Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/165

 that is proud, and bring him low,” Job. xl. 11, 12. Again: “ Hide them in the dust together, and bind their faces in secret,” Id. 13.

III. On the third head it is to be noted, that we ought to be humbled in a three-fold manner. (1) In ourselves, by the knowledge that we are nothing. S. Gregory says, that humility is the emptying from ourselves of our own understanding. (2) By contempt, if any humble person can be made much of; if any lowly person can be brought into repute. It is easy, indeed, to place a veil before the eyes, and to wear poor clothing, and to walk with the head bowed down; but patient endurance of wrong proves who is truly humble. (3) We ought to humble ourselves by submitting ourselves to all: “ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by Him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well,” 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14.

IV. On the fourth head it is to be noted, that the Lord will, in a three-fold way, exalt him who humbles himself. (1) By conferring on him the power of judgment: “Then answered Peter, and said unto Him, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore ? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel,” S. Matt. xix. 27, 28. (2) In conferring royal dignity: “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory,” 1 Sam. ii. 8. “ He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, He doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted,” Job. xxxvi. 7. (3) By giving eternal glory: “ Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit,” Prov. xxix. 23. “To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety,” Job. v. 11.