(.—Blessed be He that ordained baptism, for the atonement of the sons of Adam!)
1. Descend, my brethren, put on from the waters of
baptism the Holy Spirit;—be joined with the spirits that minister
to the Godhead!
2. For lo! He is the fire that secretly, seals
also His flock,—by the Three spiritual Names, wherein the Evil
One is put to flight.
3. John when he cried and said “This is the
Lamb of God,”—thereby showed concerning the Gentiles that
they are Abraham’s children.
4. This is he that testified of our Saviour, that
with fire and the Spirit He should baptize.—Lo! the fire and the
Spirit, my brethren, in the baptism of truth.
5. For greater is Baptism than Jordan that little
river;—for that in streams of water and oil, the misdeeds of all
men are washed out.
6. Elisha by seven times washing, cleansed Naaman’s leprosy:—in Baptism are cleansed the secret misdeeds in the soul.
7. Moses baptized the People in the midst of the
sea, yet availed not—to wash their heart within, that was full of
the defilements of misdeeds.
8. Lo! the
priest in the likeness of Moses purges the defilements of the
soul;—and with oil of anointing, lo! he seals new lambs for the
Kingdom.
9. Samuel anointed David to be king among the
People:—but lo! the priest anoints you to be heirs in the
Kingdom.
10. For with the armour that David put on, after
the anointing he fought—and laid low the giant who sought to
subdue Israel.
11. Lo! again in the chrism of Christ, and in the
armour that is from the water—the haughtiness of the Evil One is
humbled, who sought to subdue the Gentiles.
12. By the water that flowed from the rock, the
thirst of the People was quenched. Lo! in the fountain of Christ, the thirst of the peoples is quenched.
13. The rod of Moses opened the rock, and the
streams flowed forth; and they were refreshed by its draught, who had
grown faint with thirst.
14. Lo! from the side of Christ flowed the stream
that bestowed life.—The Gentiles drank that were weary, and in it
forgot their pains.
15. With Thy dew besprinkle my vileness, and my
crimes in Thy blood shall be atoned!—And I shall be, O my Lord, at Thy right hand, and with Thy Saints I shall be joined!