Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/56

 stand up against them, and as a whirlwind shall divide them." Creatures were naturally created to punish those who rebelled against their Creator ”—Wisd. xvi. 24, " For the creature serving Thee, the Creator, is made fierce against the unjust for their punishment.” Thirdly, they hasten in having aimed at nothing, when the creatures, who are naturally from nothing by themselves, strain after nothing. S. Austin asks, "What is the present life save a kind of passage to death ?” (2) The course of sin is likewise threefold. Firstly, the course of pride — Job xv. 26 (Vulg.), "He hath run against Him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck.” Secondly, of avarice—Prov. i. 16, “Their feet run to evil.” It is said of the covetous, Ps. i. 18, "When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedest with him.” Thirdly, of luxury—Eccles. vii. 26, “ I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands.” As sheep are led to the slaughter, so are men by luxury. (3) The course of grace is likewise threefold. Firstly, a course of doctrine—Gal. ii. 2, " I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.” Secondly, of mercy—Gen. xviii. 7 8, " Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetch a calf tender and good. and set it before them.” Thirdly, of perseverance—2 S. Tim. iv. 7, "I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.”

II. On the second head it is to be noted that the end of running so as to gain the reward implies three conditions. (1) We must run cautiously, lest we fall or tumble down into the pitfall of sin—Eph. v. 15, " See then that ye walk circumspectly.” (2) We must run quickly, lest another overtake us, or lest we should become torpid through sloth—Heb. iv. 11, " Let us labour to enter into this rest.” (3) We must run perseveringly, so that we forsake not the course, nor fail of well-doing—S. Matt. xxiv. 13, " He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Patience is chiefly needed to enable us to persevere, and to bear all the troubles which come upon us in this world—Heb. xii. 1, "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.”