110 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XI. 30. For as Jonas was a signunto the Ninevites, so shallalsothe Son ofMan be to thisgeneration. 31. The queen of the south shallriseup in the judgment with the men ofthisgeneration,and con demn them ; forshe came from the utmost partsof the earthto hear the wisdom of Solomon ; and, be hold,a greaterthan Solomon ishere. 32. The men of Nineve shallriseup in thejudg ment withthisgeneration,and shallcondemn it: for they repentedat the preachingof Jonas; and, be hold,a greaterthanJonas ishere. lii.m:.Our Lord had been assailedwith two kinds of questions,for some accused Him of casting out devils through Beelzebub, to whom up to thispoint His answer was addressed; and otherstempting Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven,and these He now proceedsto answer. As it follows,And when the people were gathered thick together,He began to say, This is an evilgeneration,£$c. AMBROSE. That you may know that the peopleof the Syna gogue are treatedwith dishonour,while the blessednessof the Church is increased. But as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites,so also willthe Son of Man be to the Jews. Hence it isadded, They seeka sign; and thereshallno sign Basilin be given them but the sign of Jonas the prophet. BASIL. 8*""7' A sign is a thing brought openly to view, containing in itselfthe manifestationof something hidden,as the signof Jonas representsthe descentto hell,the ascensionof Christ, and His resurrectionfrom the dead. Hence itisadded, Fur us Jonas was a signto the Ninevites,so shallalsothe Son of Man be to thisgeneration. He gives them a sign,not from heaven, because they were unworthy to see it,but from the lowest depths of hell; a sign,namely, of His incar nation,not of His divinity;of His passion,not of His glorification. AMBROSE. Now as the sign of Jonas is a type of our Lord's passion,so alsois it a testimonyof the grievoussins ii\hichthe Jews have committed. \Ve may remark at once