Ne het Crist him to lædan modigne stedan mid gyldenum gerædum gefreatewodne, ac þone wacan assan he geceas him to byrðre; forðon þe he tæhte symle eadmodnysse, and ðurh hine sylfne þa bysne sealde, and ðus cwæð, "Leorniað æt me, þæt ic eom liðe and swiðe eadmod, and ge gemetað reste eowrum sawlum." Þis wæs gewitegod be Criste, and ealle ða ðing þe he dyde, ærðan þe he to men geboren wære. Sión is an dún, and heo is gecweden, 'Sceawung-stow;' and Hierusalem, 'Sibbe gesihð.' Siónes dohtor is seo gelaðung geleaffulra manna, þe belimpð to ðære heofenlican Hierusalem, on þære is symle sibbe gesihð, butan ælcere sace, to ðære us gebrincð se Hælend, gif we him gelæstað. Cristes leorning-cnihtas ledon hyra reaf uppan þan assan, forðan þe hé nolde on nacedum assan ridan. Reaf getacniað rihtwisnysse weorc, swa swa se wítega cwæð, "Drihten, þine sacerdas sind ymbscrydde mid rihtwisnysse." Se nacoda assa bið mid reafum gesadelod, ðonne se idela man bið mid wisra láreowa mynegungum and gebisnungum to Godes handa gefrætwod; and he ðonne byrð Crist, swa swa se apostol cwæð, "Ge sind gebohte mid micclum wurðe; wuldriað forði, and berað God on eowrum lichaman." God we berað on urum lichaman, forðan ðe we beoð tempel and {212} fætels þæs Halgan Gastes, gif we us wið fule leahtras gescyldað: be ðam cwæð se ylca apostol swiðe egeslice, "Se ðe gewemð Godes tempel, God hine fordeð." Se ðe ne bið Godes tempel, he bið deofles tempel, and byrð swiðe swære byrðene on his bæce. We wyllað secgan eow sum bigspell. Ne mæg nan man hine sylfne to cynge gedon, ac þæt folc hæfð cyre to ceosenne þone to cyninge þe him sylfum licað: ac siððan he to cyninge gehalgod bið, þonne hæfð hé anweald ofer þæt folc, and hí ne magon his geoc of heora swuran asceacan. Swa eac gehwilc man hæfð agenne cyre, ærðam þe hé syngige, hweðer hé wille filian deofles willan, oððe wiðsacan. Þonne gif hé mid deofles weorcum hine sylfne bebint, ðonne ne mæg he mid his agenre mihte hine unbindan, buton se Ælmihtiga God mid strangre handa his mildheortnysse hine unbinde. Agenes willan and agenre gymeleaste he bið gebunden, ac þurh Godes mildheortnysse he bið unbunden, gif he ða alysednysse eft æt Gode geearnað. Þæt folc ðe heora reaf wurpon under þæs assan fét, þæt sind þa martyras, þe for Cristes geleafan sealdon heora agenne lichaman to tintregum. Sume hi wæron on fyre forbærnde, sume on sǽ adrencte, and mid mislicum pinungum acwealde; and sealdon us bysne þæt we ne sceolon, for nanum ehtnyssum oððe earfoðnyssum, urne geleafan forlætan, and fram Criste bugan, ðe má ðe hí dydon. Menig man is cristen geteald on sibbe, þe wolde swiðe hraðe wiðsacan Criste, gif him man bude þæt man bead þam martyrum: ac his cristendom nis na herigendlic. Ac ðæs mannes cristendom is herigendlic, seðe nele, for nanre ehtnysse, bugan fram Criste, ne for swurde, ne for fyre, ne for wætere, ne for hungre, ne for bendum; ac æfre hylt his geleafan mid Godes hérungum, oð his lifes ende.