Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/78

 neither pain nor death: Apoc. xxi. 4, “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” (3) For safety, for the city placed “ above” is the more secure: Ps. xxxi. 21, “ He hath showed me His marvellous kindness in a strong city.” (4) For spaciousness; for the earth which is below is, as it were, a point in the sphere, but the heavens are the circumference: S. Austin, “ But do you marvel that the breadth of the heavens are not limited by narrow boundaries? From the extreme boundary of Spain to the streets of this city, the space which intervenes is compassed in a very few days, if the wind carries the ship; whilst that celestial region takes the swiftest star a journey of thirty years to reach it.”

II. On the second head it is to be noted, that inasmuch as the city is named Jerusalem, it is to be commended for many reasons; for many things are spoken of Jerusalem in Scripture which must be understood of the heavenly Jerusalem. Ten qualities are here noticed—(1) Its wonderful beauty and fairness: Cant. vi. 3, “ Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem.” (2) Its inexpressible love and charity: Isa. xxxi. 9, “ The Lord, Whose fire is in Zion and His furnace in Jerusalem.” (3) The delightful splendour of its brightness: Tobit xiii. 13, “Jerusalem, City of God, .Thou shalt shine with a glorious light, and all the ends of the earth shall worship thee.” (4) The splendour of its walls, streets, and gates: Tobit xiii. 21, “The gates of Jerusalem shall be built of sapphire and emerald, and all the walls thereof round about of precious stones. All its streets shall be paved with white and clean stones.” (5) Its abundance of all things: Isa. xxxiii. 20, Vulg., “Their eyes shall see Jerusalem a rich habitation.” (6) The affluence of all delights : Isa. lxvi. 10, 11, “ Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice with joy for her,.be delighted with the abundance of her glory.” (7) Its perpetual and continual joy: Isa. lxv. 18, “I create Jerusalem a rejoicing.” (8) Its eternal honour and glory : Isa. lx. 1, Vulg., “Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” (9) The happiness of eternal peace: Isa. lxvi. 12, “Behold I will extend peace to her like a river.” (10) The eternal happiness of blessed light: Tobit xiii. 22, “ Alleluia shall be sung in its streets.”