VER.15— 24. ST.LUKE. 515 chosen,sincetheyarecalledweak and poorwho areweak in tbeirown judgment ofthemselves,fortherearepoor,and yet asitwerestrong,who thoughlyinginpovertyareproud;the blindaretheywho haveno brightnessofunderstanding;the lamearetheywho havewalkednotuprightlyintheirworks. Butsincethe faultsoftheseareexpressedin the weakness oftheirmembers,as thosewere sinnerswho when bidden refusedtocome,soalsoarethesewho areinvitedand come ; buttheproud sinnersarerejected,the humble arechosen. God then choosesthosewhom the world despises,because forthemost parttheveryactof contemptrecalsa man to himself.And men so much the soonerhear the voiceof God,astheyhavenothingin thisworldto takepleasurein. When thentheLord callscertainfrom thestreetsand lanes tosupper,He denotesthatpeoplewho had learnttoobserve inthecitytheconstantpracticeofthelaw. But themulti tudewho believedof the peopleof Israeldid not fillthe placesof the upper feastroom. Hence itfollows,And the servantsaid,Lord,itisdone as Thou hastcommanded,and yetthereisroom. For alreadyhad greatnumbers of the Jewsentered,butyettherewas room inthekingdom forthe abundanceof the Gentilesto be received.Thereforeitis added,And theLord saiduntotheservant,Go outintothe highwaysand hedges,and compelthem to come in,thatMy housemay befilled.When He commanded His gueststobe collectedfrom thewaysideand thehedges,He soughtfora ruralpeople,thatis,theGentiles.AMBROSE. Or,He sends tothehighwaysand about thehedges,becausetheyare fit forthekingdom ofGod, who,not absorbedin thedesirefor presentgoods,are hasteningon tothe future,setin a cer tainfixedpath of good will.And who likea hedge which separatesthe cultivatedground from the uncultivated,and keepsoffthe incursionof the cattle,know how to distin guishgood and evil,and to hold up the shieldof faith againstthetemptationsofspiritualwickedness. AUG. The Gentilescame from the streetsand lanes,theAug.hereticscome from thehedges. For theywho make a hedge ei"" ~" seekfora division;letthem be drawn away fromthehedges, pluckedasunderfrom the thorns. But they areunwilling tobe compelled.By our own will,saythey,willwe enter.