Vol 01 - Chapter 12 - CHRIST the light of the world.

Chapter 12 CHRIST the light of the world
1. GOD s light, says St. John. But what is God P God is a Spiritual, Eternal, and Infinite Being. God is almighty, merciful, gracious, righteous, holy, true; faithful, all-knowing, and only wise; God is unspeakable love and faithfulness: he is the most sovereign good, and all good essentially; and the true and everlasting light. Whence every’one that departeth from GOD, departeth from the light; and whosoever walks not in his love, his mercy, his righteousness, and his truth, the same walks not in his light, but wandereth out from it, and falleth into darkness. For without God there is nothing but darkness; but mere darkness, but everlasting dark ness. O how dark therefore is that soul in which God is not
2. Now if God be light, then the devil is darkness; and if God be love, then the devil is hatred which hatred is sown in the darkness, even as love is sown in the light, and springs up out of the light; so extinguish= ing the powers of darkness. For this heavenly love, having the light everlasting for its sun and its shield, is stronger than death and hell; and sin and torment must flee before it. Wherefore as God is light, yea, very light; and CHRIST is light of light: even so the devil is darkness, yea, very darkness, in the children of disobedience.
He is all wrath and envy, all malice and uncharitableness, and in him is no light at all; and they that walk in the darkness, as he is in the darkness, have fellowship with him, being made partakers of his nature and wearing his form. And certainly, if God be in his nature charity, the devil is in his, nothing but inordinate self-love, the fruitful womb of sin and torment., To which whosoever joins himself, as likewise to the abominable offspring thereof; (namely, wrath and arrogance, envy and hatred, malice and revenge, with a numerous train besides) the same is changed into darkness and the devil, and has the vile form of the serpent, in his soul. From which there is no deliverance, without a total renovation of nature, and a thorough transformation and transplantation. No man can hence be delivered before he is converted from darkness to light, from sin to, righteousness, and from the devil to God. And this must be the work of faith alone, whereby our hearts are purified. For whosoever believeth in CHRIST, he tiirneth from sin; that is, from the devil to CHRIST. For even as Adam by sin, converted himself from God to the devil, so it behoveth every one of us to flee by true repentance and faith, from the devil to God.
3. It follows hence that man, without returning to GOD, which is light, cannot be enlightened. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness or, light with darkness Darkness is unrighteousness, but the light is the true knowledge of Jesus CHRIST, which can no ways therewith enter into fellowship; so that it is impossible that those should be enlightened by the light of eternal truth,- who live in the darkness of unrighteousness. To which appertaineth the saying of St. Paul, "When they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away;" that is, their darkness, blindness, and ignorance shall cease,_ and CHRIST shall enlighten them.
4. What thicker mist can cover the minds of men than infidelity; with the fruits thereof; such as pride, covetousness, wrath, and lust Therefore, where these are, it cannot be that a man should truly acknowledge CHRIST, or that he should know him, until he give up himself to be saved by him. For how shall he understand the humility of CHRIST, whose mind knows not himself through pride Or how shall he know the meekness of CHRIST, he that is full of wrath and envy But who soever understandeth not the lowliness and meekness of CHRIST, he knows not CHRIST, but is a stranger to him. For truly to know him, it behoveth thee, by faith, to have the very heart and understanding of CHRIST in thee, and to perceive his meekness, patience, and humility, within thee in thy heart. Since as a plant is known by the taste and smell, so CHRIST, the Tree of Life, by tasting and by sensible trial, is understood and perceived; even by tasting in faith his lowliness and humility, his meekness and patience, and by eating of his fruit, that is, of his love and peace, whereby thy soul may find rest and tranquility, and be made capable more and more of Divine favor and consolation.
5. CHRIST is mere loves humility, meekness, patience; the which whosoever has not, he is ignorant of CHRIST, though he can finely talk of him, and for a cover usurp his name. After the same manner the word of God is nothing but Spirit. Whence they who live not in the Spirit do riot know what the word of God is, although they prate never so much of the Scriptures, and dispute about them every where: In like manner, it belongs not to a man to judge of love, who exerciseth it not; or of the word of GOD, who has not the taste of it in his soul. For all knowledge begins with sensation and experience. Nor is it his part to discourse of the light, who never has moved a foot out of his own darkness to see the light. And what is light in man, but faith and charity, according to the saying of CHRIST, " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good,works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven"
6. Now Seeing the most holy life of CHRIST is nothing but mere love, if we draw from him true faith, humility, meekness, and patience, according as he has given us commandment, then truly we are transformed into his image, and beautified and adorned with his. love, no otherwise than if he° were covered and clothed with CHRIST himself, who is the eternal and true light, according to that of the apostle, " Awake you that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and CHRIST will give thee light." It follows, that as many as do not awake from the sleep of the world, that is, from the desire of the eyes, and of the flesh, and from the pride of life, their souls cannot truly be illuminated by CHRIST; and that they on the other side, who follow him in faith, are illuminated according to that of the gospel,' " I am the light of the world, he who followeth me, (in faith, love, hope, pati. ence, meekness,, humility, the fear of GOD, and, the life of prayer,) walks not in darkness, but shall have the light of life." As if he should say, only those that imitate me have the light of life, and the true knowledge of God. By reason of the same faith. and, life of CHRIST it is. that St. Paul calls the faithful by the name of. light: " Ye were (says he); sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord." And again, " Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor darkness, having put on the breast-plate of faith and love, and the helmet of salvation.." They that have indeed seen CHRIST, that is, have looked upon hire with the eye of faith, these have seen the lights of heavenly beauty, the virtue of virtues, and the unspotted mirror of righteousness. These have by faith seen and handled the word of life; and having seen and had this experience, they are even ravished with the love of CHRIST's life, and so enamoured with the beauty of his holiness, as to seek above all things,, how they may sanctify in themselves the name of the Lord their righteousness-; he being made to them both sanctification and redemption. Wherefore we are admonished of the Holy Ghost, always to look unto Jesus, as both the beginner and finisher thereof in us; resisting with him even unto blood, and striving against all sin, that so he may be glorified in us.
7. Now seeing the very heathens had an high esteem. and veneration for virtue, and were so much in love with it, as if it were the most super-excellent beauty that the human nature could be capable of; what esteem and veneration ought Christians to have for it, and how much rather in love ought they to be with it, since it is now made so exceedingly more lovely and beautiful in him whom they have taken for the exemplar of their lives And if they so very much desired to see it who had not the advantage we have, and were so charmed with but a little imperfect glimpse of it; how much more ought Christians to esteem and love it above all things, who have it set before them in the manifested glory of the only begotten Son of GOD, by his most heavenly life upon earth For if virtue be to be loved, and even loved as it is in itself, how much more as it is in Jesus CHRIST Ill him is all the beauty of virtue, and the loveliness of grace displayed most fully, that of hisfulness we tray partake, and so become most beautiful in bearing some part of his likeness. Is virtue lovely He is mere virtue. Is truth commanding He is mere truth. Is beauty amiable He is mere beauty. In him righteousness incarnated itself, and all the graces were in him embodied. These must also take, as it were, a body in us; and he must be made our righteousness by his dwelling in us, that we may behold his beauty reflected upon us, in a conversation like unto his. Impossible, therefore, it is for us to exceed in our love and esteem for virtue; seeing that CHRIST is virtue itself, and love itself, yea, God himself.
8. In humility CHRIST liveth, and the Spirit of CHRIST is upon the meek and the little ones. And hence, upon him that has the meek light, the heavenly grace abides; the humble life of CHRIST dwells in him, the Spirit pf the Lord shall rest upon him, and he shall receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Behold the Spirit resteth upon such an one, even the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, even as upon CHRIST himself. For CHRIST is in the man in whom his. light and life are; so that they are the same, he in CHRIST, and CHRIST in him. If any man desire to be set free from the blindness of his heart, and from the inner and the outer darkness; yea, from the devil himself, who inhabiteth the darkness; let him imitate CHRIST, by walking in his holy steps. The nearer you are to CHRIST, the nearer you are to eternal light: and the nearer to unbelief you are, the nearer you are to darkness and to the devil. For even as in faith CHRIST and all his virtues are knit together; so in unbelief, the devil and all the vices. They cleave so fast together as not to be separated.
9. Behold with me _the apostles imitating CHRIST in faith, in contempt of the world, in denying themselves, and in living for eternity; by which means they were found fit for the heavenly. illumination, and consequently were enlightened and " filled with the Holy Ghost." This the rich young man would not do; therefore he remained in darkness, and was riot enlightened by CHRIST to eternal life. For he who loves not, remaineth in the darkness. For nothing is truer than that he who is without love, or faith working.by love, is without light. Let him pretend to never so much light or knowledge, he is certainly in darkness, " and walks in darkness;" without the serious and upright exercise of faith, without a course of mortification and self-denial, without recollection and the inward Sabbath of the soul, no man can receive the Divine light. In short, as much as the works of darkness, by the Spirit of God in any man are destroyed, so much is he illuminated, and no more. And by how much more powerfully, on the other side, corrupt nature bears rule, so much more of darkness is in him, and so much less of grace, of light, of spirit, of GOD, €tnd of CHRIST. Therefore it remaineth firm and steadfast, that without daily and continual renovation, no man can be truly illuminated.
10. He that will not resist one sin, does give an opportunity thereby to many. For there cometh always one sin out of another, and spreadeth itself like a weed, and bringeth forth continually abundant increase, fitted for destruction. When, therefore, a man has not thoroughly resisted so much as one vice, but bringeth forth perpetually the same sins, with increase; how great must the darkness of that man be!. And as the darkness ceases not to wax greater and greater, as the sun departs farther away, so the farther we are removed from the life of CHRIST, the farther we are from the true light, and sin and darkness grow still thicker and thicker in us, till at length we are brought into an eternal night of darkness. So also the Christian virtues, as rings, are linked one to another in a gold chain which admirable connection is by St. Peter expressed thus, " Use diligence, by adding in your faith virtue; and in your virtue knowledge;" that is, adding virtue to faith, and knowledge to virtue; and then pursuing in knowledge, abstinence; in abstinence, patience; in patience, piety; in piety, brotherly love; in brotherly love, charity; by superadding one of these continually to the other. "And if we do these things, and abound!' therein,, then be tells us that we shall not " be found barren, nor without fruit, in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus CHRIST." He that holdeth not this chain is not linked to CHRIST; and he that exerciseth not these virtues knows not CHRIST; but he that by faith groweth in virtue, groweth also in CHRIST. All others, as the proud, the wrathful, the covetous, the impatient, grow not in CHRIST, but in the devil. Wherefore, if we hold fast by this chain, and follow the heavenly conduct, then shall we, (even as a child, by little and little, groweth up unto a full stature of a man,) grow in faith, and by an experimental knowledge of the Son of God in the study of solid virtue, " unto perfect men, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of CHRIST."
11. But, " he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." As if he should say, it is certain CHRIST by his death did bear all our sins; but then it is as certain, we must beware that we addict not ourselves to sin hereafter; but rather that, by the death of CHRIST, we give all diligence to die to the world, and to live in CHRIST; which whosoever does not, to this man it is plain, the purging, of his old sins can profit nothing; since he has not been diligent to make thereby " his calling and election sure." According to the advice immediately joined with it, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." Whereby it is given us to understand, how necessary a thing repentance is, and a thorough change of heart and life. For although CHRIST died for our sins, blotting them out, and abolishing them with the price of his most holy blood, yet we do not partake of that merit, unless we repent; and without this it profiteth nothing. And howsoever every man is promised pardon for his sins through the merit of CHRIST; yet that promise pertaineth not to the unbeliever, nor to the impenitent, but to those alone who, by faith, amend their lives; and that too, according to the true standard which is set them. For those sins shall not be remitted, which a man will not leave; but those only which he is willing to part with.
12. But wherever unfeigned conversion to, and faith in God is wrought in a soul, there is pardon and Divine grace ready for her. And where this is, there is CHRIST also; without whom, no grace can be obtained. Where CHRIST is, there he is accompanied with his precious merit, and the satisfaction he has made' for our sins. Again, where this is, there is righteousness, and with righteousness, peace, and sweet serenity of conscience.. It is then that" righteousness and peace kiss each other" lh such an heavenly soul. This clearness of conscience is attended with the Spirit of God; which being a spirit of joy, will certainly pour forth the oil of v ladness, and therewith life eternal, which is nothing but joy and glory without end. And this is that eternal light of eternal life, that eternally triumphant joy, wherewith those only are crowned that live in CHRIST, and do the works of a daily repentance; this being the beginning of a spiritual life, as the death of CHRIST is the foundation whereon it is to be raised. On the contrary, where there is no repentance, there is no pardon of sin. Where there is no inward remorse and spiritual sorrow, there no grace can take place. Where this is wanting, there CHRIST himself is wanting, with the whole extent of his merits and satisfaction, let the pretensions of the false Christian be ever so fair and specious. Where this satisfaction is not thoroughly applied to the soul, there is no righteousness neither, and consequently no peace, no good conscience, no comfort, no Holy Ghost, no gladness of heart, no calmness of mind; lastly, no life eternal; but death, hell, condemnation, and everlasting darkness.