99 Gen. iii. 21, Gen. iii. 24.
102 2 Sam. [2 Kings] xviii. 33.
105 Gen. iv. 7 [LXX.]. These words occur in the Septuagint only, and would seem to be taken here by St. Ambrose as a warning from God to Cain, not to sacrifice whilst in sin, and so be applied to those sinners whom he enjoins not to communicate before they repent.
106 Ps. cxxxvii. [cxxxvi.] 2, Ps. cxxxvii. [ cxxxvi.] 4.
107 I do not feel sure of the meaning of this passage, but it appears to be as above, that a person going through the outward exercises of penance without inward repentance, gains no benefit, and as sinners were not admitted to a second course of penance, does away with his chance for the future. [Ed.]
109 Ps. cxxxvii. [cxxxvi.] 8 [LXX.].
110 This passage is another instance of the way in which St. Ambrose, like many other early writers, lost sight of the original meaning of the text in drawing allegorical lessons from it. The "daughter of Babylon," i.e. the people, had never been a "daughter of God," nor was the dashing of the children against the rock ever intended to bear the beautiful interpretation given to it by our author.
11 i.e. raise her arms in the form of a cross.