Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/116

 account of the honour of God; for the sinner when he is converted honours God, which is the joy of angels. Jos. vii. 19, “My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto Him.”

The Apostle in this Epistle designs to show that all His creatures desired the Advent of the Glory of the Saints. There are four creatures which desire especially the glory of the saints. First, angelic creatures; second, heavenly creatures; third, earthly creatures; fourth, human creatures ; and, therefore, perhaps, he names four creatures in this Epistle.

I. On the first head, it is noted, that the angels desire it for three reasons. (1) On account of the full completion of the victory over their enemies. Rev. xii. 9, “ And the great serpent was cast out; that old serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him and afterwards “ Rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.” (2) On account of the completion of their ministry. 1 Cor. xv. 24, “When He shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power, for He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet.” (3) On account of the perfect reparation of His city. Psalm cv. 6, “ He shall judge among the heathen, He shall fill the places with the dead bodies.” Ephes. i. 10, Vulg., “To re-establish all things in Christ that are in heaven and on earth.”

II. On the second head, it is to be noted that the heavenly creature was desiring this for three reasons. (1) On account of the taking away the unworthiness of its servitude. S. Isid., “The sun and the moon will not descend to setting after the judgment, nor to the wicked placed under the