Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)

Name: Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)
Author: Luther, Martin

Luther, Martin

Lutheran Church -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 16th century -- Early works to 1800

But now some will say, "This is my complaint, that my suffering
cannot be compared with the sufferings of the saints; because I
am a sinner, and not worthy to be compared with them. They,
indeed, suffered because of their innocence, but I suffer because
of my sins. It is no wonder, then, that they so blithely bore
all." That is a very stupid saying. If you suffer because of your
sins, then you ought to rejoice that your sins are being purged
away. And, besides, were not the saints, too, sinners? But do you
fear that you are like Herod, and the thief on Christ's left
hand? You are not, if you have patience. For what was it that
distinguished the thief on the left hand from him on the right
but the patience of the one and the impatience of the other? If
you are a sinner, well; the thief, too, was a sinner; but by his
patience he merited the glorious reward of righteousness and
holiness. Go, and do thou likewise. [Luke 10:37] For you can
suffer nothing except it be either on account of your sins or on
account of your righteousness; and both kinds of suffering
sanctify and save, if you will but love them. And so there is no
excuse left. In short, just as soon as you have confessed that
you are suffering on account of your sins, you are righteous and
holy, even as the thief on the right hand. For the confession of
sins, because it is the truth,[27] justifies and sanctifies, and
so, in the very moment of this confession, you are suffering no
longer on account of your sins, but on account of your innocence.
For the righteous man always suffers innocently. But you are made
righteous by the confession of your merited sufferings and of
your sins. And so your sufferings may truly and worthily be
compared with the sufferings of the saints, even as your
confession may truly and worthily be compared with the confession
of the saints. For one is the truth of all, one the confession of
all sins, one the suffering of all evils, and one the true
communion of saints in all and through all.[28]



CHAPTER VII



THE SEVENTH IMAGE



THE SUPERNAL EVIL, OR THE EVIL ABOVE US

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)Luther, Martin

ReligionChristian

Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)

Luther, Martin

Lutheran Church -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 16th century -- Early works to 1800

But now some will say, "This is my complaint, that my suffering
cannot be compared with the sufferings of the saints; because I
am a sinner, and not worthy to be compared with them. They,
indeed, suffered because of their innocence, but I suffer because
of my sins. It is no wonder, then, that they so blithely bore
all." That is a very stupid saying. If you suffer because of your
sins, then you ought to rejoice that your sins are being purged
away. And, besides, were not the saints, too, sinners? But do you
fear that you are like Herod, and the thief on Christ's left
hand? You are not, if you have patience. For what was it that
distinguished the thief on the left hand from him on the right
but the patience of the one and the impatience of the other? If
you are a sinner, well; the thief, too, was a sinner; but by his
patience he merited the glorious reward of righteousness and
holiness. Go, and do thou likewise. [Luke 10:37] For you can
suffer nothing except it be either on account of your sins or on
account of your righteousness; and both kinds of suffering
sanctify and save, if you will but love them. And so there is no
excuse left. In short, just as soon as you have confessed that
you are suffering on account of your sins, you are righteous and
holy, even as the thief on the right hand. For the confession of
sins, because it is the truth,[27] justifies and sanctifies, and
so, in the very moment of this confession, you are suffering no
longer on account of your sins, but on account of your innocence.
For the righteous man always suffers innocently. But you are made
righteous by the confession of your merited sufferings and of
your sins. And so your sufferings may truly and worthily be
compared with the sufferings of the saints, even as your
confession may truly and worthily be compared with the confession
of the saints. For one is the truth of all, one the confession of
all sins, one the suffering of all evils, and one the true
communion of saints in all and through all.[28]



CHAPTER VII



THE SEVENTH IMAGE



THE SUPERNAL EVIL, OR THE EVIL ABOVE US

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)

Works of Martin Luther, with Introductions and Notes (Volume I)

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