Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/283

 how thinkest  thou? would he  not  give  all  his  goods,

though he  were  wealthy,  provided  that  he  might  live,

if they  would  permit  him  this      Nevertheless,  he  could  not

live for  ever,  though  they  then  released  him,

but he  would  only  have  a  few  years'  delay.

It is  then  a  great  consideration  to  him  who  careth  for  himself,

to purchase  for  himself  that  eternal  life,  of  which  we  speak.

Now  thinkest    thou,    and    sayest,    '  How   may   I    purchase     the, eternal  life?'

I say  to  thee,  give  thyself  to  God,

so that  thou  mayest  love  the  things  which  God  loveth,

and detest  those  things  which  God  detesteth.

God abhorreth  lies,  and  loveth  truth.

Be thou  no  liar,  neither  treacherous,

but be  true  and  ever  faithful;

because the  faithless  are  [good]  for  no  lord  to  have,

nor likewise  does  God  care  for  the  unfaithful.

It would  be  very  tedious  for  us  here  now  to  tell  you

all God's  commands,  but  do  ye  one  thing:

let each  one  take  heed  that  he  spend  not  his  life  uselessly,

but let  him  learn  God's  commands  from  wise  teachers,

and keep  the  same  as  he  best  may.

If he  in  any  wise  sin  against  God's  will,  let  him  make  amends for  it  earnestly,

then shall  he  be  God's  man,  and  God  shall  give  him  for  his  reward

that eternal  life,  concerning  which  we  before  spake.

Now every  man  is  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  and

he may  not  be  again  baptized,  that  the  invocation  of  the  Holy

Trinity be  not  contemned;  but  true  contrition,  and  penance  with