616 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XViil.
"We havedonewhatThou commandedstus,whatrewardthen
wiltThou giveus? And becauseitisnot enough tohave
leftallthings,he adds thatwhich made itperfect,saying,
And havefollowedThee. CYRIL. It was necessarytosay
this,becausethosewho forsakea fewthings,asfarasregards
theirmotivesand obedience,areweighedinthesame balance
withthe rich,who have forsakenall,inasmuch as theyact
fromthelikeaffections,involuntarilymaking a surrenderof
allthattheypossess.And thereforeitfollows,VerilyI say
untoyou,Thereisno man thathathlefthouse,fyc.who shall
not receivemanifoldmore,fyc. He inspiresallwho hear
Him withthemostjoyfulhopes,confirmingHis promisesto
them withan oath,beginningHis declarationwith Verily.
For when thedivineteachinginvitestheworldtothefaithof
Christ,some perhapsregardingtheirunbelievingparentsare
unwillingto distressthem by comingtothefaith,and have
thelikerespectofothersoftheirrelations,whilesome again
forsaketheirfatherand mother,and holdlightlytheloveof
theirwholekindredin comparisonoftheloveofChrist.
BEDE. The sensethen is this;He who in seekingthe
kingdom of God has despisedallearthlyaffections,has
trampledunder footallriches,pleasures,and smilesofthe
world,shallreceivefargreaterin the presenttime. Upon
the ground of thisdeclaration,some of theJews buildup
the fableof a millenninmafterthe resurrectionof thejust,
when allthingswhichwe havegivenup forGod's sakeshall
be restoredwithmanifoldinterest,and eternallifebe granted.
Nor do theyfromtheirignoranceseem tobe aware,thateven
ifinotherthingstheremightbe a fitpromiseof restoration,
yetin thematterofwives,who mightbe accordingtosome
Evangelistsan hundred fold,itwould be manifestlyshock
ing,especiallysinceourLord declaresthatin the resurrec
tiontherewillbe no marrying.And accordingtoMark,those
thingswhich have been givenup,He declaresshallbe re
ceivedatthistimewithpersecutions,whichtheseJewsassert
willbe absentfora thousandyears.
CYRIL.Thisthenwe say,thathe who givesup allworldly
and carnalthingswillgainforhimselffargreater,inasmuchas
theApostles,afterleavinga fewthings,obtainedthemanifold
giftsof grace,and were accountedgreateverywhere.We