Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/93

 IV. On the fourth head it is to be noted, that there are three things which chiefly destroy peace—(1) Pride: Job ix. 4, Vulg., “Who hath resisted Him and hath had peace ?” (2) Anger: Ecclus. xxviii. 11, “A passionate man kindleth strife, and a sinful man will trouble his friends, and bring a debate in the midst of them that are at peace.” (3) Any kind of iniquity: Isai. xlviii. 22, “ There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.” He who desires in this present life to have peace with God, with himself, with his neighbour, and the peace of eternity for the future, must avoid these three stumbling-blocks; to which peace may we be led, &c. Amen.

Five things are noted in this Epistle—firstly, the innocence of Our Lord, “Who did no sin;” secondly, His great patience, “ When He suffered, threatened not;" thirdly, His inexpressible charity, “ Who His own self bear our sins in His own Body; fourthly, the manifold benefits flowing from these three, “ By Whose stripes ye were healed fifthly, the steps in which we should follow Christ.

I. On the first head it is to be noted, that His innocence is shown in three ways—(1) Because he did no sin : Heb. vii, 26, “ Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” (2) Because He never deceived : “ Neither was guile found in His mouth.” 2 Cor. i. 19, 20, “The Son of God, Jesus Christ .was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea. For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen.” (3) Because He never did any injury to anyone: “ Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again.” Isa. liii. 7, “ As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.”

II. On the second head it is to be noted, that His patience in His Passion is shewn in three ways—(1) In that He voluntarily offered Himself: “ Committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” Isa. liii. 7 (Vulg.), “ He was