Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/84

 the form of God, He was therefore God: Acts x. 36, “Preaching peace by Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all.” (2) In shewing the power of His Divinity, “ Thought it not robbery,” &c. —i.e., He was God in truth and not by rapine, as the Devil wished to be: Rom. ix. 5, “ Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed for ever;” true God. (3) In revealing His eternity, “ To be equal with God S. John i. 1, “ In the beginning was the Word,” &c.

II. On the second head it is to be noted, that His humility appears in three ways—(1) In the reception of the form of a servant: “ He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant,” &c. (2) In the exhibition of perfect obedience, “ became obedient:" John vi. 38, “I came down from heaven not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me,” &c. (3) In the endurance of a most degraded death, “ Unto death Wisd. ii. 20, “Let us condemn Him to a most shameful death.”

III. On the third head it is to be noted, that His exaltation was the gain of His humility. After His death He appeared exalted above all creatures: “ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him.” The Apostle makes a threefold exaltation—(1) In comparison with the angels, “that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven,” &c.: Heb. i. 6, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” (2) In comparison or in the deeds of men, “ things in earth Rom. viii. 29, “That He might be the first-born among many brethren.” (3) In comparison of the demons: Heb. ii. 14, “That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil.” S. Augustine, “ The hand nerveless and affixed to the Cross overcame the powers of the air.” Christ by His death subjected to Himself devils, men, and angels : Heb. ii. 8, “ Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. He left nothing that is not put under Him.” He who wishes to be saved must so learn at first to be humbled : S. Luke xiv. 11, “ He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Job xxii. 29, Vulg., “He that hath been humbled shall be in glory.” To which may we be brought, &c.