Martin Luther on Psalms 130:6

Verse. 6. My soule wayteth on the Lorde from the morninge watch, euen vnto night.

When Satan cannot preuaile by plaine and direct meanes in tempting vs to forsake the word and followe our owne imaginations, The thirde tentation. as the heretikes doe: or retaining the word to turne to Idolatrie, as the Papistes doe: then he goeth aboute to make vs weery of all togither and vtterly to giue ouer. VVe must not be we cried or discouraged through the importunity & continuall assaultes of the enemy Wherefore, we must not onely haue a good courage that we may obtaine the victorie, but we must also continually withstand his force, endure his assaults, & neuer suffer our selues to be ouercome by his importunitie. For oftentimes we see that by long continuance they are ouercome, whom no troubles, were they neuer so great, could ouercome. And in warfare we se, that nothing is so much commended as to presse still vpon the enemie. So the Turke, although he hath had many ouerthrowes, yet because he still goeth on and neuer giueth ouer, therefore he preuaileth. In this continuance, diligence & trauel, al they must constantly perseuere, which wil hold this doctrine of iustification & righteousnes. And here Dauid setteth forth his owne example, that like as the enemie hath his continuall assaultes and neuer giueth ouer: so he also neuer ceaseth to wait vpon the Lorde & to trust in the Lord, that not only wt a strong & a valiant, but also with a constant faith & inuincible hope, he may gaine ye victory.

Satan is a continuall enemie, and neuer ceaseth to assaile vs. Wherefore we must learne by the policie of our enemie to play the good souldiers. For he is neuer weery in deuising and practising all the meanes possible, whereby he may trouble and molest the Church. So at the first the ende of one heresie was the beginning of an other, and one persecution followed an other. We also at the beginning had many conflicts with the Pope and his monsters. When they were repressed, by and by new errours ensued, which notwithstanding did not then first begin to spring vppe, but the olde enemie (who, as he is neuer weery, so lacketh he no subteltie and policie to doe mischiefe) raysed vp againe such errours and heresies as had beene conuicted and confounded long agoe, to the end that the poore afflicted church might haue no breathing time. For we see what swarmes of Epicures be now euery where: And there is no small number also of such as seeke to reuiue the heresie of Arius. This continual diligence and importunitie of the enemy it behoueth vs to know, that we fall not into security. For it is not enough to haue once ouercome, but one battaile followeth an other, and one victory an other.

This earnest and continuall trauell of the enemie, we doe not onely see in the story of the Church, but we haue experience therof also in our selues and in our owne priuate exercises. Wherfore, if by prayer thou hast this day ouercome, be not negligent and secure, for to morrow he will come again more strongly armed and prepared then he did before. Wherefore doe thou also prepare thy selfe to a new battaile. So it commeth to passe that the same tentation which to day we were able easily to ouercome, to morrow shall ouercome vs and giue vs the ouerthrowe. A Christian therfore must be readily prepared, not only with strength to stand against the enemie, but with stedfast purpose also to continue vnto the end. Our course and race is as it were in a circle which hath no end. For he runneth not in such a race wherein there is any ende of his course during this life: but he runneth as it were, in a rownd circle, in the which he must haue a continuall recourse thither where he first began. Therefore our Sauiour Christ saith: He that continueth to the end shall be saued. We must not then be discouraged by the importunitie of our enemie, or ouercome with tediousnes, and long continuance, but we must fight, not onely against the power and subtiltie of our enemie, but also against our owne weakenes and weerines, and raise vppe our selues with this faith, that like as Satan sleepeth not, so the Lorde our God neither sleepeth nor resteth.

Thus Dauid setteth out vnto vs his owne example, that we being armed against all tentations which followe the remission of sinnes, shoulde giue no place to the enemie. For albeit it is most certaine, that there is mercie with the Lorde, that our sinnes are forgiuen, that we are baptised into the death of Christ, that we are called by the word vnto the communion of Sainctes, and that we, with the other members of Christ, are nourished by the body and blood of Christ, all these thinges (I say) although they be most certaine, yet are we still in daunger lest we be deceiued of the craftie enemie, which lyeth in waite for vs on euery side. He is on our right hand by hypocrisie and securitie: he is on our lefte hande by tyrannes and desperation. Besids all this, so great is his vigilancie, that he is neuer farre of, but euer at hand. Therefore the Prophet saith: My soule wayteth on the Lorde from the morning watch, &c.

This saying of the heathen is well knowne: The patiēce of the Gentiles. furor fit laesa saepius patientia, that is, patience being often times hurt, is turned into madnes. For if patience suffer any thinge, it commeth of a certain desperation, as when a man thus thinketh with him selfe: All that I suffer is but in vaine. This patience is turned into fury and is oppressed with desperation. The patiēce of the Christians, and how it differeth frō the patience of the heathen▪ But Christian pacience will not suffer it selfe to be oppressed: but continually taketh hold vpon hope, whereby at length it preuaileth and getteth the victory. It is a harde thing not to be discouraged with such trobles as daily happen in matters perteining to the common course of this life. But patiently to endure those afflictions which Dauid by his owne example sheweth that Christians which haue already receiued the forgiuenes of sinnes must suffer: to haue a stedfast hope in the bitter vexations of sinne and accusations of conscience, and patiently to suffer all other aff[illegible: 1 letter]ictiōs wherwith Satan vexeth and tormenteth the beleeuing heart, this is in deede a diuine and an heauenly vertue, and such a conflicte, that God hath promised vnto it an incorruptible crowne of glory. Now ensueth an exhortation, that we should follow this example of Dauid and embrace this doctrine.