VEH.35 — 40. ST.LUKE. 457
loins,therefore,fromtheprincipalsex,lustissignified.But
becauseitisa smallthingnot to do evil,unlessalsomen
striveto labourin good works,itisadded,And yourlamps
burningin your hands; forwe holdburninglamps in our
hands,when by good workswe shew forthbrightexamples
toour neighbours.AUG. Or, He teachesus alsoto girdAug.tieourloinsforthe sakeof keepingourselvesfromthe loveof{j^fv'
thethingsof thisworld,and to have our lamps burning,q-25.
thatthisthingmay be done witha trueend and rightin
tention.GREG. But ifa man hasboth of these,whosoeverGreg.hebe,nothingremainsforhim butthathe shouldplacehisublsUP-
wholeexpectationon thecoming of the Redeemer. There
foreitisadded,And be ye liketo men thatwaitfor their
lord,when he willreturnfrom thewedding,fyc. For our
Lord wentto the wedding,when ascendingup intoheaven
astheBridegroomHe joinedtoHimselftheheavenlymulti
tudeof angels. THEOPHYL. Dailyalsoin the heavensHe
betrothsthesoulsoftheSaints,whom Paulor anotheroffers2 Cor.toHim, asa chastevirgin.But liereturnsfrom the cele-ll'2'
brationof the heavenlymarriage,perhapsto allatthe end
ofthewholeworld,when He shallcome fromheaveninthe
gloryofthe Father; perhapsalsoeveryhour standingsud
denlypresentatthe deathof eachindividual.CYRIL.Now
considerthatHe comes fromtheweddingasfroma festival,
whichGod iseverkeeping;fornothingcan causesadness
totheIncorruptibleNature. GREG. NYSS. Or else,when Greg.
thewedding was celebratedand the Church receivedinto""c^,,}1
thesecretbridalchamber,the angelswere expectingthe
retuniof the King to His own naturalblessedness.And
aftertheirexample we orderour life,thatas they living
togetherwithoutevil,arepreparedto welcometheirLord's
return,so we also,keepingwatch at the door,shouldmake
ourselvesreadytoobey Him when He comes knocking;for
itfollows,thatwhen he comethand knocketh,theymay open
tohimimmediately.
GREG. For He comes when He hastensto judgment,butGreg.He knocks,when alreadyby thepainofsicknessHe denotesubl8Up'
thatdeathisat hand; towhom we immediatelyopen ifwe
receiveHim withlove. For he who tremblestodepartfrom
thebody,has no wish to open to the Judge knocking,and