vEK. 1—10. ST. LUKE. 629 comedown fromthesycamoretree,and preparean abodefor Christ,thisiswhat the Apostlesays,Yea,thoughwe have2Cor5, knownChristaftertheflesh,yet now henceforthknow we Him no more. And againelsewhere,For thoughHe was 1Cor.IS, crucifiedthroughweakness,yet He livethby thepower of ' God. Itisplainthatthe Jews alwayshatedthe salvation ofthe Gentiles;but salvation,which formerlyfilledthe housesof the Jews,has thisday shone upon theGentiles, forasmuchas thispeoplealsoby believingon God isa son ofAbraham. THEOPHYL.It iseasyto turn thisto a moral use. For whoeversurpassesmany in wickednessis smallin spiritual growth,and cannotseeJesusforthecrowd. For disturbed bypassionaud worldlythings,he beholdsnotJesuswalking, thatis,workinginus,not recognisingHis operation.But heclimbsup to the topof a sycamoretree,in thathe rises abovethe sweetnessofpleasure,which issignifiedby a fig, andsubduingit,and so becomingmore exalted,he seesand isseenby Christ.GREG. Or becausethe sycamoreisfromGreg. itsname calledthe foolishfig,the littleZacchaeusgetsup c ^' intothesycamoreand seesthe Lord,fortheywho humbly choosethefoolishthingsof thisworldarethosewho con templatemost closelythe wisdom of God. For what is morefoolishinthisworldthan not to seekforwhat islost, togiveour possessionsto robbers,to returnnot injuryfor injury?However,by thiswisefoolishness,the wisdom of God isseen,not yet reallyas itis,but by the lightof contemplation. THEOPHYL. The Lord saidto him, Make hasteand come down,thatis," Thou hastascendedby penitencetoa place toohighforthee,come down by humility,lestthyexaltation causetheeto slip.I must abideinthe houseof a humble man." We have two kinds of goods in us,bodily,and spiritual;thejustman givesup allhisbodilygoodstothe poor,buthe forsakesnot hisspiritualgoods,but ifhe has extortedanythingfrom anyone,he restorestohim fourfold; signifyingtherebythatifa man by repentancewalksinthe oppositepathto hisformerperverseness,he by themanifold practiceof virtuehealsallhisold offences,and so merits