Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/60

 idle are denied bread—2 Thess. iii. 10, “If any would not work, neither should he eat.” (5) Pie that refuseth to labour is punished with eternal punishment—Ps. lxxii. 5 (Vulg.), “They are not in the labour of men, neither shall they be scourged like other men but with the demons.

II. On the second head it is to be noted that the labour of toil of sin is of five kinds. (1) Of covetousness—Eccles. iv. 8, Yet is there no end of all his labour ; neither is his eye satisfied with riches;” Prov. xxiii. 4, “Labour not to be rich.” (2) Of pride—“What profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind V’ The wind is pride. (3) Of luxury— Eccles. ix 9, “ Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity.That is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. (4) Of sorceries—Isaiah xlvii. 12, “ Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth.” (5) Of gluttony—Eccles. vi. 7, “ All the labour of man i3 for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.” What he may eat, and drink, and enjoy of his labour; so does the glutton speak.

III. On the third head it is be noted of the labour of Gehenna, that three particulars are to be noted. (1) Its immensity—Lam. iii. 5, “ He hath compassed me with gall and travail.” (2) Its bitterness—Eccles. x. 15, “ The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them.” (3) Its duration—Ps. xlviii. 9, 10, “ Shall labour for ever, and shall live unto the end.” From which labour may the Lord deliver us.

By the fowls of the air, are understood evil spirits; by the sea, righteousness; whence three points arise from the mystical expositions. Firstly, the quickness of the evil spirit to do evil—“ birds ;” secondly, their natural dignity— “ of the air,” or of heaven ; thirdly, the iniquity of their sin —“ devoured it.”

I. On the first head it is to be noted that evil spirits are compared to birds for three reasons. (1) Their high flight;