A right comfortable treatise containing fourteene pointes of consolation for them that labor and are laden: VVritten by D. Martin Luther to Prince Friderik Duke of Saxonie, he being sore sicke, thereby to comfort him in the time of his great distresse. Englished by W. Gace.

The fift chapter of the fift consideration, which is of the euill on the left hand.

HEre we must set before our eyes that great companie of aduersaries and e∣uill men, & in them we must first consider, that they haue not done that euil to our bo∣dy substāce, fame, soules, which they would haue done, but that God did stay and let them: and the higher calling and state that one is placed in, to so many more deceits, subtle deuises, sclaunders and troubles of the aduersaries is he subiect, in all which he may perceiue & feele the present hande of God. What maruell is it then if we be sometime touched with some one?

Secondly their owne euills are to be

considered of vs also, not that we should re∣ioice at them, but that we should haue com∣passion on them. Nowe they also are sub∣iect to all the same euils, whereunto we are subiect, as it may be easily perceiued by the former cōsiderations. Howbeit herein they are more miserable then we, that they are out of our societie, as well corporall as spi∣ritual. For this euil which we suffer is no∣thing in comparison of that, that they liue in sinnes, in infidelitie, vnder the wrath of God, vnder the dominion of the deuil, most miserable slaues of vngodlines and sinne, so that if the whole worlde shoulde curse them, it coulde wishe them no worse. All which if we doe throughly perceiue, we shall also perceiue, with how great fauour and blessing of God we, liuing in faith, in the kingdome of Christ, in the seruice of God, do suffer some litle euill of the body, which in so great plentie of most excellent thinges, should not be so much as felt: yea their miserie ought to be so grieuous to him that hath a Christian and godly hart, that he should thinke his owne griefes de∣lightes. For so Paule willeth Philip. 2: Looke not euery man on his owne things,

but euery man on the things of other men. Let the same minde be in you, that was e∣uen in Christ Iesus, who being in y^e forme of God, tooke on him the forme of a ser∣uaunt, &c. That is, with most louing affe∣ction he tooke on him our forme, behauing him selfe no otherwise in our euills, then if they had bene his owne, so, as it were for∣getting his owne good thinges, and ma∣king him selfe of no reputation, that he might be found altogether made like vnto men, refusing to be subiect to no humane thinge, being occupied onely in our euills.

The Saincts being animated by this af∣fection, and by this example stirred vp, are wont to pray euen for the euills of their e∣nemies, & to do all things according to the example of Christ, & forgetting their owne iniuries or righteousnes, to be careful how they may deliuer them from their euills, wherwith they are w^tout comparison more troubled then w^t their owne, as Peter wri∣teth of Lot 2. Pet. 2, who dwelled among them, which vexed his righteous soule from day to day w^t their vnlawfull deedes.

Thou seest therefore how deepe a pit of euils here appeareth, & that we haue occa∣sion

to take pity and compassion, & to for∣get our owne small euil, if the loue of God be in vs: thou seest also how litle God per∣mitteth vs to suffer in respect of those thinges which they suffer. But whereas these things do litle moue vs, the cause is, for that the eye of the hart is not sufficient cleare, whereby we should see how great y^e ignominie and miserie of man is lying vn∣der sinne, that is, being separate from God & in subiection vnder the deuill. For who is so harde harted, which is not great∣ly moued with pitie and compassion at the miserable sight of them that lye in the por∣ches of Churches, & in the streetes, their faces being gnawne, their noses and eyes eaten with corruption, and their other members wasted with filth and rottennes, so that the mind detesteth to thinke therof, much lesse can y^e eie abide to behold it. But what doth God intend and purpose by these miserable creatures, who haue like flesh as we haue, & are our brethrē like vnto vs, but that he may open the eies of our mind, whereby we may see in how more oughly a sort the filth and corruption of the soule of a sinner appeareth, albeit he weare

purple and gold, roses & lillies, as though he were a child of Paradise. But how ma∣ny sinners are there in the world, to one of them whose bodies are full of sores?

Now these euills which are infinite as well in greatnes as in multitude, being contemned or not regarded in our neigh∣bours, this contempt is the cause that our owne euill being euen one of the least sort, seemeth vnto vs to be very great, and that we thinke that no other are troubled with the like. But it must needes be that euen in outwarde euills also they are in worse case then we. What, I pray you, can be de∣lightfull or throughly pleasant vnto them, albeit they haue and enioy all thinges that they desire, when as their conscience can not be quiet? Is there a more grieuous e∣uill then the trouble of a stinging consci∣ence? For Esai sayth chap. 57: The wic∣ked are like the raginge sea that can not rest, whose water someth with the myre and grauell: euen so the wicked haue no peace sayth God. Wherefore thou mayst see that verified in them which is written Deut. 28: The Lord shall giue thee an vn∣quiet hart, and dasing eyes, and sorrowe of

mind, and thy life shal hange in dout before thee: thou shalt feare both day and night, and shalt haue none assurance of thy life. In y^e morning thou shalt say, Would God it were night: and at night thou shalt say, Would God it were morning, for feare of thine hart wherewith thou shalt be terrifi∣ed, and because of those things which thou shalt see with thine eyes.

Briefly, if one did with due affection see and consider all the euills of euill men, ci∣ther of enemies or frendes, he woulde not onely forgette his owne euills, and seeme vnto him selfe to suffer nothinge, but also with Moses and the Apostle Paule earne∣stly wishe that he might dye for them, and be rased out of the booke of life, and sepa∣rate from Christ, as it is written Rom. 9, that they might be deliuered. Christ bur∣ning with this zeale and inflamed affecti∣on died for vs, and descended into hell, lea∣uing vs an example, that we also should be so carefull for the euills of others, forget∣ting quite our owne, yea desirous of our owne.

Notes

• The first comfort which the considera∣tion of the euill on the left hand ministreth vnto vs.
• The second comfort which we may take by conside∣ring the e∣uill on the left hand.
• VVhy the euills of our aduersaries and euill men do litle moue vs.
• Euill men euen in re∣spect of out ward cuills are in worse case then the godly.