vER. 18—23. ST. LUKE. 609
18.And a certainrulerasked Him, saying,Good
Master,what shallI do toinheriteternallife?
19.And Jesus saidunto him, Why callestthou
Me good? none isgood,saveone,thatis,God.
20.Thou knowest the commandments, Do not
commitadultery,Do not kill,Do not steal,Do not
bearfalsewitness,Honour thy fatherand thy mother.
21.And he said,All thesehave I kept from my
youthup.
22.Now when Jesus heard thesethings,He said
untohim,Yet lackestthou one thing: sellallthat
thouhast,and distributeunto the poor,and thou
shalthave treasureinheaven: and come, followMe.
23.And when he heard this,he was verysorrow
ful: forhe was veryrich.
BEDE.A certainrulerhavingheard our Lord say,that
onlythosewho would be likelittlechildrenshouldenterthe
kingdomof heaven,entreatsHim toexplainto him notby
parablebut openlyby what works he may meritto obtain
eternallife.AMBROSE. ThatrulertemptingHim said,Good
Master,he ought to have said,Good God. For although
goodnessexistsin divinityand divinityin goodness,yetby
addingGood Master,he usesgood onlyin part,not in the
whole.For God _isgood altogether,man partially.CYRIL.
Now he thoughtto detectChristin blaming the law of
Moses,whileHe introducedHis own commands. He went
thento the Master,and callingHim good,saysthathe
wishesto be taughtby Him, forhe soughtto tempt Him.
But He who takesthewisein theircraftinessanswershim
fitlyas follows,Why callestthouMe good? thereis none
good,saveGod alone.AMBROSE. He doesnotdenythatHe
isgood,butpointstoGod. None isgoodthenexcepthe be
fullofgoodness.But shoulditstrikeany onethatitissaid,
noneisgood,letthisalsostrikehim, saveGod, and ifthe
Son is not exceptedfrom God, surelyneitheris Christ
exceptedfrom good. For how isHe not good who isborn
fromgood? A good treebringsforthgoodfruits.How isHe Matt.7,
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