[Sermones "Dormi secure" de tempore]

did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? As if to say: John is not like a reed that is moved by the wind. What did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Certainly not, for John has a garment made of camel’s hair. Those who are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Certainly, John is more than a prophet, for what the prophets preached, this John demonstrated with his finger.

¶ This is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before your face, who shall prepare your way before you. Behold the gospel. Regarding the theme: When John had heard in bonds the works of Christ. Specifically, it is to be noted that there is a double bond in which all men are bound. The first bond is of love. The second is of shame. The third is of honor. The fourth is of horror and eternal damnation. ¶ The first is the bond of love by which all are bound to divine love, so that they love God above all things. Concerning this bond, the Apostle says: Have charity, which is the bond of peace. By this bond the Apostle Paul was bound when he said: Neither death, nor life, nor the sword, nor fear shall be able to separate me from the charity of Christ. Concerning
1 Kings 17

this bond of love we read a figure, where we read that David conquered Goliath with five stones, and freed the Israelite people from the power of Goliath and his enemies. Therefore Jonathan, the son of King Saul, made a

pact with David, and they bound themselves to each other as if with a bond of love, for they were both such great friends that they had, as it were, one soul, and Jonathan took off his tunic and dressed David in it. Thus, morally, Goliath is the devil who has besieged the city of our body on all sides and strives to capture our soul. But David, strong in hand, that is, a just man loving God, conquers Goliath, that is, the devil, in the five parts of penance, namely in confession, contrition, and satisfaction, fasting, and prayer, and he freed his soul from the power of the devil. And therefore Jonathan, that is, Christ, the son of the Most High King, loves him so much that He unites Himself with him as if with a bond of love, and He clothes him with the garment of salvation so that he may walk honestly in the day of judgment, as is evident according to the Apostle, as was said before. The second is the bond of the shame of sins. Concerning this bond, David says in the Psalm: You have broken my bonds, O Lord, etc. ¶ This bond is loosened by good
Isaiah 52

works. Whence: Captive daughter of Zion, loose the bonds from your neck. Zion is called a mirror and signifies a devout soul, which is a mirror of the Holy Trinity. Therefore the prophet advises, saying:
Acts 12

Loose the bonds of your neck. ¶ Peter was sitting in bonds, constrained by two chains. But an angel came and awakened him, saying: Arise and follow me, and he followed him. And when he had come outside the gate he said: Now I know in truth that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. ¶ Thus, morally, a sinner while in the darkness of sins is constrained by iron chains or