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cover these deceits and oppressions, shall separate "the wheat" from "the cockle," the grain from "the chaff," [1] the good fish from the bad, and the lambs from the kids. And the good, "He shall set on His right hand, "taking them up (as St. Paul says) " into the air," [2] that all the world may know them, and honour them as saints; and the wicked, "He will set" "on his left" hand, leaving them upon the earth that all may know them, and despise them as sinners. Oh, how great shall the confusion be of the wicked, who, in this life, had the right hand and were mighty, when they shall see themselves on the left hand in such an extremity of baseness! Oh, what a raging envy will they have against the righteous, when they shall see them so honoured, and themselves so contemned! What will the prince and the lord say when he shall see his slave exalted to so high a place? What the superior and the master, when he sees his subject and disciple so preferred before him? All at once they will say that of the Book of Wisdom, " We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour; behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints! Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not shined to us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen upon us." [3]

Colloquy. — O Sun of Righteousness, illuminate the eyes of my soul with Thy celestial light, that I may behold the blindness of these wretches, and be warned in time by their .calamity! Amen.

3. Contrariwise, the righteous shall be very full of content to see themselves on the right side of Christ, and Christ our Lord very joyful to see them at His side; for then that saying of David begins to the letter to be visibly fulfilled: " The Queen stood on Thy right hand in gilded clothing,

  1. Matt. iii. 12; xiii. 30, 47.
  2. 1 Thess.iv.
  3. Sap. v. 4.