Martin Luther on Psalms 128:5

Verse. 5. The Lord out of Sion blesse thee, that thou maiest see the wealth of Ierusalem all the dayes of thy life.

Now, after these high commendations of matrimony, the holy ghoste addeth an excellent prayer, wherein he desireth that God would blesse more & more this kind of life, and that, for such married persons he would giue peace and tranquilitie to the common weale. Nowe all such prayers haue a promise included, that all things shall come to passe as they doe pray. Moreouer, where he addeth: The Lord out of Sion, &c. he doth it because the worship of God was at that time in Sion. Therfore, not onely in hart they looked towards that place (as before we haue declared), but they turned their faces also that way when they prayed, because God had promised that he would there dwell, and there would receaue the prayers and sacryfices of the people. Hereof come these sayinges, To pray before the Lord: To offer before the Lorde: To appeare before the Lord, that is to say, in the tabernacle, wherin was the Arke and the mercy seate, to the which God had bounde him self that he would there be found. Wherefore they called this place the fortitude, the kingdom, the Maiestie, the glory, the bewty and the rest of the Lorde, as in the Psalmes and the rest of the Prophets is to be seene.

After the comming of Christ and the publishing of the Gospel, this place had an ende. Wherefore we say not now, God blesse thee out of Sion, or out of his holy temple, but: through Christ our Lord. For he is our true mercieseat, whereof the mercieseate of the olde Testament was but a shadowe or a figure. For in Christ dwelleth the godhead corporally. Therefore when we pray vnto God, we desire to be heard in the name of Christe and for Christes sake, like as by the example of the olde primatiue Churche, publike prayers are all finished with this clause: Through Christ our Lord. But hereof somewhat we haue saide before: notwithstanding these thinges can not be spoken of enough. For this is true Christian knowledge and wisedome, that our cogitations shoulde not be wandring and scattered, but gathered to one obiect, that is to say, vnto Christ, For like as in the olde Testament the people was gathered togither vnto the Arke or tabernacle, and was not suffered to sacrifice in Dan, Bethel, Gilgal and other places, whiche the wicked Idolaters did choose vnto them selues, so now to come vnto the Lorde, there is no way to be sought by inuocation of Sainetes or any other kind of worship or workes, but by Christ and in Christe alone, according to that saying: VVhatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name, he will giue it you. For God will no where else be founde or worshipped, no not in Heauen, but onely in this one person which was borne of the virgine Mary, that is, in Christe Iesu. He is the true mercieseate and the certaine throne of the Godhead where the godhead dwelleth and is founde corporally as these sentences of the Gospell doe teach: No man commeth vnto the father but by me: I am the way, the trueth and the life. Whoso haue not this obiect, their mindes doe wander in infinite errours and opinions, as in the example of the religious rable of Munkes, Frears and such like it appeareth. One order chooseth Frances, an other Dominicke, an other Benedict, and others likewise finde out diuerse other for their Patrones, by whose rule, as a certaine and vnfallible way, they might come vnto life. And what did all these? Examine their heart, and they will all say with one concent that they sought God. Nowe, they thought God to be such a one in Heauen, that if they were couered with a Munkes cowle, if they abstayned from fleshe, if they lyued without wiues, if they touched no money, &c. then God would heare them and be mercifull vnto them. Thus forsaking the true and onely way which is Christe, they wandered euery man after his owne way: no otherwise then did the Iewes, who when they had one certaine way sette before them whereby they might finde God, namely, if they would goe into the Tabernacle and there worship God, there offer sacrifice vnto him: they forsooke the onely and true way, and ranne to woodes, valleyes, riuers, &c. Thus, whilest they thought to pacifie and please God, they more greeuously offended him: as in the Prophetes we may plainely see in diuerse places, where God saith, that he detested the wayes which they did choose vnto them selues, and that he would not be founde of them. For why did they not keepe the true and infallible way so plainly set forth and taught by the word of God?

This haue I spoken to the end we may reade with knowledge that which the Prophet saith here: The Lorde out of Sion. For he is constrained to make mention of this place for the auoyding of Idolatrie. For God did reueale vnto them, that in this only place he would be worshipped. Wherfore vnder the veile and shadowe of the promise, they worshipped Christ also who was included in the promise. But now that Sion is destroyed and gone, the treasure is opened, that is to say, Christ, who then was hidde in the promise, as vnder a veile. Wherefore let vs remember that all such places must be applyed vnto Christe: Like as also we are taught by experience that in tentations there is no consolation whereby afflicted mindes may be comforted and reysed vp, no not in God, but that onely which is in Christ. For it is not onely perilous, but also horrible to thinke of God without Christ. For besides that Satan is then able most easily to oppresse vs with the brightnes of Gods Maiestie, there is also great daunger euen in this, that God will not so be comprehended or found. We must therefore rest and dwell in this only obiect in the which God sheweth vnto vs his will, euen Christ. But they which seeke any thing without Christ, in their tentations shall feele by their owne perill how daungerous a thing that is.

But you will say, howe doth God now blesse out of Sion any more? Euen so, that thou shalt see the wealth or prosperitie of Ierusalem, that is to say, God for the loue he beareth to godly married persons and such as feare God, wil giue politi[illegible: 1 letter]e peace, which is a thing most necessary, not onely that they may be able the better to prouide for their liuing, but also and especially to bring vp their children honestly and in the feare of God. And this was the cause why cities were first builded, that men ioyning their strēgth & power to gither, might be able to defend them and theirs from the force and crueltie of others. Afterwards, when there was not ayde and helpe enough in one citie, many ioyned their powers togither. So common weales and kingdoms were first begunne, to stablish and mainteyne peace, which married persons haue neede of. Nowe that nature did thus vnite and ioyne these thinges togither and taught men so to do, reason it selfe doth see and perceaue. But the true cause the holy Ghost here setteth forth: to witte, that these thinges come of the blessing which the Lord giueth to married persons, but specially to the godly, who ought to knowe and acknowledge that the first blessing is to feare God: the next is to haue wife and children: the third, to enioy politike peace and quietnes. What wouldest thou haue more? Wherefore for thy vine and oliue plantes which thou hast in thy house, thou shalt see that the Lord giueth Kings, Princes, lawes and whatsoeuer is necessary for the defence and preseruation of the common weale and peace.

And here we are admonished that since Kinges, Princes and Magistrates are ordeyned for the benefite of married persons and families, they ought likewise to yeld obedience vnto them, and whatsoeuer else they haue neede of, whiles they watch for the preseruation of peace. For they are the ministers of God, as Paule calleth them, giuen of God for this purpose, that we may enioy his blessinges in peace. Which peace how great a benefite it is, the common prouerbe of the Germanes witnesseth, which sayth, that a man which hath two kine, should giue the one that he may quietly enioy the other. For what auayleth it thee if thou haue thy house full of riches and are not able to defend the same against theeues and robbers? Seeing therefore that this is done by the Magistrate, yea seeing that iudgement and lawes doe restore that to the owner which is vniustly taken away, good cause there is why honour and obedience is to be giuen to the Magistrate, as the minister of Gods blessings which he bestoweth to the married persons. For this third blessing of matrimony is here recited of Dauid, that they may see the wealth and welfare of Ierusalem, that is to say, that they may see Ierusalem flourish, first by true religion and sounde doctrine, and secondly by godly Magistrates. For these are the benefites and blessinges, not onely of one house, but of all Ierusalem. Thus the holy Ghoste commendeth vnto vs the giftes of God in a goodly order. The firste is the feare of God. This feare comprehendeth the thinges which are conteined in the first table. Nowe, for the feare of God, afterwardes God giueth house and famylye. Thirdly for houses and familyes well ordered, and gouerned in the feare of God, followeth also the thirde blessing, that is to say, a happy common weale.

Wherefore let vs learne to vnderstande rightly the benefites which we receaue by godly Magistrates, and for them let vs be thankful. Againe let vs learne that this gift of God, to haue good Magistrats, is giuen vnto those and for those maryed persons and those familyes which feare God. Which gift the wicked also doe enioy, but yet no otherwise then swine doe their draffe and swill, without any thankes giuing vnto God, or thankful remembrance of this or any other of Gods giftes. For as the destruction of Sodome was differred because of Loth, so oftentimes for a fewe godly familyes or a godly Prince, God blesseth the whole common weale.