Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/361

 Then said  the  Saviour  to  him,  '  Foxes  have  holes,

and birds  have  nests,  and  I  have  no  dwelling,

where I  may  recline  my  head.'

Christ looked  into  his  heart,  and  saw  his  craftiness,  io

because he  sought  not  the  Saviour  with  sincerity,

but foxlike  wiles  were  dwelling  in  him,

and haughtiness,  like  unto  soaring  birds;

for such  a  man  might  not  journey  with  Christ.

Christ again  after  that  said  to  another,

'Follow me  in  my  way;'  and  he,  affrighted,  answered,

'Let me  first,  Lord,  go  quickly,

and bury  my  father.'     Then  said  Christ  again  to  that  man,

'Suffer that  the  dead  bury  their  dead,

but go  thou  thyself  indeed,  and  preach  God's  kingdom/

Those are  verily  dead  who  serve  not  their  Creator,

and who  keep  not  God's  commandments  devoutly;

these may  bury  such-like  others,

and yield  to  sins  by  means  of  flatteries.

Then again  a  third  man  said  thus  to  Christ;

'I will  follow  Thee,  master,  but  let  me  first  go

and tell  my  family  how  I  have  purposed  (to  do).'

Him the  Saviour  answered  thus,  '  If  the  husbandman  look

oftentimes backward,  he  will  be  no  fitting  tiller;'

that is  in  this  sense ;  as  the  husbandman  marreth  his  furrow

if he  looketh  too  long  backward,

so likewise  he  who  desireth  to  turn  to  God,

and inclineth  again  to  worldly  things,  will   not  be  acceptable  to God.

Manifold were  the  Saviour's  miracles,

and His  holy  doctrines,  as  we  learn  in  books,

and all  his  followers  forsook  all  things,