self from vices.-When we fast, then we should give more alms than on other days; for we should distribute to the poor the meat and drink, which we should consume if we did not fast. Capit. Incert. Edit. c. 38. Spelman. Conc. 613. 39 Nizon hund pintra þrýtiz pintɲa adam lýfde on pirre porulde on zerpince on ýmðe. sýðdan to helle for þær grimme pitu þolde fif þurend pintɲa tpa hund pintɲa 7 eahta 7 tpentiz pintna. (Brit. Mus. MSS. Cotton. Cleopatra, B. 13. Dom. ante Rogat. f. 46.) Nine hundred winters and thirty winters Adam lived in this world, in labour and in sorrow; and then to hell went, and there grim punishments endured five thousand winters, and two hundred winters, and eight and twenty winters. Lrirt on pæne hpile to helle zepende pone deoFol zepylde him oƑ-anam adam 7 euan 7 heoɲa ofspring bone dæl be hi æn zecpemde 7 zelædde hi to heopa lichaman aɲar of deade mid þam micclum perode on þam þriddan deze hir propunze. (Ex eod. Cod. Serm. de Init. Creat. f. 30.) Crist, in the mean-while, went to hell, and subdued the Devil, and took away from him Adam and Eva, and that portion of their offspring which had hitherto pleased him, and led them to their bodies; and arose from death with the great host on the third day after his passion. 40 Unzepir com re deofol to crirte ungepir he eode apez. Forðan þe re hælend ne zerpýtelode na him hir mihte ac ofendnar hine zepyldelice mid halzum gepritum. Se ealda deofol zecostnode ure fæder adam on þɲeo pirum is mid gyfernýsse 7 mid idelum puldre & mid zitrunze. & þa peard he ofenspiðed. fordon þe he zeðarode pain deople on eallum þam pným cortnunzum. Duph gifernerse he pær oferspiðed þa pa he puph deofles lare ætt þone foɲbodenan æppel. Ðuɲh idel puldon he pær oferspiðed þa þa he zelyfed þær deofler pordum pa pa he cpæ Spa mæɲe ze beod spa spa englar gif ze of þam treope erad. hi pa zelyrdon hir learunze 7 poldon mid idelum zilpe beon beteɲan ponne hi zerceapene pæɲon. þa pundon hi pinsan. Mid zitsunze he pær oferspiðed þa þa se deofol cpæd to him and ze habзе bað gercead æder ze zoder ze ýfeler. Nir na zitrung on feo anum ac ir eac on ze pilnum ze micelɲe zeðincde. Mid þam ýlcum þrým ðingum þe re deofol pone frum-ƒceaftan mann oferspiðde. mið þam ýlcum crist oferspiðde hine 7 astrehte. Dunh gifernesse fandode se deofol criste pa þa he cpæð. Lрæð to þissum stanum hi beon to laƑum apende· and ett. Duɲh idel puldoɲ he fandode hir þa pa he hine tihte þæt he sceolde sceoten nyder of þær templer rcylre. Duph zitrunze he fandode his þa þa he mid learunze him behet ealler middan-geander pelan zif he polde feallan to hir fotum. Ac re deofol pær þa ofenrpided puɲh chirt on þam ýlcum zemetum þe he æn adam oferrpiðde. þæt he zepite fram uɲum heoɲtum mið þam innfæpe zehæft mid þam pe innafaɲen pærur zehært. (Ex Hom. cui titulus Ductus est IHC. Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Junii 22.) Ignorant came the Devil to Crist, and ignorant he went away. Because Jesus did not manifest his might to him, but overthrew him patiently with holy Scriptures. The old devil tempted our father Adam, in three ways; that is, with gluttony, and with vainglory, and with covetousness; and then was he overcome; for he consented to the Devil in all the three temptations. Through gluttony he was overcome, when he, through the Devil's teaching, ate the forbidden apple. Through vainglory was he overcome, when he believed the Devil's words, when he said, Ye shall be as great as the angels, if ye shall eat of the tree: and they believed his leasing, (lying,) and would with idle vanity be better than they were created: then were they worse. With covetousness he was overcome, when the devil said to him, And ye shall be able to discriminate between good and evil. Covetousness is not in money only; but it is also in desires, and great estimation. With the same three things with which the devil overcame the first-created man, with the same Crist overcame him and laid him prostrate. Through gluttony the devil tried Crist, when he said, Say to these stones that they be turned into loaves: and eat. Through vainglory he made trial of him, when he enticed him that he should shoot down off the temple's shelf (ledge). Through covetousness he made trial of him, when he, with leasing, promised him all the earth's weal, if he would fall at his feet. But the devil was then overcome through Crist, in the same points which formerly gave him the advantage over Adam; in order that he should be forced to depart from our hearts by means of the very things which afforded him an entrance into them, and power over them. 41 antecrist bið Lrist is rod zob roð mann roolice deofol mann. (Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Junii. Serm. de Temp. Antecr.) Crist is true God and true man; and Antecrist is truly devil and man. It appears by the following extract from the same volume, (f. 45.) that this infernal incarnation had, been expected about the time of the millenary year, and that, such year having passed without his appearance, the vices and disorders of the years immediately following it were viewed as indications of his approach. Port mille annos soluetur satanas· þir on enzlire. After purend gearum bið satanas unbunden. Durend zeara 7 eac ma is nu azan þýððan crist pær mid mannum on mennircum hipe 7 nu syndon satanases bendas spyde torlopene. Jantecrister tima ir pel gehende. Post mille annos solvetur satanas: that is, in English. After a thousand years is satanas unbound. A thousand years, and even more, are now gone since Crist was with men in manly hue, and now are satanases bands much relaxed, and antecrist's time is well nigh. For the reappearance of Enoch and Elijah as the adversaries of Antichrist, see note 37. |