Exposition of Marys Magnificat, Exposition 3
¶The ſonge of the aunciente father Simeon, called: Nunc dimittis, the whyche he dyd ſynge whan Mary was puryfyed.
LORDE, novv letteſt thou thy ſeruaunte departe in peace, accordynge to thy promyſe.
For myne eyes hauehave ſene thy Saueoure, vvhome thou haſt prepared before all people.
A lyght for the lyghtenynge of the Heythen, and for the prayſe of the people of Iſrael.
THis ſonge hath .iii. verſes, & it was ſonge what tyme Chriſt was borne, to the conſolaciō of Mary and Ioſeph, wyth diuerſe other electe. Moreouer, lyke as Zachary and Mary, and before them Moſes, Debora, Anna the mother of Samuel, Dauid & diuerſe other dyd vtter theyr thankefulnes towarde God wyth ſonges, nor coulde fynde more pleaſynge thynge to thanke hym for hys benefites, than ſuch open prayſes, wherein the glory of Gods name is recyted: Euē ſo doth here Simeon by the holy gooſt bruſte out in a ſonge, wherewyth he declareth hys thanke full mynde towarde the goodnes of God. He ſetteth forth Chriſte in thys ſonge, & decketh hym with great prayſes goodly tytels. He teacheth alſo by hys owne enſample wherof the true peace of conſcience doh cōme, and whereby it cōmeth that we loke readely and gladly for death, yee euen ouercōme death. Novv (ſayeth he) LORD letteſt thou thy ſeruaūt departe in peace, accordynge to thy promyſe. That is, I hauehave nought in me, wherof I may boaſt at thy iudgemēt, ſaue only thys, that thou arte my LORD, & I thy ſeruaunte: not ſuche one that hauehave done all thy wyl, but ſuch one, as ſeynge I hauehave not done thy wyll, & ought therfore worthely to hauehave ben condemned, yet neuertheleſſe am graciouſly ſaued of the. It was veryly a feruent prayer and deſyre that the ryghteous & dredynge God ſage Simeon prayſed God with as he ſawe the LORDE in the temple, and toke hym in hys armes. The harte of ye aged man reioyced ſo ſore at that tyme, yt he could kepe the prayſe of God no longer hyd in hys harte: yee yf it had ben poſſible, ye harte wold hauehave bruſten for ioye, ſayeng: LORD, novv letteſt thy ſeruaunt departe in peace accordynge to thy promyſe. As though he wolde ſaye: Let me now departe, I ame now glad to dye, death ſhalbe now acceptable vntounto me for it is fulfylled, yt was promyſed vntounto me. It myght alſo be vnderſtāde, yt Simeons deſyre was not only to be delyuered of ye bodyly death, but alſo frō all pynyng and vnquietneſſe of conſcience, the which can be apeaced with no workes, before we hauehave ſene the anoynted of the LORDE, that is: before that our conſcience knoweth Chriſt aryght. For thā waxeth a man fyrſt mery, thā dyeth a man gladly, and than dryueth ye holy gooſt awaye all grefe of conſcience alſo, whyche maketh a man reſtleſſe. God geueth ſome men a greate peace inwardly at the fyrſte, as Mary brought forth hir ſonne with great ioye But ſuch muſt ſuffre greatly afterward as Mary dyd alſo afterward. Some ſuffreth God to hauehave grefe and pynyng of conſciēce vntyll theyr bodely death, as he dyd thys Simeon, but than are they contented with auauntage for all that they dyd forgo ſo lōge: ye which is a paynful lyfe, but very precious. Nother were it poſſible for a man to endure (yf Gods worde dyd not ſuſtayne hym, whervpon he wayteth) vntyll that tyme, that God hath choſen to theſame. Now whan God veryfyeth the promyſe, than is it aboue meaſure ſwete vntounto man, and ſo thanketh & prayſeth God for it. For he learneth than by true experience, that God doth veryfy hys pro, myſes, howe longe ſo euer he differreth it. Than is the goodneſſe of the LORDE, (yee the LORDE hymſelfe) very ſwete, and he hymſelfe is very wyllynge to dye. In that Simeon calleth hymſelfe the ſeruaunte of the LORDE, he fyrſte prayſeth ye goodneſſe of God, that ſeyng he myght hauehave deſtroyed hym for his wyckedneſſes, yet hath he wyte ſafe to ſpare hym mercyfully. Secondly he confeſſeth hys extreme vileneſſe and lowlyneſſe, ſo that he hauehave nought in hymſelf that is ought worth in the ſyght of God, but that God hath all power ouer hym, ether to ſlay or ſaue, and that he be vnworthy to be counted for a man before God. Ther is nothyng more ſtronger to ſteare God to mercy, than ſo to knowlege before God, and to ſubmitte thēſelues to hym, callyng vpō hym by fayth. Wherfore Dauid ſtearynge God to ſhewe mercy, doth ſo ofte repete the name ſeruaūt: as though he wolde ſaye: Lyke as he that is taken in battayll or in tyme of warre, and ſo beynge ſolde is a bondman and ſeruaunt vntounto hym, that bought hym: Euen ſo I alſo beynge redymed by thy precious bloude from the daūger of the deuel, death and hell, am euen altogether thyne owne, thy ſeruaūt, thy bondman, hauynge no ryght to my ſelfe.
Moreouer that Simeon ſayeth: accordynge to thy promyſe, therein doth he prayſe and commende the truth of Gods promyſes. For the worde or promyſe made vntounto Simeon was, that he ſhulde not ſe death, before he had ſene the LORDES Chriſt. Now though ther appeared many thynges contrary to thys worde or promyſe, and though it ſemed to hauehave ben a vayne and fayned tayle neuertheleſſe, ſeynge all men are lyars, but thou LORDE my God arte true, thou fulfylleſt it at the fulleſt that thou haſt promyſed, and letteſt me now go in peace. Hether to hauehave I carefully abyden thy commynge, and that thys many yeares, and what myſtruſtynge dyd not the fleſhe in the meane ſeaſon ſteare me vntounto? What infidelite dyd not Satan inſpire me wyth? And becauſe thou dyddeſt differre thy promyſe of ſeynge Chriſt, therfore was I nearehande cauſed to thynke that all thy promyſes were vayne. And (good LORDE) what rumoure or vproure dyd than ryſe in my conſcience? With what engins dyd Satā aſſaulte my mynde? layenge now my ſynnes before me, than ſhe wynge me an hougle image of death, ſomtyme kyndlynge the horrible fyre of hell in myne entrayles, wherewyth I was ſo diſmade, that I was nearhāde in deſpayre. But nowe thou makeſte me an happye aged man LORDE, and letteſt thy ſeruaunt departe in peace, accordynge to thy promyſe. Now doeſt thou ſet my conſciēce at reſt, now ſhall I careleſſe wayte for the bodyly death, I wil now dye gladly.
But what is happened vntounto the good father, that thou arte ſo ſodenly chaunged, and where afore thou wereſt ſo ſorowfull, that thou arte now euē filled with ſo great ioye? For what cauſe doeſt thou now ſo leape for ioye, as though thou wereſt reuyued, which afore ſemedeſt to hauehave ben more than dead? Surely hys ioye is not for nought. Let vsus therfore heare hymſelfe. For thys ſayeth he to be the cauſe of hys myrth, and gladneſſe, namely: For myne eyen hauehave ſene thy Saueoure, vvhome thou haſt prepared before all people.
Thys is the treaſure ye reioyceth me & maketh death acceptable to me, namely: That I ſe hym yt was vnderunder the law, & knowe hym for ſuch one as helpeth me, it can not be, but I muſt reioyce and not be afeared for death Behold now what is hyd in the harte of the olde grayheaded father, that he wyll nowe dye, and wyll departe in peace. To departe wyth ioye or dye in peace is a goodly worde in ye eares of hym that can ſo do. But where of hath he ſuch a pleaſaunt death? Euen of the chylde. Who hath euer ſene ſuche lyke death? But all they that put theyr truſte in ony other ſaue in thys chylde the Saueoure whan they ſhall dye, they tremble and quake and are very ſorowfull at the harte, & chaūge theyr coloure, theyr wytte, reaſon, vnderſtā dynge and all theyr ſtrength faydeth euen awaye, death ouercōmeth them: Yee though all the kynges, princes & powers of ye world were by wyth theyr horſes & armes to helpe them, and the feare of death came vponupon thē, they ſhulde ſtande as ſtyffe as a ſtake before death. But the good Simeon reioyceth yt he wyll departe in peace, as though ther were no death. He calleth not ye paſſynge a death, he diſdayneth to honoure it ſo much. He ſayeth: LORD novv letteſt thou thy ſeruaūt departe in peace, & not, thou letteſt me dye. He calleth the paſſynge a ſwete & eaſy ſlepe.
From whence hath he the connyng that he feareth not death, but counteth it a ſwete ſlepe, for the whych not wythſtandynge all the worlde is afrayed? Euen frō thence that ſynne, the law and death were banyſhed out of hys harte, he dyd not regarde them. For where the lawe is, there is alſo a conſcience of ſynne: but where ſhe is not, there is nothynge ſaue ryghteouſneſſe, and Moſes is exiled, and ſo wholy out of ſyghte, that hys ſepulture is not ſene nor knowen where it is. Where Moſes is gone, frō thence is ſynne taken awaye alſo, and ſo becommeth death a louely ſlepe.
But whereby getteth he that? Veryly not by hys deſeruynges & workes, but onelyonly by the beholdynge of the ſaueoure. For he ſayeth: Myne eyen hauehave ſene thy Saueour He maketh no mencion, nor is once thynkynge that he hath done or procured it wyth hys handes, but hath ſene it wyth hys eyen, though the outwarde ſyght wythout the inwarde do auayle ſo lytle as the handes.
They are two poyntes, to ſe and the Saueoure. To ſe Chriſt perteyneth vntounto a quiete and peaceable death. Yf we ſe hym, than can we dye merely: but yf we ſe hym not, thā is he there in vayne vntounto vsus. Many hauehave ſene hym in the temple, but not aryght. Ioſeph, Marye, Anna, and Simeon hauehave ſene hym aryghte, but all the other that behelde hym not lykewyſe, they hauehave not ſene Chriſt nor the Saueoure. Caiphas, Annas, Pilate & Herode, dyd beholde hym in dede, but they ſawe not that he was the Saueoure. But where in is the faute, that they can not ſe hym? In the eyen of the harte, they muſt be cleare, that they may beholde ye yonge LORDE that is entred in to the wynepreſſe for vsus, and hath ſuffred wronge for vsus, ſettynge vsus at lyberte, not for our merytes or deſeruynges, but for hys truth and loues ſake. Who ſo beholdeth him after thys maner, the ſame hath ouercome the law, ſynne, & death, deſpyſynge all theyr aſſaultes.
The true ſeynge conſiſteth not in the bodely eyen, for many hauehave ſene hym after that maner, which were neuer the better for it: but in fayth in the harte. It maye well be that they hauehave ſene hym wyth bodyly eyen, but yet not beleued that he was the Saueoure, thynkynge on thys wyſe: Shulde thys chylde be he? it is ſcarce ſyxe wekes olde, nother can it lyfte vp the heade. The true Saueoure (thought they) ſhal come wyth an armye, wyth horſes and al maner of weapens. But the good Simeon hath ſene hym other wyſe. He was warned in hys hart & a worde was geuen hym, ſayenge: The ſame is he▪ He had another lyght and another ſyghte. Euen ſo muſte we alſo not onelyonly heare at Chriſtes mouth, but alſo beleue in the harte thorowe the holy gooſt, and ſo muſt ye harte be illumined by the holy gooſt: for it is naturally ſtony, hardened and darkened ſo ſore, that it can not knowlege ſuch ſaluacyon and ſe ſuch lyghte. Nother is it ynough that Mary, Ioſeph, Simeō and other hauehave ſene hym, I muſte ſe hym alſo, I muſte knowlege hym alſo, I muſte knowe alſo that he is the true Meſſias.
Simeon myght wyth few wordes hauehave vttered the cauſe of hys ioy, and ſayd: Therfore letteſt thou me depart in peace, becauſe I hauehave ſene Chriſte. But that he myght declare the maieſty of Chriſte more clearelye, he leaueth the name of Chriſt, and in ſteade therof he ſetteth thre tytles, wherewyth Chriſt is ſet forth mooſt playnly, and his vſe is ſhewed mooſt manyfeſtly. The fyrſt tytle that Chriſt is declared wyth, is, Saueoure, ſayenge: Myne eyen hauehave ſene thy Saueoure, vvhome thou haſt prepared before all people. Thys ſayenge ſemeth Simeon to hauehave taken out of the .lii. Chapter of Eſaye where he ſayeth: The LORDE wyll make bare hys holy arme, & ſhewe it forth in the ſyght of all the Gentyles, and all the endes of the earth ſhall ſe the ſauynge health of oure God. That Eſaye doth prophecy for to come, that ſayeth Simeon to be now fulfyllynge. That is, that our LORDE Chriſt whych as the true Saueoure is ſhewed in ye fleſhe, and ſet vp therfore, that he myghte be ſhewed vntounto al nacions, both the Iewes and Gentyles. Yf the ſynnes do racke oure conſciences, and caſt them to the euerlaſtynge damnacyon, than is Chriſt oure Saueoure, the wholſome playſter, whyche layed to the ſores of our ſynnes, doth ſo drye vp, clenſe & heale the etter of them, that although he fele hymſelfe greued wyth ſynnes, and yet do beleue in Chriſte, yeldynge hymſelfe wholy to hys cure, yet is he for all that rekened clene from all ſynne, ryghteous and holy. And yf Chriſte be wholſome to clenſe and heale ſynnes, it followeth alſo that he is wholſome in al aduerſites, troubles, grefes and paynes of death and hell. For yf ony man be payned, or greued, than is Chriſte wholſome vntounto hym. For in forgeuynge ſynnes, he maketh the ſame grefe to be no inſtrumēt or accaſion of miſery vntounto hym. Yf ony mā be caſt before death and hell in hys cōſcience, Chriſt is a Seueoure vntounto hym, the whych ſeynge he hath ſatiſfyed hys father for our ſinnes, he chaungeth the feare of death and hell in a waye, not vntounto perditiō, but vntounto lyfe & euer laſtynge ſaluacion. Let vsus therfore embrace thys Saueoure of God, the whych Simeon dyd beare in hys armes, and let vsus lykewyſe beare hym by fayth, that we maye be letten go in peace lykewyſe.
The ſeconde tytle that Simeō decketh Chriſt wyth, is, the lyght. For he ſayeth: A lyght for the lyghtenynge of the Heythē, he ſhall not onelyonly be a Saueoure, but alſo a lyghte to lyghten the Heythen, that is: He is a lyght that ſhall not only ſhyne amonge the Iewes, but alſo, amonge the Gentyles, and lyghten them, that they alſo maye come to the eternall bleſſe oute of the darkeneſſe of death and hel. Thys part of ye ſonge ſemeth to be taken out of the .xlii. Chapter of Eſay, where he prophecieth of Chriſt on thys wyſe I wyll geue the for a conuenaunt of the people, and to be the lyght of the Gentyles, that thou mayeſt open the eyes of the blynde, and let out the preſoners, and them that ſyt in darkeneſſe out of the doungeon houſe. And Chriſte ſayeth thus of hymſelfe, in the viii. chapter of Ihon: I ame the lyght of the worlde, He that followeth me, ſhal not walke in darkneſſe, but ſhall hauehave the lyght of lyfe. What are than thoſe darkneſſes that Chriſt the lyght doth dryue out? The darkeneſſe are fyrſt all mans power, wyſdom, and ryghteouſneſſe, the whiche, though they glyſter and ſhyne before men, yet to optayne the grace of God thereby, to apeace gods wrath to make ſatiſfaccion for oure ſynnes, and to get the true bleſſe wyth them, they are but euen darkneſſe. Secondly are the darkneſſe all doctrines of philoſophers, all lawes, ether of the Heythen, or of Moſes. For thoſe though they be profitable, and be neceſſarye to redreſſe maners by them, and to repreſſe the wycked, yet to put awaye ſynne with thē and to get the true ryghteouſneſſe before God, they are euen darkneſſe. Only Chriſt is the lyghte, becauſe that whoſo beleueth hys goſpell, hath the clenſynge and remiſſiō of ſynnes thorowe hym, the whiche is oure ryghteouſneſſe, conſiſtynge in the iudgemēt of God. Finally are oure ſynnes, death and hell darkneſſe, but Chriſte is the true lyght, page missing For yf God hath not ſpared the naturall braūches, let vsus beware, leſt he ſpare not vsus alſo. God refuſed the Iewes for theyr wyckedneſſe, howe muche more ſhall he refuſe vsus Gentiles, yf we be lyke vntounto thē in wyckedneſſe? He refuſed the Iewes, not becauſe they crucifyed Chriſte, but becauſe they beleued not in hym whō they crucifyed, nother repented at the preachynge of the goſpell of Ieſu Chriſte: Euen ſo ſhall not God refuſe vsus, becauſe we hauehave ſynned, (orels had we ben longe ſence refuſed,) but we ſhalbe refuſed, becauſe we wyll not beleue hys Goſpel agaynſte whome we hauehave ſynned, nother hauehave done penaunce by fayth, but partly perſecute the goſpel wyth tyranny, partly with deſpyſynge and lothſomneſſe. Therfore let vsus be diligent by obedience vntounto the goſpel, that the ſame glory of Chriſte that is come and tranſlated vntounto vsus, do abyde with vsus for euer, and not be ſklaundered by oure miſbehaueoure and vngodly lyuynge. For better were it that a milſtone were hanged aboute oure neckes and we caſte into the ſee, than ony ſklaunder vntounto God and hys holy worde ſhulde come by vsus.
¶Here is now (good reader) the ſonge of the ſage grayheaded Simeon, the whiche he beynge full of the holy gooſt dyd ſynge, to declare hys mynde to Godwarde. Wherein fyrſt by his owne enſample he ſheweth wher by the true peace and tranquillite of conſcience doth come, and whereby we become wyllynge to dye, namely thereby, that we knowe Chriſte to be the ouercommer and vanquiſher of ſynne and Death. For yf we do beholde the Death in vsus and in herſelfe, ther is nothynge more haynous or dredeful. But yf we take Chriſte in oure armes of ſayth, and beholde the death in hym, than do we ſo lytle deſpayre wyth beholdynge the death, that we rather do ſaye, ether wyth Simeon: LORDE, Novv letteſt thou thy ſeruaunte departe in peace, accordynge to thy vvorde : Orels wyth Paule: I deſyre to be lowſed and to be wyth Chriſte.
Moreouer doth Simeon ſette forth Chriſte with thre goodly titles, callyng hym the Saueoure of all people, the lyght of the Gentyles, and the glory of Iſrael: that with theſe titles he myght ſo ſet forth the maieſty of Chriſte, that ether he myght prouoke the vnbeleuynge to the fayth, or ſtablyſhe the weake in fayth, or kepe them that be ſtronge
End of the text · Martin Luther, Exposition of Marys Magnificat (1538)