36. Let them hear Thee, and let them come to Thee, and let them learn of Thee to be meek and lowly, who seek Thy Mercy and Truth, by living unto Thee, unto Thee, not unto themselves. Let him hear this, laboring and laden, who is weighed down by his burthen, so as not to dare to lift up his eyes to heaven, that sinner beating his breast, and drawing near from afar.99    Luke xviii. 13 Let him hear, the centurion, not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under his roof.100    Matt. viii. 8 Let him hear, Zaccheus, chief of publicans, restoring fourfold the gains of damnable sins.101    Luke xix. 2–8 Let her hear, the woman in the city a sinner, by so much the more full of tears at Thy feet, the more alien she had been from Thy steps.102    Luke vii. 37, 38 Let them hear, the harlots and publicans, who enter into the kingdom of heaven before the Scribes and Pharisees.103    Matt. xxi. 31 Let them hear, every kind of such ones, feastings with whom were cast in Thy teeth as a charge, forsooth, as though by whole persons who sought not a physician, whereas Thou camest not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.104    Matt. ix. 11–13. [See R.V.] All these, when they are converted unto Thee, easily grow meek, and are humbled before Thee, mindful of their own most unrighteous life, and of Thy most indulgent mercy, in that, “where sin hath abounded, grace hath abounded more.”105    Rom. v. 20

CAPUT XXXVI.

36. Humilitatis doctrina facile audita a peccatoribus. Virginibus multo magis audienda. Audiant te, et veniant ad te, et mites atque humiles esse discant a te, qui misericordiam et veritatem tuam requirunt, tibi vivendo, tibi, non sibi. Audiat hoc laborans et oneratus, qui sarcina premitur, ut oculos ad coelum levare non audeat, percutiens pectus ille peccator et propinquans de longinquo (Luc. XVIII, 13). Audiat Centurio, non dignus cujus tectum subires (Matth. VIII, 8). Audiat Zachaeus major publicanorum, quadrupla restituens lucra damnabilium peccatorum (Luc. XIX, 2, 8). Audiat mulier in civitate 0417 peccatrix, tanto lacrymosior pedibus tuis, quanto fuerat alienior a vestigiis tuis (Luc. VII, 37, 38). Audiant meretrices et publicani, qui Scribas et Pharisaeos praecedunt in regnum coelorum (Matth. XXI, 31). Audiat omne genus aegrorum, cum quibus tibi pro crimine sunt objecta convivia, videlicet quasi a sanis qui medicum non quaerebant, cum tu non venires vocare justos, sed peccatores in poenitentiam (Id. IX, 11-13). Hi omnes cum convertuntur ad te, facile mitescunt et humiliantur coram te, memores iniquissimae vitae suae, et indulgentissimae misericordiae tuae; quia ubi abundavit peccatum, superabundavit gratia (Rom. V, 20).