Martin Luther on Psalms 132:10

Verse. 10. For thy seruaunt Dauids sake, refuse not the face of thine annoynted.

This is a newe prayer, which he maketh in the trust and confidence which he hath in the promises. For here (as also before) the name of Dauid doth not properly ssgnifie the substance, but [illegible: 1 letter]he qualitie of Dauid, that is to say, Dauid clothed and adorned with the promises of the kingdom. He maketh mētion here of Dauid because of the promises which were made vnto Dauid. As if he sayd: O lord, I beseech thee, preserue and blesse our kingdom: be thou present with vs: be thou our shield and our defence. And this I doe desire, not for myne owne cause onely, as though there were any worthines in me wherefore thou shouldest graunt me this petition: but I desire it in the trust of thy promises which thou madest vnto my father Dauid, when thou saydest that thou wouldest giue a light vnto the house of Dauid, &c. And here haue we both an example and doctrine set before vs, that we also, when we pray vnto god, should looke specially vnto the promises, as we haue sayde sometymes heretofore.

Moreouer this place admonisheth vs of the difference which is betwene the spirituall & the corporall promises. The promises are of two sortes, legall or conditionall, and spirituall. For the corporal promises haue a condition as touching our workes, ioyned vnto them. So ye corporal kingdom was promised to Dauid with this condition: If his posteritie should continue in the word & the wil of the Lord, as in Moses it doth appeare. But the spirituall promises are grounded vpon no condition of mens workes, but vpon the onely mercy & truth of the Lord. Therefore, although the people of Israell were depriued of the kingdom & driuen out of their land, yet notwithstanding the promise as touching the seede of Abraham, was not taken from them.2. King. 7.15. For thus sayth the text: Although I cast them out & viset them with scourges, yet my mercy I wil not take from thē. Esay. 10.23. Likewise Esay sayth: God shall make the consumption which he hath determined in the whole lande. That is to say, God shall consume and destroy the people for their sinnes, & yet for his own mercies sake he will preserue a remnant, out of the which shal rise a new people & a new church. So the promise in this place made vnto ye house of Dauid, is cōditionall, as ye ende declareth in that the whole kingdom is destroyed, Notwithstanding this is also true which ye Angel saith, he shal sit vpon the throne of Dauid for euer. The errour of the Iewes in that they see not the promises as touching their corporall kingdom to be conditionall. This contradiction can neuer be reconciled vnlesse we make such a difference of the promises of God. And hereof riseth all the errour of the Iewes that they know not this difference. They see great and ample promises concerning their land & their kingdom: but they see not that they are conditionall. And againe: all those things which are promised as concerning the spirituall kingdome, they apply to the corporall kingdom. Hereof it commeth that they glory so much and conceaue so great hope that their kingdom shall be restored. But it is an easie matter to iudge how foolishly they are deceiued. But we will returne vnto the Psalme.

The cause why he maketh mention of Dauid, we haue declared to be the promises made vnto Dauid, for the which he desireth of God that he will not turne away the face of his anoynted, that is to say, of the King, which was anoynted by the word & commaundement of God. The face of the anoynted, what it is. Now, the face of the anoynted he calleth the presence of the King, or the kingdom giuen and ordeyned of God. As if he sayd: Preserue O Lord, thy people: mainteyne the iustice, the iudgementes, the equitie, the whole politike gouernment of this kingdom, that all thinges may be done in due order: so that publike peace be not troubled by sedition and ciuill discord, that discipline be not defaced and deformed by adulteries and other offences. For these things and such like doe perteyne to this kingdom. For to enioy a kingdom, is not to enioy a crowne or a scepter, but a godly ordered common wealth, in the which innocencie may safely dwell, and contrariwise sinne and wickednes may be seuerely punished. All these thinges he prayeth for when he desireth that the face of the anoynted may not be taken away.

Nowe, the cause why he desireth these thinges is, for that this people had the word & the Church of God emonges them, which can not prosper and flourish, where all is full of murther, adultery, warre and contempt of lawes. So Paule likewise exhhorteth vs to pray for Kinges and Princes, that we may leade a peaceable and a quiet life. To this prayer doe we also exhort those ouer whome we haue charge. Why then do the wicked accuse vs as troublers of the publike peace▪ I am verely perswaded that if peace and quietnes be mainteyned by any meanes, it is specially by the praiers of our Churches. For how should the aduersaries pray? what should God giue vnto his enemies & the persecutors of his word? which are in deede vtterly ignorant what true prayer is, or howe they ought to pray.