Ver. 15.—'He hath broken me with wound upon wound.' 20. That he may break us with wound upon wound.—Holy Church in her weak members is broken with wound upon wound when sin is added to sin, so that the guilt is more vehemently heaped up. For him whom avarice drags to plunder, plunder leads on to deceit, so that, the guilt once perpetrated, it is even defended by falsehood: what is such a man but broken with wound upon wound? Whence it is also well said through the prophet: 'Cursing and lying and murder and theft and adultery have overflowed, and blood hath touched blood' (Hosea iv, 2). For sin is wont to be signified by the name of blood. Whence he who desires to be freed from sins cries out through penance:
'Deliver me from bloods' (Ps. l, 16). Blood therefore touches blood when one has heaped guilt upon guilt. And because, when wound is added to wound, the ancient enemy's strength against us grows the more vehemently, it is rightly added: