1 Petr. 3, 8-15.
Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, brotherly, merciful, kind, not repaying evil with evil, or evil word with evil word, but blessing, and knowing that you are called to this, that you may inherit the blessing. For he that would live and see good days, let him hold his tongue, that it speak no evil; and his lips, that they deceive not. Let him turn from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer: but the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil. And who is there that can harm you, if ye do that which is good? Even if you suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. But do not be afraid of their defiance, and do not be dismayed. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
(1) Then you hear another sermon about many and great good works that Christians who have believed and confessed the gospel should do, so that their faith may be seen in the fruits. He divides such fruits into two parts: the first, the works Christians should do toward one another; the second, the works they should do toward enemies and persecutors.
2. because shortly before he started to
teach how, in the common state and household, husband and wife are to live together in Christian love and friendship, so that one may give honor to the other and tolerate each other with reason and patience etc. He continues this exhortation among all the Christian households, that they should live together in Christian love, as brothers and sisters in one house. And gather a great multitude
of the noblest, finest virtues and works, so paint a beautiful church with its beautiful ornaments and decorations, so that it may shine before the people, so that God may be pleased and honored by it, and both angels and men may see joy and pleasure in it. For what should a man on earth desire more to see, and what happier and lovelier company should he rather seek, than where he would like to be with such a group, where he would see such virtue, one heart, mind and will, brotherly love, gentleness, friendliness, patience, and also guarding enemies? Since there is no man so wicked who would not praise such things and like to be with such people.
3, The first virtue is, of which the apostles often say, as St. Paul Rom. 12, 16: "Have one mind among yourselves"; item Eph. 4, 3: "Be diligent to keep unity in the Spirit through the bond of peace." This virtue is the most noble and necessary among Christians in general; for where the others are to follow, love, gentleness, kindness, there first the hearts must be one and united with one another. For outwardly in the world and in human life it cannot be one and the same; there must remain various differences of persons, statuses and works. And it is precisely because of this disparity that hearts in the world are not one and the same; For flesh and blood are so corrupt by nature that as soon as a man feels that he is nobler, more learned, more skilful and more capable in his own person than another, or in a higher, more honest position and office, he begins to please himself, lets himself be thought better than others, yes, as soon as he is held in high esteem and celebrated by everyone, he neither yields to nor serves anyone inferior, thinks he has the right and justification because he is more and better.
(4) Against such common vices of the world, which the devil practiceth in his great multitude, and thereby causeth all miseries and calamities, corrupting all ranks and offices, and making vile and reprobate men, unfit for good works, the apostles diligently exhort Christians to be of one mind, though they have not the same offices and works; for there every one must abide.
as it is ordered and called by God, and not all ranks and offices can be called one rank or one office. And especially it is unequal in the church, since above the outward difference of the persons, ranks etc. there are also various divine gifts, assigned and given to one neither to the other. But it should be done in this way, that these various differences and offices, both spiritual and secular, may nevertheless be united in the "unity of the Spirit," as St. Paul calls it, or spiritual unity. Just as the members of a body have various different offices and work, and none can carry on another's work, and yet all are in bodily unity of one life, so also Christians, as there are various differences of persons, languages, offices, and gifts among them, must nevertheless live, increase, and be preserved in unity and equality of mind, as in one body.
5. This is the very first and most necessary commandment according to the doctrine of faith, yes, also the first fruit and virtue, so that faith should work among Christians who are called in one faith and baptism, and should be the beginning of Christian love among them; for where faith is right, such a mind and thought must follow from it in all believers: Behold, we are all called one to another by one word, baptism and Holy Spirit to the same blessedness, and at the same time heirs of the graces and all the goods of God; and though one has more and greater gifts than another, he is therefore no better in the sight of God; but by grace alone, without any merit on our part, we please God, that no one may boast of himself before Him.
(6) What can I think better of my person, gifts, status or office than another? or what does another have more to boast about himself before God? After all, no one has another baptism, sacrament, Christ, grace and blessedness, neither I? Nor can anyone have any other faith than every Christian; nor does anyone hear any other sermon, absolution, whether he be master, servant, noble, ignoble, poor, rich, young, old, Welsh (Italian) or German. But if you want to believe something else or better, and therefore boast in front of others, and
you are no longer a Christian, for you no longer have the same mind or faith that Christians should and must have, since Christ with his grace is always one, and cannot be divided or separated in himself.
(7) The apostles did not do this in vain, for they saw what was at stake, and what misfortune and harm would follow if this commandment were not kept. For there can be no lack of divisions and factions, so that pure doctrine and faith are corrupted, and the devil sows his seed, which afterwards can hardly be eradicated. For where conceit gets the upper hand, where one wants to be more learned, wiser, better, holier than the other, he begins to despise the others, and thus to draw to himself the people of the united mind and spirit, which makes us all equal in Christ, so that one should praise and extol his teaching, preaching and deeds before others: then the damage is already done, the faith is overthrown, the church is torn apart. For where this unity is divided, it is certain that not both parts can be the true church; one must be the devil's whore where the other is pious. Again, because the unity of faith and mind remains, there also remains a righteous true church of God, although there is also weakness. The devil knows this well, which is why he is so hostile to this unity, and most of the time he seeks to tear it apart; for where it should exist, he thinks, oh, how I would become so dull and so hot under my eyes!
8. For this reason, Christians should be all the more diligent to maintain this virtue both in the church and in the worldly government, since there is and must be many a disparity, which God wants to have balanced by love and unity of mind: that each one may be satisfied with what has been given or assigned to him by God, and that what another has may also be pleasing to him, knowing that he is just as rich in all eternal goods, because he has the same God, Christ, grace and blessedness; and whether he is in another state, that
he is nothing less before God, and he is therefore nothing better and more valid.
(9) Such equality of hearts and minds can unify all outward inequality in the world. Otherwise, as one sees, among whom love and friendship are toward one another, how great a difference there is, according to outward nature, between the nature and work of men and women; item, between rulers and subjects; and yet, where one faithfully means the other, they are very well pleased with one another, and can get along amiably among themselves. Thus one could well have a peaceful, happy life on earth; but the devil cannot suffer this in the world, he must separate hearts and love, so that no one takes pleasure in the other; whatever is great, highborn, powerful, rich, thinks it must despise others and consider them vain geese and ducks etc.
(10) The other pieces required by St. Peter are also easy to understand: "Compassionate, brotherly, merciful and kind," and teach primarily how Christians should relate to one another; for God has thrown them all together under love, and thus united them to be one heart and soul, and each to take care of the other as his own. This was especially necessary at the time when Christians were being horribly persecuted: here a priest, there a citizen was thrown into prison, chased away from wife, child, house and farm, and finally executed. As is happening now and can happen more, where poor people are tormented under tyrants, or led away by the Turk, and thus Christians are scattered to and fro into misery. For where God has gathered a church through his word and faith, and spiritual unity is concerned, so that the Christians sit down together and keep it, the devil cannot have peace; and where he is unable to destroy it through his ruthlessness, he attacks it with persecution and rage, so that one has to dare and risk life, limb and everything we have.
(11) Here, says St. Peter, Christians, who are all of one heart and mind, are to bear in mind the hardships and sufferings of their brethren, whoever and wherever they are, if they have the same faith with them.
They let it go to their hearts as if they had to suffer it themselves, and think: Behold, these suffer for the sake of my faith and treasure, and have to serve the devil as standing at the top, because I still have peace. Here it is not fitting for me to walk in joy and leap and be secure. For what is done to my dear brethren is done to myself, and is done for the very sake of what I have; therefore I must also accept their affliction as my affliction; as the epistle Heb. 13:3 exhorts: "Remember them that are bound, as those that are bound with them," that is, as if ye were in the same bonds and afflictions, "of them that suffer affliction, as ye also are members of the same body."
(12) For we are all joined together, as in one body one member to another; as you see and feel in your body, "Where one member suffers," says St. Paul 1 Cor. 12:26, "all the members suffer with it; and if one member is kept glorious, all the members rejoice. See how the whole body suffers when a foot is trodden on, or a toe or finger is pinched, how the eyes look sour, the nose wrinkles, the mouth cries out, and all the members are ready to save and help, and none can leave the other, that it is called not a foot or finger, but the whole man trodden on and pinched. Again, where one member does good, it does good to all the others, and the whole body rejoices. So it should be in Christianity, because it is also gathered in one body from many members and has one mind and heart; for such unity naturally entails that one should take care of the other both good and evil as his own.
(13) Neither has the world such virtue, nor can it have it, because it is equality and unity of mind and faith; but each man alone sees what is good for him, and pays no attention to how others, especially the pious, are doing. Yes, she can smile finely at this and tickle herself when she sees the right poor Christians in distress, and soak them in their suffering with vinegar and gall. But you should know, if you pride yourself on being a Christian, that you should also let your brothers' sufferings go to your heart, and
Show yourself to be the one who warmly sympathizes with them when you can no longer, but with comforting words or prayer; for it applies to you as well as to others, and you must wait for it from the devil and the evil world.
14 "Brotherly" is the virtue that should be common among Christians, that they all show such love and loyalty to one another as one dear brother to another. For this is also planted and formed in nature, that brothers have more confidence in one another than in others, especially in adversity, when they find one blood and flesh, and in common inheritance; and though they are not otherwise one, yet, when they are challenged by strangers, and adversity comes, one takes upon himself the blood and flesh of the other, putting together body, goods, and honor.
15. Christians should also have and show special brotherly love and faithfulness to one another, as they have one Father in heaven and one inheritance, and because they are Christians they also have one faith, heart and mind, so that no one despises the other; But where there are still among us those who are weak in faith and morals, frail and strange, that we deal with them in gentleness and kindness, in comforting, strengthening, admonishing, and reconciling; as in a house brothers and sisters do toward one another, where one or more is weak, frail, or poor. For we cannot all be equally strong in faith, courage, gifts, goods, etc., and there is no one who does not have much weakness and infirmity in himself, which he wants others to bear.
(16) "Merciful, kind" is now common to all and to the multitude of all, both friends and enemies, Christians and persecutors. It is man's nature from original sin to take vengeance, especially on those who harm him without cause; and when he can no longer do so, he wishes and curses his enemy all misfortune, and is glad when he hears and hears again.
sees that he is in a bad way. Now the Christians are mostly innocently persecuted, insulted, attacked and complained about in the world, even by those (as happens a lot now) who are also called Christians and are praised. This hurts them, and if it should be according to their flesh and blood, they would also like to take revenge, as the world exercises its vengeance against each other, and is not satisfied that it has cooled its little mill.
17. But a Christian should not and cannot (if he remains a Christian) be an unmerciful or vengeful person, because he has become God's child and has received mercy from Him and also lives it without ceasing, so that he should seek pleasure and joy in his neighbor's harm and misfortune, or have a hard and stubborn heart towards him; Rather, he is of a mind to have mercy on his neighbor, even if he is an enemy, and laments his blindness and misery, because he sees him lying in God's wrath and leading himself into eternal ruin and damnation, that he has already smelled all too high on him; and for this very reason he should also be kind to him and show him all kindness (if he wants to suffer and accept it otherwise), so that he may thereby win him and bring him to repentance.
(18) But with the difference that it is often said that this is not an increase of the proper and commanded punishment. For that thou shouldest demand and praise such mercy and kindness, where sin and evil are to be punished, God's word teacheth thee not; as now the world pretends, when its sin and vice are punished, especially of the great and mighty: They are talked to their honor, and give cause for contempt of their office and the authorities, and for rebellion etc.; this is not to be suffered by them. No, not so, this sermon teaches each individual person how he should do for himself toward everyone, not the office that God has laid on and commanded each one. And here the two, office and person, must be well distinguished from each other. A magistrate or sovereign, when he exercises his office, is a different man than Hans or Friedrich; an apostle or preacher is a different man than Peter or Paul; for he is a preacher not for his person, but for God's sake.
Where my person is innocently persecuted, blasphemed and cursed, I shall and will say Deo gratias; for I have abundant blessings from God for this. But where they go against my baptism, sacrament, preaching ministry, which God has commanded me to do, and thus not against me, but against Himself: then it behooves me not to be silent, nor to be merciful and kind, but to hold over my commanded ministry with admonition, censure and punishment, as St. Paul 2 Timothy 2:2. Paul 2 Tim. 4, 2. with all earnestness, both in season and out of season, to those who do not rightly teach, believe, or amend their lives, regardless of who they are and how it may please them.
019 Yea, saith thou, yet touchest me openly in my honors, makest me an evil cry etc. Answer: Why do you not speak of this to him who commanded me the office? My honor is also dear to me, but the honor of my office shall be much dearer to me. But if I keep silent, and do not punish where I am guilty, I dishonor my own honor, which I must defend before God, that I may rightly execute my office, and be worthy, with thee, to hang in the bright sun with my honor and thine. No, it is not so that you should learn such things from the gospel that a preacher by the word of God should not tell you your sin and shame. What does God ask for your honor, if you seek it before the world, if you defy His word with it? Before the world you may defend it with God and a good conscience, but before Him you have nothing to boast of but your shame, which you shall also confess, if you want to have honor before Him, and let His honor be more than and count for more than all creatures. For this is also your highest honor, if you give glory to his word and allow yourself to be punished.
(20) Yes, you are nevertheless attacking my office, to which I have been appointed? Answer: No, dear brother, that is not attacking the office, when it is said to me and to you that we do not do right in our office, or do not conduct it as we should; but for this very reason God's word punishes us, that we do dishonor to the divine office and misuse it against his commandment; therefore you must not take me to task for this. If I am not a pastor or preacher, nor have I been commanded to punish you, then
I shall and will gladly leave thine and every man's honor unpeeled: but if I should hold a divine office, and represent not my honor, but God's, I shall and will not hold my peace for thine honor's sake. If thou doest wrong, and shame and dishonor come upon thee, then accuse thyself, and let thy blood be upon thy head, saith the Scripture, 1 Kings 2:37. For it is too near to honor that the judge sentences the thief to the gallows. But who has taken your honor from you, without you yourself with your theft, by God's contempt and disobedience, murder etc., that God must also give you in return what is due to you? If thou thinkest it thy shame to be punished, think it no honor to rob, steal, usurp, and do public wrong; for in dishonoring God's commandment thou dishonorest thyself.
Now, this is said by accident, as one must always touch the difference between the punishment of the office and one's own anger or vengeance, for the sake of flesh and blood, which always wants to lie on the side of the scoundrel and not see the difference. It is true that God wants all men to be merciful and kind, to forgive and not to repay evil; but the ministry does not always suffer when it is ordered to punish the wicked, for it is the least part that wants to do this. Therefore God must here let his rule go over those who do not want to be merciful, so that they are punished with unmercifulness: one must let him have his way; but so far that nevertheless also each one in his office sees to it that he does not go further than his office demands, and no one drives his own revengefulness, or envy and hatred under the name and appearance of the office.
22 Now St. Peter goes on to expound the doctrine of these good works, gentleness, mercy, kindness, with beautiful sayings of Scripture and other exhortations to provoke Christians to them, saying:
Do not repay evil with evil, or evil with evil, but bless. And know that you are called to inherit the blessing.
023 Whose evil is to be recompensed, reproved, and punished, and how far, is now said; for this sermon speaketh not of the office. For where the judge says, "This man is to be judged as a thief," this also means to repay, to rebuke, and to speak publicly and to the highest honor; but this is God's judgment and work, which does not belong here. But a Christian who believes rightly and lives innocently, and confesses his doctrine and faith, and will punish what is not in accordance with it, according to his command, will anger the devil and the world, and will also be persecuted, oppressed and tormented by those who have the office to protect the pious and to ward off unrighteous violence, under the name of the office and right; and if they do no more, they will still challenge him, hinder him and defend him wherever they can. If he is short-tempered here, and allows himself to be hurried by anger and impatience, he cannot do good, and only makes himself a troubled heart, which eats and is troubled with thoughts of how he would avenge and repay him who has offended him. Where the devil notices this, he takes pleasure, hurries and drives, only to cause more misfortune on both sides, and thus does you two kinds of harm, not only through your enemy, but through your own anger, so that you torture yourself and spoil your good days.
(24) What then shall we do, sayest thou, if we must suffer these things, and cannot help it, nor come to our right? There is no other counsel, saith St. Peter, but to set thine heart at rest, and let God be commanded, when they that should do it will not help thee, nor defend and punish the wrong, nor themselves do thee violence. If it is not punished by men, let it remain unpunished until God Himself sees it; only that you keep a calm conscience and a sweet heart, and do not let yourself be moved to take away your good conscience, peaceful heart, and the blessing you have from God for the sake of the devil and evil men. But where you are commanded to punish evil, or by those who are commanded to punish you, slash and justice may befall you: that you use it without all anger, hatred and bitterness, yes, with such a heart that you may also
Blessing and good you wish and give for evil words and evil.
(25) This is due to you Christians, he says, because you are such people who are called to inherit the blessing. Oh, this is a great thing. It has already been decided with God and granted to you by God as a blessing; that is, all the riches of His grace and good things are yours and shall be bestowed upon you and remain with you in soul and body, if you only keep them and do not deprive yourselves of them. How much would you like to buy it (if it could be bought and would not be given to you for free without your merit), if it were offered to you, so that you could be sure that you had a gracious God who wanted to bless you temporally and eternally? Who would not gladly give his life and limb for it and suffer everything with joy, if his heart would boast of it without any doubt: I know that I am a child of God, who has taken me by grace, and I live in the sure hope that I shall be blessed and blessed forever. Therefore remember, says he, because you are Christians, how great a difference God has made between you and them. He has made you heirs of eternal grace, blessing and life; but what else do they have on their hands but the terrible judgment that they are children of the curse and eternal damnation?
If this were to go to our hearts, it would be easy to teach and persuade people to have a kind and gentle heart toward everyone, not to speak evil or evil words out of revenge, and rather to suffer harm in peace and quiet, where they could not be helped with justice and protection or punishment, than to lose their eternal comfort and joy. Now this is a good reason why Christians should ever be moved and provoked to be patient, not revengeful or bitter: because they are so richly blessed by God and have such glory that nothing can take away from them or harm them (as he then concludes), if they only want to remain so. This he now further emphasizes with a very beautiful saying of the 34th Psalm v. 13-17, so that he may provoke all the more strongly; it reads thus:
For he who desires to live and to see good days, let his tongue be silent, that it speak no evil; and his lips, that they deceive not. Let him turn from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer. But the face of the Lord looketh on them that do evil.
The Holy Spirit wrote this text through the prophet David so long ago for the teaching and admonition of all the saints and God's children, and presents it to us as he saw it daily in his life and experienced it in himself, and also heard it from the previous example of the dear fathers from the beginning of the world and learned it from him. Come here, little children," he says, "if you want to be taught and advised, I will give you the right good teaching on how to fear God and become his children. Who is there who would gladly have peace and good days? O who would not like to have it? says the whole world, for everyone seeks it and struggles for it, and the world does everything it can to gain it.
(28) But there are two ways to do this: one is the way of the race, which seeks peace so that it may obtain its own by force, and first wants to have all those dead who are against it, and not to suffer anyone who speaks evil to it, or does harm or harm. This way is indeed commanded to the sword and the power of the authorities, who shall use all diligence in such a way to control and ward off evil as much as they always can; but they will not punish nor ward off everything, there will still remain much, especially that which happens secretly; which must punish itself, either here by repentance, or afterwards in hell. But the Christians, for their own part, will not achieve anything on earth by this way, because the world is too evil and does not help them.
29 Therefore, if thou wilt have peace for thyself, especially as a Christian, thou must take another way, which is this, that the Psalm directs thee, saying, "Hold thy tongue, that it speak no evil; and thy lips, that they deceive not." This also goes on to teach that
to stay with the right word of God and not to be deceived by false teaching: but St. Peter brings it out into the outward life and nature of Christians in the world. So they need this admonition to hold their tongues, etc. because they have to suffer so much for the sake of their faith and confession, which is why they are called Christians; because they are led, hated, persecuted, oppressed and tormented by all the world; as Christ told them before Matth. 10, 22: "You must be hated by everyone for my name's sake" etc. That they may well think themselves to have cause to repay evil again, and must well be moved, because they also still have flesh and blood, to be angry and to curse, or to desist from their confession and preaching, and to fall in with the rest of the multitude of the false church and idolatrous doctrine. Here the Psalm exhorts: Dear Christian, do not let all these things move you to become evil, to curse, to blaspheme and to reproach; but stay with your blessing, which is ready to be inherited by you; for you cannot do better with it, nor can you be helped. The world remains as it is, and will not do otherwise than hate and persecute the pious and faithful. What is the use of being angry and cursing in a hostile way, only grieving your heart with bitterness and depriving yourself of the great, blessed treasure that has been given to you?
30 Likewise the saying of the fourth Psalm, v. 5, also teaches this, comforting and strengthening the saints against such distress and temptation as they must have from the world, to anger and impatience. "If ye be angry," saith he, "sin not; speak with your heart upon your couch, and be still:" that is, though ye be moved, as is the nature of this flesh and blood, to see how the world doth greatly prosper in its ungodliness and wickedness, and doth defy, revile, and persecute you with pride and iniquity: Do not let yourselves be indignant as soon as you see it; let sorrow, displeasure, vexation and anguish remain outside and lie on your outward life, body and goods, and only not take root in your heart.
Quiet your heart and be content, and do not consider all this worthy of breaking your sleep; and if you want to serve God rightly and make pleasing sacrifices, hope in him in the faith of his word that he is your dear God, who cares for you, hears you and wants to help you wonderfully etc.
(31) But the fact that he goes on to say, "Keep your lips from being deceived," is, as I have said, mainly due to the doctrine and confession of the same. But this is also common, where one begins to be angry and to complain about suffering and injustice, and the heart is taken up with impatience; this makes the man so whimsical and inflamed that he cannot speak of the thing that displeases him as it is in itself, but certainly makes an addition. As also happens in anger and revenge: if one is wounded a little, as if with the point of a needle, he quickly goes to it and wants to hit the other on the head. Where one part is a little touched by a word, it immediately begins to revile and disgrace its neighbor to the utmost. In sum, an angry heart cannot keep a measure nor pay for it in kind, but must make a great beam out of a splinter or a small piece of wood, and blow up a fiery mountain out of a speck with reproaches and curses; it does not want to have done wrong, but would gladly, if it could, bring vain murder upon its neighbor, and yet thereby do him far greater wrong than has been done him by the other.
(32) Nature is so evil and unjust when it is offended that it is not satisfied with the same, but transgresses and does not spare its neighbor's honor, even life and limb, from anger and vengeance; as Jacob also says: "Man's anger does not do what is right in the sight of God," that is, it does not leave man with his faith and good conscience. This is not done by the wrath of the ministry, which is God's wrath; it does not seek to destroy man, but only to punish vice as it is in itself. But man's own wrath and vengeance is too evil, and cannot be satisfied; he gives ten or twenty blows for one, a hundred evil words for a word of reproach.
33 Therefore saith St. Peter, Keep thy tongue in silence, and bridle it, lest it go forth and sin with evil words, and make double evil, as is done unto thee. And keep thy lips, or thy mouth, lest it deceive, or become a liar against thy wrath, and slander thy neighbor against truth and right, or blaspheme and profane him, contrary to the eighth commandment. This is evil in the sight of God and men for a Christian, and brings him to the most shameful vice, to which God is the supreme enemy and the devil's own, hence he is also called a liar and blasphemer (diabolus or devil).
34. Further, the Psalm says: "Depart from evil and do good," that is, beware lest you also become evil because of another's evil; for anger and vengeance think nothing but to do harm and evil: Wherever thou canst, therefore, do good, that thy heart may retain glory and gladness, and that thou mayest abide in thy goodness, and not fall from the grace of God and his obedience into the service of the devil, who thus afflicts thee, that he may bring thee again into his snares, and embitter thy heart and conscience, that thou mayest become much worse than other men.
Item: "Seek peace," he says, "and pursue it. This is a fine admonition and a divine faithful counsel. You must not think, he says, that peace will pursue you, or that the world, much less the devil, will bring it to your house; but the opposite will happen to you. Unpeace from without will be brought to thee with great hop sacks full, and wrath and bitterness from thine own heart will be kindled to make thee full of everlasting trouble. Therefore, if you want to come to peace, you must not wait until other people help you, or until you yourself make peace with violence and revenge; but you must begin with yourself, so that you turn from evil to good, and therefore hurt yourself, so that your heart has peace and keeps it against everything that wants to take it away from you, so that your heart always stands like this: I will not be angry nor seek revenge, but let God be in charge of my things, and let those who do evil and unkindness to me.
But to my enemy I will wish that God may convert and enlighten him. Even if I suffer more violence and injustice, I will not let peace be torn from my heart or taken away from me.
(36) Behold, this is the right way to keep peace, and to see good days, even in evil time, with silence of tongue, and quietness of heart, through the consolation of divine grace and blessing, that outwardly also no one should give cause for strife, but should seek peace everywhere with good words, works, and prayer; pursuing it, and in like manner pursuing it with good strong affliction, that we may obtain it by might. For a Christian will not otherwise have good days and keep the blessing; therefore think that you must contend for it, that you do not take away the blessing from yourself, nor for another's sake burden your mouth and tongue with unrighteousness and lying. But because flesh and blood are so weak and heavy for such things, he strengthens this admonition to provoke us all the more with the promise, in which it is shown both how God will help and protect those who do such things, but will punish the others, saying:
For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer.
37. write this verse in your heart with firm faith, and see if it will not bring you peace and good. Can you believe that God sits above and does not sleep or look elsewhere and forget you, but looks with open eyes on the righteous who suffer violence and injustice? What will you complain and become displeased about harm or suffering that befalls you, if he turns his merciful eyes toward you, and indeed also thinks, as the right judge and God, to help you? I would buy this eye for all the world's good, yes, such faith, if I could have it; for it is certainly not his reputation that is lacking, but our faith.
(38) Moreover, saith he, his ears also are open unto the prayer of the righteous. As he looks at you with gracious laughing eyes, so he also listens with silent, open
Listen to your lamentations, sighs and pleas; and hear them gladly and with pleasure, that as soon as you open your mouth, they will be heard and yes.
39 Again he saith, The face of the Lord looketh on them that do evil. He has his eyes on the pious, but even so he looks with his face on the rest of the multitude. This is not a friendly look or a gracious face, but a sour, angry look, whereupon the forehead wrinkles, the nose wrinkles, and the eyes sparkle red and fiery, as an angry man does. For this is what the Scripture calls "the face of the Lord" when he is angry; as again, "the eyes" the cheerful, friendly appearance.
40 Now this face of God, what does it do, and why or for what purpose does he look upon those who do evil? Certainly not to hear them, or to help them, or to give them blessing or happiness for their evil deeds; but, he says, "to cut off their memory from the earth. This is a terrible, horrible saying, before which a heart might well sink to the earth as before a thunderclap, if the wicked with such hardened hearts could not despise God's word.
Nevertheless, the judgment is set there, which God is truly not joking, but indicates how highly he takes care of the pious and wants to avenge himself on the wicked, against whom he has set his face so that they will not only be punished temporally, but that their memory will also be erased from the earth. On the other hand, the pious, because they feared God and remained pious and suffered because of it, will finally experience blessings and good in their children's children on earth. And although the godless crowd rides high on earth for a while and makes itself believe that it is so firm that no one can push it down, but when their time is up and they are suddenly plunged from earth into the abyss of hell, the pious must remain on earth so that they possess the earth; as Christ also says in Matth. 5, 5 and the 37th Psalm further emphasizes.
The examples of Scripture and the experience of the whole world show this everywhere.
from the beginning, how God overthrew those who only sought to do harm and surely and defiantly despised God's wrath and wrathful face, until they had to experience it and perished. King Saul also thought that he wanted to wipe out the pious David, root and stem, and destroy his name as a rebellious, cursed man. But God also practiced contradiction here. For because David walked in fear of God and trust above his suffering and persecution, and desired to do his enemy no harm or damage, he also had the gracious eye of God upon him, that he must remain unharmed by his enemy. On the other hand, the wrathful face of God remains upon King Saul, so that before David knows it, he lies prostrate, and his entire family must perish with him, leaving his crown and kingdom to the persecuted David.
(43) This is the consolation of Christians, that they may strengthen their faith in suffering, that they may be in the gracious face of God, when he turns his eyes and ears toward them, and again looks upon their enemies and offenders with a wrathful face, that he may take hold of them, that they may either cease or perish. This certainly happens, and no one can live long, he experiences it in himself and other people, that it is true, as the proverb says: Right is found; without us lacking faith, that we cannot wait for the hour, let us think that it lasts too long and it goes too bad for us. But it is a very short time, and it is good for you to wait and bear it, if you can believe God, who may give your enemy a while to convert; but the hour is already set and present for him, which he will not escape if it overtakes him without repentance.
And who is he that can hurt you, if ye do that which is good? Even if you suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.
44. you have, he says, splendidly great advantage over all your enemies, whoever they are, because you have been so richly endowed by god with eternal blessings, and you know that he has given you
75b L. 9, 139-141. on the fifth Sunday after Trinity. W. XII, 995-998757
and thus remain true to your faith and piety so that they can do you no harm, even if they think they can do something to annoy and harm you as much as they can. For what harm can and may all these things do you, because you strive after the good you have and stick to it? They will not take away or diminish your piety and God's grace, help and blessing with their wickedness, power and force. So you have no loss of the physical and temporal harm they can do to you; for the more they seek to harm you, the more they hasten to their punishment, so that they will be overthrown, and the more you will be repaid by God. For precisely by blaspheming you to the utmost, by defiling you, by persecuting you, and by tormenting you, they increase your blessing with God, and further the cause, so that He must the sooner look upon it, help you, and overthrow them. They must create such reward and good for you themselves with their evil poisonous hatred, envy, anger and rage, and against this they have nothing but the contradiction that they cannot have a good day nor a peaceful hour in their heart, condemned themselves by their evil conscience, and heap God's anger and punishment against themselves.
(45) Yes, he says, for this very reason you are all the more blessed, both temporally and eternally, because you suffer for righteousness' sake, and should also respect yourselves for it, and praise and thank God for it, because he himself respects and praises it as the highest blessedness and most glorious thing; as Christ also says Matth. 5:11, 12: "Blessed are you, if men revile and persecute you for my sake. "Be glad and of good cheer; for ye have a great reward in heaven." O how dear your adversaries should buy it, that they should take the least comfort from it, and boast that they have suffered a little for righteousness' sake; how gladly should they desire the change, when they could understand it and would be worthy, that they themselves should have suffered all this, and much more than that, which they have ever done to you, or thought to do, that they should only be so blessed, and hear and feel a consolation of such a precious divine promise.
But do not be afraid of their defiance, and do not be dismayed; but sanctify God in your heart.
46 Then he goes to the Scriptures again and cites a saying of the prophet Isaiah Cap. 8, 12, 13, where he admonishes God's people that they should not be afraid of man's anger and wrath, but instead trust God firmly and confidently. As he also says in Isaiah 51:7: "Do not be afraid when people speak evil to you or revile you, and do not be dismayed when they revile you." As if he wanted to say: "Why do you want to be offended by what men can do to you, no matter how great, mighty and terrible enemies they may be, because you are so blessed and so well off with God and so good, that all creatures must call you blessed? Moreover, you know that you have such a Lord, who turns his eyes to you and has opened his ears to you, that whatever you desire and ask is heard and granted, and already threatens your adversaries with his face in anger. What are and what can all men, tyrants, pope, Turk, Tartern, yes, the devil himself, against and against this Lord, when and where he wants to show his power, neither a weak straw against a hard thunderclap and lightning, from which the earth trembles? Therefore, if you are otherwise Christians and believe that you have one God, you should not be afraid of all of them, but rather cheerfully and with a laugh despise all their defiance, anger and raging, because it can do you no harm at all, but is their own destruction, because they run with their heads against the majesty, before which all creatures must tremble.
(47) But this you shall do: you shall sanctify him, that is, keep him holy and praise him; which is nothing else than believing his word, that in him you truly have such a God, who, if you suffer for righteousness' sake, has not forgotten you nor forsaken you, but looks upon you graciously, and intends to help you himself and to avenge you on your enemies. For such faith and confession do him honor that he is the true God, and can call upon him with comfort and joy, expect help from him, and receive all the blessings of God.
His heart is well satisfied in him; for he knows that his word and promise, as certain truth, cannot be false nor lacking.
(48) Others, on the other hand, who do not believe, cannot sanctify God, nor do the honor due to Him as a God, though they boast much of God and pretend to great worship, for they do not believe God's word to be true, but always remain in doubt, and think that if they say anything, it is true.
They are to suffer that they have been forgotten and abandoned by God. Therefore, they grumble and rage against God with great impatience and disobedience, and they go to pieces about it, wanting to protect and avenge themselves through their own violence. In this way, they show themselves to be such people who truly have no God, nor do they know any God, as blind, wretched, damned heathens; as now are the great multitude of all Turks, Jews, Papists and faithless saints, as many as there are in the world.