[Sermones "Dormi secure" de tempore]

as is evident in Amos 2: "Moab shall die in the sound of the trumpet." Secondly, the written records are read before all the people of his own confession: what that culprit has done, as is evident in Esther 13. The king ordered his two confidants to be led to death because they confessed that they wanted to kill the king. Thirdly, the sentence pronounced by the mouth of the judge is notified, what kind of death he ought to sustain. Exodus 22: "You shall not suffer evildoers to live upon the earth." Fourthly, the obedience of the ministers dragging the culprit to his punishment. Whence it is said in 2 Maccabees 6: "With these words, they dragged the culprit to his punishment." Our Lord, the judge of the living and the dead, wishes to do these four things. These four are proven in this gospel. The sounds of the signs as if sounding trumpets. The powers of heaven as if commendable servants. Eminent judges as if venerable kings. Evident reasons as if demonstrable confessions. And this is evident in the gospel where the Lord said to His disciples who were asking about the final judgment:

There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea: because the sea monsters will make a great sound that will be heard throughout the whole world, and the waves which will exceed their natural course beyond the limit. With men withering away, that is, men will be thin on account of the fear that will come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven, that is, the angels, will be moved to

compassion for men. And then they shall see the Son of Man coming to judgment in the clouds of heaven with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, that is, when these things stated above exist, look up and lift up your heads. And He spoke to them a likeness so that they might be able to understand that better: See the fig tree and all the trees when they produce fruit now, you know that summer is near. ¶ The fig tree is noted there because it is the first tree that announces summer with its flowers. So also you, when you see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near. Amen I say to you: that this generation shall not pass, that is, men are born and die until all these things come to pass. Heaven and earth shall pass away, that is, heaven and earth would rather perish than My words not be made true. And thus the gospel is evident. ¶ Returning to the theme, concerning that gospel: "There shall be signs in the sun and moon, etc." It is to be noted that a fourfold sign has been made and will be made in the sun. The first sign was made under Joshua. The second sign in the time of Isaiah. The third sign in the time of the passion of Christ. The fourth sign will be made in the judgment. And these four signs ought to be well noted on account of singular and spiritual doctrine. The first sign was made under Joshua, about which one reads in the Book of Joshua by figure, that is, spiritual doctrine. Whence, when Joshua was to lead the children of Israel