Martin Luther on Psalms 121:4

Ver. 4. Beholde, he wil not sleepe nor slumber that kepeth Israel.

These also after the iudgement of the fleshe are deceaueable words. For is this to keepe and defend, when we are cast into prison? deliuered to the tormentor to be burned? when we are vexed of Satan and of the world with many and sundry afflictions? yea when as Christ him selfe is fastened to the crosse? when Iohn Baptist is beheaded at the request of a strumpet? Is it not extreme folly to call this a keeping and defending, when we see nothing else but an vtter forsaking and desolation? Therefore the flesh vnderstandeth these wordes in the contrary sense: that is for God the keeper and defender, To the flesh God semeth to be no keper but a destroyer. God the forsaker and destroyer. These are wordes therefore of the spirite and of faith, and not of the fleshe or carnall sense. For after the flesh God had no regarde of the Patriarke Iacob, when Ioseph was cast away by the crueltie of his brethren, and yet God did afterwardes declare that he had a care of him when he did so aduaunce Ioseph that he became in a manner the king of all Aegypt. Likewise God doth not so kepe vs but that we must dye: yea we must see the departing of our wiues, our children, our parents▪ we must be continually troubled and vexed of Satan: we must suffer many iniuryes of the ingratefull and wicked worlde. How doth this care now appeare in keeping and preseruing vs? wherein doth it appeare that God watcheth ouer vs? Wherefore we must lift vp our eyes to the hilles where the Lord hath published his wil and his word. There must we harken what he speaketh out of his holy temple, namely that he neither sleepeth, nor forsaketh vs, as the flesh peruersely iudgeth: but keepeth vs, careth for vs and watcheth ouer vs. This word faith layeth hold on, God is a keper and still watcheth ouer vs. & according to this word it iudgeth, although the flesh say and iudge the contrary neuer so much, & according to his own sense and feeling do think that God neither seeth nor heareth: but is like to those which the Psalmist speaketh of: They haue eares & heare not, they haue eyes & see not. Therefore he extolleth his owne god Mammon, that he may haue alwayes money at hand, and what so euer may maintaine the pleasures of this life. This vanitie is it that the flesh so magnifieth.

But he seeth not what shall followe when he must dye and forsake his riches, and therefore this keeper, this watchman which keepeth and preserueth vs by faith and by the word, he nothing regardeth. Let vs therefore which do beleue, and see this miserable blindenes of the world, be surely perswaded that this hidden & inuisible protection, vnder the which we abide by the power of faith and of the word, is almightie. For to this the holy Scripture leadeth vs, The kingdom of the deuill. and teacheth that the kingdome of the deuill is the kingdom of sinne and death, and therefore euery moment he causeth men to sinne, murthereth them, seduceth and bringeth them into errour, or at least goeth about by all meanes so to doe. Thus are we alwayes in death, in daunger of sinne, errour and damnable opinions. And what doe we whiles Satan is thus occupyed? we teach, we write, we reade, we sleepe, we eate, we drink, and we exercise such other offices and functions of the body & of the senses. Here our diuinitie teacheth vs euen by our owne experience, that if God did not watch when we sleepe, if he were not carefull for vs when we are careles, we should perish euery moment, we should lose our tongues, our eyes, our eares, our hands, our feete and our life also. And for as much as these thinges doe many times chaunce, and when we little doubt or thinke thereof, our wiues, our children or our frendes dye or else fall into some great daunger, it is a minifest token that the kingdom of the Deuill is the kingdom of death and sinne.

In this kingdom because we liue whiles we are in this world, hereof it commeth, that we often times offend and fall into many sinnes. Thus Dauid became both an adulterer and a murtherer. So that hereby we may learne that the kingdome of the deuill in this world is to aduaunce sinne, to murther & destroy. Now therefore, that we yet liue and breath, that we fall not dayly into greeuous and horrible sinnes, it is the great mercy, goodnes, and protection of this good keper and watchman whom Dauid here speaketh of. Thus doth our diuinitie teach, and thus doe the godly beleue: For by their owne experience they proue, and by experience of the whole Church, that Satan wil neuer rest vntill he destroy if he may, either soule or body. The destruction of the soule he seeketh by lying, by corrupt doctrine, by wicked & false worshipping and seruing. The destruction of the body he attempteth by infinite sleights & practises, wherof we haue experience daily in our selues and other. For as much then as these things doe not come to passe either in such sort or so often as Satan would, it is the benefite, not of Satan, but of this our vigilant keeper and watchman.

Thus we are taught euen by our owne experience (taking this for a principle, that the kingdom of the deuill is the kingdome of sinne and of death) that we are continually and euery moment preserued from death and other daungers both corporally and spiritually by the singular goodnes and grace of Christe, into whose kingdom through baptisme and faith we are translated. And hereof come these heauenly sayings of the Prophets: The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord, his mercy endureth for euer. &c. In deede sometimes Satan so preuaileth, and hath such successe in that he goeth aboute, that by sudden plagues he bringeth men to horrible destruction. Such examples ought to warne vs of those mischeuous practises which he continually goeth about, and faine would bring to passe, as he might easily doe if he were not letted by the vigilancy of our good watchman in heauen. For, as for the power of this our aduersary, I doe beleeue that he is able in one hower to destroy all the people that are liuing vpon the earth. Now, if both he be able and also leaueth no practise vnattempted so to doe, why then is it not done? Because our good keeper watcheth ouer vs. But these be matters of faith: they muste be beleued, and therefore he addeth this word beholde. Whereby it may appeare that his purpose is, earnestly to commend and set forth the great vigilancie and tender care of God towards vs, whereby he keepeth and defendeth vs that we perish not.

And here note that this care and vigilancie for the safety and preseruation of our life, countrey, cities, familyes, peace and tranquillitie amongst vs, &c. is of the Prophet wholy attributed vnto God, when as notwithstanding God vseth to worke the same by other meanes, as first by the ministery of Angels, and then also of men, as of Princes and other inferiour magistrates, &c. Wherby we are admonished that these inferiour meanes which God vseth as his instrumentes for our preseruation are not able to doe vs any good at all, except God him self take vpon him to be our chiefe watchman and defender. God therfore vseth the ministery of these for our succour and reliefe, euen as he doth bread, drinke and other sustenaunce. For as bread and drinke doe not preserue our life (for then no man should dye, and yet because of the ordinance of God and the fraile condition of our nature, they are necessary for the sustentation of our life): so doe these meane helpes nothing auayle vs except God the keeper of Israel doe watch for our succour and defence. This watching, this defence the [illegible: 1 letter]orde of God doth reueile, but the fleshe can not see it, and therefore by a contrary sense thus it expoundeth these wordes: The keeper of Israell, that is to say, the forsaker of Israell doth not sleepe, that is, he is not onely in a moste deade sleepe, but also is without all sense, and is in deede nothing. For reason iudgeth according to euery pinch and pange that the flesh feeleth, and according to the beginning of afflictions or first assaults, and not according to the word, and the end or deliuerance which God promiseth in the word.