Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/94

 offered because it was His own will.” (2) Because, unjustly judged, He endured it with the greatest patience. It requires the greatest patience to sustain an unjust sentence : S. John x. 32, “ Many good works have I shewed you. for which of those works do ye stone Me?” 1 S. Pet. ii. 19, “ This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.” (3) Because He did not utter threats against His crucifiers : “ When He suffered He threatened not.” Jer. xi. 19, “But I was like a lamb. that is brought to the slaughter.” He prayed for them: Isa. liii. 12, “Made intercession for the transgressors,” that they should not perish.

III. On the third head it is to be noted, that the inexpressible charity of Christ is shown in three ways—(1) Because He Himself bore our sins: S. John i. 29, “Behold the Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world.” (2) In the manner of His Oblation: “ In his own Body.” Isa. liii. 5, “ He was wounded for our iniquities,” &c. (3) Because He sustained so cruel a death for the taking away of our sins: “ On the Tree”—i.e., the Cross. Phil, ii. 8, “ Obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.”

IV. On the fourth head it is to be noted, that the death of Christ procured for us a threefold benefit—(1) It freed us from the guilt of sin: “We being dead to sins.” S. Peter ii. 14, “Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity,” &c. (2) He restored to us the gift of grace: “ Should live unto righteousness.” Rom. v. 19, “ By the obedience of the One shall many be made righteous.” S. John i. 15, “ Of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (3) It delivered us from corruption: “ By Whose stripes ye were healed.” Isa. liii. 4, “ Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”

V. On the fifth head it is to be noted, that the steps in which we should follow Him are three—(1) In the purity of innocence: Lev. xi. 44, “ Ye shall be holy, for I am holy.” S. Matt. v. 8, “ Blessed are the pure in heart.” 1 S. Peter i. 15, “Be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” (2) In the firmness of patience : S. Luke iv. 19, “ In your patience possess ye your souls.” Heb. xii. 3, “ Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (3) In charity: 1 S. John iii. 11, “ This is the commandment that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”