Part 12

We should, by obedience, and continence, and humility, unanimously proceed to our home, and with holy virtues require the country, which we lost through sins. Rightly was the treacherous Herod deceived by the astrologers, and came not to Christ; because he sought him with a guileful {121} purpose. He betokened the false hypocrites, who in outward show seek God, and never find him. He is to be sought with a true heart, and steadfast mind, who liveth and ruleth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.

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DO[=M]. III. POST EPIPHANIA DOMINI.

Cum descendisset Iesus de monte secute sunt eum turbe multe: et reliqua.

Matheus, se eadiga Godspellere awr['a]t on thissere godspellican raedinge, thaet "se Haelend nidher-eode of anre dune, and him filigde micel menigu. Efne dha com sum hreoflig mann, and aleat widh thaes Haelendes, thus cwedhende, Drihten, gif thu wilt, thu miht me geclaensian. Se Haelend astrehte his hand, and hine hrepode, and cwaedh, Ic wylle; and sy dhu geclaensod. Tha sona weardh his hreofla eal geclaensod, and he waes gehaeled. Dha cwaedh se Haelend him to, Warna thaet thu hit nanum menn ne secge; ac far to Godes temple, and geswutela dhe sylfne dham sacerde, and geoffra dhine l['a]c, sw['a] sw['a] Moyses bebead him on gewitnysse."

Se l['a]reow Haegmon cwedh on dhissere trahtnunge thaet seo d['u]n the se Haelend of-astah getacnode heofenan rice, of dham nidher-astah se Aelmihtiga Godes Sunu, dhadha he underfeng ure gecynd, and to menniscum men geflaeschamod weardh, to dhy thaet he mancynn fram deofles anwealde alysde. He waes ungesewenlic and undhrowigendlic on his gecynde; tha weardh he gesewenlic on urum gecynde, and throwigendlic. Seo micele menigu dhe him filigde getacnode dha geleaffullan cristenan, the mid heora theawa staepum Drihtne filiadh. Witodlice we folgiadh Cristes fotswadhum, gif we his gebisnungum mid godum weorcum geefenlaecadh. "Efne dha com sum hreoflig man, and aleat widh thaes Haelendes, thus cwedhende, Drihten, gif thu wilt, dhu miht me geclaensian. Se Haelend {122} astrehte his hand, and hine hrepode, and cwaedh, Ic wille; and sy dhu geclaensod. Tha sona weardh his hreofla eal geclaensod, and he waes gehaeled."

On dhissere daede is geswutelod Godes miht, and his eadmodnys. Moyses ['ae] forbead to hrepenne aenigne hreoflan, ac se eadmoda Crist nolde hine forseon, theah dhe he atelic waere, and eac geswutelode thaet h['e] waes Hlaford thaere ealdan ['ae], and na dheow. Mihtiglice he mihte mid his worde hine gehaelan, buton hrepunge; ac he geswutelode thaet his hrepung is swidhe halwende geleaffullum. Geleafful waes se hreoflia, dhadha he cwaedh, "Drihten, gif thu wilt, dhu miht me geclaensian." Se Haelend andwyrde, "Ic wylle; and thu beo geclaensod." Godes haes sodhlice is weorc, swa swa se sealm-wyrhta cwaedh, "He hit gecwaedh, and tha gesceafta waeron geworhte. He bebead, and h['i] waeron gesceapene."

On gastlicum andgite getacnode thes hreoflia man eal mancyn, the waes atelice hreoflig, mid mislicum leahtrum on tham inran menn; ac hit gebeah to Cristes geleafan, and gleawlice undergeat thaet hit ne mihte thaere sawle claensunge onfon, buton thurh Drihten, the nane synne ne worhte, ne nan facn naes on his mudhe gemet. Ladhlic bidh thaes hreoflian lic mid menigfealdum springum and geswelle, and mid mislicum fagnyssum; ac se inra mann, thaet is seo sawul, bidh micele atelicor, gif heo mid mislicum leahtrum begripen bidh. We sceolon rihtlice gelyfan on Crist, thaet he ure sawle fram synna fagnyssum gehaelan maege; and we sceolon anraedlice his willan to dhaere fremminge biddan. His hand getacnadh his mihte and his flaesclicnysse. Swa swa Crist mid his handa hrepunge thone hreoflian gehaelde, swa eac he alysde us fram ure sawla synnum dhurh anfenge ures flaesces; swa swa se witega Isaias cwaedh, "Sodhlice he sylf aetbraed ure adlunga, and ure sarnyssa he sylf abaer."

Mid tham dhe he forbead tham gehaeledum hreoflian thaet he hit nanum men ne cydde, mid tham he sealde us bysne thaet we ne sceolon na w['i]dmaersian ure wel-daeda, ac we sceolon {124} onscunian, mid inweardre heortan, thone ydelan gylp, gif we hwaet lytles to g['o]de gedodh. Witodlice ne bidh us mid nanum odhrum edleane forgolden, gif we go['o]d for gylpe dodh, buton mid helle susle; fordhan dhe gilp is an heofod-leahter.

Seo ealde ['ae] bebead thaet gehwilc hreoflig man gecome to tham sacerde, and se sacerd sceolde hine fram mannum ascirian, gif h['e] sodhlice hreoflig waere. Gif he naere swutelice hreoflig, waere dhonne be his dome claene geteald. Gif se sacerd hine hreofligne tealde, and Godes miht hine sydhdhan gehaelde, thonne sceolde he mid lace his claensunge Gode dhancian. Swa sceal eac se dhe mid heafod-leahtrum widhinnan hreoflig bidh cuman to Godes sacerde, and geopenian his digelnysse dham gastlican laece, and be his raede and fultume his sawle wunda daedbetende gelacnian. Sume men wenadh thaet him genihtsumige to fulfremedum laecedome, gif h['i] heora synna mid onbryrdre heortan Gode ['a]num andettadh, and ne dhurfon nanum sacerde geandettan, gif h['i] yfeles geswicadh: ac gif heora wena sodh waere, dhonne nolde Drihten asendan thone dhe he sylf gehaelde to tham sacerde mid aenigre lace. For dhaere ylcan gebisnunge eac h['e] asende Paulum, thone dhe he sylf of heofenum gespraec, to dham sacerde Annanian, thus cwedhende, "Ga inn to dhaere ceastre, and dhaer the bidh gesaed hwaet the gedafenadh to d['o]nne."

Ne gedyde se sacerd thone man hreofligne odhdhe unhreofligne, ac h['e] d['e]mde thaet he sceolde beon ascyred fram manna neawiste, gif his hreofla wyrsigende waere; odhdhe betwux mannum wunian, gif his hreofla godigende waere. Swa sceal don se gastlica sacerd: he sceal gerihtlaecan Godes folc, and dhone ascyrian, and am['a]nsumian fram cristenum mannum, the swa hreoflig bidh on m['a]nfullum dheawum thaet he odhre mid his yfelnysse besmit; be dham cwaedh se apostol Paulus, "Afyrsiadh thone yfelan fram eow, dhyl['ae]s dhe an wannhal scep ealle dha eowde besmite." Gif his hreofla bidh godigende, thaet is gif he yfeles geswicdh, and his dheawas dhurh Godes ege gerihtlaecdh, {126} he haebbe wununge betwux cristenum mannum, odh thaet he full hal sy on his drohtnungum.

Se godspellere cwaedh, thaet "Drihten ferde aefter dhisum to anre byrig the is geh['a]ten Capharnaum; tha genealaehte him to sum hundredes ealdor, biddende and cwedhende, Drihten, min cniht lidh aet h['a]m bedreda, and is yfele gedhreatod. Drihten him andwyrde, Ic cume and hine gehaele. Tha andwyrde se hundredes ealdor, and cwaedh, Drihten, ne eom ic wyrdhe thaet thu innfare under minum hrofe; ac cwedh thin word, and min cniht bidh gehaeled. Ic eom ['a]n man geset under anwealde, haebbende under me cempan; and ic cwedhe to dhisum, Far dhu, and he faerdh; to odhrum, Cum dhu, and he cymdh; to minum dheowan, Do dhis, and he dedh. Tha wundrode se Haelend, dhadha h['e] dhis gehyrde, and cwaedh to dhaere fyligendan menigu, Sodh ic eow secge, ne gemette ic swa micelne geleafan on Israhela dheode. Ic secge eow to sodhum, thaet manega cumadh fram east-daele and west-daele, and gerestadh h['i] mid Abrahame dham heahfaedere, and Isa['a]ce, and Iacobe, on heofenan rice. Tha r['i]can bearn beodh aworpene into dham yttrum theostrum, thaer bidh w['o]p and todha gebitt. Dha cwaedh eft se Haelend to tham hundredes ealdre, Far dhe h['a]m, and getimige dhe swa swa dhu gelyfdest. And se cniht weardh gehaeled of dhaere tide."

Thes hundredes ealdor genealaehte dham Haelende na healfunga, ac fulfremedlice. He genealaehte mid micclum geleafan, and mid sodhre eadmodnysse, and snotornysse, and sodhre lufe. Micelne geleafan he haefde, thatha he cwaedh, "Drihten, cwedh thin word, and min cniht bidh hal." Sodhlice he geswutelode micele eadmodnysse, mid tham dhe he cwaedh, "Drihten, ne eom ic wyrdhe thaet thu innfare under mine dhecene." He haefde micele snotornysse, thatha h['e] underst['o]d thaet Crist is aeghwaer andweard thurh godcundnysse, sedhe lichamlice betwux mannum gesewenlic eode. Naes he bedaeled thaere sodhan lufe, dhadha he baed Drihten for his dheowan haele. Manega odhre men baedon Drihten, sume for heora agenre haele, sume for heora bearna, sume for leofra freonda; {128} ac dhes dhegen baed for his theowan haeldhe mid sodhre lufe; fordhan dhe heo ne tosc['ae]t naenne be maeglicere sibbe. Drihten geseah dhises dhegenes menigfealdan godnysse, and cwaedh, "Ic cume, and dhinne cniht gehaele."

Iohannes se Godspellere awr['a]t, thaet "Sum under-cyning com to Criste, and hine baed thaet he h['a]m mid him sidhode, and his sunu gehaelde; fordhan the h['e] laeig aet fordhsidhe. Tha cwaedh se Haelend to dham under-cyninge, Gew['e]nd the h['a]m, thin sunu leofadh. He gelyfde thaes Haelendes spraece, and h['a]m sidhode. Dha comon his dhegnas him togeanes, and cyddon thaet his sunu gesund waere. He dha befr['a]n on hwilcere tide he gewyrpte. H['i] saedon, Gyrstan-daeg ofer midne daeg hine forl['e]t se fefor. Tha oncneow se faeder thaet hit waes seo t['i]d on dhaere dhe se Haelend him to cwaedh, Far dhe h['a]m, thin sunu leofadh. Se cyning gelyfde dha on God, and eal his hired."

Drihten nolde geladhod lichamlice sidhian to thaes cyninges untruman bearne, ac ['u]nandweard mid his worde hine gehaelde; and he waes gearo ungeladhod to sidhigenne lichamlice mid tham hundredes ealdre. Wel w['a]t gehw['a] thaet cyning haefdh maran mihte thonne aenig hundredes ealdor, ac se Aelmihtiga Godes Sunu geswutelode mid thaere daede thaet we ne sceolon dha r['i]can, for heora riccetere wurdhian, ac for menniscum gecynde; ne we ne sceolon dha w['a]nnspedigan for heora hafenleaste forseon; ac we sceolon Godes anlicnysse on him wurdhian. Se eadmoda Godes Sunu waes gearo to geneosigenne thone dheowan mid his andwerdnysse, and he gehaelde thone aedheling mid haese; be dham cwaedh se witega, "Se healica Drihten sceawadh tha eadmodan, and tha modigan feorran oncnaewdh."

Drihten wundrode thaes hundredes ealdres geleafan, na swilce he hine aer ne cudhe, sedhe ealle dhing w['a]t, ac he geswutelode mannum his geleafan mid herunge tham the he wundorlic waes. Hwanon com se geleafa tham thegene buton of Cristes gife, sedhe hine sydhdhan thisum wordum herede? "Sodh ic eow secge, na gemette ic swa micelne geleafan on Israhela dheode." {130} Naes dhis gecweden be dham heahfaederum odhdhe w['i]tegum, ac be dham andwerdan folce, dhe dha-gyt naeron swa miccles geleafan.

Maria and Martha waeron twa geswystru swidhe on God belyfede: h['i] cwaedon to Criste, "Drihten, gif dhu her andwerd waere, naere ure brodher fordhfaren." Thes dhegen cwaedh to Criste, "Cwedh thin word, and min cniht bidh hal. Ic eom man under anwealde gesett, haebbende under me cempan; and ic secge dhisum, Far dh['u], and he faerdh; to odhrum, Cum dhu, and he cymdh; to minum theowan, Do this, and he dedh. Hu miccle swidhor miht dhu, the Aelmihtig God eart, thurh dhine haese gefremman swa hwaet swa dhu wilt!" Drihten cwaedh, "Ic secge eow to sodhan, thaet manega cumadh fram east-daele and west-daele, and gerestadh h['i] mid Abrahame tham heahfaedere, and Isa['a]ce, and Iacobe, on heofenan rice." Thas word sind lustbaere to gehyrenne, and h['i] micclum ure mod gladiadh, thaet manega cumadh fram east-daele middangeardes, and fram west-daele, to heofenan rice, and mid tham heahfaederum on ecere myrhdhe rixiadh.

Thurh dha twegen daelas, east-dael and west-dael, sind getacnode dha feower hwemmas ealles middangeardes, of tham beodh gegaderode Godes gecorenan of aelcere maegdhe to thaera heahfaedera wununge, and ealra halgena. Thurh east-dael magon beon getacnode tha dhe on geogodhe to Gode bugadh; fordhan dhe on east-daele is thaes daeges angin. Thurh west-dael sind getacnode tha dhe on ylde to Godes dheowdome gecyrradh; fordhan dhe on west-daele geendadh se daeg.

Dhes aefterfiligenda cwyde is swidhe egefull, "Tha r['i]can bearn beodh aw['o]rpene into dham yttrum dheostrum, thaer bidh w['o]p and todha gebitt." Dha rican bearn sind tha Iudeiscan, on dham rixode God dhurh dha ealdan ['ae]; ac h['i] awurpon Crist, and his lare forsawon; and h['e] awyrpdh h['i] on dha yttran theostru, dhaer bidh w['o]p and todha gebitt. Fela riccra manna gedheodh Gode, swa-theah, gif h['i] rihtwise beodh, and mildheorte. Rice man waes se heahfaeder Abraham, and Dauid se maera cyning, and Zacheus, sedhe healfe his aehta thearfum daelde, and mid {132} healfum daele forgeald be feowerfealdum swa hwaet swa he aer on unriht be anfealdum reafode. Thas rican and heora gelican becumadh thurh gode gecyrrednysse to dham ecan rice, dhe him naefre ne ateoradh.

Dha sind Godes bearn gecigede, the hine lufiadh swidhor thonne thisne middangeard; and dha sind dha rican bearn gecwedene, dhe heora heortan wyrtruman on dhisum andwerdum life plantiadh swidhor thonne on Criste: swylce beodh on theostru aworpene. Thaet godspel cwydh, "On tha yttran theostru." Dha yttran theostru sind thaes lichaman blindnyssa widhutan. Dha inran theostru sind thaes modes blindnyssa widhinnan. Se dhe on dhisum andweardum life is widhinnan ablend, swa thaet he naefdh nan andgit ne h['o]ga embe Godes beboda, he bidh thonne eft widhutan ablend, and aelces leohtes bedaeled; fordhan dhe he aer his lif aspende butan Godes gemynde. Tha earman forscyldegodan cwylmiadh on ecum fyre, and swa-dheah thaet swearte fyr him nane lihtinge ne dedh. Wurmas toslitadh heora lichaman mid fyrenum todhum, swa swa Crist on his godspelle cwaedh, "Thaer naefre heora wyrm ne swylt, ne heora fyr ne bidh adwaesced." Thaer beodh thonne geferlaehte on anre susle, tha the on life on m['a]ndaedum gedheodde waeron, swa thaet tha manslagan togaedere ecelice on tintregum cwylmiadh; and forl['i]gras mid forligrum, gitseras mid gytserum, sceadhan mid sceadhum, dha forsworenan mid forsworenum, on dham bradan fire, butan aelcere geendunge forwurdhadh. Thaer bidh w['o]p and todha gebitt, fordhan dhe dha eagan tyradh on dham micclum bryne, and dha tedh cwaciadh eft on swidhlicum cyle. Gif hwam twynige be dham gemaenelicum aeriste, thonne understande he thisne drihtenlican cwyde, Thaet thaer bidh sodh aerist, dhaer dhaer beodh wepende eagan and cearcigende tedh.

Drihten cwaedh to tham hundredes ealdre, "Far dhe h['a]m, and getimige dhe swa swa dhu gelyfdest; and his cniht weardh gehaeled of dhaere tide." Be dhisum is to understandenne hu micclum tham cristenum men his agen geleafa fremige, thonne odhres mannes swa micclum fremode. Witodlice, for dhaes {134} hundredes ealdres geleafan weardh se bedreda gehaeled. Geleafa is ealra maegena fyrmest; buton tham ne maeg n['a]n man Gode lician; and se rihtwisa leofadh be his geleafan. Uton gelyfan on tha Halgan Dhrynnysse, and on sodhe Annysse, thaet se Aelmihtiga Faeder, and his Sunu, thaet is his wisdom, and se Halga Gast, sedhe is heora begra lufu and willa, thaet h['i] sind thry on hadum and on namum, and ['a]n God, on ['a]nre godcundnysse aefre wunigende, butan angynne and ende. Amen.

THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE LORD'S EPIPHANY.

Cum descendisset Jesus de monte secutae sunt eum turbae multae: et reliqua.

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."

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 {123} 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."

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."

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."

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 {125} 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.

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."

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 {127} have a dwelling among christian men, until he be full sound in his conditions.

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."

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 {129} 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."

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."

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."