The Light of Christ part 5

4. As the sun revives the plants and trees and fruits of the earth, so Christ Jesus by his spiritual light revives the soul and causes it to bring forth fruit. 

In the winter, the trees are stripped of their leaves and fruit, and stand naked, cease growing, and seem to be dead; the grass and herbs are killed, and all things have the appearance of death upon them. 

But when the sun returns, then all things have the appearance of a resurrection: things revive again, the trees and fields put on their green livery and begin to bud forth, anew, and flourish and grow. The grass and herbs begin to peep forth out of the ground, and all things look green and flourishing: the fields, meadows, and woods seem to rejoice, and the birds sing a welcome to the returning spring. The fields and trees are adorned with beautiful and fragrant flowers.

Just such an alteration is made in the soul at conversion by Jesus Christ, only far more glorious:

My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away (Canticles 2:10–13).

In conversion, graces do spring forth in the soul which are like the sweet flowers that adorn the face of the earth in the spring, and like the sweet melody of singing birds. 

The soul of one upon whom Christ has shined differs as much from the souls of the wicked as the earth, beautified with the vernal sunbeams, and, when covered with ice and snow, and vexed with storms in the dead of winter.

5. And lastly, as the sun by his influences causes the fruits of the earth to grow and increase, fit for the harvest, so Christ by his spiritual influences increases graces and fits for glory. 

All the fruits of the earth are brought to perfection by the sun; so all the graces of the soul do continue to be increased and ripened by the light that Christ gives, till at length all is perfected in glory. 

Thus, as the sun is the light of the corporeal world, the great light by which the whole earth is enlightened and enlivened, so Jesus Christ is a far more glorious light of the spiritual world, by which all that are saved are enlightened and quickened. 

This is a sun by whom the sun in the firmament is created and upheld, to whom our bodily sun is but a shadow, is but as darkness to this infinite fountain of glorious light, and the great light of the world.