Commentary on the Psalms of Ascent, Preface
THE PREFACE OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPPON the fifteene Psalmes, called Psalmes of degrees.
YE hauehave heard me before many times declare in the beginning of my Lectures, for vvhat cause I hauehave taken in hand to expound the holy Scriptures: not for any desire I hauehave to teach nevve and straunge thinges vvhichwhich hauehave not beene knovvne or heard before (for our diuinitie is so vvel knovvn both in the Latine tongue and also in our ovvne Language, that vve may seeme novv to hauehave more neede of exhortation then instruction): but because the diligent teaching and setting forth of the vvorde of God is a kinde of Gods seruice or vvorship properly belonging to the nevve Testament, being much more acceptable vntounto God, more holy & excellent then vvere all the vvorshippings and sacrifices of the olde Testament, and therefore euen vvhen the lavv vvas yet in his ful strength, the holy Prophets of God, vtterly reiecting the burnt offerings and other sacrifices of the lavv, did commend, aboue all other, the sacrifice of praise. In like maner also ought vve so much the more earnestly & diligently to set forth this kind of vvorship, because that, after so great blindnes vvherein vv hauehave liued, the vvisedom of God hath (as the Sunne in the mid day) appeared and shined vntounto vsus againe. Therefore, like as it hath bene counted a maner of seruitude in times past, to heare a godly sermon (vvhichwhich men vvere vvont to doe euen as they did their seruile labors): so must vve novv othervvise thinke, that they vvhichwhich teach, reade, vvrite or heare the holy Scriptures, are Gods true Priestes, vvhichwhich serue their God vvith a vvorthy and thankful kind of vvorship.
Albeit true it is also that vve can not here attaine to such full knovvledge of spirituall matters,The word must be continually exercised because of the continuall tentations whereof we are in daunger. but that dayly vve hauehave neede to learne them again, to be exercised & confirmed therin, because of the continuall vexations and assaultes of Satan, that as vve are neuer vvithout occasions of declining & falling from God: so likevvise vve should not cease to exercise our selues in the continuall meditation of the vvord of God, to the edifying both of our selues and of the Church. For there is nothing so pernitious as the opinion of many at this day, vvho as soone as they hauehave gotten neuer so litle knovvledge of this heauenly vvisedom, thinke them selues by and by to be greate doctors. For seeing that these thinges doe not consist in fine and eloquent talke, in reasoning and disputing, but in practise and experience, directed, not by mans reason, but by the spirite of God: they are miserably deceiued that rest in bare and naked knovvledge, vvhichwhich is but vnprofitable vvithout experience and practise. In the olde Testament God appoynted but onelyonly the ten commaundements, vvherin he vvould hauehave his people to be exercised and occupyed. But vvho vvas there euer amonge the Sainctes of God vvhichwhich could say that he vvas able to atteyne to the vvisedom of the holy Ghost sette forth in those commaundements? And shall vve vvhichwhich in the nevv Testament hauehave the vvhole Scripture set forth vntounto vsus, glory in the fulnes and perfection of our knovvledge? Let vsus not thinke therefore so highly of our selues, but let vsus humble our selues before the holy Ghoste and confesse this vvisedom to be infinite, and such as vve could neuer fully attayne vntounto, although vve should spende our vvhole life in the study of the Scriptures. For although by the grace of God vve are not vvithout some knovvledge, yet because vve are continually oppressed vvith cloudes of tentations, vve must hauehave recourse to this fountaine, yea to this fire, that our hartes may be kindled therevvith, and that vve may giuegive no place to Satan or our ovvne flesh, vvhereby the first fruites of the spirit might be quenched in vsus. This lothing of Gods vvord, vvhichwhich riseth of a false opinion of knovvledge, is (alas) to common at this day.The lothīg and fulnes of Gods worde. For a remedy therefore against this euill, Moses commaundeth, that the lavv of God should be diligently set forth to the posteritie, that is to say, should continually be taught and exercised though it vvere neuer so vvel knovvne before.
For this cause therefore I hauehave taken in hand to expounde the Psalmes, that vve might learne to abhorre this damnable lothing of the vvord of God, and also to confirme, and (as it vvere) to nourish the good spirite of God in vsus by the exercise and practise of the same. But the chiefest cause that moued me hereunto is, for that vve knovv this kind of vvorship, aboue all other to please God, vvhen vve set forth his vvord in teaching, in reading, in vvriting, in hearing, &c. And this one thing ought to keep vsus in the continual exercise of the vvord of God. For, to teach, to exercise and to set forth the vvorde, vvhat is it else, but continually to offer sacrifice vntounto God, continually to vvorship God, continually to be exercised in the three first commaundements. Lamentable it is to see vvhat a multitude there is of such as cōtinually blaspheme God, either in teaching false doctrine, or in persecuting the truth. VVherfore very necessary it is that vve, vvhiche in comparison of them are so small a number, should serue the Lord our God, & praise his holy name, vvhichwhich both hath giuen vsus this life, and promised the life to come. Moreouer, our ovvne daunger giueth vsus good vvarning to take heede,After the lothing of the word, commeth contempt, and then Gods plague. that vvhiles vve thus neglect & loth the vvord, vve feele not his heauy vvrath & plage vponupon vsus before vve be vvare. For vvhen vve are once vveery of the vvorde, then follovveth the contempt of the same: vvhichwhich contēpt the Lord so punisheth, that he taketh his vvord cleane avvay. Hereof the Papacie may be an example for all posteritie, in the vvhichwhich vve see it is so come to passe.
I hauehave declared the causes vvhichwhich moued me to take in hand the opening & expounding of the Psalmes, namely that vve might cōsecrate this hovver to our redemer, & offer sacrifice vntounto him, and by setting forth the mercies of God, vve might, according to the grace giuen vntounto vsus, exercise our selues in the three first cōmaundements, vvhen as yet all the vvorld in blaspheming of God, most horribly sinneth against these commaundements. Great cause also hath moued me to exhort and earnestly to vvarne you, to bevvare that ye fal not to the lothing or neglecting of the vvord. For if our doctrine be in any daunger, it commeth of this euill. The Papistes and Sectaries, albeit they anoy & trouble vsus very much, yet by this occasion they driue vsus the more diligently to seeke for the knovvledge of the Scriptures. But this enormitie, the lothing of the vvord I meane, riseth of our selues, and is so much the more perilous and pernicious, for that vve can not perceiue the daunger thereof. And then maketh Satan sure account of his victorie, vvhen vve vvaxe negligent and loth the vvorde.
CONCERNING THE TITLE WHEREFORE THESE ARE CALLED THE PSALMES OF DEGREES.
COncerning the title of these Psalmes, first here riseth a question, wherefore they are called y• Psalmes of degrees or steares, or after some translations, of the ascendings vp. Wherein the opinions of the interpreters be diuers, all which it shall not be here needefull to rehearse. Some wryte that they were so called because the Leuites or Priestes did sing them in the ascending vp to the temple, or on the steares of the temple (for in the history of the Kings it is wrytten that the… went vp by steares to the temple,) and those steppes were numbred to be fifteene, & that there were Psalmes appoynted to be song on eueryevery steare. Whether this be true or not, it is no great matter, but to me it seemeth not to be true. Albeit it can not be denyed but the hebrew word signifieth steares or ascendinges vpward. Therefore I abide in the simple and plaine sense as much as I may, and iudge that they are so called because the Leuites or Priestes were wont to sing them vponupon the steares or some high place: Euen as with vsus he that beginneth the Psalmes or preacheth, standeth in a place aboue the rest, that he may be the better seene and heard. For it seemeth not that these Psalmes were song of the multitude which were in the temple, or of the rest of the quiere, but of certaine which were appoynted to sing them, or at least wise to begin them on the steares to the rest, & so hauehave their name: like as some other of the Psalmes hauehave their name & title of the singer. But how should a man know all their rites & ceremonies, especially after so long a time, wherby they are now cleane worne out of the memory of all men? Seeing therefore among such a multitude of Psalmes, when the lawe was yet in his full force & power, some were wont to be song with one maner of ceremony and some with an other, according to the time and place, as the vse and custome then was, let this suffice vsus to thinke that this title pertaineth to no poynt of doctrine, but only to the ceremony of the singers, what maner of ceremony soeuer it was.
There were 24. orders of Priests which serued in the temple. It might be therefore that sometimes the quiere song alone, and not the people: sometimes but a part thereof, and sometimes they song by course, and afterwards also the people song & gaue a consent, as it were, vntounto the other. But of these thinges (as I sayd) we can hauehave no certaintie, & also they helpe litle to the vnderstanding of the Psalmes, and therefore I leaue to speake any further thereof, omitting also to shew why they are fifteene in number, & why they hauehave specially this title. For albeit we busie our selues herein neuer so much, yet the matter remayneth in doubt and our labour is but in vaine.
Some expound these Psalmes of steppes or ascendings vp, to signfie a completing or finishing, because they were commonly song in the ende when the people should depart and the diuine seruice was finished, and therefore were called the Psalmes of the ascendings vp, for the finishing & closing vp of the diuine seruice: And in deede, because they are briefe and set forth very notable doctrine, therefore they were most meete for the conclusion and closing vp of all.