The Gospel of St. John—­the “spiritual Gospel,” as Clement already calls it—­is the charter of Christian Mysticism.  Indeed, Christian Mysticism, as I understand it, might almost be called Johannine Christianity; if it were not better to say that a Johannine Christianity is the ideal which the Christian mystic sets before himself.  For we cannot but feel that there are deeper truths in this wonderful Gospel than have yet become part of the religious consciousness of mankind.  Perhaps, as Origen says, no one can fully understand it who has not, like its author, lain upon the breast of Jesus.  We are on holy ground when we are dealing with St. John’s Gospel, and must step in fear and reverence.  But though the breadth and depth and height of those sublime discourses are for those only who can mount up with wings as eagles to the summits of the spiritual life, so simple is the language and so large its scope, that even the wayfaring men, though fools, can hardly altogether err therein.

Let us consider briefly, first, what we learn from this Gospel about the nature of God, and then its teaching upon human salvation.

There are three notable expressions about God the Father in the Gospel and First Epistle of St. John:  “God is Love”; “God is Light”; and “God is Spirit.”  The form of the sentences teaches us that these three qualities belong so intimately to the nature of God that they usher us into His immediate presence.  We need not try to get behind them, or to rise above them into some more nebulous region in our search for the Absolute.  Love, Light, and Spirit are for us names of God Himself.  And observe that St. John does not, in applying these semi-abstract words to God, attenuate in the slightest degree His personality.  God is Love, but He also exercises love.  “God so loved the world.”  And He is not only the “white radiance” that “for ever shines”; He can “draw” us to Himself, and “send” His Son to bring us back to Him.

The word “Logos” does not occur in any of the discourses.  The identification of Christ with the “Word” or “Reason” of the philosophers is St. John’s own.  But the statements in the prologue are all confirmed by our Lord’s own words as reported by the evangelist.  These fall under two heads, those which deal with the relation of Christ to the Father, and those which deal with His relation to the world.  The pre-existence of Christ in glory at the right hand of God is proved by several declarations:  “What if ye shall see the Son of Man ascending where He was before?” “And now, O Father, glorify Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.”  His exaltation above time is shown by the solemn statement, “Before Abraham was, I am.”  And with regard to the world, we find in St. John the very important doctrine, which has never made its way into popular theology, that the Word is not merely the Instrument in the original creation,—­“by (or through) Him all