Psalm LXXXI
7“Because it is a commandment for Israel, and a judgment for the God of Jacob” (ver. 4). Where a commandment, there judgment. For, “They that have sinned in the Law, by the Law shall be judged.” And the very Giver of the commandment, the Lord Christ, the Word made flesh, saith, “For judgment I am come into the world, that they that see not may see, and they that see may be made blind.” What is, “That they that see not may see, they that see be made blind,” but that the lowly be exalted, the proud thrown down? For not they that see are to be made blind, but those who to themselves seem to see are to be convicted of blindness. This is brought about in the mystery of the press, that they who see may not see, and they that see be made blind.
8“A testimony in Joseph He made that” (ver. 5). Look you, brethren, what is it? Joseph is interpreted augmentation. Ye remember, ye know of Joseph sold into Egypt: Joseph sold into Egypt is Christ passing over to the Gentiles. There Joseph after tribulations was exalted, and here Christ, after the suffering of the Martyrs, was glorified. Thenceforth to Joseph the Gentiles rather belong, and thenceforth augmentation; because, “Many are the children of her that was desolate, rather than of her that hath the husband.” “He made it, till he should go out of the land of Egypt.” Observe that also here the “fifth of the sabbath” is signified: when Joseph went out from the land of Egypt, that is, the people multiplied through Joseph, he was caused to pass through the Red Sea. Therefore then also the waters brought forth creeping things of living souls. No other thing was it that there in figure the passage of that people through the sea foreshowed, than the passing of the Faithful through Baptism; the apostle is witness: for “I would not have you ignorant, brethren,” he said, “that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Nothing else then the passing through the sea did signify, but the Sacrament of the baptized; nothing else the pursuing Egyptians, but the multitude of past sins. Ye see most evident mysteries. The Egyptians press, they urge; so then sins follow close, but no farther than to the water. Why then dost thou fear, who hast not yet come, to come to the Baptism of Christ, to pass through the Red Sea? What is “Red”? Consecrated with the Blood of the Lord. Why fearest thou to come? The consciousness, perhaps, of some huge offences goads and tortures in thee thy mind, and says to thee that it is so great a thing thou hast committed, that thou mayest despair to have it remitted thee. Fear lest there remain anything of thy sins, if there lived any one of the Egyptians!
But when thou shalt have passed the Red Sea, when thou shalt have been led forth out of thine offences “with a mighty hand and with a strong arm,” thou wilt perceive mysteries that thou knowest not: since Joseph himself too, “when he came out of the land of Egypt, heard a language which he knew not.” Thou shalt hear a language which thou knowest not: which they that know now hear and recognise, bearing witness and knowing. Thou shalt hear where thou oughtest to have thy heart: which just now when I said many understood and answered by acclamation, the rest stood mute, because they have not heard the language which they knew not. Let them hasten, then, let them pass over, let them learn.
9“He turned away from burdens his back” (ver. 6). Who “turned away from burdens his back,” but He that cried, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden”? In another manner this same thing is signified. What the pursuit of the Egyptians did, the same thing do the burdens of sins. As if thou shouldest say, From what burdens? “His hands in the basket did serve.” By the basket are signified servile works; to cleanse, to manure, to carry earth, is done with a basket, such works are servile: because “every one that doeth sin, is the slave of sin;” and “if the Son shall have made you free, then will ye be free indeed.” Justly also are the rejected things of the world counted as baskets, but even baskets did God fill with morsels; “Twelve baskets” did He fill with morsels; because “He chose the rejected things of this world to confound the things that were mighty.” But also when with the basket Joseph did serve, he then carried earth, because he did make bricks. “His hands in the basket did serve.”
10“In tribulation thou didst call on Me, and I delivered thee” (ver. 8). Let each Christian conscience recognise itself, if it have devoutly passed the Red Sea, if with faith in believing and observing it hath heard a strange language which it knew not, let it recognise itself as having been heard in its tribulation. For that was a great tribulation, to be weighed down with loads of sins. How does the conscience, lifted from the earth, rejoice. Lo, thou art baptized, thy conscience which was yesterday overladen, to-day rejoiceth thee. Thou hast been heard in tribulation, remember thy tribulation. Before thou camest to the water, what anxiety didst thou bear on thee! what fastings didst thou practise! what tribulations didst thou carry in thy heart! what inward, pious, devout prayers! Slain are thine enemies; all thy sins are blotted out. In tribulation thou didst call upon Me, and I delivered thee.
11“I heard thee in the hidden part of the tempest.” Not in a tempest of the sea, but in a tempest of the heart. “I proved thee in the water of contradiction.” Truly, brethren, truly, he that was heard in the hidden part of the tempest ought to be proved in the water of contradiction. For when he hath believed, when he hath been baptized, when he hath begun to go in the way of God, when he hath striven to be strained into the vat, and hath drawn himself out from the lees that run in the street, he will have many disturbers, many insulters, many detractors, many discouragers, many that even threaten where they can, that deter, that depress. This is all the “water of contradiction.” I suppose there are some here to-day, for instance, I think it likely there are some here whom their friends wished to hurry away to the circus, and to I know not what triflings of this day’s festivity: perchance they have brought those persons with them to church. But whether they have brought those with them, or whether they have by them not permitted themselves to be led away to the circus, in the “water of contradiction” have they been tried. Do not then be ashamed to proclaim what thou knowest, to defend even among blasphemers what thou hast believed.…However much the bad that are aliens may rage, O that our own bad people would not help them!
Ye recollect what was said of Christ, that He was thus born for “the fall of many, and the rising again of many, and for a sign to be spoken against.” We know, we see: the sign of the Cross has been set up, and it has been spoken against. There has been speaking against the glory of the Cross: but there was a title over the Cross which was not to be corrupted. For there is a title in the Psalm, “For the inscription of the title, corrupt thou not.” It was a sign to be spoken against: for the Jews said, “Make it not, King of the Jews, but make it, that He said I am the King of the Jews.” Conquered was the contradiction; it was answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
12All this, from the beginning of the Psalm up to this verse, we have heard of the oil of the press. What remains is rather for grief and warning: for it belongs to the lees of the press, even to the end; perchance also not without a meaning in the interposition of the “Diapsalma.” But even this too is profitable to hear, that he who sees himself already of the oil may rejoice; he that is in danger of running among the lees may beware. To both give heed, choose the one, fear the other.
“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, and will bear witness unto thee” (ver. 8). For it is not to a strange people, not to a people that belongs not to the press: “Judge ye,” He saith, “between Me and My vineyard.”
13“Israel, if thou shalt have heard Me, there shall not be in thee any new god” (ver. 9). A “new god” is one made for the time: but our God is not new, but from eternity to eternity. And our Christ is new, perchance, as Man, but eternal God. For what before the beginning? And truly, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And our Christ Himself is the Word made flesh, that He might dwell in us. Far be it, then, that there should be in any one a new god. A new god is either a stone or a phantom. He is not, saith one, a stone; I have a silver and a gold one. Justly did he choose to name the very costly things, who said, “The idols of the nations are silver and gold.” Great are they, because they are of gold and silver; costly they are, shining they are; but yet, “Eyes they have, and see not!” New are these gods. What newer than a god out of a workshop? Yea, though those now old ones spiders’ webs have covered over, they that are not eternal are new. So much for the Pagans. …