391 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XI. theywho dealingout thewisdom oftheGospelasitwere bread, preachedthroughouttheworld,arenow intheirsecretrestwith the Lord. And thisitis which is added, And my children are with me in bed. GREG. NYSS. Well does He callthose childrenwho by the arms of righteousnesshave claimed to themselves freedom from passion,shewing that the good which by practicewe have acquired,had been from the be ginning laidup in our nature. For when any one renounc ing the flesh,by livingin the exerciseof a virtuouslife,has overcome passion,then he becomes as a child,and is in sensibleto the passions. But by the bed we understand Gloss. the restof Christ. GLOSS. And because of what has goneordin' beforeHe adds,/ cannotriseand givethee,which must have Aupr.de referenceto the difficultyof obtaining. AUG. Or else,the EvTmi. frien(lto whom the visitismade at midnight,forthe loan of n.qu.21.the three loaves,is evidentlymeant for an allegory,just as a person setin the midst of troublemight ask God that He would givehim to understand the Trinity,by which he may consolethe troublesof thispresent life. For his dis tressis the midnight in which he is compelled to be so urgent in his request for the three. Now by the three loavesit is signified,that the Trinityis of one substance. But by the friendcoming from hisjourneyisunderstoodthe desireof man, which ought to obey reason,but was obe dient to the custom of the world,which He callsthe way, from allthings passing along it. Now when man is con verted to God, that desirealso is reclaimed from custom. But if not consoled by that inward joy arisingfrom the spiritualdoctrinewhich declaresthe Trinityof the Creator, he isin greatstraitswho ispresseddown by earthlysorrows, seeing that from alloutward delightshe is commanded to abstain,and withinthereis no refreshmentfrom the delight of spiritualdoctrine. And yet it is effectedby prayer,that he who desiresshould receiveunderstanding-from God, even though therebe no one by whom wisdom should be preached. For it follows,And if that man shallcontinue,fyc. The argument is drawn from the lessto the greater. For,ifa friendrisesfrom his bed, and gives not from the forceof friendship,but from weariness,how much more does God give who withoutwearinessgivesmost abundantlywhateverwe ask?