530 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XV. theFatherreceivesthee; tliefirst,pity,thesecond,interces sion,thethird,reconciliation. Chrys. CHRYS. There isalsoin the above-mentionedparablea Horn.de ruieof distinctionwithreferenceto thecharactersordispo- sitionsofthesinners.The fatherreceiveshispenitentson,Fl1"8' exercisingthefreedomofhiswill,soastoknow fromwhence he had fallen;and the shepherdseeksforthe sheepthat wandersand knows not how to return,and carriesiton his shoulders,comparingtoan irrationalanimalthefoolishman, who, takenby another'sguile,had wandered likea sheep. This parableisthen setforthas follows;But He said,A certainman had two sons. There aresome who sayof these two sons,thattheelderistheangels,but theyounger,man, who departedon a longjourney,when he fellfrom heaven and paradiseto earth;and they adaptwhat followswith referencetothefallorconditionofAdam. Thisinterpreta tionseemsindeeda lenientone,but I know notifitbe true. For theyoungersoncame to repentanceof hisown accord, rememberingthe pastplentyof hisfather'shouse,but the Lord coming calledthe raceof man to repentance,because He saw thatto returnof theirown accordtowhence they had fallenhad neverbeen in theirthoughts; and theelder sonisvexedatthereturnand safetyof hisbrother,whereas the Lord says,Thereisjoy in heavenoveronesinnerrepent ing. CYRIL.But some saythatby theeldersonissignified Israelaccordingto the flesh,but by the otherwho lefthis father,themultitudeoftheGentiles. Aug.de AUG. Thisman thenhavingtwo sonsisunderstoodtobe EvV1ii ^"odhivingtwo nations,as ifthey were two rootsofthe qu.33. human race; and the one composed of thosewho have remainedin the worshipof God, the other,of thosewho have everdesertedGod to worshipidols.From thevery beginningthenofthecreationofmankind theeldersonhas referenceto the worshipof the one God, but the younger seeksthatthepartofthesubstancewhichfelltohim should begivenhim by hisfather.Hence itfollows,And theyounger of them saiduntohisfather,Give me theportionofgood* whichfallethtome; justasthe souldelightedwithitsown powerseeksthatwhichbelongsto it,to live,to understand, toremember,toexcelin quicknessof intellect,allwhichare