December 26

Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.—Ephesians 5:8.

Wo to that way, wherein none walketh, neither heareth in it the voice of man! for it is become a receptacle of beasts. Wo to the soul when the Lord walketh not in her, neither driveth out of her the spiritual beasts of wickedness with his voice! Wo to the house, when the master of it doth not inhabit it! Wo to the earth, when it hath no husbandman to till it! Wo to the ship, when it hath no pilot; for then it is tossed about with the waves and storms! Wo to the soul, when it hath not the true pilot in her! for then being in the sea of darkness, tossed about with the waves of unruly passions, at the mercy of wicked spirits, it obtains in the end destruction. Wo to the soul, when it wanteth Christ to till it with care, that it may bring forth the good fruits of the Spirit! For lying waste, and being full of thorns and thistles, in the end it is burnt with fire. Wo to the soul, when it hath not Christ, the Master, dwelling in it! for then it is a wilderness; yea, is filled with the ill savor of disorderly affections, the sink of all corruption.

As in Egypt, during the three days' darkness, the son saw not his father, neither the brother his brother, the darkness concealing them; so when Adam had transgressed the commandment, the veil of darkness came upon his soul, and now he saw not his true heavenly Father, and neither his brother, the Lord, nor his friends and kindred, the holy angels. And even to this time, they, upon whom Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, hath not risen, and in whom the eyes of the soul have not been opened, are under the same darkness of sin, and have not eyes to behold their Father.

For this every one ought to know, that there are eyes within these outward eyes, and a sense of hearing more inward than this of the outward ear. And as these eyes of ours sensibly behold and know the face of a friend, or one we love; so do the eyes of a faithful soul, enlightened with divine light, see the true Friend, the Bridegroom, the Lord. And thus beholding the only beauty, which surpasses expression, it is wounded with divine love; it is directed to all the virtues of the Spirit; and obtains the boundless and never-failing love of her Lord.