Demonstrations · Part 42

8. What profits it him that hears--a voice and knows not its significance?--Whoso hears a voice and is devoid--of the understanding thereof,--his ear is filled but his soul is empty.--Lo! since the gift is abundant,--with discernment receive ye it.

9. Baptism that is with understanding--is the conjunction of two lights,--and rich are the fountains of its rays.--......--And the darkness that is on the mind departs,--and the soul beholds Him in beauty,--the hidden Christ of glory,--and grieves when the glory fails.

10. Baptism without understanding--is a treasure full yet empty;--since he that receives it is poor in it,--for he understands not--how great are its riches into which he enters and dwells.--For great is the gift within it,--though the mean man perceives not--that he is exalted even as it.

11. Open wide your minds and see, my brethren,--the secret column in the air, whose base is fixed from the midst of the water--unto the door of the Highest Place, like the ladder that Jacob saw.--Lo! by it came down the light unto Baptism,--and by it the soul goes up to Heaven,--that in one love we may be mingled.

12. Our Lord when he was baptized by John--sent forth twelve fountains;--and they issued forth and cleansed by their streams--the defilement of the peoples.--His worshippers are made white like His garments,--the garments in Tabor and the body in the water.--Instead of the garments the peoples are made white,--and have become for Him a clothing of glory.

13. From your garments learn, my brethren,--how your members should be kept.--For if the garment, which ever so many times--may be made clean,--is duly kept for the sake of its comeliness,--the body which has but one baptism--manifold more exceeding is the care of its keeping,--for manifold are its dangers.

14. Again the sun in a house that is strait,--is straitened therein though he be great:--but in a house that is goodly and large,--when he rises thereon--far and wide in it he spreads his rays;--and though the sun is one and the same in his nature,--in divers houses he undergoes changes:--Even so our Lord in divers men.

Hymn X.

(Resp.--Glory to Him Who came and restored it!)

1. Adam sinned and earned all sorrows;--likewise the world after His example, all guilt.--And instead of considering how it should be restored,--considered how its fall should be pleasant for it.--Glory to Him Who came and restored it!

2. This cause summoned Him that is pure,--that He should come and be baptized, even He with the defiled,--Heaven for His glory was rent asunder.--That the purifier of all might be baptized with all,--He came down and sanctified the water for our baptism.

3. For that cause for which He entered into the womb,--for the same cause He went down into the river.--For that cause for which He entered into the grave,--for the same cause He makes us enter into His chamber.--He perfected mankind for every cause.

4. His Conception is the store of our blessings;--His Birth is the treasury of our joys;--His Baptism is the cause of our pardon;--His Death is the cause of our life.--Death He alone has overcome in His Resurrection.

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.

11. 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.

Hymn 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 subtleties 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!

Hymn 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!

2. Man fell in the midst of Paradise,--and in baptism compassion restored him:--he lost his comeliness through Satan's envy,--and found it again by God's grace.--Blessed be He that has mercy on all!

3. The wedded pair were adorned in Eden;--but the serpent stole their crowns:--yet mercy crushed down the accursed one,--and made the wedded pair goodly in their raiment.--Blessed be He that has mercy on all!