Part 32

In some chosen men, who live with great heedfulness in the present life, the grace of God's Spirit is so great, that he, sitting on their hearts as it were on a throne, decides and judges wondrously the deeds of other men. What are these but thrones of their Creator, on which abiding he judges men? True love is the completion of God's law, and he who in his moral conduct holds love of God and of men, will be rightly called cherubim; for all understanding and knowledge is contained in two words, namely, love of God and of men. Some servants of God are inflamed with so great a desire for the presence of their Creator, that they despise all worldly care, and with burning mind rise above all perishing honours, and with the great heat of heavenly love enkindle others, and with instructive speech confirm them. How may these be called but seraphim, when through the great heat of love of God they are before other mortals nearest to his presence?

Now says the blessed Gregory, "Woe to the soul that passes its life devoid of the holy virtues," which we have just shortly explained to you. But let the soul which is deprived of those excellences mourn, and desire that the bountiful Ruler will, through his grace, associate it to the lot of his chosen. All men have not like grace from God, for he gives ghostly honours to every one according to his endeavours. Let him who has less grace envy not those more excellent, because the holy companies of blessed angels are so ordered, that some in subordination obey others, and some with transcending dignity are set before others.

{349} Great is the number of the holy spirits which dwell in God's kingdom, of whom the prophet Daniel said, "Thousand thousands ministered to the Heavenly Ruler, and ten thousand times hundredfold thousands dwelt with him." One thing is ministry, another is, co-dwelling. Those angels minister to God who announce his will to the world, and perform the things which are pleasing to him. The other hosts, that dwell with him, enjoy the closest contemplation of his Godhead, so that they on no account, sent forth, withdraw from his presence. But those who are sent to us so execute their Creator's behest without, that they, nevertheless, depart never from his divine joy; for God is everywhere, though the angel be local. The Almighty Ruler is not local, for he is in every place, and whithersoever the local angel flieth, he will be surrounded with His presence.

Some of them have especial grace from their Creator, and yet their dignity is common to all, and that which each one has in himself partially, he has in another host perfectly; of which the psalmist said, "Lord, thou who sittest above the cherubim, manifest thyself."

We said a little before in this lesson, that the throne of the Almighty was among the host which are called throni: but who may be happy, unless he have his Creator's dwelling in himself? Seraphim the spirits are called who are burning with love of the Lord, and yet all the heavenly power together is inflamed with his love. Cherubim is interpreted fullness of knowledge or understanding, and yet what angel is there in God's presence who knows not all things? But each of those hosts is therefore called by the name which betokens the gift that it has more perfectly received.

But let us cease a little from speaking of the mysteries of the heavenly inhabitants, and meditate on ourselves, and bewail with repentance our sins, that we, through the Lord's mercy, may, as he has promised us, attain to the heavenly {351} dwelling. He said in some place, "In my Father's house are many dwellings," for if some be stronger in deserts, some more righteous, some adorned with greater holiness, none of them may be estranged from the great house, where everyone shall receive a dwelling according to his deserts.

The merciful Lord said, that there was great joy in heaven for one penitent; but the Same said through his prophet, "If the righteous turn from his righteousness, and impiously commit unrighteousness, all his righteousness I will forget; and if the impious repent of his impiety, and do righteousness, I will not remember any of his sins." To repentant men he is merciful, but to the procrastinating he promises not certain life till the morrow. No sinner ought therefore to procrastinate his own repentance, lest he by remissness lose the time of God's respite. Let every man meditate on his former deeds, and also on his present conduct, and fly to the merciful Judge with weeping, while he, who is righteous and merciful, awaits our bettering. He truly repents of his sins who repeats not his former deeds; concerning which Jesus said to the healed bedridden, "Behold, now thou art healed, sin not henceforth, lest something worse befall thee."

Believing men may have great trust and hope to the human God Christ, who is our Protector and Judge, who liveth and reigneth with the Father, in unity of the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.

* * * * *

VIII. [=KL]. JUL.

NATIUITAS S[=CI] IOHANNIS BAPTISTAE.

Se godspellere Lucas awr['a]t on Cristes b['e]c be acennednysse Iohannes dhaes Fulluhteres, thus cwedhende, "Sum eawfaest {352} Godes dhegen waes geh['a]ten Zacharias, his gebedda waes geciged Elisabeth. H['i] butu waeron rihtwise aetforan Gode, on his bebodum and rihtwisnyssum fordhstaeppende butan t['a]le. Naes him cild gemaene:" et reliqua.

"Eal his reaf waes awefen of olfendes h['ae]rum, his bigleofa waes stidhlic; ne dranc he wines drenc, ne nanes gemencgedes waetan, ne gebrowenes: ofet hine fedde, and wude-hunig, and odhre waclice dhigena."

"On dham fifteodhan geare dhaes caseres rices Tyberii com Godes word ofer Iohannem, on dham westene; and he ferde to folces neawiste, and bodade Iudeiscum folce fulluht on synna forgyfenysse, swa swa hit awriten is on Isaies witegunge."

Cristes fulluht he bodade toweard eallum geleaffullum, on dham is synna forgyfenys thurh dhone Halgan G['a]st. Iohannes eac be Godes dihte fullode dha dhe him to comon dhaera Iudeiscra dheoda, ac his fulluht ne dyde n['a]nre synne forgyfenysse, fordhan dhe he waes Godes bydel, and na God. He bodade mannum thaes Haelendes to-cyme mid wordum, and his halige fulluht mid his agenum fulluhte, on dham he gefullode dhone unsynnian Godes Sunu, dhe n['a]nre synne forgyfenysse ne beh['o]fade.

Rihtlice weordhadh Godes geladhung dhisne daeg thaes maeran Fulluhteres gebyrd-tide, for dham manegum wundrum dhe gelumpon on his acennednysse. Godes heah-engel Gabrihel bodade dham faeder Zachar['i]an his acennednysse, and his healican gedhincdhu, and his maerlican drohtnunge. Thaet cild on his modor innodhe oncneow Marian stemne, Godes cynnestran; and on innodhe dha-gyt beclysed, mid w['i]tigendlicre faegnunge get['a]cnode thone halwendan to-cyme ures Alysendes. On his acennednysse he aetbraed thaere meder hire unwaestmbaernysse, and thaes faeder tungan his nama unb['a]nd, the mid his agenre geleafleaste adumbod waes.

Dhreora manna gebyrd-tide freolsadh seo halige geladhung: dhaes Haelendes, sedhe is God and mann, and Iohannes his bydeles, and dhaere eadigan Marian his moder. Odhra gecorenra {354} manna, dhe dhurh martyrdom, odhdhe thurh odhre halige geearnunga, Godes rice geferdon, heora endenextan daeg, sedhe h['i] aefter gefyllednysse ealra earfodhnyssa sigefaeste to dham ecan life acende, we wurdhiadh him to gebyrd-tide; and dhone daeg, dhe h['i] to dhisum andweardan life acennede waeron, we laetadh to gymeleaste, fordhan dhe h['i] comon hider to earfodhnyssum, and costnungum, and mislicum fraecednyssum. Se daeg bidh gemyndig Godes dheowum dhe dha halgan, aefter gewunnenum sige, asende to ecere myrhdhe fram eallum gedreccednyssum, and se is heora sodhe acennednys; na w['o]plic, swa swa seo aerre, ac blissigendlic to dham ecum life. Ac us is to wurdhigenne mid micelre gecnyrdnysse Cristes gebyrd-tide, dhurh dha us com alysednys.

Iohannes is geendung dhaere ealdan ['ae] and anginn dhaere n['i]wan, swa swa se Haelend be him cwaedh, "Seo ealde ['ae] and w['i]tegan waeron odh Iohannes to-cyme." Sidhdhan ongann godspel-bodung. Nu for his micclan halignysse is gewurdhod his acennednys, swa swa se heah-engel behet his faeder mid dhisum wordum, "Manega blissiadh on his gebyrd-tide." Mar['i]a, Godes cynnestre, nis nanum odhrum gelic, fordhan dhe heo is maeden and modor, and dhone ab['ae]r dhe h['i] and ealle gesceafta gesceop: is heo fordhi wel wyrdhe thaet hire acennednys arwurdhlice gefreolsod sy.

Tha magas setton dham cilde naman, Zacharias, ac seo modor him widhcwaedh mid wordum, and se dumba faeder mid gewrite; fordhan dhe se engel, dhe hine cydde toweardne, him gesceop naman be Godes dihte, IOHANNES. Ne mihte se dumba faeder cydhan his wife hu se engel his cilde naman gesette, ac, dhurh Godes Gastes onwrigenysse, se nama hire weardh cudh. Zacharias is gereht, 'Gemindig Godes;' and Iohannes, 'Godes gifu;' fordhan dhe he bodade mannum Godes gife, and Crist toweardne, the ealne middangeard mid his gife gewissadh. He waes asend toforan Drihtne, swa swa se daegsteorra gaedh beforan dhaere sunnan, swa swa bydel aetforan deman, swa swa seo Ealde Gecydhnys aetforan dhaere Niwan; {356} fordhan dhe seo ealde ['ae] waes swilce sceadu, and seo Niwe Gecydhnys is sodhfaestnys dhurh dhaes Haelendes gife.

Anes geares cild h['i] waeron, Crist and Iohannes. On dhisum daege acende seo unwaestmbaere moder dhone maeran witegan Iohannem, se is geh['e]rod mid thisum wordum, dhurh Cristes mudh, "Betwux wifa bearnum ne ar['a]s nan maerra man dhonne is Iohannes se Fulluhtere."

On middes wintres maesse-daege acende thaet halige maeden Maria thone Heofenlican Aedheling, se nis geteald to wifa bearnum, fordhon dhe he is Godes Sunu on dhaere Godcundnysse, and Godes and maedenes Bearn dhurh menniscnysse. Iohannes forfleah folces neawiste on geogodhe, and on westene mid stidhre drohtnunge synna forbeah. Se Haelend betwux synfullum unwemme fram aelcere synne dhurhwunode. Se bydel gebigde on dham timan micelne heap Israhela dheode to heora Scyppende mid his bodunge. Drihten daeghwamlice of eallum dheodum to his geleafan, dhurh onlihtinge dhaes Halgan Gastes, ungerim sawla gebigdh.

Thaet halige godspel cwydh be dham Fulluhtere, thaet he forestope dham Haelende on gaste and on mihte thaes witegan Helian; fordhan dhe he waes his forrynel aet dham aerran to-cyme, swa swa Helias bidh aet dham aeftran togeanes Antecriste. Nis butan getacnunge thaet dhaes bydeles acennednys on dhaere tide waes gefremod dhe se woruldlica daeg wanigende bidh, and on Drihtnes gebyrd-tide weaxende bidh. Thas getacnunge onwreah se ylca Iohannes mid dhisum wordum, "Criste gedafenadh thaet he weaxe, and me thaet ic wanigende beo." Iohannes waes hradhor mannum cudh thurh his maerlican drohtnunga, thonne Crist waere, fordhan dhe h['e] ne aeteowde his godcundan mihte, aerdham dhe h['e] waes dhritig geara on dhaere menniscnysse. Tha waes he gedhuht dham folce thaet h['e] witega waere, and Iohannes Crist. Hwaet dha Crist geswutelode hine sylfne dhurh miccle tacna, and his hlisa weox geond ealne middangeard, thaet he sodh God waes, sedhe waes aerdhan witega gedhuht. Iohannes sodhlice waes wanigende on his hlisan, fordhan dhe he {358} weardh oncnawen witega, and bydel dhaes Heofonlican Aedhelinges, sedhe waes lytle aer Crist geteald mid ungewissum wenan. Thas wanunge getacnadh se wanigenda daeg his gebyrd-tide, and se dheonda daeg dhaes Haelendes acennednysse geb['i]cnadh his dheondan mihte aefter dhaere menniscnysse.

Fela witegan mid heora witegunge bodedon Drihten toweardne, sume feorran sume ne['a]n, ac Iohannes his to-cyme mid wordum bodade, and eac mid fingre gebicnode, dhus cwedhende, "Loca nu! Efne her gaedh Godes Lamb, sedhe aetbret middangeardes synna." Crist is manegum naman genemned. He is Wisdom geh['a]ten, fordhan dhe se Faeder ealle gesceafta thurh hine geworhte. He is Word gecweden, fordhan the word is wisdomes geswutelung. Be dham Worde ongann se godspellere Iohannes tha godspellican gesetnysse, dhus cwedhende, "On frymdhe waes Word, and thaet Word waes mid Gode, and thaet Word waes God." He is Lamb geh['a]ten, for dhaere unscaedhdhignysse lambes gecyndes; and waes unscyldig, for ure alysednysse, his Faeder liflic onsaegednys, on lambes wisan geoffrod. He is Leo geciged of Iudan maegdhe, Dauides wyrtruma, fordhan dhe he, dhurh his godcundlican strencdhe, thone miclan deofol mid sige his dhrowunge oferswidhde.

Se halga Fulluhtere, dhe we ymbe sprecadh, astealde stidhlice drohtnunge, aegdher ge on scrude ge on b['i]gwiste, swa swa we hwene aeror rehton; fordhan dhe se Wealdenda Haelend thus be him cwedhende waes, "Fram Iohannes dagum Godes rice dholadh neadunge, and dha strecan-m['o]d hit gegripadh." Cudh is gehwilcum snoterum mannum, thaet seo ealde ['ae] waes eadhelicre thonne Cristes Gesetnys sy, fordhan dhe on dhaere naes micel forhaefednys, ne dha gastlican drohtnunga the Crist sidhdhan gesette, and his apostoli. Odher is seo gesetnys dhe se cyning bytt dhurh his ealdormenn odhdhe gerefan, odher bidh his agen gebann on his andweardnysse. Godes rice is gecweden on dhisre stowe seo h['a]lige geladhung, thaet is eal cristen folc, the sceal mid neadunge and strecum mode thaet heofonlice rice geearnian. {360} Hu maeg beon butan strece and neadunge, thaet gehw['a] mid claennysse thaet g['a]le gecynd thurh Godes gife gewylde? Odhdhe hw['a] gestildh hatheortnysse his modes mid gedhylde, butan earfodhnysse? odhdhe hw['a] awent modignysse mid sodhre eadmodnysse? odhdhe hw['a] druncennysse mid syfernysse? odhdhe hw['a] gitsunge mid r['u]mgifulnysse, butan strece? Ac se dhe his dheawas mid anmodnysse, thurh Godes fultum, swa awent, he bidh dhonne to odhrum menn geworht; odher he bidh thurh g['o]dnysse, and se ylca dhurh edwiste, and he gelaecdh dhonne dhurh strece thaet heofenlice rice.

Twa forhaefednysse cynn syndon, ['a]n lichamlic, odher gastlic. An is, thaet gehw['a] hine sylfne getemprige mid gemete on ['ae]te and on waete, and werlice dha oferflowendlican dhygene him sylfum aetbrede. Odher forhaefednysse cynn is deorwurdhre and healicre, dheah seo odher g['o]d sy: styran his modes styrunge mid singalre gemetfaestnysse, and campian daeghwamlice widh leahtras, and hine sylfne dhreagian mid styrnysse dhaere gastlican steore, swa thaet h['e] dha redhan deor eahta heafod-leahtra swilce mid isenum midlum gewylde. Deorwyrdhe is theos forhaefednys, and wulderfull dhrowung on Godes gesihdhe, dha yfelan gedhohtas and unlustas mid agenre cynegyrde gestyran, and fram derigendlicere spraece, and pleolicum weorce hine sylfne forhabban, swa swa fram cwylmbaerum mettum. Se dhe dhas dhing gecneordlice begaedh, he gripdh untweolice thaet beh['a]tene r['i]ce mid Gode and eallum his halgum. Micel strec bidh, thaet mennisce menn mid eadmodum geearnungum dha heofenlican myrhdhe begytan, dhe dha heofenlican englas dhurh modignysse forluron.

Us gelustfulladh gyt furdhur to sprecenne be dhan halgan were Iohanne, him to wurdhmynte and ['u]s to beterunge. Be him awr['a]t se witega Isaias, thaet he is "stemn clypigendes on westene, Gearciadh Godes weig, dodh rihte his padhas. Aelc dene bidh gefylled, and aelc d['u]n bidh geeadmet, and ealle wohnyssa beodh gerihte, and scearpnyssa gesmedhode." Se witega hine het stemn, fordhan dhe he forest['o]p Criste, dhe is Word {362} gehaten: na swilc word swa menn sprecadh, ac he is dhaes Faeder Wisdom, and word bidh wisdomes geswutelung. Thaet Word is Aelmihtig God, Sunu mid his Faeder. On aelcum worde bidh stemn gehyred, ['ae]r thaet word fullice gecweden sy. Swa swa stemn forestaepdh worde, swa forest['o]p Iohannes dham Haelende on middangearde; fordhan dhe God Faeder hine sende aetforan gesihdhe his Bearnes, thaet he sceolde gearcian and daeftan his weig. Hwaet dha Iohannes to mannum clypode thas ylcan word, "Gearciadh Godes weig." Se bydel dhe bodadh rihtne geleafan and gode weorc, he gearcadh thone weig cumendum Gode to dhaera heorcnigendra heortan.

Godes weg bidh gegearcod on manna heortan, thonne h['i] dhaere Sodhfaestnysse spraece eadmodlice gehyradh, and gearuwe beodh to Lifes bebodum; be dham cwaedh se Haelend, "Se dhe me lufadh, he hylt min bebod, and min Faeder hine lufadh, and wit cumadh to him, and mid him wuniadh." His padhas beodh gerihte, thonne dhurh gode bodunge aspringadh claene gedhohtas on mode dhaera hlystendra. Dena get['a]cniadh tha eadmodan, and d['u]na dha modigan. On Drihtnes to-cyme wurdon dena afyllede, and d['u]na geeadmette, swa swa he sylf cwaedh, "Aelc dhaera dhe hine onhefdh bidh geeadmet, and se dhe hine geeadmet bidh geuferod." Swa swa waeter scyt of dhaere d['u]ne, and aetstent on dene, swa forflihdh se Halga Gast modigra manna heortan, and nimdh wununge on dham eadmodan, swa swa se witega cwaedh, "On hwam gerest Godes Gast buton on dham eadmodan?" Dhwyrnyssa beodh gerihte, thonne dhwyrlicra manna heortan, the beodh dhurh unrihtwisnysse h['o]cas awegde, eft dhurh regol-sticcan dhaere sodhan rihtwisnysse beodh geemnode. Scearpnyssa beodh awende to smedhum wegum, dhonne dha yrsigendan mod, and unlidhe gecyrradh to mandhwaernysse, thurh ongyte dhaere upplican gife.

Langsumlic bidh us to gereccenne, and eow to gehyrenne ealle dha deopnyssa dhaes maeran Fulluhteres bodunge: hu he dha heardheortan Iudeiscre dheode mid stearcre dhreale and {364} stidhre myngunge to l['i]fes wege gebigde, and aefter his dhrowunge hellwarum Cristes to-cyme cydde, swa swa he on life mancynne agene alysednysse mid hludre stemne bealdlice bodade.

Uton nu biddan dhone Wealdendan Haelend, thaet he, dhurh his dhaes maeran Forryneles and Fulluhteres dhingunge, ['u]s gemiltsige on andweardum l['i]fe, and to dham ecan gelaede, dham sy wuldor and l['o]f mid Faeder and Halgum Gaste ['a] on ecnysse. Amen.

JUNE XXIV.

THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.

The evangelist Luke wrote in the book of Christ concerning the birth of John the Baptist, thus saying, "There was a {353} certain pious servant of God called Zacharias, his wife was called Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking forth in his commandments and righteousnesses without blame. They had no child in common," etc.

"All his garment was woven of camel's hair, his food was coarse; he drank not drink of wine, nor of any mixed or prepared fluid: fruit fed him and wood-honey, and other common things.

"In the fifteenth year of the reign of the emperor Tiberius, the word of God came upon John, in the waste, and he went into the presence of people, and preached to the Jewish folk baptism for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the prophecy of Isaiah."

The baptism of Christ to come he preached to all believers, in which is forgiveness of sins through the Holy Ghost. John also, by God's direction, baptized those who came to him of the Jewish nations, but his baptism wrought no forgiveness of sin, for he was God's messenger, and not God. He announced to men the advent of Jesus with words, and His holy baptism with his own baptism, with which he baptized the sinless Son of God, who needed no forgiveness of sin.

Rightly does God's church honour this day, the birth-tide of the great Baptist, for the many wonders which happened at his birth. God's archangel Gabriel announced his birth to Zacharias his father, and his high honours, and his illustrious life. The child in his mother's womb knew the voice of Mary, the parent of God; and in the womb yet closed, betokened with prophetic joy the salutary advent of our Redeemer. At his birth he removed from his mother her barrenness, and his name unbound the tongue of his father, who by his own want of belief had been made dumb.

The holy church celebrates the birth-tide of three persons,--of Jesus, who is God and man, and of John his messenger, and of the blessed Mary his mother. Of other chosen {355} persons, who, through martyrdom, or through other holy merits, have gone to the kingdom of God, we celebrate as their birth-tide their last day, which, after the fulfilment of all their labours, brought them forth victorious to eternal life; and the day on which they were born to this present life we let pass unheeded, because they came hither to hardships, and temptations, and divers perils. The day is memorable to the servants of God which sends his saints, after victory won, to eternal joy from all afflictions, and which is their true birth; not tearful as the first, but exulting in eternal life. But the birth-tide of Christ is to be celebrated with great care, through which came our redemption.

John is the ending of the old law and the beginning of the new, as Jesus said of him, "The old law and the prophets were till the coming of John." Afterwards began the gospel-preaching. Now, on account of his great holiness, his birth is honoured, as the archangel promised his father with these words, "Many shall rejoice in his birth-tide." Mary, the parent of God, is like to none other, for she is maiden and mother, and bare him who created her and all creatures: therefore is she well worthy that her birth should be honourably celebrated.

The relatives bestowed on the child the name of Zacharias, but the mother contradicted them by words, and the dumb father by writing; because the angel who had announced that he was to come, had, by God's direction, given him the name of JOHN. The dumb father could not have informed his wife how the angel had bestowed a name on his child, but by revelation of the Spirit of God the name was known to her. Zacharias is interpreted, 'Mindful of God;' and John, 'God's grace;' because he preached to men the grace of God, and that Christ was to come, who directs all the earth with his grace. He was sent before the Lord, as the day-star goes before the sun, as the beadle before the judge, as the Old Testament before the New; for the Old Law was {357} as a shadow, and the New Testament is truth through the grace of Jesus.

They were children of the same year, Christ and John. On this day the barren mother brought forth the great prophet John, who is praised in these words by the mouth of Christ, "Among the children of men there hath not arisen a greater man than is John the Baptist."

On the mass-day of midwinter the holy maiden Mary brought forth the Heavenly Prince, who is not numbered with the children of men, because he is the Son of God in his Godhead, and the Son of God and of a maiden by his human nature. John fled from the presence of people in his youth, and in the waste, with austere life-course, avoided sin. Jesus continued among the sinful pure from every sin. The crier inclined, at that time, a great body of the people of Israel to their Creator by his announcement. The Lord daily inclines souls without number of all nations to his faith, through enlightening of the Holy Ghost.

The holy gospel says of the Baptist, that he preceded Jesus in spirit and in power of the prophet Elias; because he was his forerunner at his first advent, as Elias will be at the second against Antichrist. It is not without signification that the birth of the crier was completed on the day when the worldly day is waning, and that it is waxing on the birth-tide of the Lord. This signification the same John revealed in these words, "It is befitting Christ that he wax, and me that I be waning." John was sooner known to men, through his illustrious life-course, than Christ was, for He manifested not his divine power, ere that he had been thirty years in human nature. Then it seemed to the people that he was a prophet, and that John was Christ. But Christ manifested himself by many great miracles, and his fame waxed through all the world, that he was true God, who before that had seemed a prophet. But John was waning in his fame, for he was {359} acknowledged a prophet, and the proclaimer of the Heavenly Prince, who a little before had by uncertain supposition been accounted Christ. The waning day of his birth-tide betokens this waning, and the increasing day of the birth of Jesus signifies his increasing power according to his human nature.