HOW HE THAT WYLL PRAYE GOD MUST DO ABSTYNENCE.
NOTHER ensample shalle be reherced to yow of the Fader and moder of Sampson, whiche were hooly folk in theyr maryage, but they myght haue no Children, and yet many clamours and orysons they hadde therfore made vnto god. This good lady was thenne vpon a day at a chirche, whiche at that tyme was called temple. And as she was there wepynge and prayenge god, god toke pyte on her and sente vunto er an Angel, whiche told her that she shold haue a sone that shold be the strongest man that euer was, & that by his strengthe the lawe shold be enhaunced. The good lady came soone to her lord and told hym this tydynge. Her lord thenne kneled and prayd god that he wold shewe to hym this thynge by his angel. And thenne god sente to them his aungel, whiche sayd vnto them that they shold faste and doo abstynence, and also that they shold kepe this child fro moch mete and drynke. And yet sayd the aungel, "For ouermoche etynge and drynkyng fyghten ageynst the body and ageynst the sowle," and whanne thus he had sayd to them he departed fro them. They obeyed the commaundement of the Aungel & fasted and made abstynence. And soone after they had a childe, whiche whanne he was ful growen he fought ageynst the paynyms and kepte and mayntened the lawe of god ayenst them, of whome he made grete occisyons and many grete merueylles as god susteyned and helped hym. For he allone discomfyted and ouercame thre thousand persones. Therfor ye haue here good ensample, how ye shalle fast and do abstynence yf ye wylle requyre of god ony thynge. For confession and fastynge done the request to be graunted of god, as the Aungel told vnto them. And yet after he sayd to them that they shold kepe theyr sone fro ouermoche mete, & specially of drynk. Thenne syth the holy Aungel of god whiche al thyng knoweth. defended to them
