"God gefylð þa hingrigendan mid his godum;" swa swa {204} he sylf cwæð, "Eadige beoð þa þe sind ofhingrode and oflyste rihtwisnysse, forðan ðe hí sceolon beon gefyllede mid rihtwisnysse." "He forlet ða rícan idele." Þæt sind ða rícan, þa ðe mid modignysse þa eorðlican welan lufiað swiðor þonne ða heofonlican. Fela riccra manna geðeoð Gode, þæra ðe swa doð swa swa hit awriten is, "Þæs rícan mannes welan sind his sawle alysednyss." His welan beoð his sawle alysednyss, gif hé mid þam gewitendlicum gestreonum beceapað him þæt ece líf, and ða heofonlican welan mid Gode. Gif he ðis forgymeleasað, and besett his hiht on ðam eorðlicum welan, þonne forlæt God hine idelne and æmtigne, fram ðam ecum godnyssum. "God underfeng his cnapan Israhel." Mid þam naman syndon getacnode ealle ða þe Gode gehyrsumiað mid soðre eadmodnysse, þa he underfehð to his werode. "Swa swa hé spræc to urum fæderum, Abrahame and his ofspringe on worulda." God behet ðam heahfædere Abrahame, þæt on his cynne sceolde beon gebletsod eal mancynn. Of Abrahames cynne aspráng seo gesælige Maria, and of Marían com Crist, æfter ðære menniscnysse, and þurh Crist beoð ealle ða geleaffullan gebletsode. Ne synd we na Abrahames cynnes flæsclice, ac gastlice, swa swa se apostol Paulus cwæð, "Witodlice, gif ge cristene synd, þonne beo ge Abrahames ofspring, and yrfenuman æfter beháte." Þæt æftemyste word is ðises lofsanges, "On worulda;" forðan ðe ure behát, þe us God behet, ðurhwunað á on worulda woruld butan ende. Uton biddan nu þæt eadige and þæt gesælige mæden Marían, þæt heo us geðingige to hyre agenum Suna and to hire Scyppende, Hælende Criste, seðe gewylt ealra ðinga mid Fæder and mid þam Halgum Gaste, á on ecnysse. Amen. MARCH XXV. THE ANNUNCIATION OF ST. MARY. Missus est Gabrihel Angelus: et reliqua. Our Almighty Creator, who created all creatures, without any matter through his wisdom, and through his will animated them, he created mankind that they might with obedience and humility merit those heavenly honours which the devil through pride had forfeited. Then was man deceived by the devil's wiles, so that he brake the command of his Creator, and was, with all his offspring, delivered to the devil into hell-torment. Then, nevertheless, the Almighty God was grieved for the miseries of all mankind, and he meditated how he might redeem his handiwork from the power of the devil; for he took pity on man, because he had been deceived by the wiles of the devil. But he had no pity for the devil's fall, because he had not been misled by any instigation, but had himself devised the presumption through which he fell; and he therefore, to all eternity, dwelleth in perdition, a bloodthirsty devil.