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 but love, and peace, and everlasting
gladness with all the elect of God; where no good thing can be
wanting. Then shall the righteous answer and say, Lord, why hast
thou prepared such glory and such good things? He shall answer, for
mercy, for faith, for piety, and truth and the like. Lord, when
didst thou see these good things in us? The Lord shall answer,
"Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me, and what ye
did in secret, I will reward openly." Then shall the King say unto
them on his left hand, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, where shall be weepjng
and gnashing of teeth," and tears of eyes; where death is desired
and comes not; where the worm dieth not and the fire is not
quenched; where is no joy, but sorrow; where is no rest, except
pain; where nothing is heard but lamentations. Then they also shall
answer and say, Lord, why hast thou prepared such punishments for
us? For your iniquity and malignity, the Lord shall say.
Therefore, my brethren, I beseech you, that they who are in the
habits of good works would persevere in every good work; and that
they who are evil would amend themselves quickly, before sudden
death come upon them. While, therefore, we have time, let us do good
to all men, and let us leave off doing ill, that we may attain to
eternal life.