Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/94

Hatton MS.] scolde scinan beforan Gode, mannum to biesene. Æresð alra glengea & ymesð scolde scinan gold on his hrægle. Ðæt is ðætte on his mode scine ealra ðinga fyrmesð ongit wisdomes. Toeacan ðæm golde ealra glenga fyrmest on his hrægle was beboden ðæt scolde bion se giem iacinctus, se ís lyfte onlicusð on hiwe. Se ðonne tacnað ðæt [e]all ðætte ðæs sacerdes ondgit ðurhfaran mæge, sie ymb ða hefonlican lufan, næs ymbe idelne gilp, ðylæs him losige ðæt he[o]fenlice ondgit, forðæmðe he sie gehæfted mid ðæm luste his se[l]fes heringe. Eac ðæm golde & ðæm line wæs ongemang purpura, ðæt is cynelic hræg[l], forðæm hit tacnað kynelicne anwald. Be ðæm geðence se sacerd, ðonne he oðre mén healice lærð, ðæt he eac on him selfum healice ofðrysce ða lustas his unðeawa, forðæmðe he kynelic hrægl [h]æfð, ðæt he eac sie kyning ofer his agne unðeawas, & ða cynelican ofersuiðe; & geðence he simle sie sua æðele sua únæðele suæðer he sie ða æčelu ðære æfterran acennesse, ðæt is on ðæm ful[l]uhte, & simle atieweð on his ðeawum ða ðing ðe he ðær Gode gehet, & ða ðeawas ðe him mon ær bebead. Be ðæm æðelum ðæs gæstes Petrus cuæð: Ge sint acoren kynn Gode & kynelices preosthades. Bi ðæm anwalde, ðe we sculon ure unðeawas mid ofercuman, we magon beon getrymede mid Iohannes cuide ðæs godspelleres, ðe he cuæð: Ða ðe hine onfengon he salde him anwald ðæt hie meahton beon Godes bearn. Ða medomnesse ðære strengio se salmscop ongeat, ða he cuæð: Dryhten, suiðe suiðe sint geweorðode mid me ðine friend, & suiðe is gestrangod hiera ealdordom; forðæm[ðe] ðæt mod ðinra haligra bið aðened suiðe healice & suiðe stranglice to ðe, ðonne [ðonne] oðrum monnum ðyncð ðæt

low birth, let him ever consider the nobility of regeneration, which is in baptism, and ever show in his morals the promises he made on that occasion to God, and the virtues which were then inculcated on him. Of spiritual nobility Peter spoke: "Ye are a race chosen for God of royal priesthood." As to the power with which we can correct our vices, we can be strengthened by the words of the evangelist John: "To those who received him he gave power of being God's children." The excellence of this strength the Psalmist acknowledged when he said, "Lord, greatly are thy friends in honour with me, and their power is greatly strengthened; for the heart of thy saints is exalted very loftily and mightily to thee, when to