Part 53

Se halga Gregorius us trahtnode thyses godspelles digelnysse thus undergynnende: Drihten ure Alysend ['u]s gewilnadh gearwe gemetan, and forthi cydde dha yfelnyssa dhe folgiadh tham ealdigendan middangearde, thaet h['e] us fram his lufe gestilde. He geswutelode h['u] fela dhrowunga forestaeppadh thyssere worulde geendunge, gif we God on smyltnysse ondraedan nelladh, thaet we huru his genealaecendan d['o]m, mid mislicum swinglum af['ae]rede, ondraedon. Her widhufan on thyssere r['ae]dinge cwaedh se Haelend, "Dheod arist ongean dheode, and rice ongean rice, and micele eordhstyrunga beodh gehwaer, and cwealm, and hunger." And sydhdhan betwux dham thus cwaedh, "T['a]cna beodh on sunnan, and on m['o]nan, and on steorrum, and on eordhan dheoda ofdhriccednys, for gemencgednysse s['ae]licra ydha and sweges."

Sume dhas t['a]cna we gesawon gefremmede, sume we ondraedadh us towearde. Witodlice on dhisum niwum dagum arison dheoda ongean dheoda, and heora ofdhriccednyss on eordhan gel['a]mp swidhor thonne we on ealdum bocum raedadh. Oft eordhstyrung gehw['ae]r fela burhga ofhreas, swa swa gel['a]mp on Tyberies daege thaes caseres, thaet dhreottyne byrig dhurh eordhstyrunge afeollon. Mid cwealme and mid hungre we sind gelome geswencte, ac we nateshwon gyta swutele t['a]cna on sunnan, and on m['o]nan, and on steorrum ne ges['a]won. We raedadh on tungelcraefte thaet seo sunne bidh hwiltidum thurh dhaes monelican trendles underscyte adhystrod, and eac se fulla m['o]na faerlice fagettadh, thonne he dhaes sunlican leohtes bedaeled {610} bidh dhurh dhaere eordhan sceadwunge. Sind eac sume steorran leoht-beamede, faerlice ar['i]sende, and hraedlice gew['i]tende, and h['i] symle sum dhing n['i]wes mid heora upspringe geb['i]cniadh: ac ne maende Drihten dhas t['a]cna on dhaere godspellican witegunge, ac dha egefullan t['a]cna the dham micclan daege forestaeppadh. Matheus se Godspellere awr['a]t swutelicor thas t['a]cna, thus cwedhende, "Thaerrihte aefter dhaere micclan gedrefednysse, bidh seo sunne adhystrod, and se m['o]na ne syldh n['a]n leoht, and steorran fealladh of heofonum, and heofonan mihta beodh astyrode, and dhonne bidh aeteowed Cristes r['o]de-t['a]cn on heofonum, and ealle eordhlice maegdha heofiadh." Dhaere s['ae] gemengednyssa, and daera ydha sweg ungewunelice gyt ne asprungon, ac dhonne fela dhaera foresaedra t['a]cna gefyllede sind, nis n['a]n twynung thaet tha feawa dhe thaer to lafe sind witodlice gefyllede be['o]n.

Mine gebrodhra, thas dhing sind awritene thaet ure m['o]d thurh waerscipe wacole beon, thaet hi dhurh orsorhnysse ne asleacion, ne dhurh nytennysse geadlion; ac thaet symle se ['o]ga h['i] gebysgige, and seo embhydignys on g['o]dum weorcum getrymme. Drihten cwaedh, "Menn forseariadh for ['o]gan and andbidunge dhaera dhinga the becumadh ofer ealne middangeard. Witodlice heofonan mihta beodh astyrode." Heofonan mihta sind englas and heah-englas, thrymsetl, ealdorscipas, hlafordscipas and anwealdu. Thas engla werod beodh aeteowde gesewenlice urum gesihdhum on to-cyme dhaes strecan D['e]man, thaet h['i] stidhlice aet ['u]s ofgan thaet thaet se ungesewenlica Scyppend emlice forberdh. Thonne we geseodh mannes Bearn cumende on wolcnum, mid micelre mihte and maegendhrymme. Drihten gec['i]gde hine sylfne mannes Bearn gelomlicor dhonne Godes Bearn, for eadmodnysse thaere underfangenan menniscnysse, thaet h['e] us mynegige mid tham gecynde the he for ['u]s underfeng. He is sodhlice mannes Bearn, and ne manna Bearn, and nis n['a]n odher anes mannes bearn buton Crist ['a]na. He bidh on mihte and on maegendhrymme geswutelod tham dhe hine on eadmodnysse wunigende gehyran noldon, thaet h['i] dhonne gefredon his {612} mihte swa miccle stidhlicor, swa micclum swa h['i] nu heora swuran to his gedhylde nelladh gebigan. Thas word sind gecwedene be dham widhercorenum, ac her fyliadh tha word dhe dha gecorenan frefriadh. Se Haelend cwaedh, "Thonne dhas wundra ongynnadh, ahebbadh thonne eowre heafda and behealdadh, fordhan dhe eower alysednyss genealaehdh." Swilce h['e] swutellice his gecorenan m['a]node, 'Thonne middangeardes wita gelomlaecadh, thonne se ['o]ga dhaes micclan domes bidh aeteowod, ahebbadh thonne eowre heafda, thaet is, gladiadh on eowrum mode, fordhi dhonne thes middangeard bidh geendod, the ge ne lufodon; thonne bidh gehende seo alysednyss dhe ge sohton.' On halgum gewrite bidh gelomlice heafod gesett for thaes mannes mode, fordhan dhe thaet heafod gewissadh tham odhrum limum, swa swa thaet m['o]d gediht dha gedhohtas. We ahebbadh ure heafda thonne we ure m['o]d araeradh to gefean thaes heofonlican edhles. Tha dhe God lufiadh, h['i] sind gem['a]node thaet h['i] gladion on middangeardes geendunge, fordhan thonne he gew['i]t, dhe h['i] ne lufodon, dhonne witodlice h['i] gemetadh thone dhe h['i] lufodon.

Ne gewurdhe hit la, thaet aenig geleafful, sedhe gewilnadh God to geseonne, thaet h['e] heofige for middangeardes hryrum; hit is sodhlice awriten, "Swa hw['a] swa wile beon freond thyssere worulde, he bidh Godes feond geteald." Witodlice se dhe ne blissadh on nealaecunge middangeardes geendunge, se geswuteladh thaet he his freond waes, and bidh thonne oferstaeled thaet he Godes feond is. Ac gew['i]te thises middangeardes freondscipe fram geleaffulra manna heortan, and gew['i]te fram dham dhe thaet odher l['i]f gelyfadh toweard, and hit dhurh weorc lufiadh. Tha sceolon heofian for middangeardes toworpennysse, tha dhe heora heortan wyrtruman on his lufe aplantodon, tha dhe thaet towearde l['i]f ne secadh, ne his furdhon ne gelyfadh: we sodhlice, dhe thaes heofonlican edhles gefean eallunga oncneowon, sceolon anmodlice to dham ['o]nettan. Us is to gewiscenne thaet we hraedlice to dham faron, and thurh dhone scyrtran weg becumon, fordhan dhe dhes middangeard is mid menigfealdum unr['o]tnyssum gedhread, and mid dhwyrnyssum geangsumod.

{614} Hwaet is dhis deadlice l['i]f buton weg? Understandadh nu hwilc sy on weges geswince to ateorigenne, and dheah nelle thone weg geendigan. Drihten cwaedh, "Behealdadh thaes f['i]ctreowa and ealle odhre treowa, thonne h['i] spryttadh, dhonne wite ge thaet hit sumorlaehdh. Swa eac ge magon witan, dhonne ge dhas foresaedan t['a]cna geseodh, thaet Godes rice genealaehdh." Sodhlice mid thisum wordum is geswutelod thaet dhises middangeardes waestm is hryre. To dham h['e] wext thaet he fealle; to dhy he sprytt thaet h['e] mid cwyldum fornyme swa hwaet swa h['e] aer sprytte. Thes middangeard is dham ealdigendan menn gel['i]c: on iugodhe bidh se lichama theonde on strangum breoste, on fullum limum and halum; witodlice on ealdlicum gearum bidh thaes mannes waestm geb['i]ged, his swura aslacod, his neb gerifod, and his lima ealle gewaehte; his breost bidh mid sicetungum gedhread, and betwux wordum his ordhung ateoradh; theah dhe him adl ['o]n ne sitte, theah forwel oft his hael him bidh adl. Swa is dhisum middangearde: aet fruman h['e] waes dheonde swylce on geogodhh['a]de, he waes on lichamlicere haeldhe growende, and on sp['e]da genihtsumnysse faett, langsum on life, stille on langsumere sibbe; ac h['e] is nu mid ylde ofsett, swylce mid gelomlaecendum h['e]figtymnyssum to deadhe gedhread.

Mine gebrodhra, ne lufige ge thisne middangeard the ge geseodh thaet lange wunian ne maeg. Be dhisum cwaedh se apostol, "Ne lufige ge middangeard, ne dha dhing dhe him on wuniadh, fordhan swa hw['a] swa middangeard lufadh, naefdh h['e] Godes lufe on him."

Wel is Godes rice sumerlicere tide widhmeten, fordhi dhonne gewitadh tha genipu ure dreorignysse, and lifes dagas dhurh beorhtnysse thaere ecan sunnan scinadh.

Ealle dhas foresaedan dhing sind mid micelre gewissunge getrymde thurh dhisne aefterfyligendan cwyde, "Sodh ic eow secge, Ne gew['i]t dheos maegdh, odhthaet ealle dhas dhing gewurdhadh." Thas word spraec Drihten to Iudeiscre maegdhe, and heora {616} cynn ne gew['i]t thurh ateorunge, aerdhan dhe thes middangeard geendadh. Be dhisum andgite cwaedh se apostol Paulus, thaet "Drihten sylf astihdh of heofonum on stemne thaes heah-engles, and mid Godes byman, and dha deadan aerest arisadh; sydhdhan we dhe lybbadh, and on lichaman beodh gemette beodh gelaehte fordh mid tham odhrum on wolcnum togeanes Criste, and we swa symle sydhdhan mid Gode beodh. Frefriadh e['o]w mid thisum wordum." Eac on dhisum andgite gedhwaerlaehdh se Godspellere Matheus, thisum wordum, "Drihten asent his englas mid byman and micelre stemne, and h['i] gaderiadh his gecorenan fram feower windum, of eallum eordhlicum gemaerum odh dha he['a]lican heofonan."

Se apostol cwaedh, "We dhe lybbadh." Ne maende he hine sylfne mid tham worde, ac dha dhe on life thurhwuniadh oth geendunge thyssere worulde. Mid tham is eac geswutelod, thaet mancynn mid ealle ne ateoradh aer dhaere geendunge, ac h['i] habbadh hwaedhere sceortne deadh, tha dhe thonne on life gemette beodh; fordhan dhe heofonlic fyr ofergaedh ealne middangeard mid anum bryne, and dha deadan arisadh of heora byrgenum mid dham fyre, and dha lybbendan beodh acwealde thurh dhaes fyres haetan, and dhaerrihte eft ge-edcucode to ecum dhingum. Ne deradh thaet fyr n['a]n dhing tham rihtwisum, dhe ['ae]r fram synnum geclaensode waeron; ac swa hw['a] swa ungeclaensod bidh, he gefret thaes fyres ['ae]dhm; and we dhonne ealle to dham d['o]me becumadh. Ne bidh se d['o]m on n['a]num eordhlicum felda ged['e]med, ac bidh swa swa se apostol her widhufan on thyssere r['ae]dinge cwaedh, thaet we beodh gegripene on wolcnum togeanes Criste, geond thas lyft; and thaer bidh seo twaeming rihtwisra manna and arleasra. Tha rihtwisan nahwar sydhdhan ne wuniadh buton mid Gode on heofonan rice, and dha arleasan nahwar buton mid deofle on helle suslum.

Se Haelend beleac this godspel mid thisum wordum: "Heofen and eordhe gew['i]tadh, and mine word naefre ne gew['i]tadh." Ne awendadh heofon and eordhe to nahte, ac hi beodh awende of dham hiwe dhe h['i] nu on wuniadh to beteran hiwe, swa swa {618} Iohannes se Godspellere cwaedh, "Thonne bidh niwe heofon and niwe eordhe." Ne beodh witodlice odhre gesceapene, ac dhas beodh ge-edniwode. Heofon and eordhe gew['i]tadh, and dheah dhurhwuniadh, fordhan dhe h['i] beodh fram dham hiwe dhe h['i] nu habbadh thurh fyr geclaensode, and swa-dheah symle on heora gecynde standadh. Thonne bidh seo sunne be seofonfealdum beorhtre thonne heo nu sy, and se m['o]na haefdh thaere sunnan leoht.

Dauid sodhlice be Cristes to-cyme thisum wordum witegode: "God cymdh swutellice, and h['e] ne suwadh. Fyr byrndh on his gesihdhe, and on his ymbhwyrfte bidh swidhlic storm." Se storm adhwyhdh swa hwaet swa thaet fyr forswaeldh. Be dham daege cwaedh se witega Sofonias, "Se miccla Godes daeg is swidhe gehende, and dhearle swyft: biter bidh thaes daeges stemn: thaer bidh se str['a]nga gedrefed. Se daeg is yrres daeg, and gedrefednysse daeg and angsumnysse, yrmdhe daeg and w['a]nunge, theostra daeg and dimnysse, byman daeg and cyrmes."

Mine gebrodhra, settadh thises daeges gemynd aetforan eowrum eagum, and swa hwaet swa bidh nu h['e]figtyme gedhuht, eal hit bidh on his widhmetennysse gelidhegod. Gerihtlaecadh eower l['i]f, and awendadh eowre dheawas, witniadh mid wope eowre yfelan daeda, widhstandadh deofles costnungum; bugadh fram yfele, and dodh g['o]d, and ge beodh swa micclum orsorgran on to-cyme thaes ecan D['e]man, swa micclum swa ge nu his strecnysse mid ege forhr['a]diadh. Se witega cwaedh, thaet se miccla Godes daeg is swidhe gehende, and thearle swyft. Theah dhe gyt waere odher thusend geara to dham daege, naere hit langsum; fordhan swa hwaet swa geendadh, thaet bidh sceort and hraed, and bidh swilce hit naefre ne gewurde, thonne hit geendod bidh. Hwaet theah hit langsum waere to dham daege, swa hit nis, theah ne bidh ure t['i]ma langsum, and on ['u]re geendunge us bidh ged['e]med, hwaedher we on reste oththe on wite dhone gem['ae]nelican d['o]m anbidian sceolon. Uton fordhi brucan thaes fyrstes dhe us God forgeaf, and geearnian thaet ece l['i]f mid him sedhe leofadh and rixadh in ealra worulda woruld. Amen.

{609} THE SECOND SUNDAY IN THE LORD'S ADVENT.

Erunt signa in sole et luna et stellis: et reliqua.

The Evangelist Luke wrote in this day's gospel, that our Lord was speaking in these words to his disciples, concerning the signs which will happen before the ending of this world. The Lord said, "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and on earth there shall be affliction of nations," etc.

The holy Gregory has expounded for us the obscurity of this gospel, thus beginning: The Lord our Redeemer is desirous to find us ready, and therefore chid the evils which follow the senescent world, that he might wean us from its love. He manifested how many sufferings will precede the ending of this world, if we will not dread God in serenity, that at least, terrified with many tribulations, we may dread his approaching doom. Here above in this lesson Jesus said, "Nation shall arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and great earthquakes shall be everywhere, and pestilence, and hunger." And afterwards among them thus said, "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and on earth affliction of nations, for the mingling of the sea-waves and sound."

Some of these signs we have seen accomplished, some we fear are to come. Verily in these new days nations have arisen against nations, and their affliction on earth has happened greater than we in old books read. Oft an earthquake in divers places has overthrown many cities, as it happened in the days of the emperor Tiberius, that thirteen cities fell through an earthquake. With pestilence and with hunger we are frequently afflicted, but we have not yet seen manifest signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars. We read in astronomy, that the sun is sometimes darkened by the intervention of the lunar orb, and also the full moon suddenly becomes dusky, when it is deprived of the solar light {611} by the shadow of the earth. There are also some stars beamed with light, suddenly rising, and quickly departing, and they by their uprise ever indicate something new: but the Lord meant not these signs in the evangelical prophecy, but the awful signs which will precede the great day. Matthew the Evangelist wrote more plainly of these signs, thus saying, "Straightways after the great tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall give no light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be agitated, and then shall appear the sign of Christ's cross in the heavens, and all earthly powers shall mourn." The minglings of the sea, and the sound of the waves have not yet unusually happened, but when many of the before-said signs have been fulfilled, there is no doubt that the few which are remaining will also be fulfilled.

My brothers, these things are written that our minds may be vigilant through heedfulness, that through security they slacken not, nor through ignorance become void; but that terror ever occupy, and attention to good works confirm them. The Lord said, "Men shall wither for terror and for awaiting the things which shall come over all the world: for the powers of heaven shall be agitated." The powers of heaven are angels and archangels, thrones, principalities, lordships and powers. These hosts of angels will appear visible to our sights at the advent of the severe Judge, that they may sternly exact from us that which the invisible Creator patiently forbears. Then we shall see the Son of man coming in clouds, with great might and majesty. The Lord called himself the Son of man oftener than the Son of God, from the humility of his assumed humanity, that he may admonish us with the nature which he for us received. He is truly Son of man, and not Son of men, and there is no other son of one man but Christ alone. He will be manifested in might and in majesty to those who would not obey him while existing in humility, that they then may feel his {613} might by so much the more severely as they now will not bow their necks to his patience. These words are said of the reprobates, but here follow the words which comfort the chosen. Jesus said, "When these wonders begin, then lift up your heads and behold, for your redemption approacheth." As if he had manifestly exhorted his chosen, 'When the torments of the world shall thicken, when the dread of the great doom shall appear, raise then your heads, that is, be glad in your minds, for then this world shall be ended, which ye loved not; then shall be at hand the redemption which ye sought.' In holy writ _head_ is very frequently put for the mind of man, because the head directs the other members, as the mind devises the thoughts. We lift up our heads when we raise our minds to the joys of the heavenly country. Those whom God loves are exhorted to be glad for the ending of the world, for when that passes away, which they loved not, then certainly they will find that which they loved.

O let it not be, that any believer, who desires to see God, mourn for the fall of the world; for it is written, "Whosoever will be a friend of this world, will be accounted a foe of God." But he who rejoices not at the approach of the ending of the world, manifests that he was its friend, and will then be convicted that he is God's foe. But let friendship for this world depart from the hearts of believing men, and depart from them who believe the other life to come, and really love it. They should mourn for the destruction of the world who have planted the root of their heart in its love, who seek not the life to come, nor even believe in it: but we, who full well know the joys of the heavenly country, should unanimously hasten to it. It is for us to wish that we may go to it quickly, and arrive by the shorter way, for this world is afflicted with manifold tribulations, and with crosses tormented.

{615} What is this deathlike life but a way? Understand now what it is to faint through the toil of the way, and yet not to desire the way to end. The Lord said, "Behold these figtrees and all other trees, when they sprout, then ye know that summer is near. So likewise ye may know, when ye see these before-said signs, that God's kingdom draweth near." Verily by these words it is manifested that the fruit of this world is falling. It grows that it may fall; it sprouts that it may destroy with diseases whatsoever it had before sprouted. This world is like to a senescent man: in youth the body is thriving with strong breast, with full and hale limbs; but in senile years the man's stature is bowed, his neck slackened, his face wrinkled, and his limbs all afflicted; his breast is tormented with sighs, and between his words his breath fails; though disease sit not on him, yet too often his health is a disease to him. So it is with this world: at first it was thriving as in youth, it was growing in bodily health, and fat in abundance of good things, long in life, still in long peace; but now it is with age oppressed, as it were with frequent tribulations afflicted to death.

My brothers, love not this world which ye see cannot long exist. Of this the apostle said, "Love not the world, nor anything that dwelleth on it, for whosoever loveth the world, hath not love of God in him."

Well is the kingdom of God compared with the summer season, for then the clouds of our dreariness pass away, and the days of life shine through the brightness of the eternal sun.

All these before-said things are with great certainty confirmed by this following sentence, "Verily I say unto you, This tribe shall not pass away, until all these things shall take place." These words the Lord spake to the Jewish {617} tribe, and their kin will not pass away through decay, before this world ends. Of this sentence the apostle Paul said, that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead will first arise; afterwards, we who live, and shall be found in the body, will be caught forth with the others in clouds towards Christ, and so we shall ever after be with God. Comfort yourselves with these words." Also in this sentence the Evangelist Matthew agrees, in these words, "The Lord will send his angels with trumpet and loud voice, and they shall gather his chosen from the four winds, from all earthly boundaries to the high heavens."

The apostle said, "We who live." He did not mean himself by those words, but those who continue in life until the ending of this world. By that it is likewise manifested, that mankind will not wholly perish before the ending, but that they will, nevertheless, have a short death who shall then be found in life; for heavenly fire will pass over all the world with one burning, and the dead will arise from their graves with that fire, and the living will be slain by the fire's heat, and straightways after requickened to eternity. The fire will in no wise injure the righteous who had before been cleansed from sins; but whosoever is uncleansed shall eat the fire's breath; and we shall then all come to the doom. The doom will be deemed on no earthly field, but will be as the apostle here above in this lesson said, that we shall be seized up in clouds towards Christ, through the air; and there will be the separation of righteous and impious men. The righteous will afterwards dwell nowhere but with God in the kingdom of heaven, and the impious nowhere but with the devil in hell-torments.

Jesus concluded this gospel with these words: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away." Heaven and earth will not turn to naught, but they will be changed from the form in which they now exist to a {619} better form, as John the Evangelist said, "Then there shall be a new heaven and a new earth." There will not indeed be others created, but these will be renewed. Heaven and earth will pass away, but will, nevertheless, continue, for they will be cleansed by fire from the form which they now have, and will yet stand ever in their own nature. Then will the sun be sevenfold brighter than it now is, and the moon will have the light of the sun.

David verily prophesied of Christ's advent in these words: "God shall come manifestly, and he will not keep silence. Fire shall burn in his sight, and round about him shall be a mighty storm." The storm will wash whatsoever the fire burns. Of that day the prophet Zephaniah said, "The great day of God is very near at hand, and exceedingly swift: bitter shall be the voice of that day: there shall the strong be afflicted. That day is a day of wrath, and a day of affliction and anxiety, a day of misery and wail, a day of darkness and dimness, a day of the trumpet and of outcry."

My brothers, set the remembrance of this day before your eyes, and whatsoever now appears to be trouble, it shall all be mitigated on comparison with it. Correct your lives, and change your conduct, punish your evil deeds with weeping, withstand the temptations of the devil; eschew evil and do good, and ye will be by so much the more secure at the advent of the eternal Judge, as ye now with terror anticipate his severity. The prophet said, that the great day of God is very near at hand and very swift. Though there were yet another thousand years to that day, it would not be long; for whatsoever ends is short and quick, and will be as it had never been, when it is ended. But though it were long to that day, as it is not, yet will our time not be long, and at our ending it will be adjudged to us, whether we in rest or in torment shall await the common doom. Let us, therefore, profit by the time which God has given us, and merit the everlasting life with him who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.

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NOTES.

_Page 2, l. 5 from bot._ undergann--_here a finite verb seems wanting_.