5. At His Birth a star of light shone in the air;-when He was baptized light flashed from the water;-at His Death the sun was darkened in the firmament;-at His Passion the luminaries set along with Him;-at His Epiphany the luminaries arose with Him.
6. Revealed was His Glory because of His Majesty;-revealed was His Passion because of His Manhood;-revealed was His Love because of His Graciousness;-revealed was His Judgment because of His Justice.-He has poured forth His attributes, on them that were His.
7. That whoso has looked on His Glory and despised Him,-may look again on His Glory and worship Him;-and whoso has scorned to taste of His Graciousness,-may fear lest he be made to feel His justice;-He has poured forth His helps on His worshippers.
8. Lo! the East in the morning was made light!-lo! the South at noonday was made dark!-The West again in turn at eventide was made light.-The three quarters represent the one Birth;-His Death and His Life they declare.
9. His Birth flowed on and was joined to His Baptism;-and His Baptism again flowed on even to His Death;-His Death led and reached to His Resurrection,-a fourfold bridge unto His Kingdom; and lo! His sheep pass over in His footsteps.
10. And like as, save by the door of birth,-none can enter into creation;-so, save by the door of resurrection,-none can enter into the Kingdom,-and whoso has cut off his bridge, has brought to nought his hope.
I. He put on His armour and conquered and was crowned;-He left His armour on earth and ascended,-that if any man desires the crown,-he may resort to the armour and win by it-the crown of victory which he yearns after.
12. He fulfilled righteousness on earth, and ascended.-But if He, the All-cleanser, was baptized,-What man is there that shall not be baptized?-for grace has come to baptism-to wash away the foulness of our wound.
13. The compulsion of God is an all-prevailing force;-[but that is not pleasing to Him which is of compulsion,] -as that which is of discerning will.-Therefore in our fruits He calls us-who live not as under compulsion, by persuasion.
14. Good is He, for lo! He labours in these two things;-He wills not to constrain our freedom-nor again does He suffer us to abuse it.-For had he constrained it, He had taken away its power;-and had He let it go, He had deprived it of help.
15. He knows that if He constrains He deprives us;-He knows that if He casts off He destroys us;-He knows that if He teaches He wins us.-He has not constrained and He has not cast off, as the Evil One does :-He has taught, chastened, and won us, as being the good God .
16. He knows that His treasuries abound:-the keys of His treasuries He has put into our hands.-He has made the Cross our treasurer-to open for us the gates of Paradise,-as Adam opened the gate of Gehenna.
XI.
(Resp.- Let the bodies rejoice which the Evil One had made naked, that in the water they have put on their glory! )
1. Give thanks, O daughter, that thy crownings have been doubled;-for lo! thy temples and thy sons rejoice.-The dedication of thy temples is in the ministration;-The dedication of thy sons is in the anointing.-Blessed art thou that at once ......-...... the tabernacle for them that dwell in thee,-and the Spirit has abode upon thy sons!
2. Our Lord opened up Baptism-in the midst of Jordan the blessed river.-The height and the depth rejoiced in Him;-He brings forth the first fruits of His peace from the water,-for they are first fruits, the fruits of Baptism.-The good God in His compassion will bring to pass-that His peace shall be first fruits on earth.
3. Moses stretched out the temporal Tabernacle;-the priests bathed themselves in water,-and went in and ministered; and were stricken and punished,-because their heart within was not cleansed.-Blessed art thou that in the Passover of the great Passion,-the priests by the savour of their oblations,-lo! are cleansing souls in thee!
4. Great was the mystery that the Prophet saw,-the torrent that was mighty.-Into its depths he gazed and beheld-thy beauty instead of himself; thee it was he saw, for thy faith passes not away,-thou whose flood unseen shall overwhelm-the subtle-ties of idolatry.
5. Though John was great among them that are born of women,-yet he that is little is greater than he,-in this that his baptized were again baptized,-in the baptism that was of the Apostles.-Blessed art thou that thy priest is greater than he-in this alone that forever-abides his baptism.
6. The baptism that was of Siloam-did not bring mercy to the man that was laid there -who for thirty and eight years awaited it,-for he was a respecter of the persons of the Levites.-Blessed art thou that thy healing is in thee for all men,-and thy priests are devoted and ready-for all that are in need of thy help.
7. The Prophet healed the waters that were unwholesome,-and cured the disease of the land that was barren,-so that its death was done away and its region resounded, for its offspring increased and its bosom was filled.-Greater is Thy grace, Lord , than Elisha's!-Multiply my lambs and my flocks-at the great stream of my fountain!
8. Great is the marvel that is within thy abode;-the flocks together with the Shepherds,-those at the stream of the waters,-two unseen with one manifest who baptizes.-Blessed is he who is baptized in their fountains!-for three arms have upheld him,-and three Names have preserved him!
XII.
(Resp.- Blessed is He Who went down and was baptized in Jordan, and turned back the People from error! )
1. In Baptism Adam found again -that glory that was among the trees of Eden .-He went down, and received it out of the water;-he put it on, and went up and was adorned therein.-Blessed be He that has mercy on all!