558 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XVI. Dent thatthe peoplewhom he ruled,ifthey followedtheLaw, ' shouldaboundin allearthlygoods.ThesetheLord answers by shewing that between the Law and the Gospel,as in thesepromisesso alsoin the commands, thereisnot the slightestdifference.Hence He adds,The Law and thePro phetswereuntilJohn. AMBROSE. Not thatthe Law failed but thatthe preachingoftheGospelbegan; forthatwhich isinferiorseems to be completedwhen a bettersucceeds. Chrys. CnKYS. He hereby disposesthem readilyto believeon in°MatLHim, becauseif as far as John's time all thingswere Pseudo-complete,I am He who am come. For the Prophets Hom.8'l9.had not ceasedunlessI had come ; but you willsay, op.imp. "how" were the ProphetsuntilJohn, sincethere have been many more Prophetsin the New than the Old Tes tament? But He spoke of those prophetswho foretold Christ'scoming. EUSEB.Now the ancientprophetsknew the preachingof the kingdom of heaven,but none of them had expressly announceditto the Jewishpeople,becausetheJews having a childishunderstandingwere unequalto the preachingof what isinfinite.But John firstopenlypreachedthatthe kingdom of heavenwas at hand,as wellas alsothe remis sionofsinsby the laverof regeneration.Hence itfollows Sincethattimethekingdomofheavenispreached,and every onepressethintoit. AMBROSE. For theLaw deliveredmany thingsaccordingto nature,as being more indulgentto our naturaldesires,thatitmight callus to the pursuitof righteousness.Christbreaks through nature,as cutting offeven our naturalpleasures.But thereforewe keep under nature,thatitshouldnot sinkus down to earthly things,but raiseus to heavenly.EUSEB. A greatstruggle befalsmen intheirascenttoheaven. For thatmen clothed with mortal fleshshouldbe ableto subdue pleasureaiid everyunlawfulappetite,desiringtoimitatethelifeofangels, must be compassedwith violence.But who thatlooking upon thosewho labourearnestlyin the serviceofGod,and almostput to deaththeirflesh,willnot in realityconfess Aug.de thattheydo violencetothekingdom ofheaven.AUG. They EvT'ii also^o violenceto tne kingdom of heaven,in thattheynot q.87. onlydespisealltemporalthings,but alsothetonguesofthose