Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/132

 stars signifies pride, whence the first proud one said, Isa. xiv. 13, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God ... I will be like the Most High.” 'S. Augustine, “And they thought that they would exalt themselves with stars and lightning, and behold they have fallen upon earth.”

II. The idolatry of the elements signifies the idolatry of the covetous, Colos. iii. 5, “ Covetousness, which is idolatry.” The idolatry of animals is that of carnal concupiscence, which exists in the pleasures of the flesh, S. Jude 10, “But what they know naturally as brute beasts in those things they corrupt themselves.” Of these three, S. James iii. 15, “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly,” through avarice ; “sensual,” by luxury; “devilish,” through pride.

This word is spoken to every one at death or in the judgment, since it behoves us all to come before the heavenly tribunal of Christ the Judge, 2 Cor. v. 10, “ For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad and therefore every man ought to think how he will then be able to give account. But we ought to consider three things about this account. (1) The difficulty of rendering the account; (2) of the witnesses, who will accuse those rendering a false account, themselves giving the true one; (3) the severity of the sentence which will be given against those who have rendered a false account. I. On the first head, it is to be noted that (1) it will be difficult to render account of all the thoughts, Ps. lxxv. 11, Vulg., “For the thought of man shall give praise to Thee.” Wisd.i. 9, “ For inquisition shall be made into the thoughts of the ungodly.” (2) Of the sayings, S. Matt. xii. 36, “ But I say