Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/196

 believe: “God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved,” S. John iii. 16, 17. We ought to believe in Him by faith, which guides us, and operates in us for our salvation. We ought to fly from sin, lest we be condemned: “He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned,” S. Mark xvi. 16. From which condemnation may He deliver us, &c.

Three things are recorded in these words. Firstly, the power of Christ: “ When they had seen the miracle that Jesus did.” For that miracle that He had wrought was an act of infinite power. S. Dionysius says, that a miracle is a manifest act of the power of God directed to the highest aim. Secondly, the great wisdom of Christ: “ This is of a truth that Prophet,” &c. Prophesying is an act of infinite wisdom : “ The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto Me; unto Him ye shall hearken,” Deut. xviii. 15. Thirdly, the great justice of Christ: “That should come into the world;” for Christ is to come into the world to judge it in justice. “And He shall judge the world in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to the people in righteousness,” Psalm ix. 8.

I. On the first head it is to be noted, that there were four signs of Christ. (1) The first was His Incarnation, which was a sign of infinite goodness: “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive,