REJOICE, my beloved brethren in the Lord, who have come together at this festival in honour of our holy father and protector, St. Vedast; and be joyful in the spirit, and praise from the bottom of your hearts the clemency of Jesus Christ our Lord, who, by the preaching of this holy priest hath deigned to bring us out of the errors of idolatry to a knowledge of His name: let us, then, with one consent follow the steps of so holy a teacher; let us not be degenerate sons of so great a father, but by noble conduct imitate the sanctity of his life. Let us, therefore, cast from us the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of life, so that we may walk virtuously in the day: because the night of ignorance hath departed and the light of true science hath shone upon us, that we may be sons of light, and walk in all purity and righteousness. Let no seeds of wickedness or malice be hidden in any of our hearts: for man sees the face, but God examines into the heart, nor can any thing be concealed from the eyes of His Omnipotence. Let us make ready ourselves in all goodness, that Vedast, our illustrious bishop and pious preacher, may rejoice to lead us on the last day before the tribunal of our Great Judge, so that, by the number of his children, his glory may be amplified, and we may earn the privilege of hearing that gracious sentence pronounced, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, enjoy the kingdom which hath been prepared for you from the beginning of the world!” He does not cease to help us daily in our earthly conflict by his pious prayers uttered from his heavenly country, desiring that we, his dearest children, begotten in Christ by his fatherly piety, may arrive at the glory of everlasting happiness. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every one of you in order, according to the measure of his strength, bravely resist the promptings of the Devil, that he may become worthy the crown of victory which shall never fade, in company with our pious father. “For the affections of this world,” saith the apostle, “are not worthy to be compared to the future glory, which shall be revealed in us.” The Divine Love, therefore, hath willed that the time of our labour should be brief and the reward of it lasting, and that for tribulation which shall last but for a time, we shall rejoice in the recompense of glory everlasting. Now, we have heard, when the life of God’s beloved priest was read, what devotion he displayed in every excellence, how he chastened his body by rigorous abstinence, and strove to perform offices of charity to all men. Let us go on with all alacrity of mind, and with all our strength of body, following the traces of his holy life, that we may merit to be made partakers of the happiness in which he reigns with Christ. Let no carnal concupiscence or secular ambition impede our course: let us, by deeds of piety, accelerate our course to the gates of the heavenly country, where the inhabitants of the eternal city are waiting for us, and the King himself, who wishes all men to be safe, is anxiously looking for our salvation with his holy saints. It is our duty to co-operate with Him in the work of our salvation; for He hath loved us to such a degree that he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all. Let us love Him because He first loved us; let us do His will, because His will is our happiness: let us always keep in mind what was said by the Source of all Truth to a certain rich man in the Gospel: “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments:” what are the commandments, save to fear God and to love our neighbour? “On these two commands hang all the law and the prophets!” Now, the love of our neighbour is proved in works of compassion. Whosoever hath the riches of this world, let him help the man who hath not. Whosoever possesseth the knowledge of learning, let him correct him who errs, as the Apostle James saith, “Whoso turneth one sinner from the error of his ways, covereth a multitude of his own sins.” It behoveth us to know, dearest brethren, that, in proportion to the number of souls any man has gained to God, so will be the reward which he shall receive from God. What exalted glory do you not imagine St. Vedast must have in the heavenly kingdom with Christ, who gained by his zealous preaching such an innumerable people to Christ on earth! Or, how great glory do you then trust that man’s soul must have among the angels, whose body hath so much honour among mankind! What cannot his pious prayers obtain in heaven, when on earth he performed such great miracles? But the zeal of his Gospel-preaching and the fervour of the love which glowed in his bosom, were greater than any miracles. See how manfully he sought to multiply the talents which he received from the Lord! Therefore shall he hear the Lord pronounce over him that happy judgment, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, for thou hast been faithful over a few things: I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord thy God.” Small are the goods of this present life, in comparison of the goods which are to come; but whosoever labours faithfully in the former, shall rest happily in the latter. This holy saint, whom you have come together to honour, laboured for the salvation of many; wherefore on the day of judgment he shall receive the rewards of many. He chastened himself by rigorous abstinence, and benefited others by sedulous preaching; wherefore he is worthy to be praised by all men, according to the saying of Solomon, the wisest of men, “The memory of the just man shall be accompanied with praises, but the name of the wicked rotteth: whilst the life of the just shall be praised, the iniquity of the wicked, like dung, is detested by all men.” What greater happiness can there be than by a good life and conversation to earn from God the glory of eternal happiness, and to be praised by the mouths of all men? Let us consider daily with what assurance we can come before the tribunal of the Chief Judge, what good works we can carry with us; His justice will be no accepter of persons; but will render to every one according to his works: and he who labours the most in the works of the Lord, shall receive the most in the kingdom of God. Let each of us, in whatever vocation he is placed, strive therein to work out his own salvation. The door of the heavenly kingdom is open to all; but the quality of men’s merits will admit one man and reject another. How wretched must it be for a man to be shut from the glory of the saints, and to be consigned with the Devil to eternal flames! The burden of its sins sinks the soul into Tartarus; but the overflowing of God’s justice exalts it to heavenly glory. Let us throng frequently to the church of Christ: let us diligently hear therein the word of God; and what we receive in the ear let us retain in our hearts, that we may bear the fruit of good works in patience, and with brotherly love may each study to assist the other. We have abundant bright examples of our Heavenly Father in every office of charity, in the fervour of faith, in the long-suffering of hope, and in the persevering in goodness displayed by the holy man, whom we so much honour and so much love. Let us, in all our conversation, follow his holy footsteps with all the energy of our minds; that, walking in the way of his life, we may be thought worthy with him to receive the glory of eternal happiness, through the aid of our everlasting King and Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.