Martin Luther on Psalms 122:4

Verse. 4. VVhereunto the tribes, euen the tribes of the Lorde goe vp for a testimony, or to testifie to Ierusalem, and to praise the name of the Lord.

This verse also conteineth in [illegible: 1 word] the words afore recited out of Exod: VVhere I shall put a m[illegible: 1 letter]moriall of my name, &c. For this memoriall signifieth the whol[illegible: 1 letter] worship of God, togither with the word: that is, the preaching of the promises and the law, with the ministery of the priestes, not [illegible: 3 letters]ly in the sacrifices of the law, but specially in the chiefest sacrifi[illegible: 1 letter]es of all: that is, of the celebrating & praysing the name of the Lord. In the which were set forth spirituall consolations of victory against sinne and death, and also temporall, concerning the kingdom and political order. These benefits he setteth forth when he speaketh of ascending vp, and maketh a comparison betwene Ierusalem and other cities. As if he said: Other cities may flourish with riches and power more then this citie, but this is it to the which the tribes doe ascend: not as they doe in other nations, but the tribes of the Lord, which the Lorde him selfe hath chosen to be his people aboue all other nations of the earth, and he to be their God. And here he doth not exclude the Proselytes which were of the Gentiles and did associate them selues vnto this people: for he speaketh simply of those that did ascend vp to heare the word and to inuocate the name of the Lord: as the words that followe do declare.

For a testimony vnto Israel, & to praise the name of the Lord. Whereby he signifieth no other thing but that there was a place in Ierusalem appointed of the Lord for the preaching of the word and prayer. The chiefest seruice of God is to preach the word & pray And this is worthy to be noted, that Dauid speaketh of no moe kindes of sacrifice but of these two onely. He saith not that the temple was appoynted of God that sacrifices should there be slaine, incence offered, oblations made, and euery man shewe him selfe thankfull vnto God with his gifts. Of these things he maketh no mention at all: albeit they were commaunded to be done no where else but in the temple. Onely he speaketh of preaching the word and thanks giuing, or prayer. And albeit he reproueth not these sacrifices, yet he plainly declareth that ye summe of true religion is, to heare the Lorde when he speaketh vnto vs, and to inuocate and praise his holy name.

This is it for the which Dauid so highly praiseth his temple, (which we also ought specially to beholde in our temples) that the tribes doe ascend vp thether to testifie vnto Ierusalem:To testifie what it signifieth. that is, to teach and to heare the worde of God. For so he meaneth by this word [testifie] as the Hebrewes haue many words to signifie the ministery of the word and doctrine. To vtter, to promise, to confesse, to sitte, to iudge, to testifie, to teach, all these words in effect doe signifie as much as to preach or publish the word. The preachers are witnesses to the people of that they knowe: whiche is not sene nor felt, but beleued. They are also witnesses which he are the word. For when they heare it they testifie or beare witnesse against the deuill, the kingdom of the world, sinne and death: also against adulterers, murtherers, theeues, false brethren, &c: for the glory of God, the aduancing of his kingdom, chastitie, innocencie, charitie, &c. For God is inuisible, and therefore when they are heard which teach and preach vnto vs the word of God, then God him selfe is heard. For he can not be heard but by witnesses, and (as S. Paule calleth them) by his messengers. That which is taught them in the Church is inuisible and absent, and therefore can be apprehended by no other meanes, but by the testimony of the word. So the whole Gospell is a testimony: for it speaketh of things absent, and it is nothing else but the preaching of faith. This I speake for the simple and ignorant concerning this word [testifie].

This is the cause then why Dauid so reioyceth, namely that his Ierusalem was builded to this ende, that the worde of faith might there be preached, whereby ye people might learne to know what the will of God is, what he intendeth to do with his people, what punishment and plagues he threatneth to the wicked. And this preaching is the testimony which Dauid here speaketh of, made vnto the children of Israell gathered togither in this place: whereby they were knowne to be the peculiar and chosen people of God from all other nations, as he saith in an other Psalme: He hath not so dealt with euery nation. Wherfore we also haue great cause to acknowledge the rich blessing of God, that ye word of God is now purely & sincerely preached emongst vs, as it was then in Ierusalem, and the sweete promises of the Gospell sounding in the eares & consciences of the godly to their singular comfort and consolation: also the threatnings of God published, wherby the wicked are called to repentance and the godly kept in the feare of God and mortification of the olde man through the assistance of the holy Ghost, whom the father through Christ and for Christes sake, poureth vppon them aboundantly which willingly and gladly receiue this testimony.

This is one part then of the true worship of God, to learne the way how to worship God in such sort as best pleaseth him, which consisteth in teaching of the word & hearing of God when he speaketh vnto vs by his witnesses, and therefore the Deuill desireth nothing so much as to hinder ye preaching & hearing of the worde. For this cause he rayseth vp, (as ye heard in the first Psalme) lying lippes and deceitful tongues: he stirreth vp the worlde with sword and power to oppresse the godly, and euen in our selues he goeth about to deface this kinde of seruice and worship of God by our deuilish contempt and lothing of the same. But contrariwise, to build Churches and gorgiously to decke them for the maintenance of masses, oblations, false worship and idolatrie, all this he can abide well enough: for by these thinges he knoweth that his strength is not diminished, nor his power weakened. But when the word of God is preached concerning remission of sinnes, the righteousnes that commeth by Christ and life euerlasting, this doctrine destroyeth his kingdom. This causeth him to rage and to seeke by all meanes possible, how he may hinder the course of the gospell.

The other part of the worship of God is to praise the name of the Lord. To giue thankes to the Lord is a fruite of the word. This Dauid maketh the second kinde of worship, when he commendeth his Ierusalem. And here againe note that he speaketh nothing of the sacrifices of the law: for albeit he doth not discommend them, (as I said before) yet he reckeneth them but as chaffe in comparison of the word and the fruite which followeth thereof, which is thanks geuing. And if he had named the sleying of sacrifices, euery man had not bene able to serue God with that kinde of worshippe, Therefore he requireth nothing else but that which they were able to do without great charges, which yet notwithstanding very few did. He did not condemne the building of ye temple which afterwards should be done by his sonne Salomon, but did earnestly desire the same, and the cause why he did desire it here you see, namely that first the name of God might there be preached, and then that God might there accept the praiers of his people, with praise and thanks geuing for his benefits receiued.

Hitherto we haue heard how the Prophete extolleth and magnifieth the incomparable gift & benefit of God, the word I meane, with thanks and praise vnto God for the same. For that is a benefite and blessing in dede which is knowne and acknowledged so to be. All the world, as we see, is full & euen glutted with the benefits of God: notwithstanding it remaineth still in such blindnes that it knoweth them not to be the giftes of God, and therefore it taketh and vseth them no otherwise then hogges doe their draffe & swill, But Dauid seeth that God had geuen him a kingdom, wherin the pure word of God and true religion flourished. This great benefite he acknowledgeth, and therefore he so reioyceth and magnifieth his Ierusalem, as a place appointed by ye Lords owne mouth where the people might come togither to heare the word of God and to giue thankes vnto God for his benefites: out of the which place it was not possible to find God. The Gentiles, because they had not the word, nor this hearing whereof Dauid here speaketh, could not find God. Hereby we may see how horrible a thing it is, to contemne and to loth the word. For what can be more horrible then that man a weake creature, nothing but earth & dust, should so lift vp him selfe in pride, that when the maiestie of God speaketh & most louingly inuiteth him to heare, he will not heare. And yet we see that there is nothing more common then this impietie, this horrible contempt, this deuilish lothing of the worde of God emongst all sortes of men. The cause is, for that we heare not the Lord speaking now vnto vs in his Maiesty, as he spake in ye moūt Sinai, at what time the people were astonished & trembled at the terrible voyce of the Lord, & yet how soone had they forgotten the Lord, and murmured both against the Lord and against Moises. Thus in his Maiestie he speaketh no more, but he speaketh nowe vnto vs by men, and therefore he is contemned. Horrible it is that Sodome was burnt vp with fire from heauen. Horrible it is also that the whole world was destroied with water. Moreouer ye daily examples of impiety and wickedness, as murther, whoredom, &c. are such that they can not be heard without horrour & trembling. But how horrible so euer all these thinges be, yet is it much more horrible to contemne God when by his word he speaketh vnto vs: which al the world doth at this day, not only they which persecute ye word with open tyranny, but such also as are euen emongst vs, & at ye beginning seemed to receiue this doctrine wt great reioycing.

Wherefore Dauid exhorteth vs in this Psalme, with thankefulnes to acknowledge this singular benefite of the word, and to beware of the horrible contempt thereof. Howe much better is it to suffer pestilence, famine and the sword: howe much more tolerable for Dauid to become both an adulterer and a murtherer, so that there remaine a reuerence to the word (which repentaunce necessarily bringeth with it) then to fall so farre as to contemne the word? For this is to heape wrath vpon wrath: like as it is to heape grace vpon grace with Dauid, to hold fast the word, and withall to acknowledge the great benefite thereof.

To be briefe, like as there is no greater ioy and felicitie to the godly, then to heare and to know the voyce of God speaking vnto them, offering, grace, peace, remission of sinnes and life euerlasting: so can there be to them no greater crosse then the contempt of the worde. For what doest thou else but contemne God him selfe, yea crucifie againe the sonne of God, and treade thy Sauiour vnder thy feete, when thou contemnest the word of God, which for thy saluation, is reueiled & offered vnto thee? No mortal man can abide such intolerable contempt, as the Lord our God continually suffereth. For he is patient, and would that we should conuert and repent: but he payeth home at the length, as we may see by the fall of the Synagoge and the destruccion of Ierusalem. For Christ plainly sheweth that the cause of such horrible calamities was, for that they did not knowe the time of their visitation. Let vs learne then, by these examples, what a great blessing it is to heare the Lorde our God speaking vnto vs, and as a tender mother with her children, most louingly talking with vs: For this is it which Dauid meaneth when he speaketh of the ascending vppe of the tribes to Ierusalem and to the house of the Lord, to testifie vnto Israel, that is, there to teache and to heare the word of the Lord, and to giue thankes vnto him for his benefites. This is that citie therfore that is worthy to be decked with all precious ornaments. This is the people of whom our Sauiour Christ sayth: Blessed are they that heare the word of God & keepe it with a good heart. Here is the kingdom of heauen, here is the true paradise, here are the open gates to euerlasting life.