erits of their own, should at
least not be without the prayers of another.

Sermon II

(November 2, 1149)[1099]

1. It is clear, dearly beloved, _that whilst we are_ detained _in the
body we are absent from the Lord_.[1100] And throughout this wretched
time of detention banishment and conscience of faults enjoins upon us
sorrow rather than joy. But because by the mouth of the apostle we are
exhorted to _rejoice with them that do rejoice_,[1101] the time and the
occasion require that we should be stirred up to all gladness. For if it
is true, as the prophet perceived, that _the righteous rejoice before
God_,[1102] without doubt Malachy rejoices, who _in his days[1103]
pleased God_[1104] and _was found righteous_.[1105] Malachy ministered
in _holiness and righteousness before Him_:[1106]the ministry pleased
Him; the minister also pleased Him. Why should he not please Him? He
_made the Gospel without charge_,[1107] he filled the country with the
Gospel, he tamed the deathly barbarism of his Irishmen, with the _sword
of the spirit_[1108] he subdued foreign nations to the _light yoke_ of
Christ,[1109] _restoring His inheritance to Him[1110] even unto the ends
of the earth_.[1111] O, fruitful ministry! O, faithful minister! Is not
the promise of the Father to the Son fulfilled through him? Did not the
Father behold him long ago when He said to the Son, _I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth
for thy possession_.[1112] How willingly the Saviour received what He
had _bought_,[1113] and had _bought with the price_[1114] of _His own
blood_,[1115] with the shame of the Cross, with the horror of the
Passion. How willingly from the hands of Malachy, because he ministered
_freely_.[1116] So in the minister the freely executed office was
acceptable,[1117] and in the ministry the conversion of sinners was
pleasing. Acceptable and pleasing, I say, in the minister was the
_singleness of eye_,[1118] but in the ministry _the salvation of the
people_.[1119]

2. However, even though a less effective result of the ministry
followed, He would nevertheless justly have had regard to Malachy and
his works, He to whom purity is a friend and single-mindedness one of
his household, to whose righteousness it belongs to weigh the work in
accordance with its purpose, from the character of _the eye_ to measure
the state of _the whole body_.[1120] But now _the works of the Lord are
great, sought o