and it sufficeth us;”2877 he understood indeed that if the Father were shown him, it might
well suffice him; but how would the Father suffice him whom He that was equal to the
Father sufficed not? And why did He not suffice? Because He was not seen. And why was
He not seen? Because the eye whereby He might be seen was not yet whole. For this, namely,
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that the Lord was seen in the flesh with the outward eyes, not only the disciples who honoured
Him saw, but also the Jews who crucified Him. He then who wished to be seen in another
way, sought for other eyes. And therefore it was that to him who said, “Show us the Father,
and it sufficeth us;” He answered, “Have I been so long time with you; and yet hast thou not
known Me, Philip? He who hath seen Me, hath seen the Father also.”2878 And that He might
in the mean while heal the eyes of faith, he has first of all instructions given him regarding
faith, that so he might attain to sight. And lest Philip should think that he was to conceive
of God under the same form in which he then saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the body, he
immediately subjoined; “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?”2879
He had already said, “He who hath seen Me, hath seen the Father also.” But Philip’s eye was
not yet sound enough to see the Father, nor consequently to see the Son who is Himself
Coequal with the Father. And so Jesus Christ took in hand to cure, and with the medicines
and salve of faith to strengthen the eyes of his mind, which as yet were weak and unable to
behold so great a light, and He said, “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
Father in Me?” Let not him then who cannot yet see what the Lord will one day show him,
seek first to see what he is to believe; but let him first believe that the eye by which he is to
see may be healed. For it was only the form of the servant which was exhibited to the eyes
of servants; because if “He who thought it not robbery to be equal with God,”2880 could
have been now seen as equal with God by those whom He wished to be healed, He would
not have needed to “empty Himself, and to take the form of a servant.” But because there
was no way whereby God could be seen, but whereby man could be seen, there was; therefore
He who was God was made man, that that which was seen might heal that whereby He was
not seen. For He saith Himself in another place, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God.” 2881 Philip might of course have answered and said, “Lord, lo, I see Thee; is the
Father such as I see Thee to be? forasmuch as Thou hast said, ‘He who hath seen Me, hath
seen the Father also’?” But before Philip answered thus, or perhaps before he so much as
thought it, when the Lord had said, “He who hath seen Me, hath seen the Father also;” He
immediately added, “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” For
2877 John xiv. 8.
2878 John xiv. 9.
2879 John xiv. 10.
2880 Phil. ii. 6.
2881 Matt. v. 8.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xx. 30, about the two blind men sitting…