John I. 6-14.
It is fitting, brethren, that as far as possible we should treat of
the text of Holy Scripture, and especially of the Holy Gospel, without
omitting any portion, that both we ourselves may derive nourishment according
to our capacity, and may minister to you from that source from which we
have been nourished. Last Lord's day, we remember, we treated of the first
section; that is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All
things were made by Him; and without Him was nothing made. That which was
made, in Him is life; and the life was the light of men. And the light
shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." So far, I believe,
had I advanced in the treatment of the passage: let all who were present
recall what was then said; and those of you who were not present, believe
me and those who chose to be present. Now therefore,-because we cannot
always be repeating everything, out of justice to those who desire to hear
what follows, and because repetition of the former thought is a burden
to them and deprives them of what succeeds,-let those who were absent on
the former occasion refrain from demanding repetition, but, together with
those who were here, listen to the present exposition.
2. It goes on, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John."
Truly, brethren beloved, those things which were said before, were said
regarding the ineffable divinity of Christ, and almost ineffably. For who
shall comprehend "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God "? And do not allow the name word to appear mean to you, through the
habit of daily words, for it is added, "and the Word was God." This Word
is He of whom yesterday we spoke much; and I trust that God was present,
and that even from only thus much speaking something reached your hearts.
"In the beginning was the Word." He is the same, and is in the same manner;
as He is, so He is always; He cannot be changed; that is, He is. This His
name He spoke to His servant Moses: "I am that I am; and He that is hath
sent me."1 Who then shall comprehend this when you see that all mortal
things are variable; when you see that not only do bodies vary as to their
qualities, by being born, by increasing, by becoming less, by dying, but
that even souls themselves through the effect of divers volitions are distended
and divided; when you see that men can obtain wisdom if they apply themselves
to its light and heat, and also lose wisdom if they remove themselves from
it through some evil influence? When, therefore, you see that all those
things are variable, what is that which is, unless that which transcends
all things which are so that they are not? Who then can receive this? Or
who, in what manner soever he may have applied the strength of his mind
to touch that which is, can reach to that which he may in any way have
touched with his mind? It is as if one were to see his native land at a
distance, and the sea intervening; he sees whither he would go, but he
has not the means of going. So we desire to arrive at that our stability
where that which is, because this alone always is as it is: the sea of
this world interrupts our course, even although already we see whither
we go; for many do not even see whither they go, That there might be a
way by which we could go, He has come from Him to whom we wished to go.
And what has He done? He has appointed a tree by which we may cross the
sea. For no one is able to cross the sea of this world, unless borne by
the cross of Christ. Even he who is of weak eyesight sometimes embraces
this cross; and he who does not see from afar whither he goes, let him
not depart from it, and it will carry him over.
3. Therefore, my brethren, I would desire to have impressed this upon
your hearts: if you wish to live in a pious and Christian manner, cling
to Christ according to that which He became for us, that you may arrive
at Him according to that which is, and according to that which was. He
approached, that for us He might become this; because He became that for
us, on which the weak may be borne, and cross the sea of this world and
reach their native country; where there will be no need of a ship, for
no sea is crossed. It is better then not to see with the mind that which
is, and yet not to depart from the cross of Christ, than to see it with
the mind, and despise the cross of Christ. It is good beyond this, and
best of all, if it be possible, that we both see whither we ought to go,
and hold fast that which carries us as we go. This they were able to do,
the great minds of the mountains, who have been called mountains, whom
the light of divine justice pre-eminently illuminates; they were able to
do this, and saw that which is. For John seeing said, "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." They saw
this, and in order that they might arrive at that which they saw from afar,
they did not depart from the cross of Christ, and did not despise Christ's
lowliness. But little ones who cannot understand this, who do not depart
from the cross and passion and resurrection of Christ, are conducted in
that same ship to that which they do not see, in which they also arrive
who do see.
4. But truly there have been some philosophers of this world who have
sought for the Creator by means of the creature; for He can be found by
means of the creature, as the apostle plainly says, "For the invisible
things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and glory; so they
are without excuse." And it follows, "Because that, when they knew God;"
he did not say, Because they did not know, but "Because that, when they
knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became
vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." How
darkened? It follows, when he says more plainly: "Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools"2 They saw whither they must come; but ungrateful
to Him who afforded them what they saw, they wished to ascribe to themselves
what they saw; and having become proud, they lost what they saw, and were
turned from it to idols and images, and to the worship of demons, to adore
the creature and to despise the Creator. But these having been blinded
did those things, and became proud, that they might be blinded: when they
were proud they said that they were wise. Those, therefore, concerning
whom he said, "Who, when they had known God," saw this which John says,
that by the Word of God all things were made. For these things are also
found in the books of the philosophers: and that God has an only-begotten
Son, by whom are all things. They were able to see that which is, but they
saw it from afar: they were unwilling to hold the lowliness of Christ,
in which ship they might have arrived in safety at that which they were
able to see from afar and the cross of Christ appeared vile to them. The
sea has to be crossed, and dost thou despise the wood? Oh, proud wisdom!
thou laughest to scorn the crucified Christ; it is He whom thou dost see
from afar: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God."
But wherefore was He crucified? Because the wood of His humiliation was
needful to thee. For thou hadst become swollen with pride, and hadst been
cast out far from that fatherland; and by the waves of this world has the
way been intercepted, and there is no means of passing to the fatherland
unless borne by the wood Ungrateful one! thou laughest Him to scorn who
has come to thee that thou mayest return: He has become the way, and that
through the sea:3 thence He walked in the sea to show that there is a way
in the sea. But thou who art not able in any way thyself to walk in the
sea, be carried in a ship, be carried by the wood: believe in the crucified
One, and thou shalt arrive thither. On account of thee He was crucified,
to teach thee humility; and because if He should come as God, He would
not be recognized. For if He should come as God, He would not come to those
who were not able to see God. For not according to His Godhead does He
either come or depart; since He is everywhere present, and is contained
in no place. But, according to what did He come? He appeared as a man.
5. Therefore, because He was so man, that the God lay hid in Him, there
was sent before Him a great man, by whose testimony He might be found to
be more than man. And who is this? "He was a main" And how could that man
speak the truth concerning God? "He was sent by God." What was he called?
"Whose name was John." Wherefore did he come? "He came for a witness, that
he might bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through
him." What sort of man was he who was to bear witness concerning the light?
Something great was that John, vast merit, great grace, great loftiness!
Admire, by all means, admire; but as it were a mountain. But a mountain
is in darkness unless it be clothed with light. Therefore only admire John
that you may hear what follows, "He was not that light;" lest if, when
thou thinkest the mountain to be the light, thou make shipwreck on the
mountain, and find not consolation. But what oughtest thou to admire? The
mountain as a mountain. But lift thyself up to Him who illuminates the
mountain, which for this end was elevated that it might be the first to
receive the rays, and make them known to your eyes. Therefore, "he was
not that light."
6. Wherefore then did he come? "But that he might bear witness concerning
the light." Why so? "That all might believe through him." And concerning
what light was he to bear witness? "That was the true light." Wherefore
is it added true? Because an enlightened man is also called a light; but
the true light is that which enlightens. For even our eyes are called lights;
and nevertheless, unless either during the night a lamp is lighted, or
during the day the sungoes forth, these lights are open in vain. Thus,
therefore, John was a light, but not the true light; because, if not enlightened,
he would have been darkness; but, by enlightenment, he became a light.
For unless he had been enlightened he would have been darkness, as all
those once impious men, to whom, as believers, the apostle said, "Ye were
sometimes darkness." But now, because they had believed, what?-" but now
are ye light," he says, "in the Lord."4 Unless he had added "in the Lord,"
we should not have understood. "Light," he says, "in the Lord:" darkness
you were not in the Lord. "For ye were sometimes darkness," where he did
not add in the Lord. Therefore, darkness in you, light in the Lord. And
thus "he was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of the light."
7. But where is that light? "He was the true light, which lighteth every
man that cometh into the world." If every man that cometh, then also John.
The true light, therefore, enlightened him by whom He desired Himself to
be pointed out. Understand, beloved, for He came to infirm minds, to wounded
hearts, to the gaze of dim-eyed souls. For this purpose had He come. And
whence was the soul able to see that which perfectly is? Even as it commonly
happens, that by means of some illuminated body, the sun, which we cannot
see with the eyes, is known to have arisen. Because even those who have
wounded eyes are able to see a wall illuminated and enlightened by the
sun, or a mountain, or a tree, or anything of that sort; and, by means
of another body illuminated, that arising is shown to those who are not
as yet able to gaze on it. Thus, therefore all those to whom Christ came
were not fit to see Him: upon John He shed the beams of His light; and
by means of him confessing himself to have been irradiated and enlightened,
not claiming to be one who irradiates and enlightens, He is known who enlightens,
He is known who illuminates, He is known who fills. And who is it? "He
who lighteth every man," he says, "who cometh into the world." For if man
had not receded from that light, he would not have required to be illuminated;
but for this reason has he to be illuminated here, because he departed
from that light by which man might always have been illuminated.
8. What then? If He came hither, where was He? "He was in this world."
He was both here and came hither; He was here according to His divinity,
and He came hither according to the flesh; because when He was here according
to His divinity, He could not be seen by the foolish, by the blind, and
the wicked. These wicked men are the darkness concerning which it was said,
"The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not."5
Behold, both here He is now, and here He was, and here He is always; and
He never departs, departs no-whither. There is need that thou have some
means whereby thou mayest see that which never departs from thee; there
is need that thou depart not from Him who departs no-whither; there is
need that thou desert not, and thou shalt not be deserted. Do not fall,
and His sun will not set to thee. If thou fallest, His sun setteth upon
thee; but if thou standest, He is present with thee. But thou hast not
stood: remember how thou hast fallen, how he who fell before thee cast
thee down. For he cast thee down, not by violence, not by assault, but
by thine own will. For hadst thou not consented unto evil, thou wouldest
have stood, thou wouldest have remained enlightened. But now, because thou
hast already fallen, and hast become wounded in heart,-the organ by which
that light can be seen,-He came to thee such as thou mightest see; and
He in such fashion manifested Himself as man, that He sought testimony
from man. From man God seeks testimony, and God has man as a witness;-God
has man as a witness, but on account of man: so infirm are we. By a lamp
we seek the day; because John himself was called a lamp, the Lord saying,"
He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season
to rejoice in his light: but I have greater witness than John."6
9. Therefore He showed that for the sake of men He desired to have Himself
revealed by a lamp to the faith of those who believed, that by means of
the same lamp His enemies might be confounded. There were enemies who tempted
Him, and said, "Tell us by what authority doest thou these things?" "I
also," saith He, "will ask you one question; answer me. The baptism of
John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they were troubled, and
said among themselves, If we shall say, From heaven, he will say unto us,
Why did ye not believe him?" (Because he had borne testimony to Christ,
and had said, I am not the Christ, but He.7 "But if we shall say, Of men,
we fear the people, lest they should stone us: for they held John as a
prophet." Afraid of stoning, but fearing more to confess the truth, they
answered a lie to the Truth; and "wickedness imposed a lie upon itself."8
For they said, "We know not." And the Lord, because they shut the door
against themselves, by professing ignorance of what they knew, did not
open to them, because they did not knock. For it is said, Knock, and it
shall be opened unto you."9 Not only did these not knock that it might
be opened to them; but, by denying that they knew, they barred that door
against themselves. And the Lord says to them, Neither tell I you by what
authority I do these things."10 And they were confounded by means of John;
and in them were the words fulfilled, "I have ordained a lamp for mine
anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame."11
10. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him." Think not
that He was in the world as the earth is in the world, as the sky is in
the world, as the sun is in the world, the moon and the stars, trees, cattle,
and men. He was not thus in the world. But in what manner then? As the
Artificer governing what He had made. For He did not make it as a carpenter
makes a chest. The chest which he makes is outside the carpenter, and so
it is put in another place, while being made; and although the workman
is nigh, he sits in another place, and is external to that which he fashions.
But God, infused into the world, fashions it; being everywhere present
He fashions, and withdraweth not Himself elsewhere, nor doth He, as it
were, handle from without, the matter which He fashions. By the presence
of His majesty He maketh what He maketh; His presence governs what He made.
Therefore was He in the world as the Maker of the world; for, "The world
was made by Him, and the world knew Him not."
11. What meaneth "the world was made by Him"? The heaven, the earth,
the sea, and all things which are therein, are called the world. Again,
in another signification, those who love the world are called the world
"The world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." Did not the heavens
know their Creator, or did the angels not know their Creator, or did the
stars not know their things from all sides gave testimony. But who did
not know? Those who, for their love of the world, are called the world.
By loving we dwell with the heart; but because of their loving the world
they deserved to be called after the name of that in which they dwelt.
In the same manner as we say, This house is bad, or this house is good,
we do not in calling the one bad or the other good accuse or praise the
walls; but by a bad house we mean a house with bad inhabitants, and by
a good house, a house with good inhabitants. In like manner we call those
the world who by loving it, inhabit the world. Who are they? Those who
love the world; for they dwell with their hearts in the world. For those
who do not love the world in the flesh, indeed, sojourn in the world, but
in their hearts they dwell in heaven, as the apostle says, "Our conversation
is in heaven."12 Therefore "the world was made by Him, and the world knew
Him not."
12. "He came unto His own,"-because all these things were made by Him,-"
and His own received Him not." Who are they? The men whom He made. The
Jews whom He at the first made to be above all nations. Because other nations
worshipped idols and served demons; but that people was born of the seed
of Abraham, and in an eminent sense His own, because kindred through that
flesh which He deigned to assume. "He came unto His own, and His own received
Him not." Did they not receive Him at all? did no one receive Him? Was
there no one saved? For no one shall be saved unless he who shall have
received the coming Christ.
13. But John adds: "As many as received Him." What did He afford to
them? Great benevolence! Great mercy! He was born the only Son of God,
and was unwilling to remain alone. Many men, when they have not sons, in
advanced age adopt a son, and thus obtain by an exercise of will what nature
has denied to them: this men do. But if any one have an only son, he rejoices
the more in him; because he alone will possess everything, and he will
not have any one to divide with him the inheritance, so that he should
be poorer. Not so God: that same only Son whom He had begotten, and by
whom He created all things, He sent into this world that He might not be
alone, but might have adopted brethren. For we were not born of God in
the manner in which the Only-begotten was born of Him, but were adopted
by His grace. For He, the Only-begotten, came to loose the sins in which
we were entangled, and whose burden hindered our adoption: those whom He
wished to make brethren to Himself, He Himself loosed, and made joint-heirs.
For so saith the apostle, "But if a son, then an heir through God." And
again, "Heirs of God, and join-heirs with Christ." He did not fear to have
joint-heirs, because His heritage does not become narrow if many are possessors.
Those very persons, He being possessor, become His inheritance, and He
in turn becomes their inheritance. Hear in what manner they become His
inheritance: "The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have
I begotten Thee. Ask of me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine
inheritance."13 Hear in what manner He becomes their inheritance. He says
in the Psalms: "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my
cup."14 Let us possess Him, and let Him possess us: let Him possess us
as Lord; let us possess Him as salvation, let us possess Him as light.
What then did He give to them who received Him? "To them He gave power
to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name;" that they
may ring to the wood and cross the sea.
14. And how are they born? Because they become sons of God and brethren
of Christ, they are certainly born. For if they are not born, how can they
be sons? But the sons of men are born of flesh and blood, and of the will
of man, and of the embrace of wedlock. But in what manner are they born?
"Who not of bloods," as if of male and female. Bloods is not Latin; but
because it is plural in Greek, the interpreter preferred so to express
it, and to speak bad Latin according to the grammarian that he might make
the matter plain to the understanding of the weak among his hearers. For
if he had said blood in the singular number, he would not have explained
what he desired; for men are born of the bloods of male and female. Let
us say so, then, and not fear the ferule of grammarians, so long as we
reach the solid and certain truth. He who understands it and blames it,
is thankless for his having understood. "Not of bloods, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man." The apostle puts flesh for woman;
because, when she was made of his rib, Adam said, "This is now bone of
my bone, and flesh of my flesh."15 And the apostle saith, "He that loveth
his wife loveth himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh."16 Flesh,
then, is put for woman, in the same manner that spirit is sometimes put
for husband. Wherefore? Because the one rules, the other is ruled; the
one ought to command, the other to serve. For where the flesh commands
and the spirit serves, the house is turned the wrong way. What can be worse
than a house where the woman has the mastery over the man? But that house
is rightly ordered where the man commands and the woman obeys. In like
manner that man is rightly ordered where the spirit commands and the flesh
serves.
15. These, then, "were born not of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God." But that men might be born of God, God was first
born of them. For Christ is God, and Christ was born of men. It was only
a mother, indeed, that He sought upon earth; because He had already a Father
in heaven: He by whom we were to be created was born of God, and He by
whom we were to be re-created was born of a woman. Marvel not, then, O
man, that thou art made a son by grace, that thou art born of God according
to His Word. The Word Himself first chose to be born of man, that thou
mightest be born of God unto salvation, and say to thyself, Not without
reason did God wish to be born of man, but because He counted me of some
importance, that He might make me immortal, and for me be born as a mortal
man. When, therefore, he had said, "born of God," lest we should, as it
were, be filled with amazement and trembling at such grace, at grace so
great as to exceed belief that men are born of God, as if assuring thee,
he says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Why, then,
dost thou marvel that men are born of God? Consider God Himself born of
men: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
16. But because "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," by His
very nativity he made an eye-salve to cleanse the eyes of our heart, and
to enable us to see His majesty by means of His humility. Therefore "the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us:" He healed our eyes; and what
follows? "And we beheld His glory." His glory can no one see unless healed
by the humility of His flesh. Wherefore were we not able to see? Consider,
then, dearly beloved, and see what I say. There had dashed into man's eye,
as it were, dust, earth; it had wounded the eye, and it could not see the
light: that wounded eye is anointed; by earth it was wounded, and earth
is applied to it for healing. For all eye-salves and medicines are derived
from the earth alone. By dust thou wert blinded, and by dust thou art healed:
flesh, then, had wounded thee, flesh heals thee. The soul had become carnal
by consenting to the affections of the flesh; thus had the eye of the heart
been blinded. "The Word was made flesh:" that Physician made for thee an
eye-salve. And as He thus came by flesh to extinguish the vices of the
flesh, and by death to slay death; therefore did this take place in thee,
that, as "the Word became flesh," thou mayest be able to say, "And we beheld
His glory What sort of glory? Such as He became as Son of man? That was
His humility, not His glory. But to what is the sight of man brought when
cured by means of flesh? "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten
from the Father, full of grace and truth." Of grace and truth we shall
speak more fully in another place in this same Gospel, if the Lord vouchsafe
us opportunity. Let these things suffice for the present, and be ye edified
in Christ: be ye comforted in faith, and watch in good works, and see that
ye do not depart from the wood by which ye may cross the sea.
___________
1 Ex. iii. 14.
2 Rom. i. 20-22.
3 Matt. xiv. 25.
4 Eph. v. 8.
5 John i. 5.
6 John v. 35.
7 John i. 20, 27.
8 Ps. xxvii. 12.
9 Matt. vii. 7.
10 Matt. xxi. 23-27; Mark xii. 28-33; Luke xx. 2-8.
11 Ps. cxxxii. 17.
12 Phil. iii. 20. [R.V.: "Our citizenship is in heaven."
13 Ps. ii. 7, 8.
14 Ps. xv. 5.
15 Gen. ii. 23.
16 Eph. v. 28, 29.