12. 21. III. 26 The Water of Baptism has in it a power of cleansing the soul. LECT. together all; but ever afterwards He is separating between those who have come in to the figurative marriage-feast. O Mat. 22, may none of those now enrolled hear those words, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? Mat. 25, But may you all hear it said, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Hitherto thou hast stood without the gate; may Cant. 1, you all be able to say, The King hath brought me into His chambers. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for He hath 10.Sept. clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with Eph. 5, her jewels: so that all your souls may be found not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. I say not, before you have received the gift; (if so, why should you be now called to the remission of sins?) but so that, on its being given, your conscience being found blameless, may keep pace with it. 4. Is. 61, 27. (2.) 3. This is in truth a serious matter, brethren, and you must approach it solemnly. You are, each of you, on the point of being presented to God, before innumerable hosts of Angels: the Holy Ghost is on the point of setting a seal on your souls: ye are coming for enlistment under the Great King. Make ready therefore; prepare, not by wearing robes of shining whiteness, but arraying the soul with the devoutness of a clear conscience. Regard the Sacred Laver not as simple water; regard rather the spiritual grace given with the water. For as the sacrifices at the altars, being by nature without meaning, by invocation of the idols become polluted, so contrariwise, plain water, after the invocation of the Holy Ghost, and of Christ, and of the Father, gains a sanctifying power. 4. For whereas man's nature is twofold, soul and body, twofold also is his cleansing; the spiritual for the spiritual, the material for his body. The water cleanses his body, the Heb. 10, Spirit seals his soul: that being by the Spirit sprinkled in heart, and washed in body with pure water, we may draw near to God. Now then that thou art to descend into the waters, consider not the bare element; look for its saving power by the operation of the Holy Ghost; for without the 22. Symbolical use of water in the Old Testament. 27 two thou canst not be made perfect. This is not my word, but the Lord Jesus Christ's, who has the power to do it; He saith, Except a man be born again, and he enlarges, of water Joh.3,3. and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Neither he who is baptized with water, without the privilege of the Spirit, hath the gift entire; nor be he ever so virtuous in his deeds, shall he enter into the kingdom of heaven, except with the seal vouchsafed through water. A bold word, but it is not mine; Jesus hath uttered it; and here is the proof of it from Holy Scripture. Cornelius was a just man; he was Acts 10. honoured with visions of Angels; he had raised his prayers and alms in the sight of God, as a goodly monument in the heavens. Peter came, and the Spirit was poured on them that believed, and they spake with other tongues, and prophesied. Yet after the gift of the Spirit, the Scripture saith, that Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ: that the soul having been regenerated through their faith, the body also, by means of the water, might share the gift'. 1. 5. And if any one is anxious to know, why the gift is given through water and not through some other element, let him take up Holy Scripture, and he shall learn. For water is a noble thing, and, of the world's four visible elements, the most beautiful. Heaven is the abode of Angels, and the heavens are of the waters: earth is the place of men, and the earth is of the waters: and before all the six days fashioning of creation, the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters. Gen. 1, Water was the beginning of the world: the Jordan was the beginning of the Gospel preaching. Rescue from Pharaoh came to Israel through the sea: rescue from sins to the world through the Laver of water by the word of God. Where there Eph. 5, is a covenant with any, there also is water: after the flood, a covenant was made with Noe: a covenant with Israel from Mount Sina; but with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop. Heb. 9, Elias is received up, but not without water: for first he crosses Jordan, then horses carry him to heaven. The highpriest first bathes, and then burns incense: for Aaron first S. Cyril considers that Cornelius and his friends were regenerated, as the Apostles were, apart from Baptism; as August. Serm. 269. n. 2. and Chrysost. 26. 19. 3. 1. III. 28 John, the greatest of Prophets, dispensed pardon through water. LECT. bathed, and then was made high-priest; for how might he intercede for the rest, who had not yet been cleansed by water? Moreover the Laver, set apart within the Tabernacle, was an emblem of Baptism. 11. (3.) 6. Baptism is the end of the Old Testament, and the beginning of the New. For John who began it, than whom was not one greater among those born of women, was the end Mat. 11, of the Prophets; for all the Law and the Prophets were until John. Moreover, he was the first-fruits of the Gospel-state, Mark 1, for it is said, The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, &c. and then, John was in the desert baptizing. You may instance indeed Elias the Tishbite, who was taken to heaven, yet is not greater than John. Enoch was translated, yet he is not greater than John. Moses was the greatest lawgiver, and the Prophets are all wonderful men, yet not greater than John. I do not venture to compare prophet with prophet: but their Mat. 11, Master and ours, the Lord Jesus, hath declared; Among those that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John. Not" among those born of virgins," but born of women. The comparison is between the chief servant, and his fellow-servants: for the Son's preeminence and grace over the household is beyond all comparison. Seest thou how great a man God hath chosen to be the first minister of this grace? a man possession-less and solitary, yet not a misanthrope; eating locusts, and pluming his soul for heaven; feasting on honey, and speaking what is sweeter and more wholesome; clad in camel's hair, and shewing in himself what an ascetic's life should be: who also while yet borne in his mother's womb, was sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Jeremiah was sanctified, but he prophesied not in the womb: only John, while yet unborn, leaped for joy: and though he saw not with the eyes of the flesh, knew his Master by the Spirit: for since great was the grace of Baptism, great must 5. needs be its minister. (4.) 7. He began to baptize in Jordan, and all Jerusalem went Mat. 3, out to him, enjoying the first-fruits of Baptism: for the prerogative in all good things was in Jerusalem. But, men of Jerusalem, observe how they that went out were baptized of him: confessing their sins, saith he. First they shewed their wounds, then he applied the remedies, and gave to Necessity of preparation for Baptism. 29 them that believed, redemption from eternal fire'. And if thou wouldest be persuaded of this, that the Baptism of John is redemption from the peril of fire, hear thou him saying, Ye generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from Mat. 3, the wrath to come? Be thou then no longer a viper, he' saith, but as thou hast been one of the brood, put off thy former sinful self. And as the snake is wont to delve into some corner to cast away his age, and rubbing off his old slough, is henceforth young in body; so thou too, saith he, force thee through the narrow and strait gate: and roughly handling thee with fasting, strip thee of thy ruin; put off Prov. the old man with his deeds, and say in the words of the Sept. Canticles, I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? 16, 26. Cant. 5, 3. But perhaps there is some one among you, a hypocrite, a man-pleaser, professing religion, but not believing from his heart having the hypocrisy of Simon Magus, approaching not to partake of grace, but busily to pry into what is given. Let this one also hear from John, And now also the axe is Mat. 3, laid unto the root of the trees, therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. The Judge cannot be worked upon; so put away hypo- adurcrisy. 10. τητος. 11. 8. What then oughtest thou to do? and what are the fruits (5.) of repentance? He that hath two coats, let him impart to Luke 3, him that hath none. Trustworthy was the teacher, as being the first to do what he taught; he had no shame in speaking, whose tongue was not checked by conscience. And he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Wouldest thou enjoy the grace of the Holy Ghost, yet countest the poor unworthy of earthly meats? Seekest thou great things, yet givest not of small?-Though thou be a publican, though a fornicator, yet hope for salvation; The publicans and the harlots go into Mat. 21, the kingdom of God before you and Paul witnesseth the 31. same, saying, Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor any of 1 Cor. 6, this sort, shall inherit the kingdom of God; and such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified. He saith not, such are some of you, but such were some of you. b That S. John's Baptism conveyed remission of sins, seems to be the opinion also of Nyss. in Laud. Bas. p. 914. Aug. de Bapt. v. 11. Christian 9. 10. 30 Martyrs alone are saved without Baptism. LECT. Sin in the state of ignorance is pardoned, but depravity which continues is condemned. III. (6.) 9. Thou hast, as the glory of Baptism, the Son of God Himself, the Only-begotten. For why should I henceforth speak of man? John was great, but what is he to the Lord? Loud was that voice, but what is it to the Word? Most glorious was the herald, but what to the King? Glorious was he who baptized with water, but what to Him who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and with fire? With the Holy Ghost and with fire the Saviour baptized the Apostles, when Acts2,2. suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sate upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. (7.) Mark 10, 38. 1 Cor. 4, 9. 14. (8.) 10. Unless a man receive Baptism, he hath not salvation; except Martyrs alone, who even without the water, receive the kingdom. For the Saviour who redeemed the world through the Cross, when His side was pierced, gave forth blood and water: that in times of peace men should be baptized with water, in times of persecution with their own blood. For the Saviour was minded to call martyrdom, Baptism, saying, Canye drink of the cup which I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? Martyrs too make confession, being made a spectacle to the world, and to Angels, and to men: and thou shalt make confession shortly: but it is not yet time for thee to hear concerning these matters. 11. Jesus sanctified Baptism, being Himself baptized. Since the Son of God was baptized, what religious man can despise Baptism? He, however, was baptized, not to receive forgiveness of sins, for He was sinless: but being sinless, to grant divine grace and dignity to the baptized. Since the Heb. 2, children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself - likewise shared the same, that we, partaking of His bodily ág presence, might partake also of His divine grace; and so again Jesus was baptized, that through this also, we by the νωνοί. participation, might with salvation receive dignity. The Job 40, Dragon was in the waters, according to Job, he who re18. Sept. ceiveth Jordan in his mouth: whereas then He was to crush the heads of the Dragon, He descended, and in the waters σάρκου παρου σίας και 23. Engl. |