36. A third answer to our enemies is: We are certain that wherever
the Word of God is proclaimed, the fruits of the same must exist. We
have the Word of God, and therefore the Spirit of God must be with
us. And where the Spirit is, faith must obtain, however weak it may
be. Though visible evidence may be lacking, yet inevitably there must
be some among us who daily pray, while we may not be aware of it. It
is reasonably to be expected that our enemies should judge
erroneously, because they look for outward evidences of Christianity,
which are not forthcoming.
The Word is too sublime to pass under our judgment; it is the
province of the Word to judge us. The world, however, while unwilling
to be judged and convicted by us, essays to judge and convict the
Word of God. Here God steps in. It would be a pity for the worldly to
see a godly Christian, so God blinds them and they miss his kingdom.
As Isaiah says (ch. 26, 10): "In the land of uprightness will he deal
wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah." For this
reason, few real Christians come under the observation of cavilers;
the latter, in general, observe fools and fanatics, at whom they
maliciously stumble and take offense. They are unworthy to behold
God's honor in a godly Christian upon whom the Lord has poured out
himself in fullness of blessing.
37. Let the real Christian come into the presence of the caviler,
stand before his very eyes, and the caviler will not see him. Let the
fault-finder hear that one leads an irreproachable life and he will
say: "Heretics have behaved similarly, but under a good appearance
concealed poison." Let one be refractory and reckless, and he must be
a knave. Whatever we do, they are not satisfied. If we pipe, they
will not dance; if we mourn, they will not lament. Neither sweet nor
sour appeals to them. Wisdom must permit herself to be schooled and
governed by these cavilers, as Christ says in Matthew 11, 19. Thus
God confounds and shames the world; while all the time tolerating its
judgment of himself, he is ever careful to have the Gospel
inculcated, even though the worldly burst with rage. I say these
things to teach us to be careful not to join the caviler in judging
presumptuously the work and Word of God. Notwithstanding our
weakness, we are yet certain the kingdom of God is in our midst so
long as we have his Word and daily pray for its efficacy and for an
increase of our faith, as the following words recommend:
"That ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the
inward man."