pose that no one had ever died, and that the name of death is unknown, so that we are all to live forever in this world. And a sad thing that would be for the poor and afflicted who would then have to remain in this vale of tears without the hope of a better life. But suppose for a moment that it is so. Imagine, further, that an angel comes and announces to us in a clear voice: one of you who are now in this church must leave the world and die after a short time, and then he will be brought before the judgment-seat of God, where he shall have to render an exact account of all the thoughts, words, and actions of his whole life; if they are found to be good, he will enjoy himself with God for all eternity, otherwise he must burn forever in the fire of hell. How disturbed we should all be at hearing such a message! What thoughts, doubts, fear, and terror it would give rise to! “O dear angel,” we would say, “do not keep us all in suspense! Tell us who it is who must die, so that the rest of us may be free from anxiety!” “I will tell you,” replies the angel, “see, there is the man;” and he points to him and says: “thou shalt die.” Now we know who he is. But what the man’s thoughts would be I leave to himself. Now, my dear brethren, if you saw that he who is thus condemned to death was quite indifferent to his fate, and occupied himself only with building houses, enlarging his gardens and fields, amassing money and having one new garment made after the other; if you heard him complaining and saying: Oh, what a great loss of property I have suffered! What would you think and say of him? There is no doubt that you would say to him: you fool, leave your houses, riches, and lands for us who are to live forever in this world. You are certain that you must leave this life in a short time; why, then, should you trouble yourself about such things? You know that the world will come to an end for you Boon; you should, therefore, be indifferent to its riches; nor should you be concerned about the loss of things which you cannot take with you beyond this life. Rather consider how you can best prepare to appear before God after death. But the man takes no notice of all this; and what is still worse, he indulges in all kinds of sinful pleasures, and places no restraint on his passions, as, alas! so many do nowadays. What would you think of this conduct of his? Ah, blind and stupid man! you know that you must give a strict account to an all-knowing God; you must appear before the pure spirits of heaven, and yet
