 section 14 of a treatise on good works. This is LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Philip Nottis. A treatise on good works by Martin Luther. Translated by Johann Michael Roy. Treatise 28 through 31. 28. Further works of this commandment are that we shall not swear, curse, lie, deceive, and conjure with the Holy Name of God, and otherwise misuse it, which are very simple matters and well known to everyone, being the sins which have been almost exclusively preached and proclaimed under this commandment. These also include that we shall prevent others from making sinful use of God's name by lying, swearing, deceiving, cursing, conjuring, and otherwise. Here and again much occasion is given for doing good and warding off evil. But the greatest most difficult work of this commandment is to protect the Holy Name of God against all who misuse it in a spiritual matter and proclaim it to all men. For it is not enough that I for myself and in myself praise and call upon God's name and prosperity and adversity. I'm a step forth and for the sake of God's honor and name bring upon myself the enmity of all men as Christ said to His disciples, ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. Here we must provoke anger, father, mother, and the best of friends. Here we must strive against spiritual and temporal powers and be accused of disobedience. Here we must stir up against us the rich, learned, holy, and all that is of repute in the world. And although this is especially the duty of those who are commanded to preach God's word, yet every Christian is also obliged to do so when time and place demand. For we must for the Holy Name of God risk and give up all that we have it can do and show by our deeds that we love God and His name, His honor and His praise above all things and trust Him above all things and expect good from Him thereby confessing that we regard Him as the highest good for the sake of which we let go and give up all other goods. 29. Here we must first of all resist all wrong where truth or righteousness suffers violence or need and dare make no distinction of persons as some do, who fight most actively and busily against the wrong which is done to the rich, the powerful, and their own friends. But when it is done to the poor or the despised or their own enemy, they are quiet and patient. These see the name in the honor of God, not as it is, but through a painted glass and measure truth or righteousness according to the persons and do not consider the deceiving eye which looks more on the person than on the thing. These are hypocrites wherein and have only the appearance of defending the truth. For they well know that there is no danger when one helps the rich, the powerful, the learned and one's own friends and can in turn enjoy the protection and be honored by them. Thus it is very easy to fight against the wrong which is done to popes, kings, princes, bishops, and other bigwigs. Here each wants to be the most pious where there's no great need. Oh how sly is here the deceitful atom with his demand. How finely does he cover his greed of profit with the name of truth and righteousness in God's honor. But when something happens to a poor and insignificant man, there the deceitful eye does not find much profit, but cannot help seeing that his favor the powerful, therefore he lets the poor man remain unhelped. And who could tell the extent of this vice in Christendom? God says in the 82nd Psalm, How long will ye judge unjustly and accept the persons of the wicked? Judge the matter of the poor and fatherless, demand justice for the poor and needy, deliver the poor and rid the forsaken out of the hand of the wicked. But it is not done, and therefore the text continues, They know not, neither will they understand. They walk on in darkness. That is the truth they do not see, but they stop at the reputation of the great, however unrighteous they are, and do not consider the poor, however righteous they are. 30. See here would be many good works, for the greater portion of the powerful, rich, and friends do injustice and oppress the poor, the lowly, and their own opponents, and the greater the men, the worse the deeds, and where we cannot by force prevent and help the truth. We should at least confess it, and do what we can with words, not take the part of the righteous, not approve them, but speak the truth boldly. What would it help a man if he did all manner of good, made pilgrimages to Rome, and to all holy places, acquired all indulgences, built all churches and endowed houses, if he were found guilty of sin against the name and honor of God, not speaking of them and neglecting them, and regarding his possessions, honor, favor, and friends more than the truth, which is God's name and honor. Or who is he before whose door and into whose house such good works do not daily come, so that he would have no need to trowel far, or to ask after good works. And if we consider the life of men, how in every place men act so very rashly and lightly in this respect, we must cry out with the prophet, amen is homo midax, all men are liars, lie and deceive. For the real good works they neglect, and adorn and paint themselves with the most insignificant and want to be pious, to mount to heaven in peaceful security. But if you should say, why does God do it alone himself, since he can and knows how to help each one, yes, he can do it. He does not want to do it alone. He wants us to work with him and does us the honor to want to work his work with us and through us. And if we are not willing to accept such honor, he will after all perform the work alone and help the poor. And those who were unwilling to help him and have despised the great honor of doing his work, he will condemn us with the righteous, because they have made a common cause with the righteous. Just as he alone is blessed, but he wants to do us the honor and not be alone in his blessedness, but have us to be blessed with him. And if he were to do it alone, his commandments would be given us in vain, because no one would have occasion to exercise himself in the great works of these commandments. And no one would test himself to see whether he regards God and his name as the highest good. And for his sake, risks everything. 31. It also belongs to this work to resist all false, seductive, erroneous, heretical doctrines, every misuse of spiritual power. Now this is much higher, for these use the holy name of God itself to fight against the name of God. For this reason, it seems a great thing and a dangerous thing to resist them, because they assert that he who resists them resists God and all his saints in whose place they sit and whose power they use, saying that Christ is said of them, he that here with you, here with me, and he that despises you, despises me, on which words they lean heavily, become insolent and bold to say to do, and to leave undone what they please, put the ban, a curse, rob, murder, and practice all the wickedness in whatever way they please and can invent without any hindrance. Now Christ does not mean that we should listen to them and everything that they might say and do, but only then when they present to us his word, the gospel, not their word, his work, and not their work. How else could we know whether their lies and sins were to be avoided? There must be some rule to what extent we are to hear and to follow them, and this rule cannot be given by them, but must be established by God over them, that it may serve us as a guide as we shall hear in the fourth commandment. It must be indeed that even in the spiritual state of the greater part, preach false doctrine and misuse spiritual power so that thus occasion may be given us to do the works of this commandment, and that we be tried to see what we are willing to do and to leave undone against such blasphemers for the sake of God's honor. Oh, if we were God fearing in this manner, how often would the knaves of officials have to decree their papal and episcopal ban in vain? How weak the Roman thunderbolts would become? How often would many a one have to hold his tongue to whom the world was now give ear? How few preachers would be found in Christendom? But it has gotten the upper hand, whatever they assert and in whatever way, that it must be right. Here, no one fights for God's name and honor, and I hold that no greater or more frequent sin is done in external works than under this head. It is a matter so high that few understand it, and besides, adorned with God's name and power, dangerous to touch. But the prophets of old were masters in this, also the apostles, especially Saint Paul, who did not allow it to trouble them, whether the highest or the lowest priest had said it, or had done it in God's name or in his own. They looked to the works and the words, and held them up to God's commandment, no matter whether Big John or Little Nick said it, or whether they had done it in God's name or in man's, and for this they had to die. And of such dying, there would be much more to say in our time, for things are much worse now. But Christ and Saint Peter and Paul must cover all this with their holy names so that no more infamous cover for infamy has been found on earth than the most holy and most blessed name of Jesus Christ. One might shudder to be alive simply because of the misuse and blasphemy of the holy name of God, through which, if it shall last much longer, we will, as I fear, openly worship the devil as a God, so completely do spiritual authorities and the learned lack all understanding in these things. It is high time that we pray God earnestly that he hollow his name, but if it will cross blood, and they who enjoy the inheritance of the holy martyrs and are one with their blood must again make martyrs of this more another time. End of section 14, recording by Philip Nautis. Section 15 of a treatise on good works. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Philip Nautis. A treatise on good works by Martin Luther. Translated by Johann Michael Roy. The third commandment. Subsections one through three. One. We have now seen how many good works there are in the second commandment, which, however, are not good works in themselves, unless they are done in faith, in the assurance of divine favor, and how much we do if we take heed to this commandment alone, and how we alas busy ourselves much with other works, which have no agreement at all with it. Now follows the third commandment. Thou shalt hollow the day of rest. And the first commandment is prescribed our heart's attitude toward God and thoughts. In the second, that of our mouth and words. In this third is prescribed our attitude toward God and works. And it is the first in Right Table of Moses, on which these three commandments are written. They govern man on the right side, namely in the things which concern God, and in which God has to do with man and man with God, without the mediation of any creature. The first of this commandment are plain and outward, which we commonly call worship, such as going to mass, praying, and hearing a sermon on holy days. So understood there are few works in this commandment, and these, if they're not done in the assurance of and with faith in God's favor, are nothing, as was said above. Hence it would also be a good thing if there were fewer saints since in our times the works done on them are for the greater part worse than those of the workdays. What with loafing, gluttony, and drunkenness, gambling, and all other evil deeds. And then the mass and the sermon are listened to without edification. The prayer is spoken without faith. It almost happens that men think it is sufficient that we look on at the mass with our eyes, hearing the preaching with our ears, and say the prayers with our mouths. It is also formal and superficial. We do not think that we might receive something out of the mass and of our hearts. Learn and remember something out of the preaching, seek, desire, and expect something in our prayer. Although in this matter the bishops and priests, or they to whom the work of preaching is entrusted, are most at fault because they do not preach the gospel, and do not teach the people how they ought to look at the mass. Hear the preaching and pray, therefore we will briefly explain these three works. 2. In the mass it is necessary that we attend with our hearts also, and we do attend when we exercise faith in our hearts. Here we must repeat the words of Christ when he institutes the mass and says, take and eat, this is my body, which is given for you. In like manner over the cup, take and drink all of it. This is a new everlasting testament in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. This shall you do as often as you do it in remembrance of me. In these words, Christ has made for himself memorial or anniversary to be daily observed in all Christendom, and has added to it a glorious, rich, great testament in which no interest, money, or temporal possessions are bequeathed and distributed by the forgiveness of all sins, grace, and mercy unto eternal life, that all who come to this memorial shall have the same testament, and then he died, whereby this testament has become permanent and irrevocable, in proof and evidence of which, instead of letter and seal, he has left with us his own body and blood under the bread and wine. Here is need that a man practice the first work to this commandment right well, that he doubt not what Christ has said is true, and consider the testament sure, so that he may not Christ a liar. For if you are present at mass and do not consider nor believe that here Christ through his testament has bequeathed and given you forgiveness of all your sins, what else is it then as if you said, I do not know or do not believe that it is true that forgiveness of my sins here bequeathed and given me. Oh how many masses there are in the world at present, but how few who hear them with such faith and benefit, most grievously as God provoked to anger thereby. For this reason also, no one shall or can reap any benefit from the mass, except he be in trouble of soul and long for divine mercy, and desire to be rid of his sins, or if he have an evil intention, he must be changed during the mass and come to have a desire for this testament. For this reason in olden times, no open sinner was allowed to be present at the mass. When this faith is rightly present, the heart must be made joyful by the testament and grow warm and melt in God's love. Then we'll follow praise and thanksgiving with a pure heart from which the mass is called in Greek eucharista, that is, thanksgiving. Because we praise and thank God for his comforting, rich, blessed testament, just as he gives thanks, praises and is joyful, to whom a good friend has presented a thousand and more golden. Although Christ fares like those who made several persons rich by the testament, and these persons never think of them, nor praise or thank them, so our masses at present are merely celebrated. Without our knowing why or wherefore and consequently, we neither give thanks, nor love nor praise remain parched and hard, and have enough with our little prayer. Of this, more another time. 3. The sermon ought to be nothing else than the proclamation of this testament, but who can hear it if no one preaches it? Now they who ought to preach it themselves do not know it. This is why the sermons ramble off into other unprofitable stories and thus Christ is forgotten while we fare like the man in 2 Kings 7. We see our riches but do not enjoy them, of which the preacher also says, this is a great evil, when God giveth man riches, and giveth him not power to enjoy them. So we look at the unnumbered masses and do not know whether the mass be a testament or what it be, just as if it were any other common good work by itself. Oh God, how exceedingly blind we are, but where this is rightly preached, it is necessary that it be diligently heard, grasped, retained, often thought of, and that the faith be thus strengthened against all the temptation of sin, whether past or present, or to come. Lo, this is the only ceremony or practice which Christ has instituted, in which his Christians shall assemble, exercise themselves, and keep it with one accord, and this he did not make to be a mere work like other ceremonies, but placed into it a rich exceeding great treasure, to be offered and bestowed upon all who believe on it. This preaching should induce sinners to grieve over their sins, and should kindle in them a longing for the treasure. It must therefore be a grievous sin not to hear the gospel, and to despise such a treasure, and so rich a feast to which we are bitten, but a much greater sin not to preach the gospel, and let so many people who would gladly hear it perish, since Christ has so strictly commanded that the gospel and this testament be preached, that he does not wish even the mass to be celebrated, unless the gospel be preached as he says, as oft as you do this, remember me, that is, as St. Paul says, ye shall preach of his death. For this reason it is dreadful and horrible in our times to be a bishop, pastor, and preacher, for no one any longer knows this testament to say nothing of the preaching it, although this is their highest and only duty and obligation. How heavily must they give account for so many souls who must perish because of this lack in preaching? Luther translated by Johann Michael Roy. The third commandment, subsections four through six. We should pray, not as the custom is, counting many pages or beads, but fixing our mind upon some pressing need, desire it with all our earnestness, and exercise faith and confidence toward God in the matter, in such wise that we do not doubt that we shall be heard. So also St. Bernard instructs his brethren and says, Dear brethren, usual by no means despise your prayer as if it were in vain, for I tell you of a truth that before you've uttered the words, the prayer is already recorded in heaven, and you shall confidently expect from God one of two things, either that your prayer will be granted or that if it will not be granted, the granting of it would not be good for you. Prayer is therefore a special exercise of faith and faith makes the prayer so acceptable that either it will surely be granted or something better than we ask will be given instead. So also says St. James, let him who ask it of God not waver in faith, for if he wavers, let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. This is a clear statement which says directly, he who does not trust receives nothing, neither that which he asks nor anything better. And a call forth such faith Christ himself has said in Mark 11, therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall surely have them. And Luke 11, ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh shall be opened. Or what father is there of you, who, if his son shall ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asketh fish, will he give him a serpent? Or if he ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? But if you know how to give good gifts to your children, and you yourselves are not naturally good, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give a good spirit to all them that ask him? Five. Who is so hard and stonemike that such mighty words ought not to move him to pray with confidence joyfully and gladly? But how many prayers must be reformed if we are to pray aright according to these words? Now indeed all churches and monastic houses are full of praying and singing. But how does it happen that so little improvement and benefit result from it, and things daily grow worse? The reason is none other than that which St. James indicates when he says, you ask and receive not because ye ask amiss. For where this faith and confidence is not the prayer, the prayer is dead, and nothing more than grievous labor and work, if anything is given for it, it is nonetheless only temporal benefit, without any blessing and help for the soul, nay, to the great injury and blinding of souls so that they go their way, babbling much with their mouths, regarding of whether they receive or desire or trust in this belief, the state of mind most depressed to the exercise of faith and to the nature of prayer, they remain heartened. From this it follows that one who prays aright never doubts that his prayer was surely acceptable and heard, although the very thing for which he prays be not given him. For we are to lay our knee before God in prayer, but not prescribe to him a measure, manner, time or place, but if he wills to give it to us better, or in another way than we think, we are to leave it to him. For frequently we do not know what we pray, as St. Paul says in Romans 8, and God works and gives above all that we understand, as he says in Ephesians 3, so that there be no doubt that the prayer is acceptable and heard, and we yet leave to God at the time, place, measure, and limit. He will surely do what is right. They are the true worshipers who worship God in spirit and in truth, for they who believe not that they will be heard, sin upon the left hand against his commandment, and go far astray with their unbelief, but they who sit a limit for him, sin upon the other side, and come too close with their tempting of God, so he has forbidden both that we should err from his commandment neither to the left nor to the right, that is, neither with unbelief nor with tempting, but with simple faith remain straight road, trusting him, and yet setting him no bounds. We see that this commandment, like the second, is to be nothing else than a doing and keeping of the first commandment, that is, faith, trust, confidence, hope, and love of God, so that in all the commandments the first may be the captain, and faith, the chief work, and the life of all other works, without which, as we said, they cannot be good. But if you say, what if I cannot believe that my prayer is heard and accepted? I answer, for this very reason, faith, prayer, and all other good works are commanded, that you shall know what you can and what you cannot do. And when you find that you cannot so believe and do, then you are humbly to confess it to God and begin with a weak spark of faith and daily strengthen it more and more by exercising it in all of your living and doing, for as touching infirmity of faith, that is, of the first and highest commandment, there is no one on earth who does not have this good share of it. And even the holy apostles in the gospel, and especially Saint Peter, were weakened faith, so that they also prayed Christ and said, Lord, increase our faith. And he very frequently rebukes them because they have so little faith. Therefore, you shall not despair nor give up, even if you find that you do not believe as firmly as you ought and wish in your prayer or in other works. Nay, you shall thank God with all your heart that He thus reveals to you your weakness through which He daily teaches and admonishes you how much you need to exercise yourself and daily strengthen yourself in faith. For how many do you see who habitually pray, sing, read, work, and seem to be great saints, and yet never get so far as to know where they stand in respect of the chief work, faith. And so when they're blindless, they lead astray themselves and others think that they are very well off and unknowingly build on the sand of their works without any faith, not on God's mercy and promise, through a firm, pure faith. Therefore, however long we live, we shall always have our hands full to remain with all our works and sufferings, pupils of the first commandment of faith, and not to cease on them. No one knows what a great thing it is to trust God alone, except He who attempts it with His works. End of Section 16, Recording by Philip Naunus. Section 17 of a Treatise on Good Works. This is LibriVox Recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Philip Naunus. A Treatise on Good Works by Martin Luther. Translated by Johann Michael Roy. The Third Commandment. Subsections 7 through 9. 7. Again, if no other work were commanded, would not prayer alone suffice to exercise the whole life of man and faith. For this work, the spiritual estate has been specially established, as indeed in olden times, some fathers prayed day and night, nay. There is no Christian who does not have time to pray without ceasing. But I mean the spiritual praying, that is, no one is so heartily burdened with his labor that if he will, he can, while working, speak with God in his heart, lay before him his need and that of other men, ask for help, make petition, and in all this exercise and strengthen his faith. This is what the Lord means. Luke 18, when he says, men are always to pray and never cease. Although in Matthew 6, he forbids the use of much speaking and long prayers because of which he rebukes the hypocrites, not because of the lengthy prayer of the lips is evil, but because it is not that true prayer, which can be made at all times. And without the inner prayer of faith is nothing, for we must also practice the outward prayer in its proper sense, especially in mass, as this commandment requires. And wherever it is helpful to the inner prayer and faith, whether in the house or in the field, in this work or in that, of which we have no time now to speak more. For this belongs to the Lord's prayer, in which all petitions and spoken prayer are summed up in brief words. Eight. Where now are they who desire to know and to do good works? Let them either take prayer alone and rightly exercise themselves in faith, and they will find that it is true, as the Holy Fathers have said, that there is no work like prayer. Mumbling with the mouth is easy, or at least considered easy, but with earnestness of heart to follow the words in deep devotion, that is with desire and faith, so that one earnestly desires what the words say, and not doubt that it will be heard. That is a great deed in God's eyes. Here the evil spirit hinders men with all his powers. Oh, how often will he here prevent desire to pray, not allow us to find time in place, nay, often also raise doubts, whether a man is worthy to ask anything of such a majesty as God is, and so confuse us that a man himself does not know whether it is really true that he prays or not, whether it is possible that his prayer is acceptable, and other such strange thoughts. For the evil spirit knows well how powerful one man's truly believing prayer is, and how it hurts him, and how it benefits all men, therefore he does not willingly let it happen. When so tempted, a man must indeed be wise, not doubt that he and his prayer are indeed unworthy before such infinite majesty, and know wise, dare he trust his worthiness, or because of his unworthiness, grow faint. But he must heed God's command, and cast this up to him, and hold it before the devil, and say, because of my worthiness, I do nothing. Because of my unworthiness, I cease from nothing. I pray and work only because God of his pure mercy has promised to hear and to be gracious to all unworthy men, and not only promised it, but he also, most certainly, unpain of his everlasting displeasure and wrath, commanded us to pray, to trust and to receive. If it has not been too much for that high majesty, so solemnly and highly to obligate his unworthy worms to pray, to trust and receive from him, how shall it be too much for me to take such command upon myself with all joy? However worthy or unworthy I may be, thus we must drive out the devil's suggestion with God's command. Thus will he cease, in no other way, whatever. Nine. But what are the things which we must bring before Almighty God in prayer and lamentation to exercise faith thereby? Answer. First, Every man's own besetting need and trouble of which David says in Psalm 32, Thou art my refuge in all trouble which compasseth me about, Thou art my comfort to preserve me from all evil which surrounds me. Likewise, in Psalm 142, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice unto the Lord did I make my application, I poured out my complaint before him, I showed before him my trouble. In the mass a Christian shall keep in mind the shortcomings or excesses he feels, and pour out all these freely before God with weeping and groaning, as woefully as he can, as to his faithful father, who is ready to help him. And if you do not know or recognize your need, or have no trouble, then you shall know that you are in the worst possible plight. For this is the greatest trouble that you find yourself so hardened, hard-hearted, and insensible that no trouble moves you. There's no better mere in which you see your need than simply the Ten Commandments in which you will find that you lack and what you should seek. If, therefore, you find in yourself a weak faith, small hope, and little love toward God, and that you do not praise and honor God but love your own honor and fame, think much of the favor of men, do not glily hear mass and sermon, are indolent in prayer in which things everyone has faults. Then you shall think more of these faults than of any bodily harm to goods, honor, and life, and believe that they are worse than death and all mortal sickness. These you shall earnestly label for God, lament, ask for help, and with all confidence expect help, and believe that you are heard and shall obtain help and mercy. Then go forward into the second table of the commandments and see how disobedient you've been and still are toward father and mother and all in authority, how you sin against your neighbor with anger, hatred and evil words, how you're tempted to unchastity, covetousness and injustice and word indeed against your neighbor, and you will doubtless find that you are full of all need and misery and have reason enough to weep even drops of blood if you could. End of section 17, Recording by Philip Nos. Section 18 of Atreus on Good Works. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Philip Nos. A Treatise on Good Works by Martin Luther. Translated by Johann Michael Roy. The Third Commandment. Subsections 10 through 13. 10. But I knew well that many are so foolish as not to want to ask for such things. Unless they first be conscious that they are pure and believe that God hears no one who is a sinner. All this is the work of those false preachers who teach men to begin, not with faith and trust in God's favor, but with their own works. Look, you wretched man, if you have a broken leg or the peril of death overtakes you, you call upon God, this saint and that, and do not wait until your leg is healed or the danger is passed. You are not so foolish as to think that God hears no one whose leg is broken or who is in bodily danger. Nay, you believe that God shall hear most of all when you are in the greatest need and fear. Why then? Are you so foolish here, where there is immeasurably greater need and eternal hurt, and do not want to ask for faith, hope, love, humility, obedience, chastity, gentleness, peace, righteousness, unless you are already free of all your unbelief, doubt, pride, disobedience, unchastity, anger, covetousness, and unrighteousness. Although the more you find yourself lacking in these things, the more and more diligently you ought to pray or cry. So blind are we, with our bodily sickness and need, we run to God, with the soul's sickness, we run from Him, and are unwilling to come back before we are well, exactly as if there could be one God who could help the body and another God who could help the soul, or as if we would help ourselves in spiritual need, although it really is greater than the bodily need. Such plan and counsel is of the devil. Not so, my good man. If you wish to be cured of sin, you must not withdraw from God, but run to Him, and pray with much more confidence than if a bodily need had overtaken you. God is not hostile to sinners, but only to unbelievers, that is, to such as His do not recognize and lament their sin, nor seek help against it from God, but in their own presumption wish first to purify themselves, are unwilling to be in need of His grace, and will not suffer Him to be a God who gives to everyone and takes nothing in return. 11. All this has been said of prayer for personal needs and of prayer in general, but the prayer which really belongs to this commandment and is called to work of the Holy Day is far better and greater, and is to be made for all Christendom, for all the need of all men, of foe and friend, especially for those who belong to the parish or bishopric. Thus, St. Paul commanded his disciple Timothy, exhort thee that thou see to it that prayers and intercessions be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable on the sight of God our Savior. For this reason, Jeremiah in chapter 29 commanded the people of Israel to pray for the city and the land of Babylon, because in the peace thereof they should have peace, and Barak won, pray for the life of the king of Babylon, and for the life of his son, that we may live in peace under the rule. This common prayer is precious and the most powerful, and it is for its sake that we come together. For this reason also, the church is called a house of prayer, because in it we are a congregation with one accord to consider our need and the needs of all men. Present them before God, and a call upon him for mercy, but this must be done with heartfelt emotion and sincerity, so that we feel in our hearts the need of all men, and that we pray with true sympathy for them, in true faith and confidence, where such prayers are not made in the mass, it were better to admit the mass. For what sense is there in our coming together into a house of prayer, which coming together shows that we should make a common prayer and petition for the entire congregation? If we scatter these prayers, and so distribute them, that everyone prays only for himself, and no one has regard for the other, nor concerns himself for another's need, how can that prayer be of help, good, acceptable, and a common prayer, or a work of the holy day, and of the assembled congregation, which they make, who make their own petty prayers, one for this, the other for that, and of nothing but self-seeking, selfish prayers, which God hates. 12. A suggestion of this common prayer has been retained from ancient practice, when at the end of the sermon, the confession of sins is said, and prayer is made on the pulpit for all Christendom. But this should not be the end of the matter, as is now the custom and fashion. It should be an exhortation to pray throughout the entire mass for such need as the preacher makes us feel, and in order that we may pray worthily, he first exhorts us because of our sin, and therefore makes us humble. This should be done as briefly as possible, that then the entire congregation may confess their own sin and pray for everyone with earnestness and faith. Oh, if God granted that any congregation at all heard mass and prayed in this way, so that a common earnest heart cry of the entire people would rise up to God, what immeasurable virtue and how it would result from such a prayer. One more terrible thing could happen to all the evil spirits, what greater work could be done on earth, whereby so many pious souls will be preserved, so many sinners converted. For indeed, the Christian Church on earth has no greater power or work than such common prayer against everything that may oppose this evil spirit knows well, and therefore he does all that he can to prevent such prayer. Gleefully, he lets us go on building churches, endowing many monastic houses, making music, reading, singing, observing many masses, and multiplying ceremonies beyond all measure. This does not grieve him, nay, he helps us do it, that we may consider such things the very best, and think that thereby we have done our whole duty. But in that meanwhile, this common effectual and fruitful prayer perishes, and its emission is unnoticed because of such display. In this, he has done what he seeks. For when prayer languages, no one will take anything from him, and no one will withstand him. But if he noticed that we wished to practice this prayer, even if it were under a straw roof, or in a pigsty, he would indeed not endure it, but would fear such a pigsty. Far more than all the high, big, and beautiful churches, towers, and bells in existence, if such prayer be not in them. It is indeed not a question of the places and buildings in which we assemble, but only of this unconquerable prayer that we pray it and bring it before God as a truly common prayer. End of Section 18, Recording by Philip Nonas. Recording by Philip Nonas. The power of this prayer we see in the fact that in olden times Abraham prayed for five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, etc. Genesis 18, and accomplished so much that if there had been ten righteous people in them, two in every city, God would not have destroyed them. What then could many men do if they united in calling upon God earnestly and with sincere confidence? So Saint James also says, Dear brethren, pray for one another that ye may be saved. For the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, a prayer that perseveres and does not cease, that is, which does not cease asking evermore and more, although what it asks is not immediately granted, as some timid men do. And as an example in this matter, he says before us Elijah the Prophet, who was a man, he says, as we are, and prayed that it might not rain, and it rained not by the space of three years and six months, and he prayed again, and it rained, and everything became fruitful. There are many texts and examples in the scriptures, which are just a pray, only that it be done with earnestness and faith. As David says, the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Again, the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, and all that call upon him in truth. Why does he add, call upon him in truth? Because that is not prayer, nor calling upon God when the mouth alone mumbles. What should God do if you come along with your mouth, book, or pattern-oster, and think of nothing except that you may finish the words and complete the number, so that if someone were to ask you what it all is about, or what it was that you prayed for, you yourself would not know, for you had not thought of laying this or that matter before God or desiring it. Your only reason for praying is that you are commanded to pray this and so much, and this you intend to do in full. What wonder that thunder and lightning frequently set churches on fire, because we thus make of the house of prayer a house of mockery, that prayer in which we bring nothing before God and desire nothing from him. But we should do as they do, who wish to ask a favor of great princes. These do not plan merely to babble a certain number of words, for the prince would think they mocked him, or were insane. But they put the request very plainly, and present their need earnestly, and then leave it to his mercy and good confidence that he will grant it. So we must deal with God of definite things, namely, mention some present need, commend it to his mercy and goodwill, and not doubt that it is heard, for he has promised to hear such prayer, which no earthly Lord has done. 14. We are masters in this form of prayer when we suffer bodily need. When we are sick, we call here upon St. Christopher, there upon St. Barbara. We vow a pilgrimage to St. James, to this place and that, and we make earnest prayer, have a good confidence in every good kind of prayer. But when we are in our churches during mass, we stand like images of saints, know nothing to speak of or to lament. The beads rattle, the pages wrestle, and the mouth babbles. And that is all there is to it. But if you ask what you shall speak of and lament in your prayer, you can easily learn from the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. Open your eyes and look into your life and the life of all Christians, especially of the spiritual estate, and you will find how faith, hope, love, obedience, chastity in every virtue, language, and all manner of heinous vices reign. What lack there is of good preachers and prelates, how only naïves, children, fools, and women rule. Then you will see that there were need in every hour without ceasing to pray everywhere with tears of blood to God, who is so terribly angry with men. And it is true that it has never been more necessary to pray than at this time. And it will be more so from now on to the end of the world. If such terrible crimes do not move you to lament and complain, do not permit yourself to be led astray by your rank, station, good works, or prayer. There is no Christian vein or trait in you, however righteous you may be. But it has all been foretold that when God's anger is greatest and Christendom suffers the greatest need, then petitioners and supplicants before God shall not be found. As Isaiah says with tears in chapter 64, Thou art angry with us, and there is none that call upon thy name that stireth up himself to take hold of thee. Likewise, in Ezekiel 22, I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and that stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore have I poured up mine indignation upon them. I have consumed them with a fire of my wrath. With these words, God indicates how he wants us to withstand him and turn away his anger from one another as it is frequently written of the prophet Moses that he restrained God lest his anger should overwhelm the people of Israel. 15. But what will they do who not only do not regard such misfortune of Christendom and do not pray against it, but laugh at it, take pleasure in it, condemn the line, sing and talk of their neighbor's sins and yet dare, unafraid and unashamed, go to churches, hear mass, say prayers, and regard themselves and are regarded as pious Christians. These truly are in need that we pray twice for them. If we pray once for those whom they condemn, talk about and laugh at that there would be such is also prophesied by the thief on Christ's left hand, who blasphemed him in his suffering weakness and need, also by those who reviled Christ on the cross, when they should most of all have helped him. Oh, God, how blind, nay, how insane have we Christians become? When will there be an end of wrath, O Heavenly Father, that we mock at the misfortune of Christendom, to pray for which we gather together in church and at the mass, that we blaspheme and condemn men? This is the fruit of our mad materialism. If the Turk destroys cities, country and people, and ruins churches, we think a great injury has been done Christendom. Then we complain and urge kings and princes to war. But when faith perishes, love grows old, God's word is neglected, and all manner of our sin flourishes, then no one thinks of fighting, nay, Pope, bishops, priests, and clergy, who ought to be generals, captains, and standard bearers in the spiritual warfare against these spiritual and many times worse Turks. These are themselves the very princes and leaders of such Turks and of the devil host. Just as Judas was the leader of the Jews when they took Christ, it had to be an apostle, a bishop, a priest, one of the number of the best, who began the work of slaying Christ. So also must Christendom be laid waste by no others than those who ought to protect it. And yet are so insane that they are ready to eat up the Turks at home themselves, set house and sheep coat on fire, and let them burn up with the sheep and all other contents, and none less worry about the wolf in the woods. Such are our times, and this is the reward we have earned by our ingratitude toward the endless grace which Christ has won for us freely with his precious blood, grievous labor, and bitter death. End of section 19, Recording by Philip Nautis. by Johann Michael Roy. The third commandment, subsections 16 through 18, 16. Lo, where are the idle ones who do not know how to do good works? Where are they who run to Rome to St. James hither and thither? Take up this one single work of the mass, look on your neighbor's sin and ruin, and have pity on him. Let it grieve you, tell it to God and pray over it. Do the same for every other need of Christendom, especially of the rulers, whom God for the intolerable punishment and torment of us all allows to fall and be misled so terribly. If you do this diligently, be assured that you are one of the best fighters and captains, not only against the Turks, but also against the devils and the powers of hell. But if you do not do it, what would it help you, though you performed all the miracles of the saints and murdered all the Turks and yet were found guilty of having disregarded your neighbor's need and of having thereby sinned against love? For Christ the last day will not ask how much you've prayed, fasted, pilgrimageed, done this or that for yourself, but how much good you have done to others, even the very least. Now without doubt among the least are also those who are in sin and spiritual poverty, captivity, and need, of whom they are at present far more than of those who suffer bodily need. Therefore take heed. Our own self-assumed good works lead us to and into ourselves, that we seek only our own benefit and salvation, but God's commandments drive us to our neighbor, that we may thereby benefit others to their salvation. Just as Christ on the cross prayed not for himself alone, but rather for us when he said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. So also we must pray for one another from which every man may know that the slanderers, frivolous judges, and despisers of other people are a perverted evil race who do nothing else than heap abuse on those for whom they ought to pray, in which vice no one is sunk so deep as those very men who do many good works of their own and seem to men to be something extraordinary and are honored because of their beautiful splendid life in manifold good works. Spiritually understood this commandment has a yet far higher work which embraces the whole nature of man. Here it must be known that in Hebrew Sabbath means rest because on the seventh day God rested and ceased from all his works which he had made Genesis 2. Therefore he commanded also that the seventh day should be kept holy and that we cease from our works which we do the other six days. This Sabbath has now for us been changed into the Sunday and the other days are called work days. The Sunday is called rest day or holiday or holy day and would to God then in Christendom there were no holiday except the Sunday that the festivals of our Lady and of the Saints were all transferred to Sunday then would many evil vices be done away with through the labor of the work days and lands would not be so drained and impoverished. But now we are plagued with many holidays to the destruction of souls, bodies, and goods of which matter much might be said. This rest or ceasing from labor is of two kinds bodily and spiritual. For this reason the commandment is also to be understood in two ways. The bodily rest is that of which we have spoken above namely that we amend our business and work in order that we may gather in the church, see mass, hear God's word, and make common prayer. This rest is indeed bodily and in Christendom no longer commanded by God as the Apostle says in Colossians 2. Let no man obligate you to any holiday whatever for they were of old a figure but now the truth has been fulfilled so that all days are holy days as Isaiah says in chapter 66 one holy day shall follow the other. On the one hand all days are work days yet it is necessary and ordained by the church for the sake of the imperfect laity and working people that they also may be able to come to hear God's word. For as we see the priests and clergy celebrate mass every day pray at all hours and train themselves in God's word by study reading and hearing. For this reason also they are freed from work before others supported by tithes and have holy day every day and every day do the works of the holy day and have no work day but for them one day is at the other and if we were all perfect and knew the gospel we might work every day if we wished or rest could for a day of rest is at present not necessary or commanded except only for the teaching of God's word and prayer. The spiritual rest which God particularly intends in this commandment is this that we not only cease from our labor and trade but much more that we let God alone work in us and that we do nothing of our own with all our powers but how is this done in this way? Man corrupted by sin has much wicked love and inclination toward all sins as the scriptures say in Genesis 8 man's heart and senses incline always to the evil that is to pride disobedience anger hatred covetousness unchastity etc and summa sumerum and all that he does leaves and done he seeks his own prophet will and honor rather than gods and his neighbors therefore all his works all his words all his thoughts all his life are evil and not godly now if God is to work and to live in him all this vice and wickedness must be choked and up rooted so that there may be rest and a cessation of all our works thoughts and life and that henceforth as Saint Paul says in Galatians 2 it may be no longer we who live but Christ who lives works and speaks in us this is not accomplished with comfortable pleasant days but here we must hurt our nature and let it be hurt here begins the strife between the spirit and the flesh here the spirit resists anger lust pride while the flesh wants to be in pleasure honor and comfort of this Saint Paul says in Galatians 5 they that are our Lord Christ have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts then follow the good works fasting watching labor of which some say and write so much although they know neither the source nor the purpose of these good works therefore we will now also speak of them this rest namely that our work cease and God alone work in us is accomplished in two ways first through our own effort secondly through the effort or urging of others our own effort is to be made and ordered that in the first place when we see our flesh senses will and thoughts tempting us we resist them and do not heed them as the wise men says follow not their own desires and Moses in Deuteronomy 12 thou shalt not do what is right tonight own eyes here a man must make daily use of those prayers which David prays Lord lead me in thy path and let me not walk in my own ways and many like prayers which are all summed up in the prayer thy kingdom come for the desires are so many so various and besides at times so nimble so subtle and specious through the suggestions of the evil one that is not possible for a man to control himself in his own ways he must let hands and feet go commend himself to God's governance and entrust nothing to his reason as Jeremiah says oh Lord I know the way of man is not in his own power we see proof of this when the children of Israel went out of Egypt through the wilderness where there was no way no food no drink no help therefore God went before them by day in a bright cloud by night in a fiery pillar fed them with manna from heaven and kept their garments and shoes they waxed not old as we read in the book of Moses for this reason we pray thy kingdom come without rule us and not we ourselves for there's nothing more perilous than us than our reason and will and this is the first and highest work of God in us and the best training that we cease from our works that we let our reason and will be idle that we rest and commend ourselves to God and all things especially when they seem to be spiritual and good end of section 20 recording by Philip notice section 21 of a treatise on good works this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Philip notice a treatise on good works by Martin Luther translated by Johan Michael Roy the third command subsections 19 through 21 19 after this comes the discipline of the flesh to kill its gross evil lust to give it rest and relief this we must kill and quiet with fasting watching and labor and from this we learn how much and why we shall fast watch and labor there and alas many blind men who practice their cast Ignatian whether it be fasting watching or labor only because they think these are good works intending by them to gain much merit far blind or still are they who measure their fasting not only by the quantity or duration as these do but also by the nature of the food thinking that it is a far greater worth they do not eat meat eggs or butter beyond these are those who fast according to the saints and according to the days one fasting on Wednesday another on Saturday another on Saint Barbara's day another on Saint Sebastian's day and so on these all seek and they're fasting nothing beyond the work itself when they have performed that they think that they have done a good work I will hear say nothing of the fact that some fast in such a way that they nonetheless drink themselves full some fast by eating fish and other foods so lavishly that they would come much near to fasting if they eat meat eggs and butter and by so doing would obtain far better results from their fasting for such fasting is not fasting but a mockery of fasting and of God therefore I allow everyone to choose his day food and quantity for fasting as he will on condition that he do not stop with that but have guarded to his flesh let him put upon it fasting watching and labor according to its lust and wantonness and no more although pope church bishop father confessor or anyone else who so ever have commanded it for no one should measure and regulate fasting watching and labor according to the character or quality of the food or according to the days but according to the withdrawal or approach of the lust and wantonness of the flesh for the sake of which alone the fasting watching and labor is ordained that is to kill and subdue them if it were not for this lust eating whereas merit to us as fasting sleeping and watching idleness as labor and each were as good as the other without all distinction 20 now if some should find that more wantonness arose in his flesh from eating fish than from eating eggs and meat let him eat meat and not fish again if he find that his head becomes confused and crazed or his body and stomach injured through fasting or that it is not needful to kill the wantonness of his flesh he shall let fasting alone entirely and eat sleep be idle as it is necessary for his health regardless whether it be against the commands of the church or the rules of monastic orders for no commandment of the church no law of an order can make fasting watching and labor of more value than it has in serving to repress or to kill the flesh and its lusts where men go beyond this and the fasting eating sleeping watching our practice beyond the strength of the body and more than is necessary to the killing of a lust so that through it the natural strength is ruined and the head is wracked then let no one imagine that he has done good works or excuse himself by setting the commandment of the church or the law of his order he will be regarded as a man who takes no care of himself and as far as in him lies has become his own murderer for the body is not given us that we should kill its natural life or work but only that we kill his wantonness unless his wantonness were so strong and great that we could not sufficiently resist it without ruin and harm to the natural life for as has been said in the practice of fasting watching and labor we are not to look upon the works in themselves not on the days done on the number not on the food but only on the wanton and lustful atom that through them he may be cured of his evil appetite 21 from this we judge how wisely or foolishly some woman act when they are with child and how the sick are to be treated for the foolish woman clinging so firmly to the fasting that they run the risk of great danger to the fruit of the womb and to themselves rather than not to fast when the others fast they make a matter of conscience where there is none and where there is a matter of conscience they make none this is all the fault of the preachers because they continually pray to fasting and never point out its true use limit fruit cause and purpose so also the sick should be allowed to eat and drink every day whatever they wish in brief where the wantonness of the flesh ceases there every reason for fasting watching laboring eating this or that has already ceased and there is no longer any binding commandment at all but then care must be taken lest out of this freedom there grow a lazy indifference about killing the wantonness of the flesh for the roguish atom is exceedingly tricky and looking for permission for himself and in pleading the ruin of the body or of the mind so some men jump right in and say it is neither necessary nor commanded to fast or to mortify the flesh and are ready to eat this and that without fear just as if they had for a long time had much experience of fasting although they have never tried it no less are we to guard against offending those who not sufficiently informed regarded as great sin if we do not fast or eat as they do these we must kindly instruct not to haughtily despise nor eat this or that in despite of them but we must tell them the reason why it is right to do so and thus gradually lead them to a correct understanding but if they are stubborn and will not listen we must let them alone and do as we know is right to do and of section 21 recording by Philip Nautis section 22 of a treatise on good works this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Elaine Conway England a treatise on good works by Martin Luther translated by Johann Michael Rue section 22 third commandment 22 to 25 something it is good for young people that they be enticed by reputation and honor and again by shame of and dishonor and so be induced to do good for there are many who do the good and leave the evil undone at a fear of shame and love of honor and so do what they would otherwise by no means do or leave undone these I leave to their opinion but at present we are seeking how true good works are to be done and they who are inclined to do them surely do not need to be driven by the fear of shame and the love of honor they have and are to have a higher and far nobler incentive namely God's commandment God's fear God's approval and their faith and love toward God they who have not or regard not this motive and let shame and honor drive them these also have their reward as the Lord says Matthew 6 and as the motive so is also the work and the reward none of them is good except only in the eyes of the world now I hold that a young person could be more easily trained and incited by God's fear and commandments than by any other means yet where these do not help we must endure that they do the good and leave the evil for the sake of shame and of honor just as we must also endure wicked men or the imperfect of whom we spoke about nor can we do more than tell them that their works are not satisfactory and right before God and so leave them until they learn to do right for the sake of God's commandments also just as young children are induced to pray fast learn etc by gifts and promises of the parents even though it would not be good to treat them so all their lives so that they never learn to do good in the fear of God far worse if they become accustomed to do good for the sake of praise and honor 23 but this is true and that we must nonetheless have a good name and honor and everyone ought so to live that nothing evil can be said of him and that he give offense to no one as Saint Paul says Romans 12 we are to be zealous to do good but not only before God but also before all men and to Corinthians 4 we walk so honestly that no man knows anything against us but there must be great diligence and care lest such honor and good name cover up the heart and the heart find pleasure in them here the saying of Solomon holds as the fire in the furnace proveeth the gold so man is proved by the mouth of him that praises him few and most spiritual men must they be who when honored and praised remain indifferent and unchanged so that they do not care for it nor feel pride and pleasure in it but remain entirely free ascribe all that honor and fame to God offering it to him alone and using it only to the glory of God to the edification of their neighbors and in no way to their own benefit or advantage so that a man trusts not in his own honor nor exalt himself above the most incapable despised man on earth but acknowledge him a servant of God who has given him the honor in order that with it he may serve God and his neighbor just as if he had commanded him to distribute some golden to the poor for his sake so he says Matthew 5 your light shall shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven he does not say they shall praise you but your works shall only serve them to edification that through them they may praise God in you and in themselves this is the correct use of God's name and honor when God is thereby praised through the edification of others and if men want to praise us and not God in us we are not to endure it but with all our powers forbid it and flee from it as from the most grievous sin and robbery of divine honor 24 hence it comes that God frequently permits the man to fall into or remain in grievous sin in order that he may be put shame in his own eyes and in the eyes of all men who otherwise could not have kept himself from this great vice of vain honor and fame if he had remained constant in his great gifts and virtues so God must ward off this sin by means of other grievous sins that his name alone may be honored and thus one sin becomes the other's medicine because of our perverse wickedness which not only does the evil but also misuses all that is good now see how much a man has to do if he would do good works which always are at hand in great number and with which he is surrounded on all sides but alas because of his blindness he passes them by and seats and runs after others of his own devising and pleasure against which no man can sufficiently speak and no man can sufficiently guard with this all the prophets had to contend and for this reason they were all slain only because they rejected such self-divised works and preached only God's commandments as one of them says Jeremiah 7 thus saith the God of Israel unto you take your burnt offerings unto all your sacrifices and eat your burnt offerings and your flesh yourselves for concerning these things I have commanded you nothing but this thing commanded I you obey my voice that is not what seems right and good to you but what I bid you and walk in the way that I have commanded you and Deuteronomy 7 thou shalt not do whatsoever is right in thine own eyes but what thy God has commanded thee these and numberless like passages of scripture are spoken to tear man not only from sins but also from the words which seem to men to be good and right and to turn men with a single mind to the simple meaning of God's commandment only that they shall diligently observe this only and always as it is written Exodus 13 these commandments shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand and for a memorial between thine eyes and Psalm 1 a godly man meditates in God's law day and night for we have more than enough and too much to do if we are to satisfy any God's commandments he has given us such commandments that if we understand them are right we dare not for a moment be idle and might easily forget all other works but the evil spirit who never rests when he cannot lead us to the left into evil works fights on our right through self devised works that seem good but against which God has commanded Deuteronomy 28 and Joshua 23 ye shall not go aside from my commandments to the right hand or to the left 25 the third work of this commandment is to call upon God's name in every need for this God regards as keeping his name holy and greatly honoring it if we name and call upon it in adversity and need and this is really why he sends us so much trouble suffering adversity and even death and lets us live in many wicked sinful affections that he made thereby urge man and give him much reason to run to him to cry aloud to him to call upon his holy name and thus to fulfill this work of the second commandment as he says and someone call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me for I desire the sacrifice of praise and this is the way whereby thou canst come in unto salvation for through such works man perceives and learns what God's name is how powerful it is to help all who call upon it and whereby confidence and faith grow mightily and these are the fulfilling of the first and highest commandment this is the experience of David psalm 54 thou hast delivered me out of all trouble therefore will I praise thy name and confess that it is lovely and sweet and psalm xc one says because he has set his hope upon me therefore will I deliver him I will help him because he has known my name lo what man is there on earth who would not all his life long have enough to do with this work for who lives an hour without trials I will not mention the trials of adversity which are innumerable for this is the most dangerous trial of all when there is no trial and everything and goes well for then a man is tempted to forget God to become too bold and to misuse the times of prosperity yay here he has ten times more need to call upon God's name than when in adversity since it is written psalm 91 a thousand shall fall on the left hand and ten thousand on the right hand so too we see in broad day in all men's daily experience that more heinous sins and fires occur when there is peace when all things are cheap and there are good times than when war pestilence sicknesses and all manner of misfortune burden us so that moses also fears for his people lest they forsake God's commandment for no other reason than because they are too full too well provided for and have too much peace as he says Deuteronomy 32 my people is waxed rich full and fat therefore has it forsaken its God wherefore also God let many of its enemies remain and would not drive them out in order that they should not have peace and must exercise themselves in the keeping of God's commandments as it is written judges three so he deals with us also when he sends us all kinds of misfortune so exceedingly careful is he of us that he may teach us and drive us to honor and call upon his name to gain confidence and faith towards him and so to fulfill the first two commandments end of section 22 section number 23 of a treatise on good works this is a LibriVox recording more LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Elaine Conway England a treatise on good works by Martin Luther translated by Johann Michael Ruh section 23 third commandment 16 to 25 but you say how can I trust surely that all my works are pleasing to God when at times I fall and talk eat drink and sleep too much or otherwise transgress as I cannot help doing answer this question shows that you still regard faith as a work among other works and do not set it above all works for it is the highest work for this very reason because it remains and blocks out these daily sins by not doubting that God is so kind to you as to wink at such daily transgression and weakness I even if a deadly sin should occur which however never or rarely happens to those who live in faith and trust toward God yet faith rises again and does not doubt that its sin is already gone as it is written one John 2 my little children these things are right unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with God the Father Jesus Christ who is the perpetation of all our sins and wisdom 15 for if we sin we are thine knowing thy power and Proverbs 24 for a just man falleth seven times and rise up again yes this confidence and faith must be so high and strong that the man knows that all his life and works the nothing but damnable sins before God's judgment as it is written Psalm 143 in thy light shall no man living be justified and he must entirely despair of his works believing that they cannot be good except through this faith which looks for no judgment but only for pure grace favor kindness and mercy like David Psalm 26 thy loving kindness is ever before mine eyes and I have trusted in life truth Psalm 4 the light of thy cantonance is lift up upon us that is the knowledge of thy grace through faith and thereby hast thou put gladness in my heart for us faith trusts so it receives see thus our works forgiven are without guilt and are good not by their own nature but by the mercy and grace of God because of the faith which trusts on the mercy of God therefore we must fear because of the works but comfort ourselves because of the grace of God as it is written Psalm 142 the Lord takeeth pleasure in them that I fear him in those that hope in his mercy so we pray with perfect confidence our father and yet petition forgive us our trespasses we are children and yet sinners are acceptable and yet do not do enough and all this is the work of faith firmly grounded in God's grace 17 but if you ask whether faith and the confidence can be found and once they come this it is certainly most necessary to know first without doubt faith does not come from your works or merit but alone from Jesus Christ and is freely promised and given as Saint Paul writes Romans 5 God commendeth his love to us as exceeding sweet and kindly in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us as if he said ought not this give us a strong unconquerable confidence that before we prayed or cared for it yes while we continually walked in sins Christ dies for our sin Saint Paul concludes if while we were yet sinners Christ died for us how much more than being justified by his blood shall we be saved from wrath through him and if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life low thus must thou form Christ within thyself and see how in him God holds before thee and offers thee his mercy without any previous merits of thine own and from such a view of his grace must thou draw faith and confidence of the forgiveness of all thy sins faith therefore does not begin with works neither do they create it but it must spring up and flow from the blood wounds and death of Christ if they're seeing these that God is so kindly affectioned towards thee that he gives even his son for thee then thy heart also must in its turn grow sweet and kindly affectioned toward God and so thy confidence must grow out of pure goodwill and love God's love toward thee and thine toward God we never read that the Holy Spirit was given to anyone when he did works but always when men have heard the gospel of Christ and the mercy of God from this same word and from no other source must faith still come even in our day and always for Christ is the rock out of which men suck oil and honey as Moses says Deuteronomy 32 18 so far we have treated of the first work and of the first commandment but very briefly plainly and hastily for very much might be said of it we will now trace the works father through the following commandments the second work next to faith is the work of the second commandment that we shall honor God's name and not take it in vain this like all the other words cannot be done without faith and if it is done without faith it is all sham and show after faith we can do no greater work than to praise preach sing and in every way exalt and magnify God's glory honor and name and although I have said above and it is true that there is no difference in works where faith is and does the work yet this is true only when they are compared with faith and its works measured by one another there is a difference and one is higher than the other just as in the body the members do not differ when compared with health and health works in the one as much as in the other yet the works of the members are different and one is higher nobler more useful than the other so here also to praise God's glory and name is better than the works of the other commandments which follow and yet it must be done in the same faith as all the others but I know well that this work is likely esteemed and has indeed become unknown therefore we must examine it further it will say no more about the necessity of doing it in the faith and confidence that it pleases God indeed there is no work in which confidence and faith are so well experienced and felt as in honouring God's name and it greatly helps to strengthen and increase faith although all works also have to do this as St Peter says to Peter one where for the rather brethren give diligence through good works to make your calling and election sure 19 the first commandment forbids us to have other gods and thereby commands that we have a God the true God by a firm faith trust confidence love and hope which are the only works whereby a man can have honor and keep a God for by no other work can one find or lose God except by faith or unbelief by trusting or doubting of the other works none reaches quite God so also in the second commandment we are forbidden to use his name in vain yet this is not to be enough but we are thereby also commanded to honor call upon glorify preach and praise his name and indeed it is impossible that God's name should not be dishonored where it is not rightly honored for though it be honored with the lips bending of the knees kissing and other postures if this is not done in the heart by faith in confident trust in God's grace it is nothing else than an evidence and badge of hypocrisy see now how many kinds of good works a man can do under this commandment at all times and never be without the good works of this commandment if he will so that he truly need not to make a long pilgrimage or seek holy places for tell me what moment can pass in which we do not without ceasing receive God's blessings or on the other hand suffer adversity but what else are God's blessings and adversities than a constant urgent and stirring up to praise honor and bless God and to call upon his name now if you had nothing else at all to do would you not have enough to do with this commandment alone that you without ceasing blessing sing praise and honor God's name and for what other purpose have tongue voice language and mouth being created a song 51 says Lord open now my lips and my mouth shall show forth thy praise again my tongue shall sing aloud thy mercy what work is there in heaven except that of this second commandment as it is written in Psalm 84 blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be forever praising thee so also David says in Psalm 34 God's praise shall be continually in my mouth and Saint Paul 1 Corinthians 10 whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God also Colossians 3 whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father if we were to observe this work we would have a heaven here on earth and always have enough to do as have the saints in heaven 20 on this is based the wonderful and righteous judgment of God that at times the poor man in whom no one can see many great works in the privacy of his home joyfully praises God when he fares well all with entire confidence calls upon him when he fares ill and thereby does a greater and more acceptable work than another who fasts much praise much endows and churches makes pilgrimages and burdens himself with great deeds in this place and in that such a fool opens wide his mouth looks for great works to do and is so blinded that he does not at all notice his greatest work and praising God is in his eyes a very small matter compared to the great idea he has formed of the works of his own devising in which he perhaps praises himself more than God will takes more pleasure in them than he does in God and thus with his good works he storms against the second commandment and its works of all this we have an illustration in the case of the Pharisee and the publican in the gospel for the sinner calls upon God in his sins and praises him and so has hit upon the two highest commandments faith and God's honor the hypocrite misses both and struts back with other good works by which he praises himself and not God and puts his trust in himself more than in God therefore he's justly rejected and the others chosen the reason of all this is that the higher and better the works are the less show they make and that everyone thinks they are easy because it is evident that no one pretends to praise God's name and honor so much as the very men who never do it and with their show of doing it while the heart is without faith cause the precious work to be despised so that the Apostle Saint Paul daresay boldly Romans 2 that they blaspheme God's name who make their boast of God's law for to name the name of God and to write his honor on paper and on the walls is an easy matter but generally to praise and bless him in his good deeds and confidently to call upon him in all adversities these are truly the most rare highest works next to faith so that if we were to see how few of them there on Christendom you might despair for very sorrow and yet there is a constant increase of high pretty shining works of men's devising or of works which look like these true works but at bottom are all without faith and without faithfulness in short there is nothing good back of them thus also our Isaiah 43 rebukes the people of Israel hear ye this ye which are called by the name of Israel which swear by the name of the Lord to make mention of the God of Israel neither in truth nor in righteousness that is they did it not in the truth faith and confidence which is the real truth and righteousness but trusted in themselves their works and powers and yet called upon God's name and praised him to things which do not fit together 21 the first work of this commandment then is to praise God in all his benefits which are innumerable so that such praise and thanksgiving ought also of right never to see so end for who can praise him perfectly for the gift of natural life not to mention all other temple and eternal blessings and so through this one part of the commandment man is overwhelmed with good and precious works if he do these in true faith he has indeed not lived in vain and in this matter none sin so much as the most resplendent saints who are pleased with themselves and like to praise themselves or to hear themselves praised honored and glorified before men therefore the second work of this commandment is to be on one's guard to flee from and to avoid all temple honor and praise and to never to seek a name for oneself or fame and a great reputation that everyone sing of him and tell of him which is an exceedingly dangerous sin and yet to the most common of all and a last little regarded everyone wants to be of importance and not to be the least however small he may be so deeply his nature sunk in the evil of its own conceit and in itself confidence contrary to those two first commandments now the world regards his terrible vice as the highest virtue and this makes it exceedingly dangerous for those who do not understand and have not had experience of God's commandments and the histories of the holy scriptures to read or hear the heathen books and histories for all heathen books are poisoned through and through with this striving after praise and honor in them men are taught by blind reason that they were not nor could be men of power and worth who are not moved by praise and honor but those are counted the best who disregard body and life friend and property and everything in the effort to win praise and honor all the holy fathers have complained of this vice and with one mind conclude that it is the very last vice to be overcome saint augustin says all other vices are practiced in evil works only honor and self satisfaction are practiced in and by means of good works therefore if a man had nothing else to do except the second work of this commandment he would yet have to work all his lifetime in order to fight this vice and drive it out so common so subtle so quick and insidious is it now we all pass by this good work and exercise ourselves in many other lesser good works nay through other good works we overthrow this and forget it entirely so the holy name of god which alone should be honored is taken in vain and dishonored through our own cursed name self-approval and honesty king and this sin is more grievous before god than murder and adultery but its wickedness is not so clearly seen as that of murder because of its subtlety which is not accomplished in the cause flesh but in the spirit 22 some think it is good for young people that they be enticed by reputation and honor and again by shame of and dishonor and so be induced to do good for there are many who do the good and leave the evil undone out of fear of shame and love of honor and so do what they would otherwise by no means do will leave undone these I leave to their opinion but at present we are seeking how true good works ought to be done and they who are inclined to do them surely do not need to be driven by the fear of shame and the love of honor they have and are to have a higher and far nobler incentive namely god's commandment god's fear god's approval and their faith and love toward god they who have not or regard not this motive and let shame and honor drive them these also have their reward as the lord says Matthew six and as the motive so is also the work and the reward none of them is good except only in the eyes of the world now I hold that a young person could be more easily trained and incited by god's fear and commandments than by any other means yet where these do not help we must endure that they do the good and leave the evil for the sake of shame and of honor just as we must also endure wicked men or the imperfect of whom we spoke above nor can we do more than tell them that their works are not satisfactory and right before god and so leave them until they learn to do right for the sake of god's commandments also just as young children are induced to pray fast to learn etc by gifts and promises of the parents even though it would not be good to treat them so all their lives so that they never learn to do good in the fear of god far worse if they do become accustomed to do good for the sake of praise and honor 23 but this is true that we must nonetheless have a good name and honor and everyone ought so to live that nothing evil can be said of him and that he give offense to no one as saint paul says romans 12 we are to be zealous to do good not only before god but also before all men and two Corinthians four we walk so honestly that no man knows anything against us there must be great diligence and care blessed such honor and good name puff up the heart as the heart find pleasure in them here the saying of Solomon holds as the fire in the furnace proveeth the gold so man is proved by the myth of him that praises him few and most spiritual men must they be who when honored and praised remain indifferent and unchanged so that they do not care for it nor feel pride and pleasure in it but remain entirely free ascribe all their honor and fame to god offering it to him alone and using it only to the glory of god to the edification of the neighbors and in no way to their own benefit or advantage so that a man trusts not in his own honor nor exhort himself above the most incapable despised man on earth but acknowledge himself a servant of god who has given him the honor in order that with it he may serve god and his neighbor just as if he had commanded him to distribute some golden to the poor for his sake so he says Matthew five your light shall shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven he does not say they shall praise you but shall only serve them to edification that through them they may praise god in you and in themselves this is the correct use of god's name donna when god is thereby praised through the edification of others and if men want to praise us and not god in us learn not to endure it but with all our powers forbid it and flee from it as from the most grievous sin and robbery of divine honor 24 hence it comes that god frequently permits the man to fall into a remaining grievous sin in order that he may be put to shame in his own eyes and in the eyes of all men who otherwise could not have kept himself from this great vice of vain honor and fame if he had remained constant in his great gifts and virtues so god must ward off his sin by means of other grievous sins that his name alone may be on it and thus one sin becomes the other's medicine because of our perverse wickedness which not only does the evil but also misuses all that is good now see how much a man has to do if he would do good works which always are at hand in great number and with which he is surrounded on all sides but alas because of this blindness passes them by and seeks and runs after others of his own devising and pleasure against which no man can sufficiently speak and no man can sufficiently guard with this all the prophets had to contend and for this reason they were all slain only because they rejected such self-devised works and preached only god's commandments as one of them says Jeremiah 7 thus say the god of Israel unto you take your burnt offerings unto all your sacrifices and eat your burnt offerings and your flesh yourselves for concerning these things I have commanded you nothing but this thing commanded are you obey my voice that is not what seems right and good to you but what I bid to you and walk in the way that I have commanded you and you to run a me at 12 thou shalt not do whatsoever is right in thine own eyes to watch thy goddess commanded thee these and a numberless like passages of scripture are spoken to ten man not only from sins but also from the works which seem to men to be good and right and to turn men with a single mind to the simple meaning of god's commandment only that they shall diligently observe this only and always as it is written Exodus 13 these commandments shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand and for a memorial between thine eyes and Psalm 1 a godly man meditates in god's law day and night for we have more than enough and too much to do if we are to satisfy only god's commandments he has given us such commandments as if we understand them are right we dare not for a moment be idle and might easily forget all other works but the evil spirit who never rests and he cannot lead us to the left into evil works fights on our right through self-divised works that seem good but against which god has commanded Deuteronomy 28 and Joshua 23 you shall not go aside from my commandments to the right hand or to the left 25 the third work of this commandment is to call upon god's name in every need for this god regards as keeping his name holy and greatly honouring it if we name and call upon it in adversity in need and this is really why he sends us so much trouble suffering adversity and even death as it lets us live in many wicked sinful affections that he may thereby urge man and give him much reason to unto him to cry light to him to call upon his holy name and thus to fulfill this work of the second commandment as he says in Psalm 1 call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me for I desire the sacrifice of praise and this is the way whereby thou canst come in unto salvation for through such words man perceives and learns what god's name is how powerful it is to help all who call upon it and whereby confidence and faith grow mightily and these are the fulfilling of the first highest commandment this is the experience of David Psalm 54 thou hast delivered me out of all trouble therefore will I praise thy name and confess that it is lovely and sweet and Psalm 91 says because he hath set his hope upon me therefore will I deliver him and will help him because he hath known my name lo what man is there on earth who would not all his life long have enough to do with this work for who lives an hour without trials I will not mention the trials of adversity which are innumerable for this is the most dangerous trial of all when there is no trial and everything is and goes well for then a man is tempted to forget God become too bold and to misuse times of prosperity yay here he has 10 times will need up to call upon God's name and when in adversity since it is written Psalm 91 a thousand shall fall on the left hand and 10,000 on the right hand so too we seen brought today in all man's daily experience that more heinous sins and vice occur when there is peace when all things are cheap and there are good times and when war pestilence sicknesses and all manner of misfortune burden us so that Moses also fears for his people yes they forsake God's commandment for no other reason than because they are too full too well provided for and have too much peace as he says due to honour me 32 my people is waxed rich full and fat therefore has it forsaken its God therefore also God let many of its enemies remain and would not drive them out in order that they should not have peace and must exercise themselves in the keeping of God's commandments as it is written judges three so he deals with us also when he sends us all kinds of misfortune so he exceedingly careful is he of us that he may teach us drive us to honour and call upon his name to gain confidence and faith toward him and so to fulfill the first two commandments end of section 23