sind." Þæra sawla fynd sind ða hellican gastas þe besittað þæs mannes forðsið, and his sawle, gif heo fyrenful bið, to ðære geferrǽdene heora agenre geniðerunge mid micelre angsumnysse lædan willað. Þa deoflu æteowiað þære synfullan sawle ægðer ge hyre yfelan geðohtas, and ða derigendlican spræca, and ða mánfullan dæda, and hí mid mænigfealdum ðreatungum geangsumiað, þæt heo on ðam forðsiðe oncnáwe mid hwilcum feondum heo ymbset bið, and ðeah nán ut-fær ne gemet, hu heo ðam feondlicum gastum oðfleon mage. To eorðan heo bið astreht ðurh hire scylda oncnawennysse, ðonne se lichama þe heo on leofode to duste bið formolsnod. Hire bearn on deaðe hreosað, ðonne ða únalyfedlican geðohtas, ðe heo nu acenð, beoð on ðære endenextan wrace eallunga toworpene, swa swa se sealm-sceop be ðam gyddigende sang, "Nellað ge getruwian on ealdormannum, ne on manna bearnum, on ðam nis nan hǽl. Heora gast gewit, and hí to eorðan gehwyrfað, and on ðam dæge losiað ealle heora geðohtas." | The holy lesson says, "The time cometh that thy foes shall encompass thee with a leaguer, and shall straiten thee on every side, and shall prostrate thee to earth, together with thy children which are in thee." The foes of the soul are the hellish spirits which beset a man's departure, and with great tribulation will lead his soul, if it be sinful, to the fellowship of their own damnation. 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." |
| Soðlice on ðam godspelle fyligð, "And hí ne forlǽtað on ðe stán ofer stáne." Þæt ðwyre mod, þonne hit gehýpð yfel ofer yfele, and þwyrnysse ofer þwyrnysse, hwæt deð hit buton swilce hit lecge stán ofer stáne? Ac ðonne seo sawul bið to hire witnunge gelæd, ðonne bið eal seo getimbrung hire smeagunge toworpen; forðan ðe heo ne oncneow ða tíd hire geneosunge. On manegum gemetum geneosað se Ælmihtiga God manna sawla; hwiltidum mid lare, hwilon mid wundrum, hwilon mit untrumnyssum; ac gif heo ðas geneosunga forgymeleasað, ðam feondum heo bið betæht on hire geendunge, to ecere witnunge, þam ðe heo ǽr on life mid healicum leahtrum gehyrsumode. Þonne beoð ða hire witneras on ðære hellican susle, ða ðe ǽr mid mislicum lustum hi to ðam leahtrum forspeonon. | 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 God 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 hell-torment, who had before allured it by divers pleasures to those sins. |
| Drihten eode into ðam temple, and mid swipe ða cypan ut-adræfde. Þa cypmen binnon ðam temple getacnodon unrihtwise láreowas on Godes gelaðunge. Ðær wæron gecype oxan, and scép, and culfran, and þær sæton myneteras. Oxa teolað his hlaforde, and se lareow sylð oxan on Godes cyrcan, gif he begæð his hlafordes teolunga, þæt is, gif he bodað godspel his underðeoddum, for eorðlicum gestreonum, and na for godcundre lufe. Mid sceapum he mangað, gif he dysigra manna herunga cepð on arfæstum weorcum. Be swylcum cwæð se Hælend, "Hi underfengon edlean heora weorca;" þæt is se hlisa idelre herunge, ðe him gecweme wæs. | The Lord went into the temple, and with a scourge drove out the chapmen. The chapmen within the temple betokened unrighteous teachers in God'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 God'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 godly 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. |
| Se láreow bið culfran cypa, þe nele ða gife, ðe him God forgeaf butan his geearnungum, oðrum mannum butan sceattum nytte dón; swa swa Crist sylf tæhte, "Butan ceape ge underfengon ða gife, syllað hí oðrum butan ceape." Se ðe mid gehywedre halignysse him sylfum teolað on Godes gelaðunge, and nateshwón ne carað ymbe Cristes teolunge, se bið untwylice mynet-cypa getalod. Ac se Hælend todræfð swylce cypan of his huse, ðonne hé mid geniðerunge fram geferrædene his gecorenra hí totwæmð. | The teacher is a chapman of doves, who will not without money give for use of other men, the gift which God, 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 assumed holiness toils for himself in God'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 fellowship of his chosen. |
| "Min hús is gebed-hús, and ge hit habbað gedón sceaðum to scræfe." Hit getímað forwel oft þæt ða ðwyran becumað to micclum háde on Godes gelaðunge, and hí ðonne gastlice ofsleað mid heora yfelnysse heora underðeoddan, ða ðe hí sceoldon mid heora benum gelíffæstan. Hwæt sind ðyllice buton sceaðan? Anes gehwilces geleaffulles mannes mód is Godes hús, swa swa se apostol cwæð, "Godes tempel is halig, þæt ge sind." Ac þæt mód ne bið na gebed-hús, ac sceaðena scræf, gif hit forlysð unscæððignysse and bilewitnysse soðre halignysse, and mid ðwyrlicum geðohtum hógað oðrum dara. | "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 God'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 God, as the apostle said, "The temple of God 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 wæs tæcende dæghwomlice binnan ðam temple." Crist lærde ða þæt folc on his andweardnysse, and he lærð nu dæghwomlice geleaffulra manna mód mid godcundre láre smeaðancellice, þæt hí yfel forbugon and gód gefremman. Ne bið na fulfremedlic þam gelyfedan þæt hé yfeles geswice, buton hé gód gefremme. Se eadiga Gregorius cwæð, "Mine gebroðru, ic wolde eow ane lytle race gereccan, seo mæig ðearle eower mód getimbrian, gif ge mid gymene hí gehyran wyllað. Sum æðelboren mann wæs on ðære scire Ualeria, se wæs geháten Crisaurius, se wæs swa micclum mid leahtrum afylled swa micclum swa hé wæs mid eorðlicum welum gewelgod. He wæs toðunden on modignysse, and his flæsclicum lustum underðeod, and mid ungefohre gytsunge ontend. Ac ðaða God gemynte his yfelnysse to geendigenne, ða wearð hé geuntrumod, and to forðsiðe gebroht. Þa on ðære ylcan tide þe hé geendian sceolde, ða beseah hé up, and stodon him abutan swearte gastas, and mid micclum ðreate him onsigon, þæt hí his sawle on ðam forðsiðe mid him to hellicum clysungum gegripon. He ongánn ða bifian and blácian, and ungefohlice swætan, and mid micclum hreame fyrstes biddan, and his sunu Maximus, ðone ic geseah munuc syððan, mid gedrefedre stemne clypode, and cwæð, Min cild, Maxime, gehelp min; onfoh me on ðinum geleafan: næs ic ðe derigende on ænigum ðingum. Se sunu ða Maximus mid micclum heofe gedrefed, him to cóm. Hé wand þa swa swa wurm; ne mihte geðolian þa egeslican gesihðe ðæra awyrgedra gasta. Hé wende hine to wage, ðær hi him ætwæron; he wende eft ongean, þær hé hí funde. Þaða hé swa swiðe geancsumod his sylfes órwene wæs, ða hrymde hé mid micelre stemne, and ðus cwæð, Lætað me fyrst oð to merigen, huru-ðinga fyrst oð to merigen: ac mid ðisum hreame ða blacan fynd tugon ða sawle of ðam lichaman, and awég gelæddon." Be ðam is swutol, þæt seo gesihð him wearð æteowod for oðra manna beterunge, na for his agenre. La hwæt fremode him, ðeah ðe hé on forðsiðe þa sweartan gastas gesawe, ðonne he ne moste þæs fyrstes habban ðe he gewilnode? Ac uton we beon carfulle, þæt ure tima mid ydelnysse ús ne losige, and we ðonne to wel-dædum gecyrran willan, ðonne us se deað to forðsiðe geðreatað. | "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 godly 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 certain nobleman 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 lusts, and inflamed with excessive covetousness. But when God 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 snatch his soul, on its departure, with them to the barriers of hell. 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. |
| Þu, Ælmihtiga Drihten, gemiltsa us synfullum, and urne forðsið swa gefada, þæt we, gebettum synnum, æfter ðisum frecenfullum life, ðinum halgum geferlæhte beon moton. Sy ðe lóf and wuldor on ealra worulda woruld. Amen. | 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 associated with thy saints. To thee be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen. |