The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^11. Call ye to mind from whence he came to this: “one He humbles, and another He exalts.” That which was figured to us in the Gospel through two men, a Pharisee and a Publican, this let us, taking in a wider sense, understand of two peoples, of Jews and of Gentiles: the people of the Jews that Pharisee was, the people of the Gentiles that Publican....As those by being proud have withdrawn, so these by confessing have drawn near. The cup therefore full of pure wine in the hand of the Lord, as far as the Lord gives me to understand,...the cup of pure wine full of the mixed, seems to me to be the Law, which was given to the Jews, and all that Scripture of the Old Testament, as it is called; there are the weights of all manner of sentences. For therein the New Testament lies concealed, as though in the dreg of corporal Sacraments. The circumcision of the flesh is a thing of great mystery, and there is understood from thence the circumcision of the heart. The Temple of Jerusalem is a thing of great mystery, and there is understood from it the Body of the Lord. The land of promise is understood to be the Kingdom of Heaven. The sacrifice of victims and of beasts has a great mystery: but in all those kinds of sacrifices is understood that one Sacrifice and only victim of the Cross, the Lord, instead of all which sacrifices we have one; because even those figured these, that is, with those these were figured. That people received the Law, they received commandments just and good. What is so just as, you shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not speak false testimony, honour your father and mother, you shall not covet the property of your neighbour, one God you shall adore, and Him alone you shall serve, all these things belong to the wine. But those things carnal have as it were sunk down in order that they might remain with them, and there might be poured forth from thence all the spiritual understanding. But “the cup in the hand of the Lord,” that is, in the power of the Lord: “of pure wine,” that is, of the mere Law: “is full of mixed,” that is, is together with the dreg of corporal Sacraments. And because the one He humbles, the proud Jew, and the other He exalts, the confessing Gentile; “He has inclined from this unto this,” that is, from the Jewish people unto the Gentile people. Hath inclined what? The Law. There has distilled from thence a spiritual sense. “Nevertheless, the dreg thereof has not been emptied,” for all the carnal Sacraments have remained with the Jews. “There shall drink all the sinners of the earth.” Who shall drink? “All the sinners of the earth.” Who are the sinners of the earth? The Jews were indeed sinners, but proud: again, the Gentiles were sinners, but humble. All sinners shall drink, but see, who the dreg, who the wine. For those by drinking the dreg have come to nought: these by drinking the wine have been justified. I would dare to speak of them even as inebriated, and I shall not fear: and O that all you were thus inebriated. Call to mind, “Your cup inebriating, how passing beautiful!” But why? Do ye think, my brethren, that all those who by confessing Christ even willed to die, were sober? So drunk they were, that they knew not their friends. All their kindred, who strove to divert them from the hope of Heavenly rewards by earthly allurements, were not acknowledged, were not heard by them drunken. Were they not drunken, whose heart had been changed? Were they not drunken, whose mind had been alienated from this world? “There shall drink,” he says, “all the sinners of the earth.” But who shall drink the wine? Sinners shall drink, but in order that they may not remain sinners; in order that they may be justified, in order that they may not be punished.

12. “But I,” for all drink, but separately I, that is, Christ with His Body, “for ever will rejoice, I will Psalm to the God of Jacob”: in that promise to be at the end, whereof is said, “corrupt not.” “And all the horns of sinners I will break, and there shall be exalted the horns of the Just”. This is, the one He humbles, the other He exalts. Sinners would not have their horns to be broken, which without doubt will be broken at the end. You will not have Him then break them, do thou today break them. For you have heard above, do not despise it: “I have said to unjust men, Do not unjustly, and to the delinquents, Do not exalt the horn.” When you have heard, do not exalt the horn, you have despised and hast exalted the horn: you shall come to the end, where there shall come to pass, “All the horns of sinners I will break, and there shall be exalted the horns of the Just.” The horns of sinners are the dignities of proud men: the horns of the Just are the gifts of Christ. For by horns exultations are understood. You hate on earth earthly exultation, in order that you may have the heavenly. You love the earthly, He does not admit you to the Heavenly: and unto confusion will belong your horn which is broken, just as unto glory it will belong, if your horn is exalted. Now therefore there is time for making choice, then there will not be. You will not say, I will be let go and will make choice. For there have preceded the words, “I have said to the unjust.” If I have not said, make ready an excuse, make ready a defence: but if I have said, seize first upon confession, lest you come unto damnation; for then confession will be too late, and there will be no defence.