Fifteen Hymns For the Feast of the Epiphany 8Hymn 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!

12. Elisha cast the wood into the water, and made the heavy float and the light sink:--their natures were exchanged in the water.--There a new thing came to pass not according to nature.--How much easier then, O Lord,--is this for Thy grace; that in the water should sink--transgression which is heavy,--but that the soul which is light--should be drawn forth and raised up on high!

13. Joshua, son of Nun, on Jericho--laid a curse on its walls and a doom on its fountains.--They whom Joshua cursed to their destruction,--again in the mystery of Jesus have been blessed.--There was cast into them salt,--and they were healed and sweetened:--a mystery of this salt,--the sweet salt that came from Mary,--that was mingled in the water,--whereby was healed the noisomeness of our plagues.

14. Lo! quiet waters are before you,--holy and tranquil and pleasant;--for they are not the waters of contention--that cast Joseph into the dungeon;--nor yet are they the waters,--those waters of strife,--beside which the people strove,--and gainsaid in the wilderness.--There are waters whereby--there is reconciliation made with Heaven.

15. Hagar saw the spring of water,--and from it she gave drink to her forward son, him who became as a wild ass in the wilderness.--Instead of that fountain of water is Baptism.--In it are baptized the sons of Hagar,--and are become gentle and peaceful. Who has seen rams like these,--that are yoked, lo! and labour--along with tame bullocks,--and the seed of their tillage is reaped an hundredfold!

16. In the beginning the Spirit that brooded--moved on the waters; they conceived and gave birth--to serpents and fishes and birds.--The Holy Spirit has brooded in Baptism,--and in mystery has given birth to eagles,--Virgins and Prelates;--and in mystery has given birth to fishes,--celibates and intercessors; and in mystery of serpents,--lo! the subtle have become simple as doves!

17. Lo! the sword of our Lord in the waters!--that which divides sons and fathers:--for it is the living sword that makes--division, lo! of the living from the dying.--Lo! they are baptized and they become--Virgins and saints,--who have gone down, been baptized, and put on--the One Only begotten.--Lo! many have come boldly to Him!

18. For whoso have been baptized and put on Him--the Only begotten the Lord of the many,--has filled thereby the place of many,--for to him Christ has become a great treasure:--for He became in the wilderness--a table of good meats,--and He became at the marriage feast--a fountain of choice wines.--He has become such to all in all things,--by helps and healings and promises.

19. Elisha was the equal of the Watchers--in his doings, glorious and holy.--The camp of the Watchers was round about him;--thus let Baptism be unto you,--a camp of guardians,--for by means of it there dwells in the heart--the hope of them that are below--and the Lord of them that are above.--Sanctify for Him your bodies,--for where He abides, corruption comes not near.

20. They are no more, the waters of that sea--which by its billows preserved the People,--and by its billows laid low the peoples.--Of contrary effect are the waters in Baptism.--In them, lo! the people have life;--in them, lo! the People perishes:--for all that are not baptized,--in the waters that give life to all,--they are dead invisibly.

21. They are no more, the waters of that sea--which were tempestuous, and boiled against Jonah,--and plunged into the depths the Son of Amittai.--Though he fled he was bound in the prison-house;--God cast him in and bound him--in dungeon within dungeon;--for he bound him in the sea.--and He bound him in the fish.--For him Grace stood surety,--and she opened the prison and brought forth the preacher.

22. The Prophets have called the Most High a fire,--"a devouring fire," and "who can dwell with it?"--The People were not able to dwell in it;--its might crushed the peoples and they were confounded.--In it, with the unction ye have been anointed;--ye have put Him on in the water;--in the bread ye have eaten Him;--in the wine ye have drunk Him;--in the voice ye have heard Him;--and in the eye of the mind ye have seen Him!