Part 46

Se cyning cwaedh to his dhegnum, "Bindadh thone misscryddan h['a]ndum and f['o]tum, and wurpadh into dham yttrum theostrum, thaer bidh w['o]p and todha gebitt." Tha h['a]nda and tha f['e]t the n['u] ne beodh gebundene mid Godes ege fram thwyrlicum weorcum, hi beodh thonne thurh strecnysse Godes domes faeste gewridhene. Tha f['e]t dhe nelladh untrumne geneosian, and tha h['a]nda the n['a]n dhing thearfum ne sylladh, tha beodh thonne mid wite gebundene; fordhan the h['i] synd n['u] sylfwilles fram g['o]dum weorcum gewridhene. Se misscrydda waes aworpen on dha yttran theostru. Tha inran theostru sind thaere heortan blindnys. Tha yttran theostru is seo swearte niht thaere ecan genidherunge. Se ford['e]mda thonne throwadh on tham yttrum theostrum neadunge, fordhan dhe he n['u] sylfwilles his l['i]f adrihdh on blindnysse his heortan, and naefdh n['a]n gemynd thaes sodhan leohtes, thaet is, Crist, the be him sylfum cwaedh, "Ic eom middangeardes leoht; se dhe me fyligdh, ne g['ae]dh he on theostrum, ac he haefdh lifes leoht." On dham yttrum theostrum bidh w['o]p and todha gebit. Thaer wepadh dha eagan on dham hellican lige, the n['u] dhurh unalyfedlice gewilnunga goretende hwearftliadh; and tha t['e]dh, the n['u] on ofer-aete blissiadh, sceolon thaer cearcian on tham unasecgendlicum pinungum, the Godes widherwinnum gegearcod is. Tha eagan sodhlice for swidhlicum smice tyradh, and tha t['e]dh for micclum cyle cwaciadh; fordhan dhe dha widhercoran {532} unacumendlice haetu throwiadh, and unasecgendlicne cyle. Witodlice thaet hellice fyr haefdh unasecgendlice h['ae]tan and n['a]n leoht, ac ['e]celice byrndh on sweartum dheostrum.

Gif hwam twynige be aeriste, thonne maeg h['e] understandan on thisum godspelle, thaet thaer bidh sodh aerist thaer dhaer beodh eagan and t['e]dh. Eagan sind flaescene, and t['e]dh baenene; fordhan the we sceolon, wylle we nelle we, arisan on ende thyssere worulde mid flaesce and mid bane, and onf['o]n edlean ealra ura daeda, odhdhe wununge mid Gode for g['o]dum geearnungum, oththe helle-wite mid deofle for m['a]ndaedum. Be thisum cwaedh se eadiga Iob, "Ic gelyfe thaet min Alysend leofadh, and ic sceal on tham endenextan daege of eordhan arisan, and eft ic beo mid minum felle befangen, and on minum flaesce ic geseo God, ic sylf, and na odher." Thaet is, na odher hiw thurh me, ac ic sylf hine geseo.

Thises godspelles geendung is swidhe egefull: "Fela sind gec['i]gede and feawa gecorene." Efne nu ure ealra stemn clypadh Crist, ac ure ealra l['i]f ne clypadh; fordhan dhe manega widhcwedhadh on heora dheawum thaet thaet h['i] mid heora stemne geandettadh. Sume menn habbadh g['o]d anginn sume hwile, ac h['i] geendiadh on yfele. Sume habbadh yfel anginn, and wel geendiadh thurh sodhe d['ae]dbote. Sume onginnadh wel, and bet geendiadh. Nu sceal gehw['a] hine sylfne micclum ondraedan, theah the h['e] g['o]de drohtnunge haebbe, and nateshwon be him sylfum gedyrstlaecan; fordhan the h['e] n['a]t hwaedher h['e] wurdhe is into tham ecan rice. Ne he ne sceal be odhrum geortruwian, theah dhe he on leahtras befealle; fordhan dhe he n['a]t tha menigfealdan welan Godes mildheortnysse.

Cwydh nu S[=cs] Gregorius, thaet sum brodhor gecyrde to anum mynstre the he sylf gestadhelode, and aefter regollicere f['a]ndunge munuch['a]d underfeng. Tham filigde sum flaesclic brodhor to mynstre, na for gecnyrdnysse g['o]ddre drohtnunge, ac for flaesclicere lufe. Se gastlica brodhor eallum tham mynster-munecum thearle dhurh g['o]de drohtnunge gelicode; and his flaesclica brodhor micclum his lifes dheawum mid thwyrnysse {534} widhcwaedh. He leofode on mynstre for neode swidhor thonne for beterunge. He waes gegaf spraece, and thwyr on d['ae]dum; wel besewen on reafe, and yfele on dheawum. He nahte gedhyld, gif hine hw['a] to g['o]ddre drohtnunge tihte. Weardh dha his l['i]f swidhe h['e]figtyme dham gebrodhrum, ac hi hit emlice forbaeron for his brodher g['o]dnysse. He ne mihte n['a]n dhing to gode ged['o]n, ne he nolde n['a]n g['o]d gehyran. Tha weardh h['e] faerlice mid sumere codhe gestanden, and to deadhe gebroht. Thadha h['e] to fordhsidhe ah['a]fen waes, dha comon tha gebrodhra to dhi thaet h['i] his sawle becwaedon. He laeg acealdod on nytheweardum limum: on dham breoste anum ordhode dha-gyt se gast. Tha gebrodhra dha swa micel geornfullicor for hine gebaedon, swa micclum swa h['i] gesawon thaet he hraedlice gew['i]tan sceolde. He dha faerlice hrymde, thus cwedhende, "Gewitadh fram me. Efne her is cumen an draca the me sceal forswelgan, ac he ne maeg for eower andwerdnysse. Min heafod he haefdh mid his ceaflum befangen. Rymadh him, thaet he me l['e]ng ne swence. Gif ic thisum dracan to forswelgenne geseald eom, hw['i] sceal ic elcunge throwian for eowerum oferstealle?"

Tha gebrodhra him cwaedon to, "Hw['i] sprecst thu mid swa micelre orwennysse? Mearca dhe sylfne mid t['a]cne thaere halgan r['o]de." He andwyrde be his mihte, "Ic wolde lustbaere mid t['a]cne thaere halgan r['o]de me bletsian, ac ic naebbe dha mihte, fordhan dhe se draca me thearle ofthryhdh." Hwaet dha munecas dha h['i] astrehton mid w['o]pe to eordhan, and ongunnon geornlicor for his hreddinge thone Wealdendan God biddan. Efne dha faerlice awyrpte se adliga cniht, and mid blissigendre stemne cwaedh, "Ic thancige Gode: efne nu se draca, the me forswelgan wolde, is afl['i]ged for eowerum benum. He is fram me ascofen, and standan ne mihte ongean eowre thingunge. Beodh nu mine dhingeras, biddende for minum synnum; fordhan dhe ic eom gearo to gecyrrenne to munuclicere drohtnunge, and woruldlice dheawas ealle forlaetan." His cealdan limu tha ge-edcucodon, and he mid ealre heortan to {536} Gode gecyrde, and mid langsumum broce on his gecyrrednysse weardh gerihtlaeced, and aet nextan on thaere ylcan untrumnysse gew['a]t; ac he ne geseah thone dracan on his fordhsidhe, fordhan dhe he hine oferswidhde mid gecyrrednysse his heortan.

Ne sceole we beon ormode, theah dhe on thyssere andweardan geladhunge fela syndon yfele and feawa g['o]de; fordhan dhe Noes arc on ythum dhaes micclan flodes haefde get['a]cnunge thyssere geladhunge, and h['e] waes on nydheweardan w['i]d, and on ufeweardan nearo. On dhaere nydhemystan bytminge wunodon tha redhan deor and creopende wurmas. On othre fleringe wunodon fugelas and claene nytenu. On thaere dhriddan fleringe wunode Noe mid his wife, and his dhry suna mid heora thrim wifum. On dhaere bytminge waes se arc r['u]m, thaer dha redhan deor wunedon, and widhufan genyrwed, thaer dhaera manna wunung waes; fordhan dhe seo halige geladhung on flaesclicum mannum is swidhe br['a]d, and on gastlicum nearo. Heo tospr['ae]t hire bosm thaer dhaer tha redhan wuniadh on nytenlicum dheawum, and heo is genyrwed on thone ende the tha gesceadwisan wuniadh, on gastlicum dheawum drohtnigende; fordhan swa h['i] haligran beodh on thyssere andwerdan geladhunge, swa heora laes bidh. Micele ma is thaera manna the lybbadh be agenum lustum, dhonne thaera sy the heora lifes dheawas aefter Godes bebodum gerihtlaecadh: theah-hwaedhere symle bidh haligra manna getel geeacnod thurh arleasra manna wanunge. Nis thaet getel Godes gecorenra lytel, swa swa Crist on odhre stowe cwaedh, "Manega cumadh fram east-daele and fram west-daele, and sittadh mid tham heahfaedere Abrah['a]me, and Isaace, and Iacobe on heofonan rice." Eft, se sealm-wyrhta be Godes gecorenum cwaedh, "Ic h['i] getealde, and heora getel is mare dhonne sand-ceosol." On dhisum andweardan life sind tha gecorenan feawa gedhuhte ongean getel thaera widhercorenra, ac thonne h['i] to dham ecan life gegaderode beodh, heora tel bidh swa menigfeald, thaet hit oferstihdh, be dhaes witegan cwyde, sand-ceosles ger['i]m.

{538} L['ae]d us, Aelmihtig God, to getele dhinra gecorenra halgena, inn to thaere ecan blisse dhines rices, the thu gearcodest fram frymdhe middangeardes the lufigendum, thu dhe leofast and rixast mid tham Ecan Faeder and Halgum Gaste on ealra worulda woruld. Amen.

{521} THE TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Loquebatur Jesus cum discipulis suis in parabolis, dicens: et reliqua.

"The Lord was speaking at a certain time to his apostles in parables, thus saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king who made a marriage for his son. Then sent he his messengers to invite his subjects," etc.

We follow in this text the exposition of pope Gregory.

My dearest brothers, I have frequently told you, that everywhere in the holy gospel this present church is called the kingdom of heaven. Verily a gathering of righteous men is called the kingdom of heaven. God said through his prophet, "Heaven is my seat." Paul the Apostle said that "Christ is God's Might and God's Wisdom." Clearly we may understand that the soul of every righteous man is heaven, when Christ is God's Wisdom, and the soul of a righteous man is the seat of wisdom, and heaven is his seat. Of this the psalmist said, "The heavens make known the glory of God." He calls the heavens God's messengers. But the congregation of holy men is the kingdom of heaven, because their hearts are not occupied in earthly desires, but they sigh for that which is above; and God now long since reigns in them, as in the heavenly dwellings.

The king who made a marriage for his son is God the Father, who associated the holy church with his Son through the mystery of his incarnation. The holy church is Christ's bride, by which he daily begets spiritual children, and she is the mother of all christian men, and, nevertheless, an undefiled maiden. Through belief and baptism we are begotten to God, and adopted as his spiritual children, through Christ's humanity, and through grace of the Holy Ghost.

God sent his messengers, that he might invite everyone to {523} this marriage. He sent once and again; for he sent his prophets, who announced his Son's humanity to come, and again, he afterwards sent his apostles, who announced his advent accomplished, as the prophets had erst prophesied it. When they would not come to the marriage, he sent again, thus saying, "Say to those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my meats, I have slain my oxen and my fatted fowls, and have prepared all my things: come to the marriage."

The oxen betoken the patriarchs of the old law, who might then, by permission of the old law, slay their foes in the manner of an ox. It is thus written in the old law, "Love thy friend, and hate thy foe." Thus it was allowed to men of old, that they might with strong might oppress, and with weapons slay the adversaries of God and their own foes. But the same God, who gave this permission through the law of Moses before his advent, the same afterwards, when he through human nature came to the world, changed the mandate, thus saying, "I command you, Love your foes, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for your persecutors, that ye may be children of the Heavenly Father, who letteth his sun shine over good and evil, and he giveth rain-showers and fruits to the righteous and to the unrighteous." What betoken the oxen but the fathers of the old law? What were they but the like of oxen, when, by permission of the old law, they struck their foes with the horn of bodily might?

The fatted fowls betoken the holy teachers of the New Testament. These are fatted with the grace of the Holy Ghost to that degree, that they desire the heavenly journey with the wings of spiritual life. What is it for a man to set his thoughts on sublunary things but, as it were, a tenuity of mind? He who is filled with the food of heavenly love, is as though he were fatted with generous meats. With this fatness the psalmist would be fatted, when he said, "Be my soul filled as with fat and with tallow."

{525} What is, "My oxen and my fatted fowls are slain," but as though he had said, 'Behold the lives of the old fathers, and understand the singing of the prophets, and the preaching of the apostles concerning my Son's humanity, and come to the marriage'? That is, 'Come with faith, and associate yourselves to the holy church, which is his bride and your mother.'

"They neglected it, and went, some to their farms, some to their merchandise." He goes to his farm and neglects God's preparation, who immoderately attends to earthly pursuits to that degree that he neglects God's portion. He goes about his traffic, who with covetousness heeds worldly gains more than the riches of eternal life. But when they busy themselves immoderately, some with earthly pursuits and some with worldly treasures, then they cannot for that business meditate on the humanity of Jesus; and it also seems to them very irksome to adjust their conduct to his rule. Some also are so perversely minded, that they may not hear God's preaching, but with persecution afflict God's messengers, as the gospel hereafter says, "Some seized the messengers, and with injury afflicted them, and slew them. But the king, when he was informed of this, sent his army, and destroyed the murderers and burned their city."

He destroyed the murderers, because he fiercely slew the impious persecutors, as we read everywhere in the passions of the martyrs. Nero, the cruel emperor, [commanded Peter and Paul to be beheaded, but he was suddenly driven from his realm, and wolves tore him in pieces. Herod beheaded the apostle James, and brought Peter into prison, but God saved him from his captivity, and when the king was inquiring how he came out of the prison, God's angel came to him afterwards and slew him to death. Astryges, the Indian king, who slew Bartholomew, became mad, and in a fit of madness departed. In like manner Egeas, who {527} crucified Andrew, ended forthwith in a fit of madness. Longsome would it be to recount the ends of all the impious persecutors, how sternly the Almighty God avenged on them the sufferings of his saints. The gospel says, that he burned their city, because they will be, both with soul and with body, burned in everlasting torment. "He sent his army," because through his angels he destroys the wicked. What are the hosts of angels but the army of the Heavenly King? He is called Dominus Sabaoth, that is 'Lord of an army,' or 'Lord of Hosts.'

The king then said to his servants, "The marriage is ready, but those whom I have thereto invited were not worthy of it. Go now to the outlets of the ways, and whomsoever ye find, invite to the marriage." Ways are the various deeds of men. Outlets of ways are the perishing of worldly works; and those very often come to God, who in earthly works but little prosper. Hereupon the king's messengers went through the ways, gathering all whom they found, both evil and good, and at length made the marriage. In this present church are mingled evil and good, as clean corn with foul cockle: but at the end of this world the true Judge will bid his angels gather the cockle by burthens, and cast it into the unquenchable fire. By burthens they will gather the sinful from the righteous: then will murderers be tied together within the hellish fire, and robbers with robbers, the covetous with the covetous, adulterers with adulterers; and so all wicked associates, bound together, shall suffer in everlasting torments; and the clean wheat shall be brought into God's barn: that is, the righteous shall be brought to everlasting life, where storm comes not nor any tempest that may injure the corn. Then will the good be nowhere but in heaven, and the evil nowhere but in hell.

My brothers, if ye are good, then should ye bear with equanimity the evilness of reprobate men, as long as ye {529} continue in this present life. He is not good who will not bear with the evil. On this the voice of God said to the prophet Ezekiel, "Thou son of man, unbelieving and prompters to evil are with thee, and thou dwellest with the worst wormkind." Again Paul the Apostle praised and confirmed the lives of believing men, thus stimulating them, "Dwell among perverse mankind: shine among them as stars, holding the word of life."

"The king went in, and beheld the guests, when he saw one man there who was not clad in a marriage garment." The marriage garment betokens the true love of God and men. That love our Creator manifested to us in himself, when he vouchsafed to redeem us from eternal death with his precious blood, as John the Evangelist said, "So greatly God loved this world, that he gave his only-begotten Son for us." The Son of God, who through love came to men, signified in the gospel that which the marriage garment betokened,--true love. Every of those who with faith and baptism incline to God, comes to the marriage; but he comes not with a marriage garment, if he holds not true love. For ye see that everyone is ashamed, if he is invited to a worldly marriage, to come meanly clad to that short pleasure; but a much greater shame is it for him who with a sordid garment comes to God's marriage, so that for his foul habit he shall be cast from eternal bliss into eternal darkness. So as a garment adorns a man bodily, so also true love adorns our soul with spiritual fairness. Though a man have full faith, and give alms, and do much good, all will be vain, whatsoever he does, unless he have true love for God and for all christian men. It is true love, that everyone love his friend well, and his foe for his good. The Heavenly King goes daily to the marriage, that is, into his church, and looks whether we are clad within in the marriage garment; and whomsoever he finds without {531} true love, him he questions with wrath, thus saying, "Thou friend, how durstest thou come to my preparation without a marriage garment?" "Friend" he called him, and, nevertheless, cast him from his guests. A friend he was through faith, and a reprobate in works. He was forthwith silent, because at God's doom there is no exculpation nor defence; for the Judge who convicts without, is cognizant of his mind within. Though any one have not true love perfectly, yet should he not despair of himself, for of such the prophet spake to God, "My Lord, thine eyes have seen my imperfections, and in thy book all] are written."

The king said to his servants, "Bind the misclad hands and feet, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The hands and the feet which are not now bound through awe of God from perverse works, shall then, through the sternness of God's doom, be fast bound. The feet which will not visit the sick, and the hands which give nothing to the poor, shall then be bound in torment; because they are now wilfully bound from good works. The misclad was cast into outer darkness. The inner darkness is the blindness of the heart. The outer darkness is the swart night of eternal condemnation. The condemned will then by compulsion suffer in outer darkness, because he now wilfully passes his life in blindness of heart, and has no remembrance of the true light, that is, Christ, who said of himself, "I am the light of the world; he who followeth me goeth not in darkness, but hath the light of life." In the outer darkness shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There the eyes shall weep in the hellish flame, which now libidinously roll about with unallowed desires; and the teeth, which now rejoice in gluttony, shall there grate in the unspeakable torments, which are prepared for the adversaries of God. Verily the eyes will smart with the powerful smoke, and the teeth quake with the great chill; for the reprobates shall suffer intolerable {533} heat, and unspeakable chill. Verily the hellish fire has unspeakable heat and no light, but burns eternally in swart darkness.

If any one doubt concerning the resurrection, he may in this gospel understand, that there will be a true resurrection, where there are eyes and teeth. Eyes are of flesh, and teeth of bone; for we shall, whether we will or not, arise at the end of this world with flesh and with bone, and receive the reward of all our deeds, either a dwelling with God for good deserts, or hell-torment with the devil for deeds of wickedness. Of this the blessed Job said, "I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall on the last day from earth arise, and that I shall again be clothed in my flesh, and that in my flesh I shall see God, I myself, and no other." That is, no other form through me, but I myself shall see him.

The ending of this gospel is very awful: "Many are called and few chosen." Behold now the voices of us all call Christ, but the lives of us all call him not; for many deny in their practices that which they profess with their voice. Some men have a good beginning for some while, but they end in evil. Some have an evil beginning, and end well through true penitence. Some begin well and end better. Now everyone should greatly fear, though he lead a good life, and not presume on himself; for he knows not whether he is worthy to enter into the eternal kingdom. Nor should he despair of another, though he fall into vices; for he knows not the manifold abundance of God's mercy.

St. Gregory now says, that a certain brother entered into a monastery which he himself had founded, and after regular probation received monkhood. A fleshly brother followed him to the monastery, not for desire of a good life, but for fleshly love. The ghostly brother, through his good life, was exceedingly liked by the monks of the monastery; and his fleshly brother with perverseness greatly contradicted {535} the usages of his life. He lived in the monastery rather from necessity than for bettering. He was idle of speech, and perverse in deeds; appearing well in raiment, and evil in morals. He had no patience, if any one exhorted him to a good course. Hence was his life very irksome to the brothers, but they endured it calmly on account of his brother's goodness. He could do nothing good, nor would he hear any good. He was then suddenly seized with some disease, and brought to death. When he was raised up for departure, the brothers came that they might pray for his soul. He lay chilled in his lower limbs: in his breast alone the spirit yet breathed. The brothers then prayed for him the more fervently, the more they saw that he would quickly depart. He then suddenly cried, thus saying, "Depart from me. Lo here is a dragon come which is to swallow me, but he cannot for your presence. He has seized my head in his jaws. Give place to him, that he may no longer afflict me. If I am given to this dragon to be swallowed, why should I suffer delay through your presence?"

The brothers said to him, "Why speakst thou with such great despair? Mark thyself with the sign of the holy rood." He answered as he was able, "I would joyfully bless myself with the sign of the holy rood, but I have not the power, for the dragon sorely oppresses me." Whereupon the monks prostrated themselves with weeping to the earth, and begun more fervently to pray to the Powerful God for his salvation. Lo then, the sick man suddenly started, and with exulting voice said, "I thank God: behold now the dragon which would swallow me is put to flight through your prayers. He is driven from me, and could not stand against your intercession. Be now my interceders, praying for my sins; for I am ready to turn to monastic life, and to forsake all worldly practices." His cold limbs then requickened, and he turned {537} with all his heart to God, and by long sickness in his conversion was justified, and at length died of the same disease; but he saw not the dragon at his departure, for he had overcome him by the conversion of his heart.