576 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. CHAP. XvI.
allianceof regalpowerthattheymay assailthetruthofthe
Church,do not theyseem to you to be in purpleand fine
linen?And these,when theydefendthecounterfeitinstead
of the truthabound in flowingdiscourses.Rich heresy
has composedmany Gospels,and poor faithhas keptthis
singleGospel,which ithad received.Rich philosophyhas
made itselfmany gods,thepoorChurch hasknown onlyone.
Do notthoserichesseem toyou tobe poor,and thatpoverty
Aug.ubito be rich? AUG. Again alsothatstorymay be so under-sup' stood,as thatwe shouldtakeLazarusto mean our Lord;
lyingatthegateof therichman,becauseHe condescended
to the proud ears of the Jews in the lowlinessof His
incarnation; desiringto befedfrom thecrumbswhichfell
from therichman'stable,thatis,seekingfrom them even
the leastworks ofrighteousness,which throughpridethey
wouldnotusefortheirown table,(thatis,theirown power,)
whichworks,althoughveryslightand withoutthediscipline
of perseveranceina goodlife,sometimesatleasttheymight
do by chance,as crumbs frequentlyfallfrom the table.
The wounds arethe sufferingsof our Lord,the dogswho
lickedthem aretheGentiles,whom theJews calledunclean,
and yet,withthe sweetestodourof devotion,theylickthe
sufferingsof our Lord in the Sacramentsof His Body and
Blood throughoutthe whole world. Abraham's bosom is
understood-to be the hiding-placeof the Father,whither
afterHisPassionourLordrisingagainwastakenup,whither
He was saidto be carriedby theangels,as itseemstome,
becausethatreceptionby whichChristreachedtheFather's
secretplacethe angelsannounced to the disciples.The
restmay be taken accordingto the former explanation,
becausethatiswellunderstoodto be the Father'ssecret
place,where even beforethe resurrectionthe soulsof the
righteouslivewithGod.