garments of the he-goats on the left hand side must be tom.40 Your compassion¬
SERMON 216 173 old age (Ps 92:14), and thus peacefully proclaim the works of the Lord, as he, being mighty, has done great things for you (Lk 1:49), because great is his name, and his wisdom has no limits (Ps 147:5).
Seek life; run to him who is the fountain of life-, and then, dispelling the darkness of your reeking, smoking lusts, you will see light in the light (Ps 36:9) of his only-begotten Son and your most kindly redeemer, who also enlightens you with his brilliance. If you are seeking salvation, hope in him who saves those who hope in him (Ps 17:7). If you are dead set on drunkenness and delights, he will not even refuse you these; only come and worship and fall down and weep before the one who made you (Ps 95:6), and he will make you drunk on the richness of his house, and give you to drink from the torrent of his delights (Ps 36:8).
Humility is rewarded with what pride has been denied
10. But beware of the foot of pride coming to you, and watch out for the hands of the wicked moving you (Ps 36:11). To prevent the first happening, pray that he may cleanse you from your hidden sins, while to stop the second rushing you and throwing you down, beg that he may spare you from the sins of others (Ps
19:12-13). When you are down, get up; when you get up, stand up straight; when you stand up straight, make a stand; when you make a stand, stick to it. Do not bear the yoke any longer; rather, burst their chains, and cast off their yoke from you,37 and do not ever again let yourselves be held under the yoke of slavery (Gal 5:1).
The Lord is near; do not be anxious about anything (Phil 4:5-6). Eat now, for the time being, the bread of sorrow-, the time will come when after the bread of sadness you will be served with the bread of happiness. But you deserve this by putting up with that. Your turning away from God, your running away from him, earned you the bread of mourning; turn back, be converted and be sorry, and come back to your Lord. He is prepared, as you come back sorry, to hand out to you the bread of joy, provided you do not make excuses, and put off praying in grief and tears over your running away.
So amid all these gangs of people vexing and troubling you, put on sack¬ cloth,38 and humble your soul with fasting. Humility is rewarded with what pride has been denied. And you indeed, while you were being scrutinized, and that persuader of flight and desertion was being properly rebuked by the terrifying omnipotence of the Trinity, were not actually clothed in sackcloth, but yet your feet were symbolically standing on it.39
Be converted
11. The vices and the fleeces of the she-goats must be trampled on; the ragged garments of the he-goats on the left hand side must be tom.40 Your compassion¬ ate Father is coming of his own accord to meet you with the first robe, not having hesitated for a moment to kill the fatted calf as well, in order to appease your