Tractates on the Gospel of John
46 ST. AUGUSTINE must put our hope in that place from which the mountains also receive. When we lift our eyes to the Scriptures, because the Scriptures were delivered through men/^ we lift our eyes to the mountains from which help will come to us; and yet since they who wrote the Scriptures were themselves men, they were not providing enlightenment from themselves. Rather, he was the true light who enlightens every man coming into this world.
(3) A mountain also was that illustrious John the Baptist who said, "I am not the Christ."'^ In order that no one, placing hope in the mountain, might fall from him who illuminates the mountains, he also acknowledged and said, "For of his fullness we have all received. So you ought to say "I have lifted my eyes to the mountains, from which help shall come to me" not to attribute to the mountains the help which comes to you, but, rather, immediately add, "My help is from the Lord who made heaven and earth."
7. Therefore, my brothers, I would direct my remarks to this purpose: When you have lifted up your heart to the Scriptures, when the words of the gospel rang out, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," and the rest which was read, you may understand that you have lifted your eyes to the mountains. For unless the mountains said these things, you would not find any means by which you might think of those things at all. Thus help came to you from the mountains, so that you, too, might hear these things.
(2) But you are not yet able to understand what you have heard. Implore help from the Lord who made heaven and earth; for the mountains were able to speak in such a way that they could not themselves enlighten, since they, too, have been enlightened by hearing. Consequently, he who said these words received them — that John, my brothers, who reclined upon the breast of the Lord^^ and who drank from the breast of the Lord that which he might give us to drink. But he has
17. Cf. 2 Cor 3.3. 19. Cf.Jn 1.20. 21. Cf.Jn 13.23; 21.20.