A thousand years ago you and I were nothing, and yet the church was preserved at that time without us. He who is called “who was” and “yesterday” had to accomplish this. Even during our lifetime we are not the church’s guardians. It is not preserved by us, for we are unable to drive off the devil in the persons of the pope, the sects, and evil men. If it were up to us, the church would perish before our very eyes, and we together with it (as we experience daily). For it is another Man who obviously preserves both the church and us. He does this so plainly that we could touch and feel it, if we did not want to believe it. We must leave this to him who is called “who is” and “today.” Likewise we will contribute nothing toward the preservation of the church after our death. He who is called “who is to come” and “forever” will accomplish it. What we are now saying about ourselves in this respect, our ancestors also had to say, as is borne out by the psalms and the Scriptures. And our descendants will make the same discovery, prompting them to join us and the entire church in singing Psalm 124: “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel now say,” etc. (Luther’s Works, v.47, p.118)
Picture: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from Das Newe Testament Deuotzsch. The image is from Martin Luther’s (1483-1546) September Testament. The image is based on Revelation chapter 6:1-8. After the first four seals are opened, four horsemen roam the earth bringing great calamity. They are shown carrying a bow, a sword, scales, and a pitchfork. Woodcut designed by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), a close friend of Luther. http://pitts.emory.edu/