of remission of sins. Accordingly, it is not only written concerning John that he preached a baptism of repentance, but "into" or "for the forgiveness of sins" is added. That is to say that through it men are prepared for grace, which effects the remission of sins. Sins are remitted only to those who are dissatisfied with themselves, and this is what it means to repent. But only those are dissatisfied with themselves who know this. But only those know it who understand the law. But no one understands the law unless it be explained to him. This, however, the gospel does. Thus, "through the law comes knowledge of sin [Rom.
3:20]; apart from the law sin lies dead [Rom. 7:8]; but when the commandment came, sin revived [Rom.
7:9]; for I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet' " [Rom.
7:7]. Therefore the law is an excellent thing, in so far as it points out sins and makes us realize our own misfortune, and thus moves us to seek the good. For the first step to health is to admit that one is sick, and the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord [Prov. 9:10]. But the law excites fear, so that a man is humbled when he sees that he does not keep the commandments and thus is incurring the judgment of God. But grace infuses love, by which he is made more confident, because, while he sees that he wants to keep the commandments and yet is not able to keep them at all, the fulness of Christ is accepted instead, until he too is finally made perfect. Therefore, "thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus
Christ" [I Cor. 15:57].
The original text of this sermon on the stilling of the tempest begins with the tag of the pericope, "even winds and sea obey him." In accord with the plan adopted for this volume of not printing out the Scripture texts except when they are a part of the original text, the sermon text is omitted.
Text in Latin; WA 1, 128–130.
There can be no doubt that in this Gospel the sea is a symbol of this world, that is, this troubled, unstable, and transitory life. The storm and the winds are the "rulers of this present darkness, … the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" [Eph. 6:12]. The ship is the church and as many of us as are in the true faith; indeed, faith itself is the ship in which Christ is seated, which is constantly being tossed about by perils. Because we must necessarily be constantly tossed about in peril, blessed is he who perceives his perils and unhappy he who sees no dangers. Not as if he had no perils—there is no man without many and exceedingly great perils—but rather because he does not see that he is in the midst of perils, indeed, that he is dead and drowned in perils. For just as every temptation is not merely a double temptation but is rather all one temptation, so no peril is the greatest peril of all. The greatest security is the greatest temptation, the greatest wealth is the greatest poverty, the greatest justice is the greatest injustice, the greatest wisdom is the greatest stupidity, and every excess drives one to excess in everything, and this becomes the greatest peril. To have many temptations is no temptation,1 the greatest disturbance is the greatest peace; the greatest sin is the greatest righteousness;2 the greatest foolishness is the greatest wisdom. For in the former [i.e., in righteousness, wisdom, etc.] the feel reposes in himself and has forgotten God, whereas in the latter [i.e., in disturbance, sin, foolishness, etc.] the wise one forsakes himself and takes refuge in God. But to repose in oneself and forget God is the very cesspool of all evil; on the other hand, to seek after God is the sum of all good. As St. James says in the first chapter, "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials" [Jas. 1:2]; and yet, on the other hand, he says, "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you" [Jas. 5:1]. And Isa. 47 [:8–9] says, "Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children': these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood, etc." And again he says, "Ruin shall come on you suddenly, of which you know nothing" [Isa. 47:11].
Therefore it is well with those who find water breaking into their ship, for this moves them to seek help from God. Wherefore, observe how Christ in all things is seeking our profit and is serving us even while he sleeps. The while he abandons us he is upholding us and while he is allowing us to go through storms in terror he is bringing us forward. Thus he brings it about that we do not perish but rather turn back to him, so that more and more we are constantly being saved. Indeed, he wants to arouse in us a