Sermon LXXI. [CXXI. Ben.] On the words of the Gospel, John i. 10, “The world was made through him,” etc. 1. By the Lord “was the world made, and the world knew Him not.”3621 What world was made by Him, what world knew Him not? For it is not the same world that was made by Him, which knew Him not. What is the world that was made by Him? The heaven and earth. How did not the heaven know Him, when at His Passion the sun was darkened? How did not the earth know Him, when as He hung upon the Cross, it quaked? But “the world knew Him not,” whose Prince he is, of whom it is said, “Behold, the prince of this world cometh, and findeth nothing in me.” 3622 Wicked men are called the world; unbelieving men are called the world. They have gotten their name from that they love. By the love of God we are made gods; so by the love of the world, we are called the world. But “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.”3623 “The world” then “knew Him not.” What? “all men?” 2. “He came unto His Own, and His Own received Him not.”3624 All things are His, but they are called His Own, from among whom His mother was, among whom He had taken Flesh, to whom He had sent before the heralds of His advent, to whom He had given the law, whom He had delivered from the Egyptian bondage, whose father Abraham accord- ing to the flesh He elected. For He said truth, “Before Abraham was, I am.”3625 He did not say, “Before Abraham was,” or “before Abraham was made, I was made.” For “in the begin- ning the Word was,” not, “was made.” So then “He came unto His Own,” He came to the Jews. “And His Own received Him not.” 3. “But as many as received Him.”3626 For of course the Apostles were there, who “re- ceived Him.” There were they who carried branches before His beast. They went before and followed after, and spread their garments, and cried with a loud voice, “Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is He That cometh in the Name of the Lord.”3627 Then said the Pharisees unto Him, “Restrain the children, that they cry not out so unto Thee.” And He said, “If these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.”3628 Us He saw when He spake these words; “If these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.” Who are stones, but they who worship 3621 John i. 10. 3622 John xiv. 30. 3623 2 Cor v. 19. 3624 John i. 11. 3625 John viii. 58. 3626 John i. 12. 3627 Matt. xxi. 9. 3628 Luke xix. 39, 40. On the words of the Gospel, John i. 10, ‘The world was made through him,’ etc. 974 On the words of the Gospel, John i. 10, ‘The world was made through him,’…