Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/351

 First Abel,  Adam's  son,  was  so  pleasing  to  God,

through innocence  and  righteousness,  that  Christ  Himself

called Abel  Justus,  that  is,  the  righteous  Abel.

Again Enoch,  the  seventh  man  from  Adam,

was so  devout  in  his  mind  and  so  well -pleasing  to  God,

that God  took  him,  sound  in  soul  and  body,

without death,  up  to  heaven,  when  he  was  three  hundred

and sixty-five  years  of  age;  and  he  so  continueth,  sound,

without death,  and  without  toil,  until  Antichrist's  coming.

Noah also,  for  his  righteousness,  overcame  the  great  flood,

which went  over  the  whole  earth,  so  that  through  him

all mankind  was  again  restored.

Abraham, for  his  great  faith  in  God,

and for  his  obedience,  received  such  a  blessing  from  God,

that all  mankind  which  believeth  in  God  is  blessed  in  his  seed,

and his  son  Isaac  after  him  lived  with  blessing,

and God  loved  him. Again Jacob,  Isaac's  son,

for his  labour  was  verily  blessed,

first by  his  father,  and  afterward  by  God's  angel,

and God  gave  him  that  second  name,  of  Israel,

that is,  'Vir  videns  deum,'   (that  is  in  English  speech)  'The  man who  seeth  God,'

and by  that  name  those  were  signified,

who now  in  Christendom  see  God  by  faith.

Job the  blessed,  and  God's  constant  servant,

was so  perfected  in  all  goodness,  that  God  Himself  said  of  him,

that his  like  was  not  then  living  upon  earth;

Then the  devil  asked  of  God  that  he  might  prove  him,

whether he  would  continue  in  his  goodness