Part 37
"And he waes taecende daeghwomlice binnan dham temple." Crist laerde dha thaet folc on his andweardnysse, and he laerdh nu daeghwomlice geleaffulra manna m['o]d mid godcundre l['a]re smeadhancellice, thaet h['i] yfel forbugon and g['o]d gefremman. Ne bidh na fulfremedlic tham gelyfedan thaet h['e] yfeles geswice, buton h['e] g['o]d gefremme. Se eadiga Gregorius cwaedh, "Mine gebrodhru, ic wolde eow ane lytle race gereccan, seo maeig dhearle eower m['o]d getimbrian, gif ge mid gymene h['i] gehyran {414} wylladh. Sum aedhelboren mann waes on dhaere scire Ualeria, se waes geh['a]ten Crisaurius, se waes swa micclum mid leahtrum afylled swa micclum swa h['e] waes mid eordhlicum welum gewelgod. He waes todhunden on modignysse, and his flaesclicum lustum underdheod, and mid ungefohre gytsunge ontend. Ac dhadha God gemynte his yfelnysse to geendigenne, dha weardh h['e] geuntrumod, and to fordhsidhe gebroht. Tha on dhaere ylcan tide the h['e] geendian sceolde, dha beseah h['e] up, and stodon him abutan swearte gastas, and mid micclum dhreate him onsigon, thaet h['i] his sawle on dham fordhsidhe mid him to hellicum clysungum gegripon. He ong['a]nn dha bifian and bl['a]cian, and ungefohlice swaetan, and mid micclum hreame fyrstes biddan, and his sunu Maximus, dhone ic geseah munuc sydhdhan, mid gedrefedre stemne clypode, and cwaedh, Min cild, Maxime, gehelp min; onfoh me on dhinum geleafan: naes ic dhe derigende on aenigum dhingum. Se sunu dha Maximus mid micclum heofe gedrefed, him to c['o]m. H['e] wand tha swa swa wurm; ne mihte gedholian tha egeslican gesihdhe dhaera awyrgedra gasta. H['e] wende hine to wage, dhaer hi him aetwaeron; he wende eft ongean, thaer h['e] h['i] funde. Thadha h['e] swa swidhe geancsumod his sylfes ['o]rwene waes, dha hrymde h['e] mid micelre stemne, and dhus cwaedh, Laetadh me fyrst odh to merigen, huru-dhinga fyrst odh to merigen: ac mid dhisum hreame dha blacan fynd tugon dha sawle of dham lichaman, and aw['e]g gelaeddon." Be dham is swutol, thaet seo gesihdh him weardh aeteowod for odhra manna beterunge, na for his agenre. La hwaet fremode him, dheah dhe h['e] on fordhsidhe tha sweartan gastas gesawe, dhonne he ne moste thaes fyrstes habban dhe he gewilnode? Ac uton we beon carfulle, thaet ure tima mid ydelnysse ['u]s ne losige, and we dhonne to wel-daedum gecyrran willan, dhonne us se deadh to fordhsidhe gedhreatadh.
Thu, Aelmihtiga Drihten, gemiltsa us synfullum, and urne fordhsidh swa gefada, thaet we, gebettum synnum, aefter dhisum frecenfullum life, dhinum halgum geferlaehte beon moton. Sy dhe l['o]f and wuldor on ealra worulda woruld. Amen.
{403} THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.
Cum adpropinquaret Jesus Hierusalem: et reliqua.
"On a time Jesus was going to Jerusalem: when he came near to the city and saw it, he wept over it," etc.
Gregory the expounder said, that Jesus bewailed the overthrow of the city, which happened after his passion, in vengeance of their crimes, because they would sinfully slay the heavenly Prince. He spake with weeping voice, not to the work-stones, nor to the building, but spake to the inhabitants, whom he bewailed with fatherly love, because he knew that their destruction was speedily to take place. A space of forty years the mercy of God left the cruel inhabitants for repentance of their crimes, but they cared for no penitence, but perpetrated greater crimes, so that they slew with stones Stephen, the first martyr of God, and beheaded James, the brother of John. The righteous James also they thrust from the temple, and slew, and raised persecution against the other apostles. The congregation of God which, after Christ's passion, was continuing in the city under the righteous James, went all together from the city to a village on the river Jordan; for God's command had come to them, that they should go from the wicked place, ere the vengeance came. God knew then that the Jews cared for no penitence, but more and more increased their crimes: he therefore sent to them the Roman people, and they ruined them all.
Vespasian the emperor was called, who in those days ruled the kingdom of the whole world. He sent his son Titus to conquer the miserable Jews. It then so happened that they were assembled within the city of Jerusalem, six hundred thousand men, enclosed as it were in a prison; and they were surrounded without by the Roman army so long that many thousands were killed by hunger; and they could not bury them by reason of the number, but cast the corpses over the {405} wall. Some, however, would bury them for the sake of kinship, but they soon died from weakness. If any one had provided any little sustenance for himself, robbers would suddenly rush on him, and pull the meat from his mouth. Some chewed their shoes, some their garments, some straw, for the great anguish of hot hunger. It is not fitting that we, in this holy gospel, recount all the shameful miseries which befell the besieged Jews before they would yield. The greater part of the wicked ones was then destroyed by the ignominious famine, and the Roman host slew the leavings of the famine, and razed the city to the ground, so that there remained not stone over stone, as Jesus had erewhile with weeping prophesied. Of boys who were within sixteen years of age, they sent ninety thousand to all nations in slavery, and in the country there remained nothing of the accursed race. The city was afterwards built in another place, and peopled with Saracens.
Jesus showed for what cause this dispersion of the city happened, when he said, "Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." He visited the inhabitants in his humanity, but they were not mindful of him, neither by love nor by fear. Of that heedlessness the prophet spake with lamenting voice, thus saying, "The stork and the swallow keep the time of their coming, and this people knew not the doom of God." The Lord said to the city, "If thou knewest what is to befall thee, then wouldst thou weep with me. Verily on this day thou dwellest in peace, for the vengeances to come are now hidden from thine eyes." The inhabitants were dwelling in worldly peace, while they were heedlessly subservient to fleshly lusts, and little thought of the miseries to come, which were yet hidden from them. If they had been foreknowing of that misery, they could not with heedless mind have enjoyed the prosperity of the present life.
{407} The Lord drove the chapmen from the temple, thus saying, "It is written, that my house is a house of prayer, and ye have made it a den for thieves." The temple was hallowed to God, for his services, and songs of praise, and prayers of the faithful; but the covetous high-priests allowed chapping to be held therein. The Lord, when he saw that wickedness, made a scourge of ropes, and with beating hurried them all out. This dispersion betokened the future destruction by the Roman army, and the ruin happened chiefly through the sins of the high-priests, who, dwelling within the temple, with pretended holiness received the people's offerings, and persecuted those men who sought the temple without offerings. What was that temple but, as it were, a den of thieves, when the chief priests were filled with such covetousness, and allowed false bargains within the house of God? It is written in another gospel, that there sat moneyers, and there were oxen for sale, and sheep, and doves. In those days, according to the institute of the old law, they offered oxen, and sheep, and doves, in token of Christ's passion: then covetousness stimulated the priests to have such animals there for sale, that, if any one came from afar, and would offer his gift to God, he might have it ready at hand to buy. The Lord then drove such chapmen from the holy temple, because it was not raised for any trading, but for prayers.
"Then the blind and the halt drew near unto him, and he healed them, and was teaching the folk daily within the temple." The merciful Lord, who lets his sun shine over the righteous and unrighteous alike, and sends rains and earthly fruits to the good and evil, would not withdraw his instruction from the perverse Jews, because many were good among the evil, who were bettered by that instruction, although the perverse opposed it. He also confirmed his instruction by miracles, that the chosen might be the more believing: and the rejected shall have no excuse, because they neither by divine {409} signs, nor by vital lore, would believe in the true Saviour. Now the blessed Gregory says, that their desolation has some likeness to all perverse men, who exult in evil deeds, and rejoice in the worst things. Such men the merciful Lord bewails daily, who then the perishing townsfolk with tears bemoaned. But if they knew the condemnation that hangs over them, they would themselves lament with sorrowing voice.
Verily this following sentence applies to the perishing soul, "On this day thou dwellest in peace, for the vengeance to come is now hidden from thine eyes." The perverse soul is indeed dwelling in peace in its day, when in transient time it rejoices, and is exalted with dignities, and in temporary enjoyments is immoderate, and is dissolved in fleshly lusts, and is awed by no fear of future punishment, but hides from itself the miseries following after; because if it reflect on them, then will worldly bliss be troubled by that reflection. It has then peace in its day, when it will not afflict the present mirth with any care for the future unhappiness, but goes with closed eyes to the penal fire. The soul which in this wise now lives, shall be afflicted when the righteous rejoice; and all the perishable things, which it now accounts as peace and bliss, shall then be turned for it to bitterness and strife; for it will have great contention with itself, why it would not before in life with any carefulness foresee the condemnation which it then is suffering. Concerning which it is written, "Blessed is the man who is ever fearing; and verily the hardened shall fall into evil." Again in another place holy writ admonishes, "In all thy works be thou mindful of thy last day, and in eternity thou wilt not sin."
The holy lesson says, "The time cometh that thy foes shall encompass thee with a leaguer, and shall straiten thee on {411} every side, and shall prostrate thee to earth, together with thy children which are in thee." The foes of the soul are the hellish spirits which beset a man's departure, and with great tribulation will lead his soul, if it be sinful, to the fellowship of their own damnation. The devils show to the sinful soul its evil thoughts, and pernicious speeches, and wicked deeds, and with manifold reproaches afflict it, that on its departure it may know by what foes it is beset, and yet find no outlet whereby it may flee from the hostile spirits. To earth it shall be prostrated by a knowledge of its sins, when the body in which it lived shall be rotted to dust. Its children shall fall in death, when the unallowed thoughts, which it now gives birth to, shall, in the last vengeance, be wholly rendered vain, as the psalmist melodiously sang, "Trust not in princes, nor in the children of men, in whom there is no health. Their spirit departs, and they return to earth, and in that day all their thoughts perish."
Verily in the gospel it follows, "And they shall not leave in thee stone over stone." The perverse mind, when it heaps evil over evil, and perversity over perversity, what does it, but as though it lay stone over stone? But when the soul shall be led to its punishment, then will all the structure of its cogitation be overthrown; for it knew not the time of its visitation. In many ways the Almighty God visits the souls of men; sometimes with instruction, sometimes with miracles, sometimes with diseases; but if it neglect these visitations, it will be at its end delivered for eternal punishment to fiends, whom it had previously with deadly sins obeyed in life. Then shall those be its tormentors in hell-torment, who had before allured it by divers pleasures to those sins.
The Lord went into the temple, and with a scourge drove out the chapmen. The chapmen within the temple betokened {413} unrighteous teachers in God's church. There were for sale oxen, and sheep, and doves, and there sat moneyers. The ox toils for his lord, and the teacher sells oxen in God's church, if he perform his Lord's tillage, that is, if he preach the gospel to those under his care, for earthly gains, and not for godly love. With sheep he traffics, if he seek after the praises of foolish men in pious works. Of such Jesus said, "They have received the reward of their works;" that is the fame of idle praise, which was pleasing to them.
The teacher is a chapman of doves, who will not without money give for use of other men, the gift which God, without his deserts, has given to him; as Christ himself taught, "Without price ye have received the gift, give it to others without price." He who with assumed holiness toils for himself in God's church, and cares nothing for Christ's tillage, will undoubtedly be accounted a money-chapman. But Jesus will drive such chapmen from his house, when, with condemnation, he shall separate them from the fellowship of his chosen.
"My house is a prayer-house, and ye have made it a den for thieves." It happens too often that the perverse come to great dignity in God's church, and they then, with their evilness, spiritually slay those placed under their care, whom they ought with their prayers to quicken. What are such but thieves? The mind of every believing man is a house of God, as the apostle said, "The temple of God is holy, which ye are." But the mind will be no prayer-house, but a den of thieves, if it lose the innocence and meekness of true holiness, and with perverse thoughts meditate harm to others.
"And he was teaching daily within the temple." Christ then taught the people in his presence, and he now daily teaches the minds of believing men with godly lore, by meditation, to eschew evil and perform good. It is not perfect for the believing man to cease from evil, unless he performs good. The blessed Gregory said, "My brothers, I would relate to you a little narrative, which may greatly edify your minds, if ye with heedfulness will hear it. There was a {415} certain nobleman in the province of Valeria, who was called Chrysaurius, who was as much filled with sins as he was enriched with earthly riches. He was inflated with pride, and a slave to his fleshly lusts, and inflamed with excessive covetousness. But when God designed to put an end to his wickedness, he became sick, and brought to departure hence. Then at the very time that he should die, he looked up, and there stood about him swart spirits, and in a great company descended on him, that they might snatch his soul, on its departure, with them to the barriers of hell. He began then to tremble and grow pale, and incredibly to sweat, and with great cry to pray for a respite, and with troubled voice called his son Maximus, whom I afterwards saw as a monk, and said, My child, Maximus, help me; receive me in thy faith: I have not in any way been hurtful to thee. The son Maximus then, troubled with great sorrowing, came to him. He was then turning like a worm; he could not endure the dreadful sight of the accursed spirits. He turned himself to the wall, there they were present to him; he turned back again, there he found them. When he, so greatly afflicted, was hopeless of himself, he cried with a loud voice, and thus said, Grant me a respite till to-morrow, at least a respite till to-morrow: and with this cry the black fiends drew the soul from the body, and led it away." From this it is manifest, that the vision was shown to him for the bettering of other men, not for his own. Alas, what did it profit him, though, on his departure, he saw the swart spirits, when he might not have the respite which he desired? But let us be careful, that our time escape not from us in vanity, and we turn to good deeds, when death urges us to departure.
Thou, Almighty Lord, have mercy on us sinful, and so order our departure, that we, having atoned for our sins, may, after this perilous life, be associated with thy saints. To thee be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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{416} IIII. IDUS AUGUSTI.
PASSIO BEATI LAURENTII MARTYRIS.
On Decies daege, thaes waelhreowan caseres, waes se halga biscop Sixtus on Romana byrig drohtnigende. Dha faerlice het h['e] his gesihum, dhone biscop mid his preostum samod geandwerdian. Sixtus dha unforhtmod to his preostum clypode, "Mine gebrodhra, ne beo ge afyrhte, cumadh, and eower nan him ne ondraede dha scortan tintregunga. Tha halgan martyras gedhrowodon fela pinunga, thaet h['i] orsorge becomon to wulder-beage thaes ecan lifes." Tha andwyrdon his twegen diaconas, Felicissimus and Agapitus, "Dhu, ure faeder, hwider fare we butan dhe?" On dhaere nihte weardh se biscop mid his tw['a]m diaconum hraedlice to dham redhum ehtere gebroht. Se casere Decius him cwaedh to, "Geoffra dhine l['a]c dham undeadlicum godum, and beo dhu thaera sacerda ealdor." Se eadiga Sixtus him andwyrde, "Ic symle geoffrode, and g['y]t offrige mine l['a]c dham Aelmihtigan Gode, and his Suna, Haelendum Criste, and dham Halgum Gaste, hluttre onsaegednysse and ungewemmede." Decius cwaedh, "Gebeorh dhe and dhinum preostum, and geoffra. Sodhlice gif dhu ne dest, thu scealt beon eallum odhrum to bysne." Sixtus sodhlice andwyrde, "Hwene aer ic dhe saede, thaet ic symle geoffrige dham Aelmihtigum Gode." Decius dha cwaedh to his cempum, "Laedadh hine to dham temple Martis, thaet he dham gode Marti geoffrige: gif he nelle offrian, beclysadh hine on dham cwearterne Mamortini." Tha cempan hine laeddon to dham deofolgylde, and hine dhreatodon thaet he dhaere deadan anlicnysse his l['a]c offrian sceolde. Thadha he dhaes caseres haese forseah, and dham deofolgylde offrian nolde, dha gebrohton hi hine mid his twam diaconum binnan dham blindan cwearterne.
Tha betwux dham com LAURENTIUS, his erce-diacon, and dhone halgan biscop mid dhisum wordum gespraec, "Dhu, m['i]n faeder, hwider sidhast dhu butan dhinum bearne? Thu halga {418} sacerd, hwider efst dhu butan dhinum diacone? Naes dhin gewuna thaet dhu butan dhinum diacone Gode geoffrodest. Hwaet mislicode dhe, min faeder, on me? Geswutela dhine mihte on dhinum bearne, and geoffra Gode thone dhe dhu getuge, thaet thu dhy orsorglicor becume to dham aedhelan wulder-beage." Thadha se eadiga Laurentius mid thisum wordum and ma odhrum bem['ae]nde thaet he ne moste mid his lareowe dhrowian, dha andwyrde se biscop, "Min bearn, ne forlaete ic dhe, ac dhe gerist mara campdom on dhinum gewinne. We underfodh, swa swa ealde men, scortne ryne thaes leohtran gewinnes; sodhlice thu geonga underfehst miccle wulderfulran sige aet dhisum redhan cyninge. Min cild, geswic dhines wopes: aefter dhrim dagum dhu cymst sigefaest to me to dham ecum life. Nim nu ure cyrcan madhmas, and dael cristenum mannum, be dhan dhe dhe gewyrdh."
Se erce-diacon dha, Laurentius, be dhaes biscopes haese ferde and daelde thaere cyrcan madhmas preostum, and aeldheodigum dhearfum, and wudewum, aelcum be his neode. He com to sumere wudewan, hire nama waes Quiriaca, seo haefde behyd on hire hame preostas and manega laewede cristenan. Dha se eadiga Laurentius dhwoh heora ealra f['e]t, and dha wudewan fram hefigtimum heafod-ece gehaelde. Eac sum ymesene man mid wope his f['e]t gesohte, biddende his haele. Laurentius dha mearcode rode-tacen on dhaes blindan eagan, and he dhaerrihte beorhtlice geseah. Se erce-diacon dha-gyt geaxode m['a] cristenra manna gehwaer, and h['i] aer his dhrowunge mid gastlicere sibbe and mid f['o]t-dhweale geneosode.
Thadha h['e] dhanon gewende, dha waes his l['a]reow Sixtus mid his twam diaconum of dham cwearterne gelaedd, aetforan dham casere Decium. He weardh tha geh['a]thyrt ongean dhone halgan biscop, dhus cwedhende, "Witodlice we beorgadh dhinre ylde: gehyrsuma urum bebodum, and geoffra dham undeadhlicum godum." Se eadiga biscop him andwyrde, "Dhu earming, beorh dhe sylfum, and wyrc daedbote for dhaera halgena blode {420} dhe dhu agute." Se waelhreowa cwellere mid gebolgenum mode cwaedh to his heah-gerefan, Ualeriane, "Gif dhes bealdwyrda biscop acweald ne bidh, sidhdhan ne bidh ure ege ondraedendlic." Ualerianus him andwyrde, "Beo he heafde becorfen. Hat h['i] eft to dhaes godes temple Martis gel['ae]dan, and gif h['i] nelladh to him gebigedum cneowum gebiddan, and heora l['a]c offrian, underf['o]n h['i] beheafdunge on dhaere ylcan stowe." Thaes caseres cempan hine laeddon to dham deofolgylde mid his twam diaconum: dha beseah se biscop widh dhaes temples, and dhus cwaedh, "Thu dumba deofolgyld, thurh dhe forleosadh earme menn thaet ece lif: towurpe dhe se Aelmihtiga Godes Sunu." Tha mid tham worde tobaerst sum dael dhaes temples mid faerlicum hryre. Laurentius dha clypode to dham biscope, "Thu halga faeder, ne forl['ae]t dhu me, fordhan dhe ic aspende dhaere cyrcan madhmas swa swa dhu me bebude." Hwaet dha cempan dha hine gelaehton, fordhan dhe h['i] gehyrdon hine be dham cyrclicum madmum sprecan. Sixtus dha sodhlice underhn['a]h swurdes ecge, and his twegen diaconas samod, Felicissimus and Agapitus, aetforan dham temple, on dham sixtan daege thyses mondhes.
Laurentius witodlice weardh sidhdhan gebroht to dham casere, and se redha cwellere hine dha befr['a]n, "Hwaer sind dhaere cyrcan madmas dhe dhe betaehte waeron?" Se eadiga Laurentius mid nanum worde him ne geandwyrde. On dham ylcan daege betaehte se Godes feond dhone halgan diacon his heah-gerefan Ualeriane, mid dhysum bebode, "Ofgang dha madmas mid geornfulnysse, and hine gebig to dham undeadlicum godum." Se gerefa dha hine betaehte his gingran, dhaes nama waes Ypolitus, and he hine beclysde on cwearterne mid manegum odhrum. Tha gemette h['e] on dham cwearterne aenne haedhenne man, se waes dhurh micelne w['o]p ablend. Dha cwaedh he him to, "Lucille, gif dhu gelyfst on Haelend Crist, he onliht dhine eagan." He andwyrde, "Aefre ic gewilnode thaet ic on Cristes naman gefullod waere." Laurentius him to cwaedh, "Gelyfst dhu mid ealre heortan?" He andwyrde mid wope, "Ic {422} gelyfe on Haelend Crist, and dham leasum deofolgyldum widhsace." Ypolitus mid gedhylde heora wordum heorcnode. Se gesaeliga Laurentius taehte dha dham blindan sodhne geleafan dhaere Halgan Thrynnysse, and hine gefullode. Lucillus aefter dham fulluht-baedhe mid beorhtre stemne clypode, "Sy gebletsod se Eca God, Haelend Crist, dhe me dhurh his diacon onlihte. Ic waes blind b['a]m eagum, nu ic beorhtlice leohtes bruce." Witodlice dha fela odhre blinde mid wope comon to dham eadigan diacone, and h['e] asette his handa ofer heora eagan, and h['i] wurdon onlihte.
Se t['u]n-gerefa Ypolitus cwaedh dha to dham diacone, "Geswutela me dhaere cyrcan madmas." Laurentius cwaedh, "Eala dhu Ypolite, gif dhu gelyfst on God Faeder, and on his Sunu Haelend Crist, ic dhe geswutelige dha madmas, and thaet ece l['i]f behate." Ypolitus cwaedh, "Gif dhu dhas word mid weorcum gefylst, dhonne do ic swa dhu me tihst." Laurentius dha halgode fant, and hine gefullode. Sodhlice Ypolitus aefter dham fulluht-baedhe waes clypigende mid beorhtre stemne, "Ic geseah unscaedhdhigra manna sawla on Gode blissigan." And he mid tearum to dham eadigan diacone cwaedh, "Ic halsige dhe on dhaes Haelendes naman, thaet eal min h['i]wraeden gefullod wurdhe." Witodlice Laurentius mid blidhum mode him dhaes getidhode, and nigontyne wera and wifa his h['i]wisces mid wuldre gefullode.