a treatise on good works-第14章

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gulden。　Although　Christ　often　fares　like　those　who　make　several

persons　rich　by　their　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。　



III。　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　II。

Kings　vii：　we　see　our　riches　but　do　not　enjoy　them。　Of　which　the

Preacher　also　says；　〃This　is　a　great　evil；　when　God　giveth　a　man

riches；　and　giveth　him　not　power　to　enjoy　them。〃　So　we　look　on

at　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。　O　God；　how　exceeding　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

bidden；　but　a　much　greater　sin　not　to　preach　the　Gospel；　and　to

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　ye　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　their　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。　



IV。　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　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　St。　Bernard　instructs　his　brethren　and　says：

〃Dear　brethren；　you　shall　by　no　means　despise　your　prayer；　as　if

it　were　in　vain；　for　I　tell　you　of　a　truth　that；　before　you　have

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　in　its

stead。　So　also　says　St。　James：　〃Let　him　who　asketh　of　God　not

waver　in　faith；　for　if　he　wavers；　let　not　that　man　think　that　he

shall　receive　any　thing　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　to　call　forth　such　faith；　Christ　Himself　has　said；　Mark　xi：

〃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　xi：　〃Ask；　and　it　shall　be　given　you；　seek；　and

ye　shall　find；　knock；　and　it　shall　be　opened　unto　you；　for　every

one　that　asketh　receiveth；　and　he　that　seeketh　findeth；　and　to

him　that　knocketh　it　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　ask　a　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！〃



V。　Who　is　so　hard　and　stone…like；　that　such　mighty　words　ought

not　to　move　him　to　pray　with　all　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　much　and　receive　not；

because　ye　ask　amiss。〃　For　where　this　faith　and　confidence　is　not

in　the　prayer；　the　prayer　is　dead；　and　nothing　more　than　a

grievous　labor　and　work。　If　anything　is　given　for　it；　it　is　none

the　less　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；　regardless

of　whether　they　receive；　or　desire；　or　trust；　and　in　this

unbelief；　the　state　of　mind　most　opposed　to　the　exercise　of　faith

and　to　the　nature　of　prayer；　they　remain　hardened。



From　this　it　follows　that　one　who　prays　aright　never　doubts　that

his　prayer　is　surely　acceptable　and　heard；　although　the　very

thing　for　which　he　prays　be　not　given　him。　For　we　are　to　lay　our

need　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；　Romans

viii；　and　God　works　and　gives　above　all　that　we　understand；　as

he　says；　Ephesians　iii；　so　that　there　be　no　doubt　that　the　prayer

is　acceptable　and　heard；　and　we　yet　leave　to　God　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　this　Commandment；　and　go　far　astray　with　their　unbelief。

But　they　who　set　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　on　the　straight　road；

trusting　Him；　and　yet　setting　Him　no　bounds。　



VI。　Thus　we　see　that　this　Commandment；　like　the　Second；　is　to　be

nothing　else　than　a　doing　and　keeping　of　the　First　Commandment；

that　is；　of　faith；　trust；　confidence；　hope　and　love　to　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　was　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　so

begin　with　a　weak　spark　of　faith　and　daily　strengthen　it　more　and

more　by　exercising　it　in　all　your　living　and　doing。　For　as

touching　infirmity　of　faith　（that　is；　of　the　First　and　highest

Commandment）；　there　is　no　one　on　earth　wh