who calleth us, and drawing near to the Baptism of the adoption of sons. For of a truth great is the power of Baptism: it maketh those who partake of this gift wholly other men: it alloweth not men to be men! Make the Greek (Heathen) believe that great is the power of the Spirit, that He transformeth, that He re-harmonizeth. Why tarriest thou for the last breath like a fugitive, a recreant, as if thou oughtest not to live to God? Think, moreover, how many, after the enlightening, (Baptism,) have become angels instead of men!"
It is not, namely, simply as the turning-point of life, but as a new-birth that they rejoice in it, as the spring of all their subsequent life, the source of all their strength, in that it united them with Christ, and through Him with the Father, and the Father and the Son with them through the Spirit. "Let us be buried," says St. Gregory again, "with Christ by Baptism, that we may rise with Him: let us descend with Him (into the water) that we may be exalted with Him: let us come up with Him, that we may be glorified with Him. If the persecutor of the light and the tempter attack thee after Baptism,—and he will attack thee, (since misled by that which appeared he attacked the hidden Light, the Word and my God,) thou hast whereby to prevail. Fear not the conflict: oppose to him the water, oppose the Spirit, wherein all the fiery darts of the evil one will be quenched. It is Spirit, but one which removeth mountains: it is water, but a quencher of fire. If he place want before thee (for he dared to do so to Him) and thou desirest that the stones should become bread, oppose to him that bread of life which is sent down from heaven giving life to the world. If he assail thee with Scripture words, for it is written, 'He shall give His Angels charge concerning thee,' (Ps. cxi. 12.)—sophist of wickedness, why hast thou paused here? for well I wot, (although thou say it not,) that (v. 13.) I 'shall tread on thee, the asp and the basilisk, and trample on serpents and scorpions,' fenced round by the trinity. If he attack thee with covetousness, 'showing thee all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,' as belonging to him, and demand worship of thee, despise him as having nothing: tell him,
