and for low, for rich and for poor, for Jew and for Greek. Like the sun, He is free to alL All may look at Him, and drink health out of His hgbt. If millions of mankind were mad enough to dwell in caves under ground, or to bandage their eyes, their darkness would be their own fault, and not the fault of the sun. So, likewise, if millions of men and women love spiritual " darkness rather than light," the blame must be laid on their blind hearts, and not on Christ. " Their foolish hearts are darkened." (John iii. 19; Rom. i. 21.) But whether men will see or not, Christ is the true sun, and the light of the world. There is no light for sinners except in the Lord Jesus.
"We see, thirdly, in these verses, the desperate wickedness of man's natural heart. We have it in the words, Christ " was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."
Christ was in the world invisibly, long before He was born of the Virgin Mary. He was there from the very beginning, ruling, ordering, and governing the whole crea- tion. By Him all things consisted. (Coloss. i. 17.) He gave to all life and breath, rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons. By Him kings reigned, and nations were increased or diminished. Yet men knew Him not, and honoured Him not. They *' worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator." (Rom. i. 25.) Well may the natural heart be called " wicked !"
But Christ came visibly into the world, when He was born at Bethlehem, and fared no better. He came to the very people whom He had brought out from Egypt, and purchased for His own. He came to the Jews, whom He had separated from other nations, and to whom He had revealed Himself by the prophets. He came to those very Jews who had read of Him in the Old Testament Scriptures, — seen Him under types and figures in their temple services, — and pro