Part 18
Abiit Jesus trans mare Galileae: et reliqua.
"Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is called of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him, because they {183} had seen the miracles which he had wrought on the diseased men. Then Jesus went up into a mountain, and there sat with his disciples, and the holy Easter-tide was then very nigh. Jesus then looked up, and saw that there was a great multitude coming, and said to one of his disciples, who was called Philip, With what can we buy bread for this people? This he said to prove the disciple: himself knew what he would do. Then Philip answered, Though two hundred pennyworth of bread were bought, yet could not every one of them get a morsel. Then said one of his disciples, who was called Andrew, Peter's brother, Here beareth a lad five barley loaves, and two fishes, but what is that for so great a multitude? Then said Jesus, Make the people sit. And there was much grass on the place pleasant to sit on: and they then all sat, about five thousand men. Then Jesus took the five loaves, and blessed, and brake, and divided them among those sitting: in like manner also he divided the fishes; and they all had enough. When they all were full, Jesus said to his disciples, Gather the remainder, and let it not be lost. And they gathered the fragments, and filled twelve baskets with the remainder. The people, who saw this miracle, said that Christ was the true prophet who was to come to this world."
The sea which Jesus passed over betokeneth this present world, which Christ came to and passed over; that is he came to this world in human nature, and passed over this life; he came to death, and from death arose; and went up on a mountain, and there sat with his disciples, for he ascended to heaven, and there sits now with his saints. Rightly is the sea compared to this world, for it is sometimes serene and pleasant to navigate on, sometimes also very rough and terrible to be on. So is this world; sometimes it is desirable and pleasant to dwell in, sometimes also it is very rugged, and mingled with divers things, so that it is too {185} often very unpleasant to inhabit. Sometimes we are hale, sometimes sick; now joyful, and again in great affliction; therefore is this life, as we before said, compared to the sea.
When Jesus was sitting on the mountain, he lifted up his eyes, and saw that there was a great multitude coming. All those who come to him, that is those who incline to the right faith, Jesus sees, and on them he has pity, and enlightens their understanding with his grace, that they may come to him without error, and to these he gives ghostly food, that they may not faint by the way. When he asked Philip, whence they could buy bread for the people, he showed Philip's ignorance. Well Christ knew what he would do, and he knew that Philip knew not. Then said Andrew, that a lad there bare five barley loaves and two fishes. Then said Jesus, "Make the people sit," and so on, as we have before repeated it to you. Jesus saw the hungry people, and he compassionately fed them, both by his goodness and by his might. What could his goodness alone have done, unless there had been might with that goodness? His disciples would also have fed the people, but they had not wherewithal. Jesus had the good will to nourish them, and the power to execute it.
God hath wrought many miracles and daily works; but those miracles are much weakened in the sight of men, because they are very usual. A greater miracle it is that God Almighty every day feeds all the world, and directs the good, than that miracle was, that he filled five thousand men with five loaves: but men wondered at this, not because it was a greater miracle, but because it was unusual. Who now gives fruit to our fields, and multiplies the harvest from a few grains of corn, but he who multiplied the five loaves? The might was there in Christ's hands, and the five loaves were, as it were, seed, not sown in the earth, but multiplied by him who created the earth.
{187} This miracle is very great, and deep in its significations. Often some one sees fair characters written, then praises he the writer and the characters, but knows not what they mean. He who understands the art of writing praises their fairness, and reads the characters, and comprehends their meaning. In one way we look at a picture, and in another at characters. Nothing more is necessary for a picture than that you see and praise it: but it is not enough to look at characters without, at the same time, reading them, and understanding their signification. So also it is with regard to the miracle which God wrought with the five loaves: it is not enough that we wonder at the miracle, or praise God on account of it, without also understanding its spiritual sense.
The five loaves which the lad bare, betoken the five books which the leader Moses appointed in the old law. The lad who bare them, and tasted not of them, was the Jewish people, who read the five books, and knew therein no spiritual signification, before Christ came, and opened the books, and disclosed their spiritual sense to his disciples, and they afterwards to all christian people. We cannot now enumerate to you all the five books, but we will tell you that God himself dictated them, and that Moses wrote them, for the guidance and instruction of the ancient people of Israel, and of us also in a spiritual sense. These books were written concerning Christ, but the spiritual sense was hidden from the people, until Christ came himself to men, and opened the secrets of the books, according to the spiritual sense.
Alii evangelistae ferunt, quia panes et pisces Dominus discipulis distribuisset, discipuli autem ministraverunt turbis. He brake the five loaves and gave to his disciples, and bade them bear them to the people; for he taught them the heavenly lore: and they went throughout all the world, and preached, as Christ himself had taught. When he had broken the loaves then were they multiplied, and grew in his hands; for the five books were spiritually devised, and wise doctors {189} expounded them, and founded on those books many other books; and we with the doctrine of those books are daily spiritually fed.
The loaves were of barley. Barley is very difficult to prepare, and, nevertheless, feeds a man when it is prepared. So was the old law very difficult and obscure to understand; but, nevertheless, when we come to the flour, that is to the signification, then it feeds and strengthens our mind with the hidden lore. There were five loaves, and there were five thousand men fed; because the Jewish people was subject to God's law, which stood written in five books. When Christ asked Philip, and proved him, as we before read, by that asking he betokened the people's ignorance, who were under that law, and knew not the spiritual sense which was concealed in that law.
The two fishes betokened the Psalms and the sayings of the prophets. The one of these announced and proclaimed Christ's advent with psalm-singing, and the other with prophecy, as if they were meat to the five barley loaves, that is, to the five legal books. The people, who were there fed, sat on the grass. The grass betokened fleshly desire, as the prophet said, "Every flesh is grass, and the glory of the flesh is as the blossom of plants." Now should everyone who will sit at God's refection, and partake of spiritual instruction, tread and press down the grass, that is, he should overpower his fleshly lusts, and ever dispose his body to the service of God.
There were counted at that refection five thousand males; because those men who belong to the spiritual refection should be manfully made, as the apostle said; he said, "Be watchful, and stand on faith, and undertake manfully, and be bold." Though if a woman be manly by nature, and strong to God's will, she will be counted among the men who sit at the table of God. Thousand is a perfect number, and no number extends beyond it. With that number is betokened the {191} perfection of those men who nourish their souls with God's precepts.
"Jesus then bade the remainder to be gathered, that it might not be lost; and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments." The remainder of the refection, that is the depth of the doctrine, which secular men may not understand, that should our teachers gather, that it may not be lost, and preserve in their scrips, that is, in their hearts, and have ever ready to draw forth the wisdom and doctrine both of the old law and of the new. They gathered then twelve baskets full of the fragments. The twelvefold number betokened the twelve apostles; because they received the mysteries of the doctrine, which the lay folk could not understand.
"The people, who saw that miracle, said of Christ, that he was the true prophet who was to come." In one sense they said the truth: he was a prophet, for he knew all future things, and also prophesied many things which will, without doubt, be fulfilled. He is a prophet, and he is the prophecy of all prophets, for all the prophets have prophesied of him, and Christ has fulfilled the prophecies of them all. The people saw the miracle, and they greatly wondered at it. That miracle is recorded, and we have heard it. What their eyes did in them, that does our faith in us. They saw it, and we believe it, who saw it not; and we are therefore accounted the better, as Jesus, in another place, said of us, "Blessed are they who see me not, and, nevertheless, believe in me, and celebrate my miracles."
The people said of Christ, that he was a true prophet. Now we say of Christ, that he is Son of the Living God, who was to come to redeem the whole world from the power of the devil, and from hell-torment. The people knew not of those benefits, that they might have said that he was God, but they said that he was a prophet. We say now, with full belief, that Christ is a true prophet, and Prophet of all prophets, and that he is truly Son of the Almighty God, as mighty {193} as his Father, with whom he liveth and reigneth in unity of the Holy Ghost, ever without end to eternity. Amen.
* * * * *
VIII. K[=L]. APRI[=L].
ANNUNCIATIO [=S]. MARIAE.
Missus est Gabrihel Angelas: et reliqua.
Ure se Aelmihtiga Scyppend, sedhe ealle gesceafta, buton aelcon antimbre, thurh his wisdom gesceop, and thurh his willan gel['i]ffaeste, h['e] gesceop mancynn to dhi thaet h['i] sceoldon mid gehyrsumnysse and eadmodnysse dha heofenlican gedhincdhe geearnigan, the se deofol mid ofermettum forwyrhte. Tha weardh eac se mann mid deofles lotwrencum bepaeht, swa thaet he tobraec his Scyppendes bebod, and weardh deofle betaeht, and eal his ofspring into helle-wite. Dha dheah-hwaedhere ofdhuhte dham Aelmihtigum Gode ealles mancynnes yrmdha, and smeade hu he mihte his hand-geweorc of deofles anwealde alysan; fordhi him ofhreow thaes mannes, fordhon dhe h['e] waes bepaeht mid thaes deofles searo-craeftum. Ac him ne ofhreow na dhaes deofles hryre; fordhan dhe h['e] naes thurh nane tihtinge forlaered, ac h['e] sylf asmeade dha up-ahefednysse the he dhurh ahreas; and he fordhi ['a] on ecnysse wunadh on forwyrde waelraew deofol.
Tha fram frymdhe mancynnes cydde se Aelmihtiga God, hwilon dhurh getacnunga, hwilon dhurh witegunga, thaet he wolde mancynn ahreddan thurh dhone the he ealle gesceafta mid geworhte, dhurh his agen Bearn. Nu waeron dha witegunga swidhe menigfealdlice gesette on halgum gewritum, aerdham dhe se Godes Sunu menniscnysse underfenge. Sume waeron eac be dhaere eadigan Marian gewitegode. An dhaera witegunga is Isaiae, se awr['a]t betwux his witegungum, thus cwedhende, "Efne sceal maeden geeacnian on hire innodhe, and acennan Sunu, and his nama bidh gec['i]ged Emmanuhel," thaet is gereht {194} on urum gedheode, 'God is mid us.' Eft Ezechihel se witega geseah on his witegunge ['a]n belocen geat on Godes huse, and him cwaedh to sum engel, "This geat ne bidh nanum menn geopenod, ac se Hlaford ana faerdh inn thurh thaet geat, and eft ['u]t faerdh, and hit bidh belocen on ecnysse." Thaet beclysede geat on Godes huse getacnode thone halgan maeigdhhad thaere eadigan Marian. Se Hlaford, ealra hlaforda Hlaford, thaet is Crist, becom on hire innodh, and dhurh h['i] on menniscnysse weardh acenned, and thaet geat bidh belocen on ecnysse; thaet is, thaet Maria waes maeden aer dhaere cenninge, and maeden on dhaere cenninge, and maeden aefter dhaere cenninge.
Tha witegunga be Cristes acennednysse and be dhaere eadigan Marian maegdhhade sindon swidhe menigfealdlice on dhaere ealdan ['ae] gesette, and se dhe h['i] asmeagan wile, thaer he h['i] afint mid micelre genihtsumnysse. Eac se apostol Paulus cwaedh, "Thatha dhaera t['i]da gefyllednys com, dha sende God Faeder his Sunu to mancynnes alysednysse." Seo wurdhfulle s['a]nd weardh on dhisum daege gefylled, swa swa Cristes boc us gewissadh, thus cwedhende, "Godes heah-engel, Gabrihel, waes asend fram Gode to dhaere Galileiscan byrig Nazareth, to dham maedene the waes Maria gehaten, and heo asprang of Dauides cynne, thaes maran cyninges, and heo waes beweddod tham rihtwisan Iosepe:" et reliqua.
Ure alysednysse anginn we gehyrdon on dhisre daegtherlican raedinge, thurh dha we awurpon tha derigendlican ealdnysse, and we sind getealde betwux Godes bearnum, thurh Cristes flaesclicnysse. Swidhe thaeslic anginn menniscre alysednysse waes thaet tha se engel weardh asend fram Gode to dham maedene, to cydhenne Godes acennednysse thurh h['i]; fordhan dhe se forma intinga mennisces forwyrdes waes, thatha se deofol asende odherne deofol, on naeddran anlicnysse, to dham frumsceapenan w['i]fe Euan, h['i] to beswicenne. Us becom dha deadh and forwyrd thurh w['i]f, and us becom eft lif and hredding thurh wimman.
Se heah-engel, the cydde thaes Haelendes acennednysse, waes {196} gehaten Gabrihel, thaet is gereht, 'Godes strengdh,' thone he bodode toweardne, the se sealm-sceop mid thisum wordum herede, "Drihten is strang and mihtig on gefeohte." On dham gefeohte, butan tweon, the se Haelend deofol oferwann, and middangeard him aetbraed.
"Maria waes beweddod Iosepe dham rihtwisan." Hw['i] wolde God beon acenned of beweddodan maedene? For micclum gesceade, and eac for neode. Thaet Iudeisce folc heold Godes ['ae] on tham timan: seo ['ae] taehte, thaet man sceolde aelcne wimman the cild haefde butan rihtre aewe staenan. Nu dhonne, gif Maria unbeweddod waere, and cild haefde, thonne wolde thaet Iudeisce folc, aefter Godes ['ae], mid stanum h['i] oftorfian. Dha waes heo, dhurh Godes foresceawunge, tham rihtwisan were beweddod, and gehw['a] wende thaet he dhaes cildes faeder waere, ac he naes. Ac dhadha Ioseph undergeat thaet Maria mid cilde waes, tha weardh he dreorig, and nolde hire genealaecan, ac dhohte thaet he wolde h['i] diglice forlaetan. Thadha Ioseph this smeade, tha com him to Godes engel, and bebead him, thaet sceolde habban gymene aegdher ge dhaere meder ge thaes cildes, and cwaedh, thaet thaet cild naere of nanum men gestryned, ac waere of tham Halgan Gaste. Nis na hwaedhere se Halga Gast Cristes Faeder, ac h['e] is genemned to dhaere fremminge Cristes menniscnysse; fordhan dhe he is Willa and Lufu thaes Faeder and thaes Suna. Nu weardh seo menniscnys thurh thone micclan Willan gefremmed, and is dheah-hwaedhere heora Dhreora weorc untodaeledlic. Hi sind thry on h['a]dum, Faeder, and Sunu, and Halig Gast, and an God untodaeledlic on anre godcundnysse. Ioseph dha, swa swa him se engel bebead, haefde gymene aegdher ge Marian ge dhaes cildes, and waes hyre gewita thaet heo maeden waes, and waes Cristes fostor-faeder, and mid his fultume and frofre on gehwilcum dhingum him dhenode on dhaere menniscnysse.
Se engel grette Marian, and cwaedh, thaet heo waere mid Godes gife afylled, and thaet hyre waes God mid, and heo waes gebletsod betwux wifum. Sodhlice heo waes mid Godes gife {198} afylled, fordhon dhe hire waes getidhod thaet heo dhone ab['ae]r the astealde ealle gifa and ealle sodhfaestnyssa. God waes mid hire, fordhan dhe he waes on hire innodhe belocen, sedhe belicdh ealne middangeard on his anre handa. And heo waes gebletsod betwux wifum, fordhan dhe heo, butan wiflicre bysnunge, mid wlite hyre maegdhh['a]des, waes modor thaes Aelmihtigan Godes.
Se engel gehyrte h['i] mid his wordum, and cwaedh hire to, "Efne dhu scealt geeacnian on dhinum innodhe, and thu acenst sunu." Oncnawadh nu, thurh thas word, sodhne mannan acennedne of maedenlicum lichaman. His nama waes Hiesus, thaet is Haelend, fordhan dhe h['e] gehaeldh ealle dha the on hine rihtlice gelyfadh. "Thes bidh m['ae]re, and he bidh gec['i]ged Sunu thaes Hexstan." Gelyfadh nu, thurh dhas w['o]rd, thaet he is sodh God of sodhum Gode, and efen-ece his Faeder, of dham he waes aefre acenned butan anginne. Crist heold Dauides cynesetl, na lichamlice ac gastlice; fordhan dhe he is ealra cyninga Cyning, and rixadh ofer his gecorenan menn, aegdher ge ofer Israhela folc ge ofer ealle odhre leodscipas, dha dhe on rihtum geleafan wuniadh; and Crist h['i] ealle gebrincdh to his ecan rice. Israhel is gecweden, 'God geseonde,' and Iacob is gecweden, 'Forscrencend.' Nu dha men dhe God geseodh mid heora mode thurh geleafan, and tha dhe leahtras forscrencadh, h['i] belimpadh to Godes r['i]ce, the naefre ne ateoradh.
Tha cwaedh Maria to dham engle, "H['u] maeg thaet beon thaet ic cild haebbe, fordhan dhe ic nanes weres ne bruce? Ic geteohode min lif on maegdhhade to geendigenne: hu maeg hit dhonne gewurdhan thaet ic, butan weres gemanan, cennan scyle?" Tha andwyrde se engel dham maedene, "Se Halga Gast cymdh ufen on dhe, and miht dhaes Hyhstan ofersceadewadh dhe." Thurh dhaes Halgan Gastes fremminge, swa swa we aer cwaedon, weardh Crist acenned on dhaere menniscnysse; and Maria his modor waes ofersceadewed dhurh mihte thaes Halgan Gastes. Hu waes heo ofersceadewod? Heo waes swa ofersceadewod thaet heo waes geclaensod and gescyld widh ealle leahtras, thurh {200} mihte dhaes Halgan Gastes, and mid heofenlicum gifum gefylled and gehalgod.
Se engel cwaedh, "Thaet Halige, the of dhe bidh acenned, bidh geciged Godes Sunu." Witodlice ealle menn beodh, swa swa se witega cwaedh, mid unrihtwisnysse geeacnode, and mid synnum acennede, ac ure Haelend ana waes geeacnod butan unrihtwisnysse, and butan synnum acenned; and he waes halig thaerrihte swa hradhe swa h['e] mann waes, and fulfremed God, thaes Aelmihtigan Godes Sunu, on anum hade mann and God. Dha cwaedh Maria to dham engle, "Ic eom Godes dhinen; getimige me aefter dhinum worde." Micel eadmodnys wunode on hyre mode, thatha heo dhus cleopode. Ne cwaedh heo na, Ic eom Godes modor, odhdhe, Ic eom cwen ealles middangeardes, ac cwaedh, "Ic eom Godes thinen;" swa swa us mynegadh thaet halige gewrit, thus cwedhende, "Thonne dhu maere sy, geeadmed the sylfne on eallum dhingum, and dhu gemetst gife and lean mid Gode." Heo cwaedh to dham engle, "Getimige me aefter dhinum worde:" thaet is, Gewurdhe hit swa dhu segst, thaet dhaes Aelmihtigan Godes Sunu becume on minne innodh, and mennisce edwiste of me genime, and to alysednysse middangeardes fordhstaeppe of m['e], swa swa brydguma of his brydbedde.
Thus becom ure Haelend on Marian innodh on thissum daege, dhe is gehaten ANNUNTIATIO SANCTAE MARIAE, thaet is, Marian bodung-daeg gecweden; on tham daege bodode se heah-engel Gabrihel dham claenum maedene Godes to-cyme to mannum dhurh h['i], and heo gelyfde thaes engles bodunge, and swa mid geleafan onfeng God on hyre innodh, and hine baer odh middewintres maesse-daeg, and hine dha acende mid sodhre menniscnysse, sedhe aefre waes wunigende on godcundnysse mid his Faeder, and mid tham Halgan Gaste, hi dhry an God untodaeledlic.
Nu seigdh se godspellere, thaet Maria ferde, aefter thaes engles bodunge, to hire magan Elisabeth, seo waes Zacharian wif. H['i] butu waeron rihtwise, and heoldon Godes beboda untaellice. {202} Dha waeron h['i] butan cilde, odhthaet h['i] waeron forwerede menn. Dha com se ylca engel Gabrihel to Zacharian syx mondhum aerdhan dhe h['e] come to Marian, and cydde thaet he sceolde be his ealdan wife sunu habban, Iohannem dhone Fulluhtere. Tha weardh he ungeleafful thaes engles bodungum. Se engel dha him cwaedh to, "Nu dhu nylt gelyfan minum wordum, beo dhu dumb odhthaet thaet cild beo acenned." And he dha adumbode on eallum dham fyrste, for his ungeleaffulnysse. "Nu com dha seo eadige Maria to his huse, and grette his w['i]f, hyre magan, Elisabeth. Dha mid tham the thaet w['i]f gehyrde thaes maedenes gretinge, dha blissode thaet cild Iohannes on his modor innodhe, and seo moder weardh afylled mid tham Halgan Gaste, and heo clypode to Marian mid micelre stemne, and cwaedh, Thu eart gebletsod betwux wifum, and gebletsod is se waestm thines innodhes. Hu getimode me thaet mines Drihtnes moder wolde cuman to me? Efne mid tham the seo stefn dhinre gretinge swegde on m['i]num earum, dha blissode min cild on minum innodhe, and hoppode ongean his Drihten, the thu berst on dhinum innodhe."
Thaet cild ne mihte na dha-gyt mid wordum his Haelend gegretan, ac he gegrette hine mid blissigendum mode. Heo cwaedh, "Eadig eart dhu, Maria, fordhon dhe thu gelyfdest tham wordum dhe the fram Gode gebodode waeron, and hit bidh gefremmed swa swa hit dhe gecydd waes." Dha sang Maria thaerrihte dhone lofsang the we singadh on Godes cyrcan, aet aelcum aefensange, "Magnificat anima mea Dominum," and fordh odh ende. Thaet is, "Min sawul maersadh Drihten:" et reliqua. Langsum hit bidh thaet we ealne thisne lofsang ofertrahtnian; ac we wylladh scortlice oferyrnan dha digelystan word. "God awearp dha rican of setle:" thaet sind dha modigan dhe h['i] onhebbadh ofer heora maedhe. "And he ahof dha eadmodan;" swa swa Crist sylf cwaedh on his godspelle, "Aelc dhaera the hine onhefdh, he sceal beon geeadmet; and se dhe hine geeadmet, he sceal beon ahafen."
"God gefyldh tha hingrigendan mid his godum;" swa swa {204} he sylf cwaedh, "Eadige beodh tha the sind ofhingrode and oflyste rihtwisnysse, fordhan dhe h['i] sceolon beon gefyllede mid rihtwisnysse." "He forlet dha r['i]can idele." Thaet sind dha r['i]can, tha dhe mid modignysse tha eordhlican welan lufiadh swidhor thonne dha heofonlican. Fela riccra manna gedheodh Gode, thaera dhe swa dodh swa swa hit awriten is, "Thaes r['i]can mannes welan sind his sawle alysednyss." His welan beodh his sawle alysednyss, gif h['e] mid tham gewitendlicum gestreonum beceapadh him thaet ece l['i]f, and dha heofonlican welan mid Gode. Gif he dhis forgymeleasadh, and besett his hiht on dham eordhlicum welan, thonne forlaet God hine idelne and aemtigne, fram dham ecum godnyssum.
"God underfeng his cnapan Israhel." Mid tham naman syndon getacnode ealle dha the Gode gehyrsumiadh mid sodhre eadmodnysse, tha he underfehdh to his werode. "Swa swa h['e] spraec to urum faederum, Abrahame and his ofspringe on worulda." God behet dham heahfaedere Abrahame, thaet on his cynne sceolde beon gebletsod eal mancynn. Of Abrahames cynne aspr['a]ng seo gesaelige Maria, and of Mar['i]an com Crist, aefter dhaere menniscnysse, and thurh Crist beodh ealle dha geleaffullan gebletsode. Ne synd we na Abrahames cynnes flaesclice, ac gastlice, swa swa se apostol Paulus cwaedh, "Witodlice, gif ge cristene synd, thonne beo ge Abrahames ofspring, and yrfenuman aefter beh['a]te." Thaet aeftemyste word is dhises lofsanges, "On worulda;" fordhan dhe ure beh['a]t, the us God behet, dhurhwunadh ['a] on worulda woruld butan ende.
Uton biddan nu thaet eadige and thaet gesaelige maeden Mar['i]an, thaet heo us gedhingige to hyre agenum Suna and to hire Scyppende, Haelende Criste, sedhe gewylt ealra dhinga mid Faeder and mid tham Halgum Gaste, ['a] on ecnysse. Amen.
MARCH XXV.
THE ANNUNCIATION OF ST. MARY.
Missus est Gabrihel Angelus: et reliqua.