Eleventh Sunday after Trinity — Sermons of Martin Luther

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. is good and the other evil, I must be able to look into the hearts of both.

But I cannot see into the heart, and must make the proper distinction from their works, as Christ says:

"By their fruits ye shall know them."

5. He speaks of the publican as though he must have previously heard a word from God that touched his heart so that he believed it and thus became pious, as St. Paul says, Bom. 10:17 : "So faith cometh by hearing, and hear¬ ing by the word of Christ."

When the Word falls into the heart, then man becomes pure and good. But the Evan¬ gelist does not indicate that he now first heard the Gospel here, but that he heard it somewhere, it matters not where.

For he says: "God be merciful to me a sinner."

This knowledge is above the powers of reason.

And yet it must previously have been known to him that God is merciful, gracious and friendly to all those who confess their sins, who call upon him and long for grace.

God is gracious by virtue of his very nature, to all those who humble themselves and seek comfort in him. But to preach thus is always the pure Gospel.

6. Hence the beginning of goodness or godliness is not in us, but in the Word of God. God must first let his Word sound in our hearts by which we learn to know and to be¬ lieve him, and afterwards do good works. So we must be¬ lieve from this that the publican had learned God's Word.

If not, it would certainly have been impossible for him to acknowledge himself to be a poor sinner, as this Gospel reports.

Indeed, it has a different appearance here, be¬ cause St. Luke seems to insist more strongly on external works and appearances than on faith, and lays the emphasis more on the outward character and conduct than on the root and on the faith of the heart within. Nevertheless we must conclude that the publican had previously heard the Otherwise his smiting his breast and his humble confession would not have occurred, had he not previously had faith in his heart.

"Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his way aright, will I show the salvation of God." In this way the publican also proceeds, gives God the offering of thanksgiving and secures to himself the forgiveness of sin, and praises God, puts himself to shame and exalts the truth above himself.

Therefore we must praise and commend his work, because he gives God the highest honor and true worship.

For he says: "God, be thou merciful to me a sinner." As though he would say.

I am a rogue, this I confess, as you yourself know. Here you see that he con¬ fesses the truth, and is willing that God should reprove and revile him; yea, he does this himself, and casts himself down the very lowest, and with God he again rises upward, gives glory to God that he is gracious, kind and merciful.

But in himself he finds nothing but sin. Wherefore these are the true fruits of faith.

8. Thus we have learned from his fruits the publican's faith.

But how shall we understand what Christ says:

"This man went down to his house justified," as he had already been just through faith, before he smote his breast?

He certainly must have been just before.

Christ say here: "He went down to his house justified?"

This is what I have often said, if faith be true, it will break forth and bear fruit. If the tree is green and good, it will not cease to blossom forth in leaves and fruit.

It does this by nature. I need not first command it and say: Look here, tree, bear apples. For if the tree is there and is good, the fruit will follow unbidden. If faith is present works must follow. If I confess that I am a sinner, it must follow that I will say: Alas God! I am a rogue, do thou cause me to be good.

So this publican cares for nothing and speaks freely, though he puts himself to shame before all people, he does not care for that, as Ps. 116:10 says: "I believe, for I will speak.

I was greatly afflicted," and says: "God, be thou merciful to me a sinner!" As though he would say: I now see that I am lost, for I am a bad man, and acknowledge my sins. Unless I believe and hold

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. t# God's mercy, and take the cup of the Saviour and call upon God's grace, I will be ruined.

9. Thus faith casts itself on God, and breaks forth and becomes certain through its works. When this takes place a person becomes known to me and to other people. For when I thus break forth I spare neither man nor devil, I cast myself down, and will have nothing to do with lofty affairs, and will regard myself as the poorest sinner on earth.

This assures me of my faith. For this is what it says: "This man went down to his house justified." Thus we attribute salvation as the principal thing to faith, and works as the witnesses of faith. They make one so certain that he concludes from the outward life that the faith is genuine.

10. We find this also in Abraham when he offers his son Isaac. Then God said : "For now I know that thou f earest Surely, if he had not feared God, he would not have offered his son; and by this we know the fruit to be thoroughly good.

Let us now heartily apply this to ourselves.

11. This is why St. Luke and St. James have so much to say about works, so that one says : Yes, I will now believe, and then he goes and fabricates for himself a fictitious de¬ lusion, which hovers only on the lips as the foam on the water.

No, no; faith is a living and an essential thing, which makes a new creature of man, changes his spirit and wholly and completely converts him. It goes to the founda¬ tion and there accomplishes a renewal of the entire man; so, if I have previously seen a sinner, I now see in his changed conduct, manner and life, that he believes.

So• high and great a thing is faith.

For this reason the Holy Spirit urges works, that th?y may be witnesses of faith. In those therefore in whom we cannot realize good works, we can immediately say and conclude: they heard of faith, but it did not sink into good soil. For if you continue in pride and lewdness, in greed and anger, and yet talk much of faith, St. Paul will come and say, 1 Cor. 4:20, look here my dear sir, "the kingdom

12. Thus we err on both sides in saying, a person must only believe, then he will neglect to do good works and bring forth good fruits. Again, if you preach works, the people immediately comfort themselves and trust in works.

Therefore we must walk upon the common path.

Faith alone must make us good and save us.

But to know whether faith is right and true, you must show it by your works. God cannot endure your dissembling, for this rea¬ son he has appointed you a sermon which praises works, which are only witnesses that you believe, and must be performed not thereby to merit anything, but they should be done freely and gratuitously toward our neighbor.

13. This^must be practiced until it becomes a second nature with us. For thus God has also introduced works, as though he would say: if you believe, then you have the kingdom of heaven; and yet, in order that you may not deceive yourselves, do the works. To this the Lord refers in John 15:17, when he says to his disciples : "These things

I command you, that ye may love one another."

And previous to this at the supper he said, John 13:34-35: "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one an¬ other: even as I have loved you, that ye also love one an¬ other. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." And shortly before this he said, v. 5: "For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you."

As though he would say: Ye are my friends, but this the people will not know by your faith, but when you show the fruits of faith, and break forth in love, then they will know you.

The fruits will not save y o u nor make you any friends, but they must show and prove that you are saved and are my friends.

Therefore mark this well, that faith alone makes us good; but as faith lies concealed within me, and is a great life, a great treasure, therefore the works must come forth and bear witness of the faith, to praise God's grace and condemn the works of men.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. your eyes to the earth and humiliate yourself before every¬ one, that you may also win your neighbor by your services; for this reason God lets you live, otherwise nothing would be better for you than to die and go to heaven.

This you now also observe clearly in the good publican.

14. So you find two judgments: one according to faith, the other according to outward works. The foundation you have in that faith is concealed; this he feels, who believes; but that is not enough, it must express itself as you see above in the publican, who breaks forth in humility, so much as not to lift his eyes to heaven, smites on his breast and praises God, by which he helps me to say when my sins oppress me: Behold, the publican also was a sinner and said: "God, be thou merciful to me a sinner;" thus too, I will do. By this will I also be strengthened so that when I see my sins I will think of his example, and with it com¬ fort and strengthen myself, so that I can say: Oh God, I see in the publican that thou art gracious to poor sinners.

Faith the believer keeps for himself, but externally he communicates its fruits to other people.

15. The publican is on the right road and is twice justifled; once through faith before God, and again by his works to me. Here he gives unto God his glory, and by faith re¬ pays him with praise. Also toward me he performs the duty of love, and puts words into my mouth and teaches me how to pray. Now he has paid all his debts toward God and man. So faith urges him to do; without however re¬ quiring anything from God as a reward of faith.

16. This is one character of the publican, who, accord¬ ing to faith which is the spiritual judgment, is acknowl¬ edged justified, while according to the flesh he is unprofltable.

For the Pharisee passes and does not notice him, sees not his faith, lets him stand way back, and sees him alone in his sins, and knows not that God has been gracious to him, and converted and reformed him.

So when a carnally minded man would condemn a sinner according to his sins, it is otherwise impossible, he must fail.

L U T H E E ' S C H U E C H most beautiful works. In the first place he thanks God, fasts twice in the week, and all this to honor God, not St.

Nicholas or St. Barnabas, he gives the tenth of all his goods, nor has he at any time committed adultery, has never done any one violence or robbed him of his goods.

Thus he has conducted himself in an exemplary manner.

This is a beautiful honest life, and excites our wonder and surprise.

Truly, after the fashion of the world no one could find fault with him, yea, one must praise him. Yes, to be sure he does this himself.

18. But God is the first to come and say, that all the work of the Pharisee is blasphemy. God help us, what an awful sentence this is! Priests and nuns may well be ter¬ rified by it, and all their bones quake, as you scarcely ever find one of them as pious as this Pharisee. Would to God we could have many such hypocrites and Pharisees; for then they could be taught better things.

19. Well, what is the matter with the goodjnau?

Only this, he does not know his own heart. Here you see that we are our own greatest enemies, who close our eyes and hearts, and think we are as we feel.

For if I should ask any such hypocrite: Sir, do you mean just what you say? he would take an oath, that it is not otherwise.

But be¬ hold, see how deep God's sword cuts, and pierces through all the recesses of the soul, Heb. 4:12.

Here everything must go to ruin, or fall to the earth in humiliation, other¬ wise nothing can stand before God. Thus a pious woman must here fall down and kiss the vilest harlot's feet, yea, her footprints.

20. Now let us better see and hear what the Lord says to this. There stands the publican and humbles himself, says nothing of fasting, nothing of his good works, nor of anything. Yet the Lord says that his sins are not so great as the sins of the hypocrite; even in spite of anyone now exalting himself above the lowest sinner. If I exalt my¬ self a finger's breadth above my neighbor, or the vilest sinner, then am I cast down.

E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y .

Pharisee does here when he says: I thank thee God that I am not as other men are; and lies enough to burst all heaven. From him you hear no word like: "God, be thou merciful to me a sinner!" God's mercy, sympathy, patience and love are all forgotten by him, while God is nothing but pure mercy, and he who does not know this, thinks there is no God, as in Psalm 14:1:

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." So it is with an unbeliever who does not know himself.

Therefore I say one thing more, if he had committed the vilest sin and deflowered virgins, it would not have been as bad as when he says: " I thank thee God, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." Yes, yes, do

I hear you have no need of God and despise his goodness, mercy, love and everything that God is?

Behold, these are thy sins. Hence the public gross sins that break out are insignificant; but unbelief which is in the heart and w

Te cannot see, this is the real sin in which monks and priests strut forth; these lost and corrupt ones are sunk head and ears in this sin, and pretend to be entirely free from it.

21. Further, since he has now blasphemed God and lied to him, because he is unwilling to confess his sins, he falls further and sins against love to his neighbor, in that he says:

"Even as this publican." He could not bear his presence without blaming and condemning him. Here all commandments are abolished and transgressed, for he denies God and does his neighbor no good.

In this way he goes to ruin, because he has not obeyed a letter of the law.

For if he had said: Oh God, we are all sinners, this poor sinner is also like myself and all the rest : and had he joined the congregation and said:

Oh God, be merciful unto us! then he would have fulfilled God's commandment, namely, the first, in that he gave God the honor and the praise, and had he afterwards said: Oh God, I see this one is a sinner, in the jaws of the devil ; dear Lord, help him! and had he thus brought him to God and prayed to God for him, he would then also have obeyed the other com¬ mandment of Christian love as Paul says, Gal. 6:2, and Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com teaches : "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

22. Now he comes and praises himself that he is just.

He has a poisonous, wicked heart, who praises himself most gloriously on account of his pretended good works, how he fasted and gave the tenth of all he had. Hence he is so full of hatred to his neighbor, if God allowed him to judge, he would plunge the poor publican down into the deepest hell. Behold, is not this a wicked heart and ter¬ rible to hear, that I would all men should go to ruin, if only I be praised? Yet all this is so finely decorated and adorned by external conduct, that no one can censure it.

Here we see how we are to know the tree from its fruits.

For when I view his heart with spiritual eyes, I recognize it is full of blasphemy and hatred to his neighbor.

From these fruits I know that the tree is evil. For works would not be evil in themselves, but the evil root in the heart makes them evil. This is set before us that we may beware and guard ourselves against it.

23. Again, on the other hand, examine the heart also of the publican. Here we find that he believes.

Hence his works are good and of service to the whole world, for he teaches that a man should humble himself and praise God.

On the contrary the other with his works makes saints who are puffed up and proud of heart; for he is entrapped in sins, his soul is condemned, and is fast in the jaws of the devil, and the high minded knave steps forth and praises himself, because his neighbor over there is a sin¬ ner.

To sum up all, he misleads the whole world with his hypocritical life. Thus we must judge the fruits with spir¬ itual eyes as we have now judged these two; then we will know the tree whether it be good or evil.

24. Now, where did I obtain this judgment? Here: God has given me his law like a mirror, in which I see what is good and evil. It says: Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself," Deut. 6:5, Mat. 22:37.

E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . world, becatise they teach ns to know, and show ns the way of God our Saviour. Therefore they are good because they praise God and benefit our neighbor.

On the other hand, the hypocrite struts forth and blasphemes God, and with his corrupt life misleads the whole world.

25. I should also speak of the great and shameful vice of slander, when one belies another, exposes him and speaks evil of him; while we are all alike after all, and no one has a reason to exalt himself above another. But that the government judges and punishes crime, it does by virtue of its office.

For it wields the sword to make the trans¬ gressor fear.

For God will not tolerate sin, and desires that the wicked have no rest, as the prophet Isaiah says, 48:22: "There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the wicked."

Therefore where God does not internally disturb sinners, he will wipe out sin by fire and water, that they can have no peace from without.

When such sins are to be pun¬ ished, the officers, judges and people should think thus:

Oh God! although I myself am a poor sinner and a much greater one than this person, and a much greater thief and adulterer than this one; still I will execute my office and leave him no rest in his sins and belabor him; for this is thy divine command. Concerning this I have said more on other occasions, especially in my book on the Civil Govornment, which you can read yourself; for the present let this suffice, and pray God for grace.

Second Sermon—Luke 18:9-14.

CONTENTS: THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.

The contents of this Gospel. 1-2.

I. OP T H E P H A R I S E E AND T H E 1. The kind of people the Pharisees and the publicans were. 3-4.

2. How and why it Is surprising that Christ places the Pharisee and publican together, and passes such different sentences upon them. 5.

II. OF T H E PHARISEE AND T H E PUBLICAN IN PARTICULAR.

1. How the Pharisee can boast of a fine life. a . According to the first Table of the law. 6. b. According to the second JTable of the law. 7-8.

2. How the Pharisee far surpas¬ ses the publican in holiness. 9.

3. Why God condemns the Phari¬ see. a. In general, because he re¬ lied upon himself and de¬ spised others. 10-12.

(1) Because he greatly sinned against the first Table of the law. 13-15.

(2) Because he greatly sinned against the sec¬ ond Table of the law.

It is a very Infamous vice to rejoice over the misfortune of your neigh¬ bor. 17-20.

4. How a hideous devil 18 con¬ cealed In the Pharisee, who robes himself with the appear¬ ance of good works. 21.

5 How the Pharisee is given as an example of what man can do by his own powers. 22.

1. How the publican humbled himself in the knowledge of his sin. b. Before his fellow men. 24.

2. How the publican offers a very special prayer. a. Where the publican learned this prayer. 25f. b. How and why reason could not have conceived this prayer, and how It belongs to the school and theology of the Christians. 26-28.

How and why it is difficult to grasp the preaching of the The judgment of God and the judgment of the world are very different. 31. e. What persons repeat this prayer, but with no right to do so.

(1) The first class. 32.

(2) The second class. 33-35. d. What persons have a right to repeat this prayer. 36-38. e. How and why we should rightly learn and grasp this prayer. 39-40.

3. How the publican Is a fine ex¬ ample of true repentance and faith. a. In what 18 the publican an example. 41.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R The difference between the false and the true church. 42. b. How and why we should fol¬ low this example.

(1) In this, that we ac¬ knowledge our sins and lay hold of the grace of God. 43.

Is gracious and to which he is not gracious. 44.

(2) In this, that we forsake our sins. 45.

Christians on the right hand and on the left. 46.

1. This Gospel brings two extraordinary persons to our notice, or two kinds of people from the multitude called the people of God, who would be God's servants and come before him seeking righteousness.

7o kinds of righteousness, which are found on earth, are also repre¬ sen ted; the one, which makes a great show before all the world and in the eyes of men, and yet before God it amounts to nothing, and is therefore condemned; the other, which is not known among men, and yet before God it is called righteousness and is pleasing in his sight.

The one is that of the beautiful, proud saint, the Pharisee; the other, that of the poor, humble, sorrowing sinner, the pub¬ lican.

2. We also hear two wonderful, strange sentences or judgment, wholly and entirely opposed to human wisdom and the whims of reason, hard and terrible to all the world, which condemns the great saints as unjust, and declares the poor sinners acceptable, righteous and holy.

But, as the text itself shows, he speaks of such saints who trusted in themselves to find a righteousness in their own lives and works, which God was bound to respect; and again of such sinners, who from their hearts desired to become free from their sins, and long for forgiveness and the grace of God.

For nothing is said here of that other great multitude in the world, who are like neither this publican nor this Pharisee, who care nothing at all, either for sin or grace, but continue in security and wickedness, without inquiring after any God, heaven or hell.

3. Of the two kinds of persons among the Jews, the Pharisees and publicans, we have sufficiently heard in an¬ other place, namely, that the name Pharisee means the very first, most upright and pious people, who with all

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com earnestness endeavored to serve God, and to keep the law, as St. Paul also boasts of himself, that before his con¬ version he was one of them, Phil. 3:5.

4. Again, the name "publican" among them meant a man living in open sin and vice, and served neither God nor man, and was only busy to rob, to oppress and harm his neighbor, as they were forced to do in their occupation which they bought from the Eomans for great sums of money, if they desired fully to take advantage of it. In short, they were people who were regarded as no better than public, godless heathen, even though they were Jews by birth, as Christ also compares them to Gentiles, Mat. 18:17:

"And if he refuse to hear the church also, let. him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican."

5. It is indeed wonderful that Christ brings two such persons together, who are so entirely different and the farthest removed from each other; and still more wonder¬ ful, and even offensive, that he expresses such weighty

Judgments, wholly condemning the Pharisee and declaring the publican just.

Although he plainly speaks thus of both, nevertheless he shows that he does not reject, nor desire to have rejected such works of which the Pharisee here boasts; for he represents and sets him forth as a beautiful saint, with works that are neither to be rebuked nor punished, but that are good and worthy of praise, On the other hand he can neither boast of nor praise the publican for his life and works, for he is himself forced to confess be¬ fore God, and to condemn himself as a sinner, and can think of no good he has done.

And yet Christ thus searches, proves and examines both, and finds nothing good in the holy Pharisee, although he did many costly works, not on account of the works, which in themselves are not wrong; but because the person was not good but full of iniquity.

While on the other hand in the publican who hitherto had been a public, condemned sinner, he now finds a real good tree and good fruit, although he does not shine forth with the great works of the Pharisee. Wherefore let us in brief consider both persons.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R 6. First of all you must properly magnify and adorn the Pharisee, as Christ presents him with his beautiful life; for here you have a man who dares to stand before God, and praise his life in the divine presence.

This can never be intended as a false praise, but is meant in all earnestness and truth. He appeals to himself as a witness, and is will¬ ing to announce himself before God and be found in the true worship, and give an account of his entire life, that it is spent in obedience to God. He begins with the highest and first commandment, and shows himself as one who worships the true and only God, and seeks first of all his kingdom and his will; he confesses that he has everything from God, what he is and lives, he brings all back to him and thanks him for all he has given him, especially for.this particular grace and kindness that he preserves him from sin and shame, that he is not like the public sinners and publicans, and prays that God may preserve him in this, and further grant unto him his grace and goodness. Here you see nothing but beautiful works of the first table of the law, of all three commandments; for hereby he also ob¬ serves the Sabbath, because he goes into the temple only to seek God and to pray.

7. He later goes further into the second table, and purifies his conscience before God and the world, in that he is not unjust, a robber, adulterer, like the great major¬ ity of people. Here the other five commandments are taken together, so that he is a man who can boast of himself before all the world, that he has done no one wrong, vio¬ lence or pain, nor oppressed or offended against the fifth, sixth and eighth commandments, and in this connection he dares to defy everyone to prove anything different against him.

Besides he has strictly kept the sixth commandment, he has not committed adultery or led an unchaste life, but kept his body in subjection and discipline, and also fasted twice every week, which was not a false fasting, as that of our priests and monks chiefly is, but a real fasting as the Jews observed from morning until evening, to the going down of the sun.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com Above all this, that he was not only not unjust, nor an extortioner of his neighbor's goods and honor, but gave the tenth of all he had honestly and fairly earned, and by this also yields his obedience to God, and gives for the sup¬ port of divine worship and the priestly office of all that God gave him, and does not lay up anything in a niggardly or miserly spirit.

8. Here you view all the commandments together, and he appears to the world a paragon of godliness, a fine, pious, godfearing and holy man, who is to be applauded as a mirror and an example for the whole world, that they might well desire, and it would indeed be well to desire, and the world would be very lovely if it had many such people.

9. Now contrast the publican with this picture, and you will see there is no resemblance to the holy Pharisee; for even his name at once indicates that little virtue or honor can be found in him, and no one could regard him as inquir¬ ing much after God or his commandments; and he does not only fail to give any of his goods for the service of God, but even publicly robs and steals from his neighbor; and in short he is a man who with his sinful life is a public and known example; as the Pharisee also informs him, that he is depraved and godless, hi3 conscience is depraved, and there is no good to hope from him.

10. Now how does it happen so contrary, that the Phari¬ see is condemned of God and the publican is justified?

Will God now speak and decide against his own law, which justly prefers those who live according to it, to those who live opposed to it in open sin? Or does God delight in those who do no good and are nothing but robbers, adulterers and unjust? By no means, but we have here quite another and higher law than the world or flesh and blood under¬ stand, which looks deeper into the hearts of both these persons, and finds in the Pharisee a great evil principle which destroys all that otherwise might be called good, which the Evangelist calls, to trust in self and despise others.

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R 11. Such is the reproach of this fine man and rogue, who is great before the world. Would to God that this one were the only one, and he had not left so many children and heirs. For the whole world with the best there is in it, is altogether drowned in this vice; it will not and cannot forsake it.

Where it knows of any good it possesses, it exalts itself, and despises others who have it not, and ex¬ alts itself above God and man; and even though they pre¬ tend to keep God's commandments they transgress them, as St. Paul says of his Jews, Rom. 9:31, that they truly, in striving after the law of righteousness, have not attained to righteousness.

What a wonderful thing it is, that those who diligently hold to the law, and w-orship God to a great extent, are not those who keep the law, as Paul in Gal. 6:13 says : "For not even they who receive circumcision do themselves keep the law," etc. Those are strange saints indeed, who even in doing according to the law, do not keep it but violate it.

Who then are those who keep it?

12. This Pharisee and those like him, with their fine dis¬ cipline and honor, which is truly an excellent, glorious and beautiful gift, which must be praised and esteemed in the w rorld above everything else as the greatest gift of God, more beautiful than all other beauty and ornament, gold and silver, yea, than even the light of the sun. Of him, I say, the sentence is spoken, that before God he is worse than a robber, a murderer and an adulterer. Whither shall we now go with this doctrine among the great multitude of this world, whom we ourselves condemn on account of their public contempt of God and all wickedness against God and the people, which also cries to heaven and drowns everything that the earth can scarcely bear it?

13. Well, I said before, that the Pharisee is neither censured nor condemned because he does the works of the law, or else we would have to condemn God's gift and his law, and praise the contrary. Yet this I say, that here the person is placed before the judgment seat of God, and finds it different there than before the judgment of this world,

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com that although he has indeed some beautiful, praiseworthy gifts, yet a great blot of shame cleaves to them, because he misuses these gifts, and in God's sight is entirely destroyed by them.

For with these gifts he is here accused of transgressing against both God and man, against both tables of the law.

For in the first commandment especially and in the highest terms, presumption is forbidden, that a man should not trust in himself or in his own gifts, or take pleasure in himself; as this workrighteous person does, who struts forth and is tickled with the gifts he has received from God, and makes an idol of them and worships himself, as though he were the excellent holy man, whom alone God is bound to respect and honor.

14. This is already the great sin and vice where he runs counter against God himself, of course blind and hardened, like an unbelieving heathen or Turk, who knows nothing of God, is without repentance, and on account of his great holiness will know nothing of sin, and fears not the wrath of God. He presumes to stand firm by his own works, and does not see that he and all men, even the true saints themselves with all their own righteousness and life, can¬ not stand before God; but are guilty of his wrath and con¬ demnation, as David testifies in Ps., 130:3:

"If thou, Je¬ hovah, shouldest mark iniquities, Ο Lord, who could stand?"

And Ps. 143:2: "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight no man living is righteous." Therefore he does not seek either grace cr forgiveness of sins, nor does it occur to him that he stands in need of them.

15. Now since he sins so monstrously against the first and highest commandment, in shameful and horrible idola¬ try, presumption and defiance, depending on his own holi¬ ness, and as there is here no fear of God, neither trust nor love, but he seeks only his own honor and praise, we must conclude that he does not honestly and from the heart ob¬ serve any of the other commandments, and all is false and lies that he pretends with his prayers and worship, and thereby in the highest degree misuses and disgraces the Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. name of God to adorn his lies, and thereby only brings down upon himself God's wrath and severe condemnation; as God has declared that whoever taketh his name in vain shall not go unpunished.

For whatelse is it, but to blaspheme and defy the lofty majesty of God, when he prays and says:

God, that I am so holy and good, that I never need thy grace; but I find so much in myself, that I have kept the law, and you cannot accuse me of anything, and i have deserved so much, that you are bound to repay and reward me again for it in time and in eternity, if you would keep your own honor, and be a just and truthful God.

10. In like manner see how he rumbles and blusters also in the second table of the law against his neighbor; for neither is there here any Christian love or faithfulness by which one could trace that he sought and favored his neigh¬ bor's honor and salvation; but he basely goes to work and tramples him under his feet by his shameful contempt, and does not consider him worthy to be regarded as a human being; yea, when he should help and serve his neighbor, so that no wrong or harm be done him, he himself does him the greatest wrong. For when he sees and knows that his neighbor sins against God, he does not think how he can convert and save him from the wrath of God and condemna¬ tion, that he may reform; he has no mercy or sympathy in his heart for the distress and affliction of a poor sinner, and thinks that he is rightly and justly served, in that he is left in his condemnation and destruction, and withdraws from him all the duties of love and service God has com¬ manded him to perform, that above all things he might bring his neighbor from his sins and condemnation into the kingdom of God by teaching, admonition, rebuke and re¬ formation, etc.; and what is the worst of all, he is glad and of good courage, because his neighbor is under the power of sin and the wrath of God. Thus one can indeed trace what desire and love he has for God's law, and how much of an enemy he is to vice.

L U T H E R ' S CHURCH God, who can still rejoice, yea, laugh and be heartily pleased at the sins and disobedience of the whole world against God; and who would be sorry if anyone were good at heart and observed God's commandments, and even if able he would be unwilling to help him in the least to this, or prevent the evil and condemnation of his neighbor? What good should we seek or hope for in him who is so wicked as not to desire the salvation of his neighbor?

The heathen themselves know of no greater wickedness, or how to paint a more wicked man, than he who is so hateful and envious, as only to delight and rejoice when his neighbor meets adversity. Like some who are so wicked that they willingly suffer harm themselves, if only another thereby suffer greater injury.

Such devilish, hellish wick¬ edness cannot be greater in anyone than in such false saints, who alone want all honor before God and the world and wish to be pure and holy, and all others to be obnoxious and filthy.

18. If in bodily ills it be said of a physician who claims to be an honorable and good man, who when he visits a person sick unto death, instead of giving him good advice and helping to restore him to health, does nothing but laugh and make fun of the wretched man; who would not take him for the most desperate villain that walks the earth, in that he not only withdraws his assistance from an unfortunate person in his greatest distress, but even laughs at his sufferings and wreaks out his anger upon him? How much greater villainy is that of a false saint, who sees his neighbor's soul in danger and in the fear of eternal condemnation, whose duty it would be to risk his body and life to save him; but he refuses not only to do this when he could save him only with one word or a sigh of sympathy, but instead casts it up against him and as much as he is able gladly plunges him still deeper into con¬ demnation.

That should such a man do or wish to him who is his enemy, or who has done him some wrong, whom neverthe¬ less he is in duty bound to love and assist as far as he

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R 7ould he in this case burst out with anger, curses, blows, so that he would not consider mur¬ der as a sin but as holiness, especially in him who would not admit that he was good and holy, like the good brother murderer Cain did with his brother Abel, and his children at all times still do, as Christ himself says of such, John

16:2: "The hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he oifereth service unto God."

20. Just as little will you find that such a person observes in his heart any other commandment; for just as little would he try to prevent the disgrace of his neighbor's wife or child, or assist to preserve their honor; yea, when it is lost he would be glad of it and laugh in his sleeves, or had he an opportunity he would do it himself, or even lend a hand. That he avoids such public evil work, is not out of his love to virtue or to obedience to God; for if he does not try to prevent the loss and distress of his neighbor's soul, how can you expect him to protect his honor or the honor of his family? Much less would he lament or think to prevent harm to his neighbor's goods, that they be not robbed, stolen, or otherwise destroyed, but would rather rejoice over it and say: It served him right. I will say nothing of his duty to help him in his poverty with his own prop¬ erty, or gratuitously aid him with money.

He will neither guard his neighbor's good name when he hears it slandered and belied, nor try with his own honor to cover and adorn his dishonor; but will rather rejoice and help to belie him and make him out the worst, as such saints especially are accustomed to do, as this one here before God and other people belie this poor publican, whom he in truth cannot accuse of anything.

21. Now see, what a disgraceful, monstrous devil is in such a beautiful saint, who can cover himself with a thin appearance of a few works which he performs before the eyes of the people, and what he does in his worship, thanks and prayers, whereby he blasphemes and dishonors the high majesty with outrage and defiance in the open public, that he dares to boast before God of such scandalous

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com vices, and be so brave as though God were bound to treat him as a model saint, and as a debt and duty give him heaven and everything he might ask. Or if he knew that God would not do it, and accept the poor publican in prefer¬ ence to himself, he would be so enraged with anger and hatred against God, as to publicly take the word out of God's mouth and say, that he is not God but the devil from hell, and would gladly if he could, thrust him down from his throne and usurp his seat. And in all this he will not suffer himself to be punished by any one and will claim he did just right; whereas he deserves more than all other blasphemers, that God should at once open the earth and devour him alive.

22. Here you see what a man is and does, who is moved by his own free will or by the power of nature. For this Pharisee is set up by Christ as the highest example of what a man can do by his own strength according to the law.

And it is certain that all men are by nature and from Adam no better, and just such vices manifest themselves in them, when before God they want to be holy and better than other people; and that there is nothing but a mischievous con¬ tempt for God and all mankind, and are filled with joy and pleasure when men sin against God. Such are twofold., yea, manifold worse than the publican and open sinners like him, because they do not only not keep God's law, but they do not want anyone else to keep it; they do not only not help anyone or do good, but rejoice over their destruc¬ tion and condemnation; and above all this they adorn them¬ selves and pretend to be exceedingly holy, and with a con¬ demned conscience dare to blaspheme and lie before God's majesty, that they are not like other men, and have kept

God's law, so that heaven itself might fall to pieces before them.

23. But now see in contrast this publican, who also comes into the temple to pray, but with quite other thoughts and with a different prayer than those of the Pharisee. For in the first place he has the advantage in that he confesses himself a poor sinner, convinced by his own conscience and Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . condemned, in that he has nothing of which he can boast or be proud before God or the world, but must be ashamed of himself; for the law has so smitten his heart that he feels his misery and distress, and is terrified and filled with anguish at the judgment and wrath of God, and sighs from his heart to be delivered, but finds no comfort any¬ where for his evil plight, and can bring nothing before God but mere sin and shame. With this he is so burdened and oppressed that he dare not even lift up his eyes; for he understands and feels that he has deserved nothing else than hell and eternal death, and must condemn himself be¬ fore God, as he shows and confesses this before God by smiting his breast.

In short, there is truly nothing here but sins and con¬ demnation, as much so before God as those of the Pharisee ; except that the Pharisee does not confess his filthiness, but will make purity out of it, while the publican so feels his sins that he cannot stand before them, but must confess that he daily offends God with his disgraceful unthankfulness, contempt and disobedience for all his mercies and goodness, and that he has permitted him to live to this hour.

Therefore he cannot trust in himself for comfort himself in his own works, but must wholly and entirely despair in himself, if he find not grace and mercy with 24. Nor can he despise any one or exalt himself above his fellow; for he feels that he alone is most deeply con¬ demned, and regards all others as happier and better, es¬ pecially this Pharisee, who in spite of this is full of pollu¬ tion before God. To sum up all, you see here already the beginning of true repentance in such a person, who is heartily penitent and sorrowful over his sins, and heartily desires deliverance from them, and seeks grace and mercy from God, and besides resolves in his heart to lead a better life.

25. But mark how the publican's word and prayer har ׳ monize when he says:

L U T H E R ' S CHURCH dare he conceive, arrange and express such words? For ac¬ cording to reason and human judgment they do not agree, and no man can force such a prayer out of his own heart and thoughts, short as it is. The words of the Pharisee: "God,

I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust," etc., are what a pious man can truly say, and should say.

For no one dare be such a liar that his conscience does not accuse him of being a robber, adulterer, etc.; but must say the truth, and not allow the reputation of a good con¬ science to be taken from him, and he must be a pious man, who says this in truth. On the other hand, a villain can of course also speak these words : "God, be thou mercifui to me a sinner!" as they are offener spoken by rogues than by the truly penitent, pious people.

Yet, who else would speak them but a sinful and condemned person?

Nevertheless the sentence here changes and threatens to become false on both sides, you may turn and shift it as you please.

26. But taken in a fundamental sense it is a speech and example that belongs to the schools and to the theology of Christians, which the world calls heretical. For as I said, no reason can harmonize it, nor can any man, be he as high, wise and learned as he may, harmonize what this pub¬ lican has here put together, to form and construct a prayer from words entirely opposed to each other : "God, be thou merciful to me a sinner!" Yes, surely, this is the art of a great master, which is wholly and entirely foreign, high and far above human understanding.

27. For there never were such words uttered since God in the beginning permitted his voice to be heard, and he spoke unto man. The Scriptures say that in Paradise God said to man, Gen. 2:17: "For in the day thou eatest thereof

(of the forbidden fruit, that is, the day in which you sin against my commandment), thou shalt surely die."

Mount Sinai when God gave the law it read as follows, Ex.

E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. children upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me." In short that man should know that sin is condemned, and God's wrath and punishment are deciared against it.

With this it does not at all agree or harmonize that such a sinner and condemned person dare come before God and pray: "Be thou merciful to me a sinner!" For these two, sin and mercy, are opposed to each other, like fire and water.

Mercy does not belong where sin abounds, but wrath and punishment. How then does this man discover the art to unite the two and harmonize them, and how dare he desire and call for grace to cover his sins? To this be¬ longs more than to know the law and ten commandments, which the Pharisee also knew, and it is a different art, of which the Pharisee knew nothing at all, and all men of themselves know nothing.

28. This is preaching the precious Gospel of God's grace and mercy in Christ, which is published and offered to condemned sinners without anv merit of their own.

This publican must have heard of this also, and the Holy Spirit must have touched and moved his heart with it, as he feels his sins through the law, that he comes before God and offers this prayer, that he certainly believes and holds as he has heard from the Word of God, that God will forgive sins and be merciful, that is, turn away from them his wrath and eternal death for the sake of his Son, the promised Messiah. Such faith united and bound together in this prayer these two contrary elements.

29. Now, this preaching the Gospel is indeed heard by many, and it appears an easy matter to say this; but it is not as common as men think, that everyone knows it; and no one better understands how difficult it is, than the few who study and exercise themselves in it, that they also might believe and pray like the publican. The reason of this is, because the pious rogue and hypocrite, the Pharisee, is still within us, who hinders and prevents us from thus uniting them.

30. Yea, this must also not be according to our external, Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com worldly Dature and its piety, for here we must say and teach nothing else than that grace is not for a sinner, but wrath and punishment, etc., otherwise no one could live on earth; and God could not defend his majesty, if he would not insist that sin must be punished and good works re¬ warded; for then everyone would soon say: let us only bold¬ ly commit sin, for then we will receive more grace! But here in his spiritual kingdom it is altogether different, so that he who is a rogue receives grace and is declared right¬ eous, and he who is called good is a rogue and is con¬ demned.

31. This takes place here since God's judgment and the judgment of the world are different, and as far apart as heaven and earth. Before the world it must be thus: If you are good, you shall enjoy it; are you a thief, you are hanged on the gallows; if you commit murder, you are beheaded. Upon this government God himself must insist, otherwise there would be no peace on the earth. But in his own government where he alone is Lord and Judge without any mediating agents, he is merciful only to poor sinners; for here there is nothing except sin, and before him no one is innocent, as the Scriptures say.

32. Yet it is also true, that sinners are not all alike, so that we must here further distinguish and picture forth those under judgment, and those under grace. For there are some gross and bold sinners, robbers, murderers, thieves, knaves, whoremongers, who act so grossly and are drunk with sin, always rush ahead and never think or ask how they may obtain mercy with God, and go about with¬ out any care, as though they were in no danger. To these

St. Paul preaches, 1 Cor. 6:9:

"Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, nor thieves, nor covet¬ ous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall in¬ herit the kingdom of God." And Christ says, Luke 13:3-5:

"I tell you nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish." For such are not like this publican, be¬ cause they are entirely without repentance and live wickedStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R ly, and do not yet belong to God's gracious government, but to the government of this world.

33. Besides there are other rogues who try to imitate this publican, and who use the Lord's Prayer; they have heard the words that God will be merciful to poor sinners, and have learned to repeat these words and smite their breasts, and can present themselves so humble and penitent in words and questions, that a man could swear, and they themselves would swear, that they are just like this pub¬ lican, and yet it is all false and a delusion.

For they are no better than the Pharisee, and God will be as merciful to them as to him, so that they do not feel his wrath, and he does not strike with his rod among them to punish them, but lets them continue in their wicked state.

These are false Christians and disturbers, false brethren, of whom there is also a great multitude in our communion, who can say the words, and can greatly praise the Gospel and God's grace, and confess they are poor sinners; but when it comes to the test and they are attacked and re¬ buked, they will neither hear nor suffer it, but begin to be angry and say: their honor is offended and their conscience is troubled, or if they can do no more they will practice all kinds of bad tricks against the Gospel.

34. In words and show these may pretend to be like the publican, but in reality they are like the wicked rogue and hypocrite.

For they speak and present themselves thus for the reason alone, that men may be obliged to re¬ gard them as pious, and that no one dare call them any¬ thing else, until God lays hold of them only a little either by the devil, the world, or by his Word; then they are so tender that they cannot stand anything at all, and cry out against violence and injustice. And in brief, as they were previously poor sinners, they are now perfect saints, and so proud, that no one can get along with their sanctity.

35. Of such the world everywhere is to-day full, especial¬ ly of the great and powerful noblemen, and the learned sophists.

Even the common citizen and the farmer who learned this from our Gospel, that they wish to accept and Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com comfort themselves with the thought that God is merciful to sinners, and yet they refuse to be rebuked and censured as sinners; while they still insist that God's Word can¬ not remain silent about sin; they apply the Word of God which rebukes sin to others, and say just like this Pharisee:

I am not like the rest, and whoever says so is unkind to me.

And when one begins to remind them of the wrong they do, they pretend that he speaks against the govern¬ ment, and gives occasion to great dissension. And in brief, one must preach only what they like to hear; if not, it shall no longer be called preaching the Gospel. And such people are like all the false, hypocritical saints, who can indeed say they are poor sinners, but do not want anyone to regard it as true; for when others say it, they are offended.

36. Only these two factions can, and that very easily, har¬ monize these two utterances; I am a sinner, and, God be merciful unto me.

But there is still a third class, who should and gladly would say it in truth, for whom it is the most difficult of all to say these two sentences at the same time from the heart and unite together such a confession and such an absolution.

For, they find in themselves two great hindrances. On the one hand there is still too much in us, as I have said, of the old rogue, the Pharisee, that before God we are anxious to be good and righteous, and better than others; this would sooth the heart and be the sweetest joy for him who can bring it to pass.

We all would like to have God approve what we have done and be pleased with it; and in words also thank him and confess that this is his divine gift.

But there is a hindrance intro¬ duced that blocks the way, like the angel with the fiery sword at the entrance of paradise, that no one may come near and boast before God.

37. On the other hand, where the publican must come before God with only sin and shame, stripped of all his praise and full of nothing but corruption, here is anxiety and worry, so that he grasps hold and appropriates the words to himself:

E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . and hinders him still more; yea, the devil himself by the law of God on which he here insists and enforces, as he ought not, to bring mankind into distress and despair.

38. Hence it is indeed an art above all human art, yea, the most wonderful thing on earth, that a man may have the grace truly to know himself as a sinner, and yet again turn round and cast away all thoughts of God's wrath and hold to mere grace.

For the heart that truly feels sin, cannot otherwise think or conclude, that God is unmerciful and angry at him. As Judas when he saw that he had betrayed Jesus unto death, immediately began to censure himself, and with heart and reason convicted himself worthy of God's eternal wrath and condemnation.

No human heart is able to escape this, for God's command and law stand in the way, which condemn to death, while the devil drives and chases you to perdition. How is it possible to unite such words of the publican in the face of the law, of your own reason and feelings, which represent nothing else to your heart but wrath and shame. Nor can it enter any heart to confess sin, unless the ten commandments show it what sin is and why it is sin. Hence there are these two parts and they are at the same time opposed to each other; namely, to hear the ten commandments which condemn to death and to hell, and then again to lose them and struggle free from their grasp, and thus ascend from hell to heaven.

39. Therefore let him who can, learn by this high wisdom, and become a scholar of this publican, in order that he too may be able to distinguish these two parts from each other, so that wrath may not abide and cleave to sin, but lay hold of reconciliation and forgiveness; that is, that he judge not of this according to human reason or the law, but grasp by faith the comfort and doctrine of the Gospel of Christ, who alone teaches this wonderful unity, so that man can unite the two opposing words, that are farther apart than heaven and hell. For what else do the words, I am a sinner, mean than that God is my enemy and conStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com demns me, and I have merited nothing but eternal wrath, the curse and condemnation.

40. When therefore you feel that, which yon cannot force out of you by smiting on the breast and with your own good works, for it will come of itself if the law really does its work in you, this will indeed teach you how to smite the breast and to humiliate yourself. When you can do nothing else but say: Ο, I am a sinner! then you are lost, for the ten commandments force and plunge you straight into perdition, that your heart must say: you be¬ long to the devil and God does not want you, and you begin to flee from him, and if you could you would run through a hundred worlds, only to escape.

Then it is time in such a flight and terror to stop in your career, turn and say:

My precious Gospel teaches me and the good publican, that before God the highest wis¬ dom is to know and believe that God is so minded, and has founded such a kingdom through Christ, that he will be gracious to help poor, condemned sinners. And thus you can unite the two in one word and confession: I am indeed a sinner, but still God is gracious to me; I am God's enemy, but he is now my friend; I should justly be condemned, yet I know that he does not desire to condemn me, but to save me as an heir of heaven. This is his will, which he has had preached to me, and commanded me to believe for the sake of his dear Son, whom he has given for me.

41. See, thus you have in this publican a beautiful ex¬ ample of true Christian repentance and faith, and an ex¬ cellent masterpiece of high spiritual wisdom or theology, of which the Pharisee and those like him have never re¬ ceived a taste or smell. Besides you see here the proper fruits that follow faith, that he is now a different man, with a different mind, thoughts, words and works than formerly; he gives honor and praise to God alone for his divine grace; he calls and prays to him from the heart and in true confidence in his Word and promise; otherwise he could not have either thought or prayed these words; and thus he performs unto God the true and acceptable

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . worship, and observes the true Sabbath. And now he also has a heart which is an enemy to sin and disobedience.

He does not rejoice but is sorry that he has lived in viola¬ tion of God's commandments, and now he earnestly and from his whole heart seeks to forsake his evil ways, not to offend, deceive, belie, nor treat anyone unjustly or with violence, and anxiously desires that even thus everyone should live in the same way.

42. This is the picture of to-day's Gospel, of the two kinds of persons among those called God's people.

One kind is the great faction of the false church, who nevertheless bear the appearance and the name as though they alone were the most pious and sanctified servants of God; the other, the little flock of those who are true members of the church and true children of God, although they have not praise and great reputation before the world. The difference be¬ tween them is, that each party is known by its character¬ istics and fruits, by which the appearance and name should be distinguished from their true nature, of which you have sufficiently heard.

43. Therefore see to it, that you properly follow this publican, and become like him. Namely, in the first place, that you be not a false but a real sinner; not only in words but in reality and from the heart acknowledge your¬ self worthy before God of his wrath and eternal punish¬ ment, and bring before him in truth these words, "me a poor sinner;" but in the same flight lay hold of the other words: "Be thou merciful to me," by which words you take away the point and edge of the law and thus cast and turn from you the judgment and condemnation the law seeks to force upon you.

44. From this distinction in the two kinds of sinners you are able to form a correct estimate of both sides. God is indeed unmerciful and an enemy to sinners, to those who do not want to be sinners, that is, those who do not fear the wrath of God, but who yet continue in their security and do not wish to be punished. Again, God will be mercifui to poor sinners, who feel their sins, and confess that Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

L U T H E R ' S CHURCH they are condemned before the judgment of God.

Thus here all is turned about according to the word and judg¬ ment of God, just as the persons are; so that the ten com¬ mandments gain this interpretation, and they pass sentence upon those who wish to be holy, or do not want to be ac¬ cused as sinners, and never think that such judgment strikes them.

But the GoSpel and sentence of grace ami comfort pass upon those lying in the terror and fear of death.

45. Again, you must be like the publican in this, that you henceforth forsake sin, for it is not said of him that he continued as he was before, but went forth and applied grace to his own heart, so that God declared him righteous, as the text says : "This man went down to his house justilied." These words do not conclude that he remained in his sin, as he did not go into the temple and pray for that; for whoever desires to continue in sin cannot pray for grace and forgiveness, but he who prays thus thinks, wishes and desires to be just and entirely free from sin.

This you must know so that you do not deceive yourself. For there are many who only consider that the publican as a sinner receives grace and forgiveness, and do not think that God requires that they should forsake sin, and let the grace received be henceforth powerful in their lives. But some want to understand it as though God saves sinners in a way that they may still remain in sin and unrighteousness.

46. Hence it is necessary that Christians contend on both sides against the devil and their own flesh. For when they begin to repent and would gladly become different people, then they first feel the devil's influence, how he excites, hinders and controls them, so that they make no progress, but remain in their old state, etc.

Again, if they cannot prevent this, and in spite of the devil turn to God and call upon him, he will attack them with weak courage and cowardice.

First, he makes sin so very small, and puts them so far beyond the reach of the eyes and hearts of men, that men may despise them and not desire grace, or they put off repentance.

Then on the contrary, he makes sin Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com E L E V E N T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. really too great, as he can blow a fire from a spark greater than heaven and earth, so that it will again be diflöcult to lay hold of forgiveness, or to bring into his heart the words :

"God be thou merciful to me !" Thus indeed it is and will continue to be a great art, and we may well take this pub¬ lican as our example, our teacher and doctor, and learn of him, and call upon God that we may also obtain the end of our faith.

This sermon appeared in pamphlet form under the title: "Of the deaf and mute man, Mark 7, preached by Dr. Martin Luther at Wittenberg, 1522." It is also one of the collection of 14 sermons

Mark 7:31-37. And again he went out from the horders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphata, that is, Be opened. And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue teas loosed, and he spake plain. And he cliarged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them•, so much the more a great deal they published it.

And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

CONTENTS: OF FAITH AND LOVE; T H E FAITH, INTER¬ CESSION AND MERITS OF QTHERS; THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THIS GOSPEL.

The contents of this discourse. 1.

1. Faith springs out of the Gos¬ pel and Word of Christ. 2-3.

The nature of the Gospel. 3.

2. The true character and nature of faith. 4.

1. The nature of love. 5-6.

2. Love should he voluntary and free. 6.

III. OF T H E FAITH, MERIT AND INTERCESSION OF OTHERS.

1. No one can be saved through the faith of others. 7f.

2. To what end are the faith, in¬ tercession and merit of others of service. 8-14.

3. The ground of intercession. 14¬ 4. What is required In intercession.

IV. T H E SPIRITUAL MEANING.

1. Of those who brought the deaf mute to Christ.' 20-21.

2. Of Christ placing his Angers in the ears of the deaf mute. 22.

3. Of the spittle Christ laid upon the tongue of the deaf mute. 23.

4. Of the people praising God for the help. 24.

5. Of Christ bringing the deaf mute to a certain place and looking up to heaven. 25.

SUMMARY OF THIS GOSPEL: 1. The faith of neighbors brings the deaf mute in order that he might believe when the devil is driven out of him.

2. The faith of others is helpful to one in so far as Christ gives him a personal faith. In this sense we pray for the Turks.

3. He, who is justified by faith hears the Word, and confesses Christ with the mouth, as these do here. This is new fruit of the new man.

4. That the Lord forbade them to tell any one, indicates Christ does not seek his own honor and glory.

1. Dearly Beloved: I hope you thoroughly understand this Gospel, for it is plain. However, as we have but one old story to preach, and since it is so precious and can¬ not be sufficiently considered, we will apply our text also to this old story, and briefly speak of faith and love. In the first place, we will look at the simple story of the text it¬ self; then, if time permit, we will also speak a little of its spiritual meaning.

P A R T I. T H E STORY OR E X A M P L E I T S E L F .

2. First, the story or example before us is good in itself, for here we see that many persons received the poor man, as though his distress were their own, bringing him to Jesus to be helped. By this, both faith and love are shown to us. Faith, in that they had heard of the Lord before, that he was kind and compassionate, and helped all those who came to him. For the Word must first have been heard, and must first have entered the human heart, show¬ ing us the mercy of God in such a way that we depend upon it.

Therefore the Word of Christ must here also have taught these people this; otherwise, where it does not come, there faith and works are all in vain.

3. And though this gospel lesson, like the preceding one, does not state that they had previously heard the tidinga of the Gospel, yet we must nevertheless conclude, and the Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com fact proves it, that they must have previously heard the good tidings and Gospel of Christ the Lord, through which they believed.

For that is properly the Gospel which is called good tidings, a good report, not that which is written on paper, but that which is proclaimed in the world and becomes known by the living voice.

Thus doubtless they had heard that Christ was kind, friendly, and helpful, wil¬ ling to aid everybody; this was the beginning of their faith.

Thus you must earnestly search the Gospel, and you will always find, that the tidings must first go forth and lead us to God, in order that he may lay the first stone; otherwise, all is lost.

In the next place, you will learn that because they have clung to the tidings and trusted them for their comfort, they went thither, and hox>ed to receive of him what they had heard.

4. Now you here observe the nature of faith which grows out of the Word. For the Word first sets forth to us the mercy and goodness of God; then faith causes us to cleave unto it with a firm confidence, and to obey the Word. For we are now conscious of this in our hearts, and are satis¬ fied; for as soon as we believe, we are already with Christ in this inheritance, and are justified.

5. In the third place, this Gospel lesson describes the works of love in this, that these people go and care for the poor man, just as Christ, without their merit, and without their doing, sends forth his Word, and spreads abroad his goodness and mercy.

Thus as they have laid hold and drank from the fountain, they again flow forth freely, and also impart themselves to their neighbor freely and with¬ out any merit.

Thus love should do its work, not as though it needs it, but devotes itself solely to the benefit of its neighbor, as Paul, among other things, speaks to the Corinthians about love, 1. Cor. 13:5: "Love seeketh not its own" ; and to the Philippians he says, Phil. 2:4 : "Not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others."

6. This we may also learn here in these good people.

T W E L F T H SUNDAY A F T E K TRINITY. themselves, but to the poor man, and think how they may help him; they seek no reward, but act independently and freely. Thus you should by right do likewise; if not, you are no Christians.

Therefore consider carefully how love is here described, that it takes upon itself the care of others.

If we accept this lesson, it will be well for us; but if not, then God will punish us with blindness, as he has been doing, to our grief, for nearly four hundred years.

This much we say briefly concerning faith and love.

Further¬ more, we must now, in the fourth place, treat of the faith of other persons.

7. You know the fundamental truth is, that man cannot be just and acceptable before God, save alone by faith.

So that they have lied and spoken falsely who have taught heretofore that we may deal with God through our works.

Moreover it was much more foolish that they taught us to rely upon the works and faith of other persons, pre¬ tending that nuns, monks and priests can help other per¬ sons by their wailing which they perform in their cloisters at night, and that in this manner they can help other peopie and distribute their treasures.

Therefore, let every¬ one here remember, that no one dare undertake to be saved by the faith, or by the work of another person; in truth, it cannot be done by the faith or work of Mary, or of any saint, yea, not even by Christ's work and faith, but through your own personal faith. For God will not permit

Mary, or any other saint, not even Christ himself, to take your place, in order that you might be godly and righteous, unless you believe for your own self. If Christ's faith and work will not do it, you will much less accomplish it by the work or faith of all the monks and priests.

Gospel lesson gives us an occasion to speak of the faith of others.

For here we read that they led this person to Christ in their own faith and work; the man did nothing toward it, but merely suffered it to be done.

8. Therefore let everybody mark well, that he can never be saved through another person's faith. But it of course Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com may happen, that by the faith of other persons you may be brought to a faith of your own. Likewise the good works of other persons may be of service to me to obtain works of my own. Therefore those lie, who declare that we may be saved through the works or faith of other persons, whether we ourselves believe or not.

Unless you yourself draw out from God's kindness and mercy a faith of your own, you will not be saved. Thus it must be; otherwise no other person's faith or works avail, not even

Christ, though he is the Saviour of all the world; his kind¬ ness, his help will do you no good whatever, unless you believe in it, and are enlightened by it.

9. Therefore, by all means beware of the preachers whom you have often heard among the monks, who approach a dying person and say: "Behold, my brave fellow, do not despair; if you have committed sins, be sorry for them; but in order that you may fare so much the better, I will make you a present of my righteous life and my good works." If now, the dying person accept such a gift, he is as much a fool as the other, and with all these works, he will go to the devil. Therefore, beware of such consolation, and say:

If you are willing to serve me with your good works, ap ־ proach God and speak thus:

Ο heavenly Father, by thy grace I am now believing; therefore, I pray thee, my God, give also unto this poor man a faith of his own.

This might help me; but that you would give me your own faith, this you cannot do, neither would it help me.

You will have enough to do to be saved by your own faith.

10. This you may see in the case of the foolish virgins, who, when their lamps went out, said unto the wise vir¬ gins: "Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out."

Then did the wise ones answer and say: "Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you." Mat. 25:8-9.

In that case I am in need even of more faith for myself; how then could I share it with another? For my own faith must stand before God's judgment, and must fight so hard and cleave so firmly to God's mercy, that the sweat will run down its face, if it is to prevail. That is the true meanStill Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

T W E L F T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . ing of St. Peter's words, 1. Pet. 4-18:

"The righteous is scarcely saved, where then shall the ungodly appear?" For when death makes its onslaught, then such fear and agony will seize him, that he can scarcely with all his strength, stand for himself and be kept in faith. Hence it is greatly to be deplored that they have established so much decep¬ tion, putting monks' cowls upon the dead, and inventing other foolish things, by which they led poor souls straight¬ way to perdition.

11. Now this I say, that you may know how far the faith of others may be of use to us, and how your own faith can help you. Other people's merits will help you to attain a merit of your own, and nothing more.

And though all the angels, yea, the mercy of God itself, were ready to stand for you, it would avail you nothing, unless you cleave unto it with a faith of your own.

But it may effect this, that it will assist you to obtain a faith of your own, which will help you. Furthermore, even if Christ did die for us, and pledged and gave his body and life, blood and flesh for us, and became our advocate; yet it would avail nothing, unless we believe in him. But he can assist us in this way, that he appears before the Father and says:

"O Father, this have I done for mankind; do thou give them faith, in order that they may enjoy it."

This chen, will help us, if we feel assured that his works and merit are our own. In the same manner one should also speak of the other saints, that no saint's intercession and merit avail unless we ourselves believe.

You observe this also in our lesson. There lies the poor man, unable either to speak or to hear. They who bring him to the Lord can speak and hear. But they cannot make him speak by their hearing and speaking, and even though they all had come near him and said: "We will speak and hear for you"; yet he would, in spite of this, have remained speechless and deaf con¬ tinually, and would never have been able to speak.

12. Likewise, if I were to give you a written declaration saying: "Go forth, this is my work; this shall be yours"; yet it will not help you a whit, but it will carry you into Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com

In what way, then, will it help you?

If I do, as these men do, who come to Christ and say: "O Lord, help this poor man, that he may receive his speech!" They do not say: "We will hear and speak in your stead," but they pray that Christ himself would give him speech. Likewise, if you take my part, and use your faith in such a way that it may help me to a faith of my own, this might help me; thus! thus it must be! God be thanked!

Otherwise, no work nor any brotherhood, will avail.

13. Therefore say: I must neither rely upon your works nor you upon mine; but I will, by my own faith, pray God to give you a faith of your own. This is what is said, that we all are priests and kings, that we, like Christ himself, may intercede for one another before God, praying for personal faith. Thus, if I happen to notice that you have no faith of your own, or a weak faith, I go and ask God to help you to obtain faith, not by giving you my faith and my works, but your own faith and your own works ; so that Christ may give him all his works and salvation through faith, as he hath given them to us by faith.

14. That is the meaning of the saying of Christ, John 16:26-27: " I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the This is a beautiful addition, as though he would say: I have prayed for you, and have entreated God that he would give you what is mine. Therefore know my name.

For through my prayer he has accepted you and has given you faith, so that henceforth you may pray for yourselves, and I need not do it; provided that you do it in my name.

Heire he has crowned us, dedicated and anointed us with the Holy Spirit, so that we all are priests in Christ, and may exercise the priest's office, go before God and pray for one another. This is what St. Peter means in writing thus in his First Epistle, 2:9-10: "Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may shew forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com T W E L F T H SUNDAY A F T E R T R I N I T Y . past were no people, but now are the people of God ; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."

15. Hence we may all say:

Christ was my priest, wiio prayed for me and purchased faith and the Spirit for me; therefore I am also a priest, and must go on praying in the world, that God may give faith also to this and that person. So we conclude, that we shall obtain whatever we earnestly pray for in the true faith, as the Lord says, John

16:24: "Ask, and ye shall receive."

16. But to pray powerfully is not within our strength; for the Spirit does not always vouchsafe to us to pray with power.

Paul prayed that all Israel might be saved, Bom.

9-lf; why did it not come to pass? The difference lies in the faith, for the Spirit did not give it to him; had he been able to add this faith, it would surely have come to pass.

For if Paul had said, "I pray for all Israel," and had be¬ lieved and said: "Lord, I am certain that thou wilt do it," then it would certainly have come to pass. But though he often prayed for them from his heart, the Spirit did not vouchsafe to him that he should confidently believe it.

Therefore it is not within our power to pray in strong con¬ fidence; the Holy Spirit does it.

Whenever we pray for anyone and are able to add, "It will be done," then it will certainly be done; but whenever w re pray, we must add,

"Thy will be done." If, then, I must let it go according to Ms will, I cannot suggest to him either the person, or the time, or the manner, but must freely leave it all to him; then, indeed, I am sure of it. In this manner Christ acted also, who himself prayed thus : "O my Father, if it be pos¬ sible, let this cup pass away from me," but at once added:

"Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Mat. 26:39.

17. Therefore, when I am to pray for an entire city or community, I ought to say: "O Father, I pray for all of them." Nevertheless, however, I must give honor to his name or will, and say: "Dear Father, I pray for these; I know it is thy will, that I should pray, that I should not despise prayer; but thy will shall be done always; for I might ask something for some one who is not worthy of it

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com before thee; or again, I might possibly cast aside some one who is worthy; therefore do thou act according to thy divine will, for thou wilt certainly do better than I could ever con ceive."

Thus you see that we cannot always add these words: It will be so. But if we are certain in our hearts that we may add: "It will be certainly so," then it will come to pass.

18. This we see in our text.

These people approach the Lord in strong confidence, praying for the poor man, and their prayer is also heard.

In the same manner, when baptism is performed we see this take place in the chil¬ dren's faith. There are the infants, bare and naked in body and soul, having neither faith nor works. Then the Chris¬ tian Church comes forward and prays, that God would pour faith into the child; not that our faith should help the child, but that it may obtain a faith of its own.

If it has faith, then after that whatever it does is well done, whether it suckle its mother's breast, or whether it soil itself, or what¬ ever it may please to do. But if it does not obtain faith, our faith is of no value to the child.

19. Therefore my faith can help you in no way except that it may assist you to obtain a faith of your own. Hence, to sum up all, everything depends upon personal faith, as strong as it is, so much does it need the faith and prayer of other people in order to increase in strength. Now you can easily judge, that those people were the greatest fools, who held masses and vigils with the brotherhoods; for the wise virgins have sufficient oil only for themselves, and scarcely have enough.

This is a simple explanation of the story of the Gospel lesson. Now let us briefly consider the meaning which our Lord puts into it.

P A R T I I . T H E S P I R I T U A L MEANING.

20. The people bring the poor man to the Lord, the Lord takes him to a special place, lays his fingers into the man's ears, spits, and touches his tongue with the spittle, looks up toward heaven, and sighing, says, Ephphata, that is,

T W E L F T H SUNDAY A F T E R TRINITY. good. For by those who here bring the deafmute to the Lord, the office of the ministry is meant.

Ministers and the Apostles lead the poor consciences of men to God. This is done in three ways, by preaching, by a godly life, and by intercession.

With the Word and preaching, they are brought to God; a godly life serves to show the Word so much the mightier in its power. But the Word itself leads to Christ, though it be preached by a sinner. Yet, a good life serves as an emphasis and a furtherance of the Gospel ; while a wicked life dulls its edge.

Their third duty, to pray for the people, likewise leads them on the road both to faith and to works.

21. Now if the Word go on its way in this threefold man¬ ner, it cannot fail to bring forth fruit, as God says, Is. 55:11 :

"My Word, that goeth forth out of my mouth, shall not return to me void." This is indicated by the action of the pious persons who carry the mute into Christ's presence; this signifies the ministers, who bring forward the sinner; then God appears, giving growth and increase, as Paul says,

1. Cor. 3:7, He opens the sinner's eyes, ears, and mouth.

This happens in a wink of the eye, for God's Word is like lightning, which in a moment passes from sunrise to the ends of the earth. Thus when such persons are brought to God, he gives them grace to believe.

22. This is signified by the act of laying his fingers into the man's ears; through the Word he breathes the Holy Spirit into him, making the heart believing, decent, chaste, and holy; for the finger signifies the Holy Spirit.

23. Again, the spittle that is laid on the man's tongue, typifies the Word of God; this is put into his mouth in order that he may be able to speak it.

And this spittle, the Word of God, is a noble thing, but very bitter to the 24. Then they praise God, saying:

'%e hath done all things well, he has made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak." For wherever there is true faith, there the Spirit will not allow you any rest; you will break forth, become a priest, teach other people also, as we read Ps. 116:10: " I Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com believe, for I will speak."

There the heart is full, and the mouth must run over. Then when they are persecuted, they will not care.

25. But the part of the story, that Christ took the man apart from the others, looks up to heaven, has this mean¬ ing:

If God do not take me alone to• a separate place, and give me the Holy Spirit, so that I cling to the Word which I have heard, then all preaching is in vain. But why does this require so much that he looks up to heaven and makes use of divine power, calling upon God's grace to come and to act? By this he teaches us that such power must come from heaven, working in the heart of man by divine strength; then help comes to him. Again the spittle which is the Word of God is a noble thing for the Old Adam.

Then they go forth to praise and glorify God.

26. Thus have you learned, from the story and from its spiritual or secret meaning, that we must first hear the Word of God and thus, through the intercession of Christ, obtain a faith of our own, and then we come out, confessing this and praising God forever.

May this be sufficient on this Gospel lesson.

Let us pray to God for grace.

T W E L F T H S U N D A Y A F T E R Second Sermon—Mark 7:31-37.

This sermon is given in place of the preceding sermon in edition c and appeared in pamphlet form under the title: "A sermon on the Gospel of Mark, 7th chapter, preached in the Castle Church at Wittenberg before the Elector and Duke Henry of Saxony by Dr.

Martin Luther. Wittenberg, 1534." At the close stands: Printed at Wittenberg by Nicholas Schirlenz, 1534. It appeared also in the edition of the Postil of 1543.

1. As the Gospel everywhere shows Christ our Lord to be a merciful and gracious man, ready to help every one by word and deed, in body and soul, so does this Gospel lesson picture to us how willingly he helped this poor man, who was deaf and dumb, in order that we might be invited to believe, trusting to obtain from him all that is good, and also thereby to show unto us an example and a pattern, which every Christian ought to follow, helping his neighbor in the same manner.

2. For a Christian life consists entirely in the following:

First, that we believe and trust in Christ our Saviour, be¬ ing fully assured that we are not deserted by him, whatever need or danger may betide us. Secondly, that every Chris¬ tian person also conducts himself toward friend or foe in the same way, as he sees Christ does, who is so willing to help everyone. Whoever does this, is a Christian; but he who does it not, is no Christian, though he calls himself one.

For these two cannot be separated; faith must be followed by its fruits, or it is not true faith.

That is the sum of this Gospel lesson.

3. Now some have been agitated over the fact that in this miracle Christ first takes the poor man and leads hiin apart from the people, performs particular ceremonies, places his

Still Waters Revival Books - All Rights Reserved - www.PuritanDownloads.com fingers in the man's ears, and spits, and touches his tongue, looks up to heaven, sighs and uses peculiar language; whereas he had before helped other mutes and many not mutes without any such ceremonies, merely by a word.

All this, I say, has set some to thinking, and they have explained it that Christ in this case called to mind how this same man, whom he was now helping would afterward sin with his tongue and ears ; therefore he had pity on him who would commit such sins after this great work was done, and that this deed of mercy would be so little appreciated, in that a speechless tongue should become a blaspheming tongue, which would not only defame his neighbors, but even dishonor God in heaven; and the ears, which were opened in order to hear God's Word, would rather hear all manner of erroneous and false doctrine, than the Word of This, they say, was the reason Christ sighed and looked up to heaven.

4. I will not reject this opinion; [so that it may not be said, that we are never pleased with anything, but want to have everything new and changed.]

But, we must not, as it w rere, confine Christ too narrowly as though he had regard to one person only; we must regard him more highly than that he would help only this man. For all the Holy Scriptures, and particularly the prophets and psalms, declare, that he was sent to have deep compassion on all the misery and need of the whole human race, and that Christ was the person, chosen particularly above all saints, to be so minded toward us as surely to take upon himself all our need and sorrow as though they were his own, as in Ps. 40:12 he says of our sins, "Mine iniquities have over¬ taken me, so that I am not able to look up," and in Ps. 41:4,

"O Lord, have mercy upon me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee." Here our merciful Lord speaks in our person, bearing our sins as though they were his own, and as though he had committed them himself. And again, Ps.

69:5 : "O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee"; again, Is. 53:6: "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all"; and vs. 4-5: "He hath borne our