a treatise on good works-第6章

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day　and　on　that；　makes　confession　here；　and　makes　confession

there；　questions　this　man　and　that；　and　yet　finds　no　peace。　He

does　all　this　with　great　effort；　despair　and　disrelish　of　heart；

so　that　the　Scriptures　rightly　call　such　works　in　Hebrew　Avenama；

that　is；　labor　and　travail。　And　even　then　they　are　not　good

works；　and　are　all　lost。　Many　have　been　crazed　thereby；　their

fear　has　brought　them　into　all　manner　of　misery。　Of　these　it　is

written；　Wisdom　of　Solomon　v：　〃We　have　wearied　ourselves　in　the

wrong　way；　and　have　gone　through　deserts；　where　there　lay　no　way；

but　as　for　the　way　of　the　Lord；　we　have　not　known　it；　and　the　sun

of　righteousness　rose　not　upon　us。〃　



VII。　In　these　works　faith　is　still　slight　and　weak；　let　us　ask

further；　whether　they　believe　that　they　are　well…pleasing　to　God

when　they　suffer　in　body；　property；　honor；　friends；　or　whatever

they　have；　and　believe　that　God　of　His　mercy　appoints　their

sufferings　and　difficulties　for　them；　whether　they　be　small　or

great。　This　is　real　strength；　to　trust　in　God　when　to　all　our

senses　and　reason　He　appears　to　be　angry；　and　to　have　greater

confidence　in　Him　than　we　feel。　Here　He　is　hidden；　as　the　bride

says　in　the　Song　of　Songs：　〃Behold　he　standeth　behind　our　wall；

he　looketh　forth　at　the　windows〃；　that　is；　He　stands　hidden　among

the　sufferings；　which　would　separate　us　from　Him　like　a　wall；

yea；　like　a　wall　of　stone；　and　yet　He　looks　upon　me　and　does　not

leave　me；　for　He　is　standing　and　is　ready　graciously　to　help；　and

through　the　window　of　dim　faith　He　permits　Himself　to　be　seen。

And　Jeremiah　says　in　Lamentations；　〃He　casts　off　men；　but　He　does

it　not　willingly。〃　



This　faith　they　do　not　know　at　all；　and　give　up；　thinking　that

God　has　forsaken　them　and　is　become　their　enemy；　they　even　lay

the　blame　of　their　ills　on　men　and　devils；　and　have　no　confidence

at　all　in　God。　For　this　reason；　too；　their　suffering　is　always

an　offence　and　harmful　to　them；　and　yet　they　go　and　do　some　good

works；　as　they　think；　and　are　not　aware　of　their　unbelief。　But

they　who　in　such　suffering　trust　God　and　retain　a　good；　firm

confidence　in　Him；　and　believe　that　He　is　pleased　with　them；

these　see　in　their　sufferings　and　afflictions　nothing　but

precious　merits　and　the　rarest　possessions；　the　value　of　which

no　one　can　estimate。　For　faith　and　confidence　make　precious

before　God　all　that　which　others　think　most　shameful；　so　that　it

is　written　even　of　death　in　Psalm　cxvi；　〃Precious　in　the　sight

of　the　Lord　is　the　death　of　His　saints。〃　And　just　as　the

confidence　and　faith　are　better；　higher　and　stronger　at　this

stage　than　in　the　first　stage；　so　and　to　the　same　degree　do　the

sufferings　which　are　borne　in　this　faith　excel　all　works　of

faith。　Therefore　between　such　works　and　sufferings　there　is　an

immeasurable　difference　and　the　sufferings　are　infinitely　better。　



VIII。　Beyond　all　this　is　the　highest　stage　of　faith；　when；　God

punishes　the　conscience　not　only　with　temporal　sufferings；　but

with　death；　hell；　and　sin；　and　refuses　grace　and　mercy；　as　though

it　were　His　will　to　condemn　and　to　be　angry　eternally。　This　few

men　experience；　but　David　cries　out　in　Psalm　vi；　〃O　Lord；　rebuke

me　not　in　Thine　anger。〃　To　believe　at　such　times　that　God；　in　His

mercy；　is　pleased　with　us；　is　the　highest　work　that　can　be　done

by　and　in　the　creature；　but　of　this　the　work…righteous　and　doers

of　good　works　know　nothing　at　all。　For　how　could　they　here　look

for　good　things　and　grace　from　God；　as　long　as　they　are　not

certain　in　their　works；　and　doubt　even　on　the　lowest　step　of

faith。　



In　this　way　I　have；　as　I　said；　always　praised　faith；　and　rejected

all　works　which　are　done　without　such　faith；　in　order　thereby　to

lead　men　from　the　false；　pretentious；　pharisaic；　unbelieving　good

works；　with　which　all　monastic　houses；　churches；　homes；　low　and

higher　classes　are　overfilled；　and　lead　them　to　the　true；

genuine；　thoroughly　good；　believing　works。　In　this　no　one　opposes

me　except　the　unclean　beasts；　which　do　not　divide　the　hoof；　as

the　Law　of　Moses　decrees；　who　will　suffer　no　distinction　among

good　works；　but　go　lumbering　along：　if　only　they　pray；　fast；

establish　endowments；　go　to　confession；　and　do　enough；　everything

shall　be　good；　although　in　all　this　they　have　had　no　faith　in

God's　grace　and　approval。　Indeed；　they　consider　the　works　best

of　all；　when　they　have　done　many；　great　and　long　works　without

any　such　confidence；　and　they　look　for　good　only　after　the　works

are　done；　and　so　they　build　their　confidence　not　on　divine　favor；

but　on　the　works　they　have　done；　that　is；　on　sand　and　water；　from

which　they　must　at　last　take　a　cruel　fall；　as　Christ　says；

Matthew　vii。　This　good…will　and　favor；　on　which　our　confidence

rests；　was　proclaimed　by　the　angels　from　heaven；　when　they　sang

on　Christmas　night：　〃Gloria　in　excelsis　Deo；　Glory　to　God　in　the

highest；　peace　to　earth；　gracious　favor　to　man。〃



IX。　Now　this　is　the　work　of　the　First　Commandment；　which

commands：　〃Thou　shalt　have　no　other　gods；〃　which　means：　〃Since

I　alone　am　God；　thou　shalt　place　all　thy　confidence；　trust　and

faith　on　Me　alone；　and　on　no　one　else。〃　For　that　is　not　to　have

a　god；　if　you　call　him　God　only　with　your　lips；　or　worship　him

with　the　knees　or　bodily　gestures；　but　if　you　trust　Him　with　the

heart；　and　look　to　Him　for　all　good；　grace　and　favor；　whether　in

works　or　sufferings；　in　life　or　death；　in　joy　or　sorrow；　as　the

Lord　Christ　says　to　the　heathen　woman；　John　iv：　〃I　say　unto　thee；

they　that　worship　God　must　worship　Him　in　spirit　and　in　truth。〃

And　this　faith；　faithfulness；　confidence　deep　in　the　heart；　is

the　true　fulfilling　of　the　First　Commandment；　without　this　there

is　no　other　work　that　is　able　to　satisfy　this　Commandment。　And

as　this　Commandment　is　the　very　first；　highest　and　best；　from

which　all　the　others　proceed；　in　which　they　exist；　and　by　which

they　are　directed　and　measured；　so　also　its　work；　that　is；　the

faith　or　confidence　in　God's　favor　at　all　times；　is　the　very

first；　highest　and　best；　from　which　all　others　must　proceed；

exist；　remain；　be　directed　and　measured。　Compared　with　this；

other　works　are　just　as　if　the　other　Commandments　were　without

the　First；　and　there　were　no　God；　Therefore　St。　Augustine　well

says　that　the　works　of　the　First　Commandment　are　faith；　hope　and

love。　As　I　said　above；　such　faith　and　confidence　bring　love　and

hope　with　them。　Nay；　if　we　see　it　aright；　love　is　the　first；　or

comes　at　the　same　instant　with　faith。　For　I　could　not　trust　God；

if　I　did　not　think　that　He　wished　to　be　favorable　and　to　love　me；

which　leads　me；　in　turn；　to　love　Him　and　to　trust　Him　heartily

and　to　look　to　Him　for　all　good　things。　



X。　Now　you　see　for　yourself　that　all　those　who　do　not　at　at　all

times　trust　God　and　do　not　in　all　their　works　or　sufferings；　life

and　death；　trust　in　His　favor；　grace　and　good…will；　but　seek　His

favor　in　other　things　or　in　themselves；　do　not　keep　this

Commandment；　and　practise　real　idolatry；　even　if　they　were　to　do

the　works　of　all　the　other　Commandments；　and　in　addition　had　all

the　prayers；　fasting；　obedience；　patience；　chastity；　and

innocence　of　all　the　saints　combined。　For　the　chief　work　is　not

present；　without　which　all　the　others　are　nothing　but　mere　sham；

show　and　pretence；　with　nothing　back　of　them；　against　which

Christ　warns　us；　Matthew　vii：　〃Beware　of　false　prophets；　which

come　to　you　in　sheep's　clothing。〃　Such　are　all　who　wish　with

their　many　good　works；　as　they　say；　to　make　God　favorable　to

themselves；　and　to　buy　God's　grace　from　Him；　as　if　He　were　a

huckster　or　a　day…laborer；　unwilling　to　give　His　grace　and　favor

for　nothing。　These　are　the　most　perverse　people　on　earth；　who

will　hardly　or　never　be　converted　to　the　right　way。　Such　too　are

all　who　in　adversity　run　hither　and　thither；　and　look　for　counsel

and　help　everywhere　except　from　God；　from　Whom　they　are　most

urgently　commanded　to　seek　it；　whom　the　Prophet　Isaiah　reproves

thus；　Isai