Hence it is often said to sinners: give glory to God! But Babylon and the entire region of the Chaldeans are called dark or gloomy mountains, as in the beginning of Isaiah, where we find written against Babylon: Raise the signal on a dark mountain, which in Hebrew is called nishpeh.

And this covenant is well said to be a shady and thick mountain, because it is darkened by the thick obscurities of allegories. Again, by a mountain is designated the apostate angel, as is said to preachers concerning the ancient enemy under the character of the king of Babylon, Lift you up a banner upon the gloomy mountain. Holy preachers lift up a banner above the gloomy mountain when they exalt the virtue of the cross.

The day of the Lord comes suddenly, it says, and in an unexpected way like the pains of childbirth, which forestall all one’s efforts to hide them.

For there will be none to stand by, none to rescue, nowhere the face of Christ, so mild and calm. But as those who work in the mines are delivered over to certain cruel people and see none of their friends but those only that are set over them, so will it be then also: or rather not so, but even far more grievous.

You have opened the eyes of our hearts^[1] so that we realize you alone are highest among the highest, and ever remain holy among the holy.^[2] You humble the pride of the arrogant, overrule the plans of the nations, raise up the humble and humble the haughty. You make rich and make poor; you slay and bring to life; you alone are the guardian of spirits and the God of all flesh. You see into the depths:^[3] you look upon humankind’s deeds; you aid those in danger and save those in despair.^[4] You are the Creator of every spirit and watch over them. You multiply the nations on the earth, and from out of them all you have chosen those who love you through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him you have trained us, made us saints and honored us. 1

In this way the word [Scripture] clearly shows the few who will be saved in the day of the ruin of those who are evil. Therefore, one cannot expect that all those who are uncircumcised and all of the Jewish nation, without exception, will receive the promises of God.

Hence he was ordered by the prophet to speak to the sons of Ammon and to reproach them, for they would have to be captured, and he directed a word also to the sword. . . . But even more is said through Isaiah in his vision against Babylon: Behold, I will raise the Medes up against them; and shortly later: This Babylon, glorious among the kingdoms, the proud possession of the Chaldeans, will be destroyed by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. It will remain uninhabited forever.

There are people who are even worse than wild donkeys, living in the wilderness and kicking. In fact, most of the young people among us are like this. They have wild desires and jump around, kicking and going around unbridled. They spend all their energy on unbecoming behavior. The fathers are to blame. While they hire horse breakers to discipline their horses and do not let the young colt stay untamed for long, they overlook their own young people. The youth are unbridled and have no self-control. They disgrace themselves through their sexual sins, through gambling and through going to the wicked theater.