Since it is not at all proper to God to sin, the first and uncomplicated nature (for simplicity is peaceful and serene), and also, I dare say, to the angelic nature, or the nature closest to God, because of its very proximity, but to sin is a human matter and is characteristic of greater complexity (because complexity is the beginning of rebellion), the Lord did not deign to leave His creation helpless and despise it, when she is in danger of rebelling against Him. But as He created those who did not exist, so He recreated those who received existence, a creature who is more divine and higher than the former, and who is a seal for beginners, and grace and the restoration of the image of him who fell through sin for those who are perfect, so that, becoming worse out of despair, and constantly being led by it into greater evil, through the same despair we do not become completely outside of good and virtue, and falling into the depths of evil, as it is said, "We did not despise" (Proverbs 18:3), but that, as those who make a long journey, after resting from their labors in the inn, so we, after renewal, willingly complete the rest of the journey.

This grace and power of Baptism does not drown the world, as it did of old, but cleanses sin in every person and completely washes away all impurity and defilement brought by damage.

For, in short, the power of Baptism must be understood as a covenant with God to enter into another life and to observe greater purity.

And, of course, each of us should most of all fear and guard his soul more than anything else (Proverbs 4:23), so that we do not turn out to be lying to this confession. For if God, who is accepted as a mediator in human contracts, confirms them, how dangerous is it to become a transgressor of the covenants which we have made with God Himself, and to be guilty before the truth, not only of other sins, but also of falsehood itself? Moreover, there is no other regeneration, nor recreation, nor restoration to the ancient state. Although, as much as possible, we pursue it with many sighs and tears, and although through this the wounds are closed with difficulty, at least according to my definition and rule (we believe for sure that they do, we would even wish that the traces of wounds were blotted out; because I myself have need of mercy); However, it is better not to have need of the second purification, but to endure the first, which, as I know, is common to all, and is not difficult, and is equally open to slaves and masters, poor and rich, low and high, noble and ignoble, debtors and undue, as the inhalation of air and the pouring of light, the succession of seasons, the contemplation of the universe, is a great and common delight for all of us, and also equal portions of faith. For it is terrible to use the most difficult instead of easy healing, rejecting the grace of mercy, to become subject to punishment and to reward sin with correction. And how many tears do you need to shed in order for them to be compared with the source of Baptism? And who can guarantee that death awaits our cure? That before the judgment seat we will no longer become debtors and have no need of the fiery trial there? Perhaps you, good and philanthropic gardener, will pray to the Lord to spare the fig tree and not to cut it down as accused of barrenness (Luke 13:b), but to allow it to be surrounded with dung — tears, sighs, prayers, reclining on the bare ground, vigils, exhaustion of the body, and correction through confession and a self-abasement life; but it is not known whether the Lord will spare her, as occupying her place in vain, while another has need of mercy and becomes worse from long-suffering.

We are buried with Christ through baptism, that we may also rise with Him; with Him let us descend, that we may ascend with Him also on high; let us ascend with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him! If, after baptism, the enemy of light and the tempter tempt tempt you (and he will tempt, for he tempted the Word and my God, deceived by the outer covering, he tempted the hidden Light, deceived by appearances), then you have with which to overcome him. Do not be afraid of podvig, oppose the water, oppose the Spirit, and by this all the fiery darts of the evil one will be quenched (Ephesians 6:1b). For here is the Spirit, and even the Spirit, rends the mountains (3 Kings 19:11); There is water here, and even water that extinguishes fire. If the tempter presents you with need (as he dared to do with Christ), and demands that stones become bread (Matt. 4:3), thereby stirring up hunger; do not be ignorant of his intentions. Teach him what he has not yet learned; Contrast it with the word of life, which is bread sent from heaven and gives life to the world. If he tempts you with vanity (like Christ, having raised you up on the wing of the temple, and having spoken, throw yourself down in proof of the Godhead (Matt. 4.5. b); Do not bring yourself down by arrogance. If he acquires it, he does not stop there, he is insatiable, he reaches out to everything, deceives with good, and ends with deceit — such is the way of his warfare! Even in the Scriptures this murderer is well-versed; from one place he will say, "It is written about bread," from another, "It is written about angels." "For," he says, "by his angel he will give charge over you, and in their arms they will bear you up" (Psalm 90:12). O cunning one for evil, why did you not say what follows (I remember this clearly, although you will keep silent), that, protected by the Trinity, I will tread on you, the adder and the basilisk (13), and I will trample on the serpent and the scorpion (Luke 10:19)? But if he begins to overcome you with insatiability, in a moment of time and sight showing all the kingdoms as belonging to him, and demanding worship; despise him as a beggar, and with hope for a seal say: "I myself am the image of God, I have not yet destroyed the heavenly glory as you did through exaltation, I have put on Christ, I have been transfigured into Christ by Baptism, you worship me." And the enemy, as I know for sure, defeated and put to shame by these words, as he has departed from Christ, the first Light, so will he depart from those enlightened by him.

This will grant the baptismal font to those who feel its power! Such a feast she offers to those who hunger for good! Therefore, let us be baptized, that we may overcome; let us partake of the waters of purification, which wash better than hyssop, cleanse better than the blood of the law, which are holier than the ashes of prison, and through sprinkling sanctify that which is defiled (Heb. 9:15), which has power only for a time to cleanse the body, and not to completely destroy sin.

Hasten to the gift, while you are still in control, while you are not sick in body and spirit, or do not seem sick to those present, although you are sound in mind, while your good is not in the hands of others, but you yourself are his master, while your tongue does not stammer, is not cold, and can clearly pronounce (not to mention more) the words of the mystery, as long as you can become faithful in this way, that others may not only suspect this, but when they have ascertained it, they will not be sorry for thee, but may bless thee, while the gift is evident to thee, and not doubtful, grace touches the depths, and the body is not washed for burial, until there are no tears near thee, which are signs of thy departure, or only to please thee, and the wife and children desire to prolong the moment of separation, and seek the last words from thee, until you have with you an unskilled physician who promises a few hours of life that are not in his power, who determines the hope of healing by the inclination of his head, who knows how to reason about illness after death; by departing from you, or extorting a great payment, or making it known that you are hopeless, until the Baptist and the covetous argue about you, hastening — the one to bid you farewell, and the other to enter into your heirs, while time does not allow either. Why do you expect good deeds from fever, and not from God? From time, and not from reason? From an insidious friend, and not from saving love? Not from your own will, but from coercion? Not from freedom, but from the extremity of circumstances? Why do you need to learn about your departure from another, but you yourself do not want to think of it as having already come? Why do you seek healings that will not help in the least? Do you wait for the sweat that promises a turning point in the disease, when, perhaps, the sweat of death is near? Heal yourself before need comes; Have pity on yourself, you are a close healer of the disease. Reserve for yourself the truly salvific healing. As long as you sail with a fair wind, be afraid of shipwreck, and having fear as your helper, you will suffer less in the shipwreck itself.

Some of the lowly in spirit consider it a great thing to avoid punishment; but those who are exalted in spirit also seek rewards.

I know of three degrees in those who are saved: slavery, mercenary, and sonship. If you are a slave, then be afraid of beatings. If you are a mercenary, keep one thing in mind - to get it. If you stand above a slave and a hireling, even a son, be ashamed of God as a father, do good, because it is good to obey a father. Even if you do not hope to receive anything, pleasing your father is a reward in itself. Let us not turn out to be neglecting this! How reckless it is to seize one's possessions, and to deny one's health; to purify the body, and to have the purification of the soul only in reserve; to seek freedom from slavery below, and not to desire the things above; to make every effort to make the house and clothes magnificent, and not to take care to become worthy of more; to have the diligence to do good to others, and not to want to do good to oneself! If this good were bought with money, you would not grudge any treasures. And if it is offered out of love for mankind, you neglect the readiness to do good.

Any time is proper for washing, because at all times death comes. With a loud voice I cry out to you and Paul: "Now is the time of favor, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2); and by the word now it does not mean a certain time, but every time. And again: "Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light" (Ephesians 5:14), who puts an end to the night of sin, because in the night is the hope of evil, says Isaiah (28:19), and it is more profitable to be received in the morning. This is when the time is; gather and destroy the barns, even when the time is ripe; and plant in season, and gather ripe grapes; boldly put the ship to sea in the spring and bring it into the harbor when winter comes and the sea begins to rage. Let you have a time for war, and a time for peace, marriage and celibacy, friendship and strife, if you need it, and in general a time for every matter, if you are to believe Solomon in any way (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). And you should believe him, because the advice is useful. But always work out your salvation, and let every time be opportune for baptism.

If, bypassing the present day, you constantly have tomorrow in mind, and with such short delays, according to his custom, the evil one holds you in his power, suggesting: "Give me the present, and God the future; youth to me, and old age to God; I have years of pleasure, but His age is good for nothing"; then what danger you are in! How many accidental cases! Or the war destroyed, or an earthquake crushed the ruins, or the sea swallowed up, or a beast stole it, or a disease destroyed it, or a crumb stuck in the throat (for it is easiest for a man to die, although you think highly that you are an image), or excessive drinking, or a gusty wind, or a horse carrying away, or a poisonous mixture maliciously prepared, or perhaps instead of a saving one turned out to be harmful, or an inhuman judge, or an implacable executioner, or how many other cases cause death in a short time, and no means can stop it! But if you protect yourself with a seal, if you secure your future in the best and most effective way, marking your soul and body with Chrismation and the Spirit, as Israel did of old with powerful blood and anointing that protects the firstborn (Exodus 12:13), then what can happen to you? And how much has been done for you! Listen to what is said in Proverbs: when you go to bed, you will not be afraid; and when thou sleepest, thy sleep shall be pleasant (Prov. 3:24). What is David's gospel? You will not be afraid of the terrors of the night, the pestilence that destroys at noon (Psalm 90:5, 6). This is very important for your safety during life (and it is not easy for a thief to encroach on a sheep on which a mark is placed, but one that does not have a mark on it will be stolen without fear), and after death — a beautiful burial covering, which is lighter than any garment, more precious than gold, more magnificent than a tomb, more sacred than barren mounds, more timely than ripe fruit, which all the dead offer to the dead, turning custom into law. Let everything perish from you, everything be stolen: money, property, thrones, distinctions, and what else belongs to the earthly cycle; but you will end your life safely, without losing any of the ways that God has given you for salvation.

But do you fear lest you corrupt grace in yourself, and therefore do you postpone purification, as having no other? What then? Are you not afraid that you will be exposed to danger during the persecution and that you will lose your best possession, Christ? Is it for this reason that you will avoid becoming a Christian? May such fear of an unhealthy person, such reasoning of one who is damaged in his mind, be removed from you!

How very careless, if I may say so, caution! What a cunning trick of the evil one! He is real darkness, and pretends to be light, when he cannot be in time, attacking openly, plotting invisible intrigues; and being cunning, he is a good adviser, so that by any means he will certainly overcome, and we will in no case avoid his calumnies. He obviously builds the same here. Not being able to openly persuade you to despise baptism, he harms you with fictitious caution, so that you, what you feared when you yourself did not notice, would endure it out of fear, and since you were afraid to corrupt the gift, through the very fear of losing the gift. Such is the enemy; and he will never abandon his double-mindedness, as long as he sees that we are hastening to heaven, from whence he fell. But you, man of God, penetrate into the evil intentions of the enemy, you have a struggle with the strong and about the most important matter, do not take the enemy as an adviser, do not neglect to be called and be faithful.

As long as you are a catechumen, so long do you stand on the threshold of piety; and you must go inside, go through the courtyard, see the Holy Thing, look into the Holy of Holies, be with the Trinity. Great is that for which you are fighting; great things are necessary for you and protection. Oppose the shield of faith; The enemy is afraid when you engage in battle with weapons. For this reason He desires to see you naked from grace, so that it may be more convenient to defeat the unarmed and unguarded one. It concerns every age, every kind of life, so reflect it in everything.