a treatise on good works-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



mercy。〃　So　we　pray　with　perfect　confidence：　〃Our　Father；〃　and　yet

petition：　〃Forgive　us　our　trespasses〃；　we　are　children　and　yet

sinners；　are　acceptable　and　yet　do　not　do　enough；　and　all　this

is　the　work　of　faith；　firmly　grounded　in　God's　grace。　



XVII。　But　if　you　ask；　where　the　faith　and　the　confidence　can　be

found　and　whence　they　come；　this　it　is　certainly　most　necessary

to　know。　First：　Without　doubt　faith　does　not　come　from　your　works

or　merit；　but　alone　from　Jesus　Christ；　and　is　freely　promised　and

given；　as　St。　Paul　writes；　Romans　v：　〃God　commendeth　His　love　to

us　as　exceeding　sweet　and　kindly；　in　that；　while　we　were　yet

sinners；　Christ　died　for　us〃；　as　if　he　said：　〃Ought　not　this　give

us　a　strong　unconquerable　confidence；　that　before　we　prayed　or

cared　for　it；　yes；　while　we　still　continually　walked　in　sins；

Christ　dies　for　our　sin？〃　St。　Paul　concludes：　〃If　while　we　were

yet　sinners　Christ　died　for　us；　how　much　more　then；　being

justified　by　His　blood；　shall　we　be　saved　from　wrath　through　Him；

and　if；　when　we　were　enemies；　we　were　reconciled　to　God　by　the

death　of　His　Son；　much　more；　being　reconciled；　shall　we　be　saved

by　His　life。〃　



Lo！　thus　must　thou　form　Christ　within　thyself　and　see　how　in　Him

God　holds　before　thee　and　offers　thee　His　mercy　without　any

previous　merits　of　thine　own；　and　from　such　a　view　of　His　grace

must　thou　draw　faith　and　confidence　of　the　forgiveness　of　all　thy

sins。　Faith；　therefore；　does　not　begin　with　works；　neither　do

they　create　it；　but　it　must　spring　up　and　flow　from　the　blood；

wounds　and　death　of　Christ。　If　thou　see　in　these　that　God　is　so

kindly　affectioned　toward　thee　that　He　gives　even　His　Son　for

thee；　then　thy　heart　also　must　in　its　turn　grow　sweet　and　kindly

affectioned　toward　God；　and　so　thy　confidence　must　grow　out　of

pure　good…will　and　love　　God's　love　toward　thee　and　thine

toward　God。　We　never　read　that　the　Holy　Spirit　was　given　to　any

one　when　he　did　works；　but　always　when　men　have　heard　the　Gospel

of　Christ　and　the　mercy　of　God。　From　this　same　Word　and　from　no

other　source　must　faith　still　come；　even　in　our　day　and　always。

For　Christ　is　the　rock　out　of　which　men　suck　oil　and　honey；　as

Moses　says；　Deuteronomy　xxxii。　



XVIII。　So　far　we　have　treated　of　the　first　work　and　of　the　First

Commandment；　but　very　briefly；　plainly　and　hastily；　for　very　much

might　be　said　of　it。　We　will　now　trace　the　works　farther　through

the　following　Commandments。　



The　second　work；　next　to　faith；　is　the　work　of　the　Second

Commandment；　that　we　shall　honor　God's　Name　and　not　take　it　in

vain。　This；　like　all　the　other　works；　cannot　be　done　without

faith；　and　if　it　is　done　without　faith；　it　is　all　sham　and　show。

After　faith　we　can　do　no　greater　work　than　to　praise；　preach；

sing　and　in　every　way　exalt　and　magnify　God's　glory；　honor　and

Name。　



And　although　I　have　said　above；　and　it　is　true；　that　there　is　no

difference　in　works　where　faith　is　and　does　the　work；　yet　this

is　true　only　when　they　are　compared　with　faith　and　its　works。

Measured　by　one　another　there　is　a　difference；　and　one　is　higher

than　the　other。　Just　as　in　the　body　the　members　do　not　differ

when　compared　with　health；　and　health　works　in　the　one　as　much

as　in　the　other；　yet　the　works　of　the　members　are　different；　and

one　is　higher；　nobler；　more　useful　than　the　other；　so；　here　also；

to　praise　God's　glory　and　Name　is　better　than　the　works　of　the

other　Commandments　which　follow；　and　yet　it　must　be　done　in　the

same　faith　as　all　the　others。　



But　I　know　well　that　this　work　is　lightly　esteemed；　and　has

indeed　become　unknown。　Therefore　we　must　examine　it　further；　and

will　say　no　more　about　the　necessity　of　doing　it　in　the　faith　and

confidence　that　it　pleases　God。　Indeed　there　is　no　work　in　which

confidence　and　faith　are　so　much　experienced　and　felt　as　in

honoring　God's　Name；　and　it　greatly　helps　to　strengthen　and

increase　faith；　although　all　works　also　help　to　do　this；　as　St。

Peter　says；　II。　Peter　i：　〃Wherefore　the　rather；　brethren；　give

diligence　through　good　works　to　make　your　calling　and　election

sure。〃



XIX。　The　First　Commandment　forbids　us　to　have　other　gods；　and

thereby　commands　that　we　have　a　God；　the　true　God；　by　a　firm

faith；　trust；　confidence；　hope　and　love；　which　are　the　only　works

whereby　a　man　can　have；　honor　and　keep　a　God；　for　by　no　other

work　can　one　find　or　lose　God　except　by　faith　or　unbelief；　by

trusting　or　doubting；　of　the　other　works　none　reaches　quite　to

God。　So　also　in　the　Second　Commandment　we　are　forbidden　to　use

His　Name　in　vain。　Yet　this　is　not　to　be　enough；　but　we　are

thereby　also　commanded　to　honor；　call　upon；　glorify；　preach　and

praise　His　Name。　And　indeed　it　is　impossible　that　God's　Name

should　not　be　dishonored　where　it　is　not　rightly　honored。　For

although　it　be　honored　with　the　lips；　bending　of　the　knees；

kissing　and　other　postures；　if　this　is　not　done　in　the　heart　by

faith；　in　confident　trust　in　God's　grace；　it　is　nothing　else　than

an　evidence　and　badge　of　hypocrisy。　



See　now；　how　many　kinds　of　good　works　a　man　can　do　under　this

Commandment　at　all　times　and　never　be　without　the　good　works　of

this　Commandment；　if　he　will；　so　that　he　truly　need　not　make　a

long　pilgrimage　or　seek　holy　places。　For；　tell　me；　what　moment

can　pass　in　which　we　do　not　without　ceasing　receive　God's

blessings；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　suffer　adversity？　But　what　else

are　God's　blessings　and　adversities　than　a　constant　urging　and

stirring　up　to　praise；　honor；　and　bless　God；　and　to　call　upon　His

Name？　Now　if　you　had　nothing　else　at　all　to　do；　would　you　not

have　enough　to　do　with　this　Commandment　alone；　that　you　without

ceasing　bless；　sing；　praise　and　honor　God's　Name？　And　for　what

other　purpose　have　tongue；　voice；　language　and　mouth　been

created？　As　Psalm　li。　says：　〃Lord；　open　Thou　my　lips；　and　my

mouth　shall　show　forth　Thy　praise。〃　Again：　〃My　tongue　shall　sing

aloud　of　Thy　mercy。〃　



What　work　is　there　in　heaven　except　that　of　this　Second

Commandment？　As　it　is　written　in　Psalm　Ixxxiv：　〃Blessed　are　they

that　dwell　in　Thy　house：　they　will　be　for　ever　praising　Thee。〃

So　also　David　says　in　Psalm　xxxiv：　〃God's　praise　shall　be

continually　in　my　mouth。〃　And　St。　Paul；　I。　Corinthians　x：

〃Whether　therefore　ye　eat　or　drink；　or　whatsoever　ye　do；　do　all

to　the　glory　of　God。〃　Also　Colossians　iii：　〃Whatsoever　ye　do　in

word　or　deed；　do　all　in　the　Name　of　the　Lord　Jesus；　giving　thanks

to　God　and　the　Father。〃　If　we　were　to　observe　this　work；　we　would

have　a　heaven　here　on　earth　and　always　have　enough　to　do；　as　have

the　saints　in　heaven。　



XX。　On　this　is　based　the　wonderful　and　righteous　judgment　of　God；

that　at　times　a　poor　man；　in　whom　no　one　can　see　many　great

works；　in　the　privacy　of　his　home　joyfully　praises　God　when　he

fares　well；　or　with　entire　confidence　calls　upon　Him　when　he

fares　ill；　and　thereby　does　a　greater　and　more　acceptable　work

than　another；　who　fasts　much；　prays　much；　endows　churches；　makes

pilgrimages；　and　burdens　himself　with　great　deeds　in　this　place

and　in　that。　Such　a　fool　opens　wide　his　mouth；　looks　for　great

works　to　do；　and　is　so　blinded　that　he　does　not　at　all　notice

this　greatest　work；　and　praising　God　is　in　his　eyes　a　very　small

matter　compared　with　the　great　idea　he　has　formed　of　the　works

of　his　own　devising；　in　which　he　perhaps　praises　himself　more

than　God；　or　takes　more　pleasure　in　them　than　he　does　in　God；　and

thus　with　his　good　works　he　storms　against　the　Second　Commandment

and　its　works。　Of　all　this　we　have　an　illustration　in　the　case

of　the　Pharisee　and　the　Publican　in　the　Gospel。　For　the　sinner

calls　upon　God　in　his　sins；　and　praises　Him；　and　so　has　hit　upon

the　two　highest　Commandments；　faith　and　God's　honor。　The

hypocrite　misses　both　and　struts　about　with　other　good　works　by

which　he　praises　himself　and　not　God；　and　puts　his　trust　in

himself　more　than　in　God。　Therefore　he　is　justly　rejected　and　the

other　chosen。　



The　reason　of　all　this　is　that　the　higher　and　better　the　works

are；　the　less　show　they　make；　and　that　every　one　thinks　they　are

easy；　because　it　is　evident　that　no　one　pretends　to　praise　God's

Name　and　honor　so　much　as　the　very　men　who　never　do　it　and　with

their　show　of　doing　it；　while　the　heart　is　without　faith；　cause

the　precious　work　to　be　despised。　So　that　the　Apostle　St。　Paul

dare　say　boldly；　Romans　ii；　that　they　blaspheme　God's　Name　who

make　their　boast　of　God's　Law。　For　to　name　the　Name　of　God　and

to　write　His　honor　on　paper　and　on　the　walls　is　an　easy　matter；

but　genuinely　to　praise　and　bless　Him　in　His　good　deeds　and

confidently　to　call　upon　Him　in　all　adversities；　these　are　truly

the　most　rare；　highest　works；　next　to　faith；　so　that　if　we　were

to　see　how　few　of　them　there　are　in　Christendom；　we　might　despair

for　very　sorrow。　And　yet　there　is　a　constant　increase　of　high；

pretty；　shining　works　of　men's　devising；　or　of　works　which　look

like　these　true　works；　but　a