CHAP. XII. 1. IN the mean time,when therewere gathered togetheran innumerablemultitudeof people,inso much thatthey trodeone upon another,He began to say unto His disciplesfirstof all,Beware ye of the leavenofthePharisees,which ishypocrisy. 2. For thereis nothingcovered,thatshallnot be revealed; neitherhid,thatshallnot be known. 3. Thereforewhatsoeverye have spoken in dark ness shallbe heard in the light; and thatwhich ye have spoken in the earinclosetsshallbe proclaimed upon thehousetops. THEOPHYL. The Phariseessoughtindeed to catchJesus in His talk,that they might lead away the peoplefrom Him. But thisdesignof theirsisreversed.For the peo ple came allthe more unto Him gatheredtogetherby thousands,and so desirousto attachthemselvesto Christ, thatthey pressedone upon another. So mighty a thing istruth,so feebleeverywhere deceit.Whence itis said, And when therewere gatheredtogethera greatmultitude, insomuchthattheytrodeupon oneanother,He beganto say untoHis disciples,Beware ye oftheleavenof thePharisees, which is hypocrisy.CYRIL. For they were falseaccusers; thereforeChristwarned His disciplesagainstthem. GREG. NAz. When leavenispraiseditisas composingthe bread of life,but when blamed it signifiesa lastingand bitter maliciousness.THEOPHYL. He callstheirhypocrisyleaven, aspervertingand corruptingthe intentionsof the men in whom ithas sprungup. For nothingso changesthe cha- iCor.5,6.ractersofmen as hypocrisy.BKDE. For as a littleleaven leavenetha whole lump of meal,so hypocrisywillrob the mind of allthe purityand integrityof itsvirtues.AM BROSE.Our Lord has introduceda most forcibleargument