Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/103

 Prov. xii. 13, Vulg., “For the sins of the lips ruin draweth nigh to the evil man.” Eccles. x. 12, “ The lips of a fool will swallow up himself.” (2) He can have nothing prosperous in this life: Ps. cxl. 11, “Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth.” (3) Labour. (4) Sorrow: Ps. ix. 7, Vulg., “Under his tongue are labour and sorrow.” (5) Perverse destruction of him who speaks. (6) Expulsion from eternal life: Ps. lii. 4, 5, “Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever.” (7) The burning up of the deceitful tongue itself: Ps. xli. 17, Vulg., “Their tongue hath been dry with thirst.” (8) The torture of the evil tongue by infernal fire : S. Luke xvi. 24, “ Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” (9) The gnawing of the tongue itself : Rev. xvi. 10, “ And they gnawed their tongues for pain.” (10) Eternal death : Prov. xviii. 21, “ Death and life are in the power of the tongue”— i.e., in its operation or works. He who bridleth his tongue will have eternal life ; he who does not do this, will come into eternal death. (11) He will suffer every evil: Prov. xvii. 20, “ He that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief”—that is, into the evil of Gehenna. Prov. xiii. 3, “ He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction”—i.e., eternal.

III. On the third it is to be noted, that three benefits arise from the bridling of the tongue—(1) Perfection of life: S. James iii. 2, “ If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. (2) Elevation of the mind to God: Lam. iii. 28, “ He sitteth alone and keepeth silence.” (3) The gaining of eternal life : Ps. xxxiv. 12, 13, “ What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good 1 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”

Four considerations are suggested by these words. Firstly, His going from the Father: “I came forth from the Father.” His going forth from the Father was to make Himself visible. Secondly, His advent in the world: “Am