Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/301

 then God  speaketh  to  us  through  the  spiritual  reading.

A man  must  pray  even  as  he  may  and  can,

because Almighty  God  can  understand  all  speech;

and in  every  place  must  he  magnify  his  Lord,

and continue  in  prayer  wherever  he  be.

Nevertheless a  man  ought  to  seek  church  frequently,

and a  man  may  not  talk  nor  hold  conversations

within God's  church,  because  it  is  the  house  of  prayer,

hallowed to  God  for  ghostly  discourses.

Neither ought  a  man  to  drink  or  foolishly  eat

within God's  House,  which  is  hallowed  to  this  [purpose],

that a  man  may  there  taste  of  God's  body  with  faith.

Now men,  nevertheless,  act  foolishly  very  often,

in that  they  will  watch  and  madly  drink

within God's  house,  and  play  shamefully,

and with  foolish  talking  defile  God's  house;

but it  were  better  for  them  that  they  lay  in  their  beds,

than that  they  should  anger  God  in  the  spiritual  house.

He who  will  watch,  and  worship  God's  Saints,

let him  watch  in  stillness,  and  make  no  disturbance,

but sing  his  prayers  as  he  best  knoweth  how;

and he  who  will  drink,  and  make  a  foolish  noise,

let him  drink  at  home,  not  in  the  Lord's  house,

that he  dishonour  not  God,  to  his  own  punishment.

We have  need  to  cry  often  to  Christ,

but without  carelessness  and  hypocrisy.

Even as  the  body  liveth  by  bread  and  drink,

so shall  the  soul  live  by  doctrine  and  prayers.