Part 15

Nu smeadh sum ungeleafful man, Hu maeg ic gewilnian dhaes gastlican leohtes, thaet thaet ic geseon ne maeg? Nu cwedhe ic to dham menn, thaet dha dhing the h['e] understynt and undergytan {160} maeg, ne undergyt he n['a] dha dhing thurh his lichaman, ac thurh his sawle; theah-hwaedhere ne gesihdh nan man his sawle on dhisum life. Heo is ungesewenlic, ac dheah-hwaedhere heo wissadh thone gesewenlican lichaman. Se lichama, dhe is gesewenlic, haefdh lif of dhaere sawle, the is ungesewenlic. Gew['i]te thaet ungesewenlice ut, thonne fyldh adune thaet gesewenlice; fordhan the hit ne stod na aer dhurh hit sylf. Thaes lichoman lif is seo sawul, and thaere sawle lif is God. Gewite seo sawul ut, ne maeg se mudh clypian, theah dhe h['e] gynige; ne eage geseon, theah dhe hit open sy; ne n['a]n limn ne dedh nan dhing, gif se lichama bidh sawulleas. Swa eac seo sawul, gif God h['i] forlaet for synnum, ne dedh heo nan dhing to g['o]de. Ne maeg nan man nan dhing to g['o]de gedon, butan Godes fultume. Ne bidh seo synfulle sawul na mid ealle to nahte awend, dheah dhe heo gode adeadod sy; ac heo bidh dead aelcere dugudhe and gesaeldhe, and bidh gehealden to dham ecan deadhe, thaer thaer heo aefre bidh on pinungum wunigende, and theah-hwaedhere naefre ne ateoradh.

Hu maeg the n['u] twynian thaes ecan leohtes, dheah hit ungesewenlic sy, thonne thu haefst l['i]f of ungesewenlicre sawle, and the ne twynadh nan dhing thaet thu sawle haebbe, dheah dhu h['i] geseon ne mage? Se blinda, dhadha h['e] geseon mihte, tha fyligde h['e] dham Haelende. Se man gesihdh and fylidh Gode, sedhe cann understandan God, and g['o]d weorc wyrcdh. Se man gesihdh and nele Gode fylian, sedhe understent God, and nele g['o]d wyrcan. Ac uton understandan God and g['o]d weorc wyrcean: uton behealdan hw['i]der Crist gange, and him fylian; thaet is thaet we sceolon smeagan hwaet h['e] taece, and hwaet him licige, and thaet mid weorcum gefyllan, swa swa h['e] sylf cwaedh, "Se dhe me thenige, fylige h['e] me;" thaet is, geefenlaece h['e] me, and onscunige aelc yfel, and lufige aelc g['o]d, swa swa ic do. Ne teah Crist him na to on dhisum life land ne welan, swa swa he be him sylfum cwaedh, "Deor habbadh hola, and fugelas habbadh nest, hwaer h['i] restadh, and ic naebbe hwider ic ahylde min {162} heafod." Swa micel he haefde swa he rohte, and leofode be odhra manna aehtum, se dhe ealle dhing ['a]h.

We raedadh on Cristes bec thaet thaet folc raedde be him, thaet h['i] woldon hine gelaeccan, and ahebban to cyninge, thaet he waere heora heafod for worulde, swa swa he waes godcundlice. Thatha Crist ongeat dhaes folces willan, dha fleah h['e] anstandende to anre d['u]ne, and his geferan gewendon to s['ae], and se Haelend waes up on lande. Dha on niht eode se Haelend up on dham waetere mid drium fotum, odhthaet he com to his leorning-cnihtum, dhaer dhaer h['i] waeron on rewute. He forfleah thone woruldlican wurdhmynt, thatha he waes to cyninge gecoren; ac he ne forfleah na thaet edwit and dhone hosp, thatha dha Iudeiscan hine woldon on rode ah['o]n. He nolde his heafod befon mid gyldenum cynehelme, ac mid thyrnenum, swa swa hit gedon waes on his throwunge. He nolde on dhissum life rixian hwilwendlice, sedhe ecelice rixadh on heofonum. Nis dheos woruld na ure edhel, ac is ure wraecsidh; fordhi ne sceole we na besettan urne hiht on thissum swicelum life, ac sceolon efstan mid godum geearnungum to urum edhele, thaer we to gesceapene waeron, thaet is to heofenan rice.

Sodhlice hit is awriten, "Swa hwa swa wile beon freond thisre worulde, se bidh geteald Godes feond." Crist cwaedh on sumere stowe, thaet "Se weig is swidhe nearu and sticol, sedhe laet to heofonan rice; and se is swidhe r['u]m and smedhe, sedhe laet to helle-wite." Se weig, sedhe laet to heofenan rice, is fordhi nearu and sticol, fordhi thaet we sceolon mid earfodhnysse geearnian urne edhel. Gif we hine habban willadh, we sceolon lufian mildheortnysse, and claennysse, and sodhfaestnysse, and rihtwisnysse, and eadmodnysse, and habban sodhe lufe to Gode and to mannum, and d['o]n aelmessan be ure maedhe, and habban gemet on urum bigleofan, and gehwilce odhere halige dhing began. Thas dhing we ne magon d['o]n butan earfodhnyssum; ac gif we h['i] dodh, thonne mage we mid tham geswincum, dhurh Godes fultum, astigan dhone sticolan weg the us gelaet to dham ecan life. Se weg sedhe laet to forwyrde is fordhi brad and {164} smedhe, fordhi the ['u]nlustas gebringadh thone man to forwyrde. Him bidh swidhe softe, and nan geswinc thaet he fylle his galnysse, and druncennysse, and gytsunge begange and modignysse, and dha unstrangan berype, and d['o]n swa hwaet swa hine lyst: ac dhas undheawas and odhre swilce gelaedadh hine butan geswince to ecum tintregum, buton he aer his ende yfeles geswice and g['o]d wyrce. Dysig bidh se wegferenda man sedhe nimdh thone smedhan weg the hine mislaet, and forlaet dhone sticolan the hine gebrincdh to dhaere byrig. Swa eac we beodh sodhlice ungerade, gif we lufiadh tha sceortan softnysse and dha hwilwendlican lustas to dhan swidhe, thaet hi us gebringan to dham ecan pinungum. Ac uton niman thone earfodhran weg, thaet we her sume hwile swincon, to dhy thaet we ecelice beon butan geswince. Eadhe mihte Crist, gif he wolde, on thisum life wunian butan earfodhnyssum, and faran to his ecan rice butan dhrowunge, and butan deadhe; ac he nolde. Be dham cwaedh Petrus se apostol, "Crist dhrowode for us, and sealde us bysne, thaet we sceolon fyligan his fotswadhum;" thaet is, thaet we sceolon sum dhing throwian for Cristes lufon, and for urum synnum. Wel dhrowadh se man, and Gode gecwemlice, sedhe windh ongean leahtras, and godnysse gefremadh, swa swa he fyrmest maeg. Se dhe nan dhing nele on dhissum life dhrowian, he sceal dhrowian unthances wyrsan dhrowunga on tham toweardan life.

Nu genealaecdh claene tid and halig, on thaere we sceolon ure gimeleaste gebetan: cume fordhi gehwa cristenra manna to his scrifte, and his diglan gyltas geandette, and be his l['a]reowes taecunge gebete; and tihte aelc odherne to g['o]de mid godre gebysnunge, thaet eal folc cwedhe be ['u]s, swa swa be dham blindan gecweden waes, dhadha his eagan waeron onlihte; thaet is, Eall folc the thaet wundor geseah, herede God, sedhe leofadh and rixadh ['a] butan ende. Amen.

{153} SHROVE SUNDAY.

Adsumpsit Jesus XII. discipulos suos: et reliqua.

It is here read in this gospel, which we now have heard from the deacon's mouth, that "Jesus took his twelve disciples apart, and said to them, Behold, we shall go to the city of Jerusalem, and then shall be fulfilled all the things that have been written of me by the prophets. I shall be betrayed to the Gentiles, and they shall mock and scourge me, and afterwards slay me, and I shall arise from death on the third day. But his disciples knew not the meaning of these words. Then it came to pass that they came near to a city which is called Jericho, and there sat a certain blind man by the way; and when he heard the passing of the people with Jesus, he asked who was passing there. They said to him that Jesus was passing. Then he began to cry, and said, Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me. The men, who were going before Jesus, chided the blind man, that he might be silent. He cried then much louder, Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me. Jesus then stood, and bade them lead the blind man to him. When he came near Jesus asked him, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? He said, Lord, that I may see. And Jesus said to him, Look now: thy faith hath healed thee. And he immediately saw, and followed Jesus, and glorified him. Then all the people who saw that miracle glorified God with great fervour."

The beginning of this gospel touched our Saviour's passion, though he did not suffer at this time; but he would from afar and long before make known his passion to his disciples, that they might not be too much terrified by his passion, when the time came that he would suffer. Their mind was terrified by Christ's saying, but he again cheered them by the words which he spake, "I will arise from death on the third day." He would then strengthen and confirm {155} their faith with miracles. And they came then to the place where the blind man sat by the way, and Christ healed him before the sight of all the multitude, to the end that, with that miracle, he might bring them to belief. But the miracles which Christ wrought manifested one thing by power, and another thing they betokened by mystery. He wrought those miracles indeed through divine power, and with those miracles confirmed the people's faith; but yet there was another hidden thing in those miracles, in a spiritual sense. The one blind man betokened all mankind, who were blinded through Adam's sin, and thrust from the joy of Paradise, and brought to this life, which is compared to a prison. Now we are shut out from the heavenly light, and we may not, in this life, enjoy the light eternal; nor know we of it more than so much as, through Christ's teaching, we read in books. This world, though it may sometimes seem gay, yet is no more like the world eternal, than is some prison to the light day. All mankind, as we before said, was blinded with lack of faith and error; but through Christ's advent we were drawn from our errors, and enlightened by faith. We have now the light in our mind, that is Christ's faith; and we have a hope of the joy of everlasting life, though we yet bodily dwell in our prison.

The blind man sat at the city which is called Jericho. Jericho is interpreted and called _moon_. The moon both waxes and wanes: for a half month it is waxing, for a half it is waning. Now the moon betokeneth our mortal life and the decay of our mortality. At the one end men are born, at the other they depart. When Christ came to the city of Jericho, which betokeneth the moon, the blind man received sight. That is, when Christ came to our mortality, and assumed our human nature, mankind was enlightened, and received sight. He sat by the way; and Christ said in {157} his gospel, "I am the way, and truth, and life." The man who knows nothing of the eternal light is blind; but if he believes in Jesus, then sits he by the way. If he will not pray for the light eternal, then sits he blind by the way, without prayer. He who rightly believes in Christ, and fervently prays for his soul's enlightening, he sits by the way praying. Whosoever is sensible of his mind's blindness, let him cry with inward heart, as the blind man cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me."

The multitude that went before Jesus chided the blind man, and bade him be still. The multitude betokens our evil desires and vices, which call to us and occupy our hearts, so that we cannot pray so fervently as we ought. It happens frequently when a man is desirous to withdraw from evil and atone for his sins, and with his whole mind turn to God, that his old misdeeds, which he had previously committed, will then come and afflict his mind, and will still his voice, that he may not cry to God. But what did the blind man, when the people would still him? He called so much the louder, until Jesus heard his voice and healed him. So should we do also, if the devil trouble us with manifold thoughts and temptations: we should call louder and louder to Jesus, that he drive the evil temptations from our hearts, and that he enlighten our mind with his grace. But if we continue praying, then may we with our cry incline Jesus to stand, who was before passing on, and to hear our cry, and enlighten our hearts with good and pure thoughts. Evil thoughts cannot harm us, if they are not pleasing to us; but the more the devil terrifies us with evil thoughts, so much the better shall we be, and dearer to God, if we despise the devil and all his temptations through God's assistance.

What is Jesus's standing, or what is his passing? He passed through his human nature, and he stood through the divine nature. He passed through human nature, so that he {159} was born, and passed from place to place, and suffered death, and from death arose, and ascended to heaven. This is his passing. He stands through his divine nature; because he is, by his power, everywhere present, and needs not go from place to place; because he is in every place through his divine nature. When he was passing he heard the blind man's cry; and when he stood he gave him sight; because through his human nature he bewails the blindness of our minds, and through his divine nature he gives us light, and enlightens our blindness. He said to the blind man, "What wilt thou that I do to thee?" Thinkest thou that he knew not what the blind man desired, he who could heal him? But he would that the blind man should pray; for he exhorts everyone very urgently to prayers: for though he says, in another place, "Your heavenly Father knoweth what ye require, before ye pray to him for anything," yet the good God desires that we should fervently pray to him; because by prayers is our heart stimulated and turned to God.

Then said the blind man, "Sir, do that I may see." The blind man prayed neither for gold, nor silver, nor any worldly things, but prayed for his sight. For naught he accounted it to pray for anything but sight; because, though the blind may have something, he cannot without light see that which he has. Let us then imitate this man who was healed by Christ, both in body and in soul: let us pray, not for deceitful riches, nor transitory honours; but let us pray to our Lord for light: not for that light which will be ended, which will be driven away by the night, that which is common to us and to the brutes; but let us pray for that light which we can see with angels only, which shall never be ended. To that light verily our faith shall bring us, as Christ said to the blind man, "Look now: thy faith hath healed thee."

Now some unbelieving man will ask, How may I desire the spiritual light which I cannot see? Now to that man I say, that the things which he understands and may {161} comprehend, he understands those things not through his body, but through his soul; yet no man sees his soul in this life. It is invisible, but, nevertheless, it guides the visible body. The body, which is visible, has life from the soul, which is invisible. If that which is invisible depart, then will the visible fall down; because it before stood not of itself. The life of the body is the soul, and the life of the soul is God. If the soul depart, the mouth cannot cry, though it gape; nor the eye see, though it be open; nor will any limb do anything, if the body be soulless. So also the soul, if God, for its sins, forsake it, it will do nothing good. No man may do anything good without God's support. The sinful soul will not be wholly turned to naught, though it be rendered dead to good; but it will be dead to every excellence and happiness, and will be preserved to eternal death, where it will be ever continuing in torments, and yet will never perish.

How canst thou now doubt of the eternal light, though it be invisible, when thou hast life from an invisible soul, and thou doubtest not that thou hast a soul, though thou canst not see it? The blind man, when he could see, followed Jesus. That man sees and follows God, who can understand God, and does good works. That man sees and will not follow God, who understands God, and will not do good works. But let us understand God, and do good works: let us behold whither Christ goes, and follow him; that is, that we should meditate on what he teaches, and what is pleasing to him, and that with works fulfil, as he himself said, "He who will serve me, let him follow me;" that is, let him imitate me, and shun every evil, and love every good, as I do. Christ gained for himself in this life neither land nor riches, as he of himself said, "The beasts have holes, and the birds have nests, where they rest, and I have not where I may lay down {163} my head." He had as much as he recked of, and lived on the possessions of other men, he who owned all things.

We read in the book of Christ that the people resolved concerning him, that they would seize him, and set him up for king, that he might be their temporal head, as he was divinely. When Christ perceived the people's will he fled alone to a mountain, and his companions went to the sea, and Jesus was up on land. Then by night Jesus went on the water with dry feet, until he came to his disciples, where they were in a ship. He fled from worldly honour, when he was chosen king; but he fled not from reproach and scorn, when the Jews would hang him on a cross. He would not encircle his head with a golden crown, but with one of thorns, as it was done at his passion. He would not reign for a while in this life, who rules eternally in heaven. This world is not our country, but is our place of exile; therefore should we not set our hope in this deceitful life, but should hasten with good deserts to our country, for which we were created, that is, to the kingdom of heaven.

Verily it is written, "Whosoever will be a friend of this world, he shall be accounted a foe of God." Christ said in some place, that "The way is very narrow and steep which leads to the kingdom of heaven; and it is very wide and smooth which leads to hell-torment." The way which leads to the kingdom of heaven is narrow and steep, in order that we should with difficulty gain our country. If we desire to obtain it, we should love mercy, and chastity, and truth, and righteousness, and humility, and have true love to God and to men, and give alms according to our means, and be moderate in our food, and observe all other holy things. These things we cannot do without difficulties; but if we do them, then may we with those labours, through God's support, ascend the steep way which leads us to eternal life. The way which leads to perdition is broad and smooth, because wicked {165} lusts bring a man to perdition. It is very soft to him and no labour to satiate his libidinousness and drunkenness, and practise covetousness and pride, and rob the weak, and do whatsoever he lists: but those evil practices and others such lead him without labour to eternal torments, unless before his end he desist from evil and do good. Foolish is the wayfaring man who takes the smooth way that misleads him, and forsakes the steep which brings him to the city. So also shall we be truly inconsiderate, if we love brief voluptuousness and transitory pleasures so greatly that they bring us to eternal torments. But let us take the more difficult way, that we may here for some time labour, in order to be eternally without labour. Easily might Christ, had he been willing, have continued in this life without hardships, and gone to his everlasting kingdom without suffering, and without death; but he would not. Concerning which Peter the apostle said, "Christ suffered for us, and gave us an example, that we should follow his footsteps;" that is, that we should suffer something for love of Christ, and for our sins. Well suffers the man, and acceptably to God, who strives against wickedness, and promotes goodness, as he best may. He who will suffer nothing in this life, shall suffer against his will in the life to come.

Now is a pure and holy time drawing nigh, in which we should atone for our remissness: let, therefore, every christian man come to his confessor, and confess his secret sins, and amend by the teaching of his instructor; and let everyone stimulate another to good by good example, that all people may say of us, as was said of the blind man when his eyes were enlightened; that is, All people who saw that miracle praised God, who liveth and reigneth ever without end. Amen.

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{166} DOMINICA PRIMA IN QUADRAGESIMA.

Ductus est Iesus in desertum a Spiritu: et reliqua.

Ic wolde eow trahtnian this godspel, dhe mann nu beforan eow raedde, ac ic ondraede thaet ge ne magon dha micelan deopnysse thaes godspelles swa understandan swa hit gedafenlic sy. Nu bidde ic eow thaet ge beon gedhyldige on eowerum gedhance, odhthaet we dhone traht mid Godes fylste oferraedan magon.

"Se Haelend waes gelaed fram tham Halgan Gaste to anum westene, to dhy thaet he waere gecostnod fram deofle: and he dha faeste feowertig daga and feowertig nihta, swa thaet he ne onbyrigde aetes ne waetes on eallum tham fyrste: ac sidhdhan him hingrode. Tha genealaehte se costnere, and him to cwaedh, Gif dhu sy Godes Sunu, cwedh to dhisum stanum thaet hi beon awende to hlafum. Dha andwearde se Haelend, and cwaedh, Hit is awriten, ne leofadh se mann na be hlafe anum, ac lyfadh be eallum dham wordum the gadh of Godes mudhe. Tha genam se deofol hine, and gesette hine uppan dham scylfe thaes heagan temples, and cwaedh, Gif dhu Godes Sunu sy, feall nu ad['u]n: hit is awriten, thaet englum is beboden be dhe, thaet hi dhe on hira handum ahebbon, thaet thu furdhon ne dhurfe dhinne fot aet stane aetspurnan. Tha cwaedh se Haelend eft him to, Hit is awriten, Ne fanda thines Drihtnes. Tha genam se deofol hine eft, and gesette hine uppan anre swidhe heahre dune, and aeteowde him ealles middangeardes welan, and his wuldor, and cwaedh him to, Ealle dhas dhing ic forgife dhe, gif dhu wilt feallan to minum fotum and gebiddan the to me. Dha cwaedh se Haelend him to, Ga dhu underbaecc, sceocca! Hit is awriten, Gehw['a] sceal hine gebiddan to his Drihtne anum, and him anum dheowian. Tha forlet se deofol hine, and him comon englas to, and him dhenodon."

Se Halga Gast laedde thone Haelend to tham westene, to dhy thaet he waere thaer gecostnod. Nu wundradh gehw['a] h['u] se deofol dorste genealaecan to dham Haelende, thaet he hine costnode: {168} ac h['e] ne dorste Cristes f['a]ndian, gif him alyfed naere. Se Haelend com to mancynne fordhi thaet he wolde ealle ure costnunga oferswidhan mid his costnungum, and oferswidhan urne dhone ecan deadh mid his hwilwendlicum deadhe. Nu waes he swa eadmod thaet he gedhafode dham deofle thaet he his fandode, and he gedhafode lydhrum mannum thaet hi hine ofslogon. Deofol is ealra unrihtwisra manna heafod, and tha yfelan men sind his lima: nu gedhafode God thaet thaet heafod hine costnode, and thaet dha limu hine ahengon.

Tham deofle waes micel twynung, Hwaet Crist waere? His l['i]f naes na gel['o]god swa swa odhra manna l['i]f. Crist ne aet mid gyfernysse, ne he ne dr['a]nc mid oferflowendnysse, ne his eagan ne ferdon worigende geond mislice lustas. Tha smeade se deofol hwaet he waere; hwaedher he waere Godes Sunu, sedhe manncynne behaten waes. Cwaedh tha on his gedhance, thaet he fandian wolde hwaet he waere. Dha faeste Crist feowertig daga and feowertig nihta on ['a]n, dha on eallum tham fyrste ne cwaedh se deofol to him thaet he etan sceolde, fordhan the h['e] geseh thaet him nan dhing ne hingrode. Eft, dhadha Crist hingrode aefter swa langum fyrste, dha wende se deofol sodhlice thaet he God naere, and cwaedh to him, "Hwi hingradh the? Gif dhu Godes Sunu sy, wend thas stanas to hlafum, and et."

Eadhe mihte God, sedhe awende waeter to wine, and sedhe ealle gesceafta of nahte geworhte, eadhelice he mihte awendan dha stanas to hlafum: ac he nolde nan dhing don be dhaes deofles taecunge; ac cwaedh him to andsware, "Ne lifadh na se man be hlafe anum, ac lifadh be dham wordum dhe gadh of Godes mudhe." Swa swa thaes mannes lichama leofadh be hlafe, swa sceal his sawul lybban be Godes wordum, thaet is, be Godes lare, the he thurh wise menn on bocum gesette. Gif se lichama naefdh mete, oththe ne maeg mete dhicgean, thonne forweornadh he, and adeadadh: swa eac seo sawul, gif heo naefdh tha halgan lare, heo bidh thonne weornigende and maegenleas. Thurh dha halgan lare heo bidh strang and onbryrd to Godes willan.