hear the names of the four tormentors.  The first, who put him in prison, is the Prison of the Present Life, of which it is said, “Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech”; the second, who tormented him, is the Misery of the World, which besets us with all kinds of pain and wretchedness; the third, who was putting him to death, conquered death, bound the strong man, took his goods, and distributed the spoils; and ascending up on high, led captivity captive and gave gifts for men, and brought back the servant into his country, crowned with double honor, and endued with a garment of immortality.  When Mercy beheld this, she had no grounds for complaint, Truth found no cause of discontent, because her father was found true.  The servant had paid all his penalties.  Justice in like manner complained not, because justice had been executed on the transgressor; and thus he who had been lost was found.  Peace, therefore, when she saw her sisters at concord, came back and united them.  And now, behold, Mercy and Truth are met together, Justice and Peace have kissed each other.  Thus, therefore, by the Mediator of man and angels, man was purified and reconciled, and the hundredth sheep was brought back to the fold of God.  To which fold Jesus Christ brings us, to whom is honor and power everlasting.  Amen.

A SERMON FOR ANY DAY

Beloved brethren, it is time to pass from evil to good, from darkness to light, from this most unfaithful world to everlasting joys, lest that day take us unawares in which our Lord Jesus Christ shall come to make the round world a desert, and to give over to everlasting punishment sinners who would not repent of the sins which they did.  There is a great sin in lying, as saith Solomon, “The lips which lie slay the soul.  The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God,” no more doth his covetousness.  Whence the Apostle saith, “The love of money and pride are the root of all evil.”  Pride, by which that apostate angel fell, who, as it is read in the prophecy, “despised the beginning of the ways of God.  How art thou fallen from heaven!” We must avoid pride, which had power to deceive angels; how much more will it have power to deceive men!  And we ought to fear envy, by which the devil deceived the first man, as it is written, “Christ was crucified through envy, therefore he that envieth his neighbor crucifieth Christ,”

See that ye always expect the advent of the Judge with fear and trembling, lest he should find us unprepared; because the Apostle saith, “My days shall come as a thief in the night.”  Woe to them whom it shall find sleeping in sins, for “then,” as we read in the Gospel, “He shall gather all nations, and shall separate them one from the other, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats.  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,” where there is no grief nor sorrow; where there is no other sound