The light kindled in the soul
That a “light” is kindled “in the soul” “suddenly, as from a leaping fire” (Plato, Seventh Letter 341c–d), the Word knew first, saying in the prophet: “Light for yourselves the light of knowledge” (Hosea 10:12). And John, who lived after him, says that “what came to be” in the Word “was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:3–4); and this “true light” “enlightens every man coming into the” true and intelligible “world” (John 1:9), and makes him “a light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). For this light “shone in our hearts to give the light of the gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
That is why a most ancient prophet, who prophesied many generations before the reign of Cyrus (for he was more than fourteen generations older than Cyrus), says: “The Lord is my light and my saviour; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1); and: “Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths” (Psalm 119:105); and: “The light of your face has been marked upon us, O Lord” (Psalm 4:6); and: “In your light we shall see light” (Psalm 36:9). And the Word in Isaiah, urging us toward this light, says: “Be filled with light, be filled with light, Jerusalem; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). And this same prophet, prophesying of the coming of Jesus, who turns people away from the worship of idols and images and demons, says: “To those who sat in the region and shadow of death a light has risen” (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16); and again: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16).
See, then, the difference between what Plato said well about the first good and what is said in the prophets about the light of the blessed. And see that the truth about this in Plato did nothing to help his readers toward pure piety, nor even the man himself who philosophized in such terms about the first good; whereas the plain diction of the divine writings has filled with divine inspiration those who read it sincerely. In such readers this light is nourished by the oil spoken of in a certain parable, the oil that kept the light of the torches burning for the five wise virgins (Matthew 25:1–13).
Greek
Τὸ δ᾿ „ἐξαίφνης οἷον ἀπὸ πυρὸς πηδήσαντος“ ἐξάπτεσθαι „φῶς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ“ πρότερος οἶδεν ὁ λόγος, εἰπὼν ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ· „φωτίσατε ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεως.“ καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ ὕστερον ἐκείνου γενόμενος λέγει ὅτι „ὃ γέγονεν“ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ „ζωὴ“ ἦν, „καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων,“ ὅπερ „φῶς ἀληθινὸν“ „φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον, ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν“ ἀληθινὸν καὶ νοητὸν „κόσμον,“ καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτὸν „φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.“ „ἔλαμψε“ γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ φῶς „ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ.“ διό φησιν ἀρχαιότατος προφήτης πρὸ πολλῶν γενεῶν τῆς Κύρου βασιλείας προφητεύσας (ὑπὲρ τὰς τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα γὰρ γενεὰς πρεσβύτερος αὐτοῦ ἦν) τό· „κύριος φωτισμός μου καὶ σωτήρ μου, τίνα φοβηθήσομαι;“ καί· „λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου, καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου,“ καί· „ἐσημειώθη ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, κύριε,“ καί· „ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς.“ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ φῶς τοῦτο προτρέπων ἡμᾶς ὁ ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ λόγος φησί· „φωτίζου, φωτίζου Ἱερουσαλήμ· ἥκει γάρ σου τὸ φῶς, καὶ ἡ δόξα κυρίου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνέτειλεν.“ ὁ δ᾿ αὐτὸς οὗτος προφητεύων περὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐπιδημίας, ἀφιστάντος τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ ἀγαλμάτων καὶ δαιμόνων θεραπείας, φησὶν ὅτι „καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς,“ καὶ πάλιν· „λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει φῶς εἶδε μέγα.“ ὅρα οὖν τὴν διαφορὰν τοῦ καλῶς λελεγμένου ὑπὸ τοῦ Πλάτωνος περὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐν τοῖς προφήταις περὶ τοῦ φωτὸς τῶν μακαρίων· καὶ ὅρα ὅτι ἡ μὲν ἐν Πλάτωνι περὶ τούτου ἀλήθεια οὐδὲν ὡς πρὸς εἰλικρινῆ εὐσέβειαν ὤνησε τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἀλλ᾿ οὐδ᾿ αὐτὸν τὸν τοιαῦτα περὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἀγαθοῦ φιλοσοφήσαντα, ἡ δὲ τῶν θείων γραμμάτων εὐτελὴς λέξις ἐνθουσιᾶν πεποίηκε τοὺς γνησίως ἐντυγχάνοντας αὐτῇ· παρ᾿ οἷς τρέφεται τοῦτο τὸ φῶς τῷ ἔν τινι παραβολῇ εἰρημένῳ ἐλαίῳ, τηροῦντι τῶν δᾴδων τὸ φῶς ἐν ταῖς φρονίμοις πέντε παρθένοις.