Therefore we
render thanks to God for all the things that He has disposed, because He
willed to honour us, unworthy as we are, by his blessed death among us,
to enrich His poor with the most costly treasure of his body, and to
strengthen us, who are weak, by so great a _pillar_[1022] of His church.
For one or other of two _signs_ proves that it was _wrought for us for
good_,[1023] either that this place is pleasing to God, or that it is
His will to make it pleasing to Him, since He led to it _from the
uttermost parts of the earth_[1024] so holy a man to die and to be
buried there.

3. But our very love for this blessed father compels us to sorrow with
that people from our heart, and to shudder exceedingly at the cruelty of
him, even Death, who has not spared to inflict this terrible wound on
the Church, now so much to be pitied. Terrible and unpitying surely is
death, which has punished so great a multitude of men by smiting one;
blind and without foresight, which has tied the tongue of Malachy,
arrested his steps, relaxed his hands, closed his eyes. Those devout
eyes, I say, which were wont to restore divine grace to sinners, by most
tender tears; those most holy _hands_, which had always loved to be
occupied in laborious and humble deeds, which so often _offered for_
sinners _the saving sacrifice_[1025] of the Lord's body, and were
_lifted up_ to heaven in prayer _without wrath and doubting_,[1026]
which are known to have bestowed many benefits on the sick and to have
been resplendent with manifold signs; those _beautiful_ steps also of
_him that preached the Gospel of peace and brought glad tidings of good
things_; those _feet_,[1027] which were so often wearied with eagerness
to show pity; those footprints which were always worthy to merit devout
kisses;[1028] finally, those holy _lips of the priest_, which _kept
knowledge_,[1029] _the mouth of the righteous_, which _spoke wisdom,
and his tongue_ which, _talking of judgement_,[1030] yea _and of
mercy_,[1031] was wont to heal so great wounds of souls. And it is no
wonder, brothers, that _death_ is iniquitous, since iniquity _brought_
it _forth_,[1032] that it is heedless, since it is known to have been
born of _seduction_.[1033] It is nothing wonderful, I say, if it strikes
without distinction, since it came from _the transgression_;[1034] if it
is cruel and mad, since it was produced by the subtlety of _the old
serpent_[1035] and the folly of the woman. But why do