On Baptism 9

How many patronages of nature, then, how many privileges of grace, how many solemn rites of discipline, figures, preparations, and prayers have ordained the sanctity of water? First, when the people, set free from Egypt, escaped the power of the king of Egypt by crossing through water, water destroyed the king himself with all his forces. What figure is plainer in the sacrament of baptism? The nations are set free from the world, that is, through water, and leave behind the devil, their former master, overwhelmed in the water. Again, water is healed from its defect of bitterness to a use of pleasant sweetness by the wood of Moses. That wood was Christ, healing from himself the veins of a nature once poisoned and bitter into the most wholesome waters, those of baptism. This is the water that flowed for the people from the rock that went with them. For if the rock is Christ, we see without doubt that baptism is blessed by water in Christ. How great is the grace of water with God and his Christ for the confirmation of baptism! Never is Christ without water: he himself is dipped in water; when invited to a wedding he inaugurates the first beginnings of his power with water; when he speaks, he invites the thirsty to his everlasting water; when he teaches about love, he approves a cup of water offered to a poor person among the works of charity; at a well he regains his strength; he walks on water; he gladly crosses the sea; he ministers water to his disciples. The testimony of baptism continues right up to the passion: when he is handed over to the cross, water intervenes, as the hands of Pilate know; when he is wounded, water bursts from his side, as the soldier's spear knows.