July 2

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.—John 1. 4, 5.

Life in him: this was the life of that which was made. And what kind of life? seeing that the soul too is the life of the body: our body hath a life of its own; and when it loseth this life, there is the death of the body: was the life then we speak of such as this? No: The life was the light of men. Was it the light of beasts? For this light is the light both of beasts and men. There is a certain light of men: let us see wherein men differ from beasts, and then we shall understand what the light of men is. Thou differest not from a beast save in understanding. Boast not of aught else. Dost thou plume thyself upon thy strength? the beasts excel thee: upon thy speed? the flies excel thee: upon thy beauty? how great beauty is in the peacock's feathers? Wherein then art thou better? In the image of God? Where is the image of God? In the mind, in the understanding. If then thou art better than a beast, in that thou hast a mind, wherewith thou mayest understand what a beast can not understand, and in that thou art better than a beast, therefore a man; the light of men is the light of minds. The light of minds is above minds, and transcendeth all minds. This was that life, by which all things were made.

Where was it? Was it here? or was it with the Father and not here? or, what is nearer the truth, was it both with the Father, and here too? If then it was here, wherefore was it not seen? Because the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. O men, be not darkness, be not unbelieving, unjust, extortioners, covetous, lovers of the world; for these are the darkness. The light is not absent, but ye are absent from the light. A blind man in the sun hath the sun present, but he is absent from the sun. Be ye not, therefore, darkness. For this peradventure is the grace of which I am to speak, that we be no more darkness, and that the apostle may say to us, Ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord. Forasmuch, therefore, as the light of men, that is, the light of minds, was not seen, it behooved that a man should bear witness concerning the light: not indeed a man in darkness, but one already enlightened. And yet not, because enlightened, therefore the Light itself: but that he might bear witness of the light. For he was not the light. And what was the Light? That was the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world. And where was it? It was in this world. And how, was in this world? As the visible light of sun, of moon, of lamps, is this Light so in the world? No. For, the world was made by him; and the world knew him not, that is, the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. For the world is darkness; because the lovers of the world, these are the world. For did not the creature acknowledge its Creator? Heaven bare witness by the star: the sea bare witness, it sustained the Lord as he walked upon it: the winds bare witness, at his bidding they were still: the earth bare witness, at his crucifixion it quaked: if all these bare witness, how can it be said that the world knew him not, save that the world are the lovers of the world, they, who, in heart, inhabit the world? So the world is said to be bad, because the inhabitants of the world are bad.

"Light of life, seraphic fire, Love Divine, thyself impart; Every fainting soul inspire; Shine in every drooping heart: Every mournful sinner cheer; Scatter all our guilty gloom; Son of God, appear! appear! To thy human temples come."