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 we charge against it that it dared to assail Malachy, a faithful _member_, it is true, _of Christ_,[1036] when it also rushed madly upon the very _head_ of[1037] Malachy and of all the elect as well? It rushed, assuredly, upon One whom it could not hurt; but it did not rush away unhurt. Death hurled itself against life, and life shut up death within itself, and _death_ was _swallowed up of life_.[1038] Gulping down the hook to its hurt, it began to be held by Him whom it seemed to have held.[1039]