whole, who walked, as they thought, well, and saw acutely; who had great confidence in themselves, and were therefore in the more desperate case, in proportion as they were more proud. Let the beggars come, for He inviteth them, “who, though He was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we beggars through His poverty might be enriched.”3493 Let the maimed come, “for they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are in evil case.”3494 Let the halt come who may say to Him, “Set in order my steps in Thy paths.”3495 Let the blind come who may say, “Enlighten mine eyes, that I may never sleep in death.”3496 Such as these came at the hour, when those who had been first invited, had been rejected for their own excuses: they came at the hour, they entered in from the streets and lanes of the city. And the servant “who had been sent,” brought answer, “Lord, it is done as Thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.” “Go out,” saith He, “into the highways and hedges, and compel those whom thou shalt find to come in.”3497 Whom thou shalt find wait not till they choose to come, compel them to come in. I have prepared a great supper, a great house, I cannot suffer any place to be vacant in it. The Gentiles came from the streets and lanes: let the heretics come from the hedges, here they shall find peace. For those who make hedges, their object is to make divisions. Let them be drawn away from the hedges, let them be plucked up from among the thorns. They have stuck fast in the hedges, they are unwilling to be compelled.3498 Let us come in, they say, of our own good will. This is not the Lord’s order, “Compel them,” saith he, “to come in.” Let compulsion be found outside, the will arise within. 3493 2 Cor. viii. 9. 3494 Matt. ix. 12, Vulgate. 3495 Ps. xvii. 5. 3496 Ps. xiii. 3. 3497 Luke xiv. 22, 23. 3498 This alludes to the laws made against the Donatists by the Christian Emperors. See St. Augustin’s Epis. 195, and especially § 24. 936 On the words of the Gospel, Luke xiv. 16, ‘A certain man made a great supper,’…