Chapter XIX.—Of the Times Most Suitable for Baptism.

The Passover affords a more than usually solemn day for baptism; when, withal, the Lord’s passion, in which we are baptized, was completed. Nor will it be incongruous to interpret figuratively the fact that, when the Lord was about to celebrate the last Passover, He said to the disciples who were sent to make preparation, “Ye will meet a man bearing water.”196    Mark xiv. 13; Luke xxii. 10, “a small earthen pitcher of water.” He points out the place for celebrating the Passover by the sign of water. After that, Pentecost is a most joyous space197    [He means the whole fifty days from the Paschal Feast till Pentecost, including the latter. Bunsen Hippol. III. 18.] for conferring baptisms;198    Lavacris. wherein, too, the resurrection of the Lord was repeatedly proved199    Frequentata, i.e. by His frequent appearance. See Acts i. 3, δι᾽ ἡμερῶν τεσσαράκοντα ὀπτανόμενος αὐτοῖς. among the disciples, and the hope of the advent of the Lord indirectly pointed to, in that, at that time, when He had been received back into the heavens, the angels200    Comp. Acts i. 10 and Luke ix. 30: in each place St. Luke says, ἄνδρες δύο: as also in xxiv. 4 of his Gospel. told the apostles that “He would so come, as He had withal ascended into the heavens;”201    Acts i. 10, 11; but it is οὐρανόν throughout in the Greek. at Pentecost, of course. But, moreover, when Jeremiah says, “And I will gather them together from the extremities of the land in the feast-day,” he signifies the day of the Passover and of Pentecost, which is properly a “feast-day.”202    Jer. xxxi. 8, xxxviii. 8 in LXX., where ἐν ἑορτῇ φασέκ is found, which is not in the English version. However, every day is the Lord’s; every hour, every time, is apt for baptism: if there is a difference in the solemnity, distinction there is none in the grace.

CAPUT 19. Diem baptismo sollemniorem pascha praestat, cum et passio domini in qua tinguimur adimpleta est. nec incongruenter ad figuram interpretabitur quod cum ultimum pascha dominus esset acturus, missis discipulis ad praeparandum, Convenietis, inquit, hominem aquam baiulantem: paschae celebrandae locum de signo aquae ostendit. exinde pentecoste ordinandis lavacris laetissimum spatium est, quo et domini resurrectio inter discipulos frequentata est et gratia spiritus sancti dedicata et spes adventus domini subostensa, quod tunc in caelos recuperato eo angeli ad apostolos dixerunt sic venturum quemadmodum et in caelos conscendit, utique in pentecoste. sedenim Hieremias cum dicit, Et congregabo illos ab extremis terrae in die festo paschae, diem significat et pentecostes, qui est proprie dies festus. ceterum omnis dies domini est: omnis hora, omne tempus habile baptismo. si de sollemnitate interest, de gratia nihil refert.