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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMartin Luther Collection: Luther, Martin - Table Talks: 6. The Nature Of The World
TOPIC: Luther, Martin - Table Talks (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 6. The Nature Of The World
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THE NATURE OF THE WORLD
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CXXXV.
He that is now a prince, wants to be a king or an emperor. A man in love
with a girl is ever casting about how he may come to marry her, and in his
eyes there is none fairer than she; when he has got her, he is soon weary of
her, and thinks another more fair, whom easily he might have had. The poor
man thinks, had I but twenty pounds I should be rich enough; but when he has
got that, he would have more. The heart is inconsistent in all things, as
the heathen says: Virtutem praesentem odimus, sublatam ex oculis quaerimus
invidi.
CXXXVI.
One knife cuts better than another; so, likewise, one that has learned
languages and arts can better and more distinctly teach than another. But in
that many of them, as Erasmus and others, are well versed in languages and
arts, and yet err with great hurt, `tis as with the greater sort of weapons,
which are made to kill: we must distinguish the thing from the abuse.
CXXXVII.
The wickedness of the enemies of the Word is not human, but altogether
devilish. A human creature is wicked according to the manner and nature of
mankind, and according as he is spoiled through original sin; but when he is
possessed and driven of the devil, then begins the most bitter and cruel
combat between him and the woman's seed.
CXXXVIII.
The world will neither hold God for God, nor the devil for the devil.
And if a man were left to himself, to do after his own kind and nature, he
would willingly throw our Lord God out at the window; for the world regards
God nothing at all, as the Psalm says: The wicked man saith in his heart,
there is no God.
CXXXIX.
The god of the world is riches, pleasure, and pride, wherewith it
abuses all the creatures and gifts of God.
CXL.
We have the nature and manner of all wild beasts in eating. The wolves
eat sheep; we also. The foxes eat hens, geese, etc.; we also. The hawks and
kites eat fowl and birds; we also. Pikes eat other fish; we also. With oxen,
horse, and kine, we also eat salads, grass, etc.
CXLL.
I much wonder how the heathen could write such fair and excellent
things about death, seeing it is so grisly and fearful! But when I remember
the nature of the world, then I wonder nothing at all; for they saw great
evil and wickedness flourishing among them, and in their rulers, which
sorely grieved them, and they had nothing else to threaten and terrify their
rulers with, but death.
Now, if the heathen so little regarded death, nay, so highly and
honorable esteemed it, how much more so ought we Christians? For they, poor
people, knew less than nothing of the life eternal, while we know and are
instructed in it; yet, when we only speak of death, we are all affrighted.
The cause hereof is our sins; we live worse than the heathen, and
therefore cannot justly complain, for the greater our sins, the more fearful
is death. See those who have rejected God's Word: when they are at the point
of death, and are put in mind of the day of judgment, how fearfully do they
tremble and shake.
CXLII.
Here, today, have I been pestered with the knaverises and lies of a
baker, brought before me for using false weights, though such matters
concern the magistrate rather than the divine. Yet if no one were to check
the thefts of these bakers, we should have a fine state of things.
CXLIII.
There is not a more dangerous evil than a flattering, dissembling
counsellor. While he talks, his advice has hands, and feet, but when it
should be put in practice, it stands like a mule, which will not be spurred
forward.
CXLIV.
There are three sorts of people: the first, the common sort, who live
secure without remorse of conscience, acknowledging not their corrupt
manners and natures, insensible of God's wrath, against their sins, and
careless thereof. The second, those who through the law are scared, feel
God's anger, and strive and wrestle with despair. The third, those that
acknowledge their sins and God's merited wrath, feel themselves conceived
and born in sin, and therefore deserving of perdition, but, notwithstanding,
attentively hearken to the gospel, and believe that God, out of grace, for
the sake of Jesus Christ, forgives sins, and so are justified before God,
and afterwards show the fruits of their faith by all manner of good works.
CXLC.
That matrimony is matrimony, that the hand is a hand, that goods are
goods, people well understand; but to believe that matrimony is God's
creation and ordinance, that the hands, that the goods, as food and raiment,
and other creatures we use, are given and presented unto us of God, `tis
God's special work and grace when men believe it.
CXLVI.
The heart of a human creature is like quicksilver, now here, now there;
this day so, to-morrow otherwise. Therefore vanity is a poor miserable
thing, as Ecclesiasticus says. A man desires and longs after things that are
uncertain and of doubtful result, but condemns that which is certain, done,
and accomplished. Therefore what God gives us we will not have; for which
cause Christ would not govern on earth, but gave it over to the devil,
saying, "Rule thou." God is of another nature, manner, and mind. I, he says,
am God, and therefore change not; I hold fast and keep sure my promises and
threatenings.
CXLVII.
He must be of a high and great spirit that undertakes to serve the
people in body and soul, for he must suffer the utmost danger and
unthankfulness. Therefore Christ said to Peter, Simon, etc., "Lovest thou
me?" repeating it three times together. Then he said: "Feed my sheep:" as if
he would say, "Wilt thou be an upright minister, and a shepherd? then love
must only do it, thy love to me; for how else could ye endure
unthankfulness, and spend wealth and health, meeting only with persecution
and ingratitude?"
CXLVIII.
The highest wisdom of the world is to busy itself with temporal,
earthly, and ephemeral things; and when these go ill, it says, Who would
have thought it? But faith is a certain and sure expectation of that which a
man hopes for, making no doubt of that which yet he sees not. A true
Christian does not say: I had not thought it, but is most certain that the
beloved cross is near at hand; and thus is not afraid when it goes ill with
him, and he is tormented. But the world, and those who live secure in it,
cannot bear misfortune; they go on continually dancing in pleasure and
delight, like the rich glutton in the gospel. He could not spare the scraps
to poor Lazarus; but Lazarus belongs to Christ, and will take his part with
him.
CXLIX.
The world seems to me like a decayed house, David and the prophets
being the spars, and Christ the main pillar in the midst, that supports all.
CL.
As all people feel they must die, each seeks immortality here on earth,
that he may be had in everlasting remembrance. Some great princes and kings
seek it by raising great columns of stone, and high pyramids, great
churches, costly and glorious palaces, castles, etc. Soldiers hunt after
praise and honor, by obtaining famous victories. The learned seek an
everlasting name by writing books. With these, and such like things, people
think to be immortal. But as to the true, everlasting, and incorruptible
honor and eternity of God, no man thinks or looks after it. Ah! we are poor,
silly, miserable people!
CLI.
To live openly among the people is best; Christ so lived and walked,
openly and publicly, here on earth, amongst the people, and told his
disciples to do the like. `Tis in cells and corners that the wicked
wretches, the monks and nuns, lead shameful lives. But openly, and among
people, a man must live decently and honestly.
CLII.
To comfort a sorrowful conscience is much better than to posses many
kingdoms; yet the world regards it not; nay, condemns it, calling us rebels,
disturbers of the peace, and blasphemers of God, turning and altering
religion. They will be their own prophets, and prophesy to themselves; but
this is to us a great grief of heart. The Jews said of Christ: If we suffer
him to go on in this manner, the Romans will come and take from us land and
people. After they had slain Christ, did the Romans come or not? Yes, they
came, and slew a hundred thousand of them, and destroyed their city. Even so
the condemners and enemies of the Word will disturb the peace, and turn
Germany upside down. We bring evil upon ourselves, for we willfully oppose
the truth.
CLIII.
If Moses had continued to work his miracles in Egypt but two or three
years, the people would have become accustomed thereto, and heedless, as we
who are accustomed to the sun and moon, hold them in no esteem.
CLIV.
Abraham was held in no honor among the Canaanites, for all the wells he
had dug the neighbors filled up, or took away by force, and said to him:
"Wilt thou not suffer it? then pack thee hence and be gone, for thou art
with us a stranger and a new comer." In like manner Isaac was despised. The
faith possessed by the beloved patriarchs, I am not able sufficiently to
admire. How firmly and constantly did they believe that God was gracious
unto them, though they suffered such exceeding trouble and adversity.
CLV.
If the great pains and labor I take sprang not from the love, and for
the sake of him that died for me, the world could not give me money enough
to write only one book, or to translate the Bible. I desire not to be
rewarded and paid of the world for my books; the world is too poor to give
me satisfaction; I have not asked the value of one penny of my master the
Prince Elector of Saxony, since I have been here. The world is nothing but a
reversed Decalogue, or the ten commandments backwards, a mask and picture of
the devil, all condemners of God, all blasphemers, all disobedient;
harlotry, pride, theft, murder, etc., are not almost ripe for the slaughter.
CLVI.
Dr. Luther's wife complaining to him of the indocilitry and
untrustworthiness of servants, he said: A faithful and good servant is a
real God-send, but, truly, `tis a rare bird in the land. We find every one
complaining of the idleness and profigacy of this class of people; we must
govern them, Turkish fashion, so much work, so much victuals, as Pharaoh
dealt with the Israelites in Egypt.
CLVII.
The philosophers, and learned among the heathen, had innumerable
speculations as to God, the soul, and the life everlasting, all uncertain
and doubtful, they being without God's Word; while to us God has given his
most sweet and saving Word, pure and incorrupt; yet we condemn it. It is
naught, says the buyer. When we have a thing, how good soever, we are soon
weary of it, and regard it not. The world remains the world, which neither
loves nor endures righteousness, but it is ruled by a certain few, even as a
little boy of twelve years old, rules, governs, and keeps a hundred great
and strong oxen upon a pasture.
CLVIII.
Whoso rules on his money prospers not. The richest monarchs have had
ill fortune, have been destroyed and slain in the wars; while men with but
small store of money have had great fortune and victory; as the emperor
Maximilian overcame the Venetians, and continued warring ten years with
them, though they were exceedingly rich and powerful. Therefore we ought not
to trust in money or wealth, or depend thereon. I hear that the prince
elector, George, begins to be covetous, which is a sign of his death very
shortly. When I saw Dr. Gode begin to tell his puddings hanging in the
chimney, I told him he would not live long, and so it fell out; and when I
begin to trouble myself about brewing, malting, cooking, etc., then shall I
soon die.
CLIX.
We should always be ready when God knocks, prepared to take our leave
of this world like Christians. For even as the small beast kills the stag,
leaping upon his head, and sitting between his horns, and eating out his
brains, or catches him fast by the throat, and gnaws it asunder, even so the
devil, when he possesses a human creature, is not soon or easily pulled from
him, but leads him into despair, and hurts him both in soul and body; as St
Peter says "He goeth about like a roaring lion."
CLX.
Before Noah's flood the world was highly learned, by reason men lived a
long time, and so attained great experience and wisdom; now, ere we begin
rightly to come to the true knowledge of a thing, we lie down and die. God
will not have that we should attain a higher knowledge of things.
CLXI.
Mammon has two properties; it makes us secure, first, when it goes well
with us, and then we live without fear of God at all; secondly, when it goes
ill with us, then we tempt God, fly from him, and seek after another God.
CLXII.
I saw a dog, at Lintz in Austria, that was taught to go with a
hand-basket to the butchers shambles for meat; when other dogs came about
him, and sought to take the meat out of the basket, he set it down, and
fought lustily with them; but when he saw they were too strong for him, he
himself would snatch out the first piece of meat, lest he should lose all.
Even so does now our emperor Charles; who, after having long protected
spiritual benefices, seeing that every prince takes possession of
monasteries, himself takes possession of bishoprics, as just now he has
seized upon those of Utrecht and Liege.
CLXIII.
A covetous farmer, well known at Erfurt, carried his corn to sell there
in the market, but selling it at too dear a rate, no man would buy of him,
or give him his price. He being thereby moved to anger, said: "I will not
sell it cheaper, but rather carry it home again, and give it to the mice."
When he had come home with it, an infinity of mice and rats flocked into his
house, and devoured up all his corn. And, next day, going out to see his
grounds, which were newly sown, he found that all the seed was eaten up,
while no hurt at all was done to the grounds of his neighbors. This
certainly was a just punishment from God, a merited token of his wrath.
Three rich farmers have lately, God be praised, hanged themselves:
these wretches that rob the whole country, deserve such punishments; for the
dearth at this time is a willful dearth. God has given enough, but the devil
has possessed such wicked cormorants to withhold it. They are thieves and
murderers of their poor neighbors. Christ will say unto them at the last
day: "I was hungry, and ye have not fed me." Do not think, thou that sellest
thy corn so dear, that thou shalt escape punishment, for thou art an
occasion of the deaths and famishing of the poor; the devil will fetch thee
away. They that fear God and trust in him, pray for their daily bread, and
against such robbers as thou, that either thou mayest be put to shame, or be
reformed.
CLXIV.
A man that depends on the riches and honors of this world, forgetting
God and the welfare of his soul, is like a little child that holds a fair
apple in the hand, of agreeable exterior, promising goodness, but within
`tis rotten and full of worms.
CLXV.
Where great wealth is, there are also all manner of sins; for through
wealth comes pride, through pride dissension, through dissension, wars,
poverty; through poverty, great distress and misery. Therefore, they that
are rich, must yield a strict and great account; for to whom much is given,
of him much will be required.
CLXVI.
Riches, understanding, beauty, are fair gifts of God, but we abuse them
shamefully. Yet worldly wisdom and wit are evils, when the cause engaged in
is evil, for no man will yield his own particular conceit; every one will be
right. Much better is it that one be of a fair and comely complexion in the
face, for the hard lesson, sickness, may come and take that away; but the
self-conceited mind is not so soon brought to reason.
CLXVII.
Wealth is the smallest thing on earth, the least gift that God has
bestowed on mankind. What is it in comparison with God's Word - what, in
comparison with corporal gifts, as beauty, health, etc.? - nay, what is it
to the gifts of the mind, as understanding, wisdom, etc.? Yet are men so
eager after it, that no labor, pains, or risk is regarded in the acquisition
of riches. Wealth has in it neither material, format, efficient, nor final
cause, nor anything else that is good; therefore our Lord God commonly gives
riches to those from whom he withholds spiritual good.
CLXVIII.
St John says: "He that hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother
have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in him?" And Christ: "He that desireth of thee, give to him"
- that is, to him that needs and is in want; not to idle, lazy, wasteful
fellows, who are commonly the greatest beggers, and who, though we give them
much and often are nothing helped thereby. Yet when one is truly poor, to
him I will give with all my heart, according to my ability. And no man
should forget the Scripture: "He that hath two coats, let him part with
one;" meaning all manner of apparel that one has need of, according to his
state and calling, as well for credit as for necessary. As also, by "the
daily bread," is understood all maintenance necessary for the body.
CLXIX.
Lendest thou aught? so gettest thou it not again. Even if it be
restored, it is not so soon as it ought to be restored, nor so well and
good, and thou losest a friend thereby.
CLXX.
Before I translated the New Testament out of the Greek, all longed
after it; when it was done, their longing lasted scarce four weeks. Then
they desired the Books of Moses; when I had translated these, they had
enough thereof in a short time. After that, they would have the Psalms; of
these they were soon weary, and desired other books. So will it be with the
Book of Ecclesiasticus, which they now long for, and about which I have
taken great pains. All is acceptable until our giddy brains be satisfied;
afterwards we let things lie, and seek after new.