VER.9— 18. ST. LUKE. 655 butthecultivatorsofit; ofwhom itisadded,And he letit outtohusbandmen,thatis,totheeldersofthepeopleand the chiefpriests,and thedoctors,and allthenobles.THEOPHYL. Oreachone of the peopleisthe vineyard,each likewiseis thehusbandman,foreveryone of us takescareof himself. Havingcommittedthen the vineyardto the husbandmen, hewentaway,thatis,he leftthem to the guidanceoftheir ownjudgment.Hence itfollows,And wentintoafarcountry fora longtime.AMBROSE. Not thatourLord journeysfrom placeto place,seeingthatHe iseverpresentineveryplace, butthatHe ismore presenttothosewho loveHim, whileHe removesHimselffromthosewho regardHim not. But He wasabsentfora longtime,lestHis comingto requireHis fruitmightseem tooearly.For themore indulgentitis,it rendersobstinacythelessexcusable. CYRIL.Or God tookHimselfaway from the vineyardfor thecourseof many years,forsincethe timethatHe was seentodescendinthelikenessoffireupon Mount Sinai,He Exod.19. nolongervouchsafedto them His visiblepresence; though no changetook place,in whichHe sentnot His prophets andrighteousmen to givewarningthereof;as itfollows, And atthetimeofthevintagehe senta servanttothe hus bandmen,thattheyshouldgivehim of thefruitofthevine yard. THEOPHYL. He saysofthe fruitof thevineyard,be causenotthewholefruit,but partonly,He wishedtoreceive. Forwhat doesGod gainfrom us,butHis own knowledge, whichisalsoourprofit.BEDE. But itisrightlywrittenfruit, notincrease.For therewas no increasein thisvineyard. Thefirstservantsentwas Moses,who forfortyyearssought of thehusbandmen the fruitof the law which he had given,buthe was wroth againstthem,fortheyprovokedhis spirit.Hence itfollows,But theybeathim, and senthim uwayempty. AMBROSE.And itcame to passthatHe ordainedmany others,whom the Jews sent back to Him disgracedand empty,forthey couldreapnothingfrom them ; as itfol lows,And againhe sentanotherservant.BEDE. By the otherservantismeant David,who was sentafterthe com mandmentof thelaw,thathe by themusicof hispsalmody mightstirup thehusbandmen totheexerciseofgood works.