a treatise on good works-第7章

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is　true　only　when　they　are　compared　with　faith　and　its　works。

Measured　by　one　another　there　is　a　difference；　and　one　is　higher

than　the　other。　Just　as　in　the　body　the　members　do　not　differ

when　compared　with　health；　and　health　works　in　the　one　as　much

as　in　the　other；　yet　the　works　of　the　members　are　different；　and

one　is　higher；　nobler；　more　useful　than　the　other；　so；　here　also；

to　praise　God's　glory　and　Name　is　better　than　the　works　of　the

other　Commandments　which　follow；　and　yet　it　must　be　done　in　the

same　faith　as　all　the　others。　



But　I　know　well　that　this　work　is　lightly　esteemed；　and　has

indeed　become　unknown。　Therefore　we　must　examine　it　further；　and

will　say　no　more　about　the　necessity　of　doing　it　in　the　faith　and

confidence　that　it　pleases　God。　Indeed　there　is　no　work　in　which

confidence　and　faith　are　so　much　experienced　and　felt　as　in

honoring　God's　Name；　and　it　greatly　helps　to　strengthen　and

increase　faith；　although　all　works　also　help　to　do　this；　as　St。

Peter　says；　II。　Peter　i：　〃Wherefore　the　rather；　brethren；　give

diligence　through　good　works　to　make　your　calling　and　election

sure。〃



XIX。　The　First　Commandment　forbids　us　to　have　other　gods；　and

thereby　commands　that　we　have　a　God；　the　true　God；　by　a　firm

faith；　trust；　confidence；　hope　and　love；　which　are　the　only　works

whereby　a　man　can　have；　honor　and　keep　a　God；　for　by　no　other

work　can　one　find　or　lose　God　except　by　faith　or　unbelief；　by

trusting　or　doubting；　of　the　other　works　none　reaches　quite　to

God。　So　also　in　the　Second　Commandment　we　are　forbidden　to　use

His　Name　in　vain。　Yet　this　is　not　to　be　enough；　but　we　are

thereby　also　commanded　to　honor；　call　upon；　glorify；　preach　and

praise　His　Name。　And　indeed　it　is　impossible　that　God's　Name

should　not　be　dishonored　where　it　is　not　rightly　honored。　For

although　it　be　honored　with　the　lips；　bending　of　the　knees；

kissing　and　other　postures；　if　this　is　not　done　in　the　heart　by

faith；　in　confident　trust　in　God's　grace；　it　is　nothing　else　than

an　evidence　and　badge　of　hypocrisy。　



See　now；　how　many　kinds　of　good　works　a　man　can　do　under　this

Commandment　at　all　times　and　never　be　without　the　good　works　of

this　Commandment；　if　he　will；　so　that　he　truly　need　not　make　a

long　pilgrimage　or　seek　holy　places。　For；　tell　me；　what　moment

can　pass　in　which　we　do　not　without　ceasing　receive　God's

blessings；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　suffer　adversity？　But　what　else

are　God's　blessings　and　adversities　than　a　constant　urging　and

stirring　up　to　praise；　honor；　and　bless　God；　and　to　call　upon　His

Name？　Now　if　you　had　nothing　else　at　all　to　do；　would　you　not

have　enough　to　do　with　this　Commandment　alone；　that　you　without

ceasing　bless；　sing；　praise　and　honor　God's　Name？　And　for　what

other　purpose　have　tongue；　voice；　language　and　mouth　been

created？　As　Psalm　li。　says：　〃Lord；　open　Thou　my　lips；　and　my

mouth　shall　show　forth　Thy　praise。〃　Again：　〃My　tongue　shall　sing

aloud　of　Thy　mercy。〃　



What　work　is　there　in　heaven　except　that　of　this　Second

Commandment？　As　it　is　written　in　Psalm　Ixxxiv：　〃Blessed　are　they

that　dwell　in　Thy　house：　they　will　be　for　ever　praising　Thee。〃

So　also　David　says　in　Psalm　xxxiv：　〃God's　praise　shall　be

continually　in　my　mouth。〃　And　St。　Paul；　I。　Corinthians　x：

〃Whether　therefore　ye　eat　or　drink；　or　whatsoever　ye　do；　do　all

to　the　glory　of　God。〃　Also　Colossians　iii：　〃Whatsoever　ye　do　in

word　or　deed；　do　all　in　the　Name　of　the　Lord　Jesus；　giving　thanks

to　God　and　the　Father。〃　If　we　were　to　observe　this　work；　we　would

have　a　heaven　here　on　earth　and　always　have　enough　to　do；　as　have

the　saints　in　heaven。　



XX。　On　this　is　based　the　wonderful　and　righteous　judgment　of　God；

that　at　times　a　poor　man；　in　whom　no　one　can　see　many　great

works；　in　the　privacy　of　his　home　joyfully　praises　God　when　he

fares　well；　or　with　entire　confidence　calls　upon　Him　when　he

fares　ill；　and　thereby　does　a　greater　and　more　acceptable　work

than　another；　who　fasts　much；　prays　much；　endows　churches；　makes

pilgrimages；　and　burdens　himself　with　great　deeds　in　this　place

and　in　that。　Such　a　fool　opens　wide　his　mouth；　looks　for　great

works　to　do；　and　is　so　blinded　that　he　does　not　at　all　notice

this　greatest　work；　and　praising　God　is　in　his　eyes　a　very　small

matter　compared　with　the　great　idea　he　has　formed　of　the　works

of　his　own　devising；　in　which　he　perhaps　praises　himself　more

than　God；　or　takes　more　pleasure　in　them　than　he　does　in　God；　and

thus　with　his　good　works　he　storms　against　the　Second　Commandment

and　its　works。　Of　all　this　we　have　an　illustration　in　the　case

of　the　Pharisee　and　the　Publican　in　the　Gospel。　For　the　sinner

calls　upon　God　in　his　sins；　and　praises　Him；　and　so　has　hit　upon

the　two　highest　Commandments；　faith　and　God's　honor。　The

hypocrite　misses　both　and　struts　about　with　other　good　works　by

which　he　praises　himself　and　not　God；　and　puts　his　trust　in

himself　more　than　in　God。　Therefore　he　is　justly　rejected　and　the

other　chosen。　



The　reason　of　all　this　is　that　the　higher　and　better　the　works

are；　the　less　show　they　make；　and　that　every　one　thinks　they　are

easy；　because　it　is　evident　that　no　one　pretends　to　praise　God's

Name　and　honor　so　much　as　the　very　men　who　never　do　it　and　with

their　show　of　doing　it；　while　the　heart　is　without　faith；　cause

the　precious　work　to　be　despised。　So　that　the　Apostle　St。　Paul

dare　say　boldly；　Romans　ii；　that　they　blaspheme　God's　Name　who

make　their　boast　of　God's　Law。　For　to　name　the　Name　of　God　and

to　write　His　honor　on　paper　and　on　the　walls　is　an　easy　matter；

but　genuinely　to　praise　and　bless　Him　in　His　good　deeds　and

confidently　to　call　upon　Him　in　all　adversities；　these　are　truly

the　most　rare；　highest　works；　next　to　faith；　so　that　if　we　were

to　see　how　few　of　them　there　are　in　Christendom；　we　might　despair

for　very　sorrow。　And　yet　there　is　a　constant　increase　of　high；

pretty；　shining　works　of　men's　devising；　or　of　works　which　look

like　these　true　works；　but　at　bottom　are　all　without　faith　and

without　faithfulness；　in　short；　there　is　nothing　good　back　of

them。　Thus　also　Isaiah　xlviii。　rebukes　the　people　of　Israel：

〃Hear　ye　this；　ye　which　are　called　by　the　name　of　Israel；　which

swear　by　the　Name　of　the　Lord；　and　make　mention　of　the　God　of

Israel　neither　in　truth；　nor　in　righteousness〃；　that　is；　they　did

it　not　in　the　true　faith　and　confidence；　which　is　the　real　truth

and　righteousness；　but　trusted　in　themselves；　their　works　and

powers；　and　yet　called　upon　God's　Name　and　praised　Him；　two

things　which　do　not　fit　together。　



XXI。　The　first　work　of　this　Commandment　then　is；　to　praise　God

in　all　His　benefits；　which　are　innumerable；　so　that　such　praise

and　thanksgiving　ought　also　of　right　never　to　cease　or　end。　For

who　can　praise　Him　perfectly　for　the　gift　of　natural　life；　not

to　mention　all　other　temporal　and　eternal　blessings？　And　so

through　this　one　part　of　the　Commandment　man　is　overwhelmed　with

good　and　precious　works；　if　he　do　these　in　true　faith；　he　has

indeed　not　lived　in　vain。　And　in　this　matter　none　sin　so　much　as

the　most　resplendent　saints；　who　are　pleased　with　themselves　and

like　to　praise　themselves　or　to　hear　themselves　praised；　honored

and　glorified　before　men。　



Therefore　the　second　work　of　this　Commandment　is；　to　be　on　one's

guard；　to　flee　from　and　to　avoid　all　temporal　honor　and　praise；

and　never　to　seek　a　name　for　oneself；　or　fame　and　a　great

reputation；　that　every　one　sing　of　him　and　tell　of　him；　which　is

an　exceedingly　dangerous　sin；　and　yet　the　most　common　of　all；

and；　alas！　little　regarded。　Every　one　wants　to　be　of　importance

and　not　to　be　the　least；　however　small　he　may　be；　so　deeply　is

nature　sunk　in　the　evil　of　its　own　conceit　and　in　its

self…confidence　contrary　to　these　two　first　Commandments。　



Now　the　world　regards　this　terrible　vice　as　the　highest　virtue；

and　this　makes　it　exceedingly　dangerous　for　those　who　do　not

understand　and　have　not　had　experience　of　God's　Commandments　and

the　histories　of　the　Holy　Scriptures；　to　read　or　hear　the　heathen

books　and　histories。　For　all　heathen　books　are　poisoned　through

and　through　with　this　striving　after　praise　and　honor；　in　them

men　are　taught　by　blind　reason　that　they　were　not　nor　could　be

men　of　power　and　worth；　who　are　not　moved　by　praise　and　honor；

but　those　are　counted　the　best；　who　disregard　body　and　life；

friend　and　property　and　everything　in　the　effort　to　win　praise

and　honor。　All　the　holy　Fathers　have　complained　of　this　vice　and

with　one　mind　conclude　that　it　is　the　very　last　vice　to　be

overcome。　St。　Augustine　says：　〃All　other　vices　are　practised　in

evil　works；　only　honor　and　self…satisfaction　are　practised　in　and

by　means　of　good　works。〃　



Therefore　if　a　man　had　nothing　else　to　do　except　this　second　work

of　this　Commandment；　he　would　yet　have　to　work　all　his　life…time

in　order　to　fight　this　vice　and　drive　it　out；　so　common；　so

subtile；　so　quick　and　insidious　is　it。　Now　we　all　pass　by　this

good　work　and　exercise　ourselves　in　many　other　lesser　good　works；

nay；　through　other　good　works　we　overthrow　this　and　forget　it

entirely。　So　the　holy　Name　of　God；　which　alone　should　be　honored；

is　taken　in　vain　and　dishonored　through　our　own　cursed　name；

self…approval　and　honor…seeking。　And　this　sin　is　more　grievous

before　God　than　murder　and　adultery；　but　its　wickedness　is　not

so　clearly　seen　as　that　of　murder；　because　of　its　subtilty；　for

it　is　not　accomplished　in　the　coarse　flesh；　but　in　the　spirit。　



XXII。　Some　think　it　is　good　for　young　people　that　they　be　enticed

by　reputation　and　honor；　and　again　by　shame　of　and　dishonor；　and

so　be　induced　to　do　good。　For　there　are　many　who　do　the　good　and

leave　the　evil　undone　out　of　fear　of　shame　and　love　of　honor；　and

so　do　what　they　would　otherwise　by　no　means　do　or　leave　undone。

These　I　leave　to　their　opinion。　But　at　present　we　are　seeking　how

true　good　works　are　to　be　done；　and　they　who　are　inclined　to　do

them　surely　do　not　need　to　be　driven　by　the　fear　of　shame　and　the

love　of　honor；　they　have；　and　are　to　have　a　higher　and　far　nobler

incentive；　namely；　God's　commandment；　God's　fear；　God's　approval；

and　their　faith　and　love　toward　God。　They　who　have　not；　or　regard

not　this　motive；　and　let　shame　and　honor　drive　them；　these　also

have　their　reward；　as　the　Lord　says；　Matthew　vi；　and　as　the

motive；　so　is　also　the　work　and　the　reward：　none　of　them　is　good；

except　only　in　the　eyes　of　the　world。　



Now　I　hold　that　a　young　person　could　be　more　easily　trained　and

incited　by　God's　fear　and　commandments　than　by　any　other　means。

Yet　where　these　do　not　help；　we　must　endure　that　they　do　the　good

and　leave　the　evil　for　the　sake　of　shame　and　of　honor；　just　as

we　must　also　endure　wicked　men　or　the　imperfect；　of　whom　we　spoke

above；　nor　can　we　do　more　than　tell　them　that　their　works　are　not

satisfactory　and　right　before　God；　and　so　leave　them　until　they

learn　to　do　right