OT § 40

But one must not stand still even in this; the departure must be pressed on, the camp must be moved even "from Succoth," and one must hasten to come "to Othon." Now they say that "Othon" is turned into our language as signs to them. And rightly so, for here you will hear it said that: "God went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire"; you do not find this done at Rameses nor at Succoth, which are called the second camp for those departing, but it is the third camp in which divine signs come to pass. Recall what was read above, when Moses said to Pharaoh: "we will go a journey of three days into the desert, and we will sacrifice to the Lord our God." This, then, was the three days' space to which Moses hastened and which Pharaoh opposed; for he said: "do not go farther." Pharaoh did not permit the children of Israel to arrive at the place of signs, he did not permit them to advance so far as to be able to enjoy the mysteries of the third day. For hear what the prophet says: "God will raise us up after two days, and on the third day we shall rise again and shall live in his sight." The first day for us is the passion of the Savior, and the second, on which he descended into hell, but the third is the day of the resurrection. And therefore on the third day "God went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud, by night in a pillar of fire." But if, according to those things which we said above, the Apostle rightly teaches us that the mysteries of baptism are contained in these words, it is necessary that "those who are baptized in Christ should be baptized in his death, and be buried together with him," and rise again with him on the third day from the dead, whom also, according to that which the Apostle says: "he raised up together with himself, and made to sit together in the heavenly places." When, therefore, the mystery of the third day has been received by you, God will begin to lead you forth and Himself to show you the way of salvation.

Who can doubt that here too God appeared to the eyes of mortal men by a corporeal creature made subject to him and not by his own substance? But it is also not apparent whether it was the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit, or the Trinity itself, the one God. Nor, as far as I can judge, has this distinction been made in that place where it is written: "And the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud, and the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 'I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel.' "

The freeing of the children of Israel and their being brought out into the fatherland once promised them is also linked with the mystery of our redemption. By means of it we make our way to the light of the dwelling place on high with the grace of Christ lighting our way and guiding us. That cloud and column of fire that both protected them throughout the whole of their journey from the darkness of the nights and led them by a sure path to the promised homes of the fatherland also prefigured the light of this grace.

It was also fitting that a pillar of fire preceded the Israelites as they progressed through the desert during the night and a pillar of a cloud during the day. There is dread in fire but a gentle soothing quality in the sight of a cloud. "Day" is understood to point toward the life of the righteous and "night" that of the sinner. Hence Paul said to sinners who had been converted, "You were once darkness but are now light in the Lord." The pillar was revealed as a cloud during the day and as a fire during the night since almighty God will appear soothing to the righteous and dreadful to the unrighteous. When he comes at the judgment, he will reassure the former by his gentleness and mildness and cause dread in the latter by the strictness of his justice.

At one time he appears all aglow in a bush. For you are cold with the perfidy of infidelity, and he wants to enkindle you with the heat of faith. At another time he glows like fire in a pillar extending toward heaven, that the darkness of your ignorance may be removed and that you can follow the way of saving knowledge through the wilderness of this world. At yet another time he is changed for you into a pillar of cloud, in order to restrain the burning ebullience of your passions.

But let us see what is said to Moses after these things, what way is enjoined to be chosen. "From Othon," it says, "turn back and make your journey between Epauleum and Magdolum, which is over against Beelsephon." Now these are interpreted thus: "Epauleum" indeed a winding ascent, "Magdolum" a tower, "Beelsephon" the ascent of a watchtower, or having a watchtower. You perhaps believed that the way which God shows was level and soft and had absolutely no difficulty or labor: it is an ascent, and a winding ascent. For the way by which one strives toward the virtues is not downhill, but one ascends, and ascends narrowly and with difficulty. Hear also the Lord in the Gospel saying how "strait and narrow is the way that leads to life." See, then, how greatly the Gospel agrees with the Law. In the Law the way of virtue is shown to be a winding ascent; in the Gospels it is called "the strait and narrow way that leads to life." Cannot even the blind openly see this, that one and the same Spirit wrote the Law and the Gospels? It is, then, a journey which they travel, a winding ascent and the ascent of a watchtower, or having a watchtower; the ascent pertains to deeds, the watchtower to faith. He shows, therefore, that both in deeds and in faith there is much difficulty and much labor. For many temptations arise, many stumbling-blocks for those who wish to do the things that are of God. Then, further, in faith you will find many winding things, very many questions, many objections of heretics, many contradictions of unbelievers. This journey, then, must be made by those who follow God; but there is also a tower on this journey. What is that tower? That one, surely, of which the Lord says in the Gospel: "which of you, wishing to build a tower, will not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has the means to complete it?" This, then, is the tower, the steep and lofty seat of the virtues. But see what Pharaoh says, beholding these things: 'they are wandering astray,' he says, 'these people.' In Pharaoh's judgment, he who follows God is said to wander astray; because, as we said, the way of wisdom is winding, having many bends, many difficulties, very many turnings. In short, when you confess one God, and by the same confession affirm the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit to be one God, how winding, how difficult, how inextricable this seems to be to unbelievers! Then, further, when you say that "the Lord of majesty" was crucified and that he is the Son of Man "who came down from heaven," how winding these things seem and how difficult! He who hears, if he does not hear with faith, says that these people are wandering astray; but be you fixed and do not doubt concerning faith of this kind, knowing that God has shown you this way of faith. For He Himself said: "taking up the camp from Othon, pitch it between Epauleum and Magdolum over against Beelsephon." Fleeing therefore from Egypt, you come to these places, you come to these ascents of works and of faith, you come to the building of the tower, you come also to the sea, and the waves meet you. For the journey of life is not made without the waves of temptations; as the Apostle also says: "all who wish to live piously in Christ shall suffer persecution." But Job likewise declares that: "our life upon the earth is a temptation." This, then, is to have come to the sea.

But the same Christ the Lord who did all these things now goes through baptism before the Christian people in the pillar of his body—he who at that time went through the sea before the children of Israel in the pillar of fire. This, I say, is the column which at that time offered light to the eyes of those who followed and now ministers light to the hearts of those who believe, which then made firm a watery path in the waves and now strengthens the traces of faith in the washing. Through this faith—as was the case with the children of Israel—the one who walks calmly will not fear Egypt in pursuit.

And you too, therefore, if you withdraw from the Egyptians and flee from the power of demons, see how great the helps are that are divinely prepared for you, see how great the helpers are whom you employ. Only let it be that you remain strong in faith, and that neither the cavalry and the terror of the chariots of the Egyptians strike you with dread, nor that you cry out against the Law of God, against Moses, and say, as certain of them said: "as though there were no graves in Egypt, so you have led us out, that we might die in this desert. It were better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in this desert." These are the words of a soul fainting in temptation. But who is so blessed that he so disburdens himself of the weight of temptations that no thought of uncertainty creeps into his mind? See what is said by the Lord to that great foundation of the Church and most solid rock, upon which Christ founded the Church: "O you of little faith," He says, "why did you doubt?" Yet nevertheless, in that they say: "it were better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness," these are the words of temptation and of frailty; otherwise it is false; for it is far better "to die in the wilderness" than "to serve the Egyptians." For he who dies in the wilderness, by this very fact that he has been separated from the Egyptians and has departed from "the rulers of the darkness" and from the power of Satan, has had some advance, even if he was not able to arrive at completeness. For it is better to die on the way while seeking the perfect life than not even to set out to seek perfection. Whence also the opinion of those seems to be mistaken who, while they set forth the way of virtue as too steep, and while they enumerate its many difficulties and many dangers and falls, judge that it is not even to be entered upon or begun. But it is much better for me even to die on this journey, if so it must be, than, remaining among the Egyptians, to be slain and overwhelmed by the salt and bitter waves.

But fear thou not, neither be thou afraid, for instead of Moses, Jesus is with thee, for like as Moses clave to the congregation, even so also doth Christ cleave to thy soul, and He saith unto thy tortured and afflicted mind that which was said by Moses to the Jews, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Therefore thou shalt not be in fear as were the people, but thou shalt rouse up, and watch like Moses, and cry out to the Lord even as he cried out. Therefore do thou in thy thoughts repeat the words of Moses, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace"; and as the Hebrews passed over with Moses, even so shall all thy triumphs pass over with thee.

Or do you not hear how Moses, although he said nothing but met the Lord with his inexpressible groanings, was heard by the Lord, who said, "Why do you cry to me?" God knows how to hear even the blood of a just man, to which no tongue is attached and of which no voice pierces the air. The presence of good works is a loud voice before God.

The heart reveals its silent longing, to which the Godhead listens more than to the most thundering voices of nations. He said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me?" although we do not read that Moses had said anything. So the faithful man said that his heart was speaking to the Lord, since he seemed to offer his thoughts by this means.

The word cry in Scripture does not refer to the cry of the voice but to the cry of the heart. In fact, the Lord says to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me?" when Moses had not muttered any cry at all.

But if the mental voice of those who pray should not be extremely loud, though it is not weak, and should they not raise a cry and shout, God still hears those who pray thus. For it is he who says to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me?" when he had not cried out audibly (for this is not recorded in Exodus), but through prayer he had cried out loudly in that voice which is heard by God alone.

But meanwhile Moses cries out to the Lord. How does he cry out? No voice of his crying is heard, and yet God says to him: "why do you cry out to me?" I would like to know how the saints cry out to God without a voice. The Apostle teaches that: "God gave the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying: Abba, Father!" And he adds: "the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unutterable groanings." And again: "but he who searches the hearts knows what the Spirit desires, because he asks for the saints according to God." Thus, then, when the Holy Spirit intercedes with God, through the silence of the saints a cry is heard.

Moses prayed the whole night with much crying out and suffering, and at the morning watch the Lord said to him, "Why criest thou before Me? Incline thy hand over the sea, and divide it, and the Hebrews shall pass over it, but the Egyptians shall be drowned therein." Now all the things which happened at that time are a type of those which shall be done unto thee. And enemies, that is, evil devils, shall gather together and crowd against thy soul, even as the Egyptians who pursued after the Jews were gathered together and crowded upon them; but as Moses forsook the fear of the Egyptians and turned himself unto prayer and unto crying out to God, do thou also forsake the anxieties and thoughts which devilish enemies make to rise up in thee. And stand thou up in earnest prayer, and cry out with deep feeling from the heart, and from the depth of the thoughts of the soul let the voice of thy cry rise up, and straightway that answer which was returned unto Moses shall also be spoken unto thee, "Why dost thou cry out before Me? Incline thy hand over the sea, and divide it"; and straightway thy afflictions will give way, and the covering which was set before thy face will be rolled up, and the terrible depths of affliction will give way, and the things which thou didst think could not be crossed over with the foot, thou shalt tread upon, and thou shalt pass over the depth thereof. And difficult things shall become easy for thee, and that wall, which is built in such a manner that thou didst think it could not be broken through, shall be immediately swept away from before thee, and thy prayer shall rend and pass over the abyss of all the wickedness which is gathered together and laid before thee.

Whoever looks upon this mercy seat with full turning of the countenance, gazing upon him who hangs upon the cross through faith, hope, and charity, devotion, admiration, exultation, appreciation, praise, and jubilation, makes the Passover, that is, the passing over, with him, so as to pass through the Red Sea by the rod of the cross, entering the desert from Egypt, where he may taste the hidden manna, and may rest with Christ in the tomb as though outwardly dead, yet sensing, insofar as is possible according to the state of wayfaring, what was said on the cross to the thief clinging to Christ: Today you shall be with me in paradise.

Moses performed no sign without the mysterious wood, for he received from the Lord a rod to work wonders and prodigies in Egypt. Moreover, as a sign that he had heard things divinely, it was said to him, "Lift up your staff." God, of course, did not need the assistance of a staff. But it was raised so that we might know how great was the mystery of that future wood which was prefigured by the shadow of this staff.

But if, following Moses—that is, the Law of God—you make this journey, the Egyptian indeed pursues and hounds you, but see what happens: "the angel of the Lord," it says, "who went before the camp of Israel, raised himself up and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud also lifted itself from before their face, and stood behind them, and entered between the camp of the Egyptians and of the Israelites." This "pillar of cloud" is made a wall for the people of God, but upon the Egyptians it imposes obscurity and darkness. For the pillar of fire is not transferred to the Egyptians, that they may see the light, but they remain in darkness, because "they loved darkness rather than light."

And it is written also in Exodus that when the ruler of the land of the Egyptians with his warriors was pursuing after the Israelites and was already upon the point of engaging with them in battle, the angel of God stood between the camp of the Israelites and of the Egyptians, and the one came not near the other all the night. There is therefore nothing unbefitting in supposing here also that the holy angel who was the guardian of the synagogue offered supplications in its behalf and prayed for a respite, if perchance yielding to better influence it might yet bring forth fruit.

Therefore this darkness of the body has been placed between us and God, like the cloud of old between the Egyptians and the Hebrews. This is perhaps what is meant by "He made darkness his separate place," namely, our dullness, through which few can see even a little.

The Jews under the guidance of Moses passed over the Red Sea, but that case is widely different from this. He did all with prayer and as a servant, but Christ with absolute power. There when the south wind blew, the water yielded so as to make them pass over on dry land, but here the miracle was greater. For the sea retaining its proper nature so bare its Lord upon its surface, thus testifying to the Scripture which saith, "Who walketh upon the sea as upon a pavement."

We find that arms have always needed faith, but faith has never needed arms. The rod of faith parted the sea which submerged the army bereft of faith together with its wicked leader.

Note how the teachers of the Old and New Testaments differ in their deeds but are paired in glory, for the one Wisdom issued twin laws in the two Testaments, so equal distinction gives the same weight to differing powers. Peter did not divide the sea with a rod, but then Moses did not walk on the waters. However, both have the same bright glory, for the one Creator inspired both the cleavage of the waters with a rod and the treading of the waves underfoot.

This people of God, freed from a great and broad Egypt, is led, as through the Red Sea, that in baptism it may make an end of its enemies. For by the sacrament as it were of the Red Sea, that is by baptism consecrated with the blood of Christ, the pursuing Egyptians, the sins, are washed away.

Again, according to the view of the inspired Paul, the people itself, by passing through the Red Sea, proclaimed the good tidings of salvation by water. The people passed over, and the Egyptian king with his host was engulfed, and by these actions this Sacrament was foretold. For even now, whensoever the people is in the water of regeneration, fleeing from Egypt, from the burden of sin, it is set free and saved; but the devil with his own servants (I mean, of course, the spirits of evil), is choked with grief, and perishes, deeming the salvation of men to be his own misfortune.

How troublesome a trial it is to pass through the midst of the sea, to see the waves rising up in a heap, to hear the roar and crash of the raging billows; but nevertheless, if you follow Moses, that is, the law of God, the waters will become for you a wall on the right hand and on the left, and you will find a path through dry ground in the midst of the sea. But that heavenly journey too, which we have said the soul makes, may perhaps have some waters as well; it may be that there too waves are found; for there is a certain portion of waters above the heaven and a certain portion beneath the heaven, and we for the present endure the waves and billows of these waters that are beneath the heaven.

And what after this? Moses is commanded to strike the sea with his rod, so that it may split apart and give way to the people of God as they enter, and so that the obedient service of the elements may serve the divine will, and that the waters, which were feared, being made "a wall on the right hand and on the left" for the servants of God, may not only know no ruin, but may even present a defense. The wave, therefore, is forced into a heap, and the surge, checked upon itself, is curved. The liquid takes on solidity, and the floor of the sea is dried into dust. Understand the goodness of God the Creator; if you obey His will, if you follow His Law, He compels the very elements to serve you even against their own nature. I have heard it handed down by the elders that in that parting of the sea individual divisions of the waters were made for each and every tribe of the children of Israel, and that a way was opened in the sea proper to each tribe, and that this is shown from that which is written in the Psalms: "who divided the Red Sea into divisions." By which it is taught that many divisions were made, not one. But also by that which is said: "there is Benjamin the younger in amazement, the princes of Judah their leaders, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali," no less does a proper entrance seem to be enumerated for each tribe. These things, observed by the elders in the divine Scriptures, I have thought it a religious duty not to pass over in silence. What, then, are we taught through these things? We have already said above what the Apostle's meaning is in these matters. This he names "a baptism accomplished in Moses in the cloud and in the sea," so that you too, who are baptized in Christ, in water and in the Holy Spirit, may know that the Egyptians indeed pursue after you and wish to recall you to their servitude—namely "the rulers" of this "world" and the "spiritual wickednesses," to which formerly you were enslaved. These indeed try to pursue, but you go down into the water and come out unharmed, and, the filth of your sins being washed away, you ascend "a new man" ready "to sing a new song." But the Egyptians, pursuing after you, are drowned in the abyss, even though they seem to beg Jesus not to send them meanwhile into the abyss.

The Egyptians pursued the Hebrews with no fear of the darkness that separated them from the Hebrews and without being disturbed by the sea that was divided. During the night, through a sea that was divided, they went rushing forward to do battle with the people who were led by the column of fire. During the morning watch, the Lord appeared to the Egyptians and threw them into confusion. He clogged the wheels of their chariots so that they could neither pursue the people nor escape from the sea. But they did not fear the Lord who appeared to them, and they were not deterred by their wheels that were clogged. They boldly drove their chariots with full force.

But after that the surface of the sea became one again, and the temporary gap was flooded over. So this remains a unique event which occurred in such a way that the marvel did not lose credibility because of the passage of time, since it continues to be testified to by visible traces. That is the way the affair of the marshy lake is both described and shown.

The Hebrews proceeded safely over the dry passage, and the masses of stationary water collapsed behind them. The entire Egyptian multitude with their king was overwhelmed and killed, and the entire province, which had previously been tortured by plagues, became empty by this last slaughter. Even today there exists most reliable evidence of these events. For the tracks of chariots and the ruts made by the wheels are visible not only on the shore but also in the deep, as far as sight can reach. And if perchance for the moment they are disturbed either accidentally or purposely, they are immediately restored through divine providence by winds and waves to their original appearances, so that whoever is not taught to fear God by the study of revealed religion may be terrified by his anger through this example of his accomplished vengeance.

The waters of the sea were held back yet at the same time surrounding the Hebrews. They then poured back and brought death upon the Egyptians, so that they destroyed one people and saved the other. What too do we find in the Gospel itself? Did not our Lord show there that the sea grew calm at his word, that the storm clouds of heaven were scattered, that the blasts of the winds subsided and that the dumb elements obeyed him and the shores were quieted?

Pharaoh and his army and all the leaders of Egypt, "the chariots and their riders," were drowned in the Red Sea and perished for no other reason than that their foolish hearts were hardened, after the working of signs and wonders in the land of Egypt by God's servant Moses.

But we can also derive another understanding from these things. If you flee Egypt, if you leave the darkness of ignorance and follow the Law of God, Moses, and the sea meets you, and the wave of those who contradict runs against you, do you strike the struggling waves with the rod of Moses—that is, with the word of the Law and the vigilance of the Scriptures—and by disputing open for yourself a way through the adversaries; the waves will give way at once, and the conquered surges will yield place to the victors, and while those who a little before were opposing you marvel and are astonished and are fixed in stupor, you, along the lawful lines of disputations, will cut the straight way of faith and will make such progress by the word of teaching that your hearers, whom you have instructed by the rod of the Law, may themselves now rise up against the Egyptians like the waves of the sea, and not only assail them, but also overcome and extinguish them. For he extinguishes the Egyptian who does not do "the works of darkness"; he extinguishes the Egyptian who lives not carnally but spiritually; he extinguishes the Egyptian who either drives away from his heart filthy and impure thoughts or does not receive them at all, as the Apostle also says: "taking up the shield of faith, that we may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one." In this way, then, we can even today "see the Egyptians dead and lying on the shore," and their chariots and horses submerged. We can even see Pharaoh himself submerged, if we live with such faith that "God may crush Satan under our feet swiftly" through Jesus Christ our Lord, "to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

But belief in Moses not only does not show our belief in the Spirit to be worthless, but, if we adopt our opponents' line of argument, it rather weakens our confession in the God of the universe. "The people," it is written, "believed the Lord and his servant Moses." Moses then is joined with God, not with the Spirit; and he was a type not of the Spirit, but of Christ. For at that time in the ministry of the law, he by means of himself typified "the Mediator between God and men." Moses, when mediating for the people in things pertaining to God, was not a minister of the Spirit; for the law was given, "ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator," namely Moses, in accordance with the summons of the people, "Speak thou with us, ...but let not God speak with us." Thus faith in Moses is referred to the Lord, the Mediator between God and men, who said, "Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me."

"For he has been gloriously extolled" who has already granted us in the bath of regeneration what we have been singing about: "horse and rider he has cast into the sea." All our past sins, you see, which have been pressing on us, as it were, from behind, he has drowned and obliterated in baptism. These dark things of ours were being ridden by unclean spirits as their mounts, and like horsemen they were riding them wherever they liked. That's why the apostle calls them "rulers of this darkness." We have been rid of all this through baptism, as through the Red Sea, so called because sanctified by the blood of the crucified Lord. Let us not turn back to Egypt in our hearts, but with him as our protector and guide let us wend our way through the other trials and temptations of the desert toward the kingdom.

As far as we are concerned, you see, they are dead, because they cannot lord it over us anymore; because our very misdeeds, which made us into their subjects, have been, so to say, sunk and obliterated in the sea, when we were set free by the bath of holy grace.

It is said in the ode, "For he has triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider has he cast into the sea." The many-limbed and brutal affection, lust, with the rider mounted, who gives reigns to pleasures, "he has cast into the sea," throwing them away into the disorders of the world. Thus also Plato, in his book On the Soul, says that the charioteer and the horse that ran off—the irrational part, which is divided in two, into anger and concupiscence—fall down. So the myth intimates that it was through the licentiousness of the steeds that Phathon was thrown out.

Our motive in going over all this, dearly beloved brethren, is that we may be on our guard, for fear that, after coming out from Egypt and hastening through the desert for forty days—for forty years, as it were—to reach the land of promise, we should long for the fleshpots of Egypt and be bitten to death by the serpents. We have left Egypt; what have we to do with the food of Egypt? We who have bread from heaven; why do we go in search of earthly foods? We who have left Pharaoh, let us call upon the help of the Lord so that the Egyptian king may be drowned in the baptism of those who believe. Let his horses and their riders perish there; let the raging army of the adversary be destroyed. Let us not murmur against the Lord lest we be struck down by him.

As a perfect bride, therefore, of a perfect man, she has received the words of perfect doctrine. The first song, then, Moses and the children of Israel sang to God when they saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore, and when they saw the strong hand and the exalted arm of the Lord, and they believed God and his servant Moses. Then they sang, saying: "Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified." But I judge that no one can come to that perfect and mystical song, and to that perfection of the bride which is contained in this Scripture, unless he first walk through the dry ground in the midst of the sea … And by Moses I mean the Law and the Gospels and all the divine Scriptures; for then he will rightly sing and say: "Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified."

We read that many songs were made in the divine Scriptures, yet the first of them all is this song, which the people of God sang after their victory, when the Egyptians and Pharaoh had been drowned. For it is the custom of the saints, whenever an adversary is conquered, to offer God a hymn of thanksgiving, as those who know that the victory was won not by their own power but by the grace of God. And as they sing the hymn, they take up timbrels also in their hands, as is related of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. And you too, therefore, if you cross the Red Sea, if you see the Egyptians drowned and Pharaoh extinguished and cast down into the depth of the abyss, you can sing a hymn to God, you can send forth the voice of thanksgiving and say: "Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously glorified; the horse and the rider he has cast into the sea." But you will say these things better and more worthily if you have a timbrel in your hand — that is, if you have "crucified your flesh with its vices and desires," and if you have "mortified your members which are upon the earth." And yet let us see what he says: "Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously glorified"; as though it were not enough to say "he has been glorified," so he added "he has been gloriously glorified." For my part, so far as I can conjecture, it seems to me that to be glorified is one thing, and to be gloriously glorified is another. For my Lord Jesus Christ, when he took flesh from the Virgin for our salvation, was indeed glorified, because "he came to seek what had perished," yet he was not "gloriously glorified." For it is said of him: "We saw him, and he had no form nor beauty, and his countenance was ignoble beyond the sons of men." He was glorified also when he came to the cross and endured death. Do you wish to know that he was glorified? He himself said: "Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you." The passion of the cross, then, was also a glory to him; but this glory was not glorious, but lowly. Finally it is said of him: "He humbled himself even unto death, even the death of the cross," concerning which too the prophet had foretold: "Let us condemn him with a most shameful death." And Isaiah also says of him: "In his humiliation his judgment was taken away." In all these things, therefore, the Lord was glorified, but, so to speak, humbly, not "gloriously glorified." But because "it behooved Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory," "when he shall come in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels," "when he shall come in his majesty" "to judge the earth," when he shall also "slay the true Pharaoh, that is, the devil, with the spirit of his mouth," when therefore he shall shine forth in "the majesty of his Father" and, after the coming in humility, shall show us a second coming in glory — then not only is the Lord glorified, but he is also "gloriously glorified," when "all so honor the Son as they honor the Father."

"The horse and the rider he has cast into the sea; he has become for me a helper and protector unto salvation." The men who pursue us are horses, and, so to speak, all who are born in the flesh are figuratively horses. But these have their riders. There are horses which the Lord mounts, and they go about the whole earth, concerning which it is said: "And your cavalry is salvation." But there are horses which have as their riders the devil and his angels. Judas was a horse, but so long as he had the Lord as his rider, he belonged to the cavalry of salvation. For along with the other Apostles he was sent and bestowed salvation on the sick and health on the ailing; but when he laid himself down beneath the devil — for "after the morsel Satan entered into him" — Satan became his rider, and, led by his reins, he began to ride against our Lord and Savior. All, therefore, who persecute the saints are neighing horses, but they have riders by whom they are driven, the evil angels, and for that reason they are fierce. If, therefore, you should ever see your persecutor raging too savagely, know that he is being goaded by his rider the demon, and for that reason he is savage, for that reason he is truculent. The Lord, therefore, "has cast the horse and the rider into the sea, and he has become for me unto salvation."

"This is my God, and I will honor him; the God of my father, and I will exalt him." This one, then, is both "my" "God" and the God "of my father." Our Father, who made us and begot us, is Christ, and he himself says: "I go to my Father and your Father, my God and your God." If, therefore, I recognize that God is "my" "God," I will glorify him; but if I also recognize this, in what way he is the "God" of Christ "my father," I will exalt him: for it is a loftier understanding, in what way Christ, in order to bind fast and safeguard the truth of the one God, calls him his God whom by nature he calls Father.

"The Lord who crushes wars, the Lord is his name." I would not have you think that the Lord "crushes" only visible battles, but he "crushes" also those which are for us "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and against the rulers of the darkness of this world." For "the Lord is his name": and there is no creature of which he is not Lord.

And the worldly pride and arrogance and the troops of innumerable sins which were fighting for the devil in us, he obliterated in baptism.

The devil had placed "teams of three" in each chariot, who were to terrorize us by haunting us with the fear of pain, the fear of humiliation, the fear of death. All these things were sunk in the Red Sea, because "together with him," together with the One who for our sakes was scourged, dishonored and slain, "we were buried through baptism into death." Thus he overwhelmed all our enemies in the Red Sea, having consecrated the waters of baptism with the bloody death which was utterly to consume our sins.

"The elite of his officers, who were standing three deep, he submerged in the Red Sea." Who are the elite of his officers? Surely those chosen by the devil for luxury, wickedness and pride, the source of all evil. Moreover, these, standing three deep, occupy those three ways in order to subvert man to evil deeds, to tempt him to evil speech or to win him to evil thoughts.

"The chariots of Pharaoh and his army he has cast into the sea, the chosen riders, the three officers he has sunk in the Red Sea." Pharaoh, as one more powerful in wickedness and holding the kingdom of iniquity, drives "chariots." It is not enough for him to mount one horse; he drives many at once, he compels many at once with the blows of the twisted lash. Whomever you see more shameful in luxury, more savage in cruelty, more foul in avarice, more disgraceful in impiety, know that these belong to the chariots of Pharaoh; upon these he sits, these he yokes to his chariot, on these he is borne and flies about, and through the open fields of crimes he drives them with loosened reins. There are others, "chosen riders" — chosen, without doubt, for wickedness. But we have already spoken above about the riders; now let us also see who the "three officers" are. It seems to me that "three officers" are so called because there is a threefold way of sinning for men; for one sins either in deed or in word or in thought. And therefore "three officers" are said to be assigned to each and every one, who besiege these three ways of sinning within us and are always on the watch and lie in ambush, so that the one may draw an evil word out of the wretched man, or another may wring out an unjust deed, or another may snatch up a wicked thought. Finally, where the seed of the word of God falls and perishes, the place is described as threefold; one is said to be "beside the way," which is trodden down by men; another "among thorns," another "on rocky ground." And on the contrary the "good ground" is said to bring forth threefold fruit, either "a hundredfold" or "sixtyfold" or "thirtyfold." For there is also a threefold way of acting well; for nonetheless something good is done either by deed or by thought or by word. This same thing the Apostle also signifies when he says: "But he who builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones," indicating a threefold way of good things. He adds nonetheless a threefold way of evil things also, when he says: "wood, hay, stubble." These "three officers," then, are the wicked angels of Pharaoh's army, who stand in ways of this kind, watching each one of us to drive us through these into sin; whom the Lord will sink in the Red Sea and hand over to the fiery waves on the day of judgment and cover with a sea of punishments, if you, following God, withdraw yourself from their power.

But if our enemies "went down into the depths like a stone," the only ones the devil remains in possession of and the only ones who have the hardness of the devil are those about whom it is written, "When the sinner has come into the depths of evil, he behaves disdainfully." They don't believe, you see, that they can be forgiven for what they have done; and in that mood of despair they plummet to greater depths than ever.

"They went down into the deep like a stone." Why did "they go down into the deep like a stone"? Because they were not such "stones as those from which sons of Abraham could be raised up," but such as loved the deep and cherished the liquid element — that is, who seized the bitter and fleeting pleasure of present things.

Thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemies. For the enemies of God, though they prosper in His left hand, are dashed to pieces with His right; since for the most part the present life elevates the bad, but the coming of eternal blessedness condemns them.

The enemy does not understand the power of the Lord's sacrament, which is available in saving baptism for those who believe and hope in him. He still thinks that sins can prevail even over the baptized, because they are being tempted by the frailty of the flesh. He doesn't know where and when and how the complete renewal of the whole person is to be perfected, which is begun and prefigured in baptism and is already grasped by the most assured hope.

Moses himself says in his song, "You sent your Spirit, and the sea covered them." You observe that even then holy baptism was prefigured in that passage of the Hebrews, wherein the Egyptian perished, the Hebrew escaped. For what else are we daily taught in this sacrament but that guilt is swallowed up and error done away, but that virtue and innocence remain unharmed?

Whence it is said of them: "They were sunk like lead in the mightiest water." Sinners are heavy. Finally, iniquity too is shown "to sit upon a talent of lead," as the prophet Zechariah says: "I saw," he says, "a woman sitting upon a talent of lead, and I said: what is this? And he answered: iniquity." Thence it is, therefore, that the wicked "were sunk into the deep, like lead in the mightiest water." But the saints are not sunk; rather they walk upon the waters, because they are light and are not weighed down by the burden of sin. Finally the Lord and Savior "walked upon the waters"; for he it is who truly knows no sin. His disciple Peter also "walked," although he trembled a little; for he was not so great and of such kind as to have nothing at all of the nature of lead mixed within him. He had some, though little. On account of which the Lord says to him: "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Therefore he who is saved is saved through fire, so that, if perchance he should have anything of the nature of lead mixed in, the fire may boil it away and dissolve it, so that all may be made good gold — because "the gold of that land" is said "to be good," which the saints are to possess, and "as the furnace tests gold," so temptation tests just men. All must come, then, to the fire; all must come to the smelting-furnace; "for the Lord sits and smelts and purges the sons of Judah." But when one comes there, if anyone has brought many good works and but a little of iniquity, that little is dissolved by the fire "like lead" and is purged, and the whole remains pure gold. And if anyone has brought there more lead, he is burned more, so that he may be boiled longer, so that, even if there be but a little gold, it may nevertheless remain purified. But if anyone comes there wholly of lead, there will befall him that which is written: he will be sunk "into the deep, like lead in the mightiest water." But it is a long matter, if we should wish to expound in order; it is enough to touch on a few points briefly.

The Old Testament … says, "Who is like to you among the gods, O Lord?" What do you mean, Moses? Is there any comparison at all between the true God and false gods? Moses would reply, "I did not say this to make a comparison; but since I was talking to the Jews, who had a lofty opinion of demons, I condescended to their weakness and brought in the lesson I was teaching in this way." Let me also say that since my discussion is with the Jews, who consider that Christ is mere man and one who violated their law, I compared him with those whom the pagan Greeks admire.

"Who," he says, "is like you among the gods, O Lord? Who is like you? Glorious among the saints, wonderful in majesties, working prodigies." When he says "who is like you among the gods?", he does not compare God to the idols of the nations, nor to the demons who falsely claim for themselves the name of gods, but he calls those gods who are called gods through the grace and participation of God. Concerning whom Scripture also says elsewhere: "I said: you are gods," and again: "God stood in the assembly of the gods." But these, although they are capable of God and seem to be granted this name through grace, yet none is found like to God either in power or in nature. And although John the Apostle says: "little children, we do not yet know what we shall be; but if he shall be revealed to us" — speaking, of course, of the Lord — "we shall be like him," yet this likeness is referred not to nature but to grace. For example, as if we should say that a picture is like him whose image is seen expressed in the picture: as far as pertains to the grace of sight, it is called like; as far as pertains to substance, it is far unlike. For that is the form of flesh and the beauty of a living body, this is a tinting of colors and wax laid upon boards devoid of feeling. None, therefore, "among the gods is like the Lord"; for none is invisible, none incorporeal, none immutable, none without beginning and without end, none the creator of all things, save the Father with the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Certainly at that time no yawning chasm of the earth swallowed up any of the Egyptians; they were covered by water, they perished in the sea. So what's the meaning of "You stretched out your right hand, the earth devoured them"? Or are we correct in understanding God's right hand to be the one of whom Isaiah says, "And the arm of the Lord, to whom has it been revealed"? That, you see, is the only Son, whom the Father did not spare "but handed him over for us all." And thus he stretched out his right hand on the cross, and the earth devoured the godless, when they thought of themselves as victorious and of him as despicable in defeat.

"You stretched out your right hand, the earth devoured them." The earth indeed devours the impious even today. Or does it not seem to you that the earth devours him who always thinks of earth, who always has earthly deeds, who speaks of earth, disputes about earth, desires earth, and places all his hope in earth? — who does not look to heaven, who does not think of things to come, who does not fear the judgment of God nor desire his blessed promises, but always thinks of things present, and sighs after things earthly? When you see such a man, say that "the earth has devoured him." But also if you see anyone given over to the luxury of the flesh and the pleasures of the body, in whom the mind avails nothing, but the lust of the flesh has taken possession of the whole, say also of this one that "the earth has devoured him." It still moves me that he says: "you stretched out your right hand, and the earth devoured them," as though this were the cause of their being devoured by the earth, that "the Lord stretched out his right hand." If you consider how the Lord, exalted upon the cross, "all the day stretched out his hands to a people that did not believe and that contradicted him," and how the death of the crime committed crushed the unbelieving people who cried out: "Crucify, crucify him!" — you will evidently find how "he stretched out his right hand and the earth devoured them." And yet one must not utterly despair. For it is possible that, if perchance he who has been devoured should come to his senses, he may again be vomited forth, as Jonah was. But I think that all of us too, once devoured by the earth, were held in the inner recesses of hell; and therefore our Lord descended not only as far as the lands, but even as far as "the lower parts of the earth"; and there he found us devoured and "sitting under the shadow of death," and leading us thence he prepares for us no longer a place of earth, lest we be devoured again, but a place of the kingdom of heaven.

"You have led forth this your people in your righteousness, whom you have set free. You have comforted them by your power in your holy rest." The Lord leads forth "in righteousness" his people whom "he set free through the laver of regeneration," and he comforts them also through the consolation of the Holy Spirit in "his power and in his rest." For the hope of things to come brings rest to those who labor; just as, for those set in the contest, the hope of the crown soothes the pain of wounds.

"The nations heard and were angry; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the leaders of Edom hastened, and the princes of the Moabites; trembling took hold of them. All the inhabitants of Canaan melted away." As far as pertains to the history, it is established that none of these nations was present at the marvels which were done; how, then, will they seem to be terrified with trembling, or to have "hastened," as he says, or the "Philistines" and "Moabites" and "Edom" and the rest of the nations which he enumerates, to be "angry"? But if we return to the spiritual understanding, you will find that "Philistia" — that is, falling peoples — and "Edom," which is interpreted earthly, tremble, and the princes of all these run about and are afraid, gripped by pangs, when they see their kingdoms, which are in hell, penetrated by him "who descended into the lower parts of the earth," that he might rescue those who were possessed by death. Hence "fear and trembling seized them," because they felt "the greatness of his arm." Hence too "all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away," who are interpreted as changeable and moveable, when they see their kingdoms moved, "the strong one bound and his vessels plundered." "Let" therefore "fear and trembling at the greatness of your arm come upon them." What do the demons fear, what do they tremble at? Without doubt the cross of Christ, in which "they were triumphed over, in which their principalities and powers were stripped." "Fear," then, "and trembling shall fall upon them," when they see the sign of the cross faithfully fixed in us, and "the greatness of the arm" of him which the Lord stretched out upon the cross, as he says: "All the day I stretched out my hands to a people that did not believe and that contradicted me." They will not, then, fear you otherwise, nor will "your trembling come upon them otherwise," unless they see in you the cross of Christ, unless you too can say: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world."

I will yet set down one testimony concerning stones, since indeed in the canticle of Exodus it is written: "let them be turned into stones, until your people pass over, O Lord, until this your people pass over, whom you have possessed". And so God is asked that for a little while the Gentiles be turned into stones—for the Greek word sounds this more pointedly, "ἀπολιθούντωσαν" (let them be petrified)—"until the people" of the Jews "pass over". There is no doubt that, after those have passed over, the Gentiles will cease to be stony and, in place of a hard heart, will receive in Christ a human and rational nature: to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.

"Let them become like stone, until your people pass over, O Lord, until this your people pass over, whom you have acquired." "To become like stone" is not to be by nature a stone; for it would not become that which it was not. This we say on account of those who say that Pharaoh or the Egyptians were of an evil nature and were not led into these things by the freedom of the will; and also on account of those who accuse God the creator as savage, because he turns men into stones. Let these, therefore, before they blaspheme, consider with the utmost weighing the things that are written. For he did not say "let them become like stone" and fall silent, but he set a time and decreed a measure of the condemnation. For he says: "until your people pass over," namely so that after the passing of the people they may not be "like stones." In which it seems to me that something of prophecy lies hidden. For I see that the former people, who were before us, became "like a stone," hard and unbelieving; yet not so far as to remain in the nature of a stone, but "until this people pass over, the people whom he has acquired": for "blindness in part happened in Israel" — that Israel according to the flesh — "until the fullness of the nations should enter in." For when "the fullness of the nations shall have entered in," then also "all Israel," which through the hardness of unbelief had become "like a stone," "shall be saved." And do you wish to see how it "shall be saved"? "God is able," he says, "from these stones to raise up sons of Abraham." Now, therefore, they remain stones, "until your people pass over, O Lord, this your people whom you have acquired." But if the Lord himself is the creator of all things, it must be seen how here he is said to have "acquired" those which there is no doubt are his own — for it is said also in the other song, that of Deuteronomy: "Is not this same one your God, who made you and created you and acquired you?" —; for each one seems to acquire that which was not his own. Hence finally the heretics too say of the Savior that those whom he "acquired" were not his own; for, a price being given, he purchased men whom the creator had made. And it is certain, they say, that each one buys that which is not his own; for the Apostle says: "you were bought with a price." But hear what the prophet says: "By your sins you were sold, and for your iniquities I dismissed your mother." You see, then, that we are indeed all the creature of God, but each one is sold by his own sins and for his own iniquities departs from his own creator. We are, therefore, God's, according as we were created by him; but we became slaves of the devil, according as we were sold by our sins. But Christ, coming, "redeemed us," while we were serving that lord to whom we had sold our very selves by sinning. And so he seems to have received back as his own those whom he had created, but to have acquired as aliens those who by sinning had sought for themselves an alien lord. But perhaps it is rightly said that Christ redeemed us, who gave his own blood as our price — but what did the devil give of such a kind, that he might purchase us? Therefore, if it seems good, give heed. Murder is the devil's money; for "he is a murderer from the beginning." You have committed murder: you have received the devil's money. Adultery is the devil's money; for on it is the devil's "image and superscription." You have committed adultery: you have received a coin from the devil. Theft, false testimony, rapacity, violence — all these are the devil's wealth and the devil's treasure; for such money proceeds from his mint. With this money, therefore, he buys those whom he buys, and makes his slaves all who receive from his wealth of this kind even the least amount. But I fear lest even some of those who are in the church, some of those standing by, while we do not know, the devil secretly purchases; lest to some of our own also he presses this money which we enumerated above, and makes them his own again, and again writes for them the tablets of servitude and the bonds of sin, and mingles among the servants of God those whom he has made his own slaves by the price of sin. For it is his custom, since he is "the enemy man," "to mingle tares with the wheat." And yet, if perchance anyone deceived by the devil has received money of this kind, let him not utterly despair; for "the Lord is merciful and compassionate," and "does not will the death" of his creature, "but that it be converted and live." By repenting, by weeping, by making satisfaction, let him blot out what has been committed. For the prophet says: "when, being converted, you shall groan, you shall be saved." We have proceeded a little more widely, in wishing to expound how God is said "to acquire" the things which are his own, and Christ to "redeem with his precious blood" those whom the devil had bought with the cheap price of sin.

"Leading them in, you planted them on the mountain of your inheritance." God does not will to plant us in Egypt, nor in low and lowly places, but he wills to plant "on the mountain of his inheritance" those whom he plants. Then, besides, that he added "leading them in, you planted them" — does it not seem to you as though he were speaking of children, who are led in to schools, led in to letters, led in to all learning? Understand, therefore, through these words, if only you have "ears to hear," how God plants — lest perhaps, when you hear that he leads in and plants, you should think that he is setting fig trees or other shrubs of this kind in the ground. Hear also elsewhere how God plants. The prophet says: "You transferred a vine out of Egypt, you cast out the nations and planted it. You made a way passable before it, you planted its roots, and it filled the earth. Its shadow covered the mountains, and its branches the cedars of God." Do you now notice how God plants and where he plants? He does not plant in the valleys, but on the mountains, in high and lofty places. For those whom he leads out of Egypt, whom he brings from the world to faith, he does not will to place again in lowly places, but he wills their manner of life to be lofty. He wills us to dwell on the mountains; but even on these very mountains nonetheless he does not will us to creep along the ground, nor does he will his vine to have its fruits cast down further upon the ground, but he wills its shoots to be led upward, to be set on high, to become layered branches — and layered branches not upon any lowly trees whatever, but upon the high and loftiest cedars of God. "The cedars of God" I take to be the prophets and the Apostles, to whom if we, the vine which God "transferred out of Egypt," be joined, and through their branches our shoots be spread abroad, and, resting upon them, we become as it were certain layered branches bound together by mutual bonds of charity, we shall without doubt bring forth very much fruit. For "every tree that does not bear fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire."

"In your prepared habitation, which you have prepared, O Lord." See the goodness of the merciful Lord: he does not will to lead you into labor, he does not will that you should make yourself a dwelling; already he leads you to a "prepared habitation." Hear the Lord saying in the Gospel: "Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

"The sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have prepared." The tabernacle of God or the temple is called a "sanctuary" from this, that it sanctifies those who approach. This he says was "not made by the hand of man," but by the hand of God. What then? On your account God both plants and builds, becomes a farmer, becomes a builder, lest anything be lacking to you. Hear Paul also saying: "You are God's tillage, God's building." What, then, is this "sanctuary," which was "not made by the hand of men," but prepared by the hands of God? Hear Wisdom saying that she "built herself a house." But I think this is more rightly to be understood of the incarnation of the Lord. "For it was not made by the hand of men," that is, not by human work is the temple of the flesh built in the Virgin; but, as Daniel had foretold, "a stone cut out without hands grew, and became a great mountain." This is the "sanctuary" of the flesh assumed and "without hands," that is, apart from the work of men, "cut out" from the mountain of human nature and the substance of the flesh.

That the divine being is eternal, the authority of Scripture demonstrates this, Exodus 15: The Lord shall reign forever and ever; and Romans 1: His eternal power also and divinity. The truth of the faith also demonstrates this: "Eternal the Father," it says in the Athanasian Creed, "eternal the Son, eternal the Holy Spirit." Likewise, the necessity of reason concludes this same thing. For everything that is its own being is eternal; for being cannot not be, therefore it can neither begin nor cease, and thus it lacks a beginning and an end: if therefore God, since he is most simple, is his own being, indeed is simply being itself; therefore he is altogether eternal.

"O Lord, who reign unto the age and unto the age and still." As often as "unto the age" is said, a length of time indeed is indicated, but some end; and if it is said unto another age, there is set, without doubt, some longer end, yet an end; and as often as "the ages of the ages" are named, perhaps, though unknown to us, yet some limit appointed by God is indicated. But that which he added in this place, "and still," left no sense of any limit or end. For whatever you conceive, in which you think an end can consist, the prophetic word always says to you: "and still," as if it should speak to you and say: do you think the Lord will reign unto the age of the age? "And still." Do you think "unto the ages of the ages"? "And still." And whatever you say of the spans of his kingdom, the prophet always says to you: "and still."

"For the cavalry of Pharaoh entered with chariots and riders into the sea, and the Lord brought the water of the sea upon them; but the sons of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea." And you too, if you are a "son of Israel," can walk "on dry ground in the midst of the sea"; if you are "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation like the light of the sun, holding the word of life unto glory," it can come to pass that, as you walk in the midst of sinners, the moisture of sin does not soak you; it can come to pass that, as you pass through this world, no wave of lust bespatters you, no heat of desire beats upon you. But he who is an Egyptian and follows Pharaoh is drowned in the waves of the vices. But he who follows Christ and, as he walked, so walks himself, for him the "waters" become "a wall on the right hand and on the left," while he himself goes forward on the middle way "on dry ground." He "turns aside neither to the right nor to the left," until he comes forth to liberty and sings to the Lord a hymn of victory, saying: "I will sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously glorified," through Jesus Christ our Lord, "to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen."