'Darkness.-Means here sin, which arises chiefly from want of faith ; but oftener from want of a good will.

Comprehend. This word would mean, did not give it a good reception. It is a morally universal proposition.

The Baptist's mission is mentioned here as the dawn of the shining of the Sun of Justice.

Some think that S. John introduced the Baptist's mission by calling him a man, to distinguish him from the God man, in order to counteract a heresy which was prevailing at the time, regarding John's teaching.

It is likely that some of John's disciples who were scandalized at our Lord and the Apostles not leading an austere life, continued that life still. We have accounts of various Essenes of the time who did so, and despised Christians who led an ordinary life in the world. S. John would remind those of

S. John the Baptist's inferiority, and that his only mission here was to prepare the Way for the Messiah, to foretell Him, and then point Him out when He came to be baptised.

After introducing the Baptist's name and work, the following words would seem to be a summary of his teaching regarding Our Lord.

1A man. This is to show that S. John Baptist, was not to be mistaken for the Holy Ghost or for any emanation of the Divinity, after the manner of Ebionite teaching.

John.-S. Luke tells us the time of his coming, in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, (Chap. iii. v. 1). His miraculous freedom from sin in his mother's womb, and his austere life are told us by other Evangelists.

3Bear witness. He made himself worthy of credence by his holy life and holy teaching. All the people reverenced him as a prophet, and insomuch, that when Our Lord asked the Pharisees if he were from Heaven, they were afraid to say he was not, lest the people might stone them.

Believe through him.—Believe in Jesus Christ through John's teaching. "He was not the light. That is to say, John was not the light per se. What light John had was borrowed for the occasion or given him for his work.

Of the light.-Testify to the genuineness of the Light of the World. The Evangelist now turns to Our Lord.

"The true light.-Not that John was false, but that Our Lord was the essential light, and that all true light of doctrine must be kindled from Him.

Every man that cometh into this world.-There are various opinions as to what is qualified by cometh. As it stands here is the accepted sense. The others are far-fetched. It is the light of reason first, and sufficient grace next.

John's mission :

Ist. Sent by God.

2nd. To preach penance by word and deed.

3rd. To lead to Jesus and to heaven.

The Light of reason :

Ist. Is given to every man except idiots.

2nd. Grace is given even to those who refuse.

3rd. We must follow both in order to get salvation.

10. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non cognovit.

11. In propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt.

12. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios DEI fieri, his qui credunt in nomine ejus;

13. Qui non ex sanguibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex DEO nati sunt.

14. Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi unigeniti à PATRE, plenum gratiæ et veritatis.

10. He was in 'the world, and the world was made by him; and the world knew him not.

II. He came unto his own; and his own received him not.

12, But as many as received him, to them he gave power to be made the sons of God, to them that "believe in his name:

13. Who are born, not of 7blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of 'man, but of God.

14. And the Word was made "flesh, and dwelt among us: and we 13saw his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Here is found the love of the Son of God for the world He had created. He dwelt in it invisibly, so that human reason from the sight of its economy and order might rise to a knowledge of Him. Men lost this light, and a second sending took place by Moses, the Law and the prophets. Finally, he came himself, et mundus eum non cognovit.

There is a touch of S. John's love in this. The world knew Him not. If it knew Him as I knew Him-if it knew His kindness of heart, His great love-if it knew how fond He was of every human being—if it knew how willingly He would give His life for everyone—if it knew how sweet it is to serve Him and love Him-the hidden happiness found in His company-it never would have rejected Him and crucified Him. Mundus eum non cognovit.

Mundus per ipsum factus est. This world was His own creation, His own child, His much favoured heir, to which He showed so much love and gave so many favours and blessings. Et mundus eum non cognovit.

Even when He chastised and punished, it was meant to bring

them to remember Him and turn to Him. After a chastisement he overloaded with favours. Et mundus eum non cognovit.

'The world. That means the universe, which is per autonomasiam represented by its most perfect creature-man.

2Made by Him.-To show that He loved it as a child, and that it ought to have a child's recognition of its Father.

3Knew Him not.—It lost the traditional knowledge of Him by sin.

'His own. Some translate this, property. The Greek bears this; but it is not the meaning. Doctors differ as to its application, whether to the whole of mankind, or to the Jews. In the latter sense His rejection by the Jews would be the reason why He went to the Gentiles. We think the first most probable, and the small number of the elect is the outcome of His not being received. He is not received everywhere yet; and in many places where He was they have rejected Him.

Power. He did not make them sons of God, but gave them power to make themselves so by His grace.

"Believe in His name.-With a faith working by grace or charity.

'Blood.-Relationship or descendants from same stock.

8Flesh.-Carnal intercourse.

"Man. By adoption through human love or fancy.

10Of God.-The gift of faith and baptism with subsequent grace. 11Flesh.-Our Lord did not put on human nature as a garb, nor did he go into a man and possess him. The body and soul, in the first instance of existence were joined in the Word, so that he became the form. There is no human person in Christ, only the perfect nature. Flesh is used as a Hebraism—all flesh shall see His Salvation-for the correct thing in man, sin alone excepted. This is to exclude the theory of His having assumed only the soul.

12 Dwelt amongst us.-Greek,-pitched his tent amongst us-literally, dwelt like anyone else. Post haec in terra visus est et cum hominibus conversatus est.

13 Saw His Glory.-John saw it in the miracles, Transfiguration, Resurrection, Ascension and in the revelations he received in the Isle of Patmos.

14Full of grace and truth.-The quasi is exactly the same as, He ought to be. Grace. Several were full of it-the Blessed Virgin and S. Stephen, etc., but He was full like an ocean, they like a fountain drawing from Him. Truth. This is to distinguish the reality of his apparition from the shadowing and figurative ones which preceded. His was well proved.

15. Joannes testimonium perhibet de ipso, et clamat dicens: "Hic erat quem dixi: Qui post me venturus est ante me factus est quia prior me erat."

16. Et de plenitudine ejus nos omnes accepimus, et gratiam pro gratiâ.

17. Quia lex per Moysen data est, gratia et veritas per JESUMCHRISTUM facta est.

18. DEUM nemo vidit unquàm unigenitus Filius, qui est in sinu Patris, ipse enarravit.

15. John beareth witness of him; and 'crieth out saying: This was he 'of whom I spoke : He that shall come after me is 'preferred before me, because he was before me.

16. And of 'his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace.

17. For the law was given by Moses grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18. 'No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Having spoken of the Eternal Generation of the Son of God, of His Incarnation and the object of this great condescension, the Beloved Disciple now brings us to the manner of His Manifestation and His Proclamation by S. John the Baptist, as the Messiah.

This account of S. John introducing Our Lord to the crowds is fuller in a certain sense than those given by the other Evangelists. The Baptist commences by announcing Our Lord's Divinity, and then supporting the truth of this by the prodigy of the heavens opening and the dove and the voice. He gives also his heavenly communications and corroborates all in the Third chapter.

The others confined themselves to the mere facts of the case and let them speak for themselves.

This variation of manner is accounted for on two principles. 1st. John supplies deficiencies in the narrative, which experience proved to be more requisite now than when the others wrote. 2nd. The new heresies made John look into the future and provide some armour for the future champions of grace and truth.

1Crieth out. This was the expression used concerning John's teaching; because he did not teach in a confined place, but in the wide, pathless, and seemingly boundless desert.