Sermon 7: 1 Samuel 2:8-11 continued

For example, whenever we see a person of lowly and abject condition raised to the highest pinnacle of dignity and honor and ruling, we ought to be stirred, and confessing, acknowledge that all public affairs and empires are held, cherished, and changed by the one hand of God, according to his judgment and will — so that now he raises up anyone of the most abject and lowliest condition and exalts him to the highest honors, now he brings low the most powerful one placed in the highest rank of honors. And for this reason God is specifically said, both here and in Psalm 113, to raise the poor from the dust and lift the wretched from the dunghill, to seat them with princes — people who scarcely had any standing among men. For you may often see that the life of wretched and poor people is so miserable that they can scarcely find a place among human beings. Furthermore, when God is said to make them possess a throne of glory and attain the highest honors — those whom their birth had made wretched and abject — it is clear that they do not succeed to their fathers' wealth or their fathers' honors, but that it happens by a special plan and administration of God, so that even though they can boast of neither their ancestors nor their own industry in acquiring wealth and obtaining honors, they nevertheless possess by just title what God has placed in their possession.

The reason for such transformations and changes is added in these words: For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he has set the world upon them. Now when pillars are attributed to the earth, we must understand this as a metaphorical expression. For in another place, Psalm 24:2 and 136:6, God is said to have founded the earth upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. But those who are about to build in rivers or in marshy and swampy places drive piles into the ground and lay them under the walls as foundations, which would otherwise not be firm on stone foundations. Thus God is said to have supported the mass of the earth on its bases, as if by piles driven into the sea. For nothing can be built upon water — indeed not even a pebble of one ounce can float, but sinks downward, since water is a fluid element and therefore supports nothing heavy. But Scripture does not discuss these matters precisely, since it is not its purpose to set forth to us the secrets of philosophy more carefully, but to babble with us, as it were. And indeed God willed to accommodate himself to the capacity of the unlearned, lest anyone complain about difficulty and obscurity; therefore he provided for our ignorance by the simplicity of his language.

Thus, when the earth is said to rest on its pillars and foundations, that expression must be understood according to our capacity. For otherwise the earth occupies the middle position of the world and is encircled by waters, and therefore water is higher than the earth. But that part of it is dry land happened by a miracle, which reason compels even the philosophers themselves to confess. For nature demanded not that some part should stand out dry and arid, but that the whole should sink and be submerged by waters; but God confined the sea and waters within their bounds, never to return to cover the whole earth, so as to provide a dwelling place for human beings. In short, we see the whole earth surrounded by water, and we can imagine no other foundation. Indeed, we see mountains of water by which the earth seems destined to be overwhelmed, held within their boundaries — which is plainly beyond and contrary to their nature. Therefore when we behold such great height of the sea above the earth, and yet are given a dwelling and firm seat on dry land, how great shall I say our heedlessness, how great our stupor, unless we acknowledge that God has founded the earth upon the waters? The philosophers indeed bring their own reasons, namely that the earth, being the heaviest of all elements, occupies the center; but we must freely confess that this is a wonderful divine work, indeed incomprehensible to our senses, without which the things that strike our eyes could not otherwise subsist.

When therefore it is said here that the Lord has placed the habitable earth on the pillars of the earth — that is, imposed it upon the waters — even though the waters are fluid, the work of divine majesty, the creation of the world, is thus celebrated, so that no one should wonder that all things are ruled and administered by his nod and will. For if God by his power created the earth, by the same power he sustains it. Moreover these things must be understood not only of the universal earth or its pillars, but of individual provinces, regions, monarchies, and commonwealths. The Lord is therefore called their master, not only in respect of creation — as if, having created the world, he had cast off all care for it and left it to be governed by fortune — but in respect of his perpetual care and power, by which he so cherishes and protects the world and each of its parts that they would otherwise collapse without his constant care.

Therefore when changes and transformations of affairs occur in these lands, thus the instability of things is revealed apart from the hand and care of divine providence. And let this much be said about these matters.

There follow those words, that he will guard the feet of those whom he has graciously received, but the wicked will be silent in darkness — which some interpret with excessive subtlety, as if God were said to direct the way of the faithful so that they live their life in his fear. For it is certain that a person cannot raise and dispose himself toward virtue by his own free will unless stirred by the power of the divine word and the Holy Spirit. But these words should not be restricted so narrowly, since they have a broader scope: namely that God will guard his own in all their ways and direct them, as the prophet teaches in Psalm 29:9 and 91:11. I confess indeed that the unfaithful are also so governed by God that they cannot move even a foot without his permission; and indeed they are so held by his hand that he drives them here and there at his will; indeed he handles them no differently than any craftsman handles his saw or any other instrument. And thus indeed wicked and flagitious people are subject to God's command, but in a far different way than the faithful. For he does not have equal care for the wicked as for the faithful, who flee to him and commit themselves entirely to him, whom he embraces with fatherly favor. And in this sense the prophet says in chapter 10:28: I know, O Lord, that the way of a person is not in himself; it is not in a man who walks to direct his own steps. Yet you may see unbelievers entering upon foolish plans and, relying on them, crossing mountains and seas, and promising themselves everything. But how can those who cannot even move their lips without God extend their plans to the uttermost parts of the earth? Namely, they do not attend to or apply their mind to the thought that the feet of people must be governed by God. But the faithful, well mindful of the prophet's words, commit themselves entirely to God, willingly acknowledging that their life would be miserable and wandering without his special care.

Here therefore Anna proclaims that the faithful who flee to God will never be disappointed in their hope, but that their feet will be guarded by him. Thus in Psalm 91:11 God is said to have commanded his angels concerning his faithful ones, to guard them in all their ways, lest their feet strike against a stone. This is indeed a doctrine worthy of meditation day and night; otherwise we would either be utterly dull and leaden, or tossed about by perpetual fluctuations of mind, unless we hold it as certain that we have been received by God into his protection. For what otherwise, I ask, would become of us poor wretches? What hope of future salvation would there be? For the snares of the devil, that most deadly enemy continually plotting our destruction, are well known. In short, it would be far better never to have been born than to be born on this condition and to be ignorant of God's special gifts toward his own, which the Prophet in Psalm 121:3 encompasses in these few words when he says: He will not allow your foot to slip; your guardian will not slumber. The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade; he is at your right hand.

Therefore come, brothers, weigh with me this doctrine, so that when necessity demands we may put it to use, and be firmly persuaded that God will be most present to us in uncertain and desperate circumstances when called upon with ardent prayers; and since we grope about like blind people in darkness, he will be present as a guide for the way; and finally, he will never fail us. If this thought has taken deeper root in our minds, it will surely come to pass that we will be disturbed by no storms, no tempests, but will stand undaunted against them all; and though we are frightened by threats, yet in his power and fatherly care we will rest peacefully, certain that we will never be utterly overwhelmed, and that though cast down, we will nevertheless be lifted up and raised again. Indeed, if any mishap should befall us, let us know that it will be not only not fatal, but, by God's doing, salutary. For the more we have been endangered, the more remarkable and, by experience itself, the more certain will be the testimony of divine providence and guardianship that we will have once delivered.

Furthermore, the faithful are here called 'the kind ones,' according to the most customary phrase of Scripture, because they desire to resist all temptations and to imitate God in this regard, following the precept of Christ our Lord, who commands in Luke that the faithful be merciful and perfect, just as their Father who is in heaven is merciful — because clemency and mercy are, as even the pagans themselves recognized, most fitting to God. And Paul in Ephesians 5:1 commands us to imitate God, and to be bound by a fraternal bond and by mutual kindnesses. Therefore if we truly wish to be the children of God that we desire to be regarded as, we must devote ourselves to clemency and mercy; and the beastly nature, by which now this person, now that one is gnawed at, must be put off. We must have regard for the wretched and the weak; the habits of others must be tolerated with modesty; we must eagerly devote ourselves to the welfare of those with whom we live. In short, such regard for humanity must be maintained that no one may rightly complain of our ferocity and savagery, and nothing may prevent us from living peaceably with those with whom God has joined us. And let this be the explanation of the word 'the kind ones' or 'the merciful,' which occurs often in the sacred writings.

On the contrary, it is said that the wicked will be silent in darkness — that is, they will be confounded and their mouths will be shut. For this is the sense of these words, 'to be silent in darkness.' And these things are said specifically of the wicked, because they have an open mouth to wound God's name with blasphemous words, and it is sport for them to rise up against God and to mock his word shamefully. But what madness of men! Indeed, what diabolical fury! For I judge that such insolent license of insulting the living God should not merely be called audacity. Is it right for wretched little men — indeed worms creeping from the earth and rotting corpses — to rise up against the Creator, to drag him from his throne, and to tear at his virtues? But while the rest of mortals rush into such unbridled license, let us patiently await the hand of God the avenger, which will one day place a bridle on the impure mouth of those people.

Thus it is said that the wicked will be silent in darkness, and all iniquity will shut its mouth. Nor do the wicked fall silent in a moment, since you may see them kicking back time and again; but divine wisdom and justice must finally emerge, so that those who have snarled against God may at last, with the greatest disgrace, be hurled headlong into eternal destruction. Therefore in Psalm 51:6 God is said to be justified in his words, even though people murmur against him. For what is the madness of people, that they are not ashamed to weigh God's judgments on their own scales, and to reject them if they do not please, and to defend themselves with their own reasonings? Yet I confess that for a time they raise their heads to heaven and vomit their fury against God; but that fury is not so enduring that it is not bridled by God's power... ...and the avenging right hand of God and thrust down into hell. This is why there often occurs among the prophets that phrase: that every lip shall be bridled before him — namely, to describe the majesty of God the avenger and restorer of all things, at which even those most audacious in blaspheming his name must utterly fall silent, so that they dare not even open their mouths before him.

Therefore come, since this is how matters stand, if it happens that flagitious and wicked people arrogantly vomit blasphemous words against God's tribunal, let us patiently await the time of judgment appointed by God, who will exact just and deserved penalties from them. For it is specifically said here that they will be silent in darkness — that is, they will by no means attain the end of their plans, but these will be vain and futile. Meanwhile I confess that they hold some authority and celebrate their triumphs, but shortly afterward they are to be hurled headlong by the divine hand, so that when their baseness is revealed, all that insolent wantonness and vain and proud boasting may be restrained and bridled. And enough about these matters.

There follows: that by his own strength no one shall prevail — by which words we are taught with what ease God executes his judgments against wicked people, whose strength and all fortitude cannot even stand before God. For those words of the prophet, long confirmed by experience, are very true: that the loftiness of people must be brought low, and that all flesh is grass and like the flower of the field; the grass withers and the flower falls when the spirit of the Lord blows upon it. Therefore these words of Anna must be weighed — that by his own strength no one shall prevail — all the more carefully because we are more inclined to an unjust estimation of people. For if we see someone in some position of authority, and indeed having attained great honors, we fashion for ourselves an idol and imagine I know not what immovable and eternal thing — in short, something that will never perish. But our mind, preoccupied with such thoughts, deprives us of right judgment about these matters and does not allow us to have any peace in our consciences; in short, it does not allow us to live life tranquilly, submitting ourselves to God alone and committing our life to him. For we ourselves cast ourselves into these troubles by foolish judgments, when we consider such thoughts about created things to be of little importance.

Therefore let us fix this doctrine more deeply in our minds: that people have no enduring strength in this world, no lasting empire, no lasting kingdom; and indeed the greatest and most flourishing empires will, at the slightest breeze, collapse in a moment when God so wills. By this, as by a bridle, let us be restrained from the wicked who carry themselves petulantly and proudly, daring everything with reins loosened for any crime, knowing that they will by no means escape God's avenging hand, but that having abused the honors and authority they had received from God, they will reap punishments worthy of their crimes. But let us, if God has raised us to any position of dignity, give him this glory: that we acknowledge that we stand by his power alone, and without it we would shortly be cast down and reduced to nothing; and therefore let us cultivate modesty, not doubting that he himself will supply strength, provided we direct all our affairs to his worship and glory; and he himself will keep us safe and sound, even though the world is turned upside down.

Therefore the following words also must be weighed by us, in which God is said to be about to shatter his enemies, and to judge the ends of the earth — by which the foregoing are further confirmed. For someone might have objected that the wicked have been raised by God to such great dignity, and that he was not unaware of what would become of them, yet they stood firm and remained in the same condition. Therefore, so that we may know that all their splendor and glory will vanish into smoke, and their triumphs perish, and that they will reap disgrace and ignominy instead of dignity and honors, God is proclaimed as the one who will shatter his enemies and judge the ends of the earth — by which words it is asserted that God is God, and the destruction of the wicked is foretold.

This is a repetition well worth noting, so that we may know God to be the judge of the world for judging the wicked. And if, as was said above, he does not suddenly spring to judgment but proceeds at a slow pace, let our patience thus be tested and exercised, so that we may learn to wait for him patiently. Whenever therefore we hear God called the judge of the world, let us recall to memory that he will crush the wicked, and from above will give signs of his majesty to destroy the scorners of his divinity and to strike them with his thunderbolt. From this let us learn not to envy the wicked in their prosperity and triumphs, and even though everything goes according to their heart's desire, let us patiently await the outcome of God's judgments. Meanwhile we must take the utmost care not to provoke God's terrible and dreadful hand against us — of which even thunder and storms are the most certain signs. And likewise we must take care not to be frightened by them, but let us know them to be signs of divine majesty, so that relying on his presence we may lean on him alone, and may despise and even challenge the devil and all enemies, knowing that God will supply us with strength by which we may overcome all their efforts.

Next, God is said to be about to judge the ends of the earth, and to give strength to his king, and to exalt the horn of his anointed. If these words are considered according to the conditions of that time, they might cause some difficulty; but explained simply according to the prophet's meaning, they will contain no difficulty in themselves. For even though God had then chosen a peculiar people for himself, to govern by his rule, he must not be thought to have cast off all care for the rest of the world. Therefore these two things cohere with each other: that the Lord will judge the ends of the earth and will give strength to his king, and will exalt the horn of his anointed. Now at that time there was no king in Israel... ...there was no king, and although Moses had predicted that God would raise up someone, yet at that time the condition of the people was confused; and hereafter we shall see that Samuel presided over this people for a time and administered justice, and that the people, demanding a king from God, incurred his wrath upon themselves by not waiting for the kingdom of David — which was to be not merely an earthly kingdom, but a figure of the kingdom of Christ which God himself established. In short, Anna seems to have missed no opportunity to speak about the judging of the ends of the earth and the giving of strength to a king.

Why then does she here attribute the name of the Lord's anointed to a future king? Clearly we perceive here a prophecy, which Anna utters not by her own impulse but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Since it is evident that she spoke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let us not, I beg, be reluctant to hear such a teacher. Therefore far be it from us to reject the doctrine she sets before us here, since she reveals not human inventions but God's decrees and secret counsels — eternal and immutable ones.

Another thing must be observed here by us: namely, that the hope of the faithful in all ages rested upon this kingdom to be established by God. For even though in the times of Moses and Aaron the people of God sensed God's special goodwill toward them, attested by many unmistakable signs, and God himself showed himself to be their king, as he had declared through Moses, that kingdom was not yet to be called perfect; and the signs of his presence that God gave bade the people hope for better things. Upon this king, therefore, the fathers were intent, awaiting the redeemer promised by God; and indeed they ought to have placed their perfect happiness in him, so that if perhaps they were tossed about by various storms in this direction and that, they would not yet lose heart, but would await their liberation from him whom God was going to send as their redeemer.

In short, we shall find that the faithful never gave their consciences peace or were ever made certain of their salvation except by looking to this redeemer whom God had promised them, by whom as their true head they might be governed. Now if those faithful ones sustained themselves with this hope — they for whom only shadows were set forth — what manner of people ought we to be today, whose senses have all been exercised in the manifestation of every good? Therefore we ought to be unlike those wretched unbelievers who follow the papacy and confess indeed that they need the grace of God, and speak admirably about Jesus Christ our Lord, but nevertheless, because they do not follow the straight path of truth, fashion new paths for themselves and depart from Christ just as much. For whatever rites the papists invent for God by which they may win his favor, we must confess that each one is a corruption of that pure worship; and therefore they depart from God as much as they think they advance.

Therefore let us learn to approach Christ under the guidance of his divine word; for having followed this voice as our guide, we shall attain the truth — that is, having found our supreme blessedness in Jesus Christ alone, we shall rest. Therefore no excuse will protect today all those men and women who do not look to him alone and rest in him alone, since we see that this was the one hope of the faithful of old under the legal shadows.

Anna specifically mentions the king and the anointed of the Lord — certainly not as though our Lord Jesus Christ reigns above God himself, but because he is the living image of God; nor as though God reigns above Christ, but because he has appointed him judge of the world, and God himself is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is therefore as if she should say: the king and prophet of God, because he has received from God dominion and the power of reigning. By which words we are taught that our Lord Jesus Christ was sent not by men but by God the Father, who so loved the world that he did not spare his own Son.

This is indeed a thought most worthy of observation, by which we are taught to attribute our salvation to God alone. For what, I ask, would be either our confidence or that of the ancients, except in this: that Christ appeared to redeem the human race from the curse? Moreover, it is not enough that he appeared, unless we also hold that he was given to us by the Father and will triumph over all enemies. For his kingdom will stand not by human power or strength, but by the sole power of God on which it rests.

Therefore whenever we hear mention made of Jesus Christ and his kingdom, and consequently of our salvation, let us know that our salvation is so certain and stable that even if heaven and earth should conspire against it, it could never be overthrown — provided, however, that we rest upon the foundation that is here set before us. This, then, is why Jesus Christ is called the king of the Lord and the anointed of God. Thus Simeon, embracing him in his arms, calls Christ God. Conversely, often in the Psalms the anointed of God is spoken of as a figure and shadow of Christ. Anna therefore calls him the anointed and king of God, recalling the promises made to the fathers, which she mentally reviews — namely, that the promised Messiah would by no means come empty, but full of all the graces of God, just as also the prophet Isaiah attributes to him the gifts of God in these words: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And elsewhere: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me, etc.

From these things it becomes clear to us that Jesus Christ our Lord by no means came to us empty, but adorned with all divine riches and spiritual gifts — from where in John we are all commanded to receive from his fullness, we who do not have even a spark of life in ourselves; and to come to Christ, firmly persuaded that we will never depart from him empty. For it is proper to Christ that all the gifts of God have been poured into him, of which he makes us partakers; for which reason we are also called his companions in Psalm 45 — namely, because...

...empty of all goods, we may find in him what he communicates to us, because it has pleased him to call us to himself, so that his power may flow into us as from a head into members. From what has been said above, then, it is sufficiently clear that in those words of Anna — that the Lord will judge the ends of the earth — a prophecy is contained. For by what means did God bring the earth into his power, if not in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ? As Isaiah speaks in chapter 2 and Micah in chapter 4: that God, at the coming of his Son, will call back and bring to himself those who had been scattered from Judah and from all the nations of the earth, and that each person, seizing his neighbor by the hand, will encourage him with these words: Let us go to Israel so that we may be taught by God himself. In short, the Lord is said to be about to judge the earth in this way: that he shatters his enemies and confounds them with the scepter of his mouth. God especially brought peoples back and rescued his own from the tyranny of Satan under which they were oppressed when Christ, having assumed our flesh, came into the world.

Nor do I deny that by his providence he previously governed and administered all things, as Daniel testifies that all things are in his hand; yet this dominion of which we speak was unknown to men. But at the time when our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to rule in the name and power of his Father, then the prophecies were fulfilled, and specifically what Isaiah says: that islands, seas, and lands will exult with joy, because God will then judge — that is, govern the whole world.

Behold what manner of hope Anna had — not only hoping in Christ our Lord who was to come, but also recognizing that he would no longer be confined to the Jewish nation, as in the time of the law, but would reign far and wide throughout the whole world; and indeed that then the wretched gentiles, who were entirely foreign to him and rejected, would be joined to his people and admitted to the same inheritance, the dividing wall that separated the two peoples being broken down. For that union could not have occurred otherwise.

Therefore I ask you to recognize with me the immense benefit of God, since he wills the preaching of the gospel to penetrate even to us, and consequently to be our king — a benefit than which none greater can occur. On the contrary, if we are deprived of the preaching of the gospel, what else remains but that we be subjected to the tyranny of him who is the prince of the world, namely the devil? Alas, what a horrible condition! Who would not rightly grieve and lament the condition of such people, if, while God does not reign in us through his word, we are compelled to obey the tyranny of the devil? But on the other hand, how great and how highly to be valued is the benefit, how great, I say, the treasure of the preaching of the gospel, by which God declares himself our king and takes us into his people, whom he rules, cherishes, and protects without end?

Therefore we must take care not to kick against his word and ungratefully and defiantly reject so great a benefit; but on the contrary, since he wishes to regard us as children and himself to be as a father, let us acknowledge so great a benefit and submit ourselves peacefully to his rule for life and death. This, then, is the sense of these words: that God will judge the ends of the earth — namely, by handing over the kingdom to his Son, through whom he would govern and rule all his people, just as the prophets spoke of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and specifically when our Lord Jesus Christ is said, even though he would begin his kingdom from Zion where the temple was built, to be about to reign not in only one corner of the world, but to spread his kingdom far and wide throughout the whole world. Since we see this prophecy to have been fulfilled, let us hold as certain that this was done for our salvation. For that king of ours holds a scepter in his hand for restraining the ferocity of his enemies; from where we must take all the more care not to be found among those whom that dreadful confusion will overtake; being firmly persuaded that if this is the case, we will never be frightened by any terrors, but all things will turn out for our salvation, by God's doing.

Therefore come, let us pray before the majesty of God Almighty, having become suppliants, and acknowledging the many and great sins and crimes of which we are guilty before him, let us beseech him that we may be so affected by them that, fleeing to him, we may obtain pardon; and may he daily set his ways before us so that we may walk in his fear. Since he has given his Son Jesus Christ as king and ruler to his faithful, may we so perceive his goodness, power, strength, and might in our minds that we may offer him willing obedience and be always most ready for his commands, and so serve under his banner that we may hold as certain that we are to be protected by him against whatever assaults of enemies. For even though the world hates and persecutes us as the most wretched and abject of all, let us not doubt that he has sufficient strength to protect and defend us against the furies of the devil, the world, and our other enemies. And not for ourselves alone, etc.

For example, whenever we see a person of lowly and despised condition raised to the highest pinnacle of dignity and honor and made a ruler, we ought to be stirred and confess in acknowledgment that all public affairs and empires are held, cherished, and changed by the single hand of God, according to His judgment and will — so that now He raises up anyone of the most abject and lowly condition and exalts him to the highest honors, and now He brings down the most powerful man placed in the highest rank. For this reason God is specifically said, both here and in Psalm 113, to raise the poor from the dust and lift the wretched from the dunghill to seat them with princes — people who scarcely had any standing among others. For you may often see that the life of wretched and poor people is so miserable that they can barely find a place among human society. Furthermore, when God is said to make them inherit a throne of glory and attain the highest honors — those whom their birth had made wretched and despised — it is clear that this does not happen through their fathers' wealth or inherited position, but by a special plan and administration of God, so that even though they can boast of neither their ancestors nor their own effort in acquiring wealth and gaining honor, they nonetheless possess by rightful title what God has placed in their hands.

The reason for such transformations and changes is added in these words: 'For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He has set the world upon them.' When pillars are attributed to the earth, we must understand this as a figurative expression. In another place, Psalm 24:2 and 136:6, God is said to have founded the earth upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. But those who build in rivers or in marshy, swampy ground drive piles into the earth and lay them under the walls as foundations — without which the structure would otherwise have no firm footing on stone. Thus God is said to have supported the mass of the earth on its bases, as if by piles driven into the sea. For nothing can be built upon water — indeed not even a pebble of an ounce can float but sinks downward, since water is a fluid element and cannot support anything heavy. But Scripture does not discuss these matters with scientific precision, since its purpose is not to expound the secrets of natural philosophy, but to speak plainly with us, as it were. God willed to accommodate Himself to the capacity of the unlearned, so that no one would complain about difficulty and obscurity — and so He provided for our ignorance through the simplicity of His language.

Thus, when the earth is said to rest on its pillars and foundations, that expression must be understood according to our capacity. For the earth actually occupies the center of the world and is encircled by waters — and therefore water is higher than the earth. But that part of it is dry land happened by a miracle, which reason compels even the philosophers themselves to confess. For nature required not that some part should stand out dry and arid, but that the whole should sink and be submerged by waters; but God confined the sea and waters within their limits, never to return to cover the whole earth, so as to provide a dwelling place for human beings. In short, we see the whole earth surrounded by water, and we can imagine no other foundation. Indeed, we see mountains of water — by which the earth seems destined to be overwhelmed — held within their limits, which is plainly beyond and contrary to their nature. Therefore when we behold such great heights of sea above the earth, and yet are given a firm dwelling on dry land — how great shall I say is our carelessness, how great our dullness, unless we acknowledge that God has founded the earth upon the waters? The philosophers indeed offer their own explanations — that the earth, being the heaviest of all elements, occupies the center — but we must freely confess that this is a wonderful divine work, indeed incomprehensible to our senses, without which the things that strike our eyes could not otherwise exist.

When therefore it is said here that the Lord has placed the inhabited earth on the pillars of the earth — that is, imposed it upon the waters, though they are fluid — the work of divine majesty and the creation of the world is celebrated, so that no one should be surprised that all things are ruled and administered by His nod and will. For if God by His power created the earth, by that same power He sustains it. Moreover, these things must be understood not only of the universal earth or its physical supports, but of individual provinces, regions, monarchies, and nations. The Lord is therefore called their master not only in respect of creation — as if, having made the world, He had cast off all care for it and left it to be governed by chance — but in respect of His perpetual care and power, by which He so cherishes and upholds the world and each of its parts that without His constant attention they would collapse.

Therefore when changes and upheavals of affairs occur in this world, the instability of things apart from the hand and care of divine providence is thus revealed. And let this much be said about these matters.

There follow those words, that He will guard the feet of those whom He has graciously received, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness — which some interpret too narrowly, as if God were said to direct the way of the faithful only so that they live their lives in His fear. For it is certain that a person cannot raise and direct himself toward virtue by his own free will unless stirred by the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. But these words should not be restricted so narrowly, since they have a broader scope: namely, that God will guard His own in all their ways and direct them, as the prophet teaches in Psalm 29:9 and 91:11. I grant that the unfaithful are also so governed by God that they cannot move even a foot without His permission; indeed they are so held in His hand that He drives them here and there according to His will, handling them no differently than a craftsman handles a saw or any other tool. And thus indeed wicked people are subject to God's command — but in a far different way than the faithful. For He does not have the same care for the wicked as for the faithful, who flee to Him and commit themselves entirely to Him, and whom He embraces with fatherly love. In this sense the prophet says in Jeremiah 10:23: 'I know, O Lord, that the way of a person is not in himself; it is not in a man who walks to direct his own steps.' Yet you may see unbelievers setting out on foolish plans and, trusting in them, crossing mountains and seas, promising themselves everything. But how can those who cannot even move their lips without God extend their plans to the ends of the earth? Namely, they do not attend to or apply their minds to the thought that people's steps must be governed by God. But the faithful, well mindful of the prophet's words, commit themselves entirely to God, willingly acknowledging that their life would be miserable and wandering without His special care.

Here therefore Hannah proclaims that the faithful who flee to God will never be disappointed in their hope, but that their feet will be guarded by Him. Thus in Psalm 91:11 God is said to have commanded His angels concerning His faithful ones, to guard them in all their ways, lest their feet strike against a stone. This is indeed a doctrine worthy of meditation day and night — otherwise we would either be utterly numb, or tossed about by constant anxiety, unless we hold it as certain that we have been received by God into His protection. For what, I ask, would otherwise become of us poor souls? What hope of future salvation would there be? For the traps of the devil — that most deadly enemy, constantly plotting our destruction — are well known. In short, it would be far better never to have been born than to live in ignorance of God's special gifts toward His own, which the prophet in Psalm 121:3 captures in these few words: 'He will not allow your foot to slip; your guardian will not slumber. The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade; He is at your right hand.'

Therefore come, brothers, weigh this doctrine with me, so that when necessity demands it we may put it to use — firmly persuaded that God will be most present to us in uncertain and desperate circumstances when called upon with earnest prayers; and since we grope about like blind people in darkness, He will be present as a guide for the way; and finally, He will never fail us. If this thought takes deeper root in our minds, it will surely come about that we will be disturbed by no storms and no tempests, but will stand firm against them all; and though frightened by threats, we will rest peacefully in His power and fatherly care, certain that we will never be utterly overwhelmed — and that though cast down, we will nevertheless be lifted up and raised again. And if any mishap should befall us, let us know that it will be not only not fatal, but, by God's working, good for us. For the more we have been endangered, the more remarkable — and the more certain by our own experience — will be the testimony of divine providence and protection once we have been delivered.

Furthermore, the faithful are here called 'the kind ones' or 'the merciful' — according to the most common phrase of Scripture — because they desire to resist all temptations and to imitate God in this, following the command of Christ our Lord, who directs in Luke that the faithful be merciful and perfect, just as their Father in heaven is merciful — for mercy and compassion are, as even the pagans recognized, most fitting to God. And Paul in Ephesians 5:1 commands us to imitate God, and to be bound together by a brotherly bond and by mutual acts of kindness. Therefore if we truly wish to be children of God — as we desire to be regarded — we must devote ourselves to mercy and compassion; and the brutish nature by which one person gnaws at another must be put off. We must show regard for the wretched and the weak; the habits of others must be tolerated with patience; we must eagerly devote ourselves to the welfare of those with whom we live. In short, such human regard must be maintained that no one can rightly complain of our harshness and cruelty, and nothing may prevent us from living peaceably with those whom God has joined to us. And let this be the explanation of the word 'the kind ones' or 'the merciful,' which occurs frequently in the sacred writings.

On the contrary, it is said that the wicked will be silenced in darkness — that is, they will be confounded and their mouths will be shut. For this is the sense of 'to be silent in darkness.' And these words are spoken specifically of the wicked, because they have open mouths to wound God's name with blasphemous words, and they take sport in rising up against God and shamelessly mocking His Word. But what madness in people! Indeed, what diabolical fury! For I judge that such insolent license in insulting the living God should not merely be called boldness. Is it right for wretched little men — worms crawling from the earth and rotting corpses — to rise up against the Creator, to try to drag Him from His throne, and to attack His attributes? But while the rest of mortals rush into such unbridled license, let us patiently await the hand of God the avenger, who will one day place a bridle on the impure mouths of those people.

Thus it is said that the wicked will be silenced in darkness, and all iniquity will shut its mouth. Nor do the wicked fall silent in a moment — you may see them kicking back time and again — but divine wisdom and justice must finally prevail, so that those who have snarled against God may at last, with the greatest disgrace, be hurled headlong into eternal destruction. Therefore in Psalm 51:4 God is said to be justified in His words, even though people murmur against Him. For what is the madness of people — that they are not ashamed to weigh God's judgments on their own scales, and to reject them if they do not please, and to defend themselves with their own reasoning? I grant that for a time they raise their heads to heaven and pour their fury against God — but that fury is not so lasting that it cannot be bridled by God's power and cast down by His avenging right hand into ruin. This is why there often occurs among the prophets that phrase: that every lip will be stopped before Him — describing the majesty of God the avenger and restorer of all things, before whom even those most bold in blaspheming His name must utterly fall silent, so that they dare not open their mouths before Him.

Therefore come — since this is how matters stand — if it happens that wicked and depraved people arrogantly pour out blasphemous words against God, let us patiently await the time of judgment appointed by God, who will exact just and deserved penalties from them. For it is specifically said here that they will be silenced in darkness — that is, they will by no means reach the end of their plans; these will turn out to be vain and futile. I grant that in the meantime they hold some authority and celebrate their triumphs — but shortly afterward they will be hurled headlong by the divine hand, so that when their true character is exposed, all that insolent arrogance and empty boasting may be restrained and bridled. And enough about these matters.

There follows: 'By his own strength no one will prevail' — by which we are taught with what ease God executes His judgments against wicked people, whose strength and all their might cannot even stand before God. For those words of the prophet, long confirmed by experience, are very true: that the pride of people must be brought low, and that all flesh is like grass and like the flower of the field; the grass withers and the flower falls when the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it. Therefore Hannah's words — 'by his own strength no one will prevail' — must be weighed all the more carefully because we are naturally inclined to an unfair estimation of people. For if we see someone in a position of authority who has attained great honors, we create an idol in our minds and imagine I know not what immovable and eternal figure — something that will never perish. But our minds, preoccupied with such thoughts, rob us of right judgment about these matters and do not allow us to have any peace in our consciences — in short, they do not allow us to live life peacefully, submitting ourselves to God alone and entrusting our lives to Him. For we cast ourselves into these troubles by our own foolish judgments, when we regard such thoughts about created things as trivial.

Therefore let us fix this teaching more deeply in our minds: that people have no enduring strength in this world, no lasting empire, no lasting kingdom — and indeed the greatest and most flourishing empires will, at the slightest breath, collapse in an instant when God wills it. By this, as by a bridle, let us be restrained from fearing those wicked people who carry themselves with arrogance and recklessness, daring anything, knowing that they will by no means escape God's avenging hand, but that having abused the honors and authority they received from God, they will receive punishments worthy of their crimes. But let us, if God has raised us to any position of dignity, give Him this glory: that we acknowledge we stand by His power alone, and without it we would shortly be brought down and reduced to nothing — and therefore let us cultivate humility, not doubting that He Himself will supply strength, provided we direct all our affairs to His worship and glory; and He will keep us safe and sound, even when the world is turned upside down.

Therefore the following words must also be carefully considered, in which God is said to be about to shatter His enemies and judge the ends of the earth — by which the foregoing is further confirmed. For someone might have objected that the wicked have been raised by God to such great dignity, and that He was not unaware of what they would become — yet they stand firm and remain in the same condition. Therefore, so that we may know that all their splendor and glory will vanish into smoke, their triumphs perish, and they will reap disgrace and shame instead of honor and dignity — God is proclaimed as the one who will shatter His enemies and judge the ends of the earth — by which words it is asserted that God is God, and the destruction of the wicked is foretold.

This is a repetition well worth noting, so that we may know God to be the judge of the world for the purpose of judging the wicked. And if, as was said above, He does not spring to judgment suddenly but proceeds at a slow pace, let our patience be tested and trained by this, so that we may learn to wait for Him patiently. Whenever therefore we hear God called the judge of the world, let us recall that He will crush the wicked and from above give signs of His majesty to destroy those who scorn His divinity and to strike them with His thunderbolt. From this let us learn not to envy the wicked in their prosperity and triumphs — and even when everything goes according to their heart's desire, let us patiently await the outcome of God's judgments. Meanwhile we must take the utmost care not to provoke God's dreadful hand against us — of which even thunder and storms are the most certain signs. And likewise we must take care not to be frightened by them, but rather recognize them as signs of divine majesty — so that relying on His presence we may lean on Him alone, and despise and even defy the devil and all our enemies, knowing that God will supply us with the strength to overcome all their efforts.

Next, God is said to be about to judge the ends of the earth, and to give strength to His king, and to exalt the horn of His anointed. If these words are considered according to the conditions of that time, they might cause some difficulty — but explained simply according to the prophet's meaning, they contain no difficulty in themselves. For even though God had chosen a special people for Himself, to govern by His rule, He must not be thought to have cast off all care for the rest of the world. Therefore these two things hold together: that the Lord will judge the ends of the earth, and will give strength to His king, and will exalt the horn of His anointed. Now at that time there was no king in Israel — and although Moses had predicted that God would raise up someone, the condition of the people was confused at that point; later we will see that Samuel administered justice over the people for a time, and that the people, demanding a king from God, drew His wrath upon themselves by not waiting for the kingdom of David — which was to be not merely an earthly kingdom, but a type of the kingdom of Christ that God Himself established. In short, Hannah seems to have missed no opportunity to speak about the judging of the ends of the earth and the giving of strength to a king.

Why then does she here attribute the name of the Lord's anointed to a future king? We clearly perceive here a prophecy, which Hannah utters not by her own impulse but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Since it is evident that she spoke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let us not be reluctant to hear such a teacher. Therefore far be it from us to reject the doctrine she sets before us here, since she reveals not human inventions but God's decrees and secret counsels — eternal and unchanging.

Another thing must be observed here: namely, that the hope of the faithful in all ages rested upon this kingdom that God was to establish. For even though in the times of Moses and Aaron the people of God felt God's special goodwill toward them — attested by many unmistakable signs, and with God Himself showing that He was their king, as He had declared through Moses — that kingdom was not yet to be called perfect; and the signs of His presence that God gave prompted the people to hope for better things. Upon this king, therefore, the fathers had their eyes fixed, awaiting the redeemer promised by God — and indeed they were to have placed their complete happiness in him, so that if they were tossed about by various storms, they would still not lose heart, but await their liberation from the one whom God was going to send as their redeemer.

In short, we will find that the faithful never gave their consciences true rest or were ever made certain of their salvation except by looking to this redeemer whom God had promised them — by whom, as their true head, they might be governed. Now if those faithful ones sustained themselves with this hope — they for whom only shadows were set forth — what sort of people ought we to be today, whose understanding has been exercised in the full revelation of every good? Therefore we ought to be unlike those miserable unbelievers who follow the papacy and confess indeed that they need the grace of God, and speak admirably about Jesus Christ our Lord — but nevertheless, because they do not follow the straight path of truth, they fashion new paths for themselves and depart from Christ just as far as they think they advance. For whatever rites the papists invent for God by which they may win His favor, each one must be confessed as a corruption of that pure worship — and therefore they depart from God as much as they think they draw near.

Therefore let us learn to approach Christ under the guidance of His divine Word — for having followed this voice as our guide, we will attain the truth — that is, having found our supreme blessedness in Jesus Christ alone, we will rest. Therefore no excuse will protect today all those men and women who do not look to Him alone and rest in Him alone, since we see that this was the single hope of the faithful of old, even under the shadows of the law.

Hannah specifically mentions the king and the anointed of the Lord — certainly not as though our Lord Jesus Christ reigns above God Himself, but because He is the living image of God; nor as though God reigns above Christ, but because He has appointed Him judge of the world, and God Himself is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is therefore as if she were saying: He is the king and prophet of God, because He has received from God dominion and the power of ruling. By these words we are taught that our Lord Jesus Christ was sent not by men but by God the Father, who so loved the world that He did not spare His own Son.

This is indeed a thought most worthy of attention, by which we are taught to credit our salvation to God alone. For what, I ask, would be either our confidence or that of the ancients, except in this: that Christ appeared to redeem the human race from the curse? Moreover, it is not enough that He appeared — we must also hold that He was given to us by the Father and will triumph over all enemies. For His kingdom will stand not by human power or strength, but by the sole power of God on which it rests.

Therefore whenever we hear mention made of Jesus Christ and His kingdom, and consequently of our salvation, let us know that our salvation is so certain and stable that even if heaven and earth were to conspire against it, it could never be overthrown — provided, however, that we rest upon the foundation here set before us. This, then, is why Jesus Christ is called the king of the Lord and the anointed of God. Thus Simeon, embracing Him in his arms, calls Christ God. Conversely, often in the Psalms the anointed of God is spoken of as a type and shadow of Christ. Hannah therefore calls Him the anointed and king of God, recalling the promises made to the fathers — namely, that the promised Messiah would come not empty, but full of all God's graces, just as the prophet Isaiah also attributes to Him the gifts of God in these words: 'The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.' And elsewhere: 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me,' and so on.

From these things it becomes clear to us that Jesus Christ our Lord by no means came to us empty, but adorned with all divine riches and spiritual gifts — from which fullness in John we are all commanded to receive, we who do not have even a spark of life in ourselves; and to come to Christ, firmly persuaded that we will never leave Him empty-handed. For it is proper to Christ that all the gifts of God have been poured into Him, of which He makes us partakers — which is why we are called His companions in Psalm 45.

Empty of all good things ourselves, we may find in Him what He communicates to us, because it has pleased Him to call us to Himself, so that His power may flow into us as from a head into its members. From what has been said above, it is sufficiently clear that in Hannah's words — that the Lord will judge the ends of the earth — a prophecy is contained. For by what means did God bring the earth under His rule, if not in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ? As Isaiah speaks in chapter 2 and Micah in chapter 4: that God, at the coming of His Son, will call back and gather to Himself those who had been scattered from Judah and from all the nations of the earth, and that each person, taking his neighbor by the hand, will encourage him with these words: 'Let us go to Israel so that we may be taught by God Himself.' In short, the Lord is said to be about to judge the earth in this way: that He shatters His enemies and confounds them with the scepter of His mouth. God especially drew peoples back and rescued His own from the tyranny of Satan under which they were oppressed when Christ, having taken on our flesh, came into the world.

Nor do I deny that by His providence He previously governed and administered all things, as Daniel testifies that all things are in His hand — yet this dominion of which we speak was unknown to people. But at the time when our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to rule in the name and power of His Father, then the prophecies were fulfilled — and specifically what Isaiah says: that islands, seas, and lands will exult with joy, because God will then judge — that is, govern the whole world.

Behold what hope Hannah had — not only hoping in Christ our Lord who was to come, but also recognizing that He would no longer be confined to the Jewish nation, as in the time of the law, but would reign far and wide throughout the whole world; and indeed that the wretched Gentiles, who were entirely foreign to Him and shut out, would be joined to His people and admitted to the same inheritance, the dividing wall that separated the two peoples being broken down. For that union could not have occurred in any other way.

Therefore I ask you to recognize with me the immense benefit of God, since He wills the preaching of the Gospel to penetrate even to us, and consequently to be our king — a benefit greater than which cannot occur. On the contrary, if we are deprived of the preaching of the Gospel, what else remains but that we be subjected to the tyranny of him who is the prince of this world, namely the devil? Alas, what a horrible condition! Who would not rightly grieve and lament the condition of such people — when, because God does not reign in them through His Word, they are compelled to obey the tyranny of the devil? But on the other hand, how great and how precious is the benefit, how great the treasure of the preaching of the Gospel, by which God declares Himself our king and takes us into His people, whom He rules, cherishes, and protects without end?

Therefore we must take care not to kick against His Word and ungratefully and defiantly reject so great a benefit; but on the contrary, since He wishes to regard us as children and Himself as a father, let us acknowledge so great a benefit and submit ourselves peacefully to His rule for life and death. This, then, is the sense of these words: that God will judge the ends of the earth — namely, by handing over the kingdom to His Son, through whom He would govern and rule all His people, just as the prophets spoke of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ — and specifically when it is said that our Lord Jesus Christ would begin His kingdom from Zion where the temple was built, but would reign not in only one corner of the world, but would spread His kingdom far and wide throughout the whole world. Since we see this prophecy fulfilled, let us hold as certain that it was accomplished for our salvation. For our king holds a scepter in His hand to restrain the ferocity of His enemies — which should make us all the more careful not to be found among those whom that dreadful judgment will overtake; and being firmly persuaded that if we are His, we will never be frightened by any terrors, but all things will work together for our salvation, by God's doing.

Therefore come, let us pray before the majesty of Almighty God, having become suppliants, and acknowledging the many and great sins and crimes of which we are guilty before Him, let us beseech Him that we may be so moved by them that, fleeing to Him, we may obtain pardon; and may He set His ways before us daily so that we may walk in His fear. Since He has given His Son Jesus Christ as king and ruler to His faithful, may we so perceive His goodness, power, strength, and might in our hearts that we may offer Him willing obedience and be always most ready for His commands — serving under His banner with the firm assurance that He will protect us against whatever assaults of enemies. For even though the world hates and persecutes us as the most wretched and despised of all, let us not doubt that He has sufficient strength to protect and defend us against the fury of the devil, the world, and all our other enemies. And not for ourselves alone, and so on.