17. He who journeys through the desert,-as armour takes to himself water-against all-conquering thirst.-Go ye down to the fountain of Christ,-receive life in your members,-as armour against death.
18. Again, the diver brings up-out of the sea the pearl.-Be baptized and bring up from the water-purity that therein is hidden,-the pearl that is set as a jewel-in the crown of the Godhead.
19. Sweet water in his vessel-the seaman lays up as a store;-in the midst of the sea he lays up and keeps it, the sweet in the midst of the bitter.-So amidst the floods of sin,-keep ye the water of Baptism.
20. The woman of Samaria said to our Lord,-"Lo! verily the well is deep."-Baptism though it be high,-in its mercy has stooped down with us:-for the atonement is from above-that has come down unto sinners.
21. "He that drinks the water that I shall give him,-verily never again shall he thirst."-For this holy Baptism,-for it be ye athirst, my beloved;-never again shall ye be athirst,-so that ye should come to another baptism.
22. In the baptism of Siloam-the blind man washed, and his eyeballs-were opened and enlightened by the water;-he cast off the darkness that was on them.-The hidden darkness ye have cast off;-from the water ye have been clad in light.
23. His hands Pilate washed-that he might not be of them that slew.-Ye have bathed your bodies,-your hands together with your mouths.-Go in and be of them that eat,-for this medicine of life gives life to all.
24. "Come after Me and verily I will make you-fishers of men."-For instead of a draught of that which perishes,-they fished for the draught that is forever.-They who had taken fishes for death,-baptized and gave life to them that were to die.
25. An hundred and fifty fishes were taken-by Simon's net from the water;-but there were taken by his preaching,-out of the bosom of Baptism,-ten thousands and thousands of men,-a draught of the sons of the Kingdom.
26. Lo! our priest as a fisher-over the scanty water is standing;-he has taken thence a great draught-of every shape and of every kind;-he has drawn up the draught to bring it near-to the King of kings, most high.
27. Simon took the fishes and drew them up,-and they were brought near before our Lord:-Our priest has taken from out of the water,-by the Hand which he received from Simon,-virgins and chaste men who are brought near-in the festival of the Lord of feasts.
28. In Thy mercy I adjure Thee pardon me,-for in mercy Thou too hast sworn,-Rabboni, "In the death of him that dieth,-I have no pleasure, but in his life."-Thou hast sworn and I have adjured:-O Thou Who hast sworn, pardon him who has adjured!
VIII.
(Resp.- Happy are ye whose bodies have been made to shine! )
1. God in His mercy stooped and came down,-to mingle His compassion with the water,-and to blend the nature of His majesty-with the wretched bodies of men.-He made occasion by the water-to come down and to dwell in us:-like to the occasion of mercy-when He came down and dwelt in the womb:-O the mercies of God-Who seeks for Himself all occasions to dwell in us!
2. To the cave in Horeb He stooped and came down,-and on Moses He caused His majesty to dwell ;-He imparted His glorious splendour to mortals.-There was therein a figure of Baptism:-He Who came down and dwelt in it,-tempers within the water-the might of His majesty,-that He may dwell in the feeble.-On Moses dwelt the Breath,-and on you the Perfecting of Christ.
3. That might then none could endure;-not Moses chief of deliverers,-nor Elijah chief of zealots;-and the Seraphin too vail their faces,-for it is the might that subdues all.-His mercy mingled gentleness-in the water and by the oil;-that mankind in its weakness-might be able to stand before Him-when covered by the water and the oil.
4. The captive priests again in the well-hid and concealed the fire of the sanctuary, -a mystery of that glorified fire-which the Highpriest mingles in Baptism.-The priests took up of the mire,-and on the altar they sprinkled it;-for its fire, the fire of that well,-with the mire had been mingled;-a mystery of our bodies which in the water-with the fire of the Holy Spirit have been mingled.
5. The famous Three in Babylon-in the furnace of fire were baptized, and came forth;-they went in and bathed in the flood of flame, they were buffeted by the blazing billows.-There was sprinkled on them there-the dew that fell from heaven;-it loosed from off them there-the bonds of the earthly king .-Lo! the famous Three went in and found a fourth in the furnace.
6. That visible fire that triumphed outwardly,-pointed to the fire of the Holy Ghost,-which is mingled, lo! and hidden in the water.-In the flame Baptism is figured,-in that blaze of the furnace .-Come, enter, be baptized, my brethren,-for lo! it looses the bonds;-for in it there dwells and is hidden-the Daysman of God,-Who in the furnace was the fourth.
7. Two words again our Lord spake-which in one voice agree in unison:-He said, "I am come to send fire,"-and again, "I have a baptism to be baptized with."-By the fire of Baptism is quenched the fire,-that which the Evil One had kindled:-and the water of Baptism has overcome-those waters of contention-by which he had made trial-of Joseph who conquered and was crowned.
8. Lo! the pure fire of our Redeemer-which he kindled in mankind of His mercy!-Through His fire He quenched that fire-which had been kindled in the defiled and sinful.-This is the fire wherein the thorns-are burnt up and the tares.-But happy are your bodies-that have been baptized in the fire-which has consumed your thickets,-and by it your seeds have sprung up to heaven!
9. Jeremiah in the womb He sanctified and taught.-But if the lowly bosom of wedlock-was sanctified in conceiving and bringing him forth,-how much more shall Baptism sanctify-its conception and its bringing forth-of them that are pure and spiritual!-For there, within the womb-is the conception of all men;-but here, out of the water,-is the birth whereof the spiritual are worthy.
10. For Jeremiah though sanctified in the womb,-they took up nails and cast him into the pit.-Holy was the prophet in his befoulment,-for clean was his heart though he was in the mire.-Be ye afraid, my brethren-for lo! to-day is washed away-your secret befoulment,-and the abomination of your sins.-Turn not again to uncleanness,-for there is but one cleansing of your bodies!
11. The presumptuous who is baptized and again sins,-is as the serpent that casts its slough and again puts it on, that is renewed and made young, and turns again--putting on anew its skin of old;-for the serpent does not-cast off its nature.-Cast ye off the tempter-the corrupter of souls,-even the old man;-let it not make old-the newness ye have put on!