A06516:81
A right comfortable treatise containing fourteen points of consolation for them that labour and…A right comfortable treatise containing fourteene pointes of consolation for them that labor and…
A right comfortable treatise containing fourteen points of consolation for them that labour and are laden: Written by D. Martin Luther to Prince Frederick Duke of Saxony, he being sore sick, thereby to comfort him in the time of his great distress. Englished by W. Gace.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.
London: printed by Thomas Vautrollier, 1578
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The third chapter of the third consideration, which is of the good past, or behind a man.
The consideration of this good is easy, by the contrary consideration of the evil past, we think it sufficient only to help him that shall consider hereof. 1Herein B. Augustin doth excellently well in his confessions, where in a most goodly sort he rehearseth the benefits of God bestowed upon him from his mothers womb. The same doth David in that notable 138. Psalm, the beginning whereof is: O Lord, thou hast tried me, where among other things wondering at the providence of God over him, he saith: Thou understandest my thoughts long before: thou compassest my paths & my lying down. As if he said: Whatsoever I have ever thought, whatsoever I have wrought, and whatsoever I was to obtain or possess, I see now, how it was not done by mine own industry, but ordained by thy care long before. Finally thou hast foreseen all my ways: and there is not a word in my tongue, where then? even in thy power. These things we learn by ⟨p. 57⟩our own experience. For if we call to mind our life past, is it not a wonderful thing that we have thought, willed, done, and said such things, as we never could foresee, but would have done far other things, if we had been left to our own free will, which we now first perceive, namely we see that the hand of God hath been so present with us, that his care hath been so constant over us, that we could neither have spoken, neither willed nor thought those things which we have, unless he had given ability, as it is said in the book of wisdom chap. 7: In his hand are both we and our words. And Paul saith: who worketh all things in us. Why then are we not ashamed being senseless and hard hearted, who being taught by our own experience, do see how careful the Lord hath been for us until this hour, and hath given us all good things? and yet we can not commit the same care of us to him in a small present evil, but we so behave our selves, as though he had forsaken us, or could by any means forsake us. David did not so in the 39. Psalm, where he sayeth: As for me, […]