Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/148

 tempt of pedigree. Of these two, Gen. xii. 1, 2, “The Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, and to the land that I will shew thee,” &c. (5) In hospitality and compassion. Gen. xviii. 3-5, “My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the free ; and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on.” Heb. xiii. 2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (6) In humility, Gen. xviii. 27, “I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes;” which are the words of Abraham to the Lord. Matt. xi. 29, “ Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” (7) In fear of God, Gen. xxii. 12, “Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.” Deut. x. 12, “And now, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee?” &c. In these words we are exhorted to imitate Abraham, “ If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham,” S. John xiii. 39.

II. On the second head it is to be noted, that to those who in these things imitate Abraham, the Lord makes seven great promises which he made to Abraham. (1) He promised to him that He would give him His blessing. (2) That He would exalt him. (3) That He would humble his enemies. (4) That He would honour him among all nations. Of these four, Gen. xii. 2, 3. “I will bless thee;” mark the first. “ And make thy name great;” mark the second. “ I will curse him that curseth thee ;” mark the third. “ And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed;” mark the fourth. (5) That God would protect him in all things. (6) That He Himself would be to him as a reward. Of these two, Gen. xv. 1, “The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield;” mark the first. “ And thy exceeding great reward ;” mark the second. (7) That God would give to him a land flowing with milk and honey, Gen. xiii. 15-17, “The Lord said unto Abram, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and east-