SERMO 8
SERMON ON THE TEN PLAGUES OF THE EGYPTIANS
AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE LAW
Dressed in Carthage at the table of Saint Cyprian
A question proposed by the brothers.
To the Lord our God, whom we worship, it has been said in praise in a certain place of the Scriptures: "You have arranged all things in measure, number, and weight." Then, by apostolic teaching, we are instructed to behold the invisible things of God through those that have been made, and to investigate the hidden things through the manifest ones. Thus, when all of creation is questioned, it responds with a certain voice of its own nature that the Lord God is its maker. Moreover, the Apostle reminds us that what was written in the books, called the Old Testament, happened in a figurative manner: "But they were written for our correction upon whom the end of the ages has come."
Therefore, beloved, if those things which appear in the nature of things as if by chance, when diligently examined and prudently investigated and discovered, intimate the praise of the Creator and the divine providence spread and arranging through all, as it is said, "reaches mightily from one end to the other and orders all things sweetly;" how much more so those things which are not only done, but also recounted in the divine Scriptures? Hence, the question proposed to us by the brothers, or rather the inquiry and dispute, about the meaning of the Egyptians being struck with ten plagues and the people of God being instructed with ten commandments, we have undertaken in the name of our Lord, with His assistance and giving, and with the devout intention of your hearts, to explain as much as we can.
Those who proposed it know what they have proposed, that is, they know they have proposed it, nor do they recall me having rashly presented this to you. However, whoever did not propose it, listen equally to what we can, so that the concern of the brothers' proposal is the concern of all, and the exposition of our ministry is nourishment for everyone. For we believe that He will assist, if not for our sake, certainly for yours, so that we may say things that ought to be said and are useful to hear, so that walking together on the path of His truth and hastening to the homeland together, we may deserve to avoid the enemies and pitfalls of our journey by recognizing the will of God's law.
We believe the deeds just as we read the deeds.
There are ten plagues by which the people of Pharaoh were struck. There are ten commandments by which the people of God were instructed. Let us see, brothers, that the things accomplished corporally are to be understood spiritually. For we do not think that they were only spoken and written down, but we believe that the deeds occurred as we read them, and yet we know by apostolic doctrine that these deeds were shadows of future things. Therefore, we believe that the deeds are to be spiritually investigated, yet we cannot deny that they happened. Let no one say: "It is indeed written that water was turned into blood in the plague of the Egyptians, but it signifies something, for it could not really happen." He who says this seeks the will of God while offending the power of God. What indeed? If it could signify something by being spoken, could it not also signify by being done? Or is it not that Isaac or Ishmael were born? They were born, they were men, and they were born of Abraham, one from a slave woman, the other from a free woman. Although they were men and were born, they still prefigured two Testaments, the Old and the New. Thus, we must first search for meanings based on the solid reality of accomplished deeds, lest we appear to want to build in the air if we take away the foundation. Therefore, I believe that all who disregard and do not observe the ten commandments of the law suffer spiritually what the Egyptians suffered corporally. Until I explain this proposal with the help of the Lord, I want you to be attentive and praying for us, so that we may speak things useful to you. For as far as we are concerned, perhaps we contemplate; but what we speak, we serve you.
The sign of the rod turned into a serpent
Therefore, first accept this, so that you are not mistaken in counting, that what was first done as a sign, namely, that the rod was turned into a serpent, does not pertain to these ten plagues. For it was an introduction to Pharaoh, by which Moses was commended to lead the people of God out of Egypt. However, those who were stubborn had not yet been struck, but were already terrified by a divine sign. Neither is there now a need, nor is there a purpose, to say anything about the rod itself being turned into a serpent. Nevertheless, because we made mention of it out of necessity so that no one would err in counting, and there should not remain in anyone's mind a scruple about something not understood, we briefly say that the rod signifies the kingdom of God, and indeed the kingdom is the people of God; but the serpent signifies this time of mortality: for death was offered by the serpent. Therefore, as if falling from the hand of the Lord to the earth, they were made mortal. Hence, when the rod was cast from the hand of Moses, it was turned into a serpent. The magicians of Pharaoh likewise did the same: their rods being cast down were turned into serpents. But first the serpent of Moses, that is, the rod of Moses, devoured all the serpents of the magicians. Then at last, being seized by the tail, it was once again made a rod, and the kingdom returned to the hand. For the rods of the magicians are the peoples of the impious. Yet these peoples of the impious, conquered in the name of Christ, when transferred into His body, are as if devoured by the serpent of Moses, until the kingdom of God returns to the hand of God, but at the end of this mortal age, which is signified by the serpent's tail. A great sign: let it be, let it be. You have heard what you ought to desire; hear what you ought to avoid.
The first commandment, the first plague.
The first commandment in the law is about worshiping one God: "You shall have no other gods before me," it says. The first plague of the Egyptians was the water turned into blood. Compare the first commandment to the first plague. Understand the one God, from whom all things are, in the likeness of water, from which all things are generated. To what does blood pertain, except to mortal flesh? What then is the conversion of water into blood, except that their foolish hearts were darkened? For professing to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of the image of corruptible man; the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of the image of corruptible man, and of birds and four-footed animals and reptiles. The glory of the incorruptible God, from whom all things are, is like water; the likeness of the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and reptiles, is like blood. And this indeed happens in the heart of the impious, for God remains unchangeable: nor because the Apostle also said, "They exchanged," did God therefore change.
The second commandment, the second plague.
The second commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for whoever takes the name of the Lord their God in vain shall not be cleansed. The name of the Lord our God Jesus Christ is truth: for he himself said: I am the truth. Therefore truth cleanses, vanity defiles. And since he who speaks truth speaks of God—for whoever speaks falsehood speaks of himself—speaking truth is speaking rationally; but speaking vanity is more like making noise than speaking. Rightly, because the second commandment is the love of truth, to which the love of vanity is opposed. Now truth speaks, vanity makes noise. See the second plague opposed to this second commandment. What is that second plague? The abundance of frogs. You have a fitting symbol of vanity, if you consider the loquacity of frogs. See the lovers of truth, not taking the name of the Lord their God in vain, speaking wisdom among the perfect, even among the imperfect: not indeed speaking what they cannot grasp, yet not departing from truth, and not proceeding into vanity. For although the imperfect cannot grasp if something somewhat higher were argued about the Word of God, God with God, through whom all things were made, and could grasp what Paul speaks among them as infants in Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus, and him crucified; still, that is not truth, and this is not vanity. It would be vanity, however, if we said that Christ did not truly die, but feigned it, that those wounds were in appearance, that the blood was not real but simulated flowing from the wounds, if we said he showed false scars as if after false wounds. But when we say all these things are true, we say they were done, certain, expressed, fulfilled, we believe and preach, even though we do not speak of that lofty and immutable truth, we do not go into vanity. But those who say all those things in Christ are false and simulated are croaking frogs in a muddy swamp. They can have the noise of a voice, but they cannot insinuate the doctrine of wisdom. Finally, in the Church, those adhering to the truth speak the truth through whom all things were made: the truth, the Word made flesh and dwelling among us: the truth, Christ born of God, one from the one, the only begotten and coeternal; the truth, having taken the form of a servant born of the virgin Mary, suffered, crucified, rising, ascending; everywhere truth, both which a little one can grasp and which a little one cannot grasp; truth both in bread and milk, in the bread of the great, in the milk of the little ones. Indeed, the same bread is conveyed to become milk through flesh. But they who contradict this truth and deceived by their own vanity deceive, are frogs bringing tedium to the ears, not food to the minds. Hear rationally speaking men: There are neither words nor speech where their voices are not heard; but their voices are not empty because their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But if you want to understand frogs and their opposition, recall that verse of the psalm: Each one spoke vanity to his neighbor.
The third commandment, the third plague
The third commandment: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. In this third commandment, a certain indication of rest is insinuated, a tranquility of heart, a peace of mind, which a good conscience produces. There is sanctification there, because there is the Spirit of God. Finally, observe rest, that is, quiet: Upon whom, he says, does my Spirit rest? Upon the humble and quiet and those who tremble at my words. Thus, the restless recoil from the Holy Spirit, lovers of quarrels, sowers of slanders, more desirous of contention than of truth, through their own restlessness do not admit the peace of the spiritual Sabbath to themselves. Against the restlessness of these it is said, as though they should have the Sabbath in their hearts by the sanctification of the Spirit of God: Be meek in hearing the word, that you may understand. What am I to understand? God saying: "Cease from your restlessness; let there not be a tumult in your heart caused by the phantasms fluttering through corruption and stabbing you; let it not be so." For you are to understand God saying to you: Be still, and know that I am God. You do not wish to be still through your restlessness, and blinded by the corruption of your contentions, you demand to see what you cannot. For notice the opposite third plague to this third commandment: gnats were born in the land of Egypt from the mud. They are certain very tiny, very restless flies, flying disorderly, rushing into one's eyes, not permitting a person to rest, as they go and rush around, as if banished yet returning, just like the utterly vain phantasms of contentious hearts. Hold fast to the commandment, beware the plague.
The fourth commandment, the fourth plague.
The fourth commandment is: Honor your father and your mother. The contrary to this is the fourth plague of the Egyptians. Cynomya, it is the dog fly: it is a Greek term. It is dog-like not to recognize parents; nothing is so dog-like, as when those who begot are not recognized. Rightly, therefore, even the puppies of dogs are born blind.
The fifth commandment, the fifth plague.
The fifth commandment is: Thou shalt not commit adultery; the fifth plague is the death of the Egyptian livestock. Let us compare. Take an adulterous man, not content with his own marriage. He does not want to tame a certain desire of the flesh within himself, which is common to us and the animals. For indeed, to lie together and procreate is also of the animals; to reason, to understand is of humans. Therefore, reason, which presides in the mind, ought to reign and dominate, to curb the impulses of the lower flesh, not to release them indiscriminately and illicitly at random. And so, by the institution of the Creator, it is given to the animals by nature that they are not moved to females and to mating except at certain times. For neither does the beast restrain itself by reason at other times, but altogether cools down when the very impulse grows cold. However, man can always be moved, for he can also curb the impulse. The Creator gave you the dominion of reason. To you, He has granted the reins of continence as if they were on lower beasts. You hold what the beast cannot, and thus you hope for what the beast cannot. You labor somewhat in maintaining continence, the beast does not labor. But you will always rejoice in eternity, which the beast does not reach. If the work fatigues, let the reward encourage you. For it is moderation itself to curb the inner desire, and not to release what you have in common with the beast indiscriminately like a beast. But if you disdain yourself within yourself, and neglect the image of God in which He made you, overcome by beastly desire, you will be a beast as if you had lost your humanity; not as though you are turned into the nature of a beast but having the form of a man with the likeness of a beast, who does not heed the saying: Do not be like a horse and a mule, which have no understanding. And perhaps you choose to be a beast and wander freely in lust, not restraining the desire of the flesh by any law of continence? Observe the plague. If you do not fear being like a beast, at least fear dying like a beast.
The sixth commandment, the sixth plague.
The sixth commandment: You shall not kill. The sixth plague, boils on the body, and blisters bubbling and bursting, and burnings of wounds from the ashes of the furnace. Such are murderous souls. They burn with anger, because through the anger of murder brotherhood has perished. Men burn with rage, and they also burn with grace. But one is the fervor of health, another the fervor of an ulcer. Burning pimples throughout the body conceived murders. It bursts forth, and is not healthy. It boils, but not from the Spirit of God. For both he who wants to help boils with fervor, and he who wants to kill boils with fervor; the former by precept, the latter by disease; the former with good works, the latter with ulcerous sores. If we could see the souls of murderers, we would mourn more than for the rotting bodies of those afflicted with ulcers.
The seventh commandment, the seventh plague.