with the sign of the rood, and he thus perfect in the belief of God received decapitation with the apostle, and they triumphant went together to Christ, to whom is glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen. JULY XXVII. THE SEVEN HOLY SLEEPERS. WE will also shortly inform you, that now in two days is the memory of THE SEVEN SLEEPERS, whose names are thus said, Maximianus, Malchus, Martinianus, Dionysius, Johannes, Seraphion, Constantinus. These seven believing soldiers of God were, in the days of the emperor Decius, dwelling in the city of Ephesus. They were of noble birth before the world, and were accused to the heathen slayer for their christianity. He would not slay them immediately, but granted them time, on account of their noble birth, that they might bethink themselves, and bow to his idol, when he came again; or their bodies should be tortured with divers torments. Decius then went to other cities, to torment the christians, and the seven servants of God sold their possessions for money, and secretly distributed it to the poor, and went from the city into a great cave under a mountain, and there continued in prayer day and night. When Decius again came, he commanded them to be sent for. It was then said to him that they were hidden in the cave, and he then enraged commanded the mouth of the cave to be closed with immense hewn stones. But the merciful God had a little before put them to sleep within the cave, and they so lay sleeping three hundred and seventy-two years, until christianity spread over all the world. Subsequently, after this time, in the days of the emperor Theodosius, who on Crist belyfde, getimode þæt sume wyrhtan afundon done stán æt þæs scræfes mude, and hine aweg awiligdon. Hwæt da se Ælmihtiga Scyppend forgeaf ðam seofon halgum þe on dam scræfe lagon líf and ærist, æfter swa langum slæpe; and hí wurdon da ameldode þam burhwarum. pis wundor wearð ða þam cristenum casere Theodosie gecyd, and he mid bliðum mode dider siðode mid ealre pære burhware, and biscopum, and heafod-mannum. Đa halgan martyras ða út-eodon of ðam scræfe togeanes dam casere, and heora nebwlitu scean swa swa sunne. Se casere da Theodosius feoll ætforan him, and heora ælene synderlice cyste, micclum blissigende, and cwæð, "Swa ic geseo eow swilce ic gesawe Hælend Crist, þaða hể Lazarum of his byrgene arærde." pa cwæð se yldesta, Maximianus, to dam casere, "Gelyf ús, for de arærde se Ælmihtiga God ús of eorðan ær dam micclum dæge, þæt du buton twyn gelyfe þæt deadra manna ærist bið. Nu we arison of deaðe, and we lybbað. Stande nu în cynedồm on sibbe and on soðum geleafan, and Crist hine gescylde wið deofles costnungum.' Æfter dison feollon hî eft ealle ætforan þam casere, swa swa God bebead, and heora gast ageafon. pa wolde se casere wyrcan him eallum gyldene scrýn, ac hí æteowodon him on dære ylcan nihte, and sædon, "Of eorðan we arison, læt ús on eorðan gerestan, oðþæt God ús eft ærære." Se casere da and his biscopas arærdon mære cyrcan ofer heora lichaman, to lofe dam Ælmihtigan Gode, sede leofað and rixað á on ecnysse. Amen. DOMINICA XII. POST PENTECOSTEN. DIXIT Iesus ad quosdam qui in se confidebant tanquam iusti, et aspernabantur ceteros, parabolam istam : et reliqua. "Drihten sæde pis bigspel be sumum mannum þe on him fervently believed in Christ, it happened that some workmen found the stone at the cave's mouth, and rolled it away. Whereupon the Almighty Creator gave to the seven saints that lay in the cave life and resurrection, after so long a sleep; and they were then announced to the citizens. This miracle was then made known to the christian emperor Theodosius, and he with joyful mind journeyed thither with all the citizens, and bishops, and head men. The holy martyrs then went out from the cave towards the emperor, and their countenances shone like the sun. Then the emperor Theodosius fell before them, and kissed each of them separately, greatly rejoicing, and said, "I so see you as if I saw Jesus Christ, when he raised Lazarus from his sepulchre." Then said the eldest, Maximianus, to the emperor, "Believe us, for thee the Almighty God hath raised us from earth before the great day, that thou without doubt may believe that there will be a resurrection of dead men. We have now arisen from death, and we live. May thy kingdom stand in peace and in true belief, and may Christ shield it against the temptations of the devil." After this they all again fell before the emperor, as God had commanded, and gave up their ghosts. Then would the emperor make for them all golden shrines, but they appeared to him on the same night, and said, "From earth we arose, let us rest in earth, until God again raise us." Then the emperor and his bishops raised a great church over their bodies, to the praise of Almighty God, who liveth and reigneth ever to eternity. Amen. THE TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. DIXIT Jesus ad quosdam qui in se confidebant tanquam justi, et aspernabantur cæteros, parabolam istam : et reliqua. "The Lord said this parable of some men who trusted in sylfum truwodon þæt hî rihtwise wæron, and oðre forsawon, pus cwedende, Twegen men eodon into Godes temple hí to gebiddenne, an was sunder-halga, and oder was openlice synful" et reliqua. pis godspel mæg beón twyfealdlice getrahtnod: ærest be Iudeiscum folce, and be hæðenum deodum þe to cristendome gebugon; and eft sidðan be ælcum menn de hine sylfne godne talað, and ore forsih. pæt Iudeisce folc wæs úpahafen swilce purh rihtwîsnyssum þære ealdan æ, and on ðære hí sylfe herodon; and þæt hæðene folc, feor fram Gode, andette mid eadmódnysse his synna, and weard Gode genealæht and ahafen, and þæt Iudeisce folc gewât fram Gode forsewen, purh heora úp-ahefednysse and âgenre bogunge. Ælc man, de hine gōdne talað and oðre forsihð, bið fram Gode forsewen swa se sunder-halga wæs, pe hine sylfne ðurh agenum geearnungum gódne tealde, and done oðerne hyrwde. He eode into Godes temple hine to gebiddenne; þa nolde he hine gebiddan, ac herian; tealde his godan dæda, swilce God hí nyste. He cwæð, “God! ic dancige de þæt ic ne eom na swilce odre menn ;" ealles to micel clypung, þæt he nære oðrum mannum gelíc. Huru gif he cwæde pæt he nære sumum oðrum mannum gelíc,-ac he cwæð, "Ic ne com swilceswa odre men;" swilce he cwæde, 'Ic ána eom rihtwis, and da odre sind synfulle.' "Ic fæste twegen dagas on dære wucan, and ic teoðie ealle mine æhta." Nis her nan gebed on disum wordum, ac is gylp. Se synfulla stód feorran, gecnæwe his misdæda, and ne dorste his eagan úp-ahebban, ac sloh his breost, pus cwedende, "Deus, propitius esto mihi peccatori:" þæt is, "God Ælmihtig, gemiltsa me synfullum." wordum, and her is synna andetnys. mid feawum wordum, mid onbryrdum mode to dam Ælmihtigan Gode clypige, ponne he menigfealdlice sprece, and his worda ne gyme. Mid anre clypunge wearð þes synfulla Her is gebed on disum themselves that they were righteous, and despised others, thus saying, Two men went into God's temple to pray, one was a pharisee, and the other was openly sinful,” etc. This gospel may be doubly expounded: first of the Jewish people, and of the heathen nations that turned to christianity; and then again, of every man that accounts himself good, and contemns others. The Jewish people were, as it were, exalted through the righteousness of the old law, and for which they praised themselves; and the heathen folk, far from God, confessed their sins with humility, and became near to God and exalted, and the Jewish folk withdrew from God despised, through their arrogance and own perversity. Every man, that accounts himself good, and contemns others, will be contemned of God, as the pharisee was, who, through his own merits, accounted himself good, and contemned the other. He went into God's temple to pray; then would he not pray, but praise himself; he reckoned up his good deeds, as if God knew them not. He said, "God! I thank thee that I am not as other men;" an exclamation altogether too great, that he was not like to other men. At least if he had said that he was not like to some other men,-but he said, "I am not as other men;" as if he had said, 'I alone am righteous, and the others are sinful.' "I fast two days in the week, and I tithe all my possessions." Here is no prayer in these words, but there is vaunt. The sinful stood afar off, conscious of his misdeeds, and durst not lift up his eyes, but beat his breast, thus saying, "Deus, propitius esto mihi peccatori:" that is, "God Almighty, have mercy on me a sinner." Here is prayer in these words, and here is confession of sins. It is better that a man with few words, with compunctious mind, cry to the Almighty God, than that he manifoldly speak, and be not heedful of his words. With one crying this sinful man was |