414. GOShEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XI.
cleanseand purifynot only theirworks,but theirthoughts,
and the intentionsof the heart. For itfollows,The lightoj
iv 119, thebody is (he eye. AMBROSE. Either faithis the light,as
itiswritten,Thy word, 0 Lord, isa lanternto my feet. For
the word of God is our faith. But a lanterncannot shine
exceptithas receiveditsqualityfrom something else. Hence
alsothe powers of our mind and sensesare enlightened,that
the pieceof money which had been lostmay be found. Let
no one then placefaithunder the law,forthe law isbound
by certainlimits,graceisunlimited;the law obscures,grace
makes clear. THEOPHYL. Or else,because the Jews, seeing
the miracles,accused them out of the maliceof theirheart,
thereforeour Lord tellsthem, that,receivingthe light,that
is,theirunderstanding,from God, they were so darkened
wah envy, as not to recognise His miracles and mercies.
But to thisend receivedwe our understanding from God,
that we should place it upon a candlestick,thatothersalso
who are enteringin may seethe light. The wiseman indeed
has alreadyentered,but the learneris stillwalking. As if
He saidto the Pharisees,You ought to use your understand
ing to know the miracles,and declarethem to others,seeing
that what you see are the works not of Beelzebub,but the
Son of God. Therefore,keeping up the meaning, He adds,
The lightof thebody istheeye. ORIGEN. For He givesthe
name of the eye especiallyto our understanding,but the
whole soul,although not corporeal,He metaphoricallycalls
the body. For the whole soul isenlightenedby the under
standing.
THEOPHYL. But as if the eye of the body be lightthe
body willbe light,but if dark the body willbe dark also,
so is it with the understanding in relationto the soul.
Hence it follows,If thineeye be single,thy whole body will
be full of light; but if evil,thy whole body willbe full of
darkness. ORIGEN. For the understanding from its very
beginning desiresonly singleness,containingno dissimula-
ciirjs. tion,or guile,or divisionin itself.CHRYS. If then we have
in°Matt.' corruptedthe understanding,which is able to letloosethe
passions,we have done violenceto the whole soul, and
sufferdreadfuldarkness,being blinded by the perversion
of our understanding. Thereforeadds He, Take heed,there