kingdom prevail among us; in which two points is comprehended all that
pertains to the honor of God and to our salvation, that we receive as
our own God and all His riches. But now a need just as great arises,
namely, that we firmly keep them, and do not suffer ourselves to be
torn therefrom. For as in a good government it is not only necessary
that there be those who build and govern well, but also those who make
defense, afford protection and maintain it firmly, so here likewise,
although we have prayed for the greatest need, for the Gospel, faith,
and the Holy Ghost, that He may govern us and redeem us from the power
of the devil, we must also pray that His will be done. For there will
be happenings quite strange if we are to abide therein, as we shall
have to suffer many thrusts and blows on that account from everything
that ventures to oppose and prevent the fulfillment of the two
petitions that precede.
For no one believes how the devil opposes and resists them, and cannot
suffer that any one teach or believe aright. And it hurts him beyond
measure to suffer his lies and abominations, that have been honored
under the most specious pretexts of the divine name, to be exposed, and
to be disgraced himself, and, besides, be driven out of the heart, and
suffer such a breach to be made in his kingdom. Therefore he chafes and
rages as a fierce enemy with all his power and might, and marshals all
his subjects, and, in addition enlists the world and our own flesh as
his allies. For our flesh is in itself indolent and inclined to evil,
even though we have accepted and believe the Word of God. The world,
however, is perverse and wicked; this he incites against us, fans and
stirs the fire, that he may hinder and drive us back, cause us to
fall, and again bring us under his power. Such is all his will, mind,
and thought, for which he strives day and night, and never rests a
moment, employing all arts, wiles, ways, and means whichever he can
invent.
If we would be Christians, therefore, we must surely expect and reckon
upon having the devil with all his angels and the world as our enemies,
who will bring every possible misfortune and grief upon us. For where
the Word of God is preached, accepted, or believed, and produces fruit,
there the holy cross cannot be wanting. And let no one think that he
shall have peace; but he must risk what whatever he has upon earth --
possessions, honor. house and estate, wife and children, body and life.
Now, this hurts our flesh and the old Adam; for the test is to be
steadfast and to suffer with patience in whatever way we are assailed,
and to let go whatever is taken from us.
Hence there is just as great need, as in all the others, that we pray
without ceasing: "Dear Father, Thy will be done, not the will of the
devil and of our enemies, nor of anything that would persecute and
suppress Thy holy Word or hinder Thy kingdom; and grant that we may
bear with patience and overcome whatever is to be endured on that
account, lest our poor flesh yield or fall away from weakness or
sluggishness."
Behold, thus we have in these three petitions, in the simplest manner,
the need which relates to God Himself, yet all for our sakes. For
whatever we pray concerns only us, namely, as we have said, that what
must be done anyway without us, may also be done in us. For as His name
must be hallowed and His kingdom come without our prayer, so also His
will must be done and succeed although the devil with all his adherents
raise a great tumult, are angry and rage against it, and undertake to
exterminate the Gospel utterly. But for our own sakes we must pray that
even against their fury His will be done without hindrance also among
us, that they may not be able to accomplish anything and we remain firm
against all violence and persecution, and submit to such will of God.
Such prayer, then, is to be our protection and defense now, is to
repel and put down all that the devil, Pope, bishops, tyrants, and
heretics can do against our Gospel. Let them all rage and attempt their
utmost, and deliberate and resolve how they may suppress and
exterminate us, that their will and counsel may prevail: over and
against this one or two Christians with this petition alone shall be
our wall against which they shall run and dash themselves to pieces.
This consolation and confidence we have, that the will and purpose of
the devil and of all our enemies shall and must fail and come to
naught, however proud, secure, and powerful they know themselves to be.
For if their will were not broken and hindered, the kingdom of God
could not abide on earth nor His name be hallowed.
The Fourth Petition.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Here, now, we consider the poor breadbasket, the necessaries of our
body and of the temporal life. It is a brief and simple word, but it
has a very wide scope. For when you mention and pray for daily bread,
you pray for everything that is necessary in order to have and enjoy
daily bread and, on the other hand, against everything which interferes
with it. Therefore you must open wide and extend your thoughts not only
to the oven or the flour-bin but to the distant field and the entire
land, which bears and brings to us daily bread and every sort of
sustenance. For if God did not cause it to grow, and bless and preserve
it in the field, we could never take bread from the oven or have any to
set upon the table.
To comprise it briefly, this petition includes everything that belongs
to our entire life in the world, because on that account alone do we
need daily bread. Now for our life it is not only necessary that our
body have food and covering and other necessaries, but also that we
spend our days in peace and quiet among the people with whom we live
and have intercourse in daily business and conversation and all sorts
of doings, in short, whatever pertains both to the domestic and to the
neighborly or civil relation and government. For where these two things
are hindered [intercepted and disturbed] that they do not prosper as
they ought, the necessaries of life also are impeded, so that
ultimately life cannot be maintained. And there is, indeed, the
greatest need to pray for temporal authority and government, as that by
which most of all God preserves to us our daily bread and all the
comforts of this life. For though we have received of God all good
things in abundance we are not able to retain any of them or use them
in security and happiness, if He did not give us a permanent and
peaceful government. For where there are dissension, strife, and war,
there the daily bread is already taken away, or at least checked.
Therefore it would be very proper to place in the coat-of-arms of
every pious prince a loaf of bread instead of a lion, or a wreath of
rue, or to stamp it upon the coin, to remind both them and their
subjects that by their office we have protection and peace, and that
without them we could not eat and retain our daily bread. Therefore
they are also worthy of all honor, that we give to them for their
office what we ought and can, as to those through whom we enjoy in
peace and quietness what we have, because otherwise we would not keep a
farthing; and that, in addition, we also pray for them that through
them God may bestow on us the more blessing and good.
Let this be a very brief explanation and sketch, showing how far this
petition extends through all conditions on earth. Of this any one might
indeed make a long prayer, and with many words enumerate all the things
that are included therein, as that we pray God to give us food and
drink, clothing, house, and home, and health of body; also that He
cause the grain and fruits of the field to grow and mature well;
furthermore, that He help us at home towards good housekeeping, that He
give and preserve to us a godly wife, children, and servants, that He
cause our work, trade, or whatever we are engaged in to prosper and
succeed, favor us with faithful neighbors and good friends, etc.
Likewise, that He give to emperors, kings, and all estates, and
especially to the rulers of our country and to all counselors,
magistrates, and officers, wisdom, strength, and success that they may
govern well and vanquish the Turks and all enemies; to subjects and the
common people, obedience, peace, and harmony in their life with one
another, and on the other hand, that He would preserve us from all
sorts of calamity to body and livelihood, as lightning, hail, fire,
flood, poison, pestilence, cattle-plague, war and bloodshed, famine,
destructive beasts, wicked men, etc. All this it is well to impress
upon the simple, namely, that these things come from God, and must be
prayed for by us.
But this petition is especially directed also against our chief enemy,
the devil. For all his thought and desire is to deprive us of all that
we have from God, or to hinder it; and he is not satisfied to obstruct
and destroy spiritual government in leading souls astray by his lies
and bringing them under his power, but he also prevents and hinders the
stability of all government and honorable, peaceable relations on
earth.
There he causes so much contention, murder, sedition, and war also
lightning and hail to destroy grain and cattle, to poison the air, etc.
In short, he is sorry that any one has a morsel of bread from God and
eats it in peace; and if it were in his power, and our prayer (next to
God) did not prevent him, we would not keep a straw in the field, a
farthing in the house, yea, not even our life for an hour, especially
those who have the Word of God and would like to be Christians.
Behold, thus God wishes to indicate to us how He cares for us in all
our need, and faithfully provides also for our temporal support. and
although He abundantly grants and preserves these things even to the
wicked and knaves, yet He wishes that we pray for them, in order that
we may recognize that we receive them from His hand, and may feel His
paternal goodness toward us therein. For when He withdraws His hand,
nothing can prosper nor be maintained in the end, as, indeed, we daily
see and experience. How much trouble there is now in the world only on
account of bad coin, yea, on account of daily oppression and raising of
prices in common trade, bargaining and labor on the part of those who
wantonly oppress the poor and deprive them of their daily bread! This
we must suffer indeed; but let them take care that they do not lose the
common intercession, and beware lest this petition in the Lord's Prayer
be against them.
The Fifth Petition.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
against us.
This part now relates to our poor miserable life, which, although we
have and believe the Word of God, and do and submit to His will, and
are supported by His gifts and blessings is nevertheless not without
sin. For we still stumble daily and transgress because we live in the
world among men who do us much harm and give us cause for impatience,
anger, revenge, etc. Besides, we have Satan at our back, who sets upon
us on every side, and fights (as we have heard) against all the
foregoing petitions, so that it is not possible always to stand firm in
such a persistent conflict.
Therefore there is here again great need to call upon God and to pray:
Dear Father, forgive us our trespasses. Not as though He did not
forgive sin without and even before our prayer (for He has given us the
Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever thought
about it). But this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept
such forgiveness. For since the flesh in which we daily live is of such
a nature that it neither trusts nor believes God, and is ever active in
evil lusts and devices, so that we sin daily in word and deed, by
commission and omission by which the conscience is thrown into unrest,
so that it is afraid of the wrath and displeasure of God, and thus
loses the comfort and confidence derived from the Gospel; therefore it
is ceaselessly necessary that we run hither and obtain consolation to
comfort the conscience again.
But this should serve God's purpose of breaking our pride and keeping
us humble. For in case any one should boast of his godliness and
despise others, God has reserved this prerogative to Himself, that the
person is to consider himself and place this prayer before his eyes,
and he will find that he is no better than others, and that in the
presence of God all must lower their plumes, and be glad that they can
attain forgiveness. And let no one think that as long as we live here
he can reach such a position that he will not need such forgiveness. In
short, if God does not forgive without ceasing, we are lost.
It is therefore the intent of this petition that God would not regard
our sins and hold up to us what we daily deserve, but would deal
graciously with us, and forgive, as He has promised, and thus grant us
a joyful and confident conscience to stand before Him in prayer. For
where the heart is not in right relation towards God, nor can take such
confidence, it will nevermore venture to pray. But such a confident and
joyful heart can spring from nothing else than the [certain] knowledge
of the forgiveness of sin.
But there is here attached a necessary, yet consolatory addition: As we
forgive. He has promised that we shall be sure that everything is
forgiven and pardoned, yet in the manner that we also forgive our
neighbor. For just as we daily sin much against God and yet He forgives
everything through grace, so we, too, must ever forgive our neighbor
who does us injury, violence, and wrong, shows malice toward us, etc.
If, therefore you do not forgive, then do not think that God forgives
you; but if you forgive, you have this consolation and assurance, that
you are forgiven in heaven, not on account of your forgiving, -- for
God forgives freely and without condition, out of pure grace, because
He has so promised, as the Gospel teaches, -- but in order that He may
set this up for our confirmation and assurance for a sign alongside of
the promise which accords with this prayer, Luke 6, 37: Forgive, and ye
shall be forgiven. Therefore Christ also repeats it soon after the
Lord's Prayer, and says, Matt. 6,14: For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, etc.
This sign is therefore attached to this petition, that, when we pray,
we remember the promise and reflect thus: Dear Father, for this reason
I come and pray Thee to forgive me, not that I can make satisfaction,
or can merit anything by my works, but because Thou hast promised and
attached the seal thereto that I should be as sure as though I had
absolution pronounced by Thyself. For as much as Baptism and the Lord's
Supper appointed as external signs, effect, so much also this sign can
effect to confirm our consciences and cause them to rejoice. And it is
especially given for this purpose, that we might use and practice it
every hour, as a thing that we have with us at all times.
The Sixth Petition.
And lead us not into temptation.
We have now heard enough what toil and labor is required to retain all
that for which we pray, and to persevere therein, which, however, is
not achieved without infirmities and stumbling. Besides, although we
have received forgiveness and a good conscience and are entirely
acquitted, yet is our life of such a nature that one stands to-day and
to-morrow falls. Therefore, even though we be godly now and stand
before God with a good conscience, we must pray again that He would not
suffer us to relapse and yield to trials and temptations.
Temptation, however, or (as our Saxons in olden times used to call it)
Bekoerunge, is of three kinds, namely, of the flesh, of the world and
of the devil. For in the flesh we dwell and carry the old Adam about
our neck, who exerts himself and incites us daily to inchastity,
laziness, gluttony and drunkenness, avarice and deception, to defraud
our neighbor and to overcharge him, and, in short, to all manner of
evil lusts which cleave to us by nature, and to which we are incited by
the society, example and what we hear and see of other people, which
often wound and inflame even an innocent heart.
Next comes the world, which offends us in word and deed, and impels us
to anger and impatience. In short, there is nothing but hatred and
envy, enmity, violence and wrong, unfaithfulness, vengeance, cursing,
raillery slander, pride and haughtiness, with superfluous finery,
honor, fame, and power, where no one is willing to be the least, but
every one desires to sit at the head and to be seen before all.
Then comes the devil, inciting and provoking in all directions, but
especially agitating matters that concern the conscience and spiritual
affairs, namely, to induce us to despise and disregard both the Word
and works of God to tear us away from faith, hope, and love and bring
us into misbelief, false security, and obduracy, or, on the other hand,
to despair, denial of God, blasphemy, and innumerable other shocking
things. These are indeed snares and nets, yea, real fiery darts which
are shot most venomously into the heart, not by flesh and blood, but by
the devil.
Great and grievous, indeed, are these dangers and temptations which
every Christian must bear, even though each one were alone by himself,
so that every hour that we are in this vile life where we are attacked
on all sides, chased and hunted down, we are moved to cry out and to
pray that God would not suffer us to become weary and faint and to
relapse into sin, shame, and unbelief. For otherwise it is impossible
to overcome even the least temptation.
This, then, is leading us not into temptation, to wit, when He gives us
power and strength to resist, the temptation, however, not being taken
away or removed. For while we live in the flesh and have the devil
about us, no one can escape temptation and allurements; and it cannot
be otherwise than that we must endure trials, yea, be engulfed in them;
but we pray for this, that we may not fall and be drowned in them.
To feel temptation is therefore a far different thing from consenting
or yielding to it. We must all feel it, although not all in the same
manner, but some in a greater degree and more severely than others; as,
the young suffer especially from the flesh, afterwards, they that
attain to middle life and old age, from the world, but others who are
occupied with spiritual matters, that is, strong Christians, from the
devil. But such feeling, as long as it is against our will and we would
rather be rid of it, can harm no one. For if we did not feel it, it
could not be called a temptation. But to consent thereto is when we
give it the reins and do not resist or pray against it.
Therefore we Christians must be armed and daily expect to be
incessantly attacked, in order that no one may go on in security and
heedlessly, as though the devil were far from us, but at all times
expect and parry his blows. For though I am now chaste, patient, kind,
and in firm faith, the devil will this very hour send such an arrow
into my heart that I can scarcely stand. For he is an enemy that never
desists nor becomes tired, so that when one temptation ceases, there
always arise others and fresh ones.
Accordingly, there is no help or comfort except to run hither and to
take hold of the Lord's Prayer, and thus speak to God from the heart:
Dear Father, Thou hast bidden me pray; let me not relapse because of
temptations. Then you will see that they must desist, and finally
acknowledge themselves conquered. Else if you venture to help yourself
by your own thoughts and counsel, you will only make the matter worse
and give the devil more space. For he has a serpent's head, which if it
gain an opening into which he can slip, the whole body will follow
without check. But prayer can prevent him and drive him back.
The Seventh and Last Petition.
But deliver us from evil. Amen. In the Greek text this petition reads
thus: Deliver or preserve us from the Evil One, or the Malicious One;
and it looks as if He were speaking of the devil, as though He would
comprehend everything in one so that the entire substance of all our
prayer is directed against our chief enemy. For it is he who hinders
among us everything that we pray for: the name or honor of God, God's
kingdom and will, our daily bread, a cheerful good conscience, etc.
Therefore we finally sum it all up and say: Dear Father pray, help that
we be rid of all these calamities. But there is nevertheless also
included whatever evil may happen to us under the devil's kingdom --
poverty, shame, death, and, in short, all the agonizing misery and
heartache of which there is such an unnumbered multitude on the earth.
For since the devil is not only a liar, but also a murderer, he
constantly seeks our life, and wreaks his anger whenever he can afflict
our bodies with misfortune and harm. Hence it comes that he often
breaks men's necks or drives them to insanity, drowns some, and incites
many to commit suicide, and to many other terrible calamities.
Therefore there is nothing for us to do upon earth but to pray against
this arch enemy without ceasing. For unless God preserved us, we would
not be safe from him even for an hour.
Hence you see again how God wishes us to pray to Him also for all the
things which affect our bodily interests, so that we seek and expect
help nowhere else except in Him. But this matter He has put last; for
if we are to be preserved and delivered from all evil, the name of God
must first be hallowed in us, His kingdom must be with us, and His will
be done. After that He will finally preserve us from sin and shame,
and, besides, from everything that may hurt or injure us.
Thus God has briefly placed before us all the distress which may ever
come upon us, so that we might have no excuse whatever for not praying.
But all depends upon this, that we learn also to say Amen, that is,
that we do not doubt that our prayer is surely heard and [what we pray]
shall be done. For this is nothing else than the word of undoubting
faith, which does not pray at a venture, but knows that God does not
lie to him, since He has promised to grant it. Therefore, where there
is no such faith, there cannot be true prayer either.
It is, therefore, a pernicious delusion of those who pray in such a
manner that they dare not from the heart say yea and positively
conclude that God hears them, but remain in doubt and say, How should I
be so bold as to boast that God hears my prayer? For I am but a poor
sinner, etc.
The reason for this is, they regard not the promise of God, but their
own work and worthiness, whereby they despise God and reproach Him with
lying, and therefore they receive nothing. As St. James says [1, 6]:
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is
like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not
that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. Behold, such
importance God attaches to the fact that we are sure we do not pray in
vain, and that we do not in any way despise our prayer.
Part Fourth.
OF BAPTISM.
We have now finished the three chief parts of the common Christian
doctrine. Besides these we have yet to speak of our two Sacraments
instituted by Christ, of which also every Christian ought to have at
least an ordinary, brief instruction, because without them there can be
no Christian; although, alas! hitherto no instruction concerning them
has been given. But, in the first place, we take up Baptism, by which
we are first received into the Christian Church. However, in order that
it may be readily understood we will treat of it in an orderly manner,
and keep only to that which it is necessary for us to know. For how it
is to be maintained and defended against heretics and sects we will
commend to the learned.
In the first place, we must above all things know well the words upon
which Baptism is founded, and to which everything refers that is to be
said on the subject, namely, where the Lord Christ speaks in the last
chapter of Matthew, v. 19:
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Likewise in St. Mark, the last chapter, v. 16:
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned .