From the depths.
We also count this psalm among those that are particularly outstanding. For it deals with the most important doctrine for our salvation, namely justification, the pure knowledge of which alone sustains the church, for it is the knowledge of truth and life. On the other hand, if this knowledge of justification is lost, Christ and life and the church are lost at the same time, and no judgment remains, neither about doctrine nor about the spirits, but darkness and blindness take over everything. Therefore, in order to give this light to our descendants to the best of our ability, let us also go to the interpretation of this psalm.
In the beginning, however, I must remind you of what you have often heard from me elsewhere, that the prophets, when they speak of God or call God, speak of their God, whose promises and services they had, so that you may not think that the access to God is open to us through our thoughts, which we make of God without His word, as the Turks, Jews and Papists make of God, either entirely without the word, or by perverting the word and drawing from the right opinion to the imagination or speculation which they have invented for themselves. For the prophets knew that the true God, although infinite by nature, was nevertheless enclosed in the mercy seat to which he had tied himself by his word. Although they therefore
the God of Heaven and the Creator of all things, they had this as a closer and therefore more certain sign of the true God, that they knew He dwelt in Zion. Therefore, when they prayed to God or preached about God, they did so according to the way God Himself had revealed Himself to them in words and promises.
Although, therefore, no mention of the tabernacle and the promises is added in this passage, but he seems to speak to God par excellence, yet this saying is to be recorded, that he speaks only to the God as he is in his word and service, just as we today do not have to think nor speak of God in any other way than as he is in our true mercy seat Christo. For thus Christ says to Philip [John 14:9], "He who sees me sees the Father." Likewise [v. 6.], "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me." If this knowledge is held fast, then God, the Creator of heaven and earth, can also be worshipped without danger, and will certainly be grasped. For although He is incomprehensible and infinite according to His nature and apart from this revelation, He is nevertheless finite and comprehensible in His words and promises in which He wraps Himself. Therefore, the Jews who worshipped at the Ark of the Covenant worshipped the true God of heaven and earth. For God had indicated by His word that He would be there and hear the prayers of His people.
When we look at Christ in this way and worship Him, we are worshipping the true God, for God has revealed Himself in Christ. Therefore Christ also says [John 16:23], "If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you." Those who therefore pray to God, and do not fix their eyes and hearts on Christ, err and do not attain to God, but worship the thoughts of their hearts instead of the true God, and are idolaters. For God does not want to be sought and found, nor even heard, except in our mercy seat, Christ. Therefore, if we want to find God rightly, to know God rightly, and to come to Him with certainty, we must look at Christ according to the saying [John 14:9]: "He who sees Me sees the Father." Likewise [John 14:7], "If ye knew me, ye knew my Father also." In this way the Word gathers the wandering thoughts of our heart to this One Person, who is Christ, God and man, so that we are to hold that apart from Christ there is no God and can be found. "Do you not believe," he says [John 14:10], "that the Father is in me, and I in the Father?"
In this way it is to be noted that the holy Jews also prayed to God who dwells in Zion. Those who did not care for this place nevertheless committed idolatry, even though they performed the same services and used the same words for prayer, for no other reason than because they were going against the rule that God had commanded to be worshipped in Jerusalem. This, therefore, is a general rule to be observed in all the Psalms and in all Scripture, that in the Old Testament God was only in Zion, or in the place of the Tabernacle, and that all prayers were addressed to God sitting and dwelling above the cherubim [Ps. 80:2]. But after this temple was destroyed, God set up another temple, which is Christ, in which He wants to be sought, worshipped, venerated; apart from this temple God is not, but the devil is sought and found there, and hearts fall either into despair when an evil conscience is added, or into presumption through hypocrisy, like the idols
servants, 1) the Jews and our papists are very presumptuous about their righteousness and God's favor.
These sayings and similar ones in the Psalms and Prophets belong here. David says [Ps. 121:1], "I lift up mine eyes unto the mountains"; likewise [Ps. 128:5], "The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion." In this way must be taken the other sayings in which the indication of place or temple is not expressly added, as in this place, "Out of the deep I call unto thee, O Lord." He does not call the Lord simply the Creator of heaven and earth, as the Turks also call Him, but He who dwells in Zion, whose promises and word they had that there He would accept and hear the prayers. So he walks along in completely pure trust in the mercy and grace of God, even at the time when the Law of Moses was still in bloom, but of the God who is in Zion, and who said to the devil [Gen. 3, 15.], "I will put enmity between you and the seed of the woman." For God does not want us to seek him with our thoughts. For if we could do that, what need would there be of the word? Why then would the place be revealed and determined in the Law, and the person of Christ in the New Testament? See what our opponents, the papists, encounter. They pray a lot, recite psalms, say: "Our Father, who art in heaven," etc., but because they despise the word of Christ, yes, because they even persecute it by force, therefore nothing but idolatry is hidden under these exceedingly beautiful words (vocabulis), which they recite from the psalms. The same happens to the Jews, the same to the Turks, even when they say that they worship the living God, the Creator of heaven and earth.
Therefore, I often and gladly inculcate this, that you close your eyes and ears apart from Christ and say: that you know of no other God than the one who was in Mary's womb and sucked her breasts. Where this God is Christ Jesus, there is the whole God or the whole Godhead, there will be the Va-.
berger and Jenaer: ielolatras
2) Erlanger: Uaee instead of: üae.
2036 H' 18V-I82. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 130. w. IV, 28IS-28I8. 2037
Apart from this Christ, God is nowhere and will not be found. I have known many monks who, believing that God could be seized by human speculation, fell into very grave dangers, and if God had not freed me from this challenge by a special act of kindness, I would have fallen suddenly into ruin. But it is useful for life that one becomes more careful through the dangers of other people.
Although the prophet, as I have said, does not explicitly mention the temple here, you will see in what way he includes the promise of Christ. For this is the content of this psalm, that there is no salvation, no grace, no justification except with the God who forgives and pardons sins. But is this God different from the one who said [Gen. 3:15]: "The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head"? So he understands the God who makes the promise, and thus shows that Christ was promised by the Father to be the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world, and treats the most important doctrine, namely of Christian righteousness; likewise of Christian wisdom or of the glory of Christ. This David treats at the time when the law and the legal services were still going on and flourishing, and leaps over from the enclosure of the law into paradise, or rather straight into the heaven of grace and mercy. For why should we not call grace heaven, since through it we go to heaven, and it cannot be grasped by laws, not by deeds, not by any efforts, but like an exceedingly wide heaven grasps us who believe that we are righteous by imputation before God through Christ? In this way David treats the doctrine of justification, and although he does not do this alone (for all the great prophets, Moses, Isaiah and others, have touched on this doctrine), he does it with special diligence and in great abundance.
From this, the content of the psalm is evident,
1) That is, Christ's. Cf. Col. 2034.
David wants to teach us by his example about the true way to righteousness, life and salvation; likewise, he wants to show us the right way to escape from death, sin and the wrath of God, so that we may enter eternal life from this life. He does not teach this like the sophists in the schools, who teach about holy things without any experience, but he brings his own experience with him, and presents his heart to us, which the Holy Spirit has exercised and instructed through many trials, so that he might arrive at this teaching, which he has also set himself to teach us here. The sum of this teaching is that it is based on the hope of God's mercy and on the trust that sins will be forgiven. But this will become clearer in the treatment, so let us now tackle the Psalm.
V. 1. Out of the depths I call to you, O Lord.
In the beginning there seems to be a lot of useless words, but if you look closely at the matter that distresses the prophet, it will be easily recognized that even by as many words as possible neither the movement of his heart nor the danger can be sufficiently expressed. For he is not oppressed by a common and ordinary temptation; he does not complain of the dangers threatening him from Saul, Absalom, false prophets, and others; He does not speak of other temptations that come from the envy and hatred with which the world persecutes the godly, but he indicates the sickness of conscience and the real fears of death, when hearts, overwhelmed as it were by despair, feel that they are abandoned by God, when they see their unworthiness and their guilt accused before God's judgment seat, when it seems that God has not only abandoned them but also rejected them for their sins and hates them. These temptations are much more unbearable than others that usually occur, because here it is a matter of the danger of the soul and of eternal bliss. That is why he uses this way of speaking, saying: "Out of the depths I call to you", as if he wanted to say: I am oppressed by extreme misfortune, because
2038 xx, 182-184. interpretations on the psalms. W. iv, E-WW. 2039
I feel my sins and the righteous anger of God; I do not know at all how I could remedy this. For hatred, as well as for other misfortunes that afflict us, help can be found among men, but this is in truth an evil that cannot be cured unless help is sent from above.
And truly, other damages with which the godly are afflicted can be overcome by patience, as when goods, dignities etc. are in danger, yes, even in lesser sins, as the sins of youth are, the heart can be straightened up again more easily. But these knots are felt and are unsolvable when these infernal thoughts take over the heart, so that man feels nothing but that he is rejected by God for eternity. Those who therefore feel such temptations have an example here, that David suffered and experienced the same. For this also increases this challenge, that such people think that they alone suffer this. Therefore it must be learned that all exceedingly holy men have suffered the same, and have been afflicted with the terrors of the law and of sin unto death, as we see David here, as it were transported into hell, crying out, "Out of the depths I cry unto thee, O Lord."
But we must not stop there, that we not only endure such trials and dangers, but we must also learn the way by which those who have suffered the same have come out again. But you see what David is doing. You see where he goes in this difficult situation. He does not despair, but cries out as if there is still some hope of help and comfort. Therefore you should also think and do the same. For David is not challenged for the sake of despair. Therefore, do not accept temptation with such a heart that you are consumed with sorrow and despair. If you have been led into hell, believe that there is a Lord who will bring you out of hell [1 Sam. 2:6]. If you are crushed and broken, know that there is a Lord who will restore you and heal you [Hos. 6:1]. If
your soul is full of sorrow, you shall again expect comfort from Him who promised that a troubled spirit would be a pleasing sacrifice to Him [Ps. 51:19]. But it is of great benefit if in such violent attacks (paroxysmis) a brother is present who comforts us with the word, for God willed that the church should be of such a kind that one should comfort the other, and promised that He would be the third when two are gathered in His name [Matth. 18, 20.]. And truly nothing so raises up so wounded a heart as to hear from a brother that such terrors are laid up, not that we may perish, but that we may be humbled, and know grace, and receive the same with thanksgiving. If we lack such assistance from the brethren, we should do what David does in this passage, namely, we should call out and pray this psalm with David, in which you see the sighs that depict the highest anguish of the heart, from which this by no means unnecessary abundance of words flows, so that he not only says that he is crying out of an abyss, but also reminds God of his promises that he will hear the one who calls to him; And even this is not enough, but he repeats the same thing in other words:
V. 2. Lord, hear my voice; let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
He talks, as I said before, to God, whose dwelling place was in Jerusalem, as we talk to God and call him Father, who is only in Christ and is worshipped in him. To this God he asks to be attentive to his prayer. Now if we think that we cannot pray with the same heart and fervor as these words show, let us remember that even David did not pray in this way at the time when he was suffering from temptation (in paroxysmo). For a despairing and sorrowful heart does not pray as long as the temptation and sorrow lasts, but then blasphemy and murmuring against God is felt, and the heart cannot have the right opinion of God. But when the attack (paroxysm) subsides, only then does this crying and that begin.
2040 L. XX, IS4-I86. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 130. W. IV, 2322-2825. 2041
The heart is very much assisted, as I said before, when it hears a brother who holds up the word of God in a fitting way. The heart, however, obtains very great assistance, as I said before, to whom: it hears a brother who holds forth the word of God in a fitting manner: Why do you grieve, dear brother? Do you not hear that God does not want the death of the sinner? Have you forgotten that it is commanded that we hope in God and believe in Him? Look at the first commandment; what is it, or what does it demand but that we serve God with faith and hope? Why would you not trust in His goodness? Why would you despair? For this is nothing else than heaping sin upon sin, and since you are a sinner against the commandments of God, which belong to a lower level, you now place yourself on the highest level and add despair and unbelief to the rest of your sins. Now, when in this way confidence in God and the mercy of God are inculcated in the anguished heart, the little spark of faith rises up and the groaning of the heart: O, if only I could! The spirit comes to the aid of this inexpressible sighing, and the sensation of joy finally follows. For God cannot despise this sighing or leave it unnoticed. We see, as it were, the shadow of these sighs in these first verses. But why do you sigh? What is it that you are sorrowful about? Hear:
V. 3. If you will, O Lord, impute sin, O Lord, who shall stand?
This verse, as you know, is used very often in our theology, and I do not see how either our adversaries or even the devil himself could overturn the same. For what is there to doubt? David has the testimony [Sam. 13, 14] that he is a man after God's own heart, and he is truly an outstanding example in every kind of Christian virtue. For although he is infamous for the murder of Uriah and his adultery with Bathsheba, is not his humility extraordinary and his faith fervent, since the prophet punished his sin and restored him to his former glory?
established? Then see how great patience he had in adversity, how great care and diligence he used to establish and propagate the service. What shall I say much? David is not one of many, whether we consider his faith and life or God's testimony about him, and yet this man, so great and so holy, says explicitly and obviously: "If you will, O Lord, impute sin, O Lord, who will stand?" Does this not mean to deny all righteousness, holiness and purity? As he also in the 32nd Psalm, v. 6, apparently calls "the saints", and yet says: "For this all the saints will ask you", namely, that you may forgive their sins.
But where are those who praise the righteousness of works so much, since David throws away all works and all righteousness before God, and simply asks that the Lord not impute sin? And truly, our adversaries now speak much more moderately than in the beginning. For they no longer deny outright that faith justifies, but they add that faith, which justifies, must be formed by love; for so they let misunderstood words be heard like magpies. But let faith be formed as one pleases, this is a universally valid saying: "If thou wilt, O Lord, impute sin, O Lord, who, who shall stand?" Certainly no one. For if anyone could stand, truly David also would have stood, such a holy man who was so learned in the word of God, who was so often led to faith and the fear of God through so many misfortunes and dangers. For I do not believe that anyone among all the papists is so impudent that, looking at the righteousness of works, he should not lower himself far below David, and yet David says: Righteousness does not come from works, for: If you add sin, no one will stand.
Therefore, we should learn that we should not come to the judgment of God trusting in our works or our righteousness, even if we had done everything we could have done. It is said
1) that when Arsenius was on his deathbed, he was extremely depressed in his mind for three days. When his disciples saw this, they came and comforted their master: he had no reason to be afraid, because he had lived according to the will of God. Then Arsenius said: "In truth I am afraid, for although I hear from you that I have kept the commandments of God, it is certain that God judges very differently from men. You see that the man who thought about God's judgment did not want to trust in His righteousness and His works. Thus it is said of a certain other hermit that when he was called to comfort someone who was already in the last stages of death, he told him to suffer his death patiently, for in this way it would happen that he would attain eternal life, as our monks used to comfort people who were being led out to the death penalty. There, either little or nothing was said about the merit of Christ; they spoke only of the death that the condemned should suffer, that through it they would enter into life. But what happened to this Comforter? When the one whom he had comforted in this way had died, he was afflicted by an exceedingly severe affliction. It occurred to him how little reliable comfort he had given the brother, since he had told him to trust in his own patience and not rather in the merit and death of Christ. This worry consumed the man within three days, so that he also died.
Countless examples of this kind can be seen in our daily life, which proves that our righteousness and our willing death are not enough, but that faith in Christ is necessary. We can safely base ourselves on his death, because he is the sacrifice for the sins of the world. Our death, if we
1) Erlanger: Xrsenieus (here and immediately following) instead of: Arsenius. The same narration about Arsenius is found in the detailed explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians, Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. IX, 616, s 38. In contrast, in Luther's "Arbeiten über die ersten 22 Psalmen", in this volume Col. 464, K 219, what is narrated here is attached to Agathon. The old translator (v. Georg Major) also put Agathon instead of Arsenius here.
We must also suffer him patiently, and all other obedience that we render will be counted as sins if we set aside Christ's merit and consider that we thereby stand in the judgment of God.
Therefore, no godly person should take upon himself death and the judgment of God, trusting in his merit or his righteousness. Nor, of course, do I believe that there is anyone among the adversaries who should dare to suffer the judgment of God by trusting in his righteousness, and yet they teach, proclaim and exhort that others should do so; but we, who teach the opposite and divert the church from this to trusting in the merit and death of Christ, they condemn as heretics. Is this not the utmost wickedness? They themselves do not do what they teach, that they die trusting in their own merits, and want to force others to do so or condemn them as heretics. Thus, the experience of all reasonable people teaches that no one can gain victory before God through his works or his righteousness, and yet the whole of nature, when it is out of temptation, looks around for works and seeks how it can propitiate God through them. But here the simple and clear doctrine is presented: If you impute sin, no one will stand. Who, therefore, should desire to enter into judgment in such a way as to be overcome and condemned?
Therefore this is the summa, that we all (David, Peter, Paul etc.) are born as sinners, live, are and die as sinners. But this is our glory and our salvation, that we, instructed by the gospel about the mercy of God and the merit of Christ, leap out of the law and our works, as it were into another circle of doctrine and into another light, and confidently stand before God and say: O Lord, we cannot quarrel with you in judgment, we cannot dispute with you about our righteousness and sin. If you now want to impute sins, if you want to ask as in a court of law whether we are righteous, then we are lost. Therefore we appeal from this judgment to the throne of mercy. If we have anything to hei
2044 L. xx. 188-isi. Au[1. on d. 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 130. w. iv, rsse-sssi. 2045
If we have done it by your grace, we have done it by your gift. Therefore, look upon us with the eyes of your mercy, not with the eyes of the justice of your judgment. For if you do not look upon our sins and close your eyes to them, so that you do not see them, we will not be saved etc.
We see that David followed the light of this teaching in the darkness of the Law. Our situation is better today, because we see clearly that it is presented to us in the New Testament. For what do we teach today but that we are saved by faith in Christ alone, that our sins are covered and taken away by the merit of Christ alone, according to the saying [Ps. 32:1], "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven." The forgiveness of sins, therefore, is the heaven under which we dwell in confidence of the merit of Christ. For he who believes is not judged, but has passed from judgment into eternal life [John 5:24]. David does not clearly mention Christ, and yet, because he hopes from reconciliation, he rightly looks to this mercy seat, which will be more clearly revealed in the New Testament. For do you not see that he indicates that he would have to despair if God wanted to look at sin? For apart from the forgiveness of sins or the knowledge of grace, what is there in which we can trust or be sure?
Therefore, those who do not trust in this one thing, that through the death of Christ sins are taken away and God's eyes are closed, as it were, so that he cannot see our sin, will undoubtedly perish. For the Holy Scriptures set before us this one thing, that our life is only under the forgiveness of sin, under the forbearance, the toleration, the indulgence of God, so that we know nothing but the righteousness of Christ, not as if one should not do good works, not that sin is not there, or that God does not hate it, but that God says and promises that he will not impute our transgressions, because we believe in Christ and trust in Christ. Those who hold up this shield and are hidden under it are considered children.
because they have the reconciler; those who do not have him must despair. For what do they accomplish by running to the places of the apostles? what do they accomplish by putting on the caps and miserable plagues of the body? since David says plainly, "If thou wilt impute sin, O Lord, who shall stand?" Therefore, everything lies in what follows:
V. 4. for with thee is salvation, that they may fear thee. 1)
This verse is exceedingly badly translated [in Latin], and the interpreter seems to have had in mind that we are righteous if we keep silence to the Lord, or had the law, while yet there is no consolation, nor hope of blessedness, but in that God has promised forgiveness of sins through Christ, rejecting badly all other laws and righteousnesses. For this is also confirmed by the first part of this verse, when it says: "For with you is forgiveness." Therefore, you will not find forgiveness in Moses, not in the law and the doing of the law, not in the vow of the monastic life, not in a hard and laborious life, not in alms, not in St. James, not in St. Peter's church in Rome, in short, nowhere will you find forgiveness, because it is nowhere but "with you". Forgiveness is not our merit or our righteousness, but the forgiveness of sins by grace, free of charge, the pardon and remission through Christ. Even if you toiled a thousand years in the monastery, you would still not find it in the monastery and in your other works, as conscience sufficiently proves, which feels despair even in the holiest and hardest life. But in this one thing the conscience comes to rest, that it relies absolutely, without all addition of its own worthiness, quite simply, that I say so, on the quite simple mercy of God through Christ and says: O Lord, I have your promise that righteousness comes from mercy alone; but this righteousness is nothing else than your forgiveness, that is, that you do not want to impute sin etc.
1) Vulgate: Hniaapud te propitiatio est, et proprer loZeiL tuum suktiuui to, Domina.
2046 n. idi-iss. Interpretations on the Psalms. W. iv. E-E. 2047
Therefore I commend to you this description which David gives of Christian righteousness, that "to impute sin" is to condemn, whereas "not to impute sin" is to justify or declare righteous, and that righteousness is when sins are not regarded, but forgiven, bestowed, and not imputed, as he also describes in another place a blessed man [Ps. 32:II, and Paul very appropriately adduces this description [Rom. 4:8]: "Blessed is the man to whom God imputes no sin." For he does not say, Blessed is the man who has no sin, but: To whom the Lord does not impute the sin that he has, as it is also said here, If sin is not imputed. These testimonies we must diligently gather, that we may see how this doctrine is founded in the holy Scriptures, and how all reliance on the righteousness of works and of the law is cut off in the judgment of God.
For this doctrine makes all men equal without distinction. For if we are righteous only by imputation, it follows that we are not only all sinners, but that before God there is absolutely no difference between a husband and a monk, between a hermit and a burgher, between a prince and a peasant. For this difference of status is of no use to men before the judgment of God; that alone helps them to have their sins forgiven. Now if this doctrine had been diligently presented in the church, there would have been no monastic state, no other kinds of life introduced, of which the foolish people believed that God would be more pleased. For whatever life may be, in this the situation of all is the same, that we are in need of forgiveness of sins, as Paul says in the Acts of the Apostles that God tolerated the way of the fathers in the wilderness for forty years; έτροποφόρησεν αυτούς [he
tolerated their wise, he says, Apost. 13:18, just as a good husband tolerates the ways of his wife, a teacher the ways of his students, a prince the ways of his courtiers. If this civil life requires such moderation (epiikia) that people do not act against each other according to the strictest law, how much more is this necessary.
that God tolerates our ways (τροχοφόρος), in our so great weakness and depravity? Daily he would have cause to reckon and punish, but he will not take sharp notice of us; he wants us to believe in Christ: then he himself will tolerate the way (τροποφο- ρεϊν), he will turn a blind eye to our weakness and forgive and consider us righteous because of faith in Christ.
In this way, David turns from despair to trust and a certain hope in mercy. For when we look at our sins, we inevitably fall into fear and despair. But we must not fix our eyes on our sins alone; we must look here, to the mercy seat, so that, although we cannot deny that we are sinners, we do not deny the forgiveness of sins either. Why then is the forgiveness of sins promised if sinners are not to receive it also? Yes, that David calls it "forgiveness," by which he testifies that he is a sinner, and that forgiveness properly belongs to him. But, you will say, sins make a man unworthy of God's mercy; therefore David, Paul, Peter may have hope, as people who are holy and worthy, but I am a sinner, I cannot hope etc. You should flee such thoughts as a real plague for your soul, and rather think like this: Because I am a sinner, therefore the forgiveness of sins belongs to me. Therefore I will not despair, I will not be consumed with sadness, but I will turn to the Lord who promised forgiveness, who commands to hope and believe etc.
Thus, in these two verses, David presents the brief epitome of the whole Christian doctrine, and the sun that illuminates the church. For when this doctrine stands, the church stands; but when it fills, the church also falls. But for this reason I inculcate it more often, because I know that the devil desires and does nothing so much as to take this knowledge away from the eyes and hearts. This is the main reason for all the troubles he causes in public as well as in private life. We see how great an evil he has caused the church through
2048 L. XX,^3-1S5. Au[1. About the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 130. w. IV, 2835-2838. 2049
Sacramentarians and Anabaptists, that not only have the people who seek new disputations almost forgotten this article, but also many who are deterred by the discord have even begun to hate this teaching. Therefore, it behooves a good pastor not to let any disputation distract him from the diligent action of this doctrine. But how often does it happen in private life that through the thoughts of the law and of sin this thought of the forgiveness of sin is either lost or in danger? Therefore, in this psalm, David not only presents his own experience, but he also adds exhortations and promises, as we shall hear, so that it is evident that he has anxiously labored to preserve this doctrine; and truly the greatness of the danger must still stimulate and increase this zealous endeavor, for when this article is lost, then the hearts are overwhelmed with temptations of all kinds.
Thus it was written in the Pabstthum when this article was lost. For what was so strange (monstrosum) that it would not have been accepted by all with equanimity and with willing ears? I am ashamed to say that it would not have taken much for the impudent sacrilege of the monks to have held up their stench for our adoration. On the other hand, if this knowledge is held fast, heresies of every kind can easily be overthrown; and the papacy is an excellent example, which has been overcome and driven out of the hearts of men by this single passage. For even if you attack the life of the papists, and investigate their shameful greed, avarice, cruelty, etc. and uncover their godless nature from the evil works they do against the law, 1) you will accomplish nothing, for the pope admits all this, just as he cannot deny the obvious shameful deeds of his own. But, he says, nevertheless our profession, our doctrine and our rule (regnum) are holy, even if the life is stained with sins. In this way, even the devil can
1) The reading, which is found in all editions: 6L innlis ISAIS oxsrlbnk, has something striking; because otherwise IsAis Opera are the works, which one does according to the law, not against it.
cannot be overcome in the area of the law (in lege) and the works. For he treats both the laws and the works in such a way that he tears through them as through a spider's web, without his power being broken. But then he is overcome when the doctrine of faith and this article are insisted upon, that the papists have not only lost Christ and the right way of justification, but have also sullied and buried them with shameful doctrines. If this head is attacked, then both the pope and the devil must take to their heels. For they have nothing with which to protect themselves if they are convicted that their teaching is false.
Therefore, let it be your concern that you recognize this main article well and have it firmly established, and let no one among you be so presumptuous as to think that he has completely learned this divine wisdom. For as long as the devil and the world, as well as our reason, exist, we will never be perfect in this knowledge, and because we stand like men of war in the line of battle, dangers are daily thrust upon us, in which neither human strength nor wisdom is able to stand. Therefore, the summa of this verse, "For with thee is forgiveness," is that it concludes that God does not want to deal with us according to the law, so that we too, in turn, are not to deal with God according to the law, but to speak with the publican [Luc. 18, 13.]: "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Those who go outside this enclosure of grace, leave this rich grace and want to argue about the law, that they have done this and not done that: the further they go, the deeper they sink into hell.
Not for nothing do I make this reminder. I see what happened to the excellent man Bernard; if you search his writings carefully, you will find that he teaches two things. For when he is at home in the faith, he teaches Christ very beautifully, praises his good deeds, sets hearts on fire to take hold of Christ: nothing but roses and honey come out of his mouth. Again, when he disputes from the law or about the law, he disputes no differently than any Turk or Jew who has heard Christ.
either does not know or denies. Whoever wants to read his disputations on the monastic life, on obedience to the abbots etc., will see that I speak the truth. The same has happened to all other teachers. When they are alone, without disputations, they teach Christ purely; but as soon as they cross over into the field of the law, they disputate as if there had never been a Christ who had instituted the forgiveness of sins, even had purchased the same with his blood. We experience the same thing when we get caught up in legal things or in the statutes of men. Therefore, we must remain in this paradise or heaven of grace and not go anywhere else, so that we may remain with David on this simple confession: "With you is forgiveness."
But why does he add, "That you should be feared"? This is how the second part of this verse must be translated. Certainly, so that he shows us against whom he is fighting, and so that he makes the meaning all the clearer by adding the contrast, as if he wanted to say: By experience I have learned why forgiveness is with thee, and why thou dost give thyself this title, that thou art merciful and gracious [Ps. 103:8.ft For because thou gatherest all things together in mercy, by grace freely, and leavest nothing to human merit and works, therefore thou art feared. Now if all things were not in thy mercy, and we could take away sins with our powers, no one would fear thee, but the whole world would proudly despise thee. For this is testified by daily experience, that everywhere where this knowledge of God's mercy does not exist, people walk in presumption of their merits. Look at a monk, but especially at a barefooter (minoritam), - this kind I have always hated the most because of this hopefulness, - because he has a rule and a law by which he lives, he is without all right fear of God and walks in the highest security. Very few are those who come to the realization of their sin and feel despair. For those who feel despair are very happy to admit that forgiveness is with God. But they also pursue the doctrine of forgiveness with sword and fire.
law. For this is what the law does: it makes presumptuous, hopeful people and despisers of grace, as Paul shows very well with the Jews, Rom. 2, 17: "You are called a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast of God" etc.
Those who are such people are not moved by the prestige of the apostles, not by Christ's miracle that raises the dead, but stand immovable like the rocks. For in such security they do not understand forgiveness, but even persecute it. Such people are therefore twofold worse sinners than the publicans, and rightly says Christ [Matt. 21:31.], "The publicans and harlots may well enter the kingdom of heaven sooner than you." For these are easily persuaded that they are sinners, and that they need forgiveness by grace for nothing; whereas Annas, Caiphas, and the other Pharisees laugh when they hear this, and cannot bear to be taught by anyone.
But as far as both are concerned, God has decided in the most just way that justice should be weighed, not according to our works, but simply according to mercy and the forgiveness of sins. For if righteousness came from works or from the law, despair would necessarily follow if one had not kept the law holy, or presumption if one had. In despair, however, fear is greater than it should be; in presumption there is no fear at all. The middle way, therefore, is that God includes everything in mercy. True, He does not abolish the law, for without the law this life cannot exist. For what kind of community would it be if murder, adultery and theft were allowed to go unpunished? Then also the godly practices and works must be governed by God's word. For this use, God lets the law remain, and accepts it as an obedience in those who believe. But as for sin itself, He commands that we lay aside all trust in the law and hope only in the mercy that God shows in Christ Jesus, who suffered for sins. Thus presumption is abolished, and the
2052 .XX, 198-200. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. l!!0. w. IV, 284I-2E. 2053
Leave fear, not as it is in desperate people, but as it can be found in well-bred children against their father. Therefore, no monk will be blessed because of his rule and hard life; neither will I be blessed because I preach Christ with the greatest fidelity and zeal; a prince will not be blessed because he presides over his own with care and protects his own. And in the case of the monks you can easily prove this to be true, because their whole state is without the word of God. But to teach the churches, to govern the commonwealths, though they are exceedingly holy and high works, yet they are works of the law, which in themselves produce either despair or presumption. Therefore, blessedness does not come through works, even if they exist, but only through the fact that forgiveness is with God, that one fears Him.
Therefore, God rightly decreed everything to be sinful, so that He might have mercy on all [Rom. 11:32, Gal. 3:22]. For if one leaves something to human nature by which it could earn something from God, then no one will fear God nor serve Him, but all will come to God like the monks, by bringing their fasts, prayers, obedience and the like. But in this way one loses GOtt, and instead of GOtt an idol of the heart is worshipped. For if a monk thinks that it pleases God to hang from a tree rather than to be girded with it, if he thinks that it pleases God to observe other human statutes, 1) is he not abandoning the true God and putting the thoughts of his heart in God's place, thinking that God thinks as he does? Therefore, from the righteousness of the law follows a true idolatry, which invents another God and loses the true one. For the true God is forgiveness through Christ; but the saints of works want their works to bring about forgiveness. God, therefore, rejects all works and holds out to us His mere mercy, so that He may be feared, so that He may not be despised by presumptuous people, since all cause of presumption has been taken away.
1) Jenaer: xlaeare instead of: plseers.
Therefore, we are to learn from this verse this principle that if the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins, grace or reconciliation is lost, it necessarily follows that idolatry reigns. For the prophet says that when grace is taken away, the fear of God is also taken away. But what is "fearing God" other than serving and worshipping God; likewise, acknowledging that He is good and obeying Him for His sake? I lost this God when I was a monk and walked in the confidence of my righteousness. For I can prove by deed and word that nothing else can follow from the most perfect justice of the law than either despair, which is rarer, or presumption, which is more frequent. For nature and the devil cannot avoid presumption.
How is it then, you will say, shall one not do the law? shall one not do good works? Certainly one should do them. For this reason God has established the church in the world, for this reason He has established the government of the world and the government of the home, so that there is no lack of opportunity to do good. But who does not see, even if he does this most diligently, how much impurity still remains, especially when he brings his deeds before God's face? Therefore, the main part of this whole business is attributed to mercy, which we take hold of through faith in Christ alone, and we, who are useless servants through our works, become children of God through the grace shown to us in Christ, John 1:12. Thus, the true fear of God, the right worship, the right reverence, yes, the right knowledge of God is based on mercy alone, so that we have the confidence that God is merciful for Christ's sake. With this service of God, despair and presumption fight more fiercely than fire and water fight with each other. Since the law causes either despair or presumption, it is rightly concluded that neither righteousness nor the right service of God comes through the law, and yet the holy ten commandments must be kept. For [Rom. 12, 8.]: "If a man rule, let him be careful"; if a man is a subject, let him obey. Here
are ranks and persons who are quite unequal among themselves, as a prince, a teacher, a church servant, a councilman, a citizen, a servant, a maid, a father, a mother, children etc. But every man in his state owes obedience to GOtte, that he do as much as he can with the greatest diligence. But because these are works of the law, by them we are only servants, and receive the promised reward according to the thing (ex pacto); but by forgiveness or grace we become children and heirs of the kingdom of God. Therefore, the works that follow do not make heirs or children, but they are done by the heirs and children to show their thanksgiving and obedience.
Therefore, I lay these conclusions on your heart, that where there is no forgiveness, there is no God; likewise, where God is not, there is no forgiveness; likewise, where there is no forgiveness, there is no godliness or worship, but idolatry and the righteousness of works remain. As long as the law and nature exist, this cannot be otherwise. Therefore, Pabstism, Mahomet's religion, Judaism, monasticism and everything of this kind, because it does not recognize or believe in forgiveness, is idolatry before God, even if it seems to be quite excellent in appearance, because apart from forgiveness there is no fear of God, but presumption. Christian doctrine, therefore, does not deny or condemn good works, as our adversaries impudently slander us among ignorant people, but teaches that God does not want to impute sin, but that he wants us to believe or trust in mercy, because with him there is forgiveness, that he may be feared, and that he may remain our God. All who therefore believe that God forgives and pardons sins for Christ's sake, render to God right and reasonable service [Rom. 12:1], do not dispute with God about the law, works and righteousness, but lay aside all their own trust and worship Him because of forgiveness, and thus become children who receive the Holy Spirit, and in truth begin to do the law. Now follows what David learned concerning this doctrine, and exhortations.
V. 5. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I hope in His word. 1)
I cannot but accuse the [Latin] interpreter very much, whoever he may have been, that he has translated so carelessly, although those are to blame for these errors who have translated this book into the Greek language. In the previous verse, he has brought just the opposite sense and also confused the verse division. For what he has given: Propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine, gives no sense at all, and actually belongs to this verse, for the verses must be so ordered: With thee is forgiveness, that they may fear thee (that is, that thou mayest remain God, and that they may serve thee. For those who do not know God [in this way], that with Him is forgiveness, do not know God at all, nor can they worship Him properly). I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, I hope in His word. The verse has many words, but they are not idle. For this verse serves to strengthen the prayer and the exhortation and, as it were, to inject them. For first, he has presented himself as an example of this doctrine, which he desires to be preserved in the church, and has asked to be heard. Then, having received forgiveness, he felt that he had been heard. Now, therefore, he adds the exhortation by which he incites himself to persevere in this knowledge of grace, and never to be led away in any other way of teaching, as if to say: I know that forgiveness is with God; I have learned this main article to some extent; now I must do this, that I wait (exspectem) (but "wait" means the same as "hope"), so that I remain in this knowledge, that I have the highest comfort in the forgiveness of which I have felt that it is with God, and constantly hold on to this hope of forgiveness.
But the prophet shows in this passage how easily hearts are led away from this knowledge and fall into disputations, whether public or particular. For when we were in the best course of establishing the right
1) Vulgate: kostilllli to, Ooiiune, siistillllit Lllima m6L, in vorpo chus sporavit amios mos.
2056 L. XX, 202-204. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 130. W. IV, 2X47-2^1. 2057
We were prevented from spreading the doctrine first by the rebellious people, then by those who desecrated the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, and finally also by the Anabaptists. Since we are arguing with them, a more careful treatment of this article is almost lost to us. The same danger will befall our descendants, for it is not by teaching but by disputing that the truth is lost. For disputations bring with them the misfortune that the hearts are, as it were, desecrated and, occupied with quarrels, neglect what is most noble. Thus Eve stood quite nicely in paradise as long as she kept the commandment of the Lord. That is why the serpent brings her to another disputation about the forbidden fruit, and so she is led away from the word. Satan, of course, knows that this article of justification cannot be overturned even through the gates of hell. Therefore, what he does not dare to do in a straight way, he does in an indirect way. He starts disputations and blinds us; if we look at it and, with a godly heart, as it were, join in as arbiters to settle the disorder, we ourselves also become involved in the quarrels and are gradually distracted from this right goal (scopo). We must indeed fight against the heresies, but in such a way that we do not deal with them alone and forget this article. David shows this danger, since he points to his example as if he wanted to say: It costs great effort to remain in this teaching. Therefore I will take care of one thing, that I wait for the Lord, and I will take care that this knowledge is not snatched away from me.
That he adds: "My soul waiteth" is a Hebrew way of speaking, as we say in German: I will wait with all my heart. For it is a great thing that he not only says that he will wait for the Lord, but adds: I will wait with all my heart, to indicate the ardent zeal to keep this doctrine. But first of all one must pay attention to the fact that he adds: "I wait or hope for his word." The pope, the heretics,
The Jews also say that they hope, but they leave the word and follow their thoughts. This is a hope in name, but in fact it is nothing. For one must not depart from the oral word. For if this happens, what can one keep from God that would be certain? Especially since God gave the word for its own sake, for the sake of which he appointed servants of the word, authorities, parents, etc., whose voice he commanded us to follow and whose reputation he commanded us to obey. For he does not want us to hope according to our thoughts, as the profane spirits taught even in our time, who thought that one must act with God without the oral word, without the sacraments, but he binds us to the word, which is commanded to certain ministers in the church.
But here the prophet indicates another temptation, which attacks those who are not careful to keep the knowledge of mercy. For this is the devil's way of dealing with it; he either takes away the word in general (publice), or in particular he hinders this hope in those who have the word. Thus the pope had the word, he also had the sacraments, and yet, while the word and the sacraments still stood, he allowed himself to be carried away on pilgrimages, rules, vows etc. We have already thought about what we have encountered with the rotas. But who can enumerate the dangers with which the hearts in particular are daily troubled, that they should depart from the Word to other opinions which reason invents for itself without the Word? It takes so much effort to escape these tricks of the devil. Therefore the prophet says: I will not suffer myself to be led away from the word, but I will hope in the word for the forgiveness of sins, and I will not invent my faith from my thoughts, but take it from the word etc. There is therefore a twofold danger against which the prophet warns us by his example. The first is with those who invent a faith, and lift up the word, like the spirits of the swarming. The second is with those who have the word but do not keep it and are led away to idolatry, like the papists. But the third is the most severe; against these he says:
V. 6. My soul waits for the Lord from one morning watch to the next.
This is the third challenge. For if the devil cannot conquer us by the straight way, that we either leave the oral word and follow our own thoughts, like the heretics, or keep the word and turn to idolatry, like the papists, he deals with overcoming us by fatigue. Therefore, not only great courage is needed to overcome, but also perseverance, so that we will not be overcome by his intrigues. For we often see that those are overcome by constant perseverance who could not be overcome by any dangers, no matter how great, and in warfare nothing is praised so much as to have stood against the enemy (urgere hostem). In this way the Turk nevertheless conquers, although he has often suffered great defeats, because he perseveres. David indicates that this perseverance must be with those who want to keep the doctrine of justification and righteousness itself, and here presents his example that just as the enemy does not cease to attack, so he does not cease to wait and look to the Lord, so that he overcomes not only by a strong and valiant, but also by a persevering faith and untiring hope.
Therefore, we must learn the way to fight from the attacks of our enemy. He never tires in his zeal to attack the church. Thus, at the very beginning, one heresy followed another, one persecution followed another. We, too, had to fight first with the abominations of the pope; after they had been subdued, the sacrament abusers arose, followed by the Anabaptists. These errors did not arise first, but the enemy, who is tireless and extremely well equipped to do harm with attacks, is stirring up anew the evil that was eliminated long ago, so that the afflicted church will not have time to breathe again. For we see how everything is beginning to become full of Epicureans, and there are not a few who are again bringing forward the seeds of the Arian heresy. It is of use to have these
Know the persistence of the enemy, so that we do not fall into security. For it is not enough to be victorious once, but one battle follows another, one victory follows another.
But just as we see this ungodly stopping of the enemy in the history of the church, we also experience it in our own person (privately). Therefore, if you have won today through prayer, do not be sure, because tomorrow he will return stronger and better equipped, therefore prepare yourself for another battle. For it often happens that a thought which we could easily defeat today, keeps the victory tomorrow and traps us. Therefore, a Christian must be equipped, not only with strength, but also with perseverance. For he does not run in a race track that has any end (terminus), but a circle is set before him, where one always runs back to the beginning. Therefore Christ says [Matth. 10, 22.]: "Whoever perseveres to the end will be blessed." Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to be broken by ungodliness or to be defeated by excess, but we must fight not only against power and cunning, but also against excess, that we may cheer ourselves up by this faith, that just as the devil neither sleeps nor rests, so also our Lord and God neither sleeps nor rests.
In this way David sets his example before us, so that we, fortified against the temptations that follow the forgiveness of sins, do not give way to the devil. Although it is quite certain that forgiveness is with the Lord, that sins are remitted, that we are baptized into the death of Christ and called to the fellowship of the saints, and refreshed with the rest of the members of Christ with the body and blood of Christ, although all this, I say, is quite certain, there is nevertheless great danger that we may be deceived by the cunning enemy who pursues us on every side. On the right he threatens us with hypocrisy and security, on the left with tyrants and despair. In addition, his ungodly zeal is such that he is nowhere far away. Therefore the prophet says: "My soul waits for the Lord from morning watch to morning watch", and this is the patience of the Christians. The saying of the pagans is well known: From one
2060 L. xx, 207-20". Au[1. on d. 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 130. w. iv, üsss-ssss. 2061
Patience that is often violated becomes anger. For when patience suffers something, it suffers out of a kind of despair, so that hearts think it is borne in vain; therefore patience turns into anger and is suppressed by despair. But the patience of Christians cannot be suppressed, but endures from day to day, from year to year, and so it finally triumphs and overcomes. It is a great thing to keep a heart in the worldly regime, which cannot be overcome by the daily troubles that occur, but to persevere in the evils which David shows by his example threaten Christians who already have the forgiveness of sins, To keep hope in sins and accusations of conscience, to endure other plagues with which the devil torments a believing heart without measure, this is a divine power and such a struggle to which the unfading crown of honors is promised [1 Petr. 5, 4.]. Now follows the exhortation to imitate this example and to take hold of this teaching.
V. 7. Israel hopes in the Lord, for with the Lord is grace, and much salvation with him.
This is truly a golden verse, and worthy to be known with the greatest care, because it desires and exhorts that the whole people, according to its example, rest and remain in the certain hope in the mercy of God. For faith is not to be as insignificant as the papists teach, who dream that faith is a quality that resides in the heart (haerentem), with which the heart deals, as it were, in sleep, after it has learned to say these syllables: I believe in God. For those who never experience the struggles that faith has to go through even ridicule us when we say that faith is the chief virtue by which alone we are justified, freed from sins etc. For it is true what the wise man said [Proverbs 18:2], "A fool delighteth not in understanding, but in what is in his heart." Therefore, what we attach to faith, they attach to love, preferring the same to faith. But if one
If faith is painted correctly and with its true colors, it surpasses love by far. For look at what faith has to deal with (objecta). In front of God, it fights against the devil alone, who never lets up, but always attacks, because of death and eternal life, because of sin and the law, which accuses us, because of grace, which forgives sins. If one compares love with these things, which has to do with relieving people of their misfortunes, whether it is comfort or help that is needed, who does not see that faith is far superior? For how great is the difference between God and man, between human needs and eternal death? These, then, are the exercises of faith, that it may fight with the devil in the highest dangers before God's face, for, as we said above, the godless enemy leaves us no peace (ferias). Therefore, although love is not only a beautiful virtue, but also an exceedingly broad one compared to the other moral virtues, faith is infinitely greater and more sublime, whether we consider the things it has to do with or other causes.
For this is the fruit of faith, that the heart feels that death has been overcome through the death of Christ, but sin has been atoned for and the law has been done away with through grace and forgiveness. This is quite certain in itself, but our weakness is so great that we cannot grasp it with certainty; therefore we are still frightened by thoughts of death and sin. Now if this trust in the grace of God were perfect, no sadness could ever take hold of a believing heart. Therefore, David uses this exhortation that Israel, having forgiveness, may persevere in waiting and not be deprived of trust in mercy. The word he uses actually means "to wait". But he is looking at the struggle when the heart begins to doubt God's mercy because of certain hardships by which it is affected. In this struggle, hearts fall into despair because what the Word promises and faith believes is not immediately felt in such a way. Against this challenge
Here he reminds them to be mindful that one must wait; one should not depart from the word or do anything contrary to the word, and he adds the reason: "For with the Lord is grace." The flesh holds in temptation and in dangers that with God there is nothing but wrath. Therefore, the Spirit comforts us and strives to take away this ungodly opinion of God, proclaiming that with God there is mercy or kindness, if only we do this, that we wait. But we need this testimony, for if we follow our feelings, we will experience the opposite. But we must not make our judgment according to our feelings, nor according to what is presently there, but we must follow the word, and firmly hold that these things are to be believed, not experienced. For believing is not experiencing; not as if what we believe should never be experienced, but experience must be preceded by faith, and the word must be believed, even when we feel and experience it quite differently, so that when hearts in distress think that God is angry with us, does not take care of us, but hates us, faith, on the other hand, firmly holds that, that with God there is neither anger, nor hatred, nor punishment, nor guilt, but, although he allows us to be afflicted, that this does not happen to do us any harm, for with him there is [grace], and he is intent on pure goodness, that he saves us from misfortune, that he kills sins, that he increases other gifts in us etc. If this does not happen to the wicked, what is there to wonder? For either they believe not at all, or if they believe, they persevere not. Therefore, we who believe should add hope to faith, so that even if we feel and experience the opposite, and it seems as if God were inflicting punishments on us like an enemy, we nevertheless believe no experience more than the Word and the Holy Spirit, which proclaims that with God there is grace or kindness, that He loves us, and desires to do us good.
This is 1) the truth of the Holy Spirit,
1) Erlanger: et instead of: 68t.
that we think, yes, most assuredly, that there is no wrath with God, but that even if some outward troubles occur, hunger, sickness, heartache and such distresses, we overcome these challenges by faith and hope, by showing God our patience, and hope for salvation in due time, as Paul commands in the letter to the Romans, that we should also boast about the tribulations [Rom. 5, 3]. For if God did not love us, the devil would not hate us; if we did not have life, our enemy would not pursue us with death. Thus, Satan most assails those who are most righteous and holy, because they hold fast the confidence of the forgiveness of sins, with an evil conscience on account of sins, to such an extent that he sometimes makes such a sin out of the drinking of a cup of wine, out of a word that has escaped unawares, that he thereby takes out of sight baptism and all the gifts that we possess. Yes, he often slanders good and holy works in order to plunge the heart into sadness. All this, I say, the saints experience. But how long would we go astray if we always put the word second and followed our feelings and experience? The devil does not do this to the papists, but does the opposite: he adorns their horrible atrocities and atrocious crimes as if they were the highest godliness. On the other hand, we who desire and strive to live according to God's will, who also teach in the holiest way, must often have such a conscience as if we had led an extremely evil life.
Therefore, we must learn in theology that this happens to the godly and must be overcome by the thoughts that the Holy Spirit holds up here, that we should think of ourselves in this way: I am called to fellowship in the merit of Christ, and am baptized. Although this daily life has sins, they are to be taken away through trust in forgiveness. The doctrine cannot be other than true, although the world slandered it and heaped abuse upon it. This doctrine shows that after we have believed in Christ, we are to be forgiven.
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I do not want to be deprived of this knowledge, even if I have to die over it, but I firmly believe that God is nothing other than XXX or goodness, that God cannot do anything else but love and do good. Even if, according to my feelings, the opposite seems to be true, I do not worry about it, and I do not want to be deprived of this knowledge, even if I would have to die over it, but I firmly believe that on earth and in heaven there is nothing but pure goodness. But this I conclude, not from a feeling or from what is presently present, but from the word which says that with the Lord there is grace upon me and upon all who believe, but upon those who do not believe comes his wrath. Therefore I will overcome my thoughts by the word, and write this promise in my heart, that having believed in Christ Jesus, and not doubting that my sins are forgiven me by his blood, I shall not be put to shame, though all my senses and experience hold it out to me and prove otherwise. I feel the wrath of God, the hatred of the devil, the extreme anger of the world, but the Holy Spirit does not lie, who commands to hope, because "there is grace with the Lord, and much salvation with him.
"Redemption" (redemtio) means deliverance, and a general one, both from guilt and from punishment, though most of all from guilt. Of this [redemption] he says that it is great and much, because our heart is so narrow. For when we ask for redemption, we pray in such a way that we think we want to be satisfied with very little. Thus, those who are afflicted with sadness of heart wish to have only one day's rest; those who are oppressed by lack think that they want to be satisfied with daily bread. But GOtte is not enough, for he gives above all that we can understand or ask [Eph. 3, 20.], and it is quite true that we do not know how or what to pray [Rom. 8, 26.]. I like to use my own experience. For what and how much hath he done in me, who am a certain man! I wish no more than that this one abuse of indulgences might be remedied. But what a flood of wonderful and exceedingly great benefits has followed! So it is also generally true,
that no one dares to desire as much as God is willing to give. The cause of this is the faintheartedness (angustia) of our heart, the small measure of our hope and the weakness of our faith. 1) Thus, the rich redemption is infinitely beyond our asking. Therefore, the Lord has also provided a way to pray. For if it were not so prescribed by Christ, who of us would have dared to ask so many and so great things? Therefore, through the merit of Christ, we are not only made victors over sin, hell and death, but we also feel the goodness of God manifold in this life, and even though we would never have dared to ask for something so great, the Lord has nevertheless given it to us, and will give us other things as well.
Therefore, the prophet says that "much salvation" fei, which is beyond our comprehension. For as we believe very little (exiliter), so we ask very little. But the Father in heaven sends an abundant rain on the little specks of our prayer and the little drops of our faith, and makes up for the delay with a great abundance. For though we must wait, yet afterward salvation is all the more abundant. Jacob, who is Israel, waited for the Lord, and what came of it? That people transformed almost the whole world by growing from such small beginnings. Or do you not think that if Abraham had seen all his descendants and the great miraculous deeds, he would have said that he could never have hoped for this in his heart? He believed God, who gave him the promise, but he could not believe such a wonderful and glorious figure of his descendants, because of the faintheartedness of the human heart. Thus, after the time of Christ, the Church prayed for the Kingdom of God; this prayer was followed by the fall of the Roman Empire, which, it seemed, was insurmountable. Nowadays we also pray for salvation; therefore, the day of the Lord will come and destroy the whole world with all the power of the devil and hell. Therefore, we should only take care of it,
1) The preceding, as far as Luther speaks of his own experience, has been omitted by the old translator, Georg Major.
that we persevere in hope and faith, then the Lord will prepare a glorious exit from all dangers. For God will not leave us if we have not first stopped hoping and praying.
Therefore, Christians should hold on to this comfort that the oppression is never as great as the salvation will be. Those who think otherwise, do not think correctly. For this is the summa of the first commandment, that he says here, "With GOtt is much redemption." For this means in truth, to be God, that He redeems and saves, and that with greater glory and splendor than a human heart can think.
V. 8. And he will redeem Israel from all their sins.
This promise is the conclusion of the psalm, in which he again shows what cause he has to pray, and what we should hope for in similar danger. But it is exceedingly sweet to see the goodness of God, not only in that he gives, governs and sustains this life, but much more in that he shows that he is an enemy of sin and death, and has to do with redeeming us from these and making us blessed. For this is what makes the other gifts of God acceptable. For even though we know that we are God's creatures, we still cannot enjoy God's gifts with joyful courage, because of sadness, fear of death, an evil conscience, and other such evils. That is, to paint God with His proper colors, so that this life and all creatures will become pleasant to us, when He is painted according to this verse, that He wants to redeem His people from sins, that He wants to kill death, destroy hell and trample Satan. Such a God is the God of the faithful; of the faithful I say for the sake of those who deny and despise Him. For even though those who believe are fainthearted and afflicted
from the devil and from death, they know that God is their Redeemer, who redeems them from all sins. Therefore, they straighten up and hope, and wait for the redemption that is promised to them in the Word.
Therefore, you may use this verse to serve as a description of what God's office is, or what He actually wants to do, namely, that He wants to deal with sinners so that He may take away sins and bring about life, righteousness, joy and all good things. But you know that the means by which God does this is Christ, whom He sent into this world for this reason and subjected to the death penalty, so that those who believe in Him might receive forgiveness of sins and be made children of God.
Thus, the whole Psalm does not teach about outward life or good works, but only about faith and hope in God through Christ and about the final victory against the devil, sin and death. For this is not in human works or in our powers, but it is God's work and power, but it is imparted to us because there is grace with the Lord and much salvation with Him. This is the only cause and the only way to reach this victory. The doctrine of works has another purpose, and it must be insisted upon in such a way that nevertheless nothing is taken away from the honor and merit of Christ, as by God's grace we have everywhere rightly treated this doctrine. But may Christ grant that the same light may also shine to our descendants. Amen. 1)
1) In the Wittenberg and in the Jena it is found here: "1533. usus" oetodri." According to the title of the edition of this Psalm together with the 51st Psalm (Lrl. 6xe]. opp., tom. XIX, p. 1), this information is to be understood in such a way that Luther finished the interpretation of the 130th Psalm on October I, 1533. There it says: I?iniit VnittonbsrMs prima oetodris, Ximo 1533.