VBR. 4—7. ST. LUKE. 431
lifelesslimbs ofmartyrstobe tornin piecesby wildbeasts
andbirds,seeingthattheycan inno wisepreventtheomni
potenceof God from quickeningand bringingthem tolife
again. CHRYS. Observehow our Lord makes His disciples
superiortoall,by exhortingthem todespisethatverydeath22°Tii
which is terribleto all. At the same time alsoHe bringsMatt.
them proofsof the immortalityof the soul: adding,I will
forewarnyou whom ye shallfear: fear Him, which after
He hath killedhathpower to castintohell.AMBROSE. For
ournaturaldeathisnot the end ofpunishment: and there
foreHe concludesthat deathisthe cessationof bodily
punishment,but the punishmentofthe souliseverlasting.
And God alone is to be feared,to whose power nature
prescribesnot,but is herselfsubject;adding,Yea,I say
untoyou,Fear Him. THEOPHYL. Here observe,thatupon
sinnersdeathissentas a punishment,sincetheyare here
tormentedby destruction,and afterwardsthrustdown into
helL But ifyou willsiftthe words you willunderstand
somethingfarther.For He saysnot,"Who castsintohell,"
but has power to cast. For not everyone dying in sinis
forthwiththrustdown intohell,but thereissometimespar
don givenforthe sakeof the offeringsand prayerswhich
aremade forthedeada.
AMBROSE. Our Lord thenhad instilledthevirtueofsim
plicity,had awakened a courageousspirit.Theirfaithalone
was wavering,and welldidHe strengthenitby addingwith
respectto thingsof lessvalue,Are notfivesparrowssold
for two farthings? and not one of them isforgottenbefore
God. As if He said,If God forgetsnot the sparrows,
how can He man? BEDE. The dipondinsisa coinof the
lightestweight,and equalto two asses.GLOSS.Now thatGloss.
whichinnumber isone isinweightan ass,but thatwhich
istwo isa dipondins.AMBROSE. But perhapssome one will
say,How isit thatthe Apostlesays,Does theLord care1Cor.9,
foroxen? whereasan ox isof more valuethan a sparrow;
buttocareforisone thing,tohaveknowledgeanother.
* This opinionof Theophylact'sis ii.c.1 ; Coccius,lib.x.art.4 ; Chry-
differentfrom the declareddoctrines sost.Phil.i.21.Trans.p.38, notee;
bothoftheRoman and OreekChurches, Horn. de Sut. Tr. p. 130. note c;
and the generallanguage of the Fa- and Tractsforthe Times, No. IxxiL
then. See Bcllanninede Purg. lib. p.32.