all things have been created t h r o u gh H im and unto H i m ." We do well to stop here and meditate upon the power, glory and ma j e s ty of our Saviour in the eternal world before He became a man for our redemption. Look up at t he stars on a clear night, t h i nk of their stupendous size and marvelous motions and then say, "My Saviour made t h em ." Yes, think of those wondrous beings t h at form t he hierarchies of the angelic world and say, "My Saviour made t h em ." In all the universe of created things heavenly and earthly, "Wi t h o ut Him was not a n y t h i ng made t h at h a th been ma d e ." God t he F a t h er is the one f o u n t a in and end of all created beings as He is of the Godhead itself, but all things were made " t h r o u g h" the agency of the Wo r d. This is suggested in the first chapter in the Bible, where over and over again in the various steps of creation we read, "God said!," t h at is He b r o u g ht things into being t h r o u gh the mediation of His Word. (Gen. 1-3-6-7- 12-14-20-24-26 cf. Ps. 3 3 : 6 ). Again J o hn emphasizes his t h o u g ht and makes it stronger by repetition in a different f o rm "Wi t h o ut H im was n ot a n y t h i ng ma d e t h at h a t h been ma d e ." (V. 3.) T h e Greek is even stronger t h an the English, "Ap a rt f r om Him was not even one t h i ng ma d e" (or, "came to b e " ). Here is a definite denial of the eternity or uncreatedness of matter. All others depend on Him. There is but one eter- nal and necessary existence—that is God. All other beings are derived f r om Him and miade by Him. The Wo rd being Himself God was not made but is the ma k er of all things. Jesus Christ therefore, in wh om this Wo rd became incarnate, is "very God of very God " (Heb. 3:4 cf. Heb. 1 : 6 ). The t h o u g ht of verse 3 gives to science and Chris- tianity a common .foundation. T r ue science reveals the eternal power and Godhead of the Wo rd (Rom. 1 : 2 0 ). Christianity reveals t he way of salva- tion to fallen man t h r o u gh the grace and power of t he same e t e r n al Word. These words afford to faith the most d a r i ng assurance and t he strongest en- couragement. "H is every word of grace is strong As t h at which built t he skies; The voice t h at rolls t he stars along Speaks all the prophecies." Not only were all things made t h r o u gh the Word, b ut t he life of all was "in H i m" even a f t er He ma de them. He not only Ver3e 4. " In H im was life."
created all things b ut sustains all things. He upholds all things by the Wo rd of His power. (Heb. 1 : 3 ). Life in every sense is in H im; physical life is in Him; spiritual life is in H i m ; , e t e r n al life is in H im; " He t h at h a th t he Son h a th the life; he t h at h a th not t he Son h a th not the life." (I J o hn 5.21 R. V.) In v. 4 we pass f r om the simple to t he higher idea of the communication of life, " In H i m" we live and move and have out being." (Acts 1 7 : 2 8 ). The word " l i f e" is one of the characteristic words used by the Apostle John. It occurs some sixty times in his writings in the New Testament. Our Lord Jesus is else- wh e re represented as the, " P r i n ce of L i f e" (Acts 3 : 1 5) and as the source of all life (Col. 1 : 1 6 - 1 7 ). On Him all created life depends and by Him all created life is imparted. By separation f r om Him life is lost. No element of death can ever be f o u nd in Him. In Him was and is life. Our own t r ue life is hid with Christ in God. (Col. 3 : 3) and He Himself is " o ur life." (Col. 3 : 4 ) . He is an infinite ocean of life whence all may draw b ut which they can never exhaust. In the passage now before us we a re told t h at life is "in H im ," t h at is in t he "Wo r d ," but in I J o hn 1 :1 we are told t h at our Lord Jesus is Himself " The Wo rd of life." But not only is life in Him but " t h e life was t h e light of me n ." The life which we find in Him becomes light to t he mind. Th e re is no light without life We first get life f r om Christ and then our minds are illuminated and we a re enabled to see the t r u th of God. Out- side of Him t h e re is no light ( " T he nat- rual man receiveth not the things of t he Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto H im ." 1 Cor. 2 : 1 4 ). La t er on in the Gospel Jesus Himself declares "I am the light of t he world." He t h at fol- loweth me shall not walk in darkness, b ut shall have the light of life." (Ch. 8 : 1 2 ). The life which is in the Word not only brings spiritual intelligence but all knowledge in all men is obtained t h r o u gh the life which is in the Wo rd The Psalmist cries,to God in Ps. 36-9 "Wi th Thee is thé fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light." It is only in the "face of Jesus Christ" t h at we obtain " t he light of t h e knowledge of the glory of God." (II Cor. 4.6). V. 5. "And t he Light s h i n e th in d a r k n e s s; jamd t he darkness* comprfcw h e n d ed ( r a t h e r, a p p r e h e n d e d) it n o t ." Up to this point only God h as been 'in view and "God is light," b ut now t he
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