Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/313

 Many of  the  people  variously  murmured  often,

and tempted  God,  and  blasphemed  in  speech,

but God  wreaked  it  speedily,  so  that  they  died  somehow,

because such  murmuring  is  very  hateful  to  God,

and specially  when  men  provoke  Him  by  words.

And it  is  very  hateful  to  God  in  the  faithful  people,

that they  shall  be  disagreeing,  and  perverse  among  themselves;

and Christ  said  in  His  Gospel,  that  no  kingdom

can stand  anywhile  entire,  if  it  be  not  peaceable,

because God  loveth  integrity  and  peace  among  men.

Again, David  the  king,  though  He  were  pleasing  to  God,

sinned very  grievously,  and  then  God  sent  to  him

the prophet  Gad,  saying  these  words  to  him,

' Choose  thee  now  a  punishment,  since  thou  art  deserving  [of  it],

either three  years'  famine,  or  three  months'  war,

that thou  shalt  flee  for  so  long  from  thine  enemies,  if  thou  may,

or three  days'  pestilence.'     Then  said  David  to  him,

'This is  hard  to  me,  but  it  is  better  for  me  nevertheless

that I  should  fall  into    God's   hands    rather  than  that  I  should fall  into  man's  hands;

because His  mercies  are  manifold.'

Then God  straightway  sent  an  angel  to  him,

and the  angel  slew  seventy  thousand

in David's  dominion,  all  males.

Then came  the  angel  where  the  king  himself  was,

and would  have  slain  the  citizens,

but God  had  pity  then,  and  quickly  said  to  the  angel,