Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/323

314 forðæmþe he hiene no ne beheold wið ða gastlican scylde. Be ðæm wæs swiðe ryhte gecweden ðurh ðone witgan: On eowrum fæstendagum bið ongieten eower willa. And sona ðæræfter he cwæð: To gemotum & to gecidum & to iersunga & to fystgebeate ge fæstað. Willa belimp simle to blisse & ðæt fystgebeat to ierre. On idelnesse ðonne bið se lichoma mid fæstenne geswenced, ðonne ðæt mod bið forlæten & onstyred & todæled ungeðafenlice & unendebyrdlice on unðeawas. Ond ðeah hie sint to manianne ðæt hie no hiera fæsten ne gewanigen, ne eft ne wenen ðæt hit anlepe full healic mægen sie beforan ðæm dieglan Deman, ðylæs hie wenen ðæt hit anlepe micelre geearnunga mægen sie, & ðonne weorðen on hiera mode forðy to upahæfene. Be ðæm wæs gecweden ðurh Esaias ðone witgan: Ne geceas ic no ðis fæsten, ac ðyllic fæsten ic geceas: brec ðæm hyngriendum ðinne hlaf, & ðone wiðfarendan & ðone wædlan læd on ðin hus. Be ðæm we magon geðencean hu lytelu sio forhæfdnes bið gesewen, gif hio ne bið mid oðrum godum weorcum geieced. Be ðæm cwæð Iohel se witga : Gehalgiað eower fæsten. Đæt is ðonne ðæt mon his fæsten gehalgige, ðæt he hit geiece mid oðrum godum weorcum; ðonne mæg he eowian ðær Gode swiðe licwyrðe forhæfdnesse. Forðæm is to cyðonne ðæm fæstendum ðæt hie witen ðæt hie ðonne Gode swiðe licwyrðe forhæfdnesse brengað, ðonne hie ðearfendum monnum sellað hiora ondlifene ðone dæl þe hie him selfum ofteoð. Ac us is swiðe geornlice to gebieranne hwæt Dryhten ðreatigende cwæð to Iudeum ðurh Sacharias ðone witgan; he cwæð: Eall ðæt ðæt ge fæston & weopon on ðæm fiftan & on ðæm siofogan monðe

did not refrain from the spiritual sin. Of which was very rightly said through the prophet : " By your fast-days is known your will." And soon after he said : "For meetings, and disputes, and anger, and fisticuffs ye fast.”. Good will always belongs to joy, and fisticuffs to anger. In vain therefore is the body afflicted with fasting, when the mind is let loose, and excited, and distracted improperly and un- seasonably by vices. And yet they are to be admonished not to diminish their fasting, nor, again, to think that it alone is a very lofty virtue in the eyes of the unseen Judge, lest they think that it alone is a virtue of great merit, and so become too much puffed up in spirit. Of which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “I chose not this