Oration XXXIX. Oration on the Holy Lights.

 I.  Again My Jesus, and again a mystery not deceitful nor disorderly, nor belonging to Greek error or drunkenness (for so I call their solemnities, a

 II.  Therefore listen to the Voice of God, which sounds so exceeding clearly to me, who am both disciple and master of these mysteries, as would to Go

 III.  Is there any such among the shadowy purifications of the Law, aiding as it did with temporary sprinklings, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling

 IV.  We are not concerned in these mysteries with birth of Zeus and thefts of the Cretan Tyrant (though the Greeks may be displeased at such a title f

 V.  And where will you place the butchery of Pelops, which feasted hungry gods, that bitter and inhuman hospitality?  Where the horrible and dark spec

 VI.  I pass over the honours they pay to reptiles, and their worship of vile things, each of which has its peculiar cultus and festival, and all share

 VII.  Well, let these things be the amusement of the children of the Greeks and of the demons to whom their folly is due, who turn aside the honour of

 VIII.  But since to us grace has been given to flee from superstitious error and to be joined to the truth and to serve the living and true God, and t

 IX.  Wherefore we must purify ourselves first, and then approach this converse with the Pure unless we would have the same experience as Israel, who

 X.  For the same Word is on the one hand terrible through its nature to those who are unworthy, and on the other through its loving kindness can be re

 XI.  And now, having purified the theatre by what has been said, let us discourse a little about the Festival, and join in celebrating this Feast with

 XII.  For to us there is but One God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and One Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things and One Holy Ghost, in Wh

 XIII.  Since then these things are so, or rather since This is so and His Adoration ought not to be rendered only by Beings above, but there ought to

 XIV.  At His birth we duly kept Festival, both I, the leader of the Feast, and you, and all that is in the world and above the world.  With the Star w

 XV.  But John baptizes, Jesus comes to Him …perhaps to sanctify the Baptist himself, but certainly to bury the whole of the old Adam in the water and

 XVI.  But further—Jesus goeth up out of the water…for with Himself He carries up the world…and sees the heaven opened which Adam had shut against hims

 XVII.  Now, since our Festival is of Baptism, and we must endure a little hardness with Him Who for our sake took form, and was baptized, and was cruc

 XVIII.  I, however, for I confess myself to be a man,—that is to say, an animal shifty and of a changeable nature,—both eagerly receive this Baptism,

 XIX.  But these sins were not after Baptism, you will say.  Where is your proof?  Either prove it—or refrain from condemning and if there be any doub

 XX.  But let us venerate to-day the Baptism of Christ and let us keep the feast well, not in pampering the belly, but rejoicing in spirit.  And how s

XV.  But John baptizes, Jesus comes to Him56    Matt. iii. 14.…perhaps to sanctify the Baptist himself, but certainly to bury the whole of the old Adam in the water; and before this and for the sake of this, to sanctify Jordan; for as He is Spirit and Flesh, so He consecrates us by Spirit and water.57    John v. 35.  John will not receive Him; Jesus contends.  “I have need to be baptized of Thee”58    Matt. iii. 17. says the Voice to the Word, the Friend to the Bridegroom;59    John iii. 39. he that is above all among them that are born of women,60    Matt. xi. 11. to Him Who is the Firstborn of every creature;61    Col. i. 5. he that leaped in the womb,62    Luke i. 41. to Him Who was adored in the womb; he who was and is to be the Forerunner63    “He who was the forerunner on earth, and was to be the forerunner in Hades of Christ, Who manifested Himself on earth, and manifested Himself also in Hades.”  Elias Cretensis. to Him Who was and is to be manifested.  “I have need to be baptized of Thee;” add to this “and for Thee;” for he knew that he would be baptized by Martyrdom, or, like Peter, that he would be cleansed not only as to his feet.64    John xiii. 9.  “And comest Thou to me?”  This also was prophetic; for he knew that after Herod would come the madness of Pilate, and so that when he had gone before Christ would follow him.  But what saith Jesus?  “Suffer it to be so now,” for this is the time of His Incarnation; for He knew that yet a little while and He should baptize the Baptist.  And what is the “Fan?”  The Purification.  And what is the “Fire?”  The consuming of the chaff, and the heat of the Spirit.  And what the “Axe?”  The excision of the soul which is incurable even after the dung.65    Luke xiii. 8.  And what the Sword?  The cutting of the Word, which separates the worse from the better,66    Heb. iv. 12. and makes a division between the faithful and the unbeliever;67    Matt. x. 35. and stirs up the son and the daughter and the bride against the father and the mother and the mother in law,68    Micah vii. 6. the young and fresh against the old and shadowy.  And what is the Latchet of the shoe, which thou John who baptizest Jesus mayest not loose?69    John i. 27. thou who art of the desert, and hast no food, the new Elias,70    Luke vii. 26. the more than Prophet, inasmuch as thou sawest Him of Whom thou didst prophesy, thou Mediator of the Old and New Testaments.  What is this?  Perhaps the Message of the Advent, and the Incarnation, of which not the least point may be loosed, I say not by those71    One important ms. reads “Us Who.” who are yet carnal and babes in Christ, but not even by those who are like John in spirit.

ΙΕʹ. Πλὴν Ἰωάννης βαπτίζει, πρόσεισιν Ἰησοῦς: ἁγιάσων τυχὸν μὲν καὶ τὸν βαπτιστήν: τὸ δὲ πρόδηλον, πάντα τὸν παλαιὸν Ἀδὰμ, ἵν' ἐνθάψῃ τῷ ὕδατι: πρὸ δὲ τούτων καὶ διὰ τούτους, τὸν Ἰορδάνην: ὥσπερ ἦν πνεῦμα καὶ σὰρξ, οὕτω Πνεύματι τελειῶν καὶ ὕδατι. Οὐ δέχεται ὁ Βαπτιστής: ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀγωνίζεται: Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, ὁ λύχνος τῷ Ἡλίῳ φησὶν, ἡ φωνὴ τῷ Λόγῳ, ὁ φίλος τῷ Νυμφίῳ, ὁ ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν ὑπὲρ ἅπαντας, τῷ Πρωτοτόκῳ πάσης κτίσεως, ὁ προσκιρτήσας ἀπὸ γαστρὸς, τῷ ἐν γαστρὶ προσκυνηθέντι, ὁ προδραμὼν καὶ προδραμούμενος, τῷ φανέντι καὶ φανησομένῳ. Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι: πρόσθες καὶ τὸ, ὑπὲρ σοῦ. Ἤ|δει γὰρ τῷ μαρτυρίῳ βαπτισθησόμενος: ἢ, ὡς Πέτρος, μὴ τοὺς πόδας μόνον καθαρθησόμενος. Καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρὸς μέ; Καὶ τοῦτο προφητικόν. Ἤ|δει γὰρ ὡς μετὰ Ἡρώδην, Πιλᾶτον μανησόμενον, οὕτως αὐτῷ προαπελθόντι Χριστὸν ἑψόμενον. Τί δὲ Ἰησοῦς; Ἄφες ἄρτι: τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ οἰκονομία. Ἤ|δει γὰρ μετ' ὀλίγον, αὐτὸς βαπτίσων τὸν Βαπτιστήν. Τί δὲ τὸ πτύον; Ἡ κάθαρσις. Τί δὲ τὸ πῦρ; Ἡ τοῦ κούφου δαπάνη, καὶ ἡ ζέσις τοῦ Πνεύματος. Τί δὲ ἡ ἀξίνη; Τῆς ἀθεραπεύτου ψυχῆς ἡ ἐκτομὴ, καὶ μετὰ τὴν κόπρον. Τί δὲ ἡ μάχαιρα; Ἡ τομὴ τοῦ Λόγου, ἡ διαιροῦσα τὸ χεῖρον ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος, καὶ διχοτομοῦσα τὸν πιστὸν καὶ τὸν ἄπιστον, καὶ ἐπεγείρουσα τὸν υἱὸν, καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα, καὶ τὴν νύμφην, τῷ πατρὶ, καὶ τῇ μητρὶ, καὶ τῇ πενθερᾷ, τὰ νέα καὶ πρόσφατα. τοῖς παλαιοῖς καὶ σκιώδεσι. Τί δὲ ὁ σφαιρωτὴρ τοῦ ὑποδήματος, ὃν οὐ λύεις ὁ βαπτίζων Ἰησοῦν, ὁ τῆς ἐρημίας καὶ ἄτροφος, ὁ νέος Ἡλίας, ὁ προφήτου περισσότερος, ὅσῳ καὶ τὸν προφητευόμενον εἶδες, ὁ Παλαιᾶς καὶ Νέας μεσίτης; Τί τοῦτο; Τυχὸν ὁ τῆς ἐπιδημίας λόγος, καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς, οὗ μηδὲ τὸ ἀκρότατον εὐδιάλυτον, μὴ ὅτι τοῖς σαρκικοῖς ἔτι, καὶ νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῖς κατὰ Ἰωάννην τῷ Πνεύματι.