# The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church/VIII

| DOM. III. POST EPIPHANIA DOMINI. | THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE LORD'S EPIPHANY. |
| :Cum descendisset Iesus de monte secute sunt eum turbe multe: et reliqua. | :Cum descendisset Jesus de monte secutæ sunt eum turbæ multæ: et reliqua. |
| Matheus, se eadiga Godspellere awrát on þissere godspellican rædinge, þæt "se Hælend niðer-eode of anre dune, and him filigde micel menigu. Efne ða com sum hreoflig mann, and aleat wið þæs Hælendes, þus cweðende, Drihten, gif þu wilt, þu miht me geclænsian. Se Hælend astrehte his hand, and hine hrepode, and cwæð, Ic wylle; and sy ðu geclænsod. Þa sona wearð his hreofla eal geclænsod, and he wæs gehæled. Ða cwæð se Hælend him to, Warna þæt þu hit nanum menn ne secge; ac far to Godes temple, and geswutela ðe sylfne ðam sacerde, and geoffra ðine lác, swá swá Moyses bebead him on gewitnysse." | Matthew, the blessed Evangelist, wrote in this evangelical lecture, that "Jesus came down from a mountain, and a great multitude followed him. Behold, there came a leprous man, and fell down before Jesus, thus saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me. Jesus stretched forth his hand, and touched him, and said, I will; and be thou cleansed. Then immediately was his leprosy all cleansed, and he was healed. Then said Jesus to him, Take care that thou say it to no man; but go to God's temple, and show thyself to the priest, and offer thy gift, as Moses commanded for a witness to them." |
| Se láreow Hægmon cweð on ðissere trahtnunge þæt seo dún þe se Hælend of-astah getacnode heofenan rice, of ðam niðer-astah se Ælmihtiga Godes Sunu, ðaða he underfeng ure gecynd, and to menniscum men geflæschamod wearð, to ðy þæt he mancynn fram deofles anwealde alysde. He wæs ungesewenlic and unðrowigendlic on his gecynde; þa wearð he gesewenlic on urum gecynde, and þrowigendlic. Seo micele menigu ðe him filigde getacnode ða geleaffullan cristenan, þe mid heora þeawa stæpum Drihtne filiað. Witodlice we folgiað Cristes fotswaðum, gif we his gebisnungum mid godum weorcum geefenlæcað. "Efne ða com sum hreoflig man, and aleat wið þæs Hælendes, þus cweðende, Drihten, gif þu wilt, ðu miht me geclænsian. Se Hælend astrehte his hand, and hine hrepode, and cwæð, Ic wille; and sy ðu geclænsod. Þa sona wearð his hreofla eal geclænsod, and he wæs gehæled." | The doctor Haymo says in exposition of this, that the mountain from which Jesus descended betokened the kingdom of heaven, from which the Almighty Son of God came down, when he assumed our nature, and became incarnate as a human being, in order that he might redeem mankind from the power of the devil. He was invisible and impassible in his nature; then he became visible in our nature, and passible. The great multitude which followed him betokened those faithful christians, who follow the Lord with the steps of their moral virtues. Verily we follow Christ's foot-traces, if, with good works, we imitate his examples. "Behold, there came a leprous man, and fell down before Jesus, thus saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me. Jesus stretched forth his hand, and touched him, and said, I will; and be thou cleansed. Then immediately was his leprosy all cleansed, and he was healed." |
| On ðissere dæde is geswutelod Godes miht, and his eadmodnys. Moyses ǽ forbead to hrepenne ænigne hreoflan, ac se eadmoda Crist nolde hine forseon, þeah ðe he atelic wære, and eac geswutelode þæt hé wæs Hlaford þære ealdan ǽ, and na ðeow. Mihtiglice he mihte mid his worde hine gehælan, buton hrepunge; ac he geswutelode þæt his hrepung is swiðe halwende geleaffullum. Geleafful wæs se hreoflia, ðaða he cwæð, "Drihten, gif þu wilt, ðu miht me geclænsian." Se Hælend andwyrde, "Ic wylle; and þu beo geclænsod." Godes hæs soðlice is weorc, swa swa se sealm-wyrhta cwæð, "He hit gecwæð, and þa gesceafta wæron geworhte. He bebead, and hí wæron gesceapene." | In this deed is manifested God's might, and his humility. The law of Moses forbade to touch any leper, but the humble Christ would not despise him, though he was loathsome; and also manifested that he was lord of the old law, and not its slave. In his might he could have healed him with his word, without touching; but he manifested that his touch is very salutary to believers. The leper was a believer, when he cried, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me." Jesus answered, "I will; and be thou cleansed." Verily God's behest is act, as the psalmist said, "He said it, and creatures were made. He commanded, and they were created." |
| On gastlicum andgite getacnode þes hreoflia man eal mancyn, þe wæs atelice hreoflig, mid mislicum leahtrum on þam inran menn; ac hit gebeah to Cristes geleafan, and gleawlice undergeat þæt hit ne mihte þære sawle clænsunge onfon, buton þurh Drihten, þe nane synne ne worhte, ne nan facn næs on his muðe gemet. Laðlic bið þæs hreoflian lic mid menigfealdum springum and geswelle, and mid mislicum fagnyssum; ac se inra mann, þæt is seo sawul, bið micele atelicor, gif heo mid mislicum leahtrum begripen bið. We sceolon rihtlice gelyfan on Crist, þæt he ure sawle fram synna fagnyssum gehælan mæge; and we sceolon anrædlice his willan to ðære fremminge biddan. His hand getacnað his mihte and his flæsclicnysse. Swa swa Crist mid his handa hrepunge þone hreoflian gehælde, swa eac he alysde us fram ure sawla synnum ðurh anfenge ures flæsces; swa swa se witega Isaias cwæð, "Soðlice he sylf ætbræd ure adlunga, and ure sarnyssa he sylf abær." | In a spiritual sense this leper betokened all mankind, which was foully leprous with divers sins in the inward man; but it inclined to the belief of Christ, and wisely conceived that it could not receive a cleansing of the soul, save through the Lord, who wrought no sin, nor was any guile found in his mouth. Loathsome is the body of the leper with many ulcers and tumours, and with divers scabs; but the inward man, that is the soul, is much more loathsome, if it be seized with divers sins. We should rightly believe in Christ, that he may heal our soul from the ulcers of sins; and we should steadfastly implore his will to that fulfilment. His hand betokens his might and his incarnation. As Christ by the touch of his hands healed the leper, so also he redeemed us from the sins of our souls by the assumption of our flesh; as the prophet Isaiah said, "Verily he took away our diseases, and our pains he himself bare." |
| Mid þam ðe he forbead þam gehæledum hreoflian þæt he hit nanum men ne cydde, mid þam he sealde us bysne þæt we ne sceolon na wídmærsian ure wel-dæda, ac we sceolon onscunian, mid inweardre heortan, þone ydelan gylp, gif we hwæt lytles to góde gedoð. Witodlice ne bið us mid nanum oðrum edleane forgolden, gif we goód for gylpe doð, buton mid helle susle; forðan ðe gilp is an heofod-leahter. | When he forbade the healed leper not to make it known to any man, he thereby gave us an example that we should not publish our good deeds, but we should shun, with inward heart, vain pride, if we do some little good. Verily we shall be requited with no other reward, if we do good for pride, than with hell-torment; because pride is a deadly sin. |
| Seo ealde ǽ bebead þæt gehwilc hreoflig man gecome to þam sacerde, and se sacerd sceolde hine fram mannum ascirian, gif hé soðlice hreoflig wære. Gif he nære swutelice hreoflig, wære ðonne be his dome clæne geteald. Gif se sacerd hine hreofligne tealde, and Godes miht hine syððan gehælde, þonne sceolde he mid lace his clænsunge Gode ðancian. Swa sceal eac se ðe mid heafod-leahtrum wiðinnan hreoflig bið cuman to Godes sacerde, and geopenian his digelnysse ðam gastlican læce, and be his ræde and fultume his sawle wunda dædbetende gelacnian. Sume men wenað þæt him genihtsumige to fulfremedum læcedome, gif hí heora synna mid onbryrdre heortan Gode ánum andettað, and ne ðurfon nanum sacerde geandettan, gif hí yfeles geswicað: ac gif heora wena soð wære, ðonne nolde Drihten asendan þone ðe he sylf gehælde to þam sacerde mid ænigre lace. For ðære ylcan gebisnunge eac hé asende Paulum, þone ðe he sylf of heofenum gespræc, to ðam sacerde Annanian, þus cweðende, "Ga inn to ðære ceastre, and ðær þe bið gesæd hwæt þe gedafenað to dónne." | The old law commanded that every leper should go to the priest, and that the priest should separate him from men, if he really were leprous. If he were not manifestly leprous, he should then, by his judgement, be accounted clean. If the priest accounted him leprous, and God's might afterwards healed him, that he should then, with a gift, thank God for his cleansing. So also should he, who is leprous within with deadly sins, go to God's priest, and open his secret to the ghostly leech, and, by his counsel and aid, heal by penance the wounds of his soul. Some men imagine that it will suffice for a complete cure, if, with compunction of heart, they confess their sins to God alone, and that they need not confess to any priest, if they cease from evil: but if their opinion were true, the Lord would not have sent him, whom he himself had healed, with any gift to the priest. For the same example he also sent Paul, whom he himself had spoken to from heaven, to the priest Ananias, thus saying, "Go into the city, and there shall be told thee what it befitteth thee to do." |
| Ne gedyde se sacerd þone man hreofligne oððe unhreofligne, ac hé démde þæt he sceolde beon ascyred fram manna neawiste, gif his hreofla wyrsigende wære; oððe betwux mannum wunian, gif his hreofla godigende wære. Swa sceal don se gastlica sacerd: he sceal gerihtlæcan Godes folc, and ðone ascyrian, and amánsumian fram cristenum mannum, þe swa hreoflig bið on mánfullum ðeawum þæt he oðre mid his yfelnysse besmit; be ðam}} cwæð se apostol Paulus, "Afyrsiað þone yfelan fram eow, ðylǽs ðe an wannhal scep ealle ða eowde besmite." Gif his hreofla bið godigende, þæt is gif he yfeles geswicð, and his ðeawas ðurh Godes ege gerihtlæcð, he hæbbe wununge betwux cristenum mannum, oð þæt he full hal sy on his drohtnungum. | The priest made not the man leprous or unleprous, but he judged that he should be separated from the society of men, if his leprosy were growing worse, or should continue among men, if his leprosy were growing better. So should the ghostly priest do: he should cure God's people, and separate, and excommunicate from christian men him who is so leprous with sinful practices that he infects others with his wickedness; concerning which the apostle Paul said, "Remove the evil man from you, lest one unsound sheep infect all the flock." If his leprosy be amending, that is, if he cease from evil, and, through dread of God, correct his ways, let him have a dwelling among christian men, until he be full sound in his conditions. |
| Se godspellere cwæð, þæt "Drihten ferde æfter ðisum to anre byrig þe is geháten Capharnaum; þa genealæhte him to sum hundredes ealdor, biddende and cweðende, Drihten, min cniht lið æt hám bedreda, and is yfele geðreatod. Drihten him andwyrde, Ic cume and hine gehæle. Þa andwyrde se hundredes ealdor, and cwæð, Drihten, ne eom ic wyrðe þæt þu innfare under minum hrofe; ac cweð þin word, and min cniht bið gehæled. Ic eom án man geset under anwealde, hæbbende under me cempan; and ic cweðe to ðisum, Far ðu, and he færð; to oðrum, Cum ðu, and he cymð; to minum ðeowan, Do ðis, and he deð. Þa wundrode se Hælend, ðaða hé ðis gehyrde, and cwæð to ðære fyligendan menigu, Soð ic eow secge, ne gemette ic swa micelne geleafan on Israhela ðeode. Ic secge eow to soðum, þæt manega cumað fram east-dæle and west-dæle, and gerestað hí mid Abrahame ðam heahfædere, and Isaáce, and Iacobe, on heofenan rice. Þa rícan bearn beoð aworpene into ðam yttrum þeostrum, þær bið wóp and toða gebitt. Ða cwæð eft se Hælend to þam hundredes ealdre, Far ðe hám, and getimige ðe swa swa ðu gelyfdest. And se cniht wearð gehæled of ðære tide." | The evangelist said, that "After this the Lord went to a city which is called Capernaum; then a certain centurion approached him, praying and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home bedridden, and is grievously tormented. The Lord answered him, I will come and heal him. Then the centurion answered, and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof; but say thy word, and my servant shall be healed. I am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this, Go thou, and he goeth; to another, Come thou, and he cometh; to my servant, Do this, and he doeth. Then Jesus, when he heard this, wondered, and said to the multitude following, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in the people of Israel. I say to you in sooth, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall rest with the patriarch Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. The rich children shall be cast into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then again said Jesus to the centurion, Go home, and betide thee as thou hast believed. And the servant was healed from that hour." |
| Þes hundredes ealdor genealæhte ðam Hælende na healfunga, ac fulfremedlice. He genealæhte mid micclum geleafan, and mid soðre eadmodnysse, and snotornysse, and soðre lufe. Micelne geleafan he hæfde, þaþa he cwæð, "Drihten, cweð þin word, and min cniht bið hal." Soðlice he geswutelode micele eadmodnysse, mid þam ðe he cwæð, "Drihten, ne eom ic wyrðe þæt þu innfare under mine ðecene." He hæfde micele snotornysse, þaþa hé understód þæt Crist is æghwær andweard þurh godcundnysse, seðe lichamlice betwux mannum gesewenlic eode. Næs he bedæled þære soðan lufe, ðaða he bæd Drihten for his ðeowan hæle. Manega oðre men bædon Drihten, sume for heora agenre hæle, sume for heora bearna, sume for leofra freonda; ac ðes ðegen bæd for his þeowan hælðe mid soðre lufe; forðan ðe heo ne toscǽt nænne be mæglicere sibbe. Drihten geseah ðises ðegenes menigfealdan godnysse, and cwæð, "Ic cume, and ðinne cniht gehæle." | The centurion approached Jesus not by halves, but fully. He approached with great faith, and with true humility, and wisdom, and true love. Great faith he had, when he said, "Lord, say thy word, and my servant shall be healed." But he manifested great humility, when he said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof." He had great wisdom, when he understood that Christ is everywhere present, through his divine nature, who went bodily visible among men. He was not void of true love, when he besought the Lord for the health of his servant. Many other men besought the Lord, some for their own health, some for their children's, some for their dear friends'; but this officer prayed with true love for the health of his servant, for that makes no distinction with regard to family relationship. The Lord saw the manifold goodness of this officer, and said, "I will come and heal thy servant." |
| Iohannes se Godspellere awrát, þæt "Sum under-cyning com to Criste, and hine bæd þæt he hám mid him siðode, and his sunu gehælde; forðan þe hé læig æt forðsiðe. Þa cwæð se Hælend to ðam under-cyninge, Gewénd þe hám, þin sunu leofað. He gelyfde þæs Hælendes spræce, and hám siðode. Ða comon his ðegnas him togeanes, and cyddon þæt his sunu gesund wære. He ða befrán on hwilcere tide he gewyrpte. Hí sædon, Gyrstan-dæg ofer midne dæg hine forlét se fefor. Þa oncneow se fæder þæt hit wæs seo tíd on ðære ðe se Hælend him to cwæð, Far ðe hám, þin sunu leofað. Se cyning gelyfde ða on God, and eal his hired." | John the Evangelist wrote that "An under-king came to Christ, and besought him that he would go home with him and heal his son; for he lay at the point of death. Then said Jesus to the under-king, Return home, thy son liveth. He believed the speech of Jesus, and went home. Then came his servants towards him, and informed him that his son was well. He then inquired at what hour he recovered. They said, Yesterday, after mid-day, the fever left him. Then the father knew that it was the hour at which Jesus said to him, Go home, thy son liveth. The king then believed in God, and all his family." |
| Drihten nolde gelaðod lichamlice siðian to þæs cyninges untruman bearne, ac únandweard mid his worde hine gehælde; and he wæs gearo ungelaðod to siðigenne lichamlice mid þam hundredes ealdre. Wel wát gehwá þæt cyning hæfð maran mihte þonne ænig hundredes ealdor, ac se Ælmihtiga Godes Sunu geswutelode mid þære dæde þæt we ne sceolon ða rícan, for heora riccetere wurðian, ac for menniscum gecynde; ne we ne sceolon ða wánnspedigan for heora hafenleaste forseon; ac we sceolon Godes anlicnysse on him wurðian. Se eadmoda Godes Sunu wæs gearo to geneosigenne þone ðeowan mid his andwerdnysse, and he gehælde þone æðeling mid hæse; be ðam cwæð se witega, "Se healica Drihten sceawað þa eadmodan, and þa modigan feorran oncnæwð." | The Lord would not, invited, go bodily to the king's sick son, but absent healed him by his word; and he was ready, uninvited, to go bodily with the centurion. Everyone well knows that a king has greater power than any centurion, but the Almighty Son of God manifested by that deed, that we should not honour the rich for their riches, but for human nature; nor should we despise the indigent for their indigence; but that we should honour God's image in them. The humble Son of God was ready to visit the servant by his presence, and he healed the prince with his behest; on which the prophet said, "The Lord supreme beholdeth the humble, and knoweth the proud from afar." |
| Drihten wundrode þæs hundredes ealdres geleafan, na swilce he hine ær ne cuðe, seðe ealle ðing wát, ac he geswutelode mannum his geleafan mid herunge þam þe he wundorlic wæs. Hwanon com se geleafa þam þegene buton of Cristes gife, seðe hine syððan þisum wordum herede? "Soð ic eow secge, na gemette ic swa micelne geleafan on Israhela ðeode." Næs ðis gecweden be ðam heahfæderum oððe wítegum, ac be ðam andwerdan folce, ðe ða-gyt næron swa miccles geleafan. | The Lord wondered at the centurion's faith, not because he knew it not before, who knows all things, but he to whom he was wonderful manifested to men his faith with praise. Whence came the officer's faith but of Christ's gift, who afterwards praised him in these words? "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in the people of Israel." This was not said of the patriarchs or prophets, but of the present people, who were not yet of so great faith. |
| Maria and Martha wæron twa geswystru swiðe on God belyfede: hí cwædon to Criste, "Drihten, gif ðu her andwerd wære, nære ure broðer forðfaren." Þes ðegen cwæð to Criste, "Cweð þin word, and min cniht bið hal. Ic eom man under anwealde gesett, hæbbende under me cempan; and ic secge ðisum, Far ðú, and he færð; to oðrum, Cum ðu, and he cymð; to minum þeowan, Do þis, and he deð. Hu miccle swiðor miht ðu, þe Ælmihtig God eart, þurh ðine hæse gefremman}} swa hwæt swa ðu wilt!" Drihten cwæð, "Ic secge eow to soðan, þæt manega cumað fram east-dæle and west-dæle, and gerestað hí mid Abrahame þam heahfædere, and Isaáce, and Iacobe, on heofenan rice." Þas word sind lustbære to gehyrenne, and hí micclum ure mod gladiað, þæt manega cumað fram east-dæle middangeardes, and fram west-dæle, to heofenan rice, and mid þam heahfæderum on ecere myrhðe rixiað. | Mary and Martha were two sisters of great faith in God: they said to Christ, "Lord, if thou hadst been present, our brother would not have died." This officer said to Christ, "Say thy word, and my servant shall be whole. I am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this, Go thou, and he goeth; to another, Come thou, and he cometh; to my servant, Do this, and he doeth. How much more canst thou, who art Almighty God, through thy behest, execute whatsoever thou wilt!" The Lord said, "I say to you in sooth, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall rest with the patriarch Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." These words are pleasant to hear, and they greatly gladden our minds, that many shall come from the east part of the world, and from the west part, to the kingdom of heaven, and rule with the patriarchs in everlasting joy. |
| Þurh ða twegen dælas, east-dæl and west-dæl, sind getacnode ða feower hwemmas ealles middangeardes, of þam beoð gegaderode Godes gecorenan of ælcere mægðe to þæra heahfædera wununge, and ealra halgena. Þurh east-dæl magon beon getacnode þa ðe on geogoðe to Gode bugað; forðan ðe on east-dæle is þæs dæges angin. Þurh west-dæl sind getacnode þa ðe on ylde to Godes ðeowdome gecyrrað; forðan ðe on west-dæle geendað se dæg. | By the two parts, the east and the west, are betokened the four corners of the whole world, from which God's chosen shall be gathered from every people to the dwelling of the patriarchs and of all the saints. By the east part may be betokened those who in youth incline to God; because in the east part is the day's beginning. By the west part are betokened those who in age turn to God's service; because in the west part the day ends. |
| Ðes æfterfiligenda cwyde is swiðe egefull, "Þa rícan bearn beoð awórpene into ðam yttrum ðeostrum, þær bið wóp and toða gebitt." Ða rican bearn sind þa Iudeiscan, on ðam rixode God ðurh ða ealdan ǽ; ac hí awurpon Crist, and his lare forsawon; and hé awyrpð hí on ða yttran þeostru, ðær bið wóp and toða gebitt. Fela riccra manna geðeoð Gode, swa-þeah, gif hí rihtwise beoð, and mildheorte. Rice man wæs se heahfæder Abraham, and Dauid se mæra cyning, and Zacheus, seðe healfe his æhta þearfum dælde, and mid healfum dæle forgeald be feowerfealdum swa hwæt swa he ær on unriht be anfealdum reafode. Þas rican and heora gelican becumað þurh gode gecyrrednysse to ðam ecan rice, ðe him næfre ne ateorað. | The following sentence is very awful, "The rich children shall be cast into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The rich children are the Jewish, over whom God ruled, by the old law; but they rejected Christ, and despised his doctrine; and he casts them into utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Many rich men, however, thrive to God, if they are righteous and merciful. The patriarch Abraham was a rich man, and David the great king, and Zaccheus, who gave half his riches to the poor, and with the half part compensated fourfold for what he had before wrongfully gained. These rich and their like come by good conversion to the everlasting kingdom, which will never fail them. |
| Ða sind Godes bearn gecigede, þe hine lufiað swiðor þonne þisne middangeard; and ða sind ða rican bearn gecwedene, ðe heora heortan wyrtruman on ðisum andwerdum life plantiað swiðor þonne on Criste: swylce beoð on þeostru aworpene. Þæt godspel cwyð, "On þa yttran þeostru." Ða yttran þeostru sind þæs lichaman blindnyssa wiðutan. Ða inran þeostru sind þæs modes blindnyssa wiðinnan. Se ðe on ðisum andweardum life is wiðinnan ablend, swa þæt he næfð nan andgit ne hóga embe Godes beboda, he bið þonne eft wiðutan ablend, and ælces leohtes bedæled; forðan ðe he ær his lif aspende butan Godes gemynde. Þa earman forscyldegodan cwylmiað on ecum fyre, and swa-ðeah þæt swearte fyr him nane lihtinge ne deð. Wurmas toslitað heora lichaman mid fyrenum toðum, swa swa Crist on his godspelle cwæð, "Þær næfre heora wyrm ne swylt, ne heora fyr ne bið adwæsced." Þær beoð þonne geferlæhte on anre susle, þa þe on life on mándædum geðeodde wæron, swa þæt þa manslagan togædere ecelice on tintregum cwylmiað; and forlígras mid forligrum, gitseras mid gytserum, sceaðan mid sceaðum, ða forsworenan mid forsworenum, on ðam bradan fire, butan ælcere geendunge forwurðað. Þær bið wóp and toða gebitt, forðan ðe ða eagan tyrað on ðam micclum bryne, and ða teð cwaciað eft on swiðlicum cyle. Gif hwam twynige be ðam gemænelicum æriste, þonne understande he þisne drihtenlican cwyde, Þæt þær bið soð ærist, ðær ðær beoð wepende eagan and cearcigende teð. | They are called children of God who love him more than this world; and those are called rich children who plant the root of their hearts in this present life more than in Christ: such shall be cast into darkness. The gospel says, "Into utter darkness." Utter darkness is the blindness of the body without. Inward darkness is the darkness of the mind within. He who in this present life is blinded within, so that he has no understanding, nor heed of God's commandments, he will then be blinded without, and deprived of every light; because he had before spent his life without remembrance of God. The miserable guilty ones shall suffer torment in everlasting fire, and yet that swart fire shall give them no light. Worms shall tear their bodies with fiery teeth, as Christ said in his gospel, "There their worm shall never die, nor their fire be quenched." There shall be associated in one torment, those who in life were united in evil deeds, so that murderers shall eternally be tortured together; and adulterers with adulterers, the rapacious with the rapacious, robbers with robbers, perjurers with perjurers, in the broad flame, without any ending, shall perish. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; for their eyes shall be tormented in the great burning, and their teeth shall afterwards quake in the intense cold. If any one doubt of the universal resurrection, let him understand this divine saying, That there shall be a true resurrection, where there shall be weeping eyes and gnashing teeth. |
| Drihten cwæð to þam hundredes ealdre, "Far ðe hám, and getimige ðe swa swa ðu gelyfdest; and his cniht wearð gehæled of ðære tide." Be ðisum is to understandenne hu micclum þam cristenum men his agen geleafa fremige, þonne oðres mannes swa micclum fremode. Witodlice, for ðæs hundredes ealdres geleafan wearð se bedreda gehæled. Geleafa is ealra mægena fyrmest; buton þam ne mæg nán man Gode lician; and se rihtwisa leofað be his geleafan. Uton gelyfan on þa Halgan Ðrynnysse, and on soðe Annysse, þæt se Ælmihtiga Fæder, and his Sunu, þæt is his wisdom, and se Halga Gast, seðe is heora begra lufu and willa, þæt hí sind þry on hadum and on namum, and án God, on ánre godcundnysse æfre wunigende, butan angynne and ende. Amen. | The Lord said to the centurion, "Go home, and betide thee as thou hast believed; and his servant was healed from that hour." By this is to be understood how greatly a christian man's own faith profiteth him, when that of another man profiteth him so greatly. Verily, for the centurion's faith was the bedridden healed. Faith is of all virtues first; without it no man may be pleasing to God; and the righteous lives by his faith. Let us believe in the Holy Trinity, and in true Unity, that the Almighty Father, and his Son, that is his wisdom, and the Holy Ghost who is the love and will of them both, that they are three in person and in name, and one God, in one Godhead ever continuing, without beginning and end. Amen. |