362 THE KING'S MIRROR 



riches, gold and silver, though with discretion^ but not 

 to dispose of the honors and glories of My holy judg- 



But if it is found that he has been discreet in his 

 charge, he shall have cause to rejoice in his stewardship; 

 he will, however, be examined in various lines. Jle will be 

 asked how he has used the rod of punishment which was 

 given into his hands; and it is very important that justice 

 shall have^een Strictly observed in penalties, lest it go 

 so ill with him as with King Saul, who failed to inflict 

 a just penalty which God had commanded him to exe- 

 cute on the people who dwelt in Amalek, but slew un- 

 justly the bishop Ahimelech and all the priests in Nob. 

 But if it should go so ill with him who is thus called to 

 account for penalties inflicted, that he is found to have 

 stumbled in matters like those just mentioned and in 

 which King Saul fell, he will soon hear these words: 

 " Lead him yonder where King Saul and Herod and 

 Nero and others like them abide, and let him dwell 

 there with them, seeing that he wished to be like them 

 in cruelty." Still, if in some cases he has been merciful 

 in sentence and punishment and if there is good reason 

 why he should escape the reproaches that we have just 

 mentioned, those facts will not be forgotten. For then 

 he shall find happiness in all his stewardship and very 

 soon shall hear this greeting: " Thou art welcome, thou 

 faithful servant and good friend, for thou hast loyally 

 kept a slight temporal dignity; now thou shalt come into 

 joyful possession of a great honor, constant and ever- 

 lasting, wholly free from sorrow and danger." Happy 

 is he who is permitted to hear these words; but wretched 



