576 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. CHAP. XvI. allianceof regalpowerthattheymay assailthetruthofthe Church,do not theyseem to you to be in purpleand fine linen?And these,when theydefendthecounterfeitinstead of the truthabound in flowingdiscourses.Rich heresy has composedmany Gospels,and poor faithhas keptthis singleGospel,which ithad received.Rich philosophyhas made itselfmany gods,thepoorChurch hasknown onlyone. Do notthoserichesseem toyou tobe poor,and thatpoverty Aug.ubito be rich? AUG. Again alsothatstorymay be so under-sup' stood,as thatwe shouldtakeLazarusto mean our Lord; lyingatthegateof therichman,becauseHe condescended to the proud ears of the Jews in the lowlinessof His incarnation; desiringto befedfrom thecrumbswhichfell from therichman'stable,thatis,seekingfrom them even the leastworks ofrighteousness,which throughpridethey wouldnotusefortheirown table,(thatis,theirown power,) whichworks,althoughveryslightand withoutthediscipline of perseveranceina goodlife,sometimesatleasttheymight do by chance,as crumbs frequentlyfallfrom the table. The wounds arethe sufferingsof our Lord,the dogswho lickedthem aretheGentiles,whom theJews calledunclean, and yet,withthe sweetestodourof devotion,theylickthe sufferingsof our Lord in the Sacramentsof His Body and Blood throughoutthe whole world. Abraham's bosom is understood-to be the hiding-placeof the Father,whither afterHisPassionourLordrisingagainwastakenup,whither He was saidto be carriedby theangels,as itseemstome, becausethatreceptionby whichChristreachedtheFather's secretplacethe angelsannounced to the disciples.The restmay be taken accordingto the former explanation, becausethatiswellunderstoodto be the Father'ssecret place,where even beforethe resurrectionthe soulsof the righteouslivewithGod.