Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/312

 sion, they  went  back  into  Jerusalem  with  great  joy. They knew  that  at  Adam's  fall  hostilities  had  been declared between  earth  and  heaven,  and  that  the  war then begun  could  never  be  amicably  settled  until man had  been  justly  punished  for  his  rebellion,  until he had  conquered  God's  enemies  with  whom  he  had allied himself,  and  sent  to  heaven  a  man  as  hostage and messenger  of  peace. All this  Christ  accomplished, satisfying  for  man's  sin  by  His  Passion  and death, leading  captivity  captive  by  His  victory  over sin and  death  at  His  Resurrection,  and  carrying  with Him, in  His  Ascension,  Humanity  to  the  Father  from whom it  had  been  estranged  so  long. Then, and  only then, was  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  Paraclete,  sent  down and diffused  in  the  hearts  of  men. As the  moisture must first  ascend  heavenward  before  the  refreshing showers descend,  so,  not  until  after  the  Ascension  of Our  Lord,  could  the  Holy  Ghost  come  to  renew  the face of  the  earth. This promise  to  send  the  Holy Spirit was  that  final  proof  of  Christ's  paternal  solicitude for  His  little  family — "  When  I  go  to  the Father,"  He  says,  "  I  will  not  leave  you  orphans,  but I  will  send  the  Paraclete  to  comfort  and  strengthen, to  guide  and  protect  you,  until  My  second  coming." As on  a  previous  occasion  Christ  reserved  the  better wine for  the  end  of  the  feast,  so  now,  His  final  gift to man,  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  the  most  precious  of  all. At creation  He  gave  the  world  and  the  fulness thereof; by  His  incarnation  He  gave  Himself,  but only for  a  time;  but  now  He  gives  the  Holy  Ghost  to be  ours  for  all  time. Nay, the  mission  of  the  Holy