Martin Luther on Psalms 124:8

Verſe 8. Our help is in the Name of the Lord who hath made both Heaven and Earth. This is the Concluſion of Thankſgiving, containing a worthy ſentence of great Comfort, that againſt Sin, the horrour of Death,The Name of the Lord is our only Sanctuary and ſuccour in all afflictions. and other Dangers, there is no other help or ſafety but only the Name of the Lord. If that were not (ſaith he) we ſhould fall into all manner of Sin, Blaſphemy, Errors, and into all kind of Calamities. But our help is in the Name of the Lord, which preſerveth our Faith and our Life againſt the Devil and the World. And as ye heard in the other Verſes before, ſo he ſheweth in this verſe alſo, that God ſuffereth his Saints to be tempted, and in their Tentation to fall into great Diſtreſs, as even now ready to be drowned and ſwallowed up preſently with great floods of Water: yet notwithſtanding this Comfort he ſheweth them, that he will not utterly forſake them. By the which Examples we may learn to know the Will of the Lord, and to ſeek our help and ſafety at his hands, which ſuffereth his People to be exerciſed in the Furnace of Egypt, not to their utter Deſtruction, but only to kill the old man with his vain hope and confidence which he hath in his own ſtrength. This is the cauſe why God ſuffereth his People to be exerciſed. For it is not hearing, reading, talking, or teaching, nor Speculation only which maketh a Chriſtian man, but Practice is that which ſpecially is required in a true Chriſtian, that is to ſay, the Croſs, to pluck down the fleſh and bring it to nothing; That man, deſpairing of his own ſtrength, and ſeeing no ſuccour in himſelf, ſhould reſign himſelf wholly unto the Lord, looking with Patience and Hope for help at his hand: for this is the Will of God. Neither muſt we imagine to our ſelves any other God then ſuch an one as will help the afflicted and oppreſſed with Deſperation and other Calamities. To know this Doctrine is one piece of the victory. For they that know it not when Tentation aſſaileth them, either do deſpair or ſeek other helps. Let us learn then out of this Pſalm, that it is the Will of God to exerciſe his Saints with troubles and afflictions: Who ſuffereth great floods of Water to run over their heads: who alſo permitteth them to fall into the Snares of the Wicked, and tryeth every Way, not to deſtroy them, but to ſhew them what they are of themſelves, and ſo to teach them to truſt in his ſaving health. But the fleſh looketh to the power and multitude of the Adverſaries, and her own infirmity: but to look unto God, and to hope for his help and ſuccour, it is not able. Wherefore this is a neceſſary Concluſion: Our help is in the Name of the Lord. It is a ſhort-Sentence, but it ſetteth forth moſt worthy Doctrine and Conſolation: whereof ſpecially in theſe latter days we have great need, ſeeing the Pope, together with the greateſt part of the Princes and Rulers of the World, ſo cruelly do perſecure the Doctrine of the Goſpel. In reſpect of theſe huge Mountains, what are we ſmall Molehils? Yea tho there were no Force nor Power of man for us to fear, how are we able to ſtand againſt, not only ſo many Devils, but even the very gates of Hell alſo? And yet this Experience we have of the great Mercy and Goodneſs of the Lord our God, that when we are even in their hands, and never ſo much oppreſſed, yet are we not forſaken, but are ſafe through our Confidence and truſt in his Help.The fruit of afflictions. But to this Wiſdom it is impoſſible for us to attain without continual afflictions: whereby it is neceſſary that the confidence of all worldly ſuccours ſhould be beaten down. For vexation and trouble bringeth Underſtanding (as Iſaiah ſaith,) whereby we are compelled to cry; Help Lord, for elſe we periſh. So in the laſt hour when Death approacheth, there is nothing wherein mans Heart can repoſe it ſelf or find Comfort, but his truſt and confidence in the help of the Lord; There is reſt and quietneſs, there is perfect Peace. He that can then ſay, My Help is in the Name of the Lord, dyeth happily, and is out of all danger. Thus we may learn what it is to have and enjoy God, even to reſt in the ſure truſt of his merciful help and ſuccour in all dangers. Theſe are the Words therefore of a victorious and triumphing Faith: Our help is in the name of the Lord which made Heaven and Earth. As if he ſaid: The maker of Heaven and Earth is my God and my helper. Shew me a God (O ye my Adverſaries) like unto him. What are your ſnares and your traines then, compared unto this God? What are your threatnings, your Power, your Policies? &c. Thus he ſetteth the Eternal God, the maker of Heaven and Earth, againſt all terrours and dangers, againſt the floods and overflowings of all tentations, and ſwalloweth up as it were with on breath, all the raging furies of the whole World, and of Hell it ſelf, even as a little drop of Water is ſwallowed up of a mighty flaming fire. And what is the World with all his Force and Power, in reſpect of him which made Heaven and Earth? Let the World fret then, let it rage, ſo that this ſuccour never fail us. And if it be the Will of God that we ſhall ſuffer trouble and affliction, yet in him we ſhall overcome at length.