The people of the Hebrews, as we learn, after many sufferings, and after accomplishing their weary course in the desert, did not enter the land of promise until it had first been brought, with Joshua for its guide and the pilot of its life, to the passage of the Jordan. But it is clear that Joshua also, who set up the twelve stones in the stream, was anticipating the coming of the twelve disciples, the ministers of baptism. ON THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST.^[1]

Also, twelve stones from Jordan’s bed,

Left dry when waters backward flowed,

He raised and firmly set in place,

The type of Christ’s apostles twelve. HYMNS ^[1]

The twelve patriarchs destined to become twelve tribes^[1] were arranged to be a type and pattern of the number of the apostles. So were the twelve fountains^[2] in the desert and twelve stones taken from the bed of the Jordan. We leave it to the student of the law to find deeper proof of all this.

God ordered twelve stones to be taken from the Jordan, and specified why, for he says, When your children ask their fathers in time to come, what do these stones mean? Then you shall let your children know, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, and thus the ark was saved and all the people. Shall we not then record with images^[1] the saving passion and miracles of Christ our God, so that when my son asks me, What is this? I may say that God the Word became man, and that through him not only Israel passed through the Jordan, but the whole human race regained its original happiness? Through him, human nature rose from the lowest depths to the most exalted heights, and in him sat on the Father’s throne.

It seems to me the words the people hastened to cross were not added idly by the Holy Spirit. For this reason, I also think that when we come to baptism for salvation and receive the sacraments of the Word of God, we should not do it idly or negligently, but we should hurriedly press on all the way until we cross over everything.

For to cross over everything is to accomplish all the things that are commanded. Therefore let us hasten to cross, that is, to fulfill at the beginning, what is written: Blessed are the poor in spirit.^[1] Then, when we have set aside all arrogance and taken up the humility of Christ, we may deserve to attain the blessed promise.

Yet even when we have accomplished this, we must not stand still or loiter but cross over the other things that follow, so that we may hunger and thirst after righteousness.^[2] We must also cross over that which follows so that in this world we may mourn.^[3] Then we must quickly cross the remaining things so that we may be made meek and remain peaceable and thus be able to hear as sons of God.^[4] Also we must hasten so that we may pass through the burden of persecution with the virtue of patience. Whenever we seek earnestly and swiftly—not slowly and languidly—those individual things that pertain to the glory of virtue, this, it seems to me, is to cross over the Jordan with haste.

Let us learn from Paul, who explains who those girded ones are. Hear what he himself says: Therefore, let your loins be girded with truth.^[1] You see, therefore, that Paul knew the girded ones, those who were encircled by the belt of truth. So truth also ought to be our belt, if we have preserved the sacrament of this army and belt. For if truth is the belt by which we are girded for the army of Christ, then whenever we speak a falsehood and a lie proceeds from our mouth, we are ungirded from the army of Christ and loosened from the belt of truth. Therefore, if we are in the truth, we are girded; but if in the false, ungirded. Instead let us imitate those forty thousand girded men proceeding to the war in the sight of the Lord, and let us always be girded with truth.

Certainly, that exaltation of the son of Nun took place in order that the leader of those former people might be held eminent among those whom he ruled. But let us see how our Jesus my Lord, leader and ruler of this latter people, is exalted in the sight of all the descendants of the sons of Israel. I myself think that he was always exalted and elevated in the presence of the Father. But it is necessary that God exalt him in our sight. He is exalted in my sight when the sublimity and loftiness of his divinity is disclosed to me. When, therefore, is his lofty divinity revealed to me? At that time, assuredly, when I crossed over the Jordan and was equipped with the various defenses of the sacraments for the future battle.

After they had crossed over the Jordan, the waters returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before. For the mystical Jordan also increases when the full number of the faithful enters in. Accordingly, we read, Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are ripe for the harvest,^[1] and again, The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.^[2] But he does not simply say harvest but wheat, according to what they have in the Septuagint.^[3] For this is a symbol of nourishment.

And when do they come to the crossing of the Jordan? For I have noted that this also has been indicated, so that even the time might be distinguished, and with good reason. On the tenth, it says, of the first month. That is also the day on which the mystery of the lamb was prefigured in Egypt.^[1] On the tenth of the first month, these things were celebrated in Egypt; on the tenth of the first month, they go into the land of promise. This seems to me exceedingly fortunate, that on the very same day in which someone has escaped the errors of the world, that person may also be worthy to enter the land of promise, that is, on this day in which we live in this age. For all our present life is designated as one day. Therefore we are instructed through that mystery not to put off our acts and works of righteousness until tomorrow but rather today^[2]—that is, while we are living, while we are lingering in this world—to make haste to accomplish all things that pertain to perfection, so that on the tenth day of the first month, we shall be able to enter the land of promise, that is, the blessedness of perfection.