souls, the transformation of life, the interrogatory of conscience towards God: it is the help of our weakness, putting off of the flesh, following of the Spirit, participation of the Word, restoration of our nature, the flood which drowneth sin, communication of light, dissipation of darkness. The 'illumination' is a chariot up to God, an absence with Christ, a staff of faith, a perfecting of the mind, a key of the kingdom of heaven, the exchange of life, the destruction of bondage, the loosing of chains. This 'illumination',—why need I recount more?—is the best and noblest of the gifts of God; as things are called holy of holies, (and song of songs, as being most eminent and surpassing,) so also this, as being more holy than all others. But as Christ, the Giver thereof, is called by many and different names, so also the gift; whether on account of our exceeding joyousness, (as we are wont to take pleasure in the names of things which we love exceedingly,) or whether because the variety of its benefits has occasioned a diversity of names, we call it gift, grace, baptism, anointing, enlightening, garment of immortality, washing of regeneration, seal, and every other name of honour—gift, as being given to us who had nothing to offer—grace, as being debtors—dipping, in that sin was buried with us in the water—anointing, as being sacred and royal, for such are men wont to anoint—enlightening, as being brightness itself—garment, as a covering of shame—washing, as a cleansing—seal, as keeping us, and an emblem of dominion. In this do the heavens rejoice, this do the angels magnify, for its kindred brightness: this is an image of the blessedness yonder; this we would gladly praise in hymns, but cannot as we would."
Works, ii. 255). The very fact that these titles are occasionally the same, shows the more, that they express the feelings not of individuals only, but of the Church: thus when Cyril says, (Procateches. § 16.) "Great is the Baptism set before you, a ransom to captives, forgiveness of transgressions, death of sin, new-birth of the soul, garment of light, holy indissoluble seal, chariot to heaven, delight of paradise, pledge of the kingdom, gift of adoption;" the very recurrence of the peculiar phrase, "chariot (ὅχημα) to heaven," (though doubtless taken in part from the history of Elijah,) implies that it was already in use in the Church.
