"Ȝit," he seide, "bi in-siht
In ȝou þer is but luyte liht.
Goþ while ȝe ha liht, I rede,
þat derknes take ȝou not in drede:
ffor hose goþ in derknes, [ 25]
he not whodur he goþ to ges.
Leueþ in liht, ȝou to saue,
while ȝe liht wiþ ȝou haue,
þat ȝe in þis maner mai beo
þe sones of liht feir and freo." [ 30]
þis is þe strengþe of þis gospel,
As mon in Englisch tonge may tel.
ÞE Apostel seiþ in a place:
'Mony beo þe domes of godus grace;
þe domus of god may not beo þouht
By Monnes wit ne forþ ibrouht.'
Of whuche domes þis is þe ton
þat Crist (s)pak of hem anon, [38 Ms. hem st. here.]
þer he seide wordus fyne
A dom was of þe world þat tyme. [ 40]
But not þat In þe ende
whon alle schule to doom wende,
Bote a-noþur dom was þis,
Of whuche ȝe schul here, I-wis.
whon þe fend hedde Monkynde [ 45]
þorwh Bondage of synne blynde,
þorwh þe feiþ of crist, vr kyng,
Bi his deþ and blood schedyng,
þat was sched In forȝifnes
Of vre synnes more and les, [ 50]
As bi his Resurexiun
Mony weore diliuered of prisun
ffrom þe deueles daunger so,
And coupled weore to Jhesu þo:
And þis he called a doom, deore, [ 55]
Of þis world þat is here.
þe goode þo departed he
ffrom þe wikked for to be,
þe fend he put þo from his,
And brouht hem sone in to his blis. [ 60]
þe worldus prince, þat was stout,
he seide, schulde beo cast out.
þat dom, haue we no drede,
hit was don þat tyme in dede.
Crist aftur his passiun swete [ 65]
And his Resurrexiun eke
Also bi his Assenciun heiȝe,
Muche pepul þat was vnsleiȝe
ffor mysbileeue þat þei in lay,
he brouhte in to þe rihte way; [ 70]
In whos hertus longe to-fore
þe fend hedde leyen harde and sore,
þo Reneued þei beo graas
heore bileeue, as his wille was.
þe prince of þis world aboute [ 75]
þus from hem was cast oute.
þe worldus prince nout elles nis
But cheef of alle wikkednis.
In anoþur place þen
þe world is cald goode men, [ 80]
whuche ben aboute spred
In al þe world, as hit is red;
ffor þe apostel seiþ ful euene,
Crist forsoþe was in heuene,
þe goode world Reconseylinge [ 85]
To him-self, as mihti kynge.
þat world, forsoþe, is not mo
But whuche þe ffend Is cast fro.
fforþur-more for to wende,
þen seide Jhesu hende: [ 90]
'Ȝif I schal beo rered heiȝ
ffrom þe eorþe, sikerli,
Alle þing I schal drawe
To my-self in luitel þrawe':
Alle þe goode, hit is to say, [ 95]
þat han þe fend cast away;
And þat he wolde hem drawe sone
Aftur him as was to done,
þus muche hit is to mene,
As I schal telle ȝou at ene: [ 100]
he was lord and hed of alle,
And þeih þe Membre to him do falle. [102 l. þei.]
þe reryng fro þe eorþe in plas
þe passion on þe Cros hit was.
þe pepul þenne seide in sawe: [ 105]
'we han herd hit in þe lawe
þat crist schal euer-more dwelle
wiþ-outen ende, soþ to telle:
hou scholde he þenne arered beo
ffrom þe eorþe for to seo,' [ 110]
As hos seiþ, hou schulde he dye
vppon a Cros þenne bi envye?—
þeos wordus þat þei spek in wille,
þei þouȝten aftur to folfille.
Jhesus hem not open wolde [ 115]
þe derknes of þeos wordes bolde,
Priue wisdam forte helde
In to hem þat weoren vnwelde;
But sumwhat of heore Conciens
he prikked þat tyme in presens. [ 120]
þen seide to hem Jhesu of miht:
'In ȝou', he seide, 'is luytel liht:'
þat was to sey, for þei hadde
knowȝlechyng, but hit was badde,
Of cristes dwellyng so hende, [ 125]
hit to beo wiþ-outen ende,
And nolden not leeuen þat þer were
So muche mekenesse in hym here