460 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XII. lifecertainhours which make us happy if we are found awake. Does any one seizeyour goods? Are your chil dren dead? Are you accused?But ifat thesetimes you have done nothingagainstthe commandments of God, He willfmd you watchinginthesecondand thirdwatch,thatis, attheeviltime,whichbringsdestructivesleeptoidlesouls. Greg. GREG. But to shake offthe slothof our minds,even our ''''externallossesarc by a similitudesetbeforeus. For itis added,And thisknow,thatifthegoodman of thehousehad known what hour thethiefwould come. THEOPHYL. Some understandthisthiefto be the devil; the house,the soul; the goodman of the house,man. Thisinterpretation,how ever,does not seem to agreewith what follows.For the Lord'scoming iscomparedtothethiefassuddenlyathand, iTh-«*.accordingto the word of the Apostle,The day of theLord 5, socomethas a thiefinthenight.And hence alsoitis here added,Be ye alsoready,for the Son of man comethat an Crete. hour when ye thinknot. GREG. Or else;unknown to the ii/Ev.' masterthe thiefbreaksintothe house,becausewhile the spiritsleepsinsteadof guardingitself,death comes unex pectedly,and breaksintothe dwellingplaceof our flesh. But he would resistthe thiefifhe were watching,because beingon hisguard againstthe coming of the Judge,who secretlyseizeshissoul,he would by repentancego to meet Him, lesthe shouldperishimpenitent.But the lasthour our Lord wishesto be unknown tous,inorderas we cannot foreseeit,we may be unceasinglypreparingforit. 41. Then Peter said unto Him, Lord, speakest Thou thisparableunto us,or even to all? 42. And the Lord said,Who then isthatfaithful and wise steward,whom his lord shallmake ruler over his household,to give them theirportionof meat in due season? 43. Blessedis that servant,whom his lord when he cometh shallfindso doing. 44. Of a truthI sayunto you,thathe willmake him ruleroverallthathe hath. 45. But and ifthat servantsay in hisheart,My