gesohton, his miltsunge biddende. Þa bead se apostol him seofon nihta fæsten, and hi siððan gefullode; and hi æfter ðam fulluhte towurpon eall heora deofolgyld, and mid heora maga fultume, and mid eallum cræfte arærdon Gode mære cyrcan on ðæs apostoles wurðmynte. Þaða se apostol wæs nigon and hund-nigontig geara, þa æteowode him Drihten Crist mid þam oðrum apostolum, þe hé of ðisum life genumen hæfde, and cwæð, "Iohannes, cum to me; tima is þæt þu mid ðinum gebroðrum wistfullige on minum gebeorscipe." Iohannes þa arás, and eode wið þæs Hælendes; ac he him to cwæð, "Nu on sunnan-dæg, mines æristes dæge, þu cymst to me:" and æfter ðam worde Drihten gewende to heofenum. Se apostol micclum blissode on ðam beháte, and on þam sunnan-uhtan ærwacol to ðære cyrcan com, and þam folce, fram hancrede oð undern, Godes gerihta lærde, and him mæssan gesang, and cwæð þæt se Hælend hine on ðam dæge to heofonum gelaðod hæfde. Het ða delfan his byrgene wið þæt weofod, and þæt greot ut-awegan. And hé eode cucu and gesund into his byrgene, and astrehtum handum to Gode clypode, "Drihten Crist, ic þancige ðe þæt þu me gelaðodest to þinum wistum: þu wást þæt ic mid ealre heortan þe gewilnode. Oft ic ðe bæd þæt ic moste to ðe faran, ac ðu cwæde þæt ic anbidode, þæt ic ðe mare folc gestrynde. Þu heolde minne lichaman wið ælce besmittennysse, and þu simle mine sawle onlihtest, and me nahwar ne forlete. Þu settest on minum muðe þinre soðfæstnysse word, and ic awrat ða lare ðe ic of ðinum muðe gehyrde, and ða wundra ðe ic ðe wyrcan geseah. Nu ic ðe betæce, Drihten! þine bearn, ða ðe þin gelaðung, mæden and {76} moder, þurh wæter and þone Halgan Gast, ðe gestrynde. Onfoh me to minum gebroðrum mid ðam ðe ðu come, and me gelaðodest. Geopena ongean me lifes geat, þæt ðæra ðeostra ealdras me ne gemeton. Þu eart Crist, ðæs lifigendan Godes Sunu, þu þe be ðines Fæder hæse middangeard gehældest, and us ðone Halgan Gast asendest. Þe we heriað, and þanciað þinra menigfealdra goda geond ungeendode worulde. Amen." Æfter ðysum gebede æteowode heofenlic leoht bufon ðam apostole, binnon ðære byrgene, ane tid swa beorhte scinende, þæt nanes mannes gesihð þæs leohtes leoman sceawian ne mihte; and he mid þam leohte his gast ageaf þam Drihtne þe hine to his rice gelaðode. He gewát swa freoh fram deaðes sarnysse, of ðisum andweardan life, swa swa he wæs ælfremed fram lichamlicere gewemmednysse. Soðlice syððan wæs his byrgen gemet mid mannan afylled. Manna wæs gehaten se heofenlica mete, þe feowertig geara afedde Israhela folc on westene. Nu wæs se bigleofa gemett on Iohannes byrgene, and nan ðing elles; and se mete is weaxende on hire oð ðisne andweardan dæg. Þær beoð fela tacna æteowode, and untrume gehælde, and fram eallum frecednyssum alysede, þurh ðæs apostoles ðingunge. Þæs him getiðað Drihten Crist, þam is wuldor and wurðmynt mid Fæder and Halgum Gaste, á butan ende. Amen. {59} DECEMBER XXVII. THE ASSUMPTION OF SAINT JOHN THE APOSTLE.