Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/12

 happiness (Hom. VIII.); Lam. iii. 26, the elevation of the mind to God.

The Trinity Homilies are very rich in deep and thoughtful readings of Holy Scripture. Isa. xxv. 5, the feast of the new Creation (Hom. IV.); Isa. vi. 5, seraphims of purification (Hom. VI.); Ps. cv. 6, the reparation of the Heavenly City (Hom. VII.); Isa. xxvi., the lost gift of glory (Hom. IX.); Isa. iii. 14 explains the "council" of S. Matt. v. 22 (Hom. XII.); Ps. cxxxii. 15, the Eternal Bread (Hom. XIV.); Job xx. 27 referred to final Judgment (Hom. XVIII.); Isa. xxx. 1 -8, shews the nature of the trust of the wicked (Hom. XXIII.); S. Mark vii. 33, mystical fingers put into ears (Hom. XXIV.); Ps. lvii. 3, healing power of Holy Baptism (Hom. XXVI.); Ps. lxxvi. 2, Salem, the Tabernacle of Peace (Hom. XXVII.); Isa. xxxiii. 20, a description of the City of God (Hom. XXXVIII.); Isa. iii. 14, army of Saints final ministers of punishment (Hom. XL.); Prov. xviii. 4, "deep waters" represent the Old Testament, the "flowing brooks" the New Testament (Hom. L.) These Homilies are, to a limited extent, a commentary upon many difficult passages of the Inspired Canon.

Thirdly, the great use of these Homilies is for sermon-making. They bring a text of Holy Scripture to bear upon each statement; they adopt a natural division of the subject; they take up minute details which signify much, but which at first sight seem to be wholly unworthy of notice; they contrast in the strongest possible way nature with grace. These four statements can be proved with the utmost ease by a careful reading of only a few of the Homilies.

There are two methods by which these outlines can be expanded into a sermon of the required length for the present