a treatise on good works-第27章

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

can　so　much　more　easily　resist　fleshly　impurity：　and　in　such

faith　the　Spirit　tells　him　of　a　certainty　how　he　shall　avoid　evil

thoughts　and　everything　that　is　repugnant　to　chastity。　For　as　the

faith　in　divine　favor　lives　without　ceasing　and　works　in　all

works；　so　it　also　does　not　cease　its　admonitions　in　all　things

that　are　pleasing　to　God　or　displease　Him；　as　St。　John　says　in

his　Epistle：　〃Ye　need　not　that　any　man　teach　you：　for　the　divine

anointing；　that　is；　the　Spirit　of　God；　teacheth　you　of　all

things。〃　



Yet　we　must　not　despair　if　we　are　not　soon　rid　of　the　temptation；

nor　by　any　means　imagine　that　we　are　free　from　it　as　long　as　we

live；　and　we　must　regard　it　only　as　an　incentive　and　admonition

to　prayer；　fasting；　watching；　laboring；　and　to　other　exercises

for　the　quenching　of　the　flesh；　especially　to　the　practice　and

exercise　of　faith　in　God。　For　that　chastity　is　not　precious　which

is　at　ease；　but　that　which　is　at　war　with　unchastity；　and　fights；

and　without　ceasing　drives　out　all　the　poison　with　which　the

flesh　and　the　evil　spirit　attack　it。　Thus　St。　Peter　says；　〃I

beseech　you；　abstain　from　fleshly　desires　and　lusts；　which　war

always　against　the　soul。〃　And　St。　Paul；　Romans　vi；　〃Ye　shall　not

obey　the　body　in　its　lusts。〃　In　these　and　like　passages　it　is

shown　that　no　one　is　without　evil　lust；　but　that　everyone　shall

and　must　daily　fight　against　it。　But　although　this　brings

uneasiness　and　pain；　it　is　none　the　less　a　work　that　gives

pleasure；　in　which　we　shall　have　our　comfort　and　satisfaction。

For　they　who　think　they　make　an　end　of　temptation　by　yielding　to

it；　only　set　themselves　on　fire　the　more；　and　although　for　a　time

it　is　quiet；　it　comes　again　with　more　strength　another　time；　and

finds　the　nature　weaker　than　before。　



Thou　shalt　not　steal。　



This　Commandment　also　has　a　work；　which　embraces　very　many　good

works；　and　is　opposed　to　many　vices；　and　is　called　in　German

Mildigkeit；　〃benevolence；〃　which　is　a　work　ready　to　help　and

serve　every　one　with　one's　goods。　And　it　fights　not　only　against

theft　and　robbery；　but　against　all　stinting　in　temporal　goods

which　men　may　practise　toward　one　another：　such　as　greed；　usury；

overcharging　and　plating　wares　that　sell　as　solid；　counterfeit

wares；　short　measures　and　weights；　and　who　could　tell　all　the

ready；　novel；　clever　tricks；　which　multiply　daily　in　every　trade；

by　which　every　one　seeks　his　own　gain　through　the　other's　loss；

and　forgets　the　rule　which　says：　〃What　ye　wish　that　others　do　to

you；　that　do　ye　also　to　them。〃　If　every　one　kept　this　rule　before

his　eyes　in　his　trade；　business；　and　dealings　with　his　neighbor；

he　would　readily　find　how　he　ought　to　buy　and　sell；　take　and

give；　lend　and　give　for　nothing；　promise　and　keep　his　promise；

and　the　like。　And　when　we　consider　the　world　in　its　doings；　how

greed　controls　all　business；　we　would　not　only　find　enough　to　do；

if　we　would　make　an　honorable　living　before　God；　but　also　be

overcome　with　dread　and　fear　for　this　perilous；　miserable　life；

which　is　so　exceedingly　overburdened；　entangled　and　taken　captive

with　cares　of　this　temporal　life　and　dishonest　seeking　of　gain。　



II。　Therefore　the　Wise　Man　says　not　in　vain：　〃Happy　is　the　rich

man；　who　is　found　without　blemish；　who　does　not　run　after　gold；

and　has　not　set　his　confidence　in　the　treasures　of　money。　Who　is

he？　We　will　praise　him；　that　he　has　done　wondrous　things　in　his

life。〃　As　if　he　would　say：　〃None　such　is　found；　or　very　few

indeed。〃　Yea；　they　are　very　few　who　notice　and　recognise　such

lust　for　gold　in　themselves。　For　greed　has　here　a　very　beautiful；

fine　cover　for　its　shame；　which　is　called　provision　for　the　body

and　natural　need；　under　cover　of　which　it　accumulates　wealth

beyond　all　limits　and　is　never　satisfied；　so　that　he　who　would

in　this　matter　keep　himself　clean；　must　truly；　as　he　says；　do

miracles　or　wondrous　things　in　his　life。　



Now　see；　if　a　man　wish　not　only　to　do　good　works；　but　even

miracles；　which　God　may　praise　and　be　pleased　with；　what　need　has

he　to　look　elsewhere？　Let　him　take　heed　to　himself；　and　see　to

it　that　he　run　not　after　gold；　nor　set　his　trust　on　money；　but

let　the　gold　run　after　him；　and　money　wait　on　his　favor；　and　let

him　love　none　of　these　things　nor　set　his　heart　on　them；　then　he

is　the　true；　generous；　wonderworking；　happy　man；　as　Job　xxxi

says：　〃I　have　never　yet：　relied　upon　gold；　and　never　yet　made

gold　my　hope　and　confidence。〃　And　Psalm　lxii：　〃If　riches

increase；　set　not　your　heart　upon　them。〃　So　Christ　also　teaches；

Matthew　vi；　that　we　shall　take　no　thought；　what　we　shall　eat　and

drink　and　wherewithal　we　shall　be　clothed；　since　God　cares　for

this；　and　knows　that　we　have　need　of　all　these　things。　



But　some　say：　〃Yes；　rely　upon　that；　take　no　thought；　and　see

whether　a　roasted　chicken　will　fly　into　your　mouth！〃　I　do　not　say

that　a　man　shall　not　labor　and　seek　a　living；　but　he　shall　not

worry；　not　be　greedy；　not　despair；　thinking　that　he　will　not　have

enough；　for　in　Adam　we　are　all　condemned　to　labor；　when　God　says

to　him；　Genesis　iii；　〃In　the　sweat　of　thy　face　shalt　thou　eat

bread。〃　And　Job　v；　〃As　the　birds　to　flying；　so　is　man　born　unto

labor。〃　Now　the　birds　fly　without　worry　and　greed；　and　so　we　also

should　labor　without　worry　and　greed；　but　if　you　do　worry　and　are

greedy；　wishing　that　the　roasted　chicken　fly　into　your　mouth：

worry　and　be　greedy；　and　see　whether　you　will　thereby　fulfil

God's　Commandment　and　be　saved！



III。　This　work　faith　teaches　of　itself。　For　if　the　heart　looks

for　divine　favor　and　relies　upon　it；　how　is　it　possible　that　a

man　should　be　greedy　and　worry？　He　must　be　sure　beyond　a　doubt

that　God　cares　for　him；　therefore　he　does　not　cling　to　money；　he

uses　it　also　with　cheerful　liberality　for　the　benefit　of　his

neighbor；　and　knows　well　that　he　will　have　enough；　however　much

he　may　give　away。　For　his　God；　Whom　he　trusts；　will　not　lie　to

him　nor　forsake　him；　as　it　is　written；　Psalm　xxxvii：　〃I　have　been

young；　and　now　am　old；　never　have　I　seen　a　believing　man；　who

trusts　God；　that　is　a　righteous　man；　forsaken；　or　his　child

begging　bread。〃　Therefore　the　Apostle　calls　no　other　sin　idolatry

except　covetousness；　because　this　sin　shows　most　plainly　that　it

does　not　trust　God　for　anything；　expects　more　good　from　its　money

than　from　God；　and；　as　has　been　said；　it　is　by　such　confidence

that　God　is　truly　honored　or　dishonored。　



And；　indeed；　in　this　Commandment　it　can　be　clearly　seen　how　all

good　works　must　be　done　in　faith；　for　here　every　one　most　surely

feels　that　the　cause　of　covetousness　is　distrust　and　the　cause

of　liberality　is　faith。　For　because　a　man　trusts　God；　he　is

generous　and　does　not　doubt　that　he　will　always　have　enough；　on

the　other　hand；　a　man　is　covetous　and　worries　because　he　does　not

trust　God。　Now；　as　in　this　Commandment　faith　is　the

master…workman　and　the　doer　of　the　good　work　of　liberality；　so

it　is　also　in　all　the　other　Commandments；　and　without　such　faith

liberality　is　of　no　worth；　but　rather　a　careless　squandering　of

money。　



IV。　By　this　we　are　also　to　know　that　this　liberality　shall　extend

even　to　enemies　and　opponents。　For　what　manner　of　good　deed　is

that；　if　we　are　liberal　only　to　our　friends？　As　Christ　teaches；

Luke　vi；　even　a　wicked　man　does　that　to　another　who　is　his

friend。　Besides；　the　brute　beasts　also　do　good　and　are　generous

to　their　kind。　Therefore　a　Christian　must　rise　higher；　let　his

liberality　serve　also　the　undeserving；　evil…doers；　enemies；　and

the　ungrateful；　even　as　his　heavenly　Father　makes　His　sun　to　rise

on　good　and　evil；　and　the　rain　to　fall　on　the　grateful　and

ungrateful。　



But　here　it　will　be　found　how　hard　it　is　to　do　good　works

according　to　God's　Commandment；　how　nature　squirms；　twists　and

writhes　in　its　opposition　to　it；　although　it　does　the　good　works

of　its　own　choice　easily　and　gladly。　Therefore　take　your　enemies；