LECTURE I.

ON THE PURPOSE OF MIND NECESSARY FOR BAPTISM.

7.

LECT.

28.

I.

ISAIAH i. 16-19.

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

1. DISCIPLES of the New Testament, and communicants in the mysteries of Christ, as yet indeed by calling only, but ere Ezek. long by grace, make you a new heart, and a new spirit, that 18, 31. there may be gladness among the inhabitants of heaven; for Luke15, if over one sinner that repenteth there is joy, according to the Gospel, how much more shall the salvation of so many souls move the inhabitants of heaven to gladness? Ye have betaken yourselves to a good, a most glorious path; run with awe the race of godliness. Here is present, all-prepared to redeem Mat. 11, you, the Only-begotten Son of God, and says, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. You that have on you the harsh clothing of offences, who are Prov. 5, holden with the cords of your own sins, listen to the Prophet's voice, saying, Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; that the company of Ps. 32, Angels may chant over you, Blessed are they whose iniquities have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Ye who have just lighted the torches of faith, preserve them in your hands unquenched: that He, who once, on this most holy Calvary, opened Paradise to the robber on account of his faith, may grant to you to sing the bridal hymn.

22.

1.

Regeneration in Baptism through faith.

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22. 24.

9.

μυ

στικὴν

2. Whoever here is a slave of sin, let him promptly prepare (2.) himself through faith, for the new birth into freedom and adoption: let him put off the miserable bondage of his sins, let him take on him the blessed bondage of the Lord, that so he may be counted worthy to inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Put off the old man, which is corrupt according to Eph. 4, the deceitful lusts, by means of the Confession; that you Col. 3, may put on the new man, which is renewed after the know-10. ledge of Him that created him. Get you the earnest of the 2 Cor. 1, 22. Holy Spirit, through faith, that you may be able to be received into the everlasting habitations. Come for the Luke16, mystical Seal, that you may be well-known to the Master: beye numbered with the holy and spiritual flock of Christ, so I shall ye be set apart on His right hand, and inherit the life da. which is prepared for you. For they, who are yet encompassed with the rough covering of their sins, have their lot on His left hand, because they come not to the grace of God, which is given through Christ at the new birth of the Holy Bath; a new birth not of bodies, but the spiritual new birth of the soul. For our bodies are born by means of parents who are seen, but our souls are born again by means of faith; for the Spirit bloweth where It listeth. And then it is John 3, given thee to hear, if thou be worthy, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, when thy conscience is found clean from 21. hypocrisy.

σφραγί

8.

3. For if there be any one here who thinks to tempt grace, (3.) he deceives himself, and knows not its power. Keep thy soul free from hypocrisy, O man, by reason of Him who searcheth hearts and reins: for as those who make a levy for war inquire into the ages and the make of their recruits, so also doth the Lord, enlisting souls, examine into their purpose of mind. If any has a secret hypocrisy, He rejects that man as unfit for the true service: but if He find a man worthy, to him He gives grace readily. He gives not holy things to dogs; but when He discerns the good conscience, there He gives that Seal of salvation, that wondrous Seal, which devils tremble at, and Angels recognise that the one may be scared away and flee, and the others may attend on it, as kindred to themselves. From those then who receive this spiritual or saving Seal, is required a disposition of mind kindred to it: for as a

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Baptism transplants into an invisible state.

LECT. writing-reed or a dart has need of one to use it, so does grace require believing minds.

τὸν

I.

(4.)

νοη

τὸν παρ

ράδεισον.

4. Such thou art receiving, no perishable instrument, but a spiritual. Henceforth thou art planted in the paradise which the mind sees. Thou receivest a new name, which before thou hadst not: before thou wast a Catechumen, now thou wilt be a Believer. Henceforth thou art transplanted among the invisible olive trees, being grafted from the wild into the fruitful, from sins into righteousness, from pollution into purity. Thou hast communion in the Holy Vine: if then thou abide in the vine, thou shalt increase as a fruitful branch; if thou abide not, thou shalt be utterly consumed by the fire. Let us then bear fruit, as is worthy; God forbid that in us should be fulfilled what was done to the barren fig-tree, or that Jesus coming should even now curse us for Ps. 52, our barrenness. Rather, may all be able to say, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; my trust is in the tender mercy of God, for ever and ever, an olive tree not meeting the senses, but the mind, and full of light; as then it is His part to plant and to water, so it is thine to bear fruit: it is God's to grant grace, thine to receive and preserve. Despise not the gift, because it is given freely, but when thou hast received it, devoutly treasure it.

10.

(5.)

2 Cor.

6, 2.

treasure.

5. The present is the season of Confession: confess therefore what thou hast done, whether in word, or in deed; whether in the day, or in the night; confess in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation receive the heavenly Devote thy time to the Exorcisms; be constant at the Catechisings, and store up in memory the matter of them, for they are spoken, not to the ears only, but that faith may stamp them on the mind; wipe out from thee every care of earth; thou art running for thy soul. Thou art utterly abandoning the things of the world; what thou art abandoning is little, what the Lord is giving is great. Forsake things present, have faith in things to come. Hast thou run so many circles of the year, fruitlessly devoted to the world, and wilt thou not for forty days, devote thyself to prayer, for thy λá soul's sake? Be still, and know that I am God, saith the Zirs, be Scripture. Give over talking many idle words, neither backgaged. bite, nor lend a willing ear to backbiters, rather be prompt to Ps. 46,

disen

Preparation necessary for Baptism.

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prayer. Shew by ascetic exercises that thine heart is nerved. Cleanse thy vessel, that thou mayest receive the gift more abundant: for remission of sins is given equally to all: but the communication of the Holy Ghost is bestowed according to each man's faith. If thou hast laboured little, thou shalt receive little: but if thou hast wrought much, ample is the hire: thou runnest for thyself: see to thine own interest.

6. If thou hast aught against any man, forgive it: thou (6.) comest here to receive forgiveness of offences; thou art bound in turn to pardon the offender; else with what face wilt thou say to the Lord, Forgive me my many offences, Mat. 18, while thou thyself hast not remitted even the small offence of 23-35. thy fellow-servant? Attend diligently at Church: not only uvážus. now, when thy attendance is required by the Ministers, but also after thou hast received the gift: for if before it was good to do it, surely it must be good after the bestowal. If before thou wast grafted in, it was a safe course to be watered and tended, it is much more right after the planting. Wrestle for thine own soul, especially in days like these; nourish thy soul 'with sacred readings. For the Lord hath prepared for thee a spiritual table; therefore do thou also say, after the Psalmist, The Lord is my shepherd, therefore can I lack nothing; He Ps. 23, shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort; He shall convert my soul; that Angels may share your joy, and Christ Himself the great High Priest, accepting your holy resolve and offering you one and all to the Father, may say, Behold I, and the children whom God Heb. 2, hath given Me. May God Himself keep you all, well-pleasing in His sight. To whom be glory and power everlasting. Amen.

1-3.

13.

LECTURE II.

ON THE POWER OF REPENTANCE FOR THE REMISSION OF SIN.

LECT.

στον.

II.

σεως.

Jer. 2,

21.

EZEKIEL Xviii. 20-23.

The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

1. SIN is a fearful thing, and unrighteousness is the sorest ailment of the soul, secretly sapping its sinews, and exposing aurižo it to eternal fire; a self-chosen evil, the offspring of a man's gong- set purpose of mind. For that of our own purpose we sin, the Prophet says plainly in one place. I planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me? The planting is good, the fruit evil: and that evil is from our purpose of mind. The planter is blameless, but the vine shall be burnt with fire: for it was planted for good, yet hath Eccles. of its own purpose borne fruit to evil. For God, according to 7, 29. the Preacher, hath made man upright; but they have sought Eph. 2, out many inventions. And the Apostle says, We are His

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workmanship, created unto good works. The Creator then, being good, created for good works: but the creature, of its own set purpose, turned to wickedness. Sin, then, is a fearful evil, as was said, but not an incurable one; fearful to him who clings to it, but quite admitting of a cure when a man through penitence puts it off. For suppose a man holding fire in his