to a great reward in the one to come. Verily by love of thy foe thou art the friend of God, and not only art thou his friend, but thou art also a child of God, by the condition that thou love thy foe; as Christ himself hath said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, that ye be your Father's children, who is in heaven." Many hardships and contumelies any one would easily endure that he might be accounted the child of some powerful man, and his heir to transitory possessions: bear now patiently, for the everlasting honour of being accounted children of God, and his heirs in heavenly riches, that which the other would undergo for a frail matter. We tell you God's law; hold it if ye will. If we kept it in silence, we should not be secure. Love of Christ compels us ever to stimulate the good, that they continue in goodness; and we admonish the wicked that they may quickly turn from their wickedness. Let not the righteous be heedless at his beginning, nor the wicked despair through his unrighteousness. Let the good man dread lest he fall; the wicked take care that he stand. Let him who is wicked imitate the conversion of Paul; let him who is good persist in goodness with Stephen; for no beginning is praiseworthy without a good ending. All praise will be sung at the end. My brethren, yesterday our Lord vouchsafed to visit this world in true human nature: now to-day the noble champion Stephen, quitting his bodily dwelling, went triumphant to heaven. Christ descended clothed with flesh; Stephen ascended, through his blood with glory crowned. Yesterday angels sung, "Glory to God in the highest;" now to-day they received Stephen rejoicing in their fellowship, with whom he glorieth and rejoiceth to all eternity. Amen. * * * * * {58} VI. KA[=L]. JAN. ASSUMPTIO S[=CI] IOHANNIS APOSTOLI. Iohannes se Godspellere, Cristes dyrling, wearð on ðysum dæge to heofenan rices myrhðe, þurh Godes neosunge, genumen. He wæs Cristes moddrian sunu, and he hine lufode synderlice; na swa micclum for ðære mæglican sibbe swa for ðære clænnysse his ansundan mægðhades. He wæs on mægðháde Gode gecoren, and hé on ecnysse on ungewemmedum mægðhade þurhwunode. Hit is geræd on gewyrdelicum racum þæt hé wolde wífian, and Críst wearð to his gyftum gelaðod. Þa gelámp hit þæt æt ðam gyftum wín wearð ateorod. Se Hælend ða het þa ðenig-men afyllan six stænene fatu mid hluttrum wætere, and he mid his bletsunge þæt wæter to æðelum wine awende. Þis is þæt forme tácn ðe hé on his menniscnysse openlice geworhte. Þa wearð Iohannes swa onbryrd þurh þæt tácn, þæt hé ðærrihte his bryde on mægðhade forlét, and symle syððan Drihtne folgode, and wearð ða him inweardlice gelufod, forðan ðe he hine ætbræd þam flæsclicum lustum. Witodlice ðisum leofan leorning-cnihte befæste se Hælend his modor, þaþa hé on rode hengene mancynn alysde; þæt his clæne líf ðæs clænan mædenes Marian gymde, and heo ða on hyre swyster suna ðenungum wunode.