Where the Lord would not be with us.
That this psalm was written by David proves firstly the fervor of faith in theology, secondly the peculiarity in grammar. For these are the two main pieces that he has before others who have written psalms. But this psalm is a thanksgiving for the gift and mercy of God, that he preserves the kingdom and the priesthood, or, to put it more clearly, the whole nation of Israel. For, as you know, and Moses says to the people (Deut. 7, 2) 17, it was not because they outnumbered all the Gentiles that the Lord joined them, since they were fewer than all the nations, but because the Lord had chosen them and kept the oath he had sworn to their fathers. But the histories testify, and it can be sufficiently shown from the description of the holy land, that this people was situated in the midst of the Gentiles like a flock of sheep in a completely desolate forest. For all around were the kings of Syria, Egypt, the Ammonites, the Ishmaelites, the Moabites, etc., who all with one accord persecuted them with the utmost hatred, Satan stirring up hatred with the intention that he might wish to destroy the service of God and
2) Erlanger: "DkM. 7.
to suppress the word of God. Even though the people of Israel were numerous, compared to the neighboring peoples, they were like one city compared to a very large kingdom. David sees this danger and thanks God for preserving his people against the fury of so many lions and dragons that, although they hate it with the bitterest hatred and all unanimously desire that it be destroyed and uprooted, they undertake this in vain. But it is truly a great miracle, if one considers this rightly, that this people could have remained, since so many devils raged against it; but since the thing itself is gone, and one reads this only written in books, it seems to be only a small thing and does not move the hearts much.
So the summa of the psalm is that it exhorts his own to thanksgiving and praise to the Lord their God, who sustains, defends and saves this little people against the persecution and violence of so many nations and kingdoms around, who hate and persecute it. It is also rightly sung by us, not only against our adversaries who publicly hate and persecute the Word, but also against the evil spirits. For we
1856 L. XIX, 272-274, Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 124. W. IV, 2537-2540. 1857
know from the Gospel [Matth. 12, 43. ff.] that seven evil spirits are now chasing us, while before we were threatened by only one. These do not cease to stir up the whole world against us, as the second Psalm, v. 1. f., says, so that there is almost no person in authority, however small (contemtus), who does not publicly show that he is hostile to the Gospel. But, as I have said, it would be tolerable if we had only the world for enemies, and not also the devil with all his angels and the gates of hell raging against us. But even that is not enough trouble and danger, there is even a third enemy, which is in us, which we carry around with us everywhere, nourish and even hold tenderly, namely the exceedingly holy mistress, the flesh, the old whore, which plagues us with sins over and over again, takes away our peace, fights against the faith, finally fights against the spirit in our members.
Since the church must endure these dangers, let us also sing this psalm to the praise of Christ, so that he will continue to protect us, his members, from all these enemies. For it would be extreme ingratitude if we did not recognize this miracle, that the church continues to exist, that there are people who teach, confess and believe in Christ, no matter how much Satan rages, how much the world and false brothers persecute, how much our flesh, like a wild beast, resists the word and the faith. This is the good deed that David praises here, and he wishes that his own people would also learn to recognize this and give thanks for it. Therefore he speaks:
V.1-3. If the Lord were not with us, say Israel, if the Lord were not with us, when men set themselves against us, they devour us alive, when their wrath is kindled against us.
Here you see immediately in the entrance how he addresses the people and admonishes them that they should sing these words with one accord and recognize this miracle and praise and thank God for having preserved this kingdom so wonderfully. But it is not only a teaching that they should do so, but also a wish and prayer in which he asks and wishes.
that they would do this, and it is true that this prayer or affectus indicates that Israel is of such a nature that it lets David sing what he likes, but that it itself completely reverses this song and does not ascribe these benefits to the Lord, its God, but to the kings of Egypt, Syria, its covenant partners, the Edomites" etc., and that it says: If the king of Egypt were not with us, if the king of Syria were not with us, then our enemies would have devoured us alive. For it is known from the histories how much they always trusted in the help of the heathen and the neighboring kings.
Therefore this word of David is a word of faith, by which he insists on the first commandment, and endeavors to instruct his people by experience to practice the first commandment, that he teaches them that they are not indebted to their sword, not to their bow, not to their walls, not to their confederates, that they live, breathe, are safe and secure, and enjoy peace, but to the Lord alone. The flesh does not believe this, therefore it perverts this song to this day, and sings it in other words, as our people also prove by deed. These fortifications and ramparts with which they surround this city, what else do they say but that foolish men rely on this protection and think that they are strong enough to defend us by them against the power of the enemy? But if the divine protection of which David sings were not there, One Hour would teach that these fortifications could not withstand even the attack of a fly. For though fortifications, bulwarks, swords, implements of war are there, which we can use against the enemy, yet the word of the Lord teaches that chariots and horses cannot help [Ps. 20:8], that bows and swords, that someone's legs and the strength of horses cannot save [Ps. 44, 7. 33, 17. 147, 10.], but, as David says (who also had the kingdom, who struck down Goliath, who killed the bear and the lion) 1 Sam. 17, 37.: "The Lord, who delivered me from the lion and the bear, he also will deliver me from this Philistine," likewise, as
he says here: "Where the Lord would not be with us" etc.
Now if the Lord makes use of our weapons and swords, yes, if he governs and guides them, then they are happy; if he does not guide them, then they are also harmful. This was also recognized by the pagans, who had nothing but confidence in their own wisdom and powers, and yet they realized that neither wisdom nor powers could do anything in themselves. Therefore they attributed everything to fate, which they said was the deciding factor in war, and in the choice of a war leader (imperatore) they did not pay so much attention to his prudence (industriae) and bravery as to fate and luck. Thus, instructed by experience, they had the matter, but they did not recognize the cause, which is shown to us by the holy Scriptures, which say that it is God who gives victory to kings [Ps. 144, 10.], as David also testifies here that it is only the good pleasure of the Lord that this people, which was oppressed in so many ways, could not even be oppressed, but was victorious. If he does not give the victory, then the weapons are in vain; if he gives it, then everything is also in vain, which the world only always undertakes with weapons and all violence against it. In this way he goes back to the first commandment and excludes everything that is not God, namely armies, swords, weapons, fortifications, wise, prudent, brave people, money, which is called the main thing (nervous) in war, and says that all these together could not have preserved this people, but that the Lord had saved it.
We too must learn this, so that we know on what protection we can rely in truth and certainty. We want to let others who sing a different song enjoy their hope until they learn and experience that it is in vain. As the pope sings: If not the King of France were with us etc. So sing our bishops: If Duke George were not with us etc. For it is these in whose wealth, power and weapons the godless people trust. May they therefore sing as long as it pleases them, at last it will happen that their voices
and the song they started so high turns into a hoarse braying of donkeys. We are indeed few and despised, whereas they are glorious, many, rich and great, but we will prevail and remain unconquered by God's goodness, if only we have the Lord with us and do not rely on human protection, but on the help of the Lord. For it is impossible that he who believes should be forsaken. Thus David inculcates the first commandment in this little verse.
Now this is a great synecdoche in the word "Israel". For the greater part of the people sang as I have already said, as our papists sing: If it were not for the king of Egypt, if it were not for the king of Syria with us; but to God, who is the right and only protector, they did not attach this praise, that he should protect. For this is not done by all Israel, but by the seven thousand whom the Lord had left [1 Kings 19:18], the rest of the multitude attributing it to wealth, power, effort, and the strength of men. Therefore David exhorts and repeats, "Where the Lord would not be with us, say Israel." But what would be the use of this repeated admonition if all of them freely recognized this good deed of God, and if it was not the greater part who thought that there were other causes of this good deed?
But here David shows that he is also an orator. As a dialectician he said that one should thank God for the preservation and defense of this kingdom, now as a rhetor he makes this danger great, since he says: "Men set themselves against us." For there is an emphasis on the word: "men," as if he wanted to say: We Jews are, as it were, the lowest scum of the earth and the least of men. But men stand up against us, that is, kings, princes, rich men, wise men, and all that is mighty and great in this world; all these are enemies to us, and hate us in a most tremendous manner: they set themselves against us in such a way that they seek to destroy and oppress us utterly. For if you turn to the east or to the west, to the north or to the south, and see how many and how great kingdoms surround us, all of them of deadly
1860 L. XIX, 276-278. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 124. W. IV, 2543-2546. 1861
If our enemies are inflamed with hatred against us, we are rightly considered like a sheep around which a hundred wolves are standing, seeking at every moment to pounce on it and devour it. Now that we are unharmed and the efforts of our enemies are in vain, recognize, O Israel, that it is God's good pleasure who defends and preserves so small an army by such a glorious miracle.
In this way, we too must confess, if we consider the wonderful divine government in ourselves today, that the power of the devil is so great that one of his angels could kill all of us who teach and confess Christ in an instant and involve the whole world in bloodshed. Now it is obvious that there are many princes whose whole aim is to oppress us. These are incited and assisted by the godless mob of the pope, the popes, the bishops, the monks etc. What else can we say that it is that keeps us and defends us against this so great power, than that the Lord has closed his hand upon us very firmly, which stands firm like a brazen wall, and catches and averts the mighty arrows of the world and of Satan, with which we are attacked at every moment. That we thus live, that we still teach the Word of God, that you hear it, that there is a place in the churches where we baptize, that there are church ministers who administer the sacraments and govern the churches with the Word, of all this it is certain that the devil cannot stand it. Therefore, he sets the gates of hell in motion and yet has to suffer it because of the power of our King Christ, who sits at the right hand of God. This could not be defended and maintained in any way by human forces. That the devil's efforts sometimes succeed in confusing the churches, killing the teachers, and doing other such things, happens so that God may show us what Satan could do at any moment if he were not resisted by divine power; namely, so that we may walk in the fear of God and, recognizing with David that this is God's good pleasure, constantly ask God for it.
Therefore, we are to learn to sing with David:
"If the Lord were not with us, when men set themselves against us, they would devour us. For it is not strength, not riches, not wisdom, not our righteousness that sustains us, but the strength and power of Almighty God, which is held up to us in the first commandment, so that we may put all our trust in God, but despair of ourselves and our strength, and turn to a more certain and better power, which is in the power of God. For when we feel that we are weak, we must not despair for that reason, but look to Christ and have hope, because Christ is almighty, as He comforts us in the Gospel of St. John [Cap. 16, 33], when He says: "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world," that is, do not look to yourselves to see if you can overcome the world, but look to Me, and hold that My victory is your victory. So in temptations, when we are plagued by the devil, we should have good confidence for this reason, because Christ says: "I give them eternal life, and no one will snatch them out of my hand," John 10:28.
In the meantime, however, we must not omit or neglect what is our duty in the church; we must hold fast to the hope of divine help, and yet we must assist the church as much as we can with teaching, exhorting, comforting and praying. So the secular authorities should hold on to the hope of divine help, and yet not refrain from fortifying weak places and appointing guards at night and closing the gates. Thus a householder should not lack work and diligence in any respect, and yet he should be so minded as another Psalm commands [Ps. 127:1]: "Where the Lord buildeth not the house, they labor in vain that build it." For these are not only permitted, but also commanded means by which he will preserve the stewardship, the world government, and the church. But where these means are too weak to be able to withstand the dangers, God tends rather to prove His power by a miracle than to leave those who trust in Him. Thus, in the Church, God's power is before our eyes, which He exercises through godly shepherds who, through right teaching
aversions. This means is in itself too weak to be able to completely eliminate the aversions, therefore, after His visible power, God also shows His invisible power, so that Arius is subdued by a sudden accident, Cerinthus is immersed in a bath, still others perish in other ways, by which God shows His Church that He disapproves of ungodly teachings.
In this way, David depicts in this passage the danger of the church and the godly, that the whole world sets itself against them, and not only that, but also has a raging anger, so that you can see that with the ability to do harm is also the will, the desire and the zeal to harm. So everything is full of danger on all sides: Satan walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, the princes of the world rebel and have a raging anger, and in addition there are terrible sins in our flesh and conscience. That we therefore do not at every moment either fall into despair or perish in some other way, is because He who is in us is greater than our heart [1 John 3:20] and the whole world, as David confesses: "If the Lord were not with us, our enemies would devour us alive." Now he adds a glorious similitude by which he further emphasizes the greatness of the danger and the power of the wicked.
V. 4. 5. So water drowned us, streams went over our souls; waters went all over our souls.
It is a well-known, but extremely puzzling and significant simile. The appearance of a conflagration raging is terrifying, but even more terrifying is a river that flows out and rushes impetuously, for it cannot be mastered by any force, by any power. Just as, he says, a river rushes with great impetuosity and sweeps away and destroys everything in its path, so is the raging of the enemies of the church; it cannot be contained by human strength. Therefore, we should learn to use the protection and help of the Lord. For what else is the church
than a little ship tied to the shore, which is swept away by the violence of the water? or a shrub hanging on the shore, which the flood plucks up without any effort? Such was the nature of the people of Israel in David's time in comparison with the neighboring peoples. Such is the church today in comparison with its adversaries. So is every one compared to the power of the wicked spirit; we are like a little shrub which has sprung up by chance and has very little firm hold; but he is like the Elbe which comes out of its banks and with great impetuosity throws down everything far and wide. We are like a scrawny leaf hanging loosely from a tree; he is like a fierce north wind that uproots even the trees with great force and throws them down. How can we preserve or protect ourselves here with our strength?
Therefore, we must learn to throw ourselves on the word with faith, for our victory is nothing other than faith. For even though fortifications and weapons have their place, there is no protection in them if there is no confidence in God, which the first commandment holds out to us. For there we are shown that God wants to be our God. But we know that God has such power that nothing matters whether a strong wind or the great force of a river attacks a hut, however small, that lies in an open field. This should be our confidence and the epitome of our help, that God is our defender, so that the rivers and torrents do not take us away. The wicked do not know and do not believe in this defense and preservation, for they attribute everything to their strength, counsel and wealth. But Solomon was also a king who was well equipped in this protection, as the Scriptures gloriously praise his wisdom and wealth, but nevertheless he sings: "Where the Lord does not build the house, those who build it labor in vain. Where the Lord does not keep the city, the watchman watches in vain." What we have translated, "waters too high," in Hebrew means proud, swelling, impetuous waters that cannot be borne.
Up to this point David has instructed his own and at the same time exhorted them to give thanks. For he has taught us who our sustainer is, and
1864 L- 281-283, Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 124. w. iv, 2549-2551. 1865
Wherever we have to flee in danger, to whom it may be ascribed that we live, that we sleep safely, that we have healthy eyes, ears, hands, and that we have wife, children and other things which the Lord has given us, so that of course we have to write this verse over everything: "Where the Lord would not be with us. For it is not in our counsel or in our strength that we are safe together with what is ours, but it is the power of Almighty God that makes us able to stand in the midst of the floods of proud waters, as the example of our experience suggests that we may rightly sing this verse with David.
The Roman Pope Clement had set all the seas in motion, as if he wanted to swallow up all the churches with one breath; the devil, too, had done his utmost and sent many thousands of devils to Augsburg to incite the princes to oppress us. So there were floods of water there, but the Lord of the pope and the devil wanted their ungodly thoughts to be in vain and prevented it from happening. Thus we have been preserved by a manifest miracle beyond the ordinary, but our adversaries, as the seventh Psalm, v. 15, says, have born a fault. This is our experience, which we saw in the previous year. That we now have ours in peace after these attacks and undertakings of the wicked, that we still teach the gospel today, and the devil must be silent and the world must be still, all this happens through the beneficence of the Lord, not through our wisdom and power. Therefore we rightly sing with David: If the Lord had not been with us when men sat down against us at Augsburg, they would surely have devoured us alive. For it is not hidden how cruel counsels the bloodthirsty and false bishops had taken. Now these are the common miracles that no one sees but David and those who have the right knowledge of the first commandment, in which God says that he wants to be our God and defender, who wants to show mercy to many thousands who love him. Now follows the thanksgiving.
V. 6. Praise be to the Lord that he does not give us into their teeth to rob.
Here he does not admonish, as above, when he said: "So say Israel", but gives thanks for the benefits, for the defense and preservation, which he has thought of until now. Furthermore, the verbum (dat) is correctly read in the present tense, not in the past tense (dedit), as the Latin translation has it, in order to indicate the constant perseverance with which the guardian of the church watches without ceasing, so that we may be safe and secure from the persecutions of the devils and the godless people, who, like a hungry lion, seek predation at every moment and desire to tear apart and devour the church. The carnal Israel does not see these dangers, but lives securely and never thinks of the enemy, as the great crowd almost always does, especially when wealth and power are added. Then the people think that they live among the roses, do not give thanks to God for this protection and other gifts with which they are showered, but think that this happens out of a kind of natural necessity, so that they can enjoy peace and increase their goods; but for the sake of the elect, the wicked enjoy such great benefits. Afterwards, when either a pestilence or a war breaks out, and Satan is given the power to rage against people, only then will they learn to realize that they have been preserved and protected by God's power until now. Therefore, we should be careful not to disregard the benefits of God in such certainty, but sing with David and give thanks to the Lord our God, who is with us and prevents the hungry lions that have sharpened their teeth to devour us from harming us. Without this divine protection, there is no way in which one could resist Satan and his members, even for a moment.
V. 7. Our soul has escaped like a bird from the bailiff's rope, the rope is broken, and we are free.
Although, as I have said above, here are preterites, it is nevertheless rightly understood from the stopping of the dangers that the devil
persecutes us without ceasing, and prepares stalkings from which we escape by the grace of God, like a bird that is already caught in a torn net. For the devil is so close on our heels that it seems as if he already wants to seize us, and yet we escape through the help of the Lord, even though we seem to be caught already. But here I must remind you to pay attention to the peculiar way in which the Holy Spirit, as the very best painter, paints the adversaries of the Word. He has already expressed the greatness of the danger above sufficiently, since he compared the anger and the raging of these people to the flowing waters that rush along with great force and impetuosity, not only for the sake of showing what the adversaries intend, but also so that he reminds us of ourselves that there is not so much strength in people that they could bear it, or that they could not be so strong, that they could endure this, or that we could defend ourselves with human strength against such a great host, namely, so that in such dangers we would not only forget the human protection that seems to be available 1) but also completely despair of it, and only base ourselves on what he said in the beginning: "Where the Lord would not be with us." But here, as it seems, he paints not only the danger, but also the authors of the dangers themselves, that is, the enemies of the Word and the adversaries of Christ. First of all, he compares them to wild animals that seize their prey with their mouths or teeth. For before other wild beasts, those that tear with their teeth are more cruel, fierce and savage, like wolves and lions, especially when they are also provoked by hunger. Therefore the Holy Spirit indicates that in the opponents of the Word there is a special fearfulness, ferocity, cruelty, rage, which cannot be satisfied unless the confessors of the Word are torn to pieces and killed, just as a hungry wolf that comes among the sheep is not satisfied because it has killed and torn the sheep. This is the first part of this painting, how
1) In the original edition: npxom, which has been changed in the editions to opponi, which seems unnecessary to us.
for Scripture everywhere calls them without image bloodthirsty, cruel people, quick to shed blood, and all the histories of the people of Israel and of the church among the Gentiles testify to the same.
But the opponents of the word do not show this so wild, merciless and cruel heart, but cover and adorn it with the hypocritical pretense that they are endeavoring to seek harmony, to heal the discord, as this other parable of the birdcage shows most beautifully. A birdcaster does everything fraudulently that he can: he scatters food in front, he has a number of little birds that surely sing as if it were well with them, even the birdcaster himself whistles something, so that, if one looks at the appearance, everything is arranged in the friendliest way. But who does not know what great danger is caused to the poor little birds by these hypocritical services? For the ropes are hidden. But even if they were in plain sight, they would not have the frightening appearance of drawn swords or the bared teeth of wolves. But why is all this done by the birdman? Is it not so that he can wring the necks of the captured birds and strangle them? Thus this picture shows in the finest way the cunning, the slyness, the deceitfulness and treachery with which the adversaries of the word cover their rage and their cruelty, while in fact they intend nothing else than to catch and kill us.
Such a diabolical fowling they practice over and over again, and with the highest cruelty they combine the utmost cunning, as they have shown by obvious examples. I say nothing about the Edict of Worms, but I have already mentioned the Diet of Augsburg. There, the devil's bird-catchers, the pope and the bishops, who were, as it were, engaged in bird-catching, had Carl, the noble and peace-loving heart, come to Augsburg as a night owl suitable for their bird-catching, not out of zeal for harmony, as they pretended, but so that, if they were to join them, they would suppress the rest of us, as they dismissed the rest of us with this final answer: they would not only pool their power and goods, but also their blood,
to suppress our doctrine. There, finally, the treachery and cruelty of these fowlers of the devil became evident, but they were countered by the mildness and kindness of the very good emperor, in that God thus broke the rope and freed us. So this experience of ours and the exceedingly puffing pictures of the Holy Spirit, with which he depicts the adversaries, agree with each other that they are not only cruel, but also cunning, and that there can be no other protection against them than that the Lord breaks the rope and rescues the godly, according to the words: "Where the Lord would not be with us.
Furthermore, such dangers and salvations are also perceived in private life. How often it happens that those are preserved who already seem to be overwhelmed by death! How often do such people emerge from the water, for whom there was no hope! How often does it happen that people who take a dangerous fall are not injured? We rightly attribute this to the protection of the good angels, by which they protect us from Satan's persecutions by God's command. For we are preserved without our counsel, even when all our strength and all our counsel force us to despair. These are private matters, but they are nevertheless signs of public comfort, which David remembers here, that God is there and sustains when it seems that we are already perishing. Thus it is said in Ps. 94, 17: "If the Lord did not help me, my soul would almost lie in silence." For this is what we experience in those who are weighed down in spirit by sadness; when they already seem to despair, comfort shines upon them, as it were, at the last moment etc.
So now our life is exposed to the snares of the devil, and we are like the foolish little birds to whom Satan sets nets, not only that he may take our life, but that he may plunge us into sin and entangle us in other misfortunes. If he can kill, he does it; if he cannot, he at least causes us to fall through danger. For he is the father of lies and a murderer. That we therefore are not deceived, but are protected from lies and sins and live safely, all this is God's gift.
For this reason it sometimes happens that Satan works out what he wants and does harm either to the bodies or to the souls, so that God may remind us of such dangers and awaken us to faith and prayer, so that we may implore His help against these endless and innumerable snares and, when we are saved, give thanks to Him.
V. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
This is the conclusion of the thanksgiving, which contains the glorious teaching that against sin, death and other dangers there is no help but the name of the Lord. If it were not for this, he says, we would fall into all kinds of sins, blasphemies, errors, even into all dangers. But our help is in the name of the Lord, who protects us against these things and preserves our faith and life against the devil and the world. Like the previous verse, this verse also proves that God allows His saints to be challenged and in the challenge, as it were in the water, to get into danger in such a way that it seems as if we would have to sink. But he comforts us that he will finally not abandon his own, so that we may learn from this as an example of the divine will and seek salvation in the Lord, who therefore tests his own in the furnace of Egypt, so that he may kill the old man with his confidence and the trust he has in his righteousness and his powers.
All these experiences belong here. For it will never happen that someone becomes a Christian through his thinking (speculative) and his teaching; the practice is necessary, that is, the cross, which must destroy the flesh, so that man despairs of its help and throws himself on the divine help and awaits it in patience and hope. For this is the will of God, and it does not take place that we imagine another God than the one who wants to help the weary and those who are burdened with despair and other misfortunes. To know this teaching is a part of this victory. For those who do not know it will immediately, when temptation comes, do just what the devil seeks and desires, that they either despair or
seek other help. Therefore, we are to learn from this Psalm that God deals with his saints in such a way that he exercises them and lets the waters fall upon them, likewise that he allows ropes and ambushes to be laid, and makes every effort, not to destroy us, but to show us himself and teach us to hope for his salvation. But good for him who recognizes these things in this way. For the flesh looks at the power and the multitude of the adversaries and its abandonment and weakness; but that it should hope in God and expect His help, it does not.
Therefore, this command is necessary: "My help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. This is a short word, but it presents us with a very important teaching and comfort, of which we are in great need, especially in these last times. For we see with what fury the pope and most of the princes persecute the teaching of the Gospel. Dear, what are we against this great mass of the world? Yes, even if there were no power of men to fear, what are we to do against so many devils and the gates of hell? And yet, even if we are seized and oppressed, we experience that we are not abandoned to the utmost, but are safe in trusting in the help that is in the hand of the Lord. But it is impossible for us to attain to this wisdom without constant tribulations, by which confidence in carnal protection must be destroyed. "For affliction teaches to take heed to the word," as Isaiah says [Cap. 28:19], that we cry out: O Lord, it is
come to our aid! So in the last hour, when death comes, neither the emperor's nor the kings' wealth and power, neither righteousness nor anything else can calm the heart, but only in this help of the Lord's hand can one find right and safe rest. Those who then say, "My help is in the name of the Lord," die blessedly and are out of danger. Thus this Psalm belongs to the first commandment, that we should learn what it is to have a God, namely to come to rest in trusting in the mercy and help of God in all dangers.
So these are words of a victorious and triumphant faith: "My help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth", as if he wanted to say: My God and my helper is he who made heaven and earth. You, my adversaries, show me one who is like this God! What then are your cords against this God? what the threats, the power, the counsels etc.? Thus he opposes the greatness of the dangers, the floods and inundations of the temptations with this eternal God and devours, as it were, with one breath the whole raging of the whole world and of hell, as a drop of water is consumed by a great conflagration. And indeed, what is the world with all its power, weapons and riches, when you look at Him who made heaven and earth? Therefore may it rage and be unwilling, if only this help remains for us; even if we have to bear and endure something, we will finally retain the victory. Amen.