is Goddis virtue, and wisdom of þe Fadir of hevene. But þis is bi his Godhede; and mo redelis [ridelis, E.] þan we can telle ben soþ of Crist bi his two kindis. And ȝif we taken good hede of him, Crist is þree kyndis, and o persone; for Crist is Godhede, and bodi, and soule, and ech oon of þes þree. And so, as sum men seien, Crist is sevene þingis, and ech of hem: for his spirit is þree þingis, and his bodi oþer þree þingis, and Crist is, over þis, his Godhede, but oonli oo persone of it. And so, as sevene is ful nombre of universite of þingis [The number seven, formed from the union of the triad, the 'perfect' number, with the tetractys, which Pythagoras venerated so profoundly, itself prime and masculine, marking the number of the planets, &c., &c., has been held sacred from the ear|liest times. See the article on 'Arithmetic' in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.] , so Crist is ful rewme of hevene, and of þis world; for al þis world bi him is betirid, and as who made a newe world. For ech creature of þis world is beterid bi his birþ. For man is beterid siþ he is bouȝt and maad Goddis sone and his eire, and þerwiþ þe broþer of Crist, which is boþe God and man; angelis in hevene be beterid, siþ þei have more felouship, and sich felouship of seintis makiþ hem more glad togidere. And þus alle þe fendis in helle ben beterid aȝens þer wille; for þer cum|pany is maad lesse, and þei have harm of many felowis.
Al þis world bodili shulde serve to God and to man; and it wantide þis eende til þat Crist was maad man; for bifore, þis world fauȝte wiþ God and tormentide man, but fro þat þis pees was maad, God made þis world to serve man. And herfore aungelis in hevene, for Cristis incarnacioun, wolden not take kneling of Joon, but seiden, þat þei weren his servantis, and servantis of his breþeren; and þis þei fulfillid in dede. And so ech part of þis world shulde joie for þis nativite; but þe fendis maken sorewe, for old envie þat þei have. And for þei shulden make ioie, þei synnen in þis, and harmen hemsilf. And herfore Crist is clepid a pesible kyng in þe Chirche; for he made pees in al þis world, and lefte fiȝtinge for more pees. For man fiȝtiþ wiþ þre enemys, to have more blessid pees in hevene. And so, as many men seien, alle þingis comen for þe beste; for alle comen for Goddis ordenance, and so þei
