[Sermones "Dormi secure" de tempore]

nor Elijah, nor a prophet?
John answered them:
I baptize you in water, but in your midst has stood He whom you do not know, that is, Christ, who is the mediator between men and God, whom you do not wish to recognize. He is who is to come, whose shoe's latch I am not worthy to unloose, and he said this in a figure of humility. These things were done in Bethany, a region of the desert across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. And thus the gospel is clear, that John was the precursor and messenger, proclaiming the advent of the Lord, as is clear in the theme: He is who is to come. Note that there is a fourfold advent of the Lord, because first He comes into the womb of the Virgin, like a king into a garden. Secondly, He comes into the world like a physician to a sick man. Thirdly, He comes into the mind, like a friend to a friend. Fourthly, He comes to judgment, like a most strict judge to pass sentence. First, I say that Christ came into the womb of the Virgin, like a king into a delicious garden. For we see that these great kings have delicious gardens around their castles, to which they enter to take a walk. Thus the womb of Mary the Virgin was a delicious garden of the eternal King, prepared. Whence she herself says in the Song of Songs 5: Let my beloved come into his garden. A delicious garden ought to be well enclosed, lest the beasts enter. This was the garden of Mary, well enclosed. Whence He Himself says: My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed. He says enclosed twice

because of her double chastity. For it was external regarding the five senses of the body, namely sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, this garden was surrounded by the custody of angels, so that neither the lion of pride, nor the sight of avarice, nor the fox of deceitfulness could enter. Also it was enclosed from within, so that her mind could not be stained by any evil thought. In this garden were three flowers, namely the violet, the rose, and the lily. The violet signifies humility, which is the first flower announcing summer. This flower Gabriel found when he entered to her, saying: Hail Mary, full of grace, etc. She answered humbly: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word. The second flower is the lily, and it signifies chastity, which was in the womb of the Virgin. Whence he says of her, Song of Songs 2: As a lily among thorns, so is my beloved, etc. The third flower in this garden was the rose of charity. Whence it is said in Ecclesiasticus 24: Like the plantation of a rose in Jericho, and thus the first is clear. Secondly, He comes into the world like a physician to a sick man. For we see that when some man is infirm even unto death, and if someone were to announce to him that a physician is coming who could well heal him, he would rejoice greatly in this. Thus humanity was infirm even unto eternal death, as David says in the Psalm: My infirmities have been multiplied, etc. But He, the physician Christ, came into this world to cure the human race. Therefore Gregory says in a sermon on the Advent: Great was the infirmity lying there; therefore a great physician came, who is Christ. 1 Timothy 1: A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance. For Christ came into this