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第26章

a treatise on good works-第26章

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said; that not he who does such works; but he who keeps His

Commandments; shall enter into eternal life。 



Now; since no one lives on earth upon whom God does not bestow

an enemy and opponent as a proof of his own anger and wickedness;

that is; one who afflicts him in goods; honor; body or friends;

and thereby tries whether anger is still present; whether he can

be well…disposed toward his enemy; speak well of him; do good to

him; and not intend any evil against him; let him come forward

who asks what he shall do that he may do good works; please God

and be saved。 Let him set his enemy before him; keep him

constantly before the eyes of his heart; as an exercise whereby

he may curb his spirit and train his heart to think kindly of his

enemy; wish him well; care for him and pray for him; and then;

when opportunity offers; speak well of him and do good to him。

Let him who will; try this and if he find not enough to do all

his life long; he may convict me of lying; and say that my

contention was wrong。 But if this is what God desires; and if He

will be paid in no other coin; of what avail is it; that we busy

ourselves with other great works which are not commanded; and

neglect this? Therefore God says; Matthew v; 〃I say unto you;

that whosoever is angry with his neighbor; is in danger of the

judgment; but whosoever shall say to his brother; Thou fool (that

is; all manner of invective; cursing; reviling; slandering); he

shall be in danger of everlasting fire。〃 What remains then for

the outward act; striking; wounding; killing; injuring; etc。; if

the thoughts and words of anger are so severely condemned? 



III。 But where there is true meekness; there the heart is pained

at every evil which happens to one's enemy。 And these are the

true children and heirs of God and brethren of Christ; Whose

heart was so pained for us all when He died on the holy Cross。

Even so we see a pious judge passing sentence upon the criminal

with sorrow; and regretting the death which the law imposes。 Here

the act seems to be one of anger and harshness。 So thoroughly

good is meekness that even in such works of anger it remains;

nay; it torments the heart most sorely when it must be angry and

severe。 



But here we must watch; that we be not meek contrary to God's

honor and Commandment。 For it is written of Moses that he was the

very meekest man on earth; and yet; when the Jews had worshiped

the golden calf and provoked God to anger; he put many of them

to death; and thereby made atonement before God。 Likewise it is

not fitting that the magistrates should be idle and allow sin to

have sway; and that we say nothing。 My own possessions; my honor;

my injury; I must not regard; nor grow angry because of them; but

God's honor and Commandment we must protect; and injury or

injustice to our neighbor we must prevent; the magistrates with

the sword; the rest of us with reproof and rebuke; yet always

with pity for those who have merited the punishment。 



This high; noble; sweet work can easily be learned; if we perform

it in faith; and as an exercise of faith。 For if faith does not

doubt the favor of God nor question that God is gracious; it will

become quite easy for a man to be gracious and favorable to his

neighbor; however much he may have sinned; for we have sinned

much more against God。 Behold; a short Commandment this; but it

presents a long; mighty exercise of good works and of faith。



Thou shalt not commit adultery。 



In this Commandment too a good work is commanded; which includes

much and drives away much vice; it is called purity; or chastity;

of which much is written and preached; and it is well known to

every one; only that it is not as carefully observed and

practised as other works which are not commanded。 So ready are

we to do what is not commanded and to leave undone what is

commanded。 We see that the world is full of shameful works of

unchastity; indecent words; tales and ditties; temptation to

which is daily increased through gluttony and drunkenness;

idleness and frippery。 Yet we go our way as if we were

Christians; when we have been to church; have said our little

prayer; have observed the fasts and feasts; then we think our

whole duty is done。 



Now; if no other work were commanded but chastity alone; we would

all have enough to do with this one; so perilous and raging a

vice is unchastity。 It rages in all our members: in the thoughts

of our hearts; in the seeing of our eyes; in the hearing of our

ears; in the words of our mouth; in the works of our hands and

feet and all our body。 To control all these requires labor and

effort; and thus the Commandments of God teach us how great truly

good works are; nay; that it is impossible for us of our own

strength to conceive a good work; to say nothing of attempting

or doing it。 St。 Augustine says; that among all the conflicts of

the Christian the conflict of chastity is the hardest; for the

one reason alone; that it continues daily without ceasing; and

chastity seldom prevails。 This all the saints have wept over and

lamented; as St。 Paul does; Romans vii: 〃I find in me; that is

in my flesh; no good thing。〃 



II。 If this work of chastity is to be permanent; it will drive

to many other good works; to fasting and temperance over against

gluttony and drunkenness; to watching and early rising over

against laziness and excessive sleep; to work and labor over

against idleness。 For gluttony; drunkenness; lying late abed;

loafing and being without work are weapons of unchastity; with

which chastity is quickly overcome。 On the other hand; the holy

Apostle Paul calls fasting; watching and labor godly weapons;

with which unchastity is mastered; but; as has been said above;

these exercises must do no more than overcome unchastity; and not

pervert nature。 



Above all this; the strongest defence is prayer and the Word of

God; namely; that when evil lust stirs; a man flee to prayer;

call upon God's mercy and help; read and meditate on the Gospel;

and in it consider Christ's sufferings。 Thus says Psalm cxxxvii:

〃Happy shall he be; that taketh and dasheth the little ones of

Babylon against the rock;〃 that is; if the heart runs to the Lord

Christ with its evil thoughts while they are yet young and just

beginning; for Christ is a Rock; on which they are ground to

powder and come to naught。 



See; here each one will find enough to do with himself; and more

than enough; and will be given many good works to do within

himself。 But now no one uses prayer; fasting; watching; labor for

this purpose; but men stop in these works as if they were in

themselves the whole purpose; although they should be arranged

so as to fulfil the work of this Commandment and purify us daily

more and more。 



Some have also indicated more things which should be avoided;

such as soft beds and clothes; that we should avoid excessive

adornment; and neither associate nor talk with members of the

opposite sex; nor even look upon them; and whatsoever else may

be conducive to chastity。 In all these things no one can fix a

definite rule and measure。 Each one must watch himself and see

what things are needful to him for chastity; in what quantity and

how long they help him to be chaste; that he may thus choose and

observe them for himself; if he cannot do this; let him for a

time give himself up to be controlled by another; who may hold

him to such observance until he can learn to rule himself。 This

was the purpose for which the monastic houses were established

of old; to teach young people discipline and purity。 



III。 In this work a good strong faith is a great help; more

noticeably so than in almost any other; so that for this reason

also Isaiah xi。 says that 〃faith is a girdle of the reins;〃 that

is; a guard of chastity。 For he who so lives that he looks to God

for all grace; takes pleasure in spiritual purity; therefore he

can so much more easily re

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