448 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XIT. have forthisreasona toillessand abundant use of food, becausethey think not of claimingto themselvesby any specialrightfruitsgivenforcommon food. We havelost what thingswere common by claimingthem as our own. For neitherisany thinga man'sown, where nothingisper petual,nor issupplycertainwhen theend isuncertain. CYRIL.Now whereasour Lord might have taken an ex ample from the men who have cared leastabout earthly things,such as Elias,Moses,and John, and the like,He made mention of the birds,followingthe Old Testament, which sendsus to the bee and the ant,and othersof the same kind,in whom theCreatorhasimplantedcertainnatu raldispositions.THEOPHYL. Now the reasonthathe omits mentionoftheotherbirds,and speaksonlyoftheravens,is, thatthe young of the ravensareby an especialprovidence fedby God. For theravensproduceindeed,butdo notfeed, but neglecttheiryoung,to whom in a marvellousmanner fromtheairtheirfoodcomes,broughtasitwereby thewind, whichtheyreceivehavingtheirmouthsopen,and soarenou rished.Perhapsalsosuchthingswerespokenby synecdoche, Matt.6, i.e.the whole signifiedby a part. Hence in Matthew our2<i' Lord referstothebirdsoftheair,butheremore particularly totheravens,asbeingmore greedyand ravenousthanothers. EUSBB.By theravensalsoHe signifiessomethingelse,for the birdswhich pickup seedshave a readysourceof food, butthosethatfeedon fleshastheravensdo havemore diffi cultyin gettingit. Yet birdsof thiskind sufferfrom no lackof food,becausethe providenceof God extendsevery where; but He bringsto the same purposealsoa third argument,saying,And which of you by takingthoughtcan add tohisstature? chrys. CHRYS. Observe,thatwhen God hasonce givena soul,it ii)°Matt!abidesthesame,but thebody istakinggrowthdaily. Pass ing overthenthe soulas not receivingincrease,He makes mentiononlyofthebody,givingus tounderstandthatitis not increasedby foodalone,but by the DivineProvidence, fromthefactthatno one by receivingnourishmentcan add any thingtohisstature.Itisthereforeconcluded,Ifyethen be not ableto do thatthingwhich is least,takeno thought for therest.EUSEB. If no one has by hisown skillcon