Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/281

 Truly may    everyone    know   that    if   there    is    mirth    and   glory anywhere,

that there  is  unspeakable  glory  where  He  dwelleth,  who  created all  things;

and God  Himself  hath  promised  to  all  them  that  love  Him

that they  shall  dwell  in  the  eternal  glory

with Himself,  for  ever,  without  end.

Know now,  that  God  never  lieth,

and beware  that  thou  never  lie  to  Him ;    if  thou  lie  to  Him,

thou canst  not  deceive  Him,  but  [deceivest]  thyself  most  direly.

There is  many  a  wealthy  man  in  this  world

who would  give  much  treasure  and  unnumbered  riches

provided that — if  he  might  purchase  it — he  might  here  live  for [this]  world,

without all  toil,  ever  endlessly,

and that  everything  might  befall  him  as  it  should  please  himself,

and that  he  might  always  be  careless  of  any  evil.

Even if  it  might  be  so,  that  he  might  obtain  these  joys

of which  I  spake  before  just    now,   it   would  yet   not  be   more like  the  eternal  mirth,

than it  fares  with  the  man  who  sitteth  in  prison

as compared  with  the  man  who  goeth  free  through  the  land.

Now the  rich  man  cannot  here  have,  any  more

than any  of  us,  that  sorrowless  and  that  untiring  bliss;

why then  will  not  he,  or  we  ourselves,  purchase,

in this  miserable  life,  the  eternal  joy

with good  merits,  and  with  almsdeeds

Yet we  can  tell  you  a  parable  concerning  this.

If a  thief  were  now  being  led  to  be  put  to  death