[Sermones "Dormi secure" de tempore]

to the land of promise, five kings of the pagans came with their armies to impede them, but Joshua fought strongly against them with the help of God. And the sun was already declining toward the west, and Joshua cried out with all faith: Sun, do not move until we have had victory against our enemies. The sun obeyed him and stood still for the space of one day, until he conquered all the enemies. So morally, the Apostle says: "Whatsoever things were written were written for our doctrine" in the old law, and they were made for our doctrine in the new law. The children of Israel are the faithful who intend to go after this life to the land of eternal promise, but five kings with their armies attack us, that is, the five senses of the body, namely: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Their army is the world, the devil, and one's own flesh. But Joshua, that is, any faithful person, ought to pray to God in temptation with all faith: Sun, do not move; stand by me in aid. And when victory comes: Sun, this is Jesus Christ who is called the sun of justice, do not move, but stand by me in aid. And when Christ, the sun of justice, is so devoutly invoked, then He will be ready to help man always. Therefore, at the cries of Joshua, He made the sun stand, and this is evident regarding Saint Anthony, who was tempted in many ways and lacerated by the devil in his body. But Christ, the true sun, stood over him. And Anthony said: Where were you, good Jesus? He replied: I am here and I stood over you, but I wanted to test your faith. Therefore, when we pray to Him, He always stands to

infuse grace into us. The second sign of the sun we read of in Isaiah 38. The word of the Lord came to Isaiah the prophet: Go and tell King Hezekiah to set his house in order, for he will die. Who did according to the precept of the Lord and said to Hezekiah: Set your house in order, for you will die. And he turned himself to the wall and wept with a great weeping, and the Lord saw his tears and said: Go and tell King Hezekiah: Behold, I have seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And when the prophet said this to him, he asked for a sign in the sun, so that the sun went backward by ten degrees. So morally, Hezekiah, sick corporally, figures the human race spiritually sick in the soul. And just as Hezekiah wept with a great weeping for life and asked most devoutly: So the patriarchs and prophets were crying out for the life and liberation of the whole human race, that which Isaiah 64 says:

Oh that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down.

And the Lord heard their voices. Whence that Psalm says: "For the groaning of the poor, now will I arise, saith the Lord." And when He wished to liberate us from eternal death, He made a sign in the sun of divinity, so that it went backward by ten degrees. The first degree was the first choir of angels and the highest, namely the Seraphim, who so ardently adhere to God in divine love, praising Him. The second degree the Cherubim, who through the subtlety of knowledge contemplate divine secrets. The third degree the Thrones, in whom God sits so that by His judgment He may discern. The fourth degree the Dominations, who are of such dignity that they preside over others and are sent to us for diverse causes. The fifth