28. What will become of him who lives a God-fearing and humble life,
suffering the insolence, pride and wantonness of the world? Or, where
will he find protection and defense, to abide in his godly ways? We
see daily how the pious are harassed and persecuted, and are trod on
by the world. The Apostle says: "Ye Christians must endure temptation
and adversity, want and need, both physical and spiritual, in the
world, and your heart is oppressed with anxiety and cares, and ye
think within yourselves: O, what will become of me? How shall I be
supported? What if I should die?" (The world only concerns itself
about how it may be enriched and be filled, and anxious, unbelieving
consciences would, through themselves and their own good works, seek
to have a gracious God and to die in peace.) "In view of all this,"
he says, "only hearken, I will counsel and instruct you aright as to
what disposition you should make of your troubles."
There is a brief passage in the 55th Psalm, verse 22, which reads:
"Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: he will
never suffer the righteous to be moved." Follow ye this advice. Let
not your burden rest upon yourselves; for ye cannot bear it, and must
finally perish beneath its weight. But, confident and full of joy,
cast it from you and throw it on God, and say: Heavenly Father, thou
art my Lord and God, who didst create me when I was nothing; moreover
hast redeemed me through thy Son. Now, thou hast committed to me and
laid upon me, this office or work, and things do not go as well as I
would like. There is so much to oppress and worry, that I can find
neither counsel nor help. Therefore I commend everything to thee. Do
thou supply counsel and help, and be thou, thyself, everything in
these things.
29. Such a prayer is pleasing to God, and he tells us to do only what
we are commanded, and throw upon him all anxiety as to the issue and
what we shall accomplish. As also other passages of Scripture
declare: "Commit thy way unto Jehovah, trust also in him, and he will
bring it to pass," Ps 37, 5. No heathen, philosopher, jurist, if he
have not God's Word, can throw his care and complaint upon God. He
thinks that all the world, especially the great, the wise, who rule,
must accomplish everything by their own planning and circumspection.
And where trouble arises--for it is quite common for even the
greatest and wisest people to make mistakes--he becomes a madman or a
fool, and begins to murmur and argue against God and his government,
as though God's rule merited criticism. But such men receive their
deserts when God permits their calculations and hopes to fail, and
lets the reverse obtain. For they will not admit they have need of
him. They think they have sufficient wisdom and power, and that God
must respect their plans. Thus, they spend their lives in many vain,
useless cares and projects, and must, in the course of their
experience, learn and confess, many a time, that the very opposite of
their judgment is the truth.
30. Christians have the rare faculty, above all other people on
earth, of knowing where to place their care, whilst others vex and
torture themselves and at length must despair. Such must be the
consequence of unbelief, which has no God and would provide for
itself. But faith understands this word Peter quotes from the
Scriptures: "Because he careth for you." It joyfully meditates
thereon and does and suffers faithfully. For faith knows this to be
its duty. Its trouble, however, it commits to God, and proceeds with
vigor against all that opposes. It can call upon God as a father, and
it says: I will do what God has commanded me and leave the result
with him.
31. The Christian must take this course if he would proceed safely
and happily in matters of the highest import. In time of danger and
in the hour of death, when, with all his worrying, he cannot discover
where he is or how he is journeying, he must, with eyes, senses and
thoughts closed to the world, surrender himself in faith and
confidence and cast himself upon God's hand and care and protection,
and say: God has permitted me to live until this hour, without my
solicitude. Moreover, he has given me his beloved Son as a treasure
and sure pledge of eternal life. Therefore, my dear soul, journey on
in joy. Thou hast a faithful Father and Savior, who has taken thee
into his own hand, and will preserve thee.
32. The Christian Church collectively must so proceed in the
discharge of its high spiritual office, of which Peter speaks here,
that no man or creature, by his own wisdom and power, can sustain or
accomplish any work. No power, might, or protection that can comfort,
or upon which one may rely, is to be sought in the world. Wholly in
God, and in God alone, must help be sought. By his divine power God
must uphold the Church. He has, from the beginning, always and
wonderfully preserved it in the world, in the midst of great
weakness, in disunion occasioned by schismatics and heretics, in
persecution by tyrants. And the government is wholly his, though he
commits the office and service to men, whom he would summon and use
to administer his Word and sacrament. Therefore, each Christian,
especially if he fills such an office and partakes of this
fellowship, should be intent, in that whereunto God has called and
appointed him, upon serving God faithfully and doing that which is
commanded him. The anxiety respecting the Church's continued
existence and her preservation against the devil and the world, can
be left to the Lord. He has taken this upon himself and thus has
removed the burden from our shoulders, that we might be certain of
the permanence of the Church. If its preservation were committed to
human counsel, might and will, the devil, with his power, would soon
overthrow and destroy it.
33. Likewise, in every office and station, each one should follow
this counsel of Saint Peter. A prince should seek to protect his land
and people, to promote God's Word, to maintain discipline and peace,
to do justice to every man, to punish the disobedient, etc. Councils,
officials, and those in authority should faithfully advise and direct
to this end. Pastors and preachers should rightly and fearlessly
declare God's Word and truth. Every citizen and subject should be
intent upon his work and duty, and whatever, in connection therewith,
is unusual he must simply commit to God.
But the world does not pursue this course. Each one says: Why should
I incur so much danger, opposition and hostility? Again, why should I
labor and toil for naught? I will not accomplish my work at any rate.
In this spirit of fear and worry, his proper office and work are
delayed, or he is always careless.
But let such people know that they are not Christians, nor do they
promote God's kingdom or profit the offices conferred on them. If
they do not propose to mend their ways, they should give up the
office bestowed on them by God. It is not enough to simply sit at
ease in one's office and accept the plaudits of men. We all like to
render esteem and honor to office and station. But know this, that
you are not in office to parade about in beautiful garments, to sit
in the front row, and be called "Gracious Master" and "Esquire." You
are to conduct faithfully the office with which God has clothed and
honored you, regardless of human honor and profit, shame or injury.
34. But men are not generally inclined to believe and trust God. They
are not inclined to remember that he cares for us; that he has
assumed and must bear the greatest of burdens, which no man on earth
can bear; that he cared for us before we were born, and could still,
of himself, execute all things dispensing with all human help, but he
prefers to accomplish his purpose through human means, and to employ
us as instruments in these divine works--governing, punishing,
teaching, comforting.
35. The world is particularly culpable in this matter of pride. When
divinely charged with some great work, it always seeks to determine,
in advance, by its own wisdom, all future danger and accidents, and
tries to anticipate them. The world looks for man's help, and seeks
friendship and assistance wherever it can. It makes alliances, and
resorts to other schemes. It puts its trust in these and then
considers itself strong enough to meet opposition, and is sure of its
cause by reason of its own efforts. This is not showing faith in God.
It is not committing our cause and all care for ourselves to him. It
is maintaining the cause through one's own anxiety and forethought.
It is ignoring and disbelieving the fact that nothing can be
accomplished by one's own vexed effort. No human wisdom has power to
foresee the future. If we looked back at the examples furnished by
history, we should learn how woefully human wisdom is deceived when
it relies upon itself. The results are not what was expected, but the
very opposite.
36. The Scriptures give many pertinent examples of the kings of Judah
and Israel, whom the prophets often and severely rebuked because they
sought refuge and help among strange nations and kings. The prophets
warned them that they should not trust in human aid, but should do
according to God's Word and command. They told them he would protect
and uphold them. But the kings would not hear. They continued to form
friendships and alliances with the kings of Egypt, Syria, Babylon and
Assyria, and thus invited them as guests into the land, whereupon the
heathen kings came with force and led away captive the inhabitants
and laid everything desolate. That was their reward for not heeding
God's Word; for not believing that he cared for them, and desired to
protect and defend them if they would but trust and obey him.
The wisest and most eminent, even among the heathen, have lamented,
in the light of their own experience, that they have been shamefully
deluded by their counsels, even though founded on the most careful
deliberations. Nor can it be said that the world has grown wiser in
consequence of its own or others' sufferings.
37. This exhortation is preached to no one except the few who are
Christians. They have regard for God's Word, and, now humbled, have
learned that they should not rely on their own wisdom and reason, or
upon human help and comfort. They have come to the belief that God
cares for them. So they do what they know is right and are in duty
bound to do, and suffer themselves not to be hindered by such fears
as possess the world concerning dangers, injuries, and adversities.
They commend all such things to God, and at his word go right through
with courage.
38. Let me illustrate from my own experience. What should I have done
when I began to denounce the lies of the indulgence system, and later
the errors of the papacy, if I had listened and given heed to the
terrible things all the world wrote and said would happen to me? How
often I heard it said that if I wrote against such and such eminent
people I would provoke their displeasure, which would prove too
severe for me and the whole German nation. But, since I had not begun
this work of myself, being driven and led thereto by reason of my
office (otherwise I should have preferred to keep silence), I must
continue. I commended the cause to God and let him bear the burden of
care, both as to the result of the work and also as to my own fate.
Thus I advanced the cause farther, despite tumultuous opposition,
than I had ever before dared to think or hope.
39. Oh, how much good would God accomplish through us if people could
be persuaded, especially the eminent lords and kings, that what Peter
here says is true: "He careth for you!" How much he could do if they
believed that truth instead of seeking, through their own wisdom and
reason, to equip, strengthen, and compose themselves by aid of human
might and assistance, friendship and alliance, for the accomplishment
and maintenance of their cause! It is apparent that mortal plans fail
and have always failed, and that they accomplish nothing. God hinders
and resists man's work when he will not trust him. Hence God can
grant no success or favor to that which is founded on human wisdom or
on trust in human powers. This is a truth men must finally perceive
by experience, and they must lament because they would not believe
it.
40. Let him who would be a Christian learn to believe this. Let him
practice and exhibit faith in all his affairs, bodily and spiritual,
in his doing and his suffering, his living and his dying. Let him
banish cares and anxious thoughts. Courageous and cheerful, let him
cast them aside; not into a corner, as some vainly think to do, for
when burdens are permitted to conceal themselves in the heart they
are not really put away. But let the Christian cast his heart and its
anxieties upon God. God is strong to bear and he can easily carry the
burden. Besides, he has commanded that all this be put upon himself.
The more thou layest upon him, the more pleasing it is to him. And he
gives thee the promise that he will carry thy cares for thee, and all
things else that concern thee.
41. This is a grand promise, and a beautiful, golden saying, if men
would only believe it. If a powerful ruler here on earth were to give
such a promise, and were to demand that we let him have all the
concern about gold and silver and the needs of this life, how
cheerfully and contentedly would every one cling to such promise! But
now a greater lord says all this, one who is almighty and truthful,
who has power over the body and life, and who can and will give us
everything we need, both temporal and eternal. We should have in all
this, if we only believed it, half of heaven, yea, a perfect paradise
on earth. For what is better and nobler than a quiet, peaceful heart?
For this all men are striving and laboring. So have we been doing
hitherto, running to and fro after it. Yet it is found nowhere except
in God's word, which bids us cast our cares and burdens on God and
thus seek peace and rest. It counsels us to throw upon him everything
that threatens to oppress and worry us. God would not have anxiety
dwell in our hearts, for it does not belong there; it is put there by
the devil.
42. Therefore, a Christian, even though obliged to suffer all manner
of adversity, temptation and misfortune, can cheerfully go forward
and say: Dear Lord God, thou hast commanded me to believe, to teach,
to govern and to act; this I will attempt in thy name, and I will
commend to thee whatever may happen to me in the course of duty.
There you have a man who is equal to any task, and can do much good.
For he is freed from the greatest misfortune and has laid the
heaviest weight upon God, whilst another man does nothing except fill
his heart with anxiety and gloom. This other can apply himself to no
good work. He becomes unfit both to do and to suffer. He is afraid of
every trifle and, because of his vexation or impatience, can do
nothing worth mentioning.
What is the world doing now? Princes, lords, counselors, citizens,
and peasants--all want only power, honor, and wealth. None desires to
render service. Everyone fears that this or the other thing might
happen to him. Though the world never needed more careful rule than
at the present time, lords and princes, simply because they are such,
idly sit adorned with beautiful crowns, though they have received
their trust from God to discharge their princely office. For the
world must be governed, the youth must be educated, the wicked must
be punished. But if thou desirest the honor only, and art not willing
to step in the mire, to suffer people's displeasure, and through it
all learn to trust God and for his sake do everything, thou art not
worthy of the grace given for the accomplishment of a good and
praiseworthy work. In punishment, resting under God's wrath, thou
must remain unfit for every good work.
III. "Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom withstand
stedfast in your faith."
43. The apostle has set forth two things to be practiced throughout
the Christian life; namely, Christian humility--which is fear of
God--and faith and confidence in God. Now he admonishes his readers
to battle and warfare, that these blessings may be preserved. He
shows us our enemy and adversary who seeks to rob us of our treasure
and deprive us of our salvation and eternal blessedness. Hence he
would say: Be not concerned about living a life of earthly glory, and
let not anxious cares fill your soul. But be intent on humbling
yourselves before God. Trust in him. Let this be your care, that you
may abide in the grace of humility. Let it never be wrested from you.
For the devil seeks to instill these forbidden cares, and to produce
disobedience against God, that he may tear faith and God's Word out
of your heart.