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1. 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."
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, 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" 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: 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
sun goes 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." 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." 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."
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. "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." 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." 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." 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."
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." 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." 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." 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." And the apostle saith,
"He that loveth his wife loveth himself; for no one ever hated his
own flesh." 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 carnel 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.
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