396 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XI.
untilwe receivewhat we are seeking. Hence He says,And 1
say unto you, Ask, and it shallbe given you. CYRIL. The
words,/ say unto you,have the forceof an oath. For God
doth not lie,but whenever He makes known anything to His
hearerswith an oath,He manifeststhe inexcusablelittleness
Chrys. of our faith. CHRYS. Now by asking,He means prayer,but
m°Mait ^7 seeking,zeal and anxiety,as He adds, Seek, and ye
shallfind. For those thingswhich are sought requiregreat
care. And thisisparticularlythe casewith God. For there
are many things which block up our senses. As then we
searchforlostgold,so let us anxiouslyseek afterGod. He
shews also,thatthough He does not forthwithopen the gates,
we must yet wait. Hence He adds,Knock, and itshallbe
openeduntoyou ; forifyou continueseeking,you shallsurely
receive. For thisreason,and as the door shut makes you
knock, thereforeHe did not at once consentthat you might
Severus entreat. GREEK Ex. Or by the word knock perhaps He
Amiocb. means seekingeffectually,forone knocks with the hand, hut
the hand isthe signof a good work. Or thesethreemay be
distinguishedin another way. For it is the beginning of
virtueto ask to know the way of truth. But the second
step is to seek how we must go by that way. The third
stepiswhen a man has reached the virtueto knock at the
door,that he may enter upon the wide fieldof knowledge.
All thesethingsa man acquiresby prayer. Or to ask indeed
isto pray,but to seek is by good works to do thingsbecom
ing our prayers. And to knock is to continue in prayer
Aiiir. withoutceasing. AUG. But He would not so encourage userm.105.^Q ^^ were jie not willingto give. Let human slothfulness
blush,He ismore willingto givethan we to receive.
AMBROSE. Now he who promises anything ought to
convey a hope of the thing promised,that obedience may
followcommands, faith,promises. And thereforeHe adds,
For every one that asketh receiveth.ORIGEN. But some
one may seek to know, how it comes that they who pray
are not heard? To which we must answer, that whoso
sets about seeking in the right way, omitting none of
those things which availto the obtainingof our requests,
shallreallyreceivewhat he has prayed to be given,him.
But ifa man turnsaway from the objectof a rightpetition,