Seventh Sunday after Trinity — Sermons of Martin Luther

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

SUMMARY OF THIS GOSPEL: 1. Here we have a clear, plain passage of Scripture against the temptation in securing our daily bread. To this the last part of the sixth chapter of Mathew refers.

2. When we read of the unbelief and distrust of the saints, it should minister strong consolation to us that we despair not, although we are also still weak in our faith.

3. God the Lord nourishes us still today contrary to all compre¬ hension of reason, if we only view it rightly. Ah, God will never forsake you, who perhaps have yet only a few days to live, for this

God has so richly nourished you until the present through thirty, forty, or fifty years.

4. Every creature of God is good, if we receive and enjoy it with thahksgiving, for it is sanctified by the Word of God and by prayei; as St. Paul writes in 1 Tim. 4:4.

J E S U S F E E D S T H E F O U E THOUSAND W I T H L O A V E S AND A F E W S M A L L F I S H E S .

1. Beloved friends, I hope you thoroughly understand this Gospel ; for you are now sufficiently established in the truth to know what we should expect in the Gospel and what is presented to us there, namely, the true nature and life of faith.

Because of this Christ is pictured,and represented so lovingly in all the Gospel lessons.

Although his history and works are ever changing, yet the plain, simple faith remains ever the same.

To-day's Gospel paints to us the Lord in a way that we may fully know how we should es¬ teem him, namely, that he is merciful, meek and loving; that he gladly helps everybody and freely associates and deals with all people.

And such a picture as this faith really craves.

2. Therefore the Scriptures present to us a double pic¬ ture ; one is that of fear or the overpowering picture of the severe wrath of God, before which no one can stand; but must despair unless he has faith. In contrast with this the picture of grace is presented to us in order that faith may behold it and obtain for itself an agreeable and comforting refuge in God, with the hope that man cannot expect so much from God, that there is not still much more to be had from him.

3. You have often heard that there are also two kinds of Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com possessions, spiritual and temporal. To-day's Gospel treats of the temporal and bodily blessings, teaches us the faith of the child, and it is a picture for the weak, in that they should look to God for everything good, and that they might thus later learn to trust God and depend upon him for spiritual blessings.

For if we are instructed in the Gospel, how Christ feeds our stomachs, we can then conelude that he will also feed and clothe our souls.

I cannot trust him to sustain my body, much less can I trust him to sustain my soul forever.

For example, if I cannot trust a person that he will give me one dollar, how can I trust him that he will give me ten?

If I cannot ex¬ pect from a person that he will give me a piece of bread; much less could I have any hope, that he would give me a house and yard, and the whole earth.

4. Now, he who cannot, like the babe on its mother's breast, have a child faith, will hardly hope that God will forgive him his sins and save his soul forever; for the soul is inexpressibly more than the stomach, for which also

Christ has compassion as the Gospel to-day proves. There¬ fore St. Peter said correctly in 1 Pet. 2:1-3:

"Beloved brethren: Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is with¬ out guile, that ye may grow thereby unto Salvation; if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."

For it is not enough that a babe should imbibe milk, but it must also grow large and strong, that it may learn later to eat bread and hard food.

5. But "to feed on milk" means, to taste the favor and the kind grace of God. "To taste the goodness of God" means, to experience it in one's life. For should I preach a hundred years of God, how kind, sweet and good he is, that he condescends to help man, and I have not yet myself tasted it through experience; thus all is still in vain and no one is in this way taught to trust God rightly. From this you can conclude what a rare person a true Christian is.

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R daily bread; but that floats only upon the tongue and hangs in the ears; it never enters the heart where it belongs.

6. Now let us observe in this example, what the life and nature of faith are.

The apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews, 2:1, writes thus:

"Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.''

That is as much as to say, faith is the means by which one trusts in possessions he does not see, namely, that I should ex¬ pect temporal things which I can neither see nor hear, but I must only hope for them ; as is the case in to-day's Gospel.

There were many people together, about four thousand, who with their wives and children had had nothing to eat for the space of three days (I judge that can be called fast¬ ing), but were extremely hungry, far from home, without any provisions on which the body lives. Now the apostle says, faith is that through which I hope for things I cannot see.

Such a faith the great multitude of people here has; they see no food and yet they hope that God will nourish them.

7. Now, what does Christ do in this case? What attitude does he take to this transaction? He must not have had much tact, for he goes to the disciples and asks, how shall one feed all these?

They reply, Oh, who will be able to feed such a great multitude of people with bread in the wilderness? But here you see how little human thoughts and faith harmonize; here you see, the wiser reason is, the less it accomplishes in the works of God. Therefore Christ asked his disciples that everyone might learn to know by experience what reason is, and acknowledge how reason and faith in no way agree. Here we learn to blindfold rea¬ son, when we begin to believe, and then give reason a per¬ manent furlough.

8. Take an example : If I were a man who had a wife and children, and had nothing for them and no one gave me anything; then I should believe and hope that God would sustain me. But if I see that it amounts to nothing and I am not helped with food and clothing, what takes place?

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com Then, as an unbelieving fool, I begin to doubt, and go and take whatever is at hand, steal, deceive, cheat the people and make my way the best I can and may.

See this is what shameless unbelief does. But if I am a believer then I close my eyes and say: Ο God, I am thy creature and thy handiwork and thou hast from the beginning created me.

I will depend entirely upon you who cares more for me, how I shall be sustained, than I do myself; thou wilt indeed nourish me, feed, clothe and help me, where and when you know best.

9. Thus faith is a sure foundation, through which I ex¬ pect that which I see not.

Therefore faith must always have sufficient, for before it should fail the angels would have to come from heaven and dig bread out of the earth in order that believing persons should be fed.

Yes, the heavens and the earth would have to pass away before God would let his believers lack clothing and the other neces¬ saries of life. The comforting and powerful Word of the divine promise requires and demands this.

David boasts of this in Psalm 37:25:

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." And in the verses just preceding in Psalm 37:18-19 he says: "Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect; and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil ; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied."

10. But when one inquires of reason for counsel it soon says: It is not possible.

Yes, you must wait a long time until roasted ducks fly into your mouth, for reason sees nothing, grasps nothing, and nothing is present.

Just so the apostles do also here who thought:

Yes, who will pro¬ vide food for so many, no one is able to do that; but had they seen a great pile of money and in addition tables laden with bread and meat, they would soon have discovered good counsel and been able to give good consolation; that would have gone according to their thinking very reasonably.

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R so many people, and especially since no provisions were at hand.

11. We have said enough concerning faith through which we entrust the stomach to God for his care, and believe that he will not allow us to come to distress because of the lack of temporal things.

Now concerning spiritual bless¬ ings, when we are about to die, I wish also to say: then,we will find and see before our eyes very death, and yet we would gladly wish to live; then we will see before us very hell, and yet we would gladly wish to possess heaven ; then we will see God's judgment, and yet we would gladly see his grace.

In brief, we will not see a single one of the things we would like to have.

No created thing can help us in the presence of death, hell and the judgment of God; and if I believe, I will say: Yes, faith is the fundamental principle by which I secure what I do not see; hence, if I believe, nothing can harm me.

Although I see nothing now but death, hell and the judgment of God before my eyes, yet I must not look at them; but fully trust that God, by virtue of the power of his promise, not because of my worthiness, will give me life, salvation and grace.

That is cleaving to God by faith in the right way.

12. This is here beautifully painted in the visible picture of the four thousand men who hang on God alone through the faith that says : yes, God will indeed feed us. Had they judged according to reason, they would have said: Oh, we are so many, we are here in the desert, we have empty and hungry stomachs; nothing can help our condition.

There was nothing of which they could speak; but they had a good refuge without any human disputing with God, they commended themselves to him and freely laid all their need upon him. Then Christ comes, before they have any care and before they ask him to come, and takes all more to heart than they do themselves, and says to his disciples:

" I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away fasting to their homes, they will faint on the way."

Here new hope is awakened and man is comforted through the words of Christ; as he says: They lie there and wait for me until the third day.

I must give them also what they need.

Here you see that all who thus faithfully cling to the Word of God will be fed by God himself; for that is the nature and the power of faith, which flows alone out of the 14. Therefore, beloved friends, let us once make a begin¬ ning to believe; for unbelief is the cause of all sin and vice, which now have taken the upper hand in all stations of life. How does it come to pass that everywhere there are so many foolish women and rogues, so many rank imposters, thieves, robbers, usurers, murderers and sellers of indul¬ gences?

It all comes from unbelief.

For such men judge alone according to human reason, and the reason judges only according to that which it sees; but what it does not see, it does not wish to lay hold of.

Therefore, if it does not place its confidence in God through faith, then it must despair in itself and develop rogues and rascals. Observe, thus it comes to pass wherever men permit their reason to govern them, and are not ruled by faith.

P A R T I I . CONCERNING 15. Now just as you have learned faith, so should we learn love; for Christ wishes to set before us a twofold pic¬ ture, namely, a picture of faith, that we should not be over¬ anxious; also a picture of love, that, as he does to us, is anxious about our welfare, feeds us and gives us to drink and clothes us, only out of free love, not for the sake of his own advantage or because of our worthiness; so should we also do good unto our neighbor, freely and gratuitously, out of pure love, by which, as he is a Christ to you, you should thus also be a Christ to your neighbor.

16. Therefore you see that all the works of the priests, monks and nuns are vain and cursed; for they are not directed to the end to serve their neighbors; but only that they may merit much before God through their works. For Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R trne Christian works must be directed entirely and freely to the end that they be done for the good of our neighbor, only freely given and scattered broadcast among the nasses; as Christ also did who cast his good deeds away f.ieely for the people to scramble after, and gave his doc¬ trine, word and life for the Church. Blessed are they who accept this giving with thanksgiving.

17. I say this only for the reason that you may see how all parts of the Gospel lessons tend in the direction and will have nothing more, and God also requires nothing more from us, than that we surrender ourselves to the service of our neighbor, and accordingly sustain him in the name of God and in the place of God, do him good and show him a service; for God does not need our good works, as Psalm

"Hear, Ο my people, and I will speak; Ο Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, even thy I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; and thy burnt-offerings are continually before me.

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?"

18. Just so he says to us also; behold, Israel, that is thou believing one, I am thy God and thou art not my God; I will give to you and not you to me.

Hear, Israel, I will not be angry with thee that thou dost not offer me any sac¬ rifices ; for what thou hast in thy barn, house and yard, that was all mine before it was thine; for I have stored it away there.

Here he spoke very pointedly to the Jews who prided themselves highly on their sacrifices.

Now, since he rejects our offering, what will he then have?

Psalmist in the verses immediately following says: "Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High; and call upon me in the day of trouble;

I wish to have thy heart, rest thou in me and believe me to be a kind and gracious God, that I am thy God: then you will have enough. Therefore he says also in the following

Psalm, 51:14-19: "Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, Ο God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

Ο Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou delighteet not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, Ο God, thou wilt not de¬ spise."

19. In this confidence and hope let thy faith run its course, to acknowledge God as thy friend, to cleave to him and in the greatest need to flee to him, and to one one else.

Believe it and expect it, then he will help thee, this thou shouldst not doubt; therefore in harmony with this, thou shouldst serve thy neighbor freely and gratuitously. These two thoughts are presented to us in this Gospel.

S E V E N T H S U N D A Y A F T E R T R I N I T Y .

Second Sermon: Mark 8:1-9.

CONTENTS: AN ADMONITION, A CONSOLATION AND DOC¬ PART I. T H E ADMONITION AND The difference between the king¬ dorn of Christ and the kingdoms of the world. 1.

AND CONSOLATION. 1-3.

The office of the ministry and the' church.

1. Poverty and riches have at all times done great harm to the church and the preaching office. 4f.

2. The attitude of the world to the preaching office. 5.

3. The punishment that visits those who despise the office of preach¬ 4. How and why the civil authorities should see to It that the office of preaching be well provided for and maintained. 9-12.

II. T H E ADMONITION AND CON¬ SOLATION IN T H E M S E L V E S .

A. The admonition. 13.

1. The nature of this consolation.

2. The ground of this consolation.

The daily miracles of God. a. They are not Inferior to other miracles. 16 b. How and why the world does not esteem these dally mir¬ acles. 17. c. What moved God to perform the extraordinary miracles in addition to those of every day. 18-20.

3. An objection, raised here, and its answer. 21-22.

4. How and why we should right¬ ly lay hold of this consolation.

PART I I . T H E DOCTRINES.

1. Christ sincerely means all for the best with his followers. 25-26f.

Why Christ asks his disciples for counsel to feed the people, 27¬ 2. That nature and reason are found to be most miserable and help¬ less. 28-30.

The foundation and cause of un¬ belief. 30.

3. That we human creatures are sunk In very great unbelief. 31-32.

How and why we should be the enemies of unbelief. 33.

4. That Christ is able to do and does do more than we can understand or believe. 33-34.

The benefit of faith and the harm of unbelief.

5. That it is good and wholesome, when Christ tests us. 35.

How a Christian should do in the time of need. 36.

I I . OTHER DOCTRINES A R E :

1. That we should receive the gifts of God with thanks and let the blessing of God connected with them comfort us. 37f.

The miserable condition of the rich and of the miserly. 38.

The blessed state of persons who allow themselves to be satisfied with the gifts of God. 39-40.

A Christian should let the least God gives be dearer to him than all the treasures of misers. 40.

Why there Is no blessing conneeted with all the scratching and raking together of the wealth of the world. 41.

3. Our possessions do not decrease by giving some of them to the poor. 43.

The punishment of avarice and robbery. 44.

4. That we should not waste God's gifts. 45.

Concerning wastefulness. a. It is a shameful evil. 4G. b. The fruits and workings of this evil. 47-48.

P A K T I. T H E ADMONITION AND CONSOLATION.

1. To-day's Gospel presents to us again both the doctrine and the consolation against the temptation in caring for the necessaries of this life, or the temporal support and maintenance of the Church upon the earth. And faith be¬ longs here since Christ came not for the purpose of estab¬ lishing a government that may be called a political or a domestic kingdom, which were long ago established by God and given for the purpose of meeting our bodily needs. And reason itself here teaches how and from what source we can bring it to pass that everyone in his station may enjoy a livelihood, peace and protection, so that one may see be¬ fore his eyes and have in his hands all the necessaries of life that he needs to maintain the temporal government.

Therefore this did not claim the attention of Christ since it was not a part of his calling and office ; but as his king¬ dom was to be a different government, in which all persons in all callings and offices, high and low, as sinners con¬ demned before God to everlasting death, should be helped to the divine, eternal kingdom and life; the spiritual king¬ dom had to engage his attention while he passed by the other two, the civil, and the domestic.

2. Therefore it had to follow that his disciples, preachers and servants would have to suffer poverty because they could not outside of their service and office seek their live¬ lihood as the rest of the world does, nor hope to become rich from their calling; in addition, that they, aside from this, would be persecuted by the world, which would oppose their preaching because it would not be in harmony with their understanding and prejudices. And thus the Chris¬ tians in the world could not depend upon any sure guaran¬ tee for their peaceful life and protection; but had to live continually in uncertainty because of the world, and felt

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E E TRINITY. in danger and as restless as the waves of the sea because of that which they already had or might have. But should they have enough to eat and to drink and a place and a room where to live, they could not expect it from any other one than alone from Christ.

3. Now Christ knows this very well, therefore he arms and comforts his disciples with these and like examples and sayings in order that they might not despair.

Although his kingdom has nothing to do with eating and drinking, building and caring for the needs of the body; yet they should not die from hunger. And this he again confirms in the passage of Mat. 6:33.

"But seek ye first the king¬ dom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." For by to-day's Gospel he proves that they, who followed him to hear his preaching, and followed him so faithfully that they continued with him three days in the desert, could not now very well return out of the desert without fainting and coming to poverty, need and distress on account of his Word.

Yet since they sought first the kingdom of God and Christ had previously preached, prayed and accomplished that which pertains to the righteousness of God, there must follow also that which pertains to the body in order that they may learn to believe that they would not come to want and that they should expect from him all his

Church needs for the maintenance of her bodily or external exist¬ ence upon the earth.

4. It is true that in all ages of the Church two things have done and are doing great harm, namely, poverty and riches. For in the first place, we see the apostles and true bishops and preachers in such straightened circumstances, that no one gave them anything and they themselves were not able to acquire anything; hence everybody felt shy of such aji office and no one wished to enter it. In the second place, when the church became extremely wealthy through great endowments and stipends and sat in all luxury, the ministers themselves neglected the office of preaching and the care of souls, and themselves became lords.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com 5. Just so it is also at present : Where true pastors and preachers are so poorly supported that no one donates anything to them, and moreover what they have is snatched out of their mouths by a shameless and unthankful world, by princes, noblemen, townsmen and farmers, so that they with their poor wives and children must suffer need, and when they die leave behind them pitiable, rejected widows and orphans. By this very many good-hearted and very clever people are more and more discouraged from becom¬ ing pastors and preachers. For all arts, trades and callings in life serve to the end that we may through them fortify ourselves against hunger and poverty; but with the office of the ministry the contrary is the case, whoever will iper! form its duties faithfully, must expose himself to danger and poverty.

6. From this then will follow the ruin Of the Church, in that the parishes will stand vacant, the pulpits be neglected and again preachers arrive who seek not faithfully God's

Word nor the kingdom of Christ; but who think, as they preach, what the people will gladly hear, so that they may continue in that direction and again become rich; and in this manner things will again go to ruin. Therefore also at present the great and powerful, especially the nobility, plan to keep their pastors and preachers under their feet in order that they may not again become rich, and lord it over them as they formerly experienced and are now over¬ cautious.

But they will not be able to bring it about as!

7. How shall we now act in this matter and from what source shall we obtain preachers and pastors in order that the kingdom of Christ may be perpetuated?

For neither poverty nor riches is good for the Church; mere poverty, hunger and anxiety the preachers cannot suffer; great pos¬ sessions and riches they cannot stand.

Poverty hinders the development of their personality; riches are in the way of them performing the duties of their work and office.

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R then will the world also see what it will have to enjoy because of such action.

For if each will consider the welfare only of his own house and seek how he may maintain himself and no one inquires how the Word of God and the office of the min¬ istry are to be perpetuated, then will God also say as he said in the prophecy of Haggai 1:4-11, where the people also left the house of the Lord desolate, neglected God's

Word and the service of the temple, so that the priests and servants of the temple had to resort to work as farmers and learn to do other things, by which they could support themselves because nothing was given for their office and service.

Therefore he speaks thus:

"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste? Now therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts:

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts:

Con¬ sider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith Jehovah. Ye looked for much, and 10, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it.

Why? saith Jehovah of hosts.

Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house. Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands."

8. Behold, this is the punishment for despising the office of the ministry, when such punishment was the most gracious as it has been still in our day, and I would to God, that it might continue so. But when we esteem the Word of God so lightly and the ministers and preachers are so poorly supported that they are compelled to forsake their office

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com and seek their bread through other occupations, and there¬ by also discourage others from entering this office, who otherwise are gifted for it and inclined to it; God not only sends famine and other great national calamities as now appear before our eyes, in order that no one's purse may retain anything and no blessing and no provisions re¬ main. But he takes the Word and the true doctrine entirely away, and in their stead permits fanatical spirits and false teachers to enter among them, by whom they are led astray and deceived before they are aware of it both as to their souls and property, and for their neglect they must con¬ tribute richly and most bountifully.

9. Therefore the world should be advised, if it will take advice, that the lords, the princes, the countries, the cities and all in general make efforts to provide a little for the necessaries of the house of God and the kingdom of God, as they must do for other offices and arts, in order that they may give their whole attention to them and obtain their daily bread from them, which are needed much more than other offices and arts. While one officer or judge is suffi¬ cient, likewise one jurist or physician can meet the needs of one city or more, and for a time of the entire country; we must have thousands of preachers for the various coun¬ tries since the parishes and districts are so many; for chil¬ dren are daily born who must be baptized and educated, learn God's Word and become Christians.

From what source can ministers be had, if they are not reared and educated? Then the churches must either stand vacant and the people scatter and go astray, or the people receive and suffer from coarse mulelike characters and corrupters of the Word.

10. But woe unto all who contributed to bring about such a state or have not tried to prevent it, that God's house had to become desolate; much more, however, those who have discouraged and hindered others from entering the minis¬ try, or continuing in it; for such characters are worse than the Jews or Turks.

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R entering the ministry on account of poverty, for their great¬ est lack was in faith that Christ would notwithstanding give them their daily bread or nourishment for their bodies, which, although at times may be scanty and bitter, yet, you are to remember on the other hand how very much greater treasure it is that one receives a piece of bread into his hands in an exceptional way and through the special bless¬ ing of God, than all the riches and fulness of the world.

11. Therefore the civil government should especially try to do something here and to be helpful to our children and posterity, and not withdraw its hand and by its example hinder and deter others, and do Christendom an irreparable damage.

How will you give an answer to God if you through your cursed avarice retard or hinder a single soul in its salvation; I will say nothing about hindering a whole city or country by your example, so that they may no longer possess the Word of God and the preaching of it? And he must indeed be a cruel, unmerciful and cursed person who does not help his own children in this way, much more if he hinders it. For if we wish to be Christians we should positively know that we are called to do this, and it is the command of God that we all do it with both our hands and with all our powers, that the house of God may not be¬ come desolate nor the pulpits stand vacant and his king¬ dom cease, and that both we ourselves and the young people be not robbed of their salvation.

12. To be sure, in the Old Testament it was obligatory on everybody, and commanded by Moses, that the tenth part or the tithe be given for this purpose from all their income,

Lev. 27:30f. How much more should we Christians do for this cause, which is the most necessary, and without which no one upon the earth gives and does anything that Christ's kingdom may continue built up, so that we allow his ser¬ vants to eat with us in order that we may remain in the same kingdom of God, and give such grace and salvation to our children as an inheritance. If we do not do this then he will as a reward of our ingratitude put an end to our avarice and devouring spirit, so that we ourselves will soon

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com perish; because such great possessions and provisions we have not, but that God can permit rust to enter among them through famine, Turkish war and other national plagues and everything be consumed, ravished or otherwise destroyed in a single year.

13. Thus will Christ warn us first of all here through his own example that everyone is required to help the kingdom of God and his Word with temporal provisions for the body; in case he himself cannot or will not become a minister of the Gospel.

14. Following this he also comforts those who are in the ministerial office, that they become not distressed or alarmed through their present want or poverty; but that they may know that Christ cares for them and will nourish them even in their poverty and will never permit them to suffer need and want, but will finally provide the richer bounty for them; yea, he has already thought of all things before and provided for them before they thought from what source they should obtain what they need.

15. For he shows indeed forcibly in this example that he is a rich and powerful lord and provider; yea, he is a rich miller and baker, better than any other upon the earth that has learned his trade perfectly.

Yes, he does indeed very much work instantly and aside from and without any human help.

He plows, harvests, threshes, grinds and bakes in a twinkling of the eye. For it is indeed a miracle and beyond the comprehension of reason that so many thousand men, not counting the women and children, were fed with seven loaves, that they all were satisfied, and yet some were left over; but he did it so quickly by one word, when he only touched the bread and gave to his disciples to distribute; there is at once ground to flour, baked and everything prepared for so many thousand persons and even more. He must be a fine king (as the five thousand said whom he also fed in a like manner, John 6:14), him we would also wish to have as our king, who should lead a multitude of people to the field and care for them, so Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. that one could at all times reach into the basket or into the pocket, and richly feed and pay a whole multitude.

16. Now he can do that and in him we have such a king.

Where he reaches there all is full, and where he gives there all must be sufficient and overflowing.

Thus in Mat. 17:27 he told Peter to go and take a shekel out of the mouth of a fish. Who prepared or minted the silver there or who would seek there in the water and even in the mouth of the fish for money? But he can create it and take it when and where and as he wishes; yea, can also bring bread and water out of the rock with which to feed the whole world; for we see everywhere he does so daily and everything that the world has comes about only by such miracles which are not less miraculous, as St. Augustine says, than this miracle.

17. We are, to be sure, thus familiar with the fact that corn grows yearly out of the earth, and through this famil¬ iarity we are so blinded that we do not esteem such work.

For what we see daily and hear, that we do not regard as miraculous; and yet it is even as great; yea, if one should speak correctly, it is a greater miracle that God should give us corn out of the sand and the stone, than that he should here feed a multitude with seven loaves. For what is the dry sand but crushed stones, or a stone other than sand and earth welded together; but how can bread which we eat come out of stones, and yet it grows only out of the sand of the earth? In like manner everything that grows, and all the animals give to us, each according to his own nature; whence does it come but out of the earth and dust?

18. These are even the miracles which have been estab¬ lished from the beginning of the world and daily continue, so that we are entirely overwhelmed by them, without our eyes and senses feeling them, since they are so common that God must at times, as he does here, perform not a greater, but a special miracle, which is extraordinary by which he awakens us and through such an individual and special miracle he shows us and leads us into the daily miracles of the whole world.

"He made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he did eat the in¬ crease of the field; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock." What does that mean?

How can honey and oil grow out of rock and stone?

Now it does happen that both corn and trees which bear the sweetest fruits are rooted in stones and sand, and out of that they grow and from nowhere else do they receive their sap and strength.

If it should take place before our eyes now that oil and honey should flow out of a column of rock, then the whole world would speak of this as the miracle of miracles; but since we daily walk over the fields and land where they grow before our eyes, there we see nothing and appreciate nothing.

20. Since we now cast to the winds the daily works of God, which are nothing but miracles, he must cause us to gape at these special and like miracles, and let them be pro¬ claimed as special miracles in order that a Christian may let such miracles be to him a writing and a book, from which he learns to behold all the works of God, and satisfies his heart with them, and thinks thus: Why shall I be wor¬ ried with anxiety and care on account of temporal need and provision? From what source does God give us the corn in the field and all fruits, since the world with all her wis¬ dom is not able to create a straw, a leaf or a little flower?

Since Christ, my Lord and God, does such things daily, why then shall I be worried, or doubt as to whether he can or will sustain my bodily existence?

21. Here you may reply : Yes, how does it then come about since he is such a king who feeds the whole world so bounti¬ fully, that he permits his Christians so often to suffer from want and poverty in the world?

For he should indeed care for his own people bountifully above all others.

Answer: Here one must understand how the kingdom of Christ is constituted ; for he will by this show us, as I said at the beginning, that his kingdom upon the earth is pre¬ eminently not a temporal kingdom, which consists in how

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R we here upon the earth may eat, drink, keep house, care for the body, and moreover where all the necessaries of this life must be regulated and provided for. But he has founded a spiritual kingdom, in which one should seek and find divine and eternal possessions, and so constituted the same that it would be richly provided for and perpetuated by the Word of God, the sacraments, the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that it would not lack in anything that serves us in securing and maintaining our eternal life.

Therefore he lets the world in its government have and take the necessaries and provisions of life, and thereby provides richly for it.

But Christ exhorts his Christians to place their hope and consolation not in temporal things, but to seek the kingdom of God, in which they shall have sufficient forever and shall be truly rich. That is the first.

22. In the second place Christ desires to teach his Chris¬ tians to exercise faith in the things which pertain to the ternporal life and to their temporal possessions, in a way that they see him here even in their hands and expect from him also the necessaries of this life; for since the Church upon the earth is his Church and shall remain so, he must provide for her, for her body, for her food, her drink, her clothing, her buildings, her locations and other necessary things. Yea, he has indeed created all that the world contains and pro¬ duces for the sake of !nous Christians; he gives and main¬ tains all still only for their sake, as long as the world stands, in order that they should richly enjoy these things in this life, and have no need.

But since the devil rules in the world and he is the enemy of Christ and of his Church, and since they themselves do not seek the things of this world, they must suffer that to be taken out of their mouths, and robbed of, which belongs to them. Here now

Christ must help his Church and give where she suffers need and want, that she may continue to exist, that it may be called miraculous giving; and the Christians acknowl¬ edge that it is given by him and that he shows forth con¬ tinually in his Christendom such special miracles, so that they notwithstanding will have something to eat, drink,

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com etc., even if the world gives nothing and grants no favors; but takes from her, and is jealous and hateful because of what God gives her.

23. Behold, we should now also learn to believe that we have a Lord in the person of Christ, who provides for our stomachs and for our temporal lives, and thereby thrusts aside and conquers the cares of unbelief.

For he excites us through many examples to faith, as it is his earnest wish that we should be a people, who have no care for our own person as pertains to both the spiritual and bodily, or the temporal and eternal (for here he is not speaking con¬ cerning the cares of the office or of the labor which is com¬ manded everyone by God and laid upon him, in which he is to be true and faithful); in order that we may do with cheerful hearts and with confidence in him what is com¬ manded us, especially that which belongs to the kingdom of God, and if need and want stare us in the face, that we permit such things to be commanded us. And a Christian should comfort and strengthen himself thus: I know, and have learned from the Gospel that I have a Lord who can make out of one loaf as many loaves as he will, and he does not need in order to do it either a farmer or a miller or a baker, and he gives to me when and as much as I require, although I do not at once know or understand, yea, do not even think about it, how or when and whence he shall come to my help.

24. The text of this gospel also now shows how Christ feels and speaks when he sees the people who follow him and cannot return home without fainting, when he calls the disciples to himself and has a little counsel with them, he begins and says : "I have compassion on the multitude."

And he adds the cause when he says: "Because they con¬ tinue with me now three days and have nothing to eat," etc.

P A ß T I I . T H E DOCTRINES.

T H E C H I E F DOCTRINES.

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. their report as well as Christ himself here thinks it out and holds it before his disciples? For how would they or could they paint it better or allege stronger reasons to move him, than to have said: Oh, beloved Lord, have com¬ passion on the poor multitude of people, men, women and children, who have followed thee so far in order to hear thee?

In the second place, consider that they have now remained and continued with thee for three days. In the third place, remember that they have nothing to eat and are in the desert.

In the fourth place, if you send them away fasting they must faint on the way before they arrive home, especially the weak men and the women and children.

In the fifth place, consider also that some have come far, etc.

Behold, Christ reflected upon all this himself before anyone speaks with him and has himself formed the prayer so beautifully in his own heart. Yes, he is distressed on their account before they think of praying to him, and earnestly discussed with the disciples their need and gave counsel what to do in their behalf.

26. What then is all this but a purely living sermon, prov¬ ing and witnessing that Christ is so earnestly and heartily concerned about us, and before we can propose anything to him, he looks into our hearts better than we ourselves can, so that no mortal person could speak with another more heartily.

For he does not wait until someone says to him:

Oh, Lord, have compassion on the multitude, think how they have held out, how far they are from home, etc.

Yes, he says, I have compassion on them already and have thought over it all before. But listen, he says to the disciples, what counsel do you give, what shall we do for them in order that the multitude may be fed?

27. Now this counseling and consulting with the disciples took place, first, in order that he should thus reveal his own heart and thoughts. For it must Rot remain hid in his heart only, that he had compassion and anxiety for the people; but it should come to light so that it could be heard and seen, and we might learn to believe that we have the same Christ who is ever concerned about our bodily needs,

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com and in whose heart are ever written in living letters the words, "I have compassion on my poor people," and he shows it in his acts and works, so that he earnestly wishes that we only acknowledge it and hear this Word of the Gospel, as if he spoke it yet this hour and daily whenever we feel our need, yea, much sooner than we ourselves begin to complain about it.

For he is ever, and remains forever, the same Christ and has the very same heart, thoughts and words concerning us as he had at that time, and has neither yesterday nor at any other time been different, and will not to-day nor to¬ morrow become a different Christ.

Now here we have a very beautiful picture and tablet which paint to us the very depths of the Saviour's heart, that he is a faithful, merciful Lord, to whom our needs appeal to the very quick, and he sees deeper into our wants than we are able to pray and present to him.

Shame on our abominable unbelief, for we hear and see this, and yet in spite of it, we cannot fully trust in Christ.

28. Yes, that is just the reason he began this interview and asked the disciples for counsel, namely, that we might see our own unbelief and foolishness and chastise our¬ selves. For here you see how he considers their need much better and more fully, and gives counsel concerning it, than we ourselves are able to do, and no person in his own danger or need can give Christ counsel how he might be rescued out of his distress. And although Christ had already de¬ liberated and concluded what he would do, yet he asks them for their advice through which they see how he cares for them and what they themselves are able to advise him.

Here it is revealed what the counsel of men can do when men undertake to be the counsellors of God and of Christ.

Here they all stand like the musicians who have ruined the dance, they have gone in their human wisdom and consid¬ ered it with their financiers. Here are four thousand men and indeed as many women and children. Where should one receive sufficient for them to eat, especially here in the desert, unless they eat grass and hay?

29. Thus you hear the answer of human wisdom when ap¬ pealed to for counsel and how different it is from faith; for it does not know anything to say to this, than to conelude in a common and dry manner, there is no way to help the situation. That is what nature and reason at all times propose where need and want reign; when they should trust in God and expect from him counsel and help, they fall instantly upon the blasphemous words: Why, it is impos¬ sible, it is a lost cause, etc. When the peril of death and danger visit us, then reason thinks and concludes instantly, it is not possible to live; when there is no bread in the house, it is impossible to ward off hunger; and nothing but mere doubt is where reason cannot see at once before its eyes and grasp that with which the situation can be helped. Reason is not so wise as to think that Christ knows yet of some counsel and help, since he himself takes interest in our distress and does not doubt, but speaks as he does here, as one who will counsel and help, and not permit his people to go from him fasting, and faint on the way.

30. Yes, reason is not pious enough to give Christ this honor, and believe that he knows how to counsel and help more than it realizes, and to confess its lack of understand¬ ing and ability, and thus bring the matter home to him and covet his counsel and help. This is why we have so many fools and wish, in case God should deal with us, to reckon and measure in an ordinary way according to our own abil¬ ity and powers. Therefore where he fails, we must indeed doubt; as here the apostles calculate and measure by their reason their food and provisions over against the great multitude, and their need compared with their ability. Then the only result will be that they are compelled to say:

Here there is no other advice to give than that we let them go where they decide, where they may buy and find food; they may do in this matter as they are able, either faint or continue to live.

31. Thus you see also in the disciples and apostles of Christ our great and deep rooted unbelief, what great ignorant fools we are, compared with the counsel and works of God.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com And we believe nothing at all unless it goes according to our thoughts and ideas, and think he knows no counsel and does nothing for us where we are not able first to see and calculate how it is possible. Yet he deals with us thus for the very purpose of Showing us where our counsel, wisdom and ability end, so that he does a much higher order of work for us than we are able to think and esteem as pos¬ sible, or can pray for and wish; so that if he should not deal with us in any other way than according to our thoughts and counsels, he would never be able to do any divine work or be able to prove anything divine to us, and every minute we would have to doubt, sink and perish without God.

32. Therefore it is also much better that he, without our counsel, yea, contrary to it, should go ahead and do, as the Lord and God of all creatures should do; for we still would not counsel or say anything more on the subject than the apostles here said in this case, that it is impossible and a lost cause, to feed so great a multitude. Yet however ht thus shows himself friendly in that he asks them for coun¬ sel and lets them advise on the subject and can have pa¬ tience with them, lets them begin thus in order that they themselves might be forced to see later how foolish they acted and be ashamed of their unbelief since they exper¬ ienced and saw before their eyes his miracle.

33. From this we should also learn to become an enemy of our unbelief and oppose it, which continually bestirs itself in times of need and danger, and at once despairs of all consolation and help, where it does not see before its eyes help and counsel in our own human strength.

But we should accustom ourselves to think that Christ is able to do, and does do, more and greater things than we can under¬ stand or believe; for our hands and strength are not indeed created to the end that they should help us to corn and bread in time of famine and want, to life in time of death, and make something out of nothing.

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. thoughts from your hands and your ability upon me; my fingers are adapted to the end that they should do it. You are only to believe, and where it is not possdble according to your counsel, then let it be possible according to my counsel and my power.

34. This Christ teaches everywhere in all his miracles and still to-day in his wonderful works which he does in his And yet he cannot exalt himself in our estima¬ tion to the degree that we in strong confidence and sure courage commit our need to his counsel and power and let it be commended to him; through which we are helped both out of our need and want, and become free from all anxious care and fear, by which we make our need greater and severer than it is in itself. And we have in this a two¬ fold benefit and gain:

A peaceful, quiet heart and con¬ science and in addition consolation and help, and moreover, that we thus render to him the best sacrifice and divine service. On the other hand, if we do not do this, it cannot be agreeable or pleasing to him, and the blame is no one's but our own that we worry and plague ourselves and yet accomplish nothing by such worry; for we must neverthe¬ less let it remain in his power, since no one of us is able even to change a little smallpox mark on his body although he should worry himself to death over it.

35. However, it is still well for us that Christ permits us to be tested and disciplined in this way, and through our vain counsels and suggestions, our struggling and doubting, he teaches us to acknowledge our exigency; otherwise we would never realize that we were in need and would never learn either to believe or to pray.

Therefore he shows and reveals h'ere to his disciples their present want and ex¬ tremity before they themselves think of it.

36. In like manner also for a time God sends us tempta¬ tion, terror, misfortune and suffering in order that we may feel our need and become conscious how utterly unable we are either to counsel or help ourselves; but he does so that we may learn not to go ahead heedlessly according to our feelings, and say:

"where?" take out of thy mouth and heart, and instead, run here to Christ and expect what he will say and give to thee.

For the fact that you feel your need will not hurt you; he lets you feel it in order that you may experience and feel also his help, his beneficence and his rescueing power, and that you learn thus to believe and to trust him.

37. We have said enough now concerning the summary and central doctrine of to-day's Gospel. Further there are also given in the history of this Gospel many good points.

First, that Christ asks, how many loaves have ye, and he takes the same along with the few fishes, for which he thanks God and says grace, and gives them to his disciples to divide and set before the people.

Here he teaches, first, that we should use that which God bestows upon us, how¬ ever small it may be, and accept it with thanksgiving, and know that Christ will also bless it that it may be efficient and sufficient, yea, even multiply it in our hands; for it is pleasing to God when we acknowledge his gifts and thank him for them, and he adds his blessing so that it becomes better and reaches farther than the great riches and super¬ fluous possessions of the unbelievers; as the Scriptures say in Ps. 37:16, "Better is a little that the righteous hath than the abundance of many wicked." Thus also Proverbs 10:22,

"The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich." That is, what is given by God and received with a good conscience. And St.

Taul also explains this in 1 Tim. 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain," etc.

38. For what do they have who hold such great possessions without faith and without Christ, and what do they gain, except that they rob themselves of God and his blessings?

And besides they are idolators and captives of mammon, so that they dare not touch their own possessions; and they neither let others use them nor do they use them with a .״ood conscience themselves, so that they cannot enjoy the little they eat, because of their avarice and wicked con,

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. science, in which they only think of how to scratch together more and more through their cruel business and trickery; and yet they must ever live in danger and worry, so that they have no peace, neither before God nor before man.

They must see and hear, and experience so much with their great wealth and among their own children and in other ways, that their heart sickens; and thus they throw them¬ selves into the snares and pains of the devil, as he also says, out of which they cannot be delivered.

39. On the other hand St. Paul says: He is truly a rich man who fears God and lives in faith, and is contented in this blessedness with that which God gives him, and he possesses it with God and in honor without injustice or damage to anyone; for he has a very great treasure, called

God's blessing, even in his poverty, so that he must still have enough; for he knows that we all have no more out of life than what we eat and drink, and as we say, to our fill and satisfaction. And yet it does not depend upon our anxious care whore God does not give success; as Ps. 127:2 says: "It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of toil (German, care); for so he giveth unto his beloved sleep." And Christ himself in Luke 12:15 says:

"A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

40. Therefore a Christian should think much more of a dollar that Cod gives him thau of all the great treasures of the rich misers upon the earth; for he has this beautiful treasure in his own home that is called godliness, and he has enough or he is satisfied, that is, he has a peaceful, quiet heart in God.

Thus also Ps. 112:1-3 says of such a pious and godly person: "Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endureth forever." What kind of riches and glory and sufficiency is that, the ungodly world says? What are two dollars in the house and on the farm of a poor

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com Christian who has his house full of children, compared with that of a person who has ten, twenty, fifty thousand dollars in his chest?

Yes, and what estimate do you put upon the fact that a pious person has the blessing from God, which you cannot buy either with your hundred thousand dollars nor can you secure it with all the possessions of the world? A dollar with a good conscience is more beauti¬ ful in the home and shines more gloriously before God and is of more value to him than all the crowns and king¬ doms of empires, which do not enjoy their large possessions with great quiet and with a joyful conscience, and at last are not able to secure from them more than the poorest beggar possesses.

41. But the world will not believe this although it sees it before its own eyes.

It goes ever ahead with its raking and scraping together of riches and will let no one be satisfied with what he has, every man desires more than his fellow and seeks riches (as it must naturally follow) by robbing, stealing, oppressing the poor.

It also follows from this that there is no blessing or success with such riches; but only the curse of God, misery, misfortune and heart agony.

42. In the secona place, Christ commands the disciples to set the loaves before the multitude, by which he shows he will administer his work and gifts through the instru¬ mentality of human agencies.

He thus also teaches those who have an office or commission (especially the office of the ministry) and those who stand before others, that they should, in obedience to Christ, faithfully and con¬ scientiously serve the people by cheerfully and meekly giving of their own and imparting to others what God entrusted and gave to them.

And especially does he teach them to be of use and comfort to the poor flock of Christians by their good example of faith and of love, and thus strengthen their faith and love.

For he here shows how he gives and will give rich blessings to the end that such office and service may accomplish much good and bring forth much fruit. Just as it takes !)lace here.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R when they received from Christ not more than seven loaves and a few fishes, and they began to distribute them, he multiplies them more and more in their hands, and it more than reaches, so that there is an abundance left over.

.43. Let us also learn that the gifts and good things, which God gives, are not profaned, if they are thus used in help¬ ing the poor in acts of charity, as Christ in Luke 6:38 also promises and says: "Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom." And the experiences of many pious people everywhere have shown those who liberally instituted and gave before our time charitable gifts for the ministerial office, schools, the support of the poor, etc.

And God gave them for doing so good times, peace and quiet; hence the proverb arose among the people and was confirmed: One loses no time by going to church; giving alms does not impoverish; possessions received un¬ justly do not increase, etc.

44. Hence one sees in the world to-day the very opposite ; since such unsatiable avarice and robbery reign, no one gives anything either to his God or to his neighbor; and everyone only scratches to himself what is given by others, and they even drain the poor people of their very sweat and blood; and God gives us in return as a reward famine, discontent and all kinds of misfortune until at last we devour ourselves among one another, or we all, the rich and the poor, the great and the small, are devoured by others.

45. Let us also notice the last part of this Gospel, what the gathering and the preserving of the broken pieces that remained over, teach us; for it is God's pleasure that we do not squander his gifts uselessly; but be economical and prudent with them, and use the abundance which he gives faithfully for our benefit and needs, and preserve them for the future when we may further have use for them.

That is honoring the precious food and not permitting the crumbs to lay under the table; just as our fathers taught their children from this example and added the proverb:

46. For it is a malignant, shameless vice and great con¬ tempt of the gifts of God, that the world is now overflooded everywhere with cloisters, pomp and expenditure of money for everything far beyond its ability to pay.

From this then must indeed follow such robbing, stealing, usury, hoarding and pinching by which the country and the people, rulers and subjects, are ruined as a punishment.

For in this no one will be less than another, and neither will the lords allow themselves to be checked, nor are they able to check others; for since they mass together one vice upon another, so must we be visited with one punishment after another.

47. St. Paul says, 1 Tim. 0:17, "The living God giveth us richly all things to enjoy."

That is certainly true if we use them as given to enjoy, and we should not shamefully expend and destroy that which we have in abundance and cannot enjoy either in our need or in our pleasure, and even if such is expended, ravished and destroyed in an un¬

Christian manner, and later the poor have their little torn from their teeth by our greed, gluttony and avarice. In this way we merit that God does not permit us to enjoy that which we have raked together, extorted and saved by pinching in great superabundance. For all this is hardly enough with which we can fill the open jaws of hell.

No lord has so much land and so many people, no land so much money, that they are able to support one prince more; for a prince must have much more for banking, for sports, for display in dress, etc., than his people and coun¬ try can afford.

The jaws of avarice can devour property of a prince more than a whole city can give him, and yet no person is happy or better because of it.

And all is dovoured in a heap while there is lack everywhere in those things we need for the church and the school, for the government and the common advantage of all, for our own honor, nourishment and necessities.

S E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. gifts υΐ God, since he gives them so richly and overabundantly to the end for us to enjoy, even if the Elbe and the Rhine flowed with nothing but gold, and all the lords and princes could make their country nothing but mountains of silver. For man will not use them in the praise of God and enjoy them for himself, but only for the dishonor of God and for the destruction of the blessings given.

No one has any thought about advising the saving of anything for posterity, but all live as if they would gladly destroy everything at once. In all this work of destruction he will also help us, since we wish nothing different. The explana¬ tion of this history is sufficiently treated in the Postil ser¬ mon for the Sunday Laetare, where you may review it.

This sermon was printed as early as the year 1522, under the title: A Sermon Lately Preached by Dr. Martin Luther, on the Extent of the Influence the Holy Gospel Had Over Church Councils.

It also appeared in the collections of 14 sermons, 27 sermons and "The Five Beautiful Sermons" in 1523.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, hut inwardly are ravening wolves.

By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father wlw is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty tcorks? And then will I profess unto them,

I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

CONTENTS: CHRIST'S WARNING OF FALSE PROPHETS.

I. T H E FOUNDATION AND REAa. They can give no foundation SON OF THIS WARNING. 1-2. or consolation in time of The true and false doctrines al¬ ways run contrary to one another.

II. T H E WARNING I T S E L F . h. How the Papists seek to con¬ firm their councils and decislons, and the answer to give them.

1. How the power Is given to all Christians In this warning to be Judges of all doctrines. 3. c. How and why we should not believe these "councils and declslons. 11-12.

2. How this warning will completely overthrow the claims of tbe l'apacy and Councils. 4-5f. d. It is nonsense, If the Councils wish to determine how we are to believe. 13.

A Christian should be assured of his faith and not huild on hu¬ man authority. 6-12. e. In how far the decisions of the Councils are to be received. 14.

Who the true judges are In spiritual matters. 15.

The councils and decisions of the Papists. p r o p h e t s 18 p r o v e d :

(1) Against the fourth com¬ mandment. 16-18.

(2) Against the fifth com¬ mandment. 10.

(3) Against the true teach¬ ing concerning maniage. 20-21. b. By their attitude.

(1) Against the seventh commandment. 22.

(2) Against the first commandment. 23.

How this warning points out the fruits by which we should know the false prophets. a. What Is demanded here is to determine from these fruits whether any one is a false pro¬ phet. 24. b. The nature of these fruits. 25.

The fruit of the spirit by which we can know the pure doctrine. 26.

Our good works do not con¬ demn us, neither do they save us ; but faith saves and unbe¬ lief condemns. 27.

Before good works can be done, faith must first be prèsent. 28.

There Is no greater sin in the world than unbelief. 29.

SUMMARY OF THIS GOSPEL:

1. Christ warns us of the teachings of Satan, who will coine speaking lies in hypocrisy, 1 Tim. 4:2; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof,

2 Tim. 3:5, who profess that they know God; but in works (which they ascribe to righteousness) they deny him. These St. Peter in 2

Pet. 2:1 calls false teachers, who privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them: but there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, Mat. 10:20. Therefore the folly of these misleading teachers shall be manifest unto all men, 2 Tim.

2. Therefore one should not apply this here in the Gospel to coarse public sins, whose fruits we see today clearly, when God opens our eyes; but the Lord is speaking of those who come in sheep's clothing, and say: Lord, Lord, have we not cast out devils in thy name? Have we not in thy name done many wonderful works? These are the ones of whom Christ warns us, to whom he will say in the last day in terrible judgment: I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Why? Because they sought such works and through them they thought they were pleasing to God, and trusted in them to be saved.

P A R T I. CONCERNING ANGER, 1. As the Lord in the three previous chapters, the 5th, 6th and 7th, explains the commandments of God, he finally concludes with these words : "Therefore all things whatso¬ ever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," v. 12.

This is a Christian doctrine, and the sum total of all Christianity. Immediately follows this Gospel lesson, in which the Lord exercises the ofiice of a good shepherd and teacher, and warns us to beware of false prophets. As though he would say: Now you have heard the truth, from henceforth therefore beware of other docStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

For it is certain that false teachers and faise prophets will arise wherever this Word is preached.

2. We must boldly consider the two kinds of doctrine, the true and good, and the false and erroneous, and that they will always accompany each other, for thus it has been from the beginning, and thus it will continue to the end of the world. Hence it will not do for us to creep along in silence, and resort to a safe and secure manner of life. The evil teachings of men and the doctrines of devils, and all our enemies oppose us without ceasing, and hence we dare not think that the issue is settled.

We are not yet across the river. Therefore the Lord diligently warns us and says:

"Beicare of false, prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, hut inwardly they are ravening icolvcs."

3. We should well consider this passage, for Christ our Lord here commands and gives all Christians the power to be judges of all doctrine, and he gives them power to judge what is right and what is not right. It is now well on a thousand years that this passage has been perverted by false Christians, so that we have had no power to judge, but had to accept what the Pope and the councils deter¬ mined, without any judgment of our own.

4. Now this Gospel here overthrows the very foundation of popery and of all councils, for vre are not bound to keep what the Pope commands and men decree.

Therefore I say again, firmly grasp what this Gospel teaches, for the authority has never been given either to the Tope or coun¬ cils, or anyone else, to sit and determine what is faith.

For Christ says: "Beware of false prophets."

Gospel lies, or the Pope and the councils do.

Christ says we have the right to judge all doctrines, and whatever is proposed for us to keep or to reject. Here the Lord does not speak to the Pope, but to all Christians.

And as the doctrine is proclaimed to all : "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do even so to them;" so likewise the words exclude no one: "Beware of false prophets." From which it clearly follows that I may indeed judge of the doc¬ trine.

5. Hence I can say: Pope, you together with the counrils have resolved, and now I have to decide whether I may accept it or not.

Because you will not stand and answer for me when I die, but I must see to it myself how I stand before God, so that I may be certain of my fate.

G. For you must be so certain in regard to the matter, that it is God's Word, as certain and more certain than you are that you are living, for on this alone your con¬ science must rest.

Even though all men should come, yea, even the angels and all the world and pass a resolution, if you cannot grasp it and decide for yourself, you are lost; for you dare not base your decision on the Pope or anyone else; you must yourself be prepared so that you can say: this God says, and that he does not say; this is right, and that is wrong, otherwise it is not possible for you to stand.

7. For when you are about to die, and you rely on the Pope and the councils and say:

The Pope said this, the councils have resolved that, the holy fathers Augustine and Ambrose have thus determined, then the devil can easily put a hole in your drum and insinuate: What if this were false? What if they had erred? And when such a tempta¬ tion enters your mind, you are already overcome. For this reason you must act conscientiously, so that you can boldly and defiantly say: This is God's Word, on this I will risk body and life, and a thousand necks, if I had so many.

This St. Peter also means when he says in his first ,If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God."

And St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 2:3-5: "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much tremhling; and my speech and my preaching was not with eniicing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

S. Then they began to say: Yes, but how can we know what is God's Word, and what is right or wrong? This we must learn from the Pope and the councils. Very well then, let them conclude and say what they please, yet I will reply, you cannot put your confidence in that nor thus satisfy

Therefore God must speak to your heart: This is God's Word; otherwise you are undecided.

9. But our bishops, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod insist upon it and rage so terribly, that a person must think them insane.

They bring forth St. Augustine's declaration: I would not believe the Gospel, if the honor of the church did not move me; and think they have already won. Then you answer: What does it concern us whether St. Augus¬ tine or Jerome, St. Peter or St. Paul, or even the arch¬ angel Gabriel from heaven, who is still greater, said it ; yet it will profit me nothing, for I must have God's Word, I will only hear what God says.

10. And God commands this Word to be told you through men, and especially has he permitted it to be proclaimed and written for you by the Apostles; for St. Peter and St.

Paul do not preach their own word, but God's Word, as Paul himself testifies in 1 Thess. 2:13:

"When ye receive the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

Sure¬ ly, a person can preach the Word to me, but no one is able to put it into my heart except God alone, who must speak to the heart, or all is vain; for when he is silent, the Word is not spoken.

Hence no one shall draw me from the Word which God teaches me.

Of this I must be as certain as two and tnree make five, for this is so certain, that if all the councils would say otherwise, I know they lie.

Again, that a yard is longer than a half a yard is certain, even though all the world denied it, I still know that it cannot be otherwise.

Who shall determine this for me? No one but the truth alone, which is so entirely and wholly certain, that no one can deny it.

11. Therefore you must come so far as to say:

This is true, no man shall persuade me differently.

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R others as you would have them do to you; then you must know in the face of all councils, that this is the teaching of Christ, although all men said otherwise.

So also this doctrine:

You cannot help yourself, but Christ is your Saviour, who has obtained for you the forgiveness of your sins; this you must know and confess in your heart that it is true; and if you are not conscious of it, then you have no faith, and the Word only hangs about your ears and swims on your tongue like foam on water, as Hosea the prophet says, 10:7:

"As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the waters." All this you must now believe, not as a word that Peter preached, but that God has com¬ manded you to believe.

All this I say therefore, in order that we may return to the Gospel and observe where the foundation has its source, that ye must be judges, and have the power to judge over all things that are offered you; hence I can and dare not build on any man, for I must answer for myself when death comes.

12. Consequently do not allow yourselves to be per¬ suaded that you must believe what the Pope says or the councils decree.

When you know God, then you have the proper rule of judgment, the measure and rule by which you can judge all the doctrines of the fathers; namely, when you know that Christ is your Saviour, who rules us sinners. So when one now comes and says : You must be¬ come a monk, and do so and so, if you want to be saved, for faith alone is not sufficient for salvation; then you can truly and assuredly say:

You lie, your doctrine is false; for whoever believes in Christ shall be saved. Who teaches you this? Faith in your heart, which believes this alone and nothing else.

Therefore no one can beware of false doctrine unless he be spiritual.

For Paul says this in 1 Cor. 2:15: "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." So no one can judge false doctrine, but the spiritual man.

13. Hence it is very foolish for the councils to wish to determine and establish what a man must believe, when there is often not a single man present who ever tasted the Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com least of the divine Spirit. So it was in the Council of Nice, when they undertook to enact laws for the spiritual orders that they should not marry, which was all false because it has no foundation in the Word of God. Then a single man arose, by the name of Paphnutius, and overthrew the whole affair and said: Not so, that is not Christian.

Then the entire council, in which undoubtedly Ave re many distin¬ guished and learned individuals, were compelled to drop the resolution, and give way to this simple and honest man.

For God is a great enemy to high titles and human wisdom, hence he allows them at times to be handled roughly, and puts them to shame in their speculations, that the truth of the pr0A־erb may appear: The learned are the most perA'erted.

14. Thus we are to remain free judges, to have the power to decide and judge, to accept or reject everything that the Pope establishes and the councils determine.

But when we accept anything, we should so accept it, that it harmonizes with our faith and the Scriptures; and not just because the Papists say it. This St. Paul teaches in Rom.

12:7: "Whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith." For all prophecy based on works, that does not lead to Christ alone as our only comfort, precious as it may be, is not according to the proportion of faith; as for instance to rely upon the rcA׳elations of hobgoblins, the mass, pilgrimages, fastings and the merits of saints.

Even here so many holy fathers 11aA־e erred like Gregory, Augustine and others, in that they take from us this right of judgment, for this torment and misery began far back in history, that we must belicAe the Pope and the councils.

Hence you must be able to say: God said this, and that God has not said. As soon as you say:

A man has said this, or the councils have determined that, then you are building on sand.

15. Hence there is no judge upon the earth in spiritual things concerning Christian doctrine, except the person who has in his heart the true faith, whether it be a man or woman, young or old, maid or servant, learned or unStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . learned. For God is no respecter of persons, since all are alike precious to him, who live according to his command¬ ments, Acts 10:34, hence they alone have the right to judge.

IG. But if one should come who knew the sense of the Word better than I , then I should close my mouth and keep still, and receive knowledge from him.

Paul desires in speaking to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 14:29¬ "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace."

That is to say, if the hearer knows and understands more than the preacher, then the preacher should allow him the privilege to speak, and he should hold his peace.

In the worldly government of course the rule holds, that the older is wiser than the younger, a learned man than a layman; but in spiritual things a child or a servant, a common woman or man can have the grace of God as well as an old person or a lord, a priest or the Pope. To sum up, let no learned person take from you the right to judge, for you have this right as well as he.

17. Now let me tell you who the false prophets of our times are. For no one can judge or know this unless he has the Spirit. But the brief summary is, though much may be said on the subject, it is the Pope with his entire govern¬ ment; for they all have taught what is opposed to God.

A lengthy proof of this is not necessary, for you can observe this nearly everywhere you turn.

Yet we will give a few examples.

God commands in Ex. 20:12:

The child shall honor father and mother and be subject unto them.

But the Pope has approved the view that a monk or a nun is no longer under their father, and says: The child is now under spiritual dominion and in the service of God; God is more than father and mother; hence it is no longer bound to serve father and mother, and the father is bound to call it a nobleman by grace.

18. Well, when I ask, what is the service of God? they reply:

Dear Sir: It is the ringing of bells; lighting of candles; putting on beautiful robes for the celebration of Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com mass, and more such similar monkey tricks. Yes, indeed, you have surely hit the mark! But I say to honor father and mother and to keep God's commandments, that is to serve God. Therefore you must say here that Antichrist has taught such things, and boldly say and declare he lies.

Do you not see here how God's commandment is opposed to the, obedience of priors and abbots?

God gave you father and mother that you should honor them, serve them and be subject unto them.

The Pope gives you another, whom you must honor more than the father God has given you.

If this is keeping God's commandment, I do not know what it is.

19. And so it is further with the other commandments of Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not hate or be angry.

This God has commanded.

But the Pope teaches thus : A man must defend the property of the clergy and the treas¬ ures of the church, and if he can not do it, he shall call to his aid the sword of the civil government to protect the papal chair and St. Peter's inheritance. Behold, thus these commandments are opposed to each other, which I hope every one easily understands.

So also in regard to the married state.

20. God commanded, Gen. 2:24, that man and wife should be one flesh, and that no man should put them asunder.

Now the Pope has given many commandments contrary to this.

For instance, when a woman takes a husband who is not baptized, the marriage is to be dissolved.

21. Then again when those in spiritual orders marry, they are to dissolve their marriage, according to the de¬ mands of their order. Again, if any one falls into the sin of incest and marries either her friend or any of his friends, the Pope commands that they must stay together, yet both must live chaste together.

Here he lets the two sexes lie naked in bed together, and neither shall have the right to require of the other the duties of married life.

This is nothing else than putting straw and fire together, and then forbidding them to burn.

22. God savs further: Thou shalt not steal.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. steals more than the Pope and his servants? They are the greatest thieves, because they appropriate unto themselves daily all the treasures of the world.

23. Again, look at the first commandment, which says that we should trust in God alone, and call upon him alone.

But their entire doctrine is nothing else than to lead us to trust in human works, and to command us to call upon the saints. Do you not see that such people are the real false prophets, of whom we must beware? For they abolish the commandment which God has given.

Now follows the other part of this Gospel where Christ speaks thus :

''Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

24. As I said before, no one knows others by their fruits, except he who is spiritually born again. Therefore, he who has not the Spirit, cannot have this knowledge.

Let no one think that he can know this from the fruits unless he be spiritual.

The fruit by which we are to know them is unbelief.

One can know them to some extent by open sins, yet this judgment is deceptive, for Christians also fall.

25. Hence, the true fruit by which they are known is an inner fruit, here I must have the Holy Spirit and judge ac¬ cording to his guidance. The fleshly eye and reason are not sufficient. You may see two persons go to the Lord

;s Sup¬ per, the one is a believer, the other not, and yet their ex¬ ternal work is the same. What then makes the difference?

Faith in the heart and unbelief, because the one regards it as a good work, the other not.

In short, from external works you can decide nothing.

Tauler also acknowledged that believers and unbelievers were often so similar in ex¬ ternal appearance, that no one could distinguish them, nor is reason able to judge unless we have the Spirit of God.

"Givest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks ? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?"

Yet the peacock can fly and the ostrich cannot. So also the believer and unbeliev¬ er are indeed similar to each other in their external appear¬ ance, but in their hearts they are quite different.

26. However, by the fruits of the Spirit true prophets are known, which fruits St. Paul mentions to the Galatians, "Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, good¬ ness, faith, meekness, temperance." Yet these fruits no one can see or know without the Holy Spirit.

For this reason the decision and judgment of spiritual things should not be based on external things, as on the work and person, but on the inner condition of the heart. One knows another indeed by his fruits, but only in the Spirit.

The fruits and good works do not make any one good or pious; but he must first be good and pious at heart. As the apples do not make the tree, for the tree must first be there before the fruit.

27. If I understand this, then I notice there is no work so bad that it will necessarily condemn a man, nor none so good that it will save him. But faith alone saves us and unbelief alone condemns us. For one to commit adultery, the deed does not condemn him, for the adultery only shows that he has fallen from the faith, this condemns him, other¬ wise it could not be possible. Nor does anything make one good but faith, and nothing makes one wicked but unbelief.

Therefore our Lord also says, that the tree shall be cut down.

He does not say that the fruit shall be cut down.

Thus the works of love do not make me good, but faith alone, in which I do these works and bear this fruit.

28. Thus we must begin with faith. But the Pope begins with W'orks, and commands persons to do good works that they may become good. Just as if I should say to the tree :

If you want to be a good tree, then begin and bear apples.

Just as though I could bear apples before I was an apple tree.

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . begin and be an apple tree.

Hence the tree must be there before it can produce fruit.

29. From all this it follows now that there is no sin on earth except unbelief, as Christ says in John 16:8-9 : "And the Holy Ghost, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin; because they believe not on me."

Second Sermon: Mat. 7:15-23.

This sermon first appeared in a separate tract entitled: A Sermon Giving Warning to Beware of False Prophets. 1. Two reasons why

God sends among us divisions and sects. 2. The two-fold call to the ministry. 3. How we should in three ways prove and examine the spirits. Martin Luther, Wittenberg, 1525. Printed at Wittenberg by Ν. B. It appears probable that this is the sermon which Luther preached on his journey occasioned by the peasants' war, according to the testimony of Lingke (see history of Luther's Journeys, p. 156), on Monday after Miseri. Dom., May 1st, 1525, in the church at Wallhausen, near Eisleben, on the text Mat. 7:15-23: "Beware of false prophets."

1. Christ our Lord preached this part of the Gospel in concluding his long sermon on the mount. After teaching his disciples all things necessary for them to know, he coneludes by warning them against false prophets, as all good ministers are accustomed to do in closing their sermons, ex¬ horting the people to abide in the true doctrine, and to be¬ ware of false teachers. As Paul also did when he departed from Ephesus, saying among other things : "Take heed unto yonrselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Wherefore watch ye, re¬ membering, that by the space of three years, I ceased not to admonish everyone night and day with tears."

2. Thus time and again, in all his Epistles, he adds an admonition, that they should beware of false teachers and false Apostles, as Peter also warns us in his second Epistle,

"But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also, there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon them¬ selves swift destruction. And many shall follow their las¬ civious doings, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not."

So there shall at all times be false prophets and teachers.

3. In this manner also Christ here proceeds.

Having finished his sermon he warns and admonishes his disciples and the people, ever to hold fast to what he told them, and watch that they be not misled by false teachers, and says:

"Beware of false prophets."

4. In the first place we perceive from this that we must be prepared, because it will always happen, that after the true ministers come the false ones; yea, they will indeed even enter along side of them and mingle with them. What other need was there that Christ should so faithfully warn us, saying: Beware, take care; if he had known that the doctrine would always remain pure? Therefore he warns us to be assured that we will have false prophets, and does this especially in closing this sermon. We have a similar example in the book of Judges 2:10, when they had died, whom God gave the people as teachers and judges, who knew what the will of God was, what was acceptable and not acceptable to him, then immediately the people of Israel began to turn from God and his Word.

One worshiped this idol, another that, and they were divided into factions so that they fell from the true doctrine, and departed from the ways of their fathers.

5. So it happened in the days of the Apostles.

Then the church was still pure, but as soon as they died Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com who held fast to the pure doctrine, then came the false prophets and the evil spirit, who desired to change every¬ thing, as the Epistles of St. Paul sufficiently show. And inasmuch as this is so, and as we can expect nothing else,

Christ our Lord warns us here as a faithful shepherd and bishop should, that we beware, so that, when the Gospel comes, that we hold firmly to it and not depart from it, though it cost our life and our treasures. For it cannot be otherwise, as the time passes than that there will be changes.

6. Thus it will also happen with us.

God be praised; we, as well as other cities, now have the Gospel in all its richness and purity, as men have never had it since the times of the Apostles. But as soon as we and others, who now assist in preaching it, are no longer with you, you will have other and false preachers, for they already begin to make their appearance.

May the Lord consume them with the Spirit of his mouth. 2 Thess. 2:S. And blessed are they, who in accordance with our Gospel lesson will be diligently on their guard and will not believe every wind of doctrine, but will remain constantly firm in what they have learned. This Christ teaches first by the word, "Be¬ ware," be warned, as though he would say: You certainly are now in possession of it.

7. Here you may say: Why does the Lord do this? W Thy does he permit false prophets to come among the faithful, and follow the true ministers? Is he not strong and power¬ ful enough to prevent it, so that the Gospel might remain pure and in all its force?

Verily, he could indeed do this; but he does not, and for this reason, that he might prove those who are his, and punish the unthankful.

Paul says, 1 Cor. 11:19: "For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made mani¬ fest among you;" that is, in order that those whose faith has been proved may become known, so that their spirit and word may appear and find a field of influence.

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. have the true Word and the right understanding of it, the world will rise to oppose you. Then, on the other hand, the devil will labor to tear you from it, so that not only the tyrants of the world will persecute it with the sword, but also our own reason and the wisest heads in the world, ׳111 order that God may exercise you in his Word, and give work to the Spirit whom he has bestowed upon you, that you may learn that God's wisdom is more excellent than the wisdom of this world, and that God's strength is stronger than the strength and power of this world, which you will not be able to learn without a struggle like this.

9. When God permits a faction to oppose thee, he would thereby stir thee up, saying: Defend yourself, grasp firm hold of the Word and test God's wisdom and the powers of his Word, and learn how great is the folly of this world.

Thus the power and wisdom of God's Word will become manifest, that you may learn that it cannot be conquered by human power and wisdom; but that it will conquer all power, and put to shame all knowledge and wisdom, in order to awaken the truth and to show forth what is right, that the people may experience it. This is one reason God sends divisions and sects among us, who crowd in edgewise, as though they were useful and served to make the Word, the truth and spirit better and clearer; however in other respects, divisions and sects do harm.

10. Another reason is to punish the unthankful, who will not accept the Word, lest they be converted and saved, as Christ says to the Jews in John 5:43:

Father's name, and ye receive me not ; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." And as St. Paul says, 2 Thess. 2:10-11 : "Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause

God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

11. Thus severely God punishes this sin which we regard so lightly, for he punishes it with blindness and error, which are the greatest sins on earth. Men regard it as a Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com small matter, that we now again have the Gospel by God's grace. For how many are there who ever thank God for it? We forget it, cast it to the winds and become lazy and careless. It is approved by none; no one tastes it; no one lifts up his hands in thankfulness to God for it. We are so very richly overloaded with the Gospel that we become satiated with it, and St. Paul has rightly prophesied, 2

Tim. 4:3-4: "For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts and will draw away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables."

12. Here and there throughout the whole Scriptures we see how greatly it offends God, who regards it as the greatest sin when his Word is despised; which is so dear and precious, that it cost him the blood of his own dear Son, and we cast it to the wind as though it were of little im¬ portance.

For this reason he sends us the severest cal¬ amities, which cannot be compared to the present cal¬ amity now going on in the world, that during and after the peasants' war so many have been slain, of which there seems to be no end, for who knows when it will cease? Yet all this is but playwork in comparison to the misfortune when men are hardened, blinded and misled by false pro¬ phets, by which heaven is closed against them and hell opens to receive them, and everlasting life is lost forever.

What does it matter, as die we must at any rate, if we are killed by the sword? But that the soul should be for¬ ever given to the devil, this is an eternal calamity, an ever¬ lasting misfortune and torment.

13. I would gladly prevent it, if I could, by preaching, praying and writing. Now God has begun to visit us with the temporal and bodily calamity of the sword, but a far greater plague will come when the Holy Gospel is taken away from Germany. Then false teachers will be sent and will come to us. One will teach this, the other that. Then the kingdom of heaven will be locked up, and the false preachers will not allow it to be opened. On this account it

But our hearts are cold, for our walls are not yet on fire.

Nevertheless, the devil intends to drown all Germany in blood and take away the Gospel, unless he be prevented and hindered by the prayers of pious Christians.

14. When the devil saw he could not accomplish anything by the Pope and his false apostles, he now begins to rage through the peasants and the rebels, and will entirely take the Gospel from us and make us its enemies, and after¬ wards cut off our heads and cast our souls into hell. For this reason I give warning, that we should not think so little of this matter but open our eyes, not regarding it merely as the word of a man. It is a precious Word, and if we sleep and snore and do not keep awake to hear it, we need not be angry when he strikes us on the head by sending us false prophets, but remember that we have rich¬ ly deserved it.

15. Already there are but few who stand steadfastly.

Sectarianism is rampant, and few there be who contend against it and preserve the true doctrine ; their names could all be written on a little card.

What shall come to pass w rhen once it breaks out with force? Therefore let no one consider it child's play, for the Word is not an insignificant

Word. It stands for something. The words of Christ leave an impression; they are meant for the whole world, when he says: Beware, be warned! that we receive the Word with fear and trembling hearts. So you have now heard why divisions and sects arise, namely, that those who are tempted and tried may become the more glorious, and that the others, the unthankful ones who despise the Word, may be punished.

The Gospel lesson further says:

"Who come to you in sheep's clothing, hut inwardly are ravening wolves."

16. No one sends tnem. They come of themselves.

This is the true description of false prophets, that they force themselves into the ministry. Some, in order to find their bread and butter, which I do not consider of much im¬ portance, for even there they will not find a paradise. For Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com those who intrude into this office with the pretension that they do so on account of Christian love, for the sake of the truth, and because the Holy Spirit urges them, and that they do it for the sake of love and the salvation of souls, and that they seek nothing else but their salvation; beware of all such people, for the devil has most certainly sent them, and not God. For those whom God sends are called or compelled to it.

They do not boast greatly of themselves.

Yet, when they do boast, they prove it by miracles.

Hence beware, because the Lord says, they will come, not being sent or called, but they come and the devil calls them.

17. But do they not boast they have the Holy Spirit?

Whoever would persuade you that the Holy Spirit moves him, and that he does it from a Christian suggestion, say to him:

As you boast so much of the Spirit, give me a proof. You bear witness of yourself, and the Scriptures have forbidden me to believe you on your own testimony alone, for even Christ, the living Son of God would not bear witness of himself, as we read in the Gospel of John 5:31f.

But when he did so he also did miracles besides, so that men might know that his Word and doctrine were true.

And inasmuch as you say you have the Holy Spirit, give me a proof of your Spirit; prove it by real signs that a man may believe you, for here a divine witness is necessary to prove the Spirit of God, so that there may be two of you, yourself and God. This is a divine call, and unless it is forthcoming, cast the other away and let it go to pieces.

18. And even though I grant that such a one is really a true spirit, and has the Holy Spirit; even then you must not hear him. Nor will God be greatly angered at you for this, as he has commanded you to keep his ordinances, to ask for two witnesses, and to call for a miracle. For if he sends you one with a true spirit, he does it to test you, to see whether you will keep his ordinances, receiving no one unless he gives you a proof beforehand.

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY.

Spirit. For God desires thus to prove me, whether I will abide by his order.

Hence he is also satisfied and well pleased, when you do not accept his Spirit.

For he tests us by offering us the contrary, to see whether you on this account would depart from his Word. He acts like a father who plays with his child, whom he has given an apple and takes it away again, in order to see whether the child loves him or not.

19. Then give heed here, whether he be right or wrong, and say: I will not go with you, I care not what you preach, I only ask whether you have been sent, or whether you came of yourself? If you came of yourself I will not hear you, even though you have the Holy Spirit.

For the devil in the Gospel can also say : Let us alone ; hold, ''what have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Xazarene? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy

One of God." Mark 1:21.

Thus the common crowd also cries out:

Here is the true and faithful Word of God, which this man preaches, let us hear him. But see thou first whence he cometh.

The devil also can preach, but he does it to provide himself an opportunity to win ad¬ herents. Then he comes forth and sows his poisonous seed, so that the condition becomes worte than in the beginning.

Hence these are nothing but warnings, by which Christ warns us against those who come of themselves.

There¬ fore wait, until they are seat or called. For he drives and urges those whom he wants, so that in short they must come whether they will or not.

20. The other call is the request of the congregation or of the government to go. This is a call of love, which does not come down from heaven nor out of faith, but flows from love.

For you and I owe it to each other to love our neigh¬ bor as ourselves.

For when he needs my assistance and asks for it, I am in duty bound to come to his help, for the Word of God commands that I should serve my neighbor.

Then this call does not require a miracle, because they themselves desire it, and the Word of God urges me there¬ to. This is to be in demand, to be called and to be driven.

To the others, whether they boast of the Spirit or the flesh, reply :

I care nothing for that. As our fanatics at present boast, that they have devoured the Holy Spirit, feathers and all, and are thoroughly filled with the Spirit and say, that the Holy Ghost has spoken to them from heaven, and has revealed something special to them, and the like. I my¬ self cannot boast very much of the Spirit.

Spirit all too soon for me.

I boast of the Spirit of love, otherwise I am nothing but a poor, carnal sinner.

I too ought to know something of the Spirit of which they boast.

But alas, they are all too highly spiritualized for me.

21. However, what is this Christ says:

They come in sheep's clothing?

These sheep's clothing are, that they make an external exhibition of all things the true Chris¬ tians and ministers teach. For we, who are the lambs of Christ, wear the sheep's wool.

This is not only the works, the showy hypocritical life they lead, praying a great deal and wearing gray gowns, walking with downcast counten¬ ances, carrying a pater noster about their necks, fasting often and going to church a great deal ; but the worst of all is that they make use of God's Word and the Holy Scrip¬ tures, which in the prophets are called God's wool and linen.

For preaching together with admonition and Scripture pas¬ sages are the true clothing with which they would adorn and array themselves, saying:

Here is Christ, here is Baptism, here is the name of God, here is he who quotes the Scriptures, which is the Word of God, and immediately they add to all this God's name, God's Spirit and Christ.

22. This then, is coming in sheep's clothing, namely, so to preach and to quote the Scriptures that it may appear as the true doctrine; for it is not said that they come in wolves' clothing, or with teeth and spears. They do not publicly preach anything destructive or without Scripture, otherwise people might recognize them, as for instance w rhen they preached Aristotle in the high schools, and com¬ mon law or the law of the emperor and said: There is no Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E B God in Christianity. Now, however, they do not only adorn themselves with external works, but also with the Holy

Scriptures, with which God clothes and covers our souls; for if they would not do this, the unthankful would not be thus blinded, and we would not be so wretchedly deceived.

23. Therefore it is true as men say, the holy Bible is a book for heretics, that is, it is a book that heretics dare to claim for themselves most of all. For there is no other book which they so wickedly misuse, than just this very book.

And there never was a heresy so bad or gross, that they did net try to patch up or cover with the Scrip¬ tures.

Just as men say, God is the God of rogues, because they, who are the largest crowd in the world, claim for themselves the name of God, not that God is to blame, bat the rogues, who thus take the holy name of God in vain.

Thus the holy Bible must be a book for heretics, not that the holy Bible is to blame, but the rogues, who so shame¬ fully misuse it.

Should I for this reason neglect the Bible and not read it? By no means!

As men are accustomed to say in the proverb : "In God's name all misfortune be¬ gins," which is true.

Well then, I will not use the name of God at all, and guard myself against misfortune.

But what talk is this? What blame can attach to a name, which is given us in order that we might be saved? God will surely punish such rogues and knaves.

Thus the Bible is a book for heretics, but I will not for this reason cast it away, but so much the more study and learn it, because these rogues oppose it.

24. Therefore let now every person be thus well prepared and thoroughly equipped, that he may not so easily be led astray by their showy life, although they even attempt to quote Scripture to you, for ravening wolves are most cer¬ tainly back of it. And although they think they feed and satisfy you, they actually rend you, destroy and devour you.

However, without spiritual eyes no one will be able so soon to decide or judge of this matter. The crowd and common people will not do it; the largest crowd despises the Gospel and are unthankful, while only the smallest flock accept it

I have often said, and will always say it, that the greatest and most difficult contest is, for a person to contend with the Scriptures against the Scrip¬ tures; to strike aside another man's sword and wrench it out of his fist, to slay him with his own sword; to take from him his weapon, and with it strike him again.

This no one can accomplish, except he who is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, so as to be able to recognize these rogues.

25. You have often heard from me the safest doctrine and rule, by which to prove the spirits, as John tells us in his first Epistle 4:1-3.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not Jesus, is not of God: and this is the spirit of the Antichrist." The other rule is given by "Whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith."

That is, all teaching must harmonize and agree with faith alone, so that nothing else be taught but faith.

It follows that he, who has not faith, does not know Christ, and cannot judge of doctrine, for to do this the carnal minded are not re¬ quired, who are worldly wise and smart, but pious, spiritual hearts.

Many say: Christ is a man who is the Son of God, born of a pure, chaste virgin, became man, died, and rose again from the dead, and so forth; all this is nothing.

But that he is Christ, that is, that he was given for us, without any of our works; that he without any of our merit has earned for us God's Spirit, and made us children of God, so that we might have a gracious God, and with him become lords over all things in heaven and on earth, and have eternal life besides through Christ: this is the faith, and this means rightly to know Jesus Christ. This is the touch¬ stone, the level and the scales, by which all doctrine must be weighed, tried and judged.

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. from the dead, with what follows.

For this is the real sheep's clothing.

26. But pay attention to their dilemma:

Christ died for us, was buried and rose again and the like, then they must also conclude : therefore our works are of no avail.

This point they will not touch, but flee from it, like the devil flees from incense or the cross, as it is said; al¬ though he does not really run away from it so very much.

He permits them to preach that Christ was born, died and• rose again, and sitteth at the right hand of his heavenly Father; but when in addition they also preach: thus and thus you must do, this and that you must omit; this is the devil who mingles his poison with the truth. As the Pope writes and puts on the sheep's clothing in his bulls, namely, that Christ by his death and shedding his blood has merited for us that we are the children of God and are saved, and have eternal life; but to all this he adds: Whoever is not obedient to the Roman church, is a child of perdition; but he, who is obedient and does what the church of Rome commands and appoints, shall be saved, his soul shall rise straight up to heaven.

Does not the Pope re¬ quire his rules to be more strictly observed than the Only compare them and see.

Christ does this, then my works cannot do it.

It would be quite another matter if he would preach : You must obey me out of Christian love, but not to be saved thereby, for this the blood of Christ alone can do.

But this nut he never tries to crack.

27. Therefore I warn you once again, to think of this when I am no longer with you in the flesh, and closely ob¬ serve their doctrine whether they preach Christ correctly, that is, whether they boast of their own works before God : then you will be able to judge. I often said and repeat it, that you will find them always requiring some good little deed, not thereby to serve the people, but in order to merit salvation, that whoever does and keeps this shall be saved, but he who does not observe and do this, shall be damned.

Thus they force you to trust in works, as the fanatics drove Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com the mob to break up images by saying : Whoever breaks an image or tears down a painting does a good work, and proves himself a Christian.

Soon the crowd rushed forth, thrust and broke to pieces by the wholesale, for they all wanted to be Christians, just as though the Jews, the heathen and the Turks, and the worst rogues could not do the same things.

28. Such fanatics do not destroy confidence in works, but rather give more value to works and permit confidence in them to be retained.

Work there, work here, only cut out of it all confidence and trust, and do not put your trust in works as in a god, but let them only serve your neighbor, that confidence in your works may be in your neighbor, that is, that he feels certain you will do him every kindness, and that you have like confidence in him.

Your con¬ fidence for your salvation must rest alone in Christ, for which you dare not trust in your works a hair's breadth.

When they preach thus, it agrees with faith.

If it is according to the proportion of faith, then Christ is not anni¬ hilated nor broken to pieces, but remains whole in knowl¬ edge as he really is.

And although the devil also pretends that he preaches Christ through his own apostles, do not believe him, he only seeks to win your soul through deceit and cunning, and will deceive you.

Well, let this warning be sufficient; but it does not help any [among those who will not hear it]; [he who shall be lost, will be lost].

Yet it aids those who are to be reformed.

Here follows the third proof and way of knowing the spirits, and reads :

"Ye shall know them hy their fruits."

29. These fruits are their works and behavior. Yet spir¬ itual eyes are needed to see this, that one may learn well to know the really good works, which Paul mentions to the Galatians, 5:22, where he says:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control."

These are the true fruits of the Spirit.

But the works of the flesh are "forni¬ cation, uncleanness, lasch'iousness, idolatry, sorcery, en¬ mities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R ties, envyings, drunkenness, revelings, and such like." Gal.

30. Now, take heed rightly to distinguish works from one another.

In all their works you will not find a single spark of love.

You will indeed find that they are friendly within their own sect, calling one another Christians and brethren; but there is nothing in them but the very poison of the devil.

They have neither mercy nor patience, nor friend¬ ship for any one who is not of their sect.

For if they could destroy us body and soul in an hour or a moment they would do it.

This fruit flesh and blood do not see, but in the meantime they wear gray gowns and belong to a quiet order, and observe the same rule and habit.

31. These are not works of love; for works of love are such as are exercised toward the needy, and toward our enemies, when we are merciful to sinners, instruct and teach the ignorant, and serve the poor bodily with our goods and honor, as Christ teaches in Mat. 25:35f.

You will not find these works in any false prophet.

Any one may indeed conduct himself like a spiritual man by his extraordinary behavior, like barefooted and Carthusian monks do. But what benefit is all this to me? And that others break down cloisters and images, what good does that do their neighbor? All this merely makes a show and when you view it superficially there seems something in it; but there is no benefit in it.

Love, however, requires works that will do some good.

32. Now watch and see if the false prophets give any¬ thing to the poor.

To be sure, they accept gifts, being greedy and stingy.

But I have not yet seen any who give cheerfully, for they only want to have, and that we should give to them.

Dear me, ye golden friends, who would not like this? You speak much of good works and a good life, and do not know what it is, namely, to be of use and benefit to your neighbor.

From these fruits you may know them.

Again, they do not only not assist any one, nor help the poor, but rejoice and are glad at their neighbor's misfor¬ tunes.

When one is in disgrace they will not protect him Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com with their honor, nor help him out of his trouble, but plunge him still deeper down, spread the news and sing doggerels about him and laugh at him secretly besides.

33. Again, when one falls into sin, they have no tender heart for him; their heart being hardened they enjoy their neighbor's fall and use it to set off their own goodness.

What shall we say to sum up this matter? They have rough, bitter, poisonous hearts; they have a black, poison¬ ous tongue, and can cut up everybody on their slaughter bench, give every one a black mark and leave no one without blame; they judge, condemn and decry every one, and think little of anyone's injury.

Alas, what pious spirits we have here!

34. Therefore open your eyes and see whether they do the works that are beneficial to men, and you will find out that you cannot gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles.

A good grape on the vine does not devour itself nor us, but is eaten; it is useful only and harms no one.

But no one enjoys the thorns; they prick, and scratch and injure every one.

Mark then, whether they do such works which benefit others.

That they wear gray gowns and shirts of hair-cloth, that they lie on woolen cloth, creep into a corner; for all this let the devil thank them!

If, how¬ ever, they would lend me money in my distress and open their purses, and lend corn to those who have neither flour nor bread, into whose homes the sun enters before bread; here they are not found.

Give me a coat, something to eat and drink; visit me when I am sick; comfort me in my sins; this might help me.

Yes, you may wait until you find such a person, or come again in the morning!

35. But to stand in the choir and howl and chant vocifer¬ ously, to enjoy good easy days without work, to sleep, to feast and get drunk, all this they are willing to do. Oh! my dear, who could not do this? It would be easy to put a cap even on a donkey, girdle him with a rope, shave him a tonsure and stand him in a corner and make him fast and feast to the glory of the saints, so that in all things he may behave similarly to you and all your false works!

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R So likewise, when I fall into disgraee, and become guilty of murder ar adultery, there is no grace for me, and no one is so merciful as to help me quiet and better my con¬ science, but they laugh at me, and all the world must know it, and have grand books written about it.

36. So in their whole body and soul, you will be unable to find one single good work. They are hateful, envious, stingy; such fruits of the flesh will ye observe in them.

Let them quote the Scriptures and pretend to be holy as much as they please, only observe whether their doctrine harmonizes with the proof of faith; and see to it that Christ be not dethroned, that his knowledge remain entire and undisturbed, and in the third place see whether they exercise good works toward their neighbor or not.

This they will doubtless omit, for the devil can do no good work.

This is what Christ the Lord means when he adds:

"Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit ; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."

37. Here we must notice what he says: "By their fruits ye shall know them." He does not say:

Ye shall make them out of their fruits. For who ever made a pear tree out of a pear, or a cherry tree out of a cherry? It is, however, the law of nature that the tree should make the fruit, an apple tree the apple, and so forth. The tree is known by its fruits, but is not made by its fruits. Just as Abraham when he offered his son Isaac was previously good and obedient, yet, it was said to him, Gen. 22:12:

"Now I know that thou fearest God." He does not say: Now you have become godfearing; but by this work it is revealed and made known that you fear God.

38. Hence these are two distinct things, to be or become something, and that something be made known or re¬ vealed. There are many things that are known to God alone, but when it is revealed it also becomes known to man. Here Christ teaches that the fruits shall serve the purpose to know the tree, whether the tree be good or evil. Abraham became known by his works,

Therefore, before the fruits come they must be good, since they do nothing else but show forth the nature of the tree. To reveal a thing is by far a different matter from th ״ existence of the thing itself.

So my external works aid nothing to the end, that I am or become good, but make known and reveal the good treasure, and the heart in which it lies concealed.

For this treasure that lies concealed in the heart, God desires to make known, and not to be left concealed.

39. Thus in so far the works make us good, pure and holy externally before the people, but not internally before God.

For this Christ and faith alone must do.

Speaking in this manner you will speak correctly and distinctly. How¬ ever, if any one is so stiffnecked and stubborn that he will not allow himself to be instructed, let him go, for we cannot give good advice to such people, nor is such preaching meant for them ; but we seek hearts gone astray, who eagerly de¬ sire to be good and to understand it correctly; they also accept our instruction, and to them we preach. Hence he further says:

"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrnpt tree bring forth good fruit,"

40. The work righteous are corrupt trees.

But do they not perform many good works? Indeed, what is a good work?

Here let me ask, whether their hands, pockets, cellars and farms are at the service of mankind to help them in body and soul?

Again, a good tree bringeth not forth evil fruit, that is, a Christian, be he ever so weak and helpless, he will do his neighbor no harm. Do not understand me to say that he cannot fall ; for 7as a good tree, and yet he fell, 2 Sam. 12, but he did not become a corrupt tree. As long as a Christian is true and remains in the faith, you must not expect he will do anything to harm his neighbor, but much rather to help him.

And if at times things should occur as with David, you should not be offended at them, for God per¬ mits such mishaps to occur, that his saints at times stumStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . ble and suffer, by which their faith may be strengthened and increased, and that they may learn their own weak¬ ness.

So far as the tree is good, so little is the harm it does; and the more evil the tree is, the greater harm it does.

We are not yet wholly good, but we labor to the end that day by day we may become better.

But our consolation is that which the Lord adds, saying:

"Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into tlie fire."

41. Sects and factions will not last, if we are only able to await their destruction; but a faithful minister will be vietorious and will endure.

For the Word of God abideth forever.

But what the devil sows runs like a mad dog, as David the prophet says in the first Psalm:

"The ungodly shall not stand," they will be driven hither and thither, and will be dispersed like dust on the threshing flood. Thus they now run and break forth, but at length they will be cut down and cast into the fire. Here he closes and says:

"Tlierefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

42. This is one kind of knowledge, as I said. Paul speaks of a different kind in Bom. 12:2; and John in his first Epistle, 4:1—that we should criticise and judge their doc¬ trine according to the knowledge of Christ, also whether their teaching is in harmony with faith.

But their works and life, of which he here speaks, we must measure and judge according to love. But whoever has not the first kind of knowledge and judgment, will easily be deceived by works.

CONTENTS: INSTRUCTION CONCERNING FALSE PROPHETS.

II. THIS INSTRUCTION IN PAR¬ A. How this instruction teaches that in all times false prophets sneak In with the true ones.

1. How they do this. 3-5.

2. Why God permits them to do so. a. The first reason. 6-8. b. The second reason. 9f.

God punishes those severely who despise his Word.

B. How this instruction sets forth the marks of false prophets ; to which belong.

1. That they force their entrance in order to preach. 12.

2. That they boast they have the How a Christian should act among fanatics, who boast they have the Holy Ghost. 13-15.

The double calling by which a true preacher is known. 13-16.

3. That they come in sheep's clothing. a. The nature of these sheep's clothing.

In how far the Holy Scrip¬ tures can be called a book for heretics. 19. b. In what way these sheep's clothing are put on. 22f.

What is the surest rule, by which to prove the spirits. c. How the Pope has robed himself In these clothing. 24.

Marks by which to Identify the sect spirits. 25-26.

C. How the fruits of false prophets are set forth in this instruction.

1. Spiritual eyes are required for a right knowledge of these fruits. 27.

2. The fruits themselves. a. The first fruit. 28-29. b. The second fruit. 30.

The false prophets can not do any good works. 31-33.

3. How we know from their fruits that the false prophets are not good trees. 31.

Works do not make us pious, but are only the signs of our piety. 32-33.

D. How Christ repeats the doctrine on the fruits of the false pro¬ phets.

1. Why Christ repeats this part of the instruction. 34f.

2. The true use and application of this part. 35-37.

3. The fruits which Christ here repeats. a. These fruits In general.38The grand pomp of the di¬ vine worship of the Turks and The ways of the sects and false spirits. 41.

God's Word Is the rule by which to prove the various doctrines. b. These fruits In particular.

(1) The nature of these fruits. 43.

(2) How to discover these fruits among the Ana¬ baptists. 44-45.

(3) How to discern them among the Papists. 46¬ Refutation of the objec¬ tions the Papists make to the Christ closes this instruc¬ tion. 56f.

Concerning the will of God.

1. No one can do the will of God, who does not know It. 57.

2. Not reason, but the Word of God shows us God's will. 57¬ 4. What should move us to do 3. In what does the will of God consist. 58-59.

God's word Is the true test hy which we can know the false spirits. 61.

1. Christ our Lord preached this part of the Gospel in concluding his long sermon on the mount.

When he had taught his disciples all they should know, he proceeds and warns them to be ever on their guard against false doctrine ; as all good ministers try and should do at the close of their sermons, namely, warn the people to hold fast to the true doctrine and beware of false teaching.

Thus St. Paul also did, Acts 20:28-31, when he was about to depart from Ephesus, among other things, he said:

"Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.

I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears."

Thus here and there in all his Epistles Paul always adds an admonition, to guard themselves against other teach¬ ings.

Just as St. Peter also gives an admonition in his second Epistle, 2:If, when he says:

"But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destruc¬ tive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.

And in coveteousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not."

2. Christ here proceeds in like manner. When he fin¬ ished his sermon he warns his disciples and the people and admonishes them ever to remain faithful to what he had

"Beware of false prophets."

3. First from this we are to understand that we are under obligation to reflect upon this fact and that it will always be that after the true preachers depart false teachers will come; yea, they will even enter along with and mingle with them.

Otherwise, why were it necessary for Christ so faithfully to admonish us when he says : "Be¬ ware," take care! if he had known that all his teachings would continue pure? Therefore he gives us this warning, that we may be certain of false prophets appearing after the true and pure doctrine is preached. For it has come to pass in all periods of the world's history that after faithful and true ministers, prophets and rulers of God's people labored, others followed who corrupted the pure doctrine, faith and worship; as the Book of Judges, 2:10f, also des¬ cribes.

When those were gathered to their fathers whom God had given the people as teachers and judges, who knew the will of God, what was and what was not acceptable to him, immediately the people of Israel began to turn away from God and his Word.

One worshiped this idol, another that, and they were divided into factions so that they fell from the true teachings and strayed from the ways of their fathers.

4. So it was also in the times of the Apostles. Then the doctrine was yet pure ; but when they died who held to their true teachings, false apostles and factious leaders came, who perverted everything and desired radical changes in all things, as the Epistles of St. Paul sufficiently show.

Now, inasmuch as this is so, and we cannot expect anything else, Christ our Lord warns us here in the spirit of a true shepherd and bishop, that we beware while we have the Gospel preached in its purity and simplicity, that we hold firmly to it and depart not from it, even at the risk of losing our life and possessions.

For it cannot be otherwise than that God's Word will not continue always pure and unadulterated in all generations.

God be praised, we and others have the Gospel in greater purity and abundance than at any time since the days of the But when we and those who now assist to pro¬ mote it are gathered to our fathers, you will have false teachers enough, as many have already commenced and they already bestir themselves.

And blessed are they who are diligently on their guard according to this Gospel and be¬ lieve not every wind of doctrine, but remain steadfast in what they have learned.

This Christ first teaches here with the words: "Beware," be warned, as if to say: you will most certainly have to contend with false teachers.

6. Here you may ask: why does God permit false prophets to come among his pious people and be the successors of his true ministers? Is he not powerful and strong enough to prevent it, so that the Gospel may continue pure and in its power? Of course he is.

But he permits it in order to prove and preserve his own people, and to punish the un¬ thankful.

It is as St. Paul in 1 Cor. 11:19 says: "For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you." This means, that those whose faith is approved may become manifest, so that their spirit and word appear, and testify that they are true.

7. When God gives us his Word, his gifts and Spirit, it is not his will that we should be lazy, sleepy and idle. For if you have the true Word and its true meaning, the world will attack you on one side, and the devil will attempt to tear you from it on the other, not only by means of worldly tyrants who persecute the Word with the sword; but also by means of our own reason and the wisest people in the world.

Thus God desires to develop you by his Word, and to give the Holy Spirit whom he has bestowed upon you something to do, so that you may learn that God's wisdom is wiser than the world's wisdom, that God's strength is stronger than the strength and power of the world, which you will not learn unless you pass through this conflict with false teachers.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com 8. Wherever he permits the devil to create factions, he would thus stir you up, and say: Defend yourself, lay hold of the Word, and learn to experience God's wisdom and power against the wisdom of the world and the lies of satan.

Thus the strength and wisdom of God's Word will appear, that you may learn that it is not to be conquered with power and wisdom; but it conquers, and puts to shame all power, cunning and wisdom opposed to it.

This is one reason why God permits factions and sects among us, who enter in as it were edgewise, as though they were beneficial and served to the end that the Word, the truth and Spirit prove themselves to be better and plainer; however aside from this factions and sects serve no good purpose.

9. The second reason is, that he may punish the unthank¬ ful, who will not accept the Word, that they may be con¬ verted and saved.

As Christ also said to the Jews, John 5:43: " I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, hiin ye will re¬ ceive." Paul also says in 2 Thess. 2:10: "Because they re¬ ceived not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteous¬ ness."

Thus God severely punishes these sins with blind¬ ness and error, which are also the greatest and worst sins, although we regard them to be so insignificant.

10. We consider it a small matter, that the Gospel of God's grace is again restored to us. How many are there, who never even once thanked God for it? We forget it, cast it to the winds, become lazy aïid careless, no one welcomes it, no one relishes it, no one lifts up thankful hands to God for it. Yes, we are so richly overflooded with the Gospel that we have now become tired of it, and are almost turned against it, as Paul prophesied in 2 Tim. 4:3-4: "For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doc¬ trine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables."

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. see time and again throughout the whole Scriptures, how highly it offends God and that he considers it the greatest sin, when his Word is despised which is so dear and precious that it cost him the blood of his dear Son, while we so lightly cast it to the winds.

For this reason he also visits us with the worst of all calamities, which is not to be com¬ pared with the other calamities in the world, so that the people become so hardened, blindfolded and misled by the false prophets, that heaven itself is closed against them and hell opens to receive them, and life eternal is lost for¬ ever.

Even though you fall under the sword of the Turk or of tyrants, if you only die in the true knowledge of God's Word and in true faith, what is that but a blessed death, devoutly to be desired? But to deliver the soul forever to the devil, is eternal wrath, an everlasting calamity and hell itself.

11. God has now begun to visit us with manifold tem¬ poral and bodily calamities. But a far worse calamity will await us, when the holy Gospel is banished from Germany, or other false teachers appear, when one teaches this, an¬ other that.

Then heaven will be closed, and the false preachers will not permit it to be opened.

Hence there is great need that we pray earnestly. But, alas, how very cold our hearts are, and the reason of this is that our walls are not yet on fire, and we do not feel the loss.

Nevertheless the devil has determined to drown all Germany in blood, and to take the Gospel from us, unless he be prevented be¬ forehand and held in check by the prayers of pious Chris¬ tians.

"Who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves."

12. No one sends them. They come of themselves.

And this is the real nature of false prophets, that in order to preach they force themselves upon us. Some do this for a living, which I do not value very highly, for they will not have it quite as easy as they think. But those who force themseves upon us with the boast that they do it for the sake of Christian love, on account of the truth and that the Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

Holy Spirit constrains them to do so; and that they seek nothing but the salvation of souls; of all such be on your guard, for the devil has most certainly sent them, and not For those whom God sends are called and constrained to enter upon their work. Nor do they boast much of them¬ selves. But of whatever they do boast, they prove by their work.

Therefore, the Lord would say, beware of those you see are neither sent nor called, but come of themselves at the devil's call.

13. Yet they ever boast they have the Holy Spirit? An¬ swer : whoever would convince you that he is moved by the Holy Spirit and does this from Christian motives, say to him : As you boast so much of the Spirit, give me proof of it.

For you testify of yourself, and the Scriptures forbid me to believe anyone who only testifies of himself.

For even Christ, the Son of the living God, would not bear wit¬ ness of himself, as we read in the Gospel of John 5:31 and However, he furnished testimony by which men might know that he was sent from God, and that his Word and doctrine were true.

As you then say you have the Holy Spirit, give us evidence of your Spirit, prove it with facts that we may believe you.

For here a divine testi¬ mony is necessary to prove the presence of the Spirit of God, in order that there may be two witnesses, you and If you will not do this, then we can neither hear nor believe you.

14. For, if we grant it is true, that one is a true spirit and has the true Holy Spirit; even then you should not hear him. For God has commanded that you should ob¬ serve his order, and ask for two witnesses, and demand the proof and record of his call.

I will not listen to you on the ground of your pretenses and boasting, even though you should have the true Spirit, for God would thus test me, whether I wish to remain in the order he has established.

Therefore God is satisfied and well pleased, if you do not receive such a spirit; for God thus acts with us to try us, to see whether we will continue in his W

15. Therefore, when a spirit comes self-called and brings something new, then know how to guard yourself and say:

I do not ask what you preach, but whether you are sent, or you come of yourself? If you come of yourself, I will not hear you, even though you have the Holy Spirit; for the devil in the Gospel can also say : "What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? I know thou art the Holy

One of God." Mark 1:24.

So the vulgar crowd also say: Here is the real and true Word of God which this man preaches, let us hear him.

Yes, look out beforehand whence he comes.

The devil can preach too, but he does it for an occasion to win adherents; then he comes forth and sows his poison among the good grain, so that it becomes worse than at the beginning.

Therefore Christ so diligently warns us against those who come of themselves.

16. Another call is when the congregation or civil author¬ ity calls one for the sake of the Church.

This call pro¬ ceeds out of the debt and duty of love; for when people need me for the ministry, provided I am fit for it, and they require it of me, it is then my duty to obey, for God com¬ mands me to serve my neighbor.

Therefore, this call re¬ quires no proof, because the people desire it, and the Word of God constrains me.

This means "brought," "called" and "urged." But the other call, like that of Christ and the Apostles, comes immediately from God, and is called

"sent," because it is accompanied by the testimonies of the Holy Spirit.

Others, though they boast of the Spirit or of the flesh, you are not to hear.

As our fanatical, erratic spirits now boast, who have devoured the Holy Spirit feathers and all, and say: the Holy Spirit has spoken to them from heaven and revealed to them many wonderful things, ana so forth.

I cannot boast much of the Spirit; they become spiritual entirely too soon for me.

I boast of the Spirit of love, otherwise I am a poor carnal sinner.

Spirit, of whom they boast; but they are all too highly spiritualized for me.

17. What is meant when he says: They come in sheep's clothing?

These sheep's clothing are, that they employ everything for an outward show that true Christians and true ministers teach.

For we, who are the lambs of Christ, are covered with the sheep's wool.

These are not only works, an outward, hypocritical life they lead, in that they pray much and wear gray frocks, go about with bowed heads, fast much and lead a strict life; but the worst of all is that they make use of the Word of God and the holy

Scriptures for selfish ends, which in the prophets are called God's wool and linen.

For preaching, likewise admonitions and Scripture passages, are the real clothing with which they desire to adorn and pride themselves, saying: Here is Christ, here is baptism, here is the name of God, here is he who interprets the Scriptures which are the Scriptures of God, and their whole pretence is nothing but God's name,

God's Spirit and Christ's Spirit.

18. This now is meant by coming in sheep's clothing; namely, so to preach and so to make use of the Scriptures that it may be esteemed as the true doctrine.

For he does not say: who come to you in a wolf's hide, or with spears and showing their teeth.

They do not preach any poison¬ ous doctrine publicly or without the Scriptures, for then men might know them; as for instance they have preached

Aristotle in their high schools, that there is neither civil authority nor the right of the emperor, wherein they said, there was no God in Christianity.

On the contrary, they adorned themselves not only with works, but also with the holy Scriptures, by which God clothes and covers our souls.

For if they would not act thus, the unthankful would not be so easily blindfolded or misled by them.

19. Hence the saying is true, the hoy Scriptures are a book for heretics, that is, they are a book to which heretics most of all lay claim. For they misuse no other book so much, yea, they do not know any other worthy of praise, and no heresy was ever so wicked or gross, that did not Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R attempt to strengthen itself and recommend itself by the use of the Scriptures. Just as a man might say:

God is the God of all rogues and rascals, because the largest crowd in the world take his part. Not because their ras¬ cality comes from God ׳01 is acceptable to him, but be¬ cause they thus take his holy name in vain.

So then, the holy Scriptures must be a heretic's book, not that the book is to blame, but because of these rogues who so shamefully misuse it.

In like manner people are accustomed to say in the proverb: All misfortune begins in God's name.

Well, you say, then I will be careful not to make use of God's name.

What is that you utter? How can you blame the name, that is given in order that I might be saved? He will indeed find and punish these rogues and rascals.

Well, then, the Bible is a heretic's book, but I will not throw it away on that account; on the contrary, 1 will study and read it much more, so that I may know how to avoid the misuse of it.

20. Then let every one be prepared and armed, that he may not so easily allow himself to be misled by the brilliant pretentions of false teachers, although they at the time quote the Scriptures. For within certainly lie concealed ra¬ venous wolves. And when you think they will feed and sat¬ isfy your soul, then they rend you, murder and devour you.

But no one will so readily judge or decide this matter, except with spiritual eyes. The common man and the rabble cannot, for the largest multitude despise the Gospel and are unthankful, while the smallest flock receive it and can appreciate it.

And this is the greatest and severest con¬ test, when one must contend with Scripture against Scrip¬ ture, to strike one's sword away and get the advantage of him, to pluck his weapon out of his hand and slay him with his own sword, which no one can do except he who is enlightened by the Holy Spirit so that he sees this rogue.

21. I have often told you the surest doctrine and rule, with which to prove the spirits. It is that St. John gives in his first Epistle 4:1 : "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God. Every spirit

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of And every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of 22. Also St. Paul in Eom. 12:7 says: "Whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith."

That is, all doctrines must harmonize and agree with faith, so that nothing be taught but faith. He who has not this faith cannot judge of any doctrine correctly, for here the carnal minded who are smart and worldly wise are incom¬ petent, only pious spiritual hearts can do that.

Of course there are many who say: Christ is the son of God, born of a chaste virgin, died and rose again from the dead, and so forth.

However, they do not believe that he is Christ, that is, that he was given for us, without any effort of ours, and has won for us the Spirit of God and makes us his children without any merit on our part, so that through him we might have a gracious God and eternal life.

This is the faith that is called, to know Christ. This is the touchstone, the judgment-disk and the balance, by which all doctrine must be weighed, proved and judged.

It is therefore not sufficient that a teacher or preacher should merely know the creed concerning Christ, that he is the Son of God, died and rose again from the dead and so forth.

This of course is all sheep's clothing.

23. But observe the difficulty: when they say, Christ has died, was buried and rose again, and did the like for us, then they must also conclude that we do not deserve the forgiveness of sins and eternal life and God's grace by vir¬ tue of our own merit. This point the false spirits most cer¬ tainly never touch or enforce, but avoid it, as they say the devil does incense or the cross. He allows them to preach of course, how Christ was born, died and rose again, as¬ cended to heaven and sitteth at the right hand of his heavenly Father, yet they mingle other things with it, as thus and thus you must do, this or that you must leave undone, if you want to be saved and please God. This is the devil who administers his poison in a sugar coated form.

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. that Christ has indeed merited for us by his death and by shedding his blood, that we are saved and become God's children.

He adds however to this:

Whoever is not obedient to the Romish church is a child of eternal con¬ demnation; but whoever obeys will thereby be saved and ascend straight to heaven. Does not the Pope insist on his own affairs as strongly as on the Gospel? But compare the two. If the death of Christ does it, then my works cannot do it. It would be quite a different thing if he would preach thus : You are to obey me out of Christian love, but not to be saved thereby, which takes place through the blood of Christ. But he will not bite this nut.

25. Therefore learn well to be on your guard, and thor¬ oughly examine all doctrines, whether they rightly teach and apply this chief and fundamental doctrine, that is, whether they preach Christ correctly and purely.

For you will certainly find among all factions and sects, that they always either omit this article entirely, or bring some¬ thing with it to which they lead the people as though that were particularly necessary to salvation. Thus our fanatics and image-breakers also at first drew the crowd with them by the pretense that nothing was more necessary than to break images.

Whoever breaks an image or destroys a table does a good work, and proves that he is a Christian.

Soon the people as a mass rushed in crowds and all wanted to be Christians; just as though the Jews, Gentiles and Turks and the worst rogues could not do the same thing.

26. Such fanatics do not shake our confidence in works, but rather strengthen it and rest in them. Where there are true teachers their preaching agrees with faith. If it be in the proportion of faith, then Christ will not be neglected or divided, but will remain entire in his knowledge as he is.

And although the devil pretends to preach Christ through his apostles, do not believe him, for he would entrap you with his cunning and deceive you. Indeed this is warning enough, but it is in vain for those who will not hear. Yet it assists those who are to bê changed for the better.

"By their fruits ye shall know them."

27. All our outward behavior and works are fruits. But in order to learn to know thoroughly the truly good works, one must have spiritual eyes.

St. Paul mentions such works to the Galatians, 5:22 : "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithful¬ ness, meekness, self-control."

These are the true fruits of the Spirit.

But the works of the flesh are: ''fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revelings and such like." Gal.

28. When you carefully distinguish the works of the flesh from the works of the Spirit, you will not find in all the works of the false prophets a single spark of the Spirit.

In the first place you will certainly not find any true fruits of faith or works of love among them.

But you will find, that they are very friendly among themselves and call each other brethren ; but this is nothing but poison and the devil within them.

For whatever does not belong to their fac¬ tion they have no mercy, no patience or friendliness; but if they could, they would destroy them body and soul in an hour or a moment.

Flesh and blood do not see the fruits, hence in the meantime they of course wear their gray frocks, are a quiet order and observe the same customs and principles.

29. These are not works of love. On the contrary, works of love are those we do in behalf of the suffering and toward our enemies, also in showing mercy to sinners, in instruct¬ ing and teaching the ignorant, and in serving the poor with our own body, goods and honor, as Christ relates in Mat.

You will not find these works in any false prophet.

He may indeed conduct himself like a Christian in his ex¬ traordinary behavior, like the bare-footed friars and Car¬ thusians; but what benefit is that to me?

E I G H T H SUNDAY A F T E R This is only a show and appears as if it were something, but there is no benefit in it whatever.

Love, however, requires works that are beneficial to your fellow men.

30. Again, you will further note how proud and impudent these spirits are, who only desire to be honored and wor¬ shiped; and are full of greed and know nothing of mercy.

They not only refuse to give to anyone and to help the poor; but they also rejoice and are pleased to see that their neighbors do not prosper. If a person be found in disgrace they will not help with their own honor to rescue him from his disgrace; but plunge him still deeper into it and publish it abroad, sing a song about him and laugh at him in their glee.

And when one falls into sin, their hearts have no sympathy for him; but they harden their' hearts and are only tickled over their neighbor's downfall apd adorn themselves by it.

And what more shall we say? These are rude, bitter hearts, full of poison, which have only a black, baneful tongue, and can hew everyone to pieces upon the slaughter block. They must turn men into demons, leave no one uncensured, judge, condemn and despise everyone, and regard everyone's disgrace with scorn. Christ therefore says of them:

"Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit," etc.

31. Here note, he says: "By their fruits ye shall know them." He does not say: By their fruits they become good or evil. For when was there ever a pear tree made out of a pear; or a cherry tree out of a cherry? However, it is natural, that the tree bears the fruit, an apple tree bears apples, and so on.

The tree of course is known by its fruits, but it is not made by its fruits. Like Abraham when he offered his son Isaac was already God's worshiper. And yet God said to him, Gen. 22:12:

"For now I know that thou fearest God." He does not say: Now you have be¬ come godfearing.

On the contrary, by your work it be¬ comes known and public, that you fear God.

There are many things that are known to God alone; but when he makes them manifest, they become known also to men. And Christ says, the fruits serve to the end, that by them men may know the tree whether it be good or evil, as Abraham was known by his works that he feared God, and was good and righteous.

Consequently, before the fruit becomes manifest it must grow out of the tree, that it may also thus become known what kind of a tree it is.

However, to make a thing known is quite different from the existence of the thing itself.

Consequently, the work I do, does not serve to the end that I may become good and just before God, but it only makes known and mani¬ fests the treasure and the heart, in which it is concealed.

For this treasure hidden in the heart, God does not desire to leave neglected, but to make it known.

33. So far works make us good, pure and holy externally before men; but not internally before God; for this Christ alone and faith must accomplish. Thus this matter is cor¬ rectly and variously explained.

But if one is so stiffnecked and stubborn, and will not allow himself to be in¬ structed, we let him go his own way. For to such we cannot explain anything, and nothing can be preached to them.

But we seek erring hearts who desire rightly to understand and to please God. These are teachable, and to these we preach. Hence Christ says further:

"Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

34. This he repeats to teach and warn us, that we may know how to guard ourselves against such characters, and take good care to rightly know them; not by their name and self-praise, which mean the pure truth, spirit and salvation of souls, but by their fruits. For they all to be sure come adorned with the name of Christ, the Church and God's Word, by which they blindfold the peopie with their continual noise and apparitions, so that the ignorant become terrified at such names, and cannot check or endure it.