a theft and sent a boy after them to demand the stolen jar back again; but the angel took his stick and struck the boy dead with it. They then came to the hut of another hermit who gave them a very rough reception, and eventually beat them away from his door. The angel gave to this inhospitable man the jar he had taken from the other hermit. He then said to his companion, who through reverence and astonishment at such conduct had not dared to say a word: “Now I will tell you the reason of all that I have done; the jar was formerly acquired by theft, and it was not fitting that a holy man should have such a thing in his possession, although he knew nothing of its having been unjustly acquired; therefore I took it from him,, and gave it to the other, for we must return good for evil. The boy whom I killed would, if he had lived one night longer, have slain his pious master; and to preserve him from such a crime I took away his life while he was still in his first innocence.” “These are the judgments of God.”[1] The angel then vanished. So far Nierenberg. Now I again ask you, my dear brethren, if we had been present, what would we have thought of the occurrence? Is it not very ungrateful to steal from a holy man, who had shown himself so friendly, the only domestic utensil almost that he had in his possession? And was it not a strange thing to give it to one who deserved nothing but punishment for his rudeness? And was it not a most cruel injustice to kill an innocent youth? Doubtless the hermit, and we with him, would have been of that opinion. For who could have dreamt or imagined that such actions could have proceeded from a just and righteous motive, if God Himself had not revealed it by His angel?
Confirmed by another. One more point: many considering the case of Lucifer and the host of rebel angels who with him were hurled down out of heaven, pity those spirits, and think the justice of God very strict indeed in not allowing those princes of heaven any time for mercy or repentance, and precipitating them at once into eternal torments, where for one sin of thought they must undergo frightful tortures forever. But if I were to tell you that after their first sin Lucifer and his followers became so hardened in guilt and in the hatred of God that they would not wish to leave hell even if God allowed them to do so, and would not accept His grace and pardon if He offered it to them, would you believe that? And if it be true, would not every one acknowledge that
- ↑ Hæc sunt judicia Dei.
