Part 35

"There was then a servant of God within the city, his name was Ananias, to whom the Lord spake in these words, Ananias, arise, and go to my servant Saul, who is praying for my mercy with earnest mind. He answered the divine voice, My Saviour, how may I speak to him who is the persecutor of thy saints, through the power of the chief priests? The Lord said, Go as I have said to thee, for he is to me a chosen vessel, to bear my name to nations, and to kings, and to the children of Israel; and he shall suffer much for my name. Ananias went then to the chosen champion, and set his hands upon him with this greeting, Saul, my brother, Jesus, who spake to thee on the way, hath sent me to thee, that thou mayest see, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Then with these words there fell as it were films from his eyes, and he straightways received sight, and submitted to baptism. He continued then some few days with the servants of God within the city, and with great boldness preached to the Jews, that Christ, whom they had denied, is the Son of Almighty God. They were greatly astonished, and said, What! is not this {389} the cruel persecutor of christian men: how preacheth he the faith of Christ? But Saul increased much in strength, and shamed the Jews, with steadfastness verifying that Christ is the Son of God."

"Then after many days the Jews deliberated how they might kill the champion of God, and set wards at every gate of the city. Paul got knowledge of their machination, and the christians took him, and let him down over the wall in a basket. And he went again to Jerusalem, and announced himself to the holy fellowship of Christ's family, and made known to them how Jesus had spoken to him from heaven. After some time a voice came from the Holy Ghost, to the faithful company, thus saying, Send Paul and Barnabas to the work for which I have chosen them. The holy fellowship then, by God's command and election, sent them to teach all countries concerning the coming of Christ for the redemption of the world."

"Thus was Barnabas Paul's companion in preaching for a long time, when at last it seemed good to them to go apart, and they did so. Paul was then filled and comforted with the grace of the Holy Ghost, and went to many countries, sowing God's seed. In one city he was twelve months, in one two years, in one three, and appointed bishops, and mass-priests, and servants of God; he went afterwards to another country, and did in like manner. But he sent back letters to those whom he before had taught, and so by those letters stimulated and confirmed them in the way of life."

We will now run over this reading with a short exposition, and explain any obscurity there may be contained in it. Paul persecuted christian men, not with hate, as the Jews did, but he was a partizan and defender of the old law with great steadfastness: he thought that the faith of Christ was an adversary to the old covenant: but Jesus who had established the old law by divers miracles, the same afterwards by his {391} presence changed it to truth, according to its ghostly signification. Now Paul knew not the ghostly signification of that law, and was therefore its advocate, and a persecutor of the faith of Christ. God Almighty, who knows all things, saw his thoughts, that he did not persecute faithful men from rancour, but for the defence of the old law, and spake to him from heaven, thus saying, "Saul, why persecutest thou me? I am the Truth which thou defendest; cease from persecution: hurtful will it be to thee to spurn against the goad. If the ox spurneth against the goad, it hurteth himself; so also harmeth thee thy warfare against me." He said, "Why persecutest thou me?" because he is the head of christian men, and bewails whatsoever his limbs suffer on earth, as he said through his prophet, "He who toucheth you, it shall be to me as painful as if he touched the sight of my eye." He was prostrated, thus saying, "Who art thou, Lord?" His pride was prostrated, and true humility was raised up in him. He fell unrighteous, and was raised righteous. Falling he lost bodily sight, rising he received his mind's enlightening. Three days he continued without sight, because he had denied the resurrection of Christ on the third day.

Ananias signifies in the Hebrew tongue, _sheep_. The gentle sheep then baptized the impious Saul, and made him the pious Paul. He baptized the wolf and made him a lamb. He changed his name with his character; and he was then a true proclaimer of God's church, who had before afflicted it with fierce persecution. He would flee from the machination of the Jewish people, and consented to be let down in a basket over the wall: not because he would not suffer death for the faith of Christ, but because he would flee from immature death; for he had first to gain many a man to God by his great wisdom, and afterwards with great honour stretch out his neck to martyrdom. Much greater torments he suffered afterwards for Christ's name, than he had ordered for {393} christian men before his conversion. Saul the impious scourged the christians, but after his conversion the pious Paul for the name of Christ was often scourged. Once he was stoned almost to death, so that his persecutors left him for dead, but in the morning he arose and went about his preaching. He was frequently in great peril, both by sea and by land, in the waste, among thieves, from hunger and from thirst, and from many watchings, from cold, and from nakedness, and from many prisons: he so hastened with his preaching, as though he would bring all mankind to God's kingdom: as well with precepts as with prayers and with letters, he ever stimulated to the will of God. He was led to heaven as far as the third flooring, and there he saw and heard God's secret, which he might not make known to any man. He bewailed with weeping the sins of other men, and to all the faithful he showed fatherly love. By his handicraft he toiled for his own and his companions' support, and in addition thereto there was nothing known in true piety which his instruction did not confirm. The other apostles lived, by God's command, by their teaching, free from danger; but, nevertheless, Paul alone, who by worldly craft was a tent-wright, would not receive the sustenance allowed, but by his own toil provided for his own and his companions' need. His precepts and his acts are to us inscrutable, but happy will he be who obeys his admonitions with diligence.

GOSPEL.

Dixit Simon Petrus ad Jesum: et reliqua.

"He forsook all worldly things, and followed Jesus only," as this gospel says, which ye now at this service have heard.

"At that time Peter the apostle said to Jesus, Behold we have left all worldly things, and follow thee only: what wilt thou do for us in reward thereof?" etc.

Great trust revolved in the heart of Peter: he alone spake {395} for the whole company, "We have forsaken all things." What did Peter forsake? He was a fisher, and by that craft provided for himself, and yet he spake with great boldness, "We have forsaken all things." But he and his brothers forsook much, when they forsook the will to possess. Though any one forsake great possessions, and forsake not avarice, he forsakes not all things. Peter forsook little things, scrip and net, but he forsook all things, when, for love of God, he would have nothing. He said, "We follow thee." It is not complete to forsake many possessions, unless a man follow God. For the heathen philosophers forsook many things, as Socrates did, who exchanged all his possessions for a wedge of gold, and then cast the wedge into the wide sea, that desire of possessions might not obstruct his will, and draw it from the worldly lore that he loved: but it profited him not so to do, because he did not follow God, but his own will, and had not therefore heavenly reward with the apostles, who, for love of Christ, despised all worldly things, and with obedience followed him.

Peter then asked, "What shall become of us? We have done as thou commandedst us, what wilt thou do for us in reward? Jesus answered, Verily I say unto you, that ye who follow me shall, at the regeneration, sit on twelve judgement-seats, when I shall sit on the seat of my majesty; and ye then shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel." He called the common resurrection, regeneration, at which our bodies will be regenerated to incorruption, that is to eternity. Twice we are born in this life: the first birth is fleshly, of father and of mother; the second birth is ghostly, when we are regenerated at the holy baptism, in which all our sins will be forgiven us, through grace of the Holy Ghost. The third birth is at the common resurrection, at which our bodies will be regenerated to incorruptible bodies.

At the resurrection the twelve apostles will sit with Christ {397} on their judgement-seats, and will judge the twelve tribes of the people of Israel. This twelvefold number has great signification. If the twelve tribes only will be judged at the great doom, what then will the thirteenth tribe, Levi, do? What will do all the nations of the world? Thinkest thou that they will be sundered from the doom? But this twelvefold number is set for all mankind of all the orb, for the perfectness of its signification. There are twelve hours in the day, and twelve months in the year; there are twelve patriarchs, twelve prophets, twelve apostles; and this number has a greater import than the unlearned may understand. By this twelvefold number therefore the orb of the whole earth is now signified.

The apostles and all the chosen who imitated them will be judges on the great day with Christ. There will be four assemblages at the great doom, two of chosen men, and two of rejected. The first assemblage will be of the apostles and their imitators, who forsook all worldly things for the name of God: they will be the judges, and to them shall no judgement be judged. The second class will be of faithful men of this world: on them will doom be set, so that they will be sundered from the fellowship of the rejected, the Lord thus saying, "Come to me, ye blessed of my Father, and receive the kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world." One class will be of those rejected, who had knowledge of God, but did not cultivate their faith with God's commandments: these will be condemned. The other class is of those heathen men, who have had no knowledge of God: on these will be fulfilled the apostolic sentence, "Those who have sinned without God's law, shall perish also without any law." To these two classes the righteous Judge will then say, "Depart from me, ye accursed, into the everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his accursed spirits."

The gospel says yet further, "Everyone who forsaketh, {399} for my name, father or mother, brothers or sisters, wife or children, land or dwellings, shall be requited an hundredfold, and he shall have, in addition thereunto, everlasting life." An hundredfold number is perfect, and he who forsakes perishable things for the name of God, will receive from God ghostly meed an hundredfold. This saying is especially applicable to men of monastic order, who, for the joy of heaven's kingdom, forsake father, and mother, and fleshly relations. They receive many ghostly fathers and ghostly brothers, for all men of that order, who live after rule, are accounted as their fathers and brothers, and, in addition thereto, they will be enriched with the reward of everlasting life. Those who, at God's behest, despise all worldly things, and have their subsistence in common, are perfect, and will be classed with the apostles. Others, who have not the merit of being able to forsake all their possessions together, let them then give, for the name of God, what portion it may please them, and they will be eternally rewarded an hundredfold for whatsoever they singly and temporarily distribute.

There is a great difference among converted men: some imitate the apostles, some imitate Judas the betrayer of Christ, some Ananias and Sapphira, some Gehazi. Those who, in imitation of the apostles, despise all transitory things for the sake of everlasting life, shall have praise and everlasting reward with Christ's apostles. He who, living among monks, guilefully deceives in the property of the monastery, will be the companion of Judas, who betrayed Christ, and will receive his punishment with the inmates of hell. He who with twofold thoughts turns to monastic life, and bestows one part of his property, holds one to himself, and has no trust in the Almighty, that he will provide for him food and garments and other needs, will receive the accursed sentence with Ananias and Sapphira, who deceived in their own property, and fell dying with sudden death before the apostles. {401} He who in monastic life is ill-inclined, and yearns for the things which he had not in worldly life nor could obtain, without doubt to him approximates the leper Gehazi, the prophet's servant, and that which he suffered in body, this suffers in his soul. The servant followed the great prophet Elisha: then there came to him a rich man of the nation which is called Syria, his name was Naaman, and he was leprous. He came then to God's prophet, Elisha, in Judea, and he, through God's might, healed him from that disease. He then offered to the man of God, for his health, precious treasures. The prophet answered him, "God's might hath healed thee, not I. I will not receive thy money: thank God for thy health, and enjoy thy possessions." Naaman then returned with all his company to his own people.

Then was the prophet's servant, Gehazi, beguiled by avarice, and he ran off, the officer Naaman thus deceiving by words, "Now suddenly the sons of two prophets are come to my master: send him two garments and a pound." The officer answered him, "It will be mean to send him so little; but take four garments and two pounds." He then returned with the treasures, and concealed his journey from the prophet. The prophet asked him, "Whence comest thou, Gehazi?" He answered, "Sir, I was on no journey." The prophet said, "I saw through the Spirit of God, that the officer alighted from his chariot, and went towards thee, and thou tookest his treasures in money and in raiment. Have also henceforth with the treasures his leprosy, thou and all thy offspring for ever." And he turned from his sight stricken with snow-white leprosy.

Now it is therefore for monastic men to shun with great care these evil examples, and to imitate the apostles, that they, with them and with God, may have everlasting life. Amen.

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{402} DOMINICA XI. POST PENTECOSTEN.

Cum adpropinquaret Iesus Hierusalem: et reliqua.

"On sumere tide waes se Haelend farende to Hierusalem: dhadha he genealaehte thaere ceastre and h['e] h['i] geseah, dha weop h['e] ofer h['i]:" et reliqua.

Gregorius se trahtnere cwaedh, thaet se Haelend beweope dhaere ceastre toworpennysse, dhe gelamp aefter his dhrowunge, for dhaere wrace heora m['a]ndaeda, thaet h['i] dhone heofenlican Aedheling m['a]nfullice acwellan woldon. He spraec mid woplicre stemne, na to dham weorc-st['a]num, odhdhe to dhaere getimbrunge, ac spraec to dham ceastergewarum, tha h['e] mid faederlicere lufe besargode, fordhan dhe h['e] wiste heora forwyrd hraedlice toweard. Feowertig geara fyrst Godes mildheortnys forl['e]t dham waelhreowum ceastergewarum to behreowsunge heora m['a]ndaeda, ac h['i] ne gymdon nanre daedbote, ac maran m['a]ndaeda gefremedon, swa thaet h['i] oftorfodon mid stanum dhone forman Godes cydhere Stephanum, and Iacobum, Iohannes brodher, beheafdodon. Eac dhone rihtwisan Iacobum h['i] ascufon of dham temple, and acwealdon, and ehtnysse on dha odhre apostolas setton. Seo Godes geladhung, the on dhaere byrig, aefter Cristes dhrowunge, under tham rihtwisan Iacobe drohtnigende waes, ferde eal samod of dhaere byrig to anre w['i]c widh dha ['e]['a] Iordanen; fordhan dhe him com to Godes h['ae]s, thaet hi sceoldon fram dhaere m['a]nfullan stowe faran, aerdham dhe seo wracu come. God dha oncneow thaet dha Iudeiscan nanre d['ae]dbote ne gymdon, ac m['a] and m['a] heora m['a]ndaeda geyhton: sende him dha to Romanisc folc, and h['i] ealle fordyde.

Uespasianus hatte se casere, dhe on dham dagum geweold ealles middangeardes cynedomes. S['e] asende his sunu Titum to oferwinnenne dha earman Iudeiscan. Tha gel['a]mp hit swa thaet h['i] waeron gesamnode binnan dhaere byrig Hierusalem, six hund dhusend manna, swylce on anum cwearterne beclysede; and h['i] wurdon dha utan ymbsette mid Romaniscum here swa lange thaet dhaer fela dhusenda mid hungre wurdon acwealde; and for dhaere menigu man ne mihte h['i] bebyrigan, ac awurpon {404} dha l['i]c ofer dhone weall. Sume dheah for maeiglicre sibbe h['i] bebyrigan woldon, ac h['i] hraedlice for maegenleaste swulton. Gif hwa hwaet lytles aeniges bigwistes him sylfum gearcode, him scuton sona to reaferas, and dhone mete him of dham mudhe abrudon. Sume h['i] cuwon heora gesc['y], sume heora haetera, sume streaw, for dhaere micclan angsumnysse dhaes hatan hungres. Hit nis na gedafenlic thaet we on dhisum halgan godspelle ealle dha sceamlican yrmdhu gereccan the gelumpon dham ymbsettum Iudeiscum, aerdhan dhe hi on hand g['a]n woldon. Weardh dha se maesta dael dhaera arleasra mid tham bysmerlicum hungre adyd, and tha lafe dhaes hungres ofsloh se Romanisca here, and dha burh grundlunga towurpon, swa thaet dhaer ne bel['a]f st['a]n ofer st['a]ne, swa swa se Haelend ['ae]r mid wope gew['i]tegode. Thaera cnapena dhe binnan syxtyne geara ylde waeron, hund-nigontig dhusenda h['i] tosendon to gehwylcum leodscipum to dheowte, and on dham earde ne bel['a]f nan dhing dhaes awyrgedan cynnes. Seo burh weardh sydhdhan on odhre st['o]we getimbrod, and mid dham Sarasceniscum gesett.

Se Haelend geswutelode for hwilcum intingan dheos tostencednys thaere byrig gelumpe, dhadha h['e] cwaedh, "Fordhan the dhu ne oncneowe dhone timan dhinre geneosunge." He geneosode dha buruhware dhurh his menniscnysse, ac h['i] naeron his gemyndige, nadhor ne dhurh lufe ne thurh ege. Be dhaere gymeleaste spraec se witega mid ceorigendre stemne, dhus cwedhende, "Storc and swalewe heoldon dhone timan heora to-cymes, and this folc ne oncneow Godes d['o]m." Drihten cwaedh to dhaere byrig, "Gif thu wistest hwaet the toweard is, thonne weope dhu mid me. Witodlice on dhisum daege thu wunast on sibbe, ac dha toweardan wraca sind nu bediglode fram dhinum eagum." Seo buruhwaru waes wunigende on woruldlicere sibbe, thatha heo orsorhlice waes underdheodd flaesclicum lustum, and hwonlice h['o]gode ymbe dha toweardan yrmdha, dhe hyre dha-gyt bediglode waeron. Gif heo dhaere yrmdhe forewittig waere, ne mihte heo mid orsorgum mode dhaere gesundfulnysse andweardes lifes brucan.

{406} Drihten adraefde of dham temple dha c['y]pmen, thus cwedhende, "Hit is awriten, thaet min h['u]s is gebed-h['u]s, and ge hit habbadh gedon sceadhum to screafe." Thaet tempel waes Gode gehalgod, to his dhenungum and lofsangum, and to gebedum dham geleaffullum; ac dha gytsigendan ealdor-biscopas gedhafedon thaet dhaer cyping binnan gehaefd waere. Drihten, dhadha he thaet unriht geseah, he worhte ['a]ne swipe of r['a]pum, and h['i] ealle mid gebeate ['u]t-ascynde. Theos todraefednys getacnode dha toweardan toworpennysse dhurh thone Romaniscan here, and se hryre gel['a]mp swydhost thurh gyltas dhaera ealdor-biscopa dhe, binnan dham temple wunigende, mid gehywedre halignysse thaes folces l['a]c underfengon, and dhaera manna ehton dhe butan lace thaet tempel gesohton. Hwaet waes thaet tempel buton swylce sceadhena scraef, thatha dha ealdor-biscopas mid swylcere gytsunge gefyllede waeron, and dha leaslican ceapas binnan dham Godes huse gedhafedon? Hit is on odhrum godspelle awriten, thaet dhaer saeton myneteras, and dhaer waeron gecype hrydheru, and sc['e]p, and culfran. On dham dagum, aefter gesetnysse dhaere ealdan ['ae], man offrode hrydheru, and sc['e]p, and culfran, for getacnunge Cristes dhrowunge: dha tihte seo gitsung tha sacerdas thaet man dhillic orf thaer to ceape haefde, gif hw['a] feorran come, and wolde his l['a]c Gode offrian, dhaet h['e] on gehendnysse to bicgenne gearu haefde. Drihten dha adraefde dhillice cypan of dham halgan temple, fordhan dhe hit naes to nanum ceape araered, ac to gebedum.

"Him dha to genealaehton blinde and healte, and he hi gehaelde, and waes laerende thaet folc daeghwomlice binnan dham temple." Se mildheorta Drihten, dhe laet scinan his sunnan ofer dha rihtwisan and unrihtwisan gelice, and sent renas and eordhlice waestmas g['o]dum and yfelum, nolde ofteon his lare tham dhwyrum Iudeiscum, fordhan dhe manega waeron g['o]de betwux tham yfelan, the mid dhaere lare gebeterode waeron, theah dhe dha thwyran hyre widhcwaedon. H['e] eac mid wundrum dha lare getrymde, thaet dha gecorenan dhy geleaffulran waeron: and dha widhercorenan nane beladunge nabbadh, fordhan dhe h['i] ne {408} dhurh godcunde tacna, ne thurh l['i]flice lare, tham sodhfaestan Haelende gelyfan noldon. Nu cwydh se eadiga Gregorius, thaet heora toworpennys haefdh sume gelicnysse to gehwilcum thwyrlicum mannum, the blissiadh on yfel-daedum, and on dham wyrstan dhingum faegniadh. Swilcera manna besargadh se mildheorta Drihten daeghwomlice, sedhe dha tha losigendlican buruhware mid tearon bem['ae]nde. Ac gif h['i] oncneowon dha genidherunge the him onsihdh, h['i] mihton h['i] sylfe mid sarigendre stemne heofian.

Sodhlice dhaere losigendlican sawle belimpdh thes aefterfiligenda cwyde, "On dhysum daege thu wunast on sibbe, ac seo towearde wracu is nu bediglod fram dhinum eagum." Witodlice seo dhwyre sawul is on sibbe wunigende on hire daege, thonne heo on gewitendlicere tide blissadh, and mid wurdhmyntum bidh up-ahafen, and on hwilwendlicum bricum bidh ungefoh, and on flaesclicum lustum bidh tolysed, and mid nanre fyrhte thaes toweardan wites ne bidh geegsod, ac bedygeladh hire sylfre dha aefterfiligendan yrmdha; fordhan gif heo embe dha smeadh, thonne bidh seo woruldlice bliss mid thaere smeagunge gedrefed. Heo haefdh dhonne sibbe on hire daege, dhonne heo nele dha andweardan myrhdhe gew['ae]can mid n['a]nre care thaere toweardan ungesaeldhe, ac gaedh mid beclysedum eagum to dham witnigendlicum fyre. Seo sawul dhe on dhas wisan nu drohtnadh, heo is to geswencenne dhonne dha rihtwisan blissiadh; and ealle dha ateorigendlican dhing, the heo nu to sibbe and blisse taladh, beodh hire dhonne to byternysse and to ceaste awende; fordhan dhe heo micele sace widh h['i] sylfe haefdh, hw['i] heo dha genidherunge, dhe heo dhonne dholadh, nolde aer on life mid aenigre carfulnysse foresceawian. Be dham is awriten, "Eadig bidh se man the symle bidh forhtigende; and sodhlice se heardmoda befyldh on yfel." Eft on odhre stowe mynegadh thaet halige gewrit, "On eallum dhinum weorcum beo dhu gemyndig thines endenextan daeges, and on ecnysse dhu ne syngast."