Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/169

 account of dignity: “The crown,” i.e., eternal, “is their riches,” Prov. xiv. 24. Their true riches are not earthly emoluments nor the froward blindness of the foolish, Gloss. The wise, if they have any earthly emolument for riches, nevertheless partake of the crown as if for virtues which are to them in the future. “ But the foolishness of fools is folly;” that is, that they rejoice in present gains through envy of that which is eternal. For foolishness is often called improvidence.

V. On the fifth head it is to be noted, that eternal riches are to be sought for three reasons. (1) On account of their truth, for they are true riches: “ If, brethren, you wish to be truly rich, love true riches,” S. Bernard. (2) On account of their joyousness : “Let the saints be .joyful in glory, let them sing aloud upon their beds,” Ps. cxlix. 5. “ Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty,” Isa. xxxiii. 17. (3) On account of eternity: “ But the just shall live for evermore,” Wis. v. 16. “And of His kingdom there shall be no end,” S. Luke i. 33. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, &c., but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” &c., S. Matt. vi. 19, 20. The Lord shewed by these three (rust, moth, and thieves) that there is nothing safe in the possession of riches; for there are certain things, such as silver and gold and metals, which rust devours; there are others which the moth but not the rust corrupts and eats, such as silken and precious garments ; there are other things which neither rust nor moth eat, but which thieves steal and dig up, such as gems and precious stones ; whence it is manifest how uncertain is every possession of our life, and all other things. The Lord persuades us to have our treasures in heaven, but how can any one lay up treasures in heaven unless by making riches in time? We are able to understand spiritual wickedness by rust, moth, and thieves. By rust pride is signified, for it having invaded souls, turns them from the right way, ever shewing itself openly, and expanding itself for human praise. By the moth envy is signified, corrupts where it invades, and deprives of all integrity. By thieves evil spirits are understood, who watch that they may dig up and steal the treasures of the mind. In heaven there is no rust; there is no place there for pride, since the devil and his followers were cast out from thence. In heaven there is no