Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/186

 hath stretched forth His hand against them and hath smitten them; and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets,” Isa. v. 24, 25. (2) He will be wroth against those who remain, or persist, in their sins unto the end : “ Behold, Thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved,” Isa. lxiv. 5. (3) Against those who abuse temporal riches: “I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease,” Zach. i. 15. (4) Against those who have no compassion on their neighbours: “For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment,” S. James ii. 13. This can be applied to that servant who was unwilling to have compassion on his fellow-servant.

II. On the second head it is to be noted, that the sinner will be tormented by four different tormentors. (1) By God: “ And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes there met Him two possessed with devils.And when they were come out they went into the herd of swine: and behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place to the sea and perished in the waters,” S. Matt. viii. 28-33. (2) By conscience : S. Augustine says, “ Thou hast commanded, O Lord, and so it is, that every inordinate mind should be a punishment to itself.” (3) By eternal death ; whilst it is said of the saints, that their souls “ are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them,” Wisd. iii. 1. “I pray thee, therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father’s house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come to this place of torment,” S. Luke xvi. 27, 28. (4) From every creature: “For the creature that serveth Thee, Who art the Maker, increaseth his strength against the unrighteous for their punishment, and abateth his strength for the benefit of such as put their trust in Thee,” Wisd. xvi. 24.

III. On the third head it is to be noted, that we ought to repay Him according to the four-fold debt which we owe to Him. Firstly, He gave to us the world with its creatures : “Thou hast put all things under his feet,” Ps. viii. 6. Secondly, the body with its senses. Thirdly, the mind with its powers. Of these two : “ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the