Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/263

254 GREGORY'Y PASTORAL. (Cotton MSS. & hlafordas, forðæm þe hie wilniað ðæt we him geðwære sien, & eac hiora ierfes wyrðe sien, & hie us ðy bliðran bion mægen. Ac hwelc wite sceal us donne to hefig ðyncean ðære godeundan ðreaunge wið ðæm þe we mægen geearnian ðone heofonlican eðel þe næfre to lore ne weorðeð, & forðæm ðæt we mægen forbugan ðæt wite ðæt næfre ne wierð geendod? Forðæm cwæð sanctus Paulus: Ure flæsclican fædras lærdon us, & we hie ondredon; hie ðreadon us, & we weorðodon hie. Hu micle swiðor sculon we ðonne bion gehiersume ðæm þe ure gasta Fæder bið wið ðæm þe we moten libban on ecnesse! Ure flæsclican fædras us lærdon to ðæm þe hiera willa wæs, ac ðæt was to swiðe scortre hwile, forðæmþe čeos world is swiðe lænu, ac se gastlica Fæder he us lærð nytwyrðlicu ðing to underfonne, ðæt is ðæt we geearnigen ðæt ece lif. Eac sint to manianne ða mettruman ðæt hie geðencen hu micel hælo ðæt bið ðære heortan ðæt se lichoma sie mettrum, forðæm sio mettrumnes ðæt mod gehwierfeð gehwelces monnes hiene selfne to ongietanne, & ðæt gode mod þe sio hælu ful oft aweg adrifð ðæt gemynd ðære mettrymnesse geedniwað, ðætte ðæt mod þe ofer his mæð bið upahafen gemyne of ðæm swingum þe ðæt flæsc ðolað to hwæm eall mancynn gesceapen is. Đæt wære swiðe ryhte getacnod ðurh Balaham on ðære lettinge his færeltes, gif he mid his hiersumnesse Godes stemne & his gebodum fullice folgian wolde, & on his willan fore. Balaham ðonne fulgeorne wolde feran ðær hiene mon bæd, ac his estfulnesse wiðteah se esol þe he onuppan sæt. Ðæt wæs forðæmþe se assa geseah ðone engel ongean hiene standan, & him ðæs færeltes forwiernan, ðone þe ðæt mennisce mod gesion ne meahte.

fathers and masters chastise and correct us, because they wish to make us docile and worthy of their inheritance, and that they may be the more happy with us. But what punishment of divine correction shall seem to us too heavy in comparison with our meriting the heavenly country which is never lost, and avoiding endless punishment? There- fore St. Paul said: “Our fleshly fathers taught us, and we dreaded them; they rebuked us, and we reverenced them. How much more, then, must we obey our spiritual Father, that we may live eternally! Our fathers in the flesh taught us to do their will, but it was for a very short time, because this world is very transitory, but our spiritual Father teaches us to partake of useful things, that is, merit- ing eternal life.” The unhealthy are also to be admonished to consider