TRACT.  XIII. ]  THE  TUTJE  LIGHT.  185

waste  it  is  consumed  :  eat  righteousness ;  and  while  thou  art
refreshed,  it  continues  entire.  Just  as  by  seeing  this  corporeal
light,  these  eyes  of  ours  are  refreshed,  and  yet  it  is  a  corporeal
thing  that  is  seen  by  corporeal  eyes.  Many  there  have  been,
when  too  long  in  darkness,  whose  eyesight  is  weakened  by
fasting,  as  it  were,  from  light.  The  eyes,  deprived  of  their
food  (for  they  feed  on  light),  become  wearied  by  fasting,
and  weakened,  so  that  they  cannot  bear  to  see  the  light  by
which  they  are  refreshed ;  and  if  the  light  is  too  long  absent,
they  are  quenched,  and  the  very  sense  of  sight  dies  as  it  were
in  them.  What  then  ?  Does  the  light  become  less,  because
so  many  eyes  are  daily  fed  by  it  ?  Thy  eyes  are  refreshed,
and  the  light  remains  entire.  As  God  was  able  to  show  this
in  the  case  of  corporeal  light  to  corporeal  eyes,  does  He  not
show  that  other  light  to  clean  hearts  as  unwearied,  continuing
entire,  and  in  no  respect  failing  ?  What  light  ?  "  In  the
beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God."  Let
us  see  if  this  is  light.  "  For  with  Thee  is  the  fountain  of
light,  and  in  Thy  light  shall  we  see  light."  On  earth,  fountain
is  one  thing,  light  another.  When  thirsting,  thou  seekest  a
fountain,  and  to  get  to  the  fountain  thou  seekest  light ;  and
if  it  is  not  day,  thou  lightest  a  lamp  to  get  to  the  fountain.
