Starts discussion of Third Commandment (keep the Sabbath holy)
By Martin Luther

      I. We have now seen how many good works there are in the
       Second Commandment, which however are not good in
       themselves, unless they are done in faith and in the
       assurance of divine favor; and how much we must do, if we
       take heed to this Commandment alone, and how we, alas!
       busy ourselves much with other works, which have no
       agreement at all with it. Now follows the Third
       Commandment: "Thou shalt hallow the day of rest." In the
       First Commandment is prescribed our heart's attitude
       toward God in thoughts, in the Second, that of our mouth
       in words, in this Third is prescribed our attitude toward
       God in works; and it is the first and right table of
       Moses, on which these three Commandments are written, and
       they govern man on the right side, namely, in the things
       which concern God, and in which God has to do with man
       and man with God, without the mediation of any creature.
      
       The first works of this Commandment are plain and
       outward, which we commonly call worship, such as going to
       mass, praying, and hearing a sermon on holy days. So
       understood there are very few works in this Commandment;
       and these, if they are not done in assurance of and with
       faith in God's favor, are nothing, as was said above.
       Hence it would also be a good thing if there were fewer
       saint's days, since in our times the works done on them
       are for the greater part worse than those of the work
       days, what with loafing, gluttony, and drunkenness,
       gambling and other evil deeds; and then, the mass and the
       sermon are listened to without edification, the prayer is
       spoken without faith. It almost happens that men think it
       is sufficient that we look on at the mass with our eyes,
       hear the preaching with our ears, and say the prayers
       with our mouths. It is all so formal and superficial! We
       do not think that we might receive something out of the
       mass into our hearts, learn and remember something out of
       the preaching, seek, desire and expect something in our
       prayer. Although in this matter the bishops and priests,
       or they to whom the work of preaching is entrusted, are
       most at fault, because they do not preach the Gospel, and
       do not teach the people how they ought to look on at
       mass, hear preaching and pray. Therefore, we will briefly
       explain these three works.
      
       II. In the mass it is necessary that we attend with our a
       hearts also; and we do attend, when we exercise faith in
       our hearts. Here we must repeat the words of Christ, when
       He institutes the mass and says, "Take and eat, this is
       My Body, which is given for you"; in like manner over the
       cup, "Take and drink ye all of it: this is a new,
       everlasting Testament in My Blood, which is shed for you
       and for many for the remission of sins. This shall ye do,
       as oft as ye do it, in remembrance of Me." In these words
       Christ has made for Himself a memorial or anniversary, to
       be daily observed in all Christendom, and has added to it
       a glorious, rich, great testament, in which no interest,
       money or temporal possessions are bequeathed and
       distributed, but the forgiveness of all sins, grace and
       mercy unto eternal life, that all who come to this
       memorial shall have the same testament; and then He died,
       whereby this testament has become permanent and
       irrevocable. In proof and evidence of which, instead of
       letter and seal, He has left with us His own Body and
       Blood under the bread and wine.
      
       Here there is need that a man practise the first works of
       this Commandment right well, that he doubt not that what
       Christ has said is true, and consider the testament sure,
       so that he make not Christ a liar. For if you are present
       at mass and do not consider nor believe that here Christ
       through His testament has bequeathed and given you
       forgiveness of all your sins, what else is it, than as if
       you said: "I do not know or do not believe that it is
       true that forgiveness of my sins is here bequeathed and
       given me"? Oh, how many masses there are in the world at
       present! but how few who hear them with such faith and
       benefit! Most grievously is God provoked to anger
       thereby. For this reason also no one shall or can reap
       any benefit from the mass except he be in trouble of soul
       and long for divine mercy, and desire to be rid of his
       sins; or, if he have an evil intention, he must be
       changed during the mass, and come to have a desire for
       this testament. For this reason in olden times no open
       sinner was allowed to be present at the mass.
      
       When this faith is rightly present, the heart must be
       made joyful by the testament, and grow warm and melt in
       God's love. Then will follow praise and thanksgiving with
       a pure heart, from which the mass is called in Greek
       Eucharistia, that is, "thanksgiving," because we praise
       and thank God for this comforting, rich, blessed
       testament, just as he gives thanks, praises and is
       joyful, to whom a good friend has presented a thousand
       and more gulden. Although Christ often fares like those
       who make several persons rich by their testament, and
       these persons never think of them, nor praise or thank
       them. So our masses at present are merely celebrated,
       without our knowing why or wherefore, and consequently we
       neither give thanks nor love nor praise, remain parched
       and hard, and have enough with our little prayer. Of this
       more another time.
      
       III. The sermon ought to be nothing else than the
       proclamation of this testament. But who can hear it if no
       one preaches it? Now, they who ought to preach it,
       themselves do not know it. This is why the sermons ramble
       off into other unprofitable stories, and thus Christ is
       forgotten, while we fare like the man in II. Kings vii:
       we see our riches but do not enjoy them. Of which the
       Preacher also says, "This is a great evil, when God
       giveth a man riches, and giveth him not power to enjoy
       them." So we look on at unnumbered masses and do not know
       whether the mass be a testament, or what it be, just as
       if it were any other common good work by itself. O God,
       how exceeding blind we are! But where this is rightly
       preached, it is necessary that it be diligently heard,
       grasped, retained, often thought of, and that the faith
       be thus strengthened against all the temptation of sin,
       whether past, or present, or to come.
      
       Lo! this is the only ceremony or practice which Christ
       has instituted, in which His Christians shall assemble,
       exercise themselves and keep it with one accord; and this
       He did not make to be a mere work like other ceremonies,
       but placed into it a rich, exceeding great treasure, to
       be offered and bestowed upon all who believe on it.
      
       This preaching should induce sinners to grieve over their
       sins, and should kindle in them a longing for the
       treasure. It must, therefore, be a grievous sin not to
       hear the Gospel, and to despise such a treasure and so
       rich a feast to which we are bidden; but a much greater
       sin not to preach the Gospel, and to let so many people
       who would gladly hear it perish, since Christ has so
       strictly commanded that the Gospel and this testament be
       preached, that He does not wish even the mass to be
       celebrated, unless the Gospel be preached, as He says:
       "As oft as ye do this, remember me"; that is, as St. Paul
       says, "Ye shall preach of His death." For this reason it
       is dreadful and horrible in our times to be a bishop,
       pastor and preacher; for no one any longer knows this
       testament, to say nothing of their preaching it, although
       this is their highest and only duty and obligation. How
       heavily must they give account for so many souls who must
       perish because of this lack in preaching.
      
       IV. We should pray, not as the custom is, counting many
       pages or beads, but fixing our mind upon some pressing
       need, desire it with all earnestness, and exercise faith
       and confidence toward God in the matter, in such wise
       that we do not doubt that we shall be heard. So St.
       Bernard instructs his brethren and says: "Dear brethren,
       you shall by no means despise your prayer, as if it were
       in vain, for I tell you of a truth that, before you have
       uttered the words, the prayer is already recorded in
       heaven; and you shall confidently expect from God one of
       two things: either that your prayer will be granted, or
       that, if it will not be granted, the granting of it would
       not be good for you."
      
       Prayer is, therefore, a special exercise of faith, and
       faith makes the prayer so acceptable that either it will
       surely be granted, or something better than we ask will
       be given in its stead. So also says St. James: "Let him
       who asketh of God not waver in faith; for if he wavers,
       let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of
       the Lord." This is a clear statement, which says
       directly: he who does not trust, receives nothing,
       neither that which he asks, nor anything better.
      
       And to call forth such faith, Christ Himself has said,
       Mark xi: "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
       desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and
       ye shall surely have them." And Luke xi: "Ask, and it
       shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
       it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh
       receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
       knocketh it shall be opened. Or what father is there of
       you, who, if his son shall ask bread, will he give him a
       stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
       or if he ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? But if
       you know how to give good gifts to your children, and you
       yourselves are not naturally good, how much more shall
       your Father which is in heaven give a good spirit to all
       them that ask Him!"
      
       V. Who is so hard and stone-like, that such mighty words
       ought not to move him to pray with all confidence!
       joyfully and gladly? But how many prayers must be
       reformed, if we are to pray aright according to these
       words! Now, indeed, all churches and monastic houses are
       full of praying and singing, but how does it happen that
       so little improvement and benefit result from it, and
       things daily grow worse? The reason is none other than
       that which St. James indicates when he says: "You ask
       much and receive not, because ye ask amiss." For where
       this faith and confidence is not in the prayer, the
       prayer is dead, and nothing more than a grievous labor
       and work. If anything is given for it, it is none the
       less only temporal benefit without any blessing and help
       for the soul; nay, to the great injury and blinding of
       souls, so that they go their way, babbling much with
       their mouths, regardless of whether they receive, or
       desire, or trust; and in this unbelief, the state of mind
       most opposed to the exercise of faith and to the nature
       of prayer, they remain hardened.
      
       From this it follows that one who prays aright never
       doubts that his prayer is surely acceptable and heard,
       although the very thing for which he prays be not given
       him. For we are to lay our need before God in prayer, but
       not prescribe to Him a measure, manner, time or place;
       but if He wills to give it to us better or in another way
       than we think, we are to leave it to Him; for frequently
       we do not know what we pray, as St. Paul says, Romans
       viii; and God works and gives above all that we
       understand, as he says, Ephesians iii, so that there be
       no doubt that the prayer is acceptable and heard, and we
       yet leave to God the time, place, measure and limit; He
       will surely do what is right. They are the true
       worshipers, who worship God in spirit and in truth. For
       they who believe not that they will be heard, sin upon
       the left hand against this Commandment, and go far astray
       with their unbelief. But they who set a limit for Him,
       sin upon the other side, and come too close with their
       tempting of God. So He has forbidden both, that we should
       err from His Commandment neither to the left nor to the
       right, that is, neither with unbelief nor with tempting,
       but with simple faith remain on the straight road,
       trusting Him, and yet setting Him no bounds.
      
       VI. Thus we see that this Commandment, like the Second,
       is to be nothing else than a doing and keeping of the
       First Commandment, that is, of faith, trust, confidence,
       hope and love to God, so that in all the Commandments the
       First may be the captain, and faith the chief work and
       the life of all other works, without which, as was said,
       they cannot be good.
      
       But if you say: "What if I cannot believe that my prayer
       is heard and accepted?" I answer: For this very reason
       faith, prayer and all other good works are commanded,
       that you shall know what you can and what you cannot do.
       And when you find that you cannot so believe and do, then
       you are humbly to confess it to God, and so begin with a
       weak spark of faith and daily strengthen it more and more
       by exercising it in all your living and doing. For as
       touching infirmity of faith (that is, of the First and
       highest Commandment), there is no one on earth who does
       not have his good share of it. For even the holy Apostles
       in the Gospel, and especially St. Peter, were weak in
       faith, so that they also prayed Christ and said: "Lord,
       increase our faith "; and He very frequently rebukes them
       because they have so little faith.
      
       Therefore you shall not despair, nor give up, even if you
       find that you do not believe as firmly as you ought and
       wish, in your prayer or in other works. Nay, you shall
       thank God with all your heart that He thus reveals to you
       your weakness, through which He daily teaches and
       admonishes you how much you need to exercise yourself and
       daily strengthen yourself in faith. For how many do you
       see who habitually pray, sing, read, work and seem to be
       great saints, and yet never get so far as to know where
       they stand in respect of the chief work, faith; and so in
       their blindness they lead astray themselves and others;
       think they are very well off, and so unknowingly build on
       the sand of their works without any faith, not on God's
       mercy and promise through a firm, pure faith.
      
       Therefore, however long we live, we shall always have our
       hands full to remain, with all our works and sufferings,
       pupils of the First Commandment and of faith, and not to
       cease to learn. No one knows what a great thing it is to
       trust God alone, except he who attempts it with his
       works.
      
       VII. Again: if no other work were commanded, would not
       prayer alone suffice to exercise the whole life of man in
       faith? For this work the spiritual estate has been
       specially established, as indeed in olden times some
       Fathers prayed day and night. Nay, there is no Christian
       who does not have time to pray without ceasing. But I
       mean the spiritual praying, that is: no one is so heavily
       burdened with his labor, but that if he will he can,
       while working, speak with God in his heart, lay before
       Him his need and that of other men, ask for help, make
       petition, and in all this exercise and strengthen his
       faith.
      
       This is what the Lord means, Luke xviii, when He says,
       "Men ought always to pray, and never cease," although in
       Matthew vi. He forbids the use of much speaking and long
       prayers, because of which He rebukes the hypocrites; not
       because the lengthy prayer of the lips is evil, but
       because it is not that true prayer which can be made at
       all times, and without the inner prayer of faith is
       nothing. For we must also practise the outward prayer in
       its proper time, especially in the mass, as this
       Commandment requires, and wherever it is helpful to the
       inner prayer and faith, whether in the house or in the
       field, in this work or in that; of which we have no time
       now to speak more. For this belongs to the Lord's Prayer,
       in which all petitions and spoken prayer are summed up in
       brief words.
      
       VIII. Where now are they who desire to know and to do
       good works? Let them undertake prayer alone, and rightly
       exercise themselves in faith, and they will find that it
       is true, as the holy Fathers have said, that there is no
       work like prayer. Mumbling with the mouth is easy, or at
       least considered easy, but with earnestness of heart to
       follow the words in deep devotion, that is, with desire
       and faith, so that one earnestly desires what the words
       say, and not to doubt that it will be heard: that is a
       great deed in God's eyes.
      
       Here the evil spirit hinders men with all his powers. Oh,
       how often will he here prevent the desire to pray, not
       allow us to find time and place, nay, often also raise
       doubts, whether a man is worthy to ask anything of such a
       Majesty as God is, and so confuse us that a man himself
       does not know whether it is really true that he prays or
       not; whether it is possible that his prayer is
       acceptable, and other such strange thoughts. For the evil
       spirit knows well how powerful one man's truly believing
       prayer is, and how it hurts him, and how it benefits all
       men. Therefore he does not willingly let it happen.
      
       When so tempted, a man must indeed be wise, and not doubt
       that he and his prayer are, indeed, unworthy before such
       infinite Majesty; in no wise dare he trust his
       worthiness, or because of his unworthiness grow faint;
       but he must heed God's command and cast this up to Him,
       and hold it before the devil, and say: "Because of my
       worthiness I do nothing, because of my unworthiness I
       cease from nothing. I pray and work only because God of
       His pure mercy has promised to hear and to be gracious to
       all unworthy men, and not only promised it, but He has
       also most sternly, on pain of His everlasting displeasure
       and wrath, commanded us to pray, to trust and to receive.
       If it has not been too much for that high Majesty so
       solemnly and highly to obligate His unworthy worms to
       pray, to trust, and to receive from Him, how shall it be
       too much for me to take such command upon myself with all
       joy, however worthy or unworthy I may be?" Thus we must
       drive out the devil's suggestion with God's command. Thus
       will he cease, and in no other way whatever.
      
       IX. But what are the things which we must bring before
       Almighty God in prayer and lamentation, to exercise faith
       thereby? Answer: First, every man's own besetting need
       and trouble, of which David says, Psalm xxxii: "Thou art
       my refuge in all trouble which compasseth me about; Thou
       art my comfort, to preserve me from all evil which
       surrounds me." Likewise, Psalm cxlii: "I cried unto the
       Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I
       make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before
       Him; I showed before Him my trouble." In the mass a
       Christian shall keep in mind the short-comings or
       excesses he feels, and pour out all these freely before
       God with weeping and groaning, as woefully as he can, as
       to his faithful Father, who is ready to help him. And if
       you do not know or recognise your need, or have no
       trouble, then you shall know that you are in the worst
       possible plight. For this is the greatest trouble, that
       you find yourself so hardened, hard-hearted and
       insensible that no trouble moves you.
      
       There is no better mirror in which to see your need than
       simply the Ten Commandments, in which you will find what
       you lack and what you should seek. If, therefore, you
       find in yourself a weak faith, small hope and little love
       toward God; and that you do not praise and honor God, but
       love your own honor and fame, think much of the favor of
       men, do not gladly hear mass and sermon, are indolent in
       prayer, in which things every one has faults, then you
       shall think more of these faults than of all bodily harm
       to goods, honor and life, and believe that they are worse
       than death and all mortal sickness. These you shall
       earnestly lay before God, lament and ask for help, and
       with all confidence expect help, and believe that you are
       heard and shall obtain help and mercy.
      
       Then go forward into the Second Table of the
       Commandments, and see how disobedient you have been and
       still are toward father and mother and all in authority;
       how you sin against your neighbor with anger, hatred and
       evil words; how you are tempted to unchastity,
       covetousness and injustice in word and deed against your
       neighbor; and you will doubtless find that you are full
       of all need and misery, and have reason enough to weep
       even drops of blood, if you could.
      
       X. But I know well that many are so foolish as not to
       want to ask for such things, unless they first be
       conscious that they are pure, and believe that God hears
       no one who is a sinner. All this is the work of those
       false preachers, who teach men to begin, not with faith
       and trust in God's favor, but with their own works.
      
       Look you, wretched man! if you have broken a leg, or the
       peril of death overtakes you, you call upon God, this
       Saint and that, and do not wait until your leg is healed,
       or the danger is past: you are not so foolish as to think
       that God hears no one whose leg is broken, or who is in
       bodily danger. Nay, you believe that God shall hear most
       of all when you are in the greatest need and fear. Why,
       then, are you so foolish here, where there is
       immeasurably greater need and eternal hurt, and do not
       want to ask for faith, hope, love, humility, obedience,
       chastity, gentleness, peace, righteousness, unless you
       are already free of all your unbelief, doubt, pride,
       disobedience, unchastity, anger, covetousness and
       unrighteousness. Although the more you find yourself
       lacking in these things, the more and more diligently you
       ought to pray or cry.
      
       So blind are we: with our bodily sickness and need we run
       to God; with the soul's sickness we run from Him, and are
       unwilling to come back before we are well, exactly as if
       there could be one God who could help the body, and
       another God who could help the soul; or as if we would
       help ourselves in spiritual need, although it really is
       greater than the bodily need. Such plan and counsel is of
       the devil.
      
       Not so, my good man! If you wish to be cured of sin, you
       must not withdraw from God, but run to Him, and pray with
       much more confidence than if a bodily need had overtaken
       you. God is not hostile to sinners, but only to
       unbelievers, that is, to such as do not recognize and
       lament their sin, nor seek help against it from God, but
       in their own presumption wish first to purify themselves,
       are unwilling to be in need of His grace, and will not
       suffer Him to be a God Who gives to everyone and takes
       nothing in return.
      
       XI. All this has been said of prayer for personal needs,
       and of prayer in general. But the prayer which really
       belongs to this Commandment and is called a work of the
       Holy Day, is far better and greater, and is to be made
       for all Christendom, for all the need of all men, of foe
       and friend, especially for those who belong to the parish
       or bishopric.
      
       Thus St. Paul commanded his disciple Timothy: exhort
       thee, that thou see to it, that prayers and intercessions
       be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in
       authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in
       all godliness and honesty. For this is good and
       acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." For this
       reason Jeremiah, chapter xxix, commanded the people of
       Israel to pray for the city and land of Babylon, because
       in the peace thereof they should have peace. And Baruch
       i: "Pray for the life of the king of Babylon and for the
       life of his son, that we may live in peace under their
       rule."
      
       This common prayer is precious and the most powerful, and
       it is for its sake that we come together. For this reason
       also the Church is called a House of Prayer, because in
       it we are as a congregation with one accord to consider
       our need and the needs of all men, present them before
       God, and call upon Him for mercy. But this must be done
       with heart-felt emotion and sincerity, so that we feel in
       our hearts the need of all men, and that we pray with
       true sympathy for them, in true faith and confidence.
       Where such prayers are not made in the mass, it were
       better to omit the mass. For what sense is there in our
       coming together into a House of Prayer, which coming
       together shows that we should make common prayer and
       petition for the entire congregation, if we scatter these
       prayers, and so distribute them that everyone prays only
       for himself, and no one has regard for the other, nor
       concerns himself for another's need? How can that prayer
       be of help, good, acceptable and a common prayer, or a
       work of the Holy Day and of the assembled congregation,
       which they make who make their own petty prayers, one for
       this, the other for that, and have nothing but
       self-seeking, selfish prayers, which God hates?
      
       XII. A suggestion of this common prayer has been retained
       from ancient practice, when at the end of the sermon the
       Confession of Sins is said and prayer is made on the
       pulpit for all Christendom. But this should not be the
       end of the matter, as is now the custom and fashion; it
       should be an exhortation to pray throughout the entire
       mass for such need as the preacher makes us feel; and in
       order that we may pray worthily, he first exhorts us
       because of our sin, and thereby makes us humble. This
       should be done as briefly as possible, that then the
       entire congregation may confess their own sin and pray
       for every one with earnestness and faith.
      
       Oh, if God granted that any congregation at all heard
       mass and prayed in this way, so that a common earnest
       heart-cry of the entire people would rise up to God, what
       immeasurable virtue and help would result from such a
       prayer! What more terrible thing could happen to all the
       evil spirits? What greater work could be done on earth,
       whereby so many pious souls would be preserved, so many
       sinners converted?
      
       For, indeed, the Christian Church on earth has no greater
       power or work than such common prayer against everything
       that may oppose it. This the evil spirit knows well, and
       therefore he does all that he can to prevent such prayer.
       Gleefully he lets us go on building churches, endowing
       many monastic houses, making music, reading, singing,
       observing many masses, and multiplying ceremonies beyond
       all measure. This does not grieve him, nay, he helps us
       do it, that we may consider such things the very best,
       and think that thereby we have done our whole duty. But
       in that meanwhile this common, effectual and fruitful
       prayer perishes and its omission is unnoticed because of
       such display, in this he has what he seeks. For when
       prayer languishes, no one will take anything from him,
       and no one will withstand him. But if he noticed that we
       wished to practise this prayer, even if it were under a
       straw roof or in a pig-sty, he would indeed not endure
       it, but would fear such a pig-sty far more than all the
       high, big and beautiful churches, towers and bells in
       existence, if such prayer be not in them. It is indeed
       not a question of the places and buildings in which we
       assemble, but only of this unconquerable prayer, that we
       pray it and bring it before God as a truly common prayer.
      
       XIII. The power of this prayer we see in the fact that in
       olden times Abraham prayed for the five cities, Sodom,
       Gomorrah, etc., Genesis xviii, and accomplished so much,
       that if there had been ten righteous people in them, two
       in each city, God would not have destroyed them. What
       then could many men do, if they united in calling upon
       God earnestly and with sincere confidence?
      
       St. James also says: "Dear brethren, pray for one
       another, that ye may be saved. For the prayer of a
       righteous man availeth much, a prayer that perseveres and
       does not cease" (that is, which does not cease asking
       ever more and more, although what it asks is not
       immediately granted, as some timid men do). And as an
       example in this matter he sets before us Elijah, the
       Prophet, "who was a man," he says, "as we are, and
       prayed, that it might not rain; and it rained not by the
       space of three years and six months. And he prayed again,
       and it rained, and everything became fruitful." There are
       many texts and examples in the Scriptures which urge us
       to pray, only that it be done with earnestness and faith.
       As David says, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the
       righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry." Again,
       "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to
       all that call upon Him in truth." Why does he add, "call
       upon Him in truth"? Because that is not prayer nor
       calling upon God when the mouth alone mumbles.
      
       What should God do, if you come along with your mouth,
       book or Paternoster, and think of nothing except that you
       may finish the words and complete the number? So that if
       some one were to ask you what it all was about, or what
       it was that you prayed for, you yourself would not know;
       for you had not thought of laying this or that matter
       before God or desiring it. Your only reason for praying
       is that you are commanded to pray this and so much, and
       this you intend to do in full. What wonder that thunder
       and lightning frequently set churches on fire, because we
       thus make of the House of Prayer a house of mockery, and
       call that prayer in which we bring nothing before God and
       desire nothing from Him.
      
       But we should do as they do who wish to ask a favor of
       great princes. These do not plan merely to babble a
       certain number of words, for the prince would think they
       mocked him, or were insane; but they put their request
       very plainly, and present their need earnestly, and then
       leave it to his mercy, in good confidence that he will
       grant it. So we must deal with God of definite things,
       namely, mention some present need, commend it to His
       mercy and good-will, and not doubt that it is heard; for
       He has promised to hear such prayer, which no earthly
       lord has done.
      
       XIV. We are masters in this form of prayer when we suffer
       bodily need; when we are sick we call here upon St.
       Christopher, there upon St. Barbara; we vow a pilgrimage
       to St. James, to this place and to that; then we make
       earnest prayer, have a good confidence and every good
       kind of prayer. But when we are in our churches during
       mass, we stand like images of saints; know nothing to
       speak of or to lament; the beads rattle, the pages rustle
       and the mouth babbles; and that is all there is to it.
      
       But if you ask what you shall speak of and lament in your
       prayer, you can easily learn from the Ten Commandments
       and the Lord's Prayer. Open your eyes and look into your
       life and the life of all Christians, especially of the
       spiritual estate, and you will find how faith, hope,
       love, obedience, chastity and every virtue languish, and
       all manner of heinous vices reign; what a lack there is
       of good preachers and prelates; how only knaves,
       children, fools and women rule. Then you will see that
       there were need every hour without ceasing to pray
       everywhere with tears of blood to God, Who is so terribly
       angry with men. And it is true that it has never been
       more necessary to pray than at this time, and it will be
       more so from now on to the end of the world. If such
       terrible crimes do not move you to lament and complain,
       do not permit yourself to be led astray by your rank,
       station, good works or prayer: there is no Christian vein
       or trait in you, however righteous you may be. But it has
       all been foretold, that when God's anger is greatest and
       Christendom suffers the greatest need, then petitioners
       and supplicants before God shall not be found, as Isaiah
       says with tears, chapter lxiv: "Thou art angry with us,
       and there is none that calleth upon Thy Name, that
       stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee." Likewise,
       Ezekiel xxii: "I sought for a man among them, that should
       make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the
       land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.
       Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I
       have consumed them with the fire of My wrath." With these
       words God indicates how He wants us to withstand Him and
       turn away His anger from one another, as it is frequently
       written of the Prophet Moses, that he restrained God,
       lest His anger should overwhelm the people of Israel.
      
       XV. But what will they do, who not only do not regard
       such misfortune of Christendom, and do not pray against
       it, but laugh at it, take pleasure in it, condemn,
       malign, sing and talk of their neighbor's sins, and yet
       dare, unafraid and unashamed, go to church, hear mass,
       say prayers, and regard themselves and are regarded as
       pious Christians? These truly are in need that we pray
       twice for them, if we pray once for those whom they
       condemn, talk about and laugh at. That there would be
       such is also prophesied by the thief on Christ's left
       hand, who blasphemed Him in His suffering, weakness and
       need; also by all those who reviled Christ on the Cross,
       when they should most of all have helped Him.
      
       O God, how blind, nay, how insane have we Christians
       become! When will there be an end of wrath, O heavenly
       Father? That we mock at the misfortune of Christendom, to
       pray for which we gather together in Church and at the
       mass, that we blaspheme and condemn men, this is the
       fruit of our mad materialism. If the Turk destroys
       cities, country and people, and ruins churches, we think
       a great injury has been done Christendom. Then we
       complain, and urge kings and princes to war. But when
       faith perishes, love grows cold, God's Word is neglected,
       and all manner of sin flourishes, then no one thinks of
       fighting, nay, pope, bishops, priests and clergy, who
       ought to be generals, captains and standard-bearers in
       this spiritual warfare against these spiritual and many
       times worse Turks, these are themselves the very princes
       and leaders of such Turks and of the devil host, just as
       Judas was the leader of the Jews when they took Christ.
       It had to be an apostle, a bishop, a priest, one of the
       number of the best, who began the work of slaying Christ.
       So also must Christendom be laid waste by no others than
       those who ought to protect it, and yet are so insane that
       they are ready to eat up the Turks and at home themselves
       set house and sheep-cote on fire and let them burn up
       with the sheep and all other contents, and none the less
       worry about the wolf in the woods. Such are our times,
       and this is the reward we have earned by our ingratitude
       toward the endless grace which Christ has won for us
       freely with His precious blood, grievous labor and bitter
       death.
      
       XVI. Lo! where are the idle ones, who do not know how to
       do good works? Where are they who run to Rome, to St.
       James, hither and thither? Take up this one singl work
       of the mass, look on your neighbor's sin and ruin, and
       have pity on him; let it grieve you, tell it to God, and
       pray over it. Do the same for every other need of
       Christendom, especially of the rulers, whom God, for the
       intolerable punishment and torment of us all, allows to
       fall and be misled so terribly. If you do this
       diligently, be assured you are one of the best fighters
       and captains, not only against the Turks, but also
       against the devils and the powers of hell. But if you do
       it not, what would it help you though you performed all
       the miracles of the saints, and murdered all the Turks,
       and yet were found guilty of having disregarded your
       neighbor's need and of having thereby sinned against
       love? For Christ at the last day will not ask how much
       you have prayed, fasted, pilgrimaged, done this or that
       for yourself, but how much good you have done to others,
       even the very least.
      
       Now without doubt among the "least" are also those who
       are in sin and spiritual poverty, captivity and need, of
       whom there are at present far more than of those who
       suffer bodily need. Therefore tke heed: our own
       self-assumed good works lead us to and into ourselves,
       that we seek only our own benefit and salvation; but
       God's commandments drive us to our neighbor, that we may
       thereby benefit others to their salvation. Just as Christ
       on the Cross prayed not for Himself alone, but rather for
       us, when He said, "Father, forgive them, fort they know
       not what they do," so we also must pray for one another.
       From which every man may know that the slanderers,
       frivolous judges and despisers of other people are a
       perverted, evil race, who do nothing else than heap abuse
       on those for whom they ought to pray; in which vice no
       one is sunk so deep as those very men who do many good
       works of their own, and seem to men to be something
       extraordinary, and are honored because of their
       beautiful, splendid life in manifold good works.
      
       XVII. Spiritually understood, this Commandment has a yet
       far higher work, which embraces the whole nature of man.
       Here it must be known that in Hebrew " Sabbath " means "
       rest," because on the seventh day God rested and ceased
       from all His works, which He had made. Genesis ii.
       Therefore He commanded also that the seventh day should
       be kept holy and that we cease from our works which we do
       the other six days. This Sabbath has now for us been
       changed into the Sunday, and the other days are called
       work-days; the Sunday is called rest-day or holiday or
       holy day. And would to God that in Christendom there were
       no holiday except the Sunday; that the festivals of Our
       Lady and of the Saints were all transferred to Sunday;
       then would many evil vices be done away with through the
       labor of the work-days, and lands would not be so drained
       and impoverished. But now we are plagued with many
       holidays, to the destruction of souls, bodies and goods;
       of which matter much might be said.
      
       This rest or ceasing from labors is of two kinds, bodily
       and spiritual. For this reason this Commandment is also
       to be understood in two ways.
      
       The bodily rest is that of which we have spoken above,
       namely, that we omit our business and work, in order that
       we may gather in the church, see mass, hear God's Word
       and make common prayer. This rest is indeed bodily and in
       Christendom no longer commanded by God, as the Apostle
       says, Colossians ii, "Let no man obligate you to any
       holiday whatever" -- for they were of old a figure, but
       now the truth has been fulfilled, so that all days are
       holy days, as Isaiah says, chapter lxvi, "One holy day
       shall follow the other"; on the other hand, all days are
       workdays. Yet it is a necessity and ordained by the
       Church for the sake of the imperfect laity and working
       people, that they also may be able to come to hear God's
       Word. For, as we see, the priests and clergy celebrate
       mass every day, pray at all hours and train themselves in
       God's Word by study, reading and hearing. For this reason
       also they are freed from work before others, supported by
       tithes and have holy-day every day, and every day do the
       works of the holy-day, and have no work-day, but for them
       one day is as the other. And if we were all perfect, and
       knew the Gospel, we might work every day if we wished, or
       rest if we could. For a day of rest is at present not
       necessary nor commanded except only for the teaching of
       God's Word and prayer.
      
       The spiritual rest, which God particularly intends in
       this Commandment, is this: that we not only cease from
       our labor and trade, but much more, that we let God alone
       work in us and that we do nothing of our own with all our
       powers. But how is this done? In this way: Man, corrupted
       by sin, has much wicked love and inclination toward all
       sins, as the Scriptures say, Genesis viii, "Man's heart
       and senses incline always to the evil," that is, to
       pride, disobedience, anger, hatred, covetousness,
       unchastity, etc., and summa summarum, in all that he does
       and leaves undone, he seeks his own profit, will and
       honor rather than God's and his neighbor's. Therefore all
       his works, all his words, all his thoughts, all his life
       are evil and not godly.
      
       Now if God is to work and to live in him, all this vice
       and wickedness must be choked and up-rooted, so that
       there may be rest and a cessation of all our works,
       thoughts and life, and that henceforth (as St. Paul says,
       Galatians ii.) it may be no longer we who live, but
       Christ Who lives, works and speaks in us. This is not
       accomplished with comfortable, pleasant days, but here we
       must hurt our nature and let it be hurt. Here begins the
       strife between the spirit and the flesh; here the spirit
       resists anger, lust, pride, while the flesh wants to be
       in pleasure, honor and comfort. Of this St. Paul says,
       Galatians v, "They that are our Lord Christ's have
       crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts." Then
       follow the good works, -- fasting, watching, labor, of
       which some say and write so much, although they know
       neither the source nor the purpose of these good works.
       Therefore we will now also speak of them.
      
       XVIII. This rest, namely, that our work cease and God
       alone work in us, is accomplished in two ways. First,
       through our own effort, secondly, through the effort or
       urging of others.
      
       Our own effort is to be so made and ordered that, in the
       first place, when we see our flesh, senses, will and
       thoughts tempting us, we resist them and do not heed
       them, as the Wise Man says: "Follow not thine own
       desires." And Moses, Deuteronomy xii: "Thou shalt not do
       what is right in thine own eyes."
      
       Here a man must make daily use of those prayers which
       David prays: "Lord, lead me in Thy path, and let me not
       walk in my own ways," and many like prayers, which are
       all summed up in the prayer, "Thy kingdom come." For the
       desires are so many, so various, and besides at times so
       nimble, so subtile and specious, through the suggestions
       of the evil one, that it is not possible for a man to
       control himself in his own ways. He must let hands and
       feet go, commend himself to God's governance, and entrust
       nothing to his reason, as Jeremiah says, "O Lord, I know
       that the way of man is not in his own power." We see
       proof of this, when the children of Israel went out of
       Egypt through the Wilderness, where there was no way, no
       food, no drink, no help. Therefore God went before them,
       by day in a bright: cloud, by night in a fiery pillar,
       fed them with manna from heaven, and kept their garments
       and shoes that they waxed not old, as we read in the
       Books of Moses. For this reason we pray: "Thy kingdom
       come, that Thou rule us, and not: we ourselves," for
       there is nothing more perilous in us than our reason and
       will. And this is the first and highest work of God in us
       and the best training, that we cease from our works, that
       we let our reason and will be idle, that we rest and
       commend ourselves to God in all things, especially when
       they seem to be spiritual and good.
      
       XIX. After this comes the discipline of the flesh, to
       kill its gross, evil lust, to give it rest and relief.
       This we must kill and quiet with fasting, watching and
       labor, and from this we learn how much and why we shall
       fast, watch and labor.
      
       There are, alas! many blind men, who practise their
       castigation, whether it be fasting, watching or labor,
       only because they think these are good works, intending
       by them to gain much merit. Far blinder still are they
       who measure their fasting not only by the quantity or
       duration, as these do, but also by the nature of the
       food, thinking that it is of far greater worth if they do
       not eat meat, eggs or butter. Beyond these are those who
       fast according to the saints, and according to the days;
       one fasting on Wednesday, another on Saturday, another on
       St. Barbara's day, another on St. Sebastian's day, and so
       on. These all seek in their fasting nothing beyond the
       work itself: when they have performed that, they think
       they have done a good work. I will here say nothing of
       the fact that some fast in such a way that they none the
       less drink themselves full; some fast by eating fish and
       other foods so lavishly that they would come much nearer
       to fasting if they ate meat, eggs and butter, and by so
       doing would obtain far better results from their fasting.
       For such fasting is not fasting, but a mockery of fasting
       and of God.
      
       Therefore I allow everyone to choose his day, food and
       quantity for fasting, as he will, on condition that he do
       not stop with that, but have regard to his flesh; let him
       put upon it fasting, watching and labor according to its
       lust and wantonness, and no more, although pope, Church,
       bishop, father-confessor or any one else whosoever have
       commanded it. For no one should measure and regulate
       fasting, watching and labor according to the character or
       quantity of the food, or according to the days, but
       according to the withdrawal or approach of the lust and
       wantonness of the flesh, for the sake of which alone the
       fasting, watching and labor is ordained, that is, to kill
       and to subdue them. If it were not for this lust, eating
       were as meritorious as fasting, sleeping as watching,
       idleness as labor, and each were as good as the other
       without all distinction.
      
       XX. Now, if some one should find that more wantonness
       arose in his flesh from eating fish than from eating eggs
       and meat, let him eat meat and not fish. Again, if he
       find that his head becomes confused and crazed or his
       body and stomach injured through fasting, or that it is
       not needful to kill the wantonness of his flesh, he shall
       let fasting alone entirely, and eat, sleep, be idle as is
       necessary for his health, regardless whether it be
       against the command of the Church, or the rules of
       monastic orders: for no commandment of the Church, no law
       of an order can make fasting, watching and labor of more
       value than it has in serving to repress or to kill the
       flesh and its lusts. Where men go beyond this, and the
       fasting, eating, sleeping, watching are practised beyond
       the strength of the body, and more than is necessary to
       the killing of the lust, so that through it the natural
       strength is ruined and the head is racked; then let no
       one imagine that he has done good works, or excuse
       himself by citing the commandment of the Church or the
       law of his order. He will be regarded as a man who takes
       no care of himself, and, as far as in him lies, has
       become his own murderer.
      
       For the body is not given us that we should kill its
       natural life or work, but only that we kill its
       wantonness; unless its wantonness were so strong and
       great that we could not sufficiently resist it without
       ruin and harm to the natural life. For, as has been said,
       in the practice of fasting, watching and labor, we are
       not to look upon the works in themselves, not on the
       days, not on the number, not on the food, but only on the
       wanton and lustful Adam, that through them he may be
       cured of his evil appetite.
      
       XXI. From this we can judge how wisely or foolishly some
       women act when they are with child, and how the sick are
       to be treated. For the foolish women cling so firmly to
       their fasting that they run the risk of great danger to
       the fruit of their womb and to themselves, rather than
       not to fast when the others fast. They make a matter of
       conscience where there is none, and where there is matter
       of conscience they make none. This is all the fault of
       the preachers, because they continually prate of fasting,
       and never point out its true use, limit, fruit, cause and
       purpose. So also the sick should be allowed to eat and to
       drink every day whatever they wish. In brief, where the
       wantonness of the flesh ceases, there every reason for
       fasting, watching, laboring, eating this or that, has
       already ceased, and there no longer is any binding
       commandment at all.
      
       But then care must be taken, lest out of this freedom
       there grow a lazy indifference about killing the
       wantonness of the flesh; for the roguish Adam is
       exceedingly tricky in looking for permission for himself,
       and in pleading the ruin of the body or of the mind; so
       some men jump right in and say it is neither necessary
       nor commanded to fast or to mortify the flesh, and are
       ready to eat this and that without fear, just as if they
       had for a long time had much experience of fasting,
       although they have never tried it.
      
       No less are we to guard against offending those who, not
       sufficiently informed, regard it a great sin if we do not
       fast or eat as they do. These we must kindly instruct,
       and not haughtily despise, nor eat this or that in
       despite of them, but we must tell them the reason why it
       is right to do so, and thus gradually lead them to a
       correct understanding. But if they are stubborn and will
       not listen, we must let them alone, and do as we know it
       is right to do.
      
       XXII. The second form of discipline which we receive at
       the hands of others, is when men or devils cause us
       suffering, as when our property is taken, our body sick,
       and our honor taken away; and everything that may move us
       to anger, impatience and unrest. For God's work rules in
       us according to His wisdom, not according to our wisdom,
       according to His purity and chastity, not according to
       the wantonness of our flesh; for God's work is wisdom and
       purity, our work is foolishness and impurity, and these
       shall rest: so in like manner it should rule in us
       according to His peace, not our anger, impatience and
       lack of peace. For peace too is God's work, impatience is
       the work of our flesh; this shall rest and be dead, that
       we thus in every way keep a spiritual holiday, let our
       works stand idle, and let God work in us.
      
       Therefore in order to kill our works and the Adam in us,
       God heaps many temptations upon us, which move us to
       anger, many sufferings, which rouse us to impatience, and
       last of all death and the world's abuse; whereby He seeks
       nothing else than that He may drive out anger, impatience
       and lack of peace, and attain to His work, that is, to
       peace, in us. Thus says Isaiah xxviii, "He does the work
       of another that He may come to His own work." What does
       this mean? He sends us suffering and trouble that He may
       teach us to have patience and peace; He bids us die that
       He may make us live, until a man, thoroughly trained,
       becomes so peaceful and quiet that he is not disturbed,
       whether it go well or ill with him, whether he die or
       live, be honored or dishonored. There God Himself dwells
       alone, and there are no works of men. This is rightly
       keeping and hallowing the day of rest; then a man does
       not guide himself, then he desires nothing for himself,
       then nothing troubles him; but God Himself leads him,
       there is naught but godly pleasure, joy and peace with
       all other works and virtues.
      
       XXIII. These works He considers so great that He commands
       us not only to keep the day of rest, but also to hallow
       it or regard it as holy, whereby He declares that there
       are no more precious things than suffering, dying, and
       all manner of misfortune. For they are holy and sanctify
       a man from his works to God's works, just as a church is
       consecrated from natural works to the worship of God.
       Therefore a man shall also recognise them as holy things,
       be glad and thank God when they come upon him. For when
       they come they make him holy, so that he fulfils this
       Commandment and is saved, redeemed from all his sinful
       works. Thus says David: "Precious in the sight of the
       Lord is the death of His saints."
      
       In order to strengthen us thereto He has not only
       commanded us to keep such a rest (for nature is very
       unwilling to die and to suffer, and it is a bitter day of
       rest for it to cease from its works and be dead); but He
       has also comforted us in the Scriptures with many words
       and told us, Psalm xci, "I will be with him in all his
       trouble, and will deliver him." Likewise Psalm xxxiv:
       "The Lord is nigh unto all them that suffer, and will
       help them."
      
       As if this were not enough, He has given us a powerful,
       strong example of it, His only, dear Son, Jesus Christ,
       our Lord, who on the Sabbath lay in the tomb the entire
       day of rest, free from all His works, and was the first
       to fulfil this Commandment, although He needed it not for
       Himself, but only for our comfort, that we also in all
       suffering and death should be quiet and have peace.
       Since, as Christ was raised up after His rest and
       henceforth lives only in God and God in Him, so also
       shall we by the death of our Adam, which is perfectly
       accomplished only through natural death and burial, be
       lifted up into God, that God may live and work in us
       forever. Lo! these are the three parts of man: reason,
       desire, aversion; in which all his works are done. These,
       therefore, must be slain by these three exercises, God's
       governance, our self-mortification, the hurt done to us
       by others; and so they must spiritually rest before God,
       and give Him room for His works.
      
       XXIV. But such works are to be done and such sufferings
       to be endured in faith and in sure confidence of God's
       favor, in order that, as has been said, all works remain
       in the First Commandment and in faith, and that faith,
       for the sake of which all other commandments and works
       are ordained, exercise and strengthen itself in them.
       See, therefore, what a pretty, golden ring these three
       Commandments and their works naturally form, and how from
       the First Commandment and faith the Second flows on to
       the Third, and the Third in turn drives through the
       Second up into the First. For the first work is to
       believe, to have a good heart and confidence toward God.
       From this flows the second good work, to praise God's
       Name, to confess His grace, to give all honor to Him
       alone. Then follows the third, to worship by praying,
       hearing God's Word, thinking of and considering God's
       benefits, and in addition chastising one's self, and
       keeping the body under.
      
       But when the evil spirit perceives such faith, such
       honoring of God and such worship, he rages and stirs up
       persecution, attacks body, goods, honor and life, brings
       upon us sickness, poverty, shame and death, which God so
       permits and ordains. See, here begins the second work, or
       the second rest of the Third Commandment; by this faith
       is very greatly tried, even as gold in the fire. For it
       is a great thing to retain a sure confidence in God,
       although He sends us death, shame, sickness, poverty; and
       in this cruel form of wrath to regard Him as our
       all-gracious Father, as must be done in this work of the
       Third Commandment. Here suffering contains faith, that it
       must call upon God's Name and praise it in such
       suffering, and so it comes through the Third Commandment
       into the Second again; and through that very calling on
       the Name of God and praise, faith grows, and becomes
       conscious of itself, and so strengthens itself, through
       the two works of the Third and of the Second Commandment.
       Thus faith goes out into the works and through the works
       comes to itself again; just as the sun goes forth unto
       its setting and comes again unto its rising. For this
       reason the Scriptures associate the day with peaceful
       living in works, the night with passive living in
       adversity, and faith lives and works, goes out and comes
       in, in both, as Christ says, John ix.
      
       XXV. This order of good works we pray in the Lord's
       Prayer. The first is this, that we say: "Our Father, Who
       art in heaven"; these are the words of the first work of
       faith, which, according to the First Commandment, does
       not doubt that it has a gracious Father in heaven. The
       second: "Hallowed be Thy Name," in which faith asks that
       God's Name, praise and honor be glorified, and calls upon
       it in every need, as the Second Commandment says. The
       third: "Thy kingdom come," in which we pray for the true
       Sabbath and rest, peaceful cessation of our works, that
       God's work alone be done in us, and so God rule in us as
       in His own kingdom, as He says, Luke xvii, "Behold, God's
       kingdom is nowhere else except within you." The fourth
       petition is "Thy will be done"; in which we pray that we
       may keep and have the Seven Commandments of the Second
       Table, in which faith is exercised toward our neighbor;
       just as in the first three it is exercised in works
       toward God alone. And these are the petitions in which
       stands the word "Thou, Thy, Thy, Thy," because they seek
       only what belongs to God; all the others say "our, us,
       our," etc; for in them we pray for our goods and
       blessedness.
      
       Let this, then, suffice as a plain, hasty explanation of
       the First Table of Moses, pointing out to simple folk
       what are the highest of good works.