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The Discourse on the Holy Theophany

Hippolytus

Section 2

About this work

Author: Hippolytus

2. Nor is this the only thing that proves the

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

dignity

of

the

water

.

But

there

is

also

that

which

is

more

honourable

than

all

—

the

fact

that

Christ

,

the

Maker

of

all

,

came

down

as

the

rain

,

and

was

known

as

a

spring

,

and

diffused

Himself

as

a

river

,

and

was

baptized

in

the

Jordan

.

For

you

have

just

heard

how

Jesus

came

to

John

,

and

was

baptized

by

him

in

the

Jordan

.

Oh

things

strange

beyond

compare

!

How

should

the

boundless

River

that

makes

glad

the

city

of

God

have

been

dipped

in

a

little

water

!

The

illimitable

Spring

that

bears

life

to

all

men

,

and

has

no

end

,

was

covered

by

poor

and

temporary

waters

!

He

who

is

present

everywhere

,

and

absent

nowhere

—

who

is

incomprehensible

to

angels

and

invisible

to

men

—

comes

to

the

baptism

according

to

His

own

good

pleasure

.

When

you

hear

these

things

,

beloved

,

take

them

not

as

if

spoken

literally

,

but

accept

them

as

presented

in

a

figure

.

Whence

also

the

Lord

was

not

unnoticed

by

the

watery

element

in

what

He

did

in

secret

,

in

the

kindness

of

His

condescension

to

man

.

“

For

the

waters

saw

Him

,

and

were

afraid

.

”

They

well

-

nigh

broke

from

their

place

,

and

burst

away

from

their

boundary

.

Hence

the

prophet

,

having

this

in

his

view

many

generations

ago

,

puts

the

question

,

“

What

aileth

thee

,

O

sea

,

that

thou

fleddest

;

and

thou

,

Jordan

,

that

thou

wast

driven

back

?

”

And

they

in

reply

said

,

We

have

seen

the

Creator

of

all

things

in

the

“

form

of

a

servant

,

”

and

being

ignorant

of

the

mystery

of

the

economy

,

we

were

lashed

with

fear

.

Notes

7
ἀξιοπιστίαν.
8
Hos. vi. 3.
9
John iv. 14.
10
John vii. 38.
11
Matt. iii. 13.
12
Ps. xlvi. 4.
13
Economically.
14
Ps. lxxvii. 16.
15
Ps. cxiv. 5.
16
Phil. ii. 7.