n and to be angry eternally. This few
men experience, but David cries out in Psalm vi, "O Lord, rebuke
me not in Thine anger." [Ps. 6:1] To believe at such times that
God, in His mercy, is pleased with us, is the highest work that
can be done by and in the creature;[10] but of this the
work-righteous and doers of good works know nothing at all. For
how could they here look for good things and grace from God, as
long as they are not certain in their works, and doubt even on
the lowest step of faith.

[Sidenote: The Works Rejected]

In this way I have, as I said, always praised faith, and rejected
all works which are done without such faith, in order thereby to
lead men from the false, pretentious, Pharisaic, unbelieving good
works, with which all monastic houses, churches, homes, low and
higher classes are overfilled, and lead them to the true,
genuine, thoroughly good, believing works. In this no one opposes
me except the unclean beasts, which do not divide the hoof, [Lev.
11:4] as the Law of Moses decrees; who will suffer no distinction
among good works, but go lumbering along: if only they pray,
fast, establish endowments, go to confession, and do enough,
everything shall be good, although in all this they have had no
faith in God's grace and approval. Indeed, they consider the
works best of all, when they have done many, great and long works
without any such confidence, and they look for good only after
the works are done; and so they build their confidence not on
divine favor, but on the works they have done, that is, on sand
and water, from which they must at last take a cruel fall, as
Christ says, Matthew vii. [Matt. 7:16] This good-will and favor,
on which our confidence rests, was proclaimed by the angels from
heaven, when they sang on Christmas night: "_Gloria in excel sis
Deo_, Glory to God in the highest, peace to earth, gracious favor
to man." [Luke 2:14][11]

[Sidenote: The First Commandment]

[Sidenote: Its Work is Faith]

IX. Now this is the work of the First Commandment, which
commands: "Thou shalt have no other gods," went which means:
"Since I alone am God, thou shalt place all thy confidence, trust
and faith on Me alone, and on no one have a god, if you call him
God only with your lips, or worship him with the knees or bodily
gestures; but if you trust Him with the heart, and look to Him
for all good, grace and favor, whether in works or sufferings, in
life or death, in joy or sorrow; as the