a treatise on good works-第20章

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done。　These；　therefore；　must　be　slain　by　these　three　exercises；

God's　governance；　our　self…mortification；　the　hurt　done　to　us　by

others；　and　so　they　must　spiritually　rest　before　God；　and　give

Him　room　for　His　works。　



XXIV。　But　such　works　are　to　be　done　and　such　sufferings　to　be

endured　in　faith　and　in　sure　confidence　of　God's　favor；　in　order

that；　as　has　been　said；　all　works　remain　in　the　First　Commandment

and　in　faith；　and　that　faith；　for　the　sake　of　which　all　other

commandments　and　works　are　ordained；　exercise　and　strengthen

itself　in　them。　See；　therefore；　what　a　pretty；　golden　ring　these

three　Commandments　and　their　works　naturally　form；　and　how　from

the　First　Commandment　and　faith　the　Second　flows　on　to　the　Third；

and　the　Third　in　turn　drives　through　the　Second　up　into　the

First。　For　the　first　work　is　to　believe；　to　have　a　good　heart　and

confidence　toward　God。　From　this　flows　the　second　good　work；　to

praise　God's　Name；　to　confess　His　grace；　to　give　all　honor　to　Him

alone。　Then　follows　the　third；　to　worship　by　praying；　hearing

God's　Word；　thinking　of　and　considering　God's　benefits；　and　in

addition　chastising　one's　self；　and　keeping　the　body　under。　



But　when　the　evil　spirit　perceives　such　faith；　such　honoring　of

God　and　such　worship；　he　rages　and　stirs　up　persecution；　attacks

body；　goods；　honor　and　life；　brings　upon　us　sickness；　poverty；

shame　and　death；　which　God　so　permits　and　ordains。　See；　here

begins　the　second　work；　or　the　second　rest　of　the　Third

Commandment；　by　this　faith　is　very　greatly　tried；　even　as　gold

in　the　fire。　For　it　is　a　great　thing　to　retain　a　sure　confidence

in　God；　although　He　sends　us　death；　shame；　sickness；　poverty；　and

in　this　cruel　form　of　wrath　to　regard　Him　as　our　all…gracious

Father；　as　must　be　done　in　this　work　of　the　Third　Commandment。

Here　suffering　contains　faith；　that　it　must　call　upon　God's　Name

and　praise　it　in　such　suffering；　and　so　it　comes　through　the

Third　Commandment　into　the　Second　again；　and　through　that　very

calling　on　the　Name　of　God　and　praise；　faith　grows；　and　becomes

conscious　of　itself；　and　so　strengthens　itself；　through　the　two

works　of　the　Third　and　of　the　Second　Commandment。　Thus　faith　goes

out　into　the　works　and　through　the　works　comes　to　itself　again；

just　as　the　sun　goes　forth　unto　its　setting　and　comes　again　unto

its　rising。　For　this　reason　the　Scriptures　associate　the　day　with

peaceful　living　in　works；　the　night　with　passive　living　in

adversity；　and　faith　lives　and　works；　goes　out　and　comes　in；　in

both；　as　Christ　says；　John　ix。



XXV。　This　order　of　good　works　we　pray　in　the　Lord's　Prayer。　The

first　is　this；　that　we　say：　〃Our　Father；　Who　art　in　heaven〃；

these　are　the　words　of　the　first　work　of　faith；　which；　according

to　the　First　Commandment；　does　not　doubt　that　it　has　a　gracious

Father　in　heaven。　The　second：　〃Hallowed　be　Thy　Name；〃　in　which

faith　asks　that　God's　Name；　praise　and　honor　be　glorified；　and

calls　upon　it　in　every　need；　as　the　Second　Commandment　says。　The

third：　〃Thy　kingdom　come；〃　in　which　we　pray　for　the　true　Sabbath

and　rest；　peaceful　cessation　of　our　works；　that　God's　work　alone

be　done　in　us；　and　so　God　rule　in　us　as　in　His　own　kingdom；　as

He　says；　Luke　xvii；　〃Behold；　God's　kingdom　is　nowhere　else　except

within　you。〃　The　fourth　petition　is　〃Thy　will　be　done〃；　in　which

we　pray　that　we　may　keep　and　have　the　Seven　Commandments　of　the

Second　Table；　in　which　faith　is　exercised　toward　our　neighbor；

just　as　in　the　first　three　it　is　exercised　in　works　toward　God

alone。　And　these　are　the　petitions　in　which　stands　the　word

〃Thou；　Thy；　Thy；　Thy；〃　because　they　seek　only　what　belongs　to

God；　all　the　others　say　〃our；　us；　our；〃　etc；　for　in　them　we　pray

for　our　goods　and　blessedness。　



Let　this；　then；　suffice　as　a　plain；　hasty　explanation　of　the

First　Table　of　Moses；　pointing　out　to　simple　folk　what　are　the

highest　of　good　works。　



The　Second　Table　follows。　



〃Thou　shalt　honor　thy　father　and　thy　mother。〃　



From　this　Commandment　we　learn　that　after　the　excellent　works　of

the　first　three　Commandments　there　are　no　better　works　than　to

obey　and　serve　all　those　who　are　set　over　us　as　superiors。　For

this　reason　also　disobedience　is　a　greater　sin　than　murder；

unchastity；　theft　and　dishonesty；　and　all　that　these　may　include。

For　we　can　in　no　better　way　learn　how　to　distinguish　between

greater　and　lesser　sins　than　by　noting　the　order　of　the

Commandments　of　God；　although　there　are　distinctions　also　within

the　works　of　each　Commandment。　For　who　does　not　know　that　to

curse　is　a　greater　sin　than　to　be　angry；　to　strike　than　to　curse；

to　strike　father　and　mother　more　than　to　strike　any　one　else？

Thus　these　seven　Commandments　teach　us　how　we　are　to　exercise

ourselves　in　good　works　toward　men；　and　first　of　all　toward　our

superiors。　



The　first　work　is　that　we　honor　our　own　father　and　mother。　And

this　honor　consists　not　only　in　respectful　demeanor；　but　in　this：

that　we　obey　them；　look　up　to；　esteem　and　heed　their　words　and

example；　accept　what　they　say；　keep　silent　and　endure　their

treatment　of　us；　so　long　as　it　is　not　contrary　to　the　first　three

Commandments；　in　addition；　when　they　need　it；　that　we　provide

them　with　food；　clothing　and　shelter。　For　not　for　nothing　has　He

said：　〃Thou　shalt　honor　them〃；　He　does　not　say：　〃Thou　shalt　love

them；〃　although　this　also　must　be　done。　But　honor　is　higher　than

mere　love　and　includes　a　certain　fear；　which　unites　with　love；

and　causes　a　man　to　fear　offending　them　more　than　he　fears　the

punishment。　Just　as　there　is　fear　in　the　honor　we　pay　a

sanctuary；　and　yet　we　do　not　flee　from　it　as　from　a　punishment；

but　draw　near　to　it　all　the　more。　Such　a　fear　mingled　with　love

is　the　true　honor；　the　other　fear　without　any　love　is　that　which

we　have　toward　things　which　we　despise　or　flee　from；　as　we　fear

the　hangman　or　punishment。　There　is　no　honor　in　that；　for　it　is

a　fear　without　all　love；　nay；　fear　that　has　with　it　hatred　and

enmity。　Of　this　we　have　a　proverb　of　St。　Jerome：　What　we　fear；

that　we　also　hate。　With　such　a　fear　God　does　not　wish　to　be

feared　or　honored；　nor　to　have　us　honor　our　parents；　but　with　the

first；　which　is　mingled　with　love　and　confidence。　



II。　This　work　appears　easy；　but　few　regard　it　aright。　For　where

the　parents　are　truly　pious　and　love　their　children　not　according

to　the　flesh；　but　（as　they　ought）　instruct　and　direct　them　by

words　and　works　to　serve　God　according　to　the　first　three

Commandments；　there　the　child's　own　will　is　constantly　broken；

and　it　must　do；　leave　undone；　and　suffer　what　its　nature　would

most　gladly　do　otherwise；　and　thereby　it　finds　occasion　to

despise　its　parents；　to　murmur　against　them；　or　to　do　worse

things。　There　love　and　fear　depart；　unless　they　have　God's　grace。

In　like　manner；　when　they　punish　and　chastise；　as　they　ought　（at

times　even　unjustly；　which；　however；　does　not　harm　the　soul's

salvation）；　our　evil　nature　resents　the　correction。　Beside　all

this；　there　are　some　so　wicked　that　they　are　ashamed　of　their

parents　because　of　poverty；　lowly　birth；　deformity　or　dishonor；

and　allow　these　things　to　influence　them　more　than　the　high

Commandment　of　God；　Who　is　above　all　things；　and　has　with

benevolent　intent　given　them　such　parents；　to　exercise　and　try

them　in　His　Commandment。　But　the　matter　becomes　still　worse　when

the　child　has　children　of　its　own；　then　love　descends　to　them；

and　detracts　very　much　from　the　love　and　honor　toward　the

parents。　



But　what　is　said　and　commanded　of　parents　must　also　be　understood

of　those　who；　when　the　parents　are　dead　or　absent；　take　their

place；　such　as　relatives；　god…parents；　sponsors；　temporal　lords

and　spiritual　fathers。　For　every　one　must　be　ruled　and　be　subject

to　other　men。　Wherefore　we　here　see　again　how　many　good　works　are

taught　in　this　Commandment；　since　in　it　all　our　life　is　made

subject　to　other　men。　Hence　it　comes　that　obedience　is　so　highly

praised　and　all　virtue