Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/51

42 hie bereafiað hie selfe ðara goda þe hie wilniað synderlice habban. Be swelcum monnum Crist on his godspelle cwæð: Ne scyle nan mon blæcern ælan under mittan. And eft he cwæð to Petre ðæm apostole: Petrus lufast ðu me? He cwæð: Đu wast þæt ic ðe lufige. And þa cwæð Dryhten: Fed ðonne min sceap, gif ðu me lufige. Gif ðonne sio feding ðara sceapa bið þære lufan tacen, hwy forcwið ðonne se þe him God swelce cræftas gifð þæt he ne fede his heorde, buton he cweðan wille þæt he ne lufige ðone Hlaford & ðone hean Hirde ealra gesceafta? Be ðæm Paulus se apostol cwæð: Gif Crist for us eallum dead wæs, ðonne weorðað calle men deade. Hwat is ðonne betre ða hwile ðe we libben, ðonne we ures flæsces lustum ne libben, ac ðæs bebodum þe for us dead wæs & eft aras? Be ðæm cwæð Moyses: Gif hwa gefare & nan bearn ne gestrine, gif he broður læfe, fó se to his wife. Gif he ðonne bearn ðærbie gestriene, ðonne cenne he þæt ðæm gefarenan breðer þe hie ær ahte. Gif he ðonne tæt wif wille forsacan, vonne hræce hio him on ðæt neb foran, & his mægas hiene anscogen oðre fet, þæt mon mæge sittan hatan his tun ðæs anscodan tun. Đis wæs ryht dom on ðære ealdan æ, & is nu us to bispelle. Se ær gefarena broður getacnað Crist. He hiene ætiewde æfter ðære æriste, & cwæð: Farað & cyðað minum broðrum þæt hie cumen to Galileum; ðær hie me gesioð. He gefor swelce he butan bearnum gefore, forðon he næfde gefylled þagit ðone rim his gecorenra. Swæ swæ ðæs gefarenan broður wif on ðære ealdan æ wæs geboden ðæm libbendan breðer to anfonne, swæ is cynn þæt sio gimen ðære halegan cirican, ðæt is Cristenes folces

they wish to keep to themselves. Of such men Christ spoke in his Gospel: "Let no man light a lantern under a measure." And again he spoke to the apostle Peter: "Peter, dost thou love me? He said: Thou knowest that I love thee. And then said the Lord: Feed my sheep, if thou lovest me." If, then, the feeding of the sheep is the sign of love, why does he, to whom God has given such qualities, refuse to feed his flock, unless he wish to say that he does not love the Lord and high Shepherd of all creatures? Of which the apostle Paul spoke: "If Christ died for us all, all men will die." What is, therefore, better while we live than not to live in the lusts of our flesh, but after his commands who died for us and rose again? About which spoke Moses: "If any one die without begetting a child,