fully moved by self-interest, and present objects make such an impression upon them, that they think very little of future rewards and seek only their immediate satisfaction. The same was true even in the days of the prophets; for when Ezechiel made any promise or uttered any threat in the name of the Lord, people laughed at him and said to one another: "The vision that this man seeth is for many days to come; and this man prophesieth of times afar off."[1] In like manner did they ridicule the prophet Isaias: "Command, command again, command, command again; expect, expect again, expect, expect again."[2] Solomon teaches us the same when he says: "Because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear. ... And because all things equally happen to the just and the wicked, to him that offereth victims and to him that despiseth sacrifices, the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and with contempt while they live, and afterwards he shall be brought down to hell."[3] Yes, because the wicked seem to prosper in the world they conclude that they are safe, and that the labor of virtue is all in vain. This they openly confess by the mouth of the prophet Malachias, saying: "He laboreth in vain that serveth God; and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinances, and that we have walked sorrowful before the Lord of hosts? Wherefore now we call the proud
