532 GOSPEL ACCOHDiNG TO CHAP. XV.
And when he had spentall,therearosea greatfamineinthat
land. The famineisthewant oftheword oftruth.
Itfollows,And he begantobeinwant. Fitlydidhe begin
to be in want who abandonedthe treasuresof thewisdom
and theknowledgeofGod, and the unfathomablenessofthe
heavenlyriches.It follows,And he wentandjoinedhimself
Aug. to a citizenof thatcountry.AUG. One of the citizensof
ubisup. tl,atcountiywas a certainprinceof the airbelongingto
the army of the devil,whose fieldssignifythe manner of
hispower,concerningwhich itfollows,And he senthim into
thefieldtofeed swine. The swineare the uncleanspirits
whichareunderhim. BEDE. But to feedswineistowork
thosethingsin which the uncleanspiritsdelight It fol
lows,And hewouldhavefilledhisbellywiththehuskswhich
theswinedideat. The husk isa sortofbean,empty within,
softoutside,by which the body isnot refreshed,but filled,
Aug. so that it ratherloadsthan nourishes.AUG. The husksubisup. tl]enwithwhichtne swinewere fedarethe teachingofthe
world,which criesloudlyof vanity; accordingto whichin
variousproseand versemen repeatthe praisesof theidols,
and fablesbelongingtothe gods of theGentiles,wherewith
the devilsare delighted.Hence when he would fainhave
filledhimself,he wishedtofindthereinsomethingstableand
uprightwhichmight relatetoa happylife,and he couldnot;
nsitfollows,And no onegavetohim.
Jer.2,5. CYRIL.But sincetheJews arefrequentlyreprovedinholyIs«.29, Scripturefortheirmany crimes,how agreewiththispeople
the words of the elderson,saying,Lo, thesemany yearsdo
I servethee,neithertransgressedI atany timethycommand
ment. Thisthenisthe meaning of theparable.The Pha
riseesand ScribesreprovedHim becauseHe receivedsin
ners; He setforththe parablein which He callsGod the
man who isthe fatherof the two sons,(thatis,theright
eous and the sinners,)of whom the firstdegreeisof the
righteouswho followrighteousnessfrom the beginning,the
secondis of thosemen who are broughtback by repent-
Basil. ance to righteousness.BASIL.Besides,itbelongsmore to
' the characterof the aged to have an old man's mind and
gravity,than his hoar hairs,nor is he blamed who is
young in age,but it is the young in habitswho lives