A   He aunswered me then and said: Measure thou the time dilig&ebar;tly in it self, wh&ebar; thou seyst that one parte of the tokens come to passe, whiche I haue tolde the before: so shalt thou vnderstande, that it is þe; very same tyme, wherein the Hyest will begynne to vyset the worlde, whiche he made. And when there shalbe sene earthquake and vproare of the people in the world, then shalt thou wel vnderstande, that the mooste hyest spake of those thynges, from the dayes that were before the, euen frome the begynnynge.

For lyke as all that is made in the world, hath a begynnynge and ende, and the ende is manyfest: Euen so the tymes also of þe; Hyest haue playne beginnynges in wounders and sygnes, and the ende in workynge and in tokens. And euery one that shalbe saued, and shall be able to escape by his workes and by fayth, wherein ye haue beleued, shall be preserued from the sayde parels, and shall se my sauiour in my lande and wythin my borders for I haue halowed me from the worlde.
Then shall they be in carefulnesse, whiche now haue abused my wayes: and they that haue cast them out despytefully, shall dwell in paynes.

For such as in their lyfe haue receiued benefytes, and haue not knowen me, and they that haue abhorred my law, whyle they had yet fredome, and when they hadde yet open rowme of amendement and conuersion, and vnderstode not, but despised it: the same must knowe it after death in payne. And therfore be thou nomore carefull, howe the vngodly shalbe punished, ∧ how the righteous shalbe saued, and whose the worlde is, ∧ for whome the worlde, and when it is. B   Then aunswered I ∧ sayde: I haue talked before and nowe I speake, ∧ will speake also hereafter, that there be many moo of them whiche peryshe, then shalbe saued, lyke as the floudde is greater then the droppes.

And he aunswered me, saying: lyke as the felde is, so is also the sede: as the floures be,

so are the colours also: such as the workman is, such is also the worke: ∧ as the housbande man is hym selfe, so is his housbrandry also, for it was the tyme of the worlde. And when I prepared for them that are now, or euer the worlde was made, where in they shoulde dwell, then was there no m&abar; that withstode me. ^noteNow when euery one was, and the maker also in the worlde whiche is now prepared, and the moneth that ceaseth not, and the lawe whiche is vnsearcheable, their maners were corrupte. So I consydred the worlde, ∧ beholde, there was parel, because of þe; thoughtes that were come into it. And I saw, ∧ spared them greatly, and haue kepte me a wynebery of the grapes, and a plante from am&obar;ge many generacions. Let the multitude perysh then, whyche are growen vp in vayne, and lette my grape and wynebery be kepte: euen my plante: for with greate laboure haue I made it vp.

C   Neuertheles if thou wilt take vp&obar; the yet seuen daies mo (but thou shalt not fast in th&ebar;) goo thy waye then into the felde of floures, where no house is buylded, and eate onely of of the floures of the feld, taste not flesh, drinke no wyne, but eate floures onely. Praye vnto the Hyest continually, soo wyll I come, and talke with the.

So I went my waye and came into the felde which is called Ardath (like as he commaunded me) and there I sat among the floures, and eate of the herbes of the feld, and the meate of the same satisfyed me. After seuen dayes I sat vpon the grasse, ∧ my herte was vexed within me lyke as afore: and I opened my mouth, ∧ beg&abar;ne to talke before the Hiest, and sayde: O Lord, thou that shewest thy self vnto vs, thou haste declared and opened thy selfe vnto oure fathers in the wyldernes, in a place where no man dwelleth, in a bar&ebar; place when they came out of Egipt, and thou spakest, sayinge: Heare me O Israell, and marke my wordes thou sede of Iacob. Beholde, I sowe my lawe in you, and it shall bring frute in you, and ye shalbe honoured in it for euer. For oure fathers whiche receyued the lawe, kepte it not, and obserued not thy ordinaunces and statutes, and the frute of thy lawe was not declared: for it myght not, for why? it was thyne. For they that receyued it, perished, because they kepte not the thynge that was sowen in them.

It is a custome when the grounde receyueth sede, or the sea a shippe, or a vessel meate and drynke, D   that when it perisheth or is broken wherin a thyng is sowen, or wherin any thyng is put: the thinges also perishe and are broken, whiche are sowen or put therin. But vnto vs it hath not happened so: for we that haue receyued the lawe, perishe in synne, and oure herte which also receyued the lawe: not withstandynge the lawe perysheth not, but remayneth in hys laboure.

And when I consydered these thynges in my hert after this maner, I loked aboute me with myne eyes, and vpon the ryght syde I sawe a woman, whiche mourned sore, made great lamentacion, ∧ wepte with loude voice: her clothes were rent in peces, and she hadde asshes vpon her heade.

Then let I my thoughtes go, that I was in, ∧ turned me vnto her, ∧ said: wherfore wepest thou? why art thou so sory ∧ discomforted? And she sayde vnto me: Syr, lette me bewayl my self ∧ take yet more sorow: for I am sore vexed in my minde, ∧ brought very lowe. And I sayde vnto her: what ayleth the? Or who hath done any thing to the? tell me. She sayd: I haue bene vnfruteful ∧ baren, ∧ haue had an housb&abar;de .xxx. yeares. And these .xxx. yeares I do nothing els day ∧ night ∧ al houres, but make my prayer to the Hyest. After xxx. yeares God herde me thy handmayden, loked vp&obar; my misery, c&obar;sidered my trouble, ∧ gaue me a sonne, ∧ I was glad of him, so was my housb&abar;d also ∧ all my neyghbours, ∧ we gaue great honour vnto the mightie. And I noryshed hym with great trauayle. So wh&ebar; he grew vp, ∧ came to the time, that he should haue a wyfe, I made a feast.

Previous section

Next section