VER. 47 — 53. ST. LUKE. 727
to make an especialtoken of lovethe instrumentof his
treachery.
CHRYS. Now we must not departfrom admonishingourChrys.
brethren,albeitnothingcomes of our words. For even thej^az
streamsthoughno onedrinktherefromstillflowon,and him
whom thou hast not persuadedto-day,peradventurethou
mayestto-morrow. For thefishermanafterdrawingempty
netsthe wholeday,when itwas now latetakesa fish.And
thusour Lord,though He knew thatJudas was not to be
converted,yetceasednottodo suchthingsas had reference
tohim. Itfollows,But Jesussaiduntohim,Judas,betrayest
thou the Son of man with a kiss? AMBROSE. It must be
usedI thinkby way ofquestion,asifHe arreststhe traitor
with a lover'saffection.CHRYS. And He giveshim his
proper name, which was ratherlikeone lamentingand
recallinghim, than one provokedto anger. AMBROSE. He
says,Betrayestthouwith a kiss?thatis,dostthou inflict
a wound with the pledgeof love?withthe instrumentsof
peacedostthouimposedeath?a slave,dostthoubetraythy
Lord; a disciple,thy Master; one chosen,Him who chose
thee? CHRYS. But He saidnot," BetrayestthouthyMas
ter,thy Lord,thy Benefactor,"but theSon ofman, thatis,
thehumble and meek,who thoughHe were not thy Master
and Lord, forasmuchas He has borne Himselfso gently
towardthee,shouldhaveneverbeenbetrayedby thee.
AMBROSE. O greatmanifestationof Divinepower,great
disciplineof virtue! Both the designof Thy traitoris
detected,and yet forbearanceisnot withheld. He shews
whom it isJudas betrays,by manifestingthingshidden;
He declareswhom he deliversup, by saying,the Son of
man, forthehuman flesh,not the Divinenature,isseized.
That howeverwhich most confoundsthe ungrateful,isthe
thoughtthathe had deliveredup Him, who thoughHe was
the Son of God, yet forour sakeswishedto be the Son of
man ; asifHe said,"For theedidI undertake,O ungrateful
man, thatwhich thou betrayestin hypocrisy."AUG. The
Lord when He was betrayedfirstsaidthiswhich Luke
mentions,Betrayestthouthe Son ofman witha kiss? next
what Matthew says,Friend,whereforeart thoucome? and
lastly,what John records,Whom seekye? AMBROSE. Our