We habbað gesǽd embe ðas þryfealdan lac, hú hí to Criste belimpað: we willað eac secgan hú hí to ús belimpað æfter ðeawlicum andgite. Mid golde witodlice bið wisdom getácnod, swa swa Salomon cwæð, "Gewilnigendlic gold-hord lið on ðæs witan muðe." Mid store bið geswutelod halig {118} gebed, be ðam sang se sealm-scop, "Drihten, sy min gebed asend swa swa byrnende stór on ðinre gesihðe." Þurh myrran is gehíwod cwelmbærnys ures flæsces; be ðam cweð seo halige gelaðung, "Mine handa drypton myrran." Þam acennedan Cyninge we bringað gold, gif we on his gesihðe mid beorhtnysse þæs upplican wisdomes scinende beoð. Stór we him bringað, gif we ure geðohtas ðurh gecnyrdnysse haligra gebeda on weofode ure heortan onǽlað, þæt we magon hwæthwega wynsumlice ðurh heofenlice gewilnunge stincan. Myrran we him offriað, gif we ða flæsclican lustas þurh forhæfednysse cwylmiað. Myrra deð, swa we ær cwædon, þæt þæt deade flæsc eaðelice ne rotað. Witodlice þæt deade flæsc rotað leahtorlice, þonne se deadlica lichama ðeowað þære flowendan galnysse, swa swa se wítega be sumum cwæð, "Ða nytenu forrotedon on heora meoxe." Þonne forrotiað þa nytenu on heora meoxe, þonne flæsclice men on stence heora galnysse geendiað heora dagas. Ac gif we ða myrran Gode gastlice geoffriað, þonne bið ure deadlica lichama fram galnysse stencum ðurh forhæfednysse gehealden. Sum ðing miccles gebícnodon þa tungel-witegan us mid þam þæt hi ðurh oðerne weg to heora earde gecyrdon. Ure eard soðlice is neorxna-wang, to ðam we ne magon gecyrran þæs weges ðe we comon. Se frumsceapena man and eall his ofspring wearð adræfed of neorxena-wanges myrhðe, þurh ungehyrsumnysse, and for ðigene þæs forbodenan bigleofan, and ðurh modignysse, ðaða he wolde beon betera ðonne hine se Ælmihtiga Scyppend gesceop. Ac us is micel neod þæt we ðurh oðerne weg þone swicolan deofol forbugan, þæt we moton gesæliglice to urum eðele becuman, þe we to gesceapene wæron. We sceolon þurh gehyrsumnysse, and forhæfednysse, and eadmodnysse, ánmodlice to urum eðele stæppan, and mid halgum mægnum ðone eard ofgan, þe we ðurh leahtras forluron. Rihtlice wæs se swicola Herodes fram þam tungel-witegum bepæht, and he to Criste ne becom, forðan ðe hé {120} mid facenfullum mode hine sohte. He getacnode þa leasan licceteras, ðe mid híwunge God secað, and næfre ne gemetað. He is to secenne mid soðfæstre heortan, and anrædum mode, seðe leofað and rixað mid Fæder and Halgum Gaste, on ealra worulda woruld. Amen. {105} JANUARY VI. THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD. Most beloved men, a few days ago we read over this gospel before you, which belongs to the service of this day, for the interpretation of the evangelical narrative; but we did not touch on the exposition further than belonged to the dignity of that day: we will now again run over the same evangelical narrative, and expound it with regard to the present festival.