Martin Luther on Psalms 123:1

The 123. Psalme. I lift vp mine eyes vnto thee, &c.

This Psalme (as ye see) is but short, The argument of the Psalme. and therefore a very fitte example to shew the force of prayer not to consist in many words, but in feruency of spirit. For great and weighty matters may be comprised in few words, if they proceede from the spirit & the vnspeakeable gronings of the heart, A breife praier in necessity carrieth power with it. especially when our necessity is such as will not suffer any long prayer. Euery prayer is long enough if it be feruent & proceede from a heart that vnderstandeth the necessitie of the Sainets: not in such small matters as y• world counteth great and weightie, as pouerty, losse of goods, and such other worldly incommodities, but when the Church is oppressed with violence and tyranny, when the name of God is prophaned with wicked doctrine, or if there be any thing else that either hindreth the glory of God or the saluation of soules, These perils can not well be vttered in prayer, and therfore the prayer of the faithfull is then most effectuous, when with griefe of heart and affliction of spirite they see these things, and earnestly thinke vpon them.

So this Psalme is a prayer against the mighty, rich, and welthy of the world, which either cruelly molest and vexe, or proudly deride and contemne the godly, as the last verse doth declare. And these are not onely such as preferre wicked doctrin, superstition & idolatrie before the vndefiled word of God: but euen such also as glory in the word and sound doctrine and will be counted louers & fauourers of the Gospell, and partakers with vs of the name and glory of Christ. Of such there was a great number amongst the people of Israel. For they had the lawe, sacrifices, and ceremonies instituted by Moises according to ye word of God. They had great plentie of Prophets and godly teachers: yet how they vsed them, the storyes doe declare. When Elisha sent the sonne of a Prophet vnto Iehu:4. Reg. 9. the other said: VVherefore commeth this madde fellow vnto thee? The Psalmes also & preachings of the Prophets concerning faith and true righteousnes before God, doe shew that they were contemned and derided of the multitude, yea & condemned as heretikes because they seemed; not to attribute so much to [illegible: 1 letter] sacrifices & ceremonies of y• law as they should do. Likewise Dauid was counted a seditious fellow, a rebel, a traitor, and charged with ambition and greedy desire to reigne. And afterwards when he went about to bring the arke of the Lord to Ierusalem, & with a good and a zealous mind expressed his ioy: Michol his wife receiued him with these words: Oh how glorious was the King of Israel this day: 2. Reg. 6. which was vncouered in the eyes of the maidens of his seruants, as a foole vncouereth him self: Now, we can not thinke that onely Michol did thus slanderously speake of yt kings doings: but there were (no doubt) other also in the court, men both of wisedom & dignitie which iudged the same. For what so euer he be that professeth & loueth the word vnfainedly, & zealously seketh the glory of God, he shalbe iudged and called of the cursed world & worldlings both a foolish & a mad man. That it hath bene alwaies so, the stories do declare, & also these our daies do witnes the same.

Wherfore this Psalme setteth before our eyes a goodly example: that for as much as we are compelled to see & suffer this contempt & despite of the proude & scornful, we should pray with Dauid against al such: that is, first against the pope & his whole kingdom of faces, for they doe not onely proudly contemne vs, but also cōdemne vs. Then also against false brethren, such as in our churches liue in al carnall & godles securitie, and albeit they will seme to be no enemies but friēds vnto ye gospel, yet either deride or molest ye true professors therof. Against al such this Psalme is vnittē for the troubled & afflicted children of God, which are counted of the world either heretical or sedicious; or else fooles and abiectes. But this consolation they haue, that seeing the holy Ghost in this Psalme doth teach them how to pray in these distresses, they shall be heard, and though they be here contemned and counted the outswepings of the earth, they shall be made glorious in the kingdom of God.

Verse. 1. I lift vppe myne eyes vnto thee which dwellest in the heauens.

This is a vehement groning of a troubled mind, A vehement groning of the hart, destitute of all comfort. looking about and seeking euery way for comfort and succour, but none could be found. Whether then shall I miserable ma[illegible: 2 letters]stie (saith he) in this distresse? Strength to with stand mine enemies I haue none. Of wisedom and counsell, beeing compassed with such a multitude of aduersaries, I am vtterly destitute. To thee therefore I come, O my God: To thee I lift vp mine eyes, which dwellest in the heau[illegible: 3 letters] ▪ Here note that the heauens are called the habitatiō of God, not because he is there conteined (for as the heauens are his seate, so is the earth his footestoole): but because he doth from thence more manifestly shew the maiestie of his diuinitie. And what so euer he hath at any time done vppon the earth by reuela[illegible: 1 letter]ions, visions or oracles, he seemed to doe it from heauen, From whence also haue come the most notable and seuere punishments of the wicked: as of the first worlde by the flood: of the Sodomites by the rayning downe of fire with brimstone: of the Egyptians, by ha[illegible: 1 letter]se mixed with fire: of the Amorr[illegible: 1 letter]ans by the rayning of stones from heauen. Psal. 2. Psal. 116. And hereof come these sayings: He that dwelleth in the heauens shall laugh them to scorne. The Lorde looked downe from heauen. The Lord hath prepared his seate in heauen. Our God is in heauen and doth what soeuer he will. Tim 6. VVhich dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto. Therefore we reade that Christ commonly when he prayed, Luke. 9. or when he gaue thankes to his father, looked vp to heauen: And when he departed hence vnto his father, he was seene to ascend vp into the heauens. These things are spoken to this ende that we may knowe that God our father is not earthly▪ infirme, or corruptible: but the Lord and inhabitour of heauen (as a place without all corruption, and therefore a most meete habitation for him) almightie and ruling ouer all, euerlasting, incorruptible, seing all things, percing all things.

The prophet also calleth God here the inhabitour of heauen, to signifie that the earth is full of the proude and scornefull, and that the godly are troden vnder foote of those that dwel vpon the earth, and are counted the ou[illegible: 1 letter]swepings of the world, and therefore he seeth none besides the Lord and inhabitour of heauen of whom he may looke for helpe and succour. The great daunger whereof the Prophete complayneth, is herein expressed, in that he looking about on euery side and seeking for succour, could find none to helpe him but onely the inhabitour of heauen. These thinges make the tentation much more greeuous and terrible, and therfore he prayeth with such wordes in his tentation as perhaps he at that time did not perfectly vnderstand, as Sainct Paule also sayth: VVe vnderstand not what we pray. The spirite knoweth and vnderstandeth what these wordes meane: but man can not conceiue the power therof in the time of his tentation, whiles faith is infirme and is yet in the conflict. But when our petition is graunted & prayer heard, then faith hath her force, and we haue more perfect vnderstanding both of the tentation and also of the prayer which we therein vsed.

The Prophet therefore in this verse setteth the inhabitour of heauen against the inhabitours of the earth, and conceiueth comfort and courage, that albeit the world is great and mighty, yet God is more mighty. This is the meaning of the Prophet in this verse. And albeit the wordes bee but simple, as ye see, yet are they full of consolation to him that beleeueth. The spirite which ministreth these wordes and stirreth vppe these groninges in the heartes of the afflicted, knoweth with what maiestie and power they are spoken.