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HIER after cumþ an oðer hali mihte ðe is iclepedfirma spes, þat is, fast hope to godalmihti. All ðat hire suster, ðe rihte ȝeleaue, hire seiȝeð, all hie hit fastliche hopeð. Ðies ilke haliȝe mihte, ðar ðe hie cumeð and bieð mid ðe manne, hie makeð him unwurð alle ðo faire þinges ðe on ðare swikele wolreld faire
þencheð; ne telþ hie namore ðarof ðanne of horewe, aȝeanes ðare michele hope merhþe ðe hie hopeð te habbene on heuene riche. Þat is se ilke ðe san[c]tus Paulus us takð on his pisteles, and þus seið: Aparuit gratia dei omnibus hominibus erudiens nos, 'Godes grace,' he seið, þat he clepede her, 'godes sune hine sceawede alle mannen, and he us tahte ðat we scolden forsaken ða unwraste ileaue of hæðen-dome, and alle woreldliches euele lustes, and maðliche libben, and rihtliche, and arfastliche, anbidende ða eadi hope and ðane to-cyme of ðasre michele blisse of Cristes, godes sune, þanne he cumþ eftsones to sceawien him seluen, and to ȝielden alle ðo behotes ðe he us behiet, þat is, þat he wile þane lichame of ure eadmodnesse in to michele brishtnesse wanden, ðat he scal scinen swa briht swa sunne, emlich ðo aingles mid gode æure mo on merhþe and on blisse.' Ne mai no man ðese eadi hope habben, bute he hit wel ilieue and soðliche luuie. For ði sade Dauið, ðe profiete:Multi dicunt: quis ostendit nobis bona? 'Maniȝe seggeð,' he sade, 'ðe noht wel ne belieueð: Hwo is, þat us muȝe [muȝen] sceawin ða gode ðe ȝe us behoteð? Hier we muȝen isien al ða werdles wele and habben; of ðan ðe ȝie behoteþ is a wene hweðer we it habben muȝen.' Hwat seist þu, Dauið? Hafst þu aniȝe sikernesse herof? Tach vs, [page 19] wisse us, hit is nied! Signatum est super nos lumen uultus tui, domine; dedisti leticiam in corde meo. 'ȝise,' he seið, 'we bieð all siker of godes behate, forðan ðat liht of his ansiene is ȝemarked riht uppen us. Ich hine icnawe, and wel ilieue be are tacne ðe he hafð iȝiuen me.' Dedisti leticiam in corde meo, 'Ðu, hlauerd, ȝaue blisse on mire herte, ðat me nis naht of alles woreldes blisse; and þese ðu hauest iȝiuen me to earres of ðare eche blisse.' Lieue saule, ȝif ðu ðese blisse hauest on ðine hierte, ðe ne cumþ of nanes woreldes blisse, ðane miht þu bien siker mid [mid corrected over of.] godes grace; and ȝif ðu ne hafdst, ne swic ðu naure niht ne dai ær ðu hes habbe. Ac hærce hwat tes ilke profiete seið be him ðe hes hadde biȝeten: Dilexisti iusticiam et odisti iniquitatem, propterea vnxit te
deus deus tuus oleo leticie, 'Forðan,' he sade, 'ðat tu luuedest rihtwisnesse and hatedest unrihtwisnesse, for ði haueð ðin lauerd ismered þe mid ða ele of blisse.' Ele hafð þrie ȝekynden on him: hit wile flotten osier ouer alle wætes, swa wile godes luue bien ouer alle oðre luuen; hit wile on lampe bernen brihte [Five or six words erased.] , swa wile ðes mihte gode forbisne ȝiuen alle hem ðe on godes huse wunien; hie liþegað alle [h]ardnesse, swa dieð ðies haliȝe blisse alle sarinesses of sennes. Wel him ðe hes biȝeten mai! Alle ðo menn ðe swinkeð on ðessere swink fulle world, alle hie swinkeð for sumere hope ðe hie habbeð, ðe hem ofte aten ande beswikð. Dauið: In illa die peribuntb corrected over d. omnes cogitaciones eorum, 'On here ænde-daiȝe forwurðeð alle here þohtes ðe hie hadden iþoht to donne.' Ac ðo ðe swinkeð for ðessere eadi hope, hie ne bieð naht becaht. Ne haue ðu hope te golde ne to seluer, ne to none wordlles eihte, ne forðen te manne. Hit is iwriten: Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine, 'Ȝewerȝed bie ðe mann þe haueð his hope te manne, þe [page 20] want his herte and his ȝeþanc [Written above seruise.] more to mannes seruise ðanne te godes.' All bie ðin hope uppen ure halende Criste, þe wile araren þe and bþine lichame of deaðe swa soðliche swa he him self aros of deaðe, and bringe þe to ðan eche lif! Gif ðu liuedest swa lange swa ðes woreld ilast, and æure þoledest pine, ne mihtest ðu of-earnin swa michel eadinesse swa ðe is behaten. Ac ðin lauerd hes ofearnede on ðare hali rode; for ði ðu aust te berene ðine rode after his wissinge, ðe sade: Qui uult uenire post me, tollat crucem suam et sequatur me, 'Se ðe wile cumen after me in to heuene, bere his rode on ierðe swa ic dede, and swo he mai me folȝin and cumen ðar ic am.' Rode tacnieð pine. Pine ðe seluen for his luue ðe ðolede pine for ðe anon to ðe deaðe, on fasten and on wacchen and on þolemodnesse, and on ðine awene wille to laten. GȜif ðu ðus dost, ðanne berest þu þin rode. Ne þinche hit te næure swa bitter, ðat þies hope hit ne swieteð. Swa hie dede alle ðo halie martirs. Alle ðas kennes pines ðe me hem mihte don me hem dede; all ðis halie mihte hes makede hem swiete. Swa hie dede alle ðe hali
confessores and ðe hali uirgines all ðat hie ðoleden ðurh hire. Swa hie doð ȝiet on ðese time munekes, kanunekes, ancres, and eremites. For ðessere eadi hope hie forlateð fader and moder, wif and children, hus and ham, and alle worldes wele and blisse. Swa doð pilegrimes ðe lateþ her awen eard, and fareð in to oðre lande. Swo aweð to donne alle ðe æure ani god doð. Alle hie hit don for to habben lean of godalmihtin on ðare oðre woreld and naht hier; þat bie here hope! Ðe hali apostel namneð ðese þrie haliȝe mihtes to-gedere, fidem, spem, karitatem, [page 21] and seggeð þat þies ðe hatte karitas, is heiȝest and betst of ðese þrie, and swo hie is ouer alle oðre. For ðan hie scal æure mo ȝelasten, aiðer on ðessere woreld and ec on ðare oðre. Of hire we willeð sumdæl keðen be godes grace.