Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/58

 habitants of the earth for their iniquity.” Secondly, as a strong fighter, subduing all His rebellious ones—Isa. xlii. 13, “ The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man ; He shall stir up jealousy as a man of war.” Thirdly, as a Judge, punishing the wicked after their deservings—Mic. i. 3, “ Behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place, and He will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.”

II. On the second head it is to be noted that for five reasons it is most foolish to live in idleness in this present life. (1) Man was born to labour—Job. v. 7 (Vulg.), “ Man is born to labour.” (2) From idleness evil is learned, as from a bad master—Ecclus. xxxiii. 29, “ Idleness hath taught much evil.” (3) Idleness frequently commits dreadful sin—Ezek. xvi. 49, “ Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of heart, and abundance of idleness.” (4) Idleness incurs the loss of eternal good—Prov. vi. 10, 11, “ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth.” (5) Because eternal toil is acquired from a short rest—Ps. lxxiii. 5, “ They are not in trouble [Vulg., labour] as other men, neither are they plagued like other men but like demons, Ps. xlviii. 9, 10 (Vulg.), “ shall labour for ever, and shall live unto the end.”

III. On the third head it is to be noted that this vineyard in which men are sent to labour is righteousness, in which, as S. Chrysostom observes, there are as many plants as there are virtues, and in which we perform five works. (1) Planting it with good works and graces—Ps. cvii. 37, “ Plant vineyards which may yield fruits of increase ;” Prov. xxxi. 16, “ With the fruit of her hands she planted the vineyard.” (2) Clearing it from thorns, which are vices, which the idle do not do—Prov. xxiv. 30, 31, “I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding, and, lo! it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof.” (3) Pruning the superfiuous shoots—Cant. ii. 12 (Vulg.), “ The time for pruning is come S. John xv. 2, “Every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit.” (4) Restraining the little foxes, the demons—Cant. ii. 15, “ Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines. (5) Protecting them from robbers—i.e., from the praises and the blames of men— Cant. i. 6, “ They made me the keeper of the vineyards.”