the suffering christ 794 sorrows” (Is 53:4). Freely, however, He accomplished what was asserted in like manner through the royal psalmist: “I voluntarily sacrifice to you” (Ps 53:8) [LV]. He accomplished it out of love for us: “Because He loved us” (says the Apocalyptic prophet), “He washed us from our sins” (Rev 1:5) [LV]. Finally, He did it for the sake of a reward: In the Cross, you see, were stored up all of His glory and power, as I will elaborate on in somewhat greater detail. 2. Isaiah, the prophet mentioned (above), speaking prophetically of many things concerning Christ, even sketched this journey of His carrying the Cross to the sacrifice in these words: “And the dominion,” he says, “will rest on His shoulders” (Is 9:6) [LV]. The dominion calls for the gibbet to be hurled upon Christ. For what reason? I don’t know whether I discovered the real cause of this matter; I imagine it to be truly so, which I propose to be further explained. I see four ways by which the dominion may be acquired: by heredity, by election, through arms, or by a price. That Christ is the heir of the Kingdom of Heaven, nay, of the whole universe, is testified to by what St. Paul says: “[I]n these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom [H]e appointed the heir of all things, through whom also [H]e created the ages” (Heb 1:2). Sirach confirms in these words that Christ (under the figure of Moses) rightly delights in His election: “[H]e chose him out of all mankind” (Sir 45:4). Solomon suggests that the right applies to Him through weapons, also: “And the whole world shall fight with him against the unwise” (Wis 5:21) [DRB], in order to specifically gain the leadership of the whole world, which the haughty Lucifer ambitiously desired to usurp. Finally, to the three (above-discussed) ways our Lord added a price: and not a little one, but infinitely, inestimably, inexhaustibly huge — [the price] of His life, His Blood, His Passion, and His death. Indeed, He paid it fully when He expired upon the Cross. He Himself predicted this beforehand, when He said: “Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to [M]yself ” (Jn 12:31-32).
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