Martin Luther on Psalms 128:1

The 128. Psalme. Blessed is euery one, &c.

In the former Psalme the Prophet intreated of both kindes of life, The argument of the Psalme. that is, both of policie and housholde gouernment. The same thing in a manner he doth also in this Psalme, but yet after an other sort. For albeit in this Psalme he ioyneth houshold gouernment or matrimony with polycie and politike gouernment, and wisheth the blessing of God and peace vnto them both, yet hath he here a more respect to housholde gouernment, because it is, as it were the fountaine and beginning of politike gouernment. For the children which we bring vp and instructe at home the posteritie will afterwardes make gouerners of the common weale. For of houses are made cities, of cities shires, of shires a common weale or kingdome. Housholde gouernment therefore is called the fountaine of policie & politike gouernment. For where housholdes and familyes are not maintained, there can be no Citie, no common weale, no kingdome. Wherefore to this Psalme we will giue this title, that it is an holy hymme, or a song in the praise of matrimony, whereby the Prophets comforteth such as liue in that holye state, wishing vnto them and promising all felicitie and blessinges of God. These things may afterwarde be also applyed vnto polytike gouernment. For as God blesseth matrimony because it is the ordinance of God and a kinde of life which highly pleaseth God, euen so is the Magistrate also ordayned of God and hath a certaine promise of the blessing of God.

And here appeareth the wisedome of the holy Ghost, which hideth from vs those thinges that in this kind of life are greuous or odious, and speaketh onely of those which are most meete to perswade and are good thinges in deede. The world doth the contrarie. For it is not onely ignoraunt of the good things which are in matrimony, but also if it see any such, it estemeth them as nothing because of the troubles which presently it feeleth. No maruel is it therefore, that when wicked men speake of this kind of life, they speake after an other sort & with other words, then the holy ghost is wont to speake. For they follow the sense and iudgement of the flesh onely, and see nothing else either in ciuill gouernment or in matrimony and housholde affaires, but those things which seeme to be painfull, hard, and full of trouble: And not onely so doe, but those thinges also which in these kindes of life are diuine and heauenly in deede, they doe not perceiue, because of those small troubles and discommodities which touch the flesh. And hereof come these sayings: There is no citie without a burde[illegible: 1 letter], that is, without a woman. A wife is a necessary euill. To bury a wife, is better then to marry her. If we could be without women, we shoulde be without great troubles: And such other like sayinges tending to the dispraise and reproch of women.

The cause why men doe thus peruersely iudge, is this, that the flesh is to poysoned with originall sinne, that it can not be content to beare the punishmentes of sinne. It seeketh after such thinges as are sweete and pleasaunt: but troubles and trauells it can not beare. Wherefore either it flieth altogither from matrimony and all ciuill affaires, as the Epicures and bellygods doe, or else abuseth the same to his owne lust and pleasure. So blind is it through originall sinne with the desire of pleasures▪ glory and riches. Necessary it was therefore to apply some medicine vnto our corrupt nature, and somewhat to represse and to bridle the wanton fleshe with those troubles which are both in matrimony and in ciuill affaires.

Wherefore, when we reade these praises of matrimony in the holy Scripture, and compare them with the iudgement of man, we shall see the one to be clene contrary to the other. We must say therefore that these thinges are true according to the spirite, but according to the flesh they are not true. So where he sayth afterwards of the godly married man: Thou shalt be blessed & it shall be well with thee, the flesh thinketh the contrary, and iudgeth the married person to be most miserable and most vnhappy, because he is constrayned to get his liuing with great labour and trauell. For the world knoweth not the thinges that pertaine to the holye Ghost, and the good things and great blessinges of God that are in matrimony, it seeth not, but resteth onely in the creature, and seeth not God creating, gouerning and blessing the creature.

Contrariwise ye holy Ghost loketh to ye creator, & magnifieth the blessing of God, although it be ouerwhelmed with neuer so many afflictions and tentations. And for the troubles and discommodities that are incidēt to these kinds of life, either he couereth them, or else he maketh them lesse then they be. And this the world can not doe. The wisest men therefore (as in histories we may see) did refuse to beare office in the common weale, or to deale in publike affaires. The same thing commeth to passe also in matrimony. For yong men will hardly suffer this yoke to be layd vpon them, as the olde man sayth of them in the Poet. They (sayth he) which are in loue (he meaneth vnchast loue and fleshly lust) can not abide to heare of mariage. They wil not forsake their filthy pleasures to liue chastly in holy matrimony. And if there be any which thorough vehement loue are brought vnder this yoke, when they see no such successe thereof as they looked for, but that some troubles or other doe follow, which they being blinded with loue could not foresee, then they complaine, then they repent yt euer they brought them selues into such bondage: hereupon it followeth that the husband will rather beare with all wickednes in an harlot & a strumpet, then with any litle fault in his owne wife: as also the wife, except she be very godly, will sooner winke at the wickednes of an adulterer, then at the small offences of her owne husband. For nature can not beare these yokes, if men be not well instructed by the word, and lightned by the holy Ghost, and so looke vnto the creator, who hath ordeyned both families and common weales, & will haue them to be gouerned and guided by this miserable and frayle flesh. They that haue not this knowledge, are soone prouoked to impatiencie when they see that all thinges haue not such successe as they would.

Wherefore euen such as are godly minded, must be taught, exhorted and stirred vp, to behold some thing aboue & beyonde these troubles, reiecting the iudgement of the wise men of this world, and to looke to the true and inestimable good thinges which God hath hidden in these kindes of life. Then shall they more easily beare their troubles, and shew their obedience vnto God when he sendeth diuerse tentations. And to this ende we will enterprete this Psalme, this mariage song, that we may behold those spirituall good things which God hath hidden in matrimony, & esteme the same accordingly, to the end that we be not like to this world, which seeth the works of God, and yet doth not vnderstand them, and heareth the blessing and sweete promises of God and doth not beleue them.

Verse. 1. Blessed are all they which feare the Lord and walke in his wayes.

First of all here is to be noted, that the Prophet doth not by and by enter i[illegible: 1 letter]ts the promises of God concerning matrimony, as though they were giuen onely in respect of matrimony: but he beginneth with the first table, & calleth him blessed that feareth the Lord. And this he doth, to shew that the world doth not vnderstād what it is to marry a wife and to liue in the state of Christian matrimony. Wherefore if any troubles come, it can not beare them patiently, and therefore it is not blessed, but rather miserable and vnhappy. But he that feareth the Lord, whether he be called to any gouernment in the common weale, or marry a wife, is blessed, what successe so euer follow thereof.

For it may be that euen they also which feare the Lord, shall haue no good successe in matrimony, but shall be coupled eyther with wicked, or with froward and disobedient wiues, or else they shall be otherwise shaken with one tentation or other, as with the vntimely death of a good wife, or with vntractable and degenerate children, or with barennes & lacke of fruite. Here, if a man be godly and fearing God, he shall soone ouercome these troubles & tentations. For thus will he thinke with him selfe: I haue mette with such a wife as is vnto me many wayes a great crosse and vexation: with whom no man else could quietly liue one day. But this gift God hath giuen me, that I should know and acknowledge him to be both my creator and father, and to learne patiently to endure & abide his good will and pleasure, &c. with this gift are ouercome, not onely all the troubles and miseries of matrimony, but all calamities besides what so euer.

The Prophet therfore beginneth this holy hymne, or this mariage song after this maner: If thou wilt be happy and blessed, & hast a mind to liue in the state of matrimony, this shalt thou finde, that the Lord will giue vnto thee a wife, house, and children, with other commodities. But aboue all things see that thou feare God, and in the name of God begin this kind of life. This is a profitable doctrine, which here ye holy Ghost setteth forth euen at the beginning, to the ende that he which can not liue a single life, should begin his matrimony with the first commaundement, and calling vpon God for his help & succour, should come forth into the presence of God, and say: Lord, thou sayest vnto me in thy word, that thou art and wilt be my Lord and my God. Thou hast made me a man, or thou hast made me a woman. This is thine owne creation, and this is thine owne worke. I did not so make my selfe, neyther was I so made by fortune or chaūce. Giue good successe therfore vnto thy creature, & graunt that I may be a happy husbande, or that I may be a happy wife, &c. that so we may beginne in the feare of God, that we be not secure & careles, or presuming of our owne strength, nor rashly enter into this kind of life, like sauage & brutish people, and such as neither know nor feare God: but may call vpon him who hath created vs to this kind of life. Then shall all thinges come luckely to passe, then shall they haue good successe.

The holy Ghost beginneth his holy hymne after an other maner then other Poetes doe. For he exhorteth vs that we shoulde first of al call vppon God, and conceiue in our harts a sure trust of his mercy. For God will not turne his eare from thee if thou call him thy creator, but will againe acknowledge thee to be his creature, and will not deny this to be his worke, that thou art a man, or that thou art a woman. But presumption he abhorreth, and will not haue thee to beginne this kinde of life trusting in thine owne policie, but rather that thou shouldest suspecte the same, knowing that God will not prosper thy doings and policies, except thou aske counsell of him. Therefore sayth hee, Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. For we haue dayly examples before our eyes, that at the beginning there is often times vehement and feruent loue betweene man and wife, whiche afterwarde is easily quenched, so that either they liue miserably and vnquietly togither, or else the one forsaketh the other. Some times they are so drowned in wealth and pleasure, that they liue all togither without the feare of God: And this is a farre greater misery. But worthely doe these miseryes and calamities fal vppon them. For why doe they not ioyne withall the feare of God?

Here thou muste learne therefore to liue in the feare of God, who hath created thee that thou shouldest be a husbande, or that thou shouldest be a wife, and he will also gouerne, blesse and prosper thy mariage. But if thou wilt not acknowledge him to be thy gouerner, but wilt rule thy wife and thy family after thine owne fantasie, without inuocation and prayer vnto God, it will followe that either thou shalt ouerthrow all togither, or shalt be so blinded with continuall successe, that thou shalt fall yet into farre greater euils. God wil be feared and serued: that is, he will haue vs to confesse and acknowledge that what so euer we take in hande, can not prosper or haue any good successe without his helpe and assistaunce.

It is very profitable and necessary, with all diligence to teach this doctrine to those which are yet young, that they may know it and follow it. The cause is this, for that matrimony remayneth in the world and in the flesh, that is to say, euen in the middest of Deuils. The husband, as touching the fleshe, soone lotheth or hateth the wife or the wife her husband. What is the cause hereof? Euen this is the cause, for that matrimony consisteth in the fleshe, which is wholy corrupt & poysoned with sinne. This (the flesh I meane) Satan inflameth with hatred and euery light offence, or else with ielousie. Wherefore if thou looke not vnto the wil of God, thy matrimony can neuer be vnto thee either stable or comfortable.

Wherefore youth must be well enstructed as touching matrimony, that when any man shall marry a wife, he may liue with her in the fauour and blessing of God, and say: Lord, this is thy gift, that I am a man. This wife also is thy gift. We are in the worlde and this fraile flesh, and in the middest of deuils the disturbers of matrimoniall loue. Giue vnto vs therefore thy blessing, that albeit some offences doe rise betwene vs, yet thy blessing and the reuerent consideration of thy giftes, wherewith thou hast endued vs in this our matrimony, may vanquish and ouercome the same, &c. This is the cause why he beginneth this verse with the feare of God, that he may take from vs all presumption, lest we shoulde thinke that we shall haue and enioy all thinges as we our selues haue imagined. For so shal it not be: or if it so come to passe, it shal not be without a greater mischiefe, euen the reiecting of the word and knowledge of God. The meanes to escape this, is to feare God and to trust in him, and so in the name of God with humble prayer to begin matrimony, committing the successe wholy vnto God.

In the Papacie they most wickedly defaced this holy institution, For they called it the secular state, and marryed folkes were taught to recite in their priuate confession among other sinnes, the company betwene man and wife. Amongst the blind popish Sophisters and schoolemen there was a disputation as touching veniall and mortall sinne in carnall copulation (as contemptuously this carnall Spiritualtie calleth it betwene man and wife. But these were both vaine and wicked disputations. And hereof Augustine semeth to haue giuen an occasion when he saith, speaking of veniall sinne, that it is like to the sinne of married folkes, for the which (saith he) men doe pray: Forgiue vs our trespasses. True it is in deede that this companing of man and wife togither ought to be moderate, to suppresse the feruencie of fleshly desire: And like as a measure ought to be kept in meats and drinkes, so godly married folks ought not to yeelde to much vnto the flesh. For this burning desire and foule lust wherewith the flesh is enflamed, commeth of sinne. Therefore for the punishment of this lust, is annexed withall the bitter wormewood of many cares and troubles which men haue for liuing, for children, for the gouerning of priuate and publike affaires, besides the offences of their familyes, their neighbours, &c. All these thinges are cast vppon the flesh as salt to season the wantonnes of the same: For whose infirmity God by matrimony would prouide, but not encrease the desire and lust thereof.

This doctrine then must first be taught (for else can not matrimony be happy, comfortable and pleasing God) that such as enter into the state of matrimony should feare God, that is to say, they should cast away the presumption of their owne deuises and policies, and giue them selues to humble prayer, desiring of God a good, a chast, and obedient wife, and also good successe in other thinges, and that if any thing happen contrary to their expectation, they may take it in good part that their hope is deceaued and their policie disapoynted.

And here the Prophet doth not onely require that whiche is commaunded in the first precept, to witt, that they should giue vnto God his due worship, that is, they should feare God and trust in his goodnes and mercy, (for this is the seruice which we owe vnto God) but he addeth moreouer: Blessed is the man that walketh in his wayes, that is to say, which doth the workes also of the first table, which yeeldeth obedience vnto his parentes and to the Magistrate, which committeth no murther, which doth nothing that may be hurtfull vnto others, which defileth not him selfe with harlots and whoredome, but marrieth a wife to this ende that he may liue chastly and auoyd such wickednes. The Papistes were wont to sing and yet doe sing this Psalme, but they vnderstande it not. For they follow Hierome, which vnlearnedly and very vngodly thus reasoneth against matrimony. If married folkes be blessed (saith he) it followeth that Isaac before he was forty yeres olde, & likewise other holy men whiche had no wiues, were not blessed with this maner of blessednes. But we know that ye psalme speaketh not of those which are priuileged, A priuilege as touching continencie and to whom it is giuen. as Ieremy had a commaundement that he should not marry. Iohn Baptist for a singular purpose abstained from mariage: as our Sauiour Christ also did. Let them which haue this gift saile on with their owne winde and keepe the course appoynted vnto them of God. But let vs which haue not this gifte, & are without this priuilege of these excellent men, learne this verse: that is, in the feare of the Lorde let them marry and so walke in the wayes of the Lord. And let them know that they may so liue in this kind of life, that both they may feare the Lord and walke in his wayes, contrary to the vaine perswasion and deuilish doctrine of the Pope and the whole Papacye, Chast matrimony can not stād with the vnchast and filthy religion of the Papistes. which dreame that matrimony is such a kinde of life as is eyther cleane contrary to religion, or not agreeable to the same.