work, therefore the mechanics must give their
workmen holiday: then they are free and no one can tame them. But
if there were a rule that they must do as they are bid, and no
one would give them work in other places, this evil would to a
large extent be mended. God help us! I fear that here the wish is
far greater than the hope; but this does not excuse us.

Now see, here only a few works of magistrates are indicated, but
they are so good and so many, that they have superabundant good
works to do every hour and could constantly serve God. But these
works, like the others, should also be done in faith, yea, be an
exercise of faith, so that no one expect to please God by the
works, but by confident trust in His favor do such works only to
the honor and praise of his gracious God, thereby to serve and
benefit his neighbor.

[Sidenote: Obedience to Masters]

XVIII. The fourth work of this Commandment is obedience of
servants and workmen toward their lords and ladies, masters and
mistresses. Of this St. Paul says, Titus ii: "Thou shalt exhort
servants that they highly honor their masters, be obedient, do
what pleases them, not cheating them nor opposing them" [Tit. 2:9
f. 8]; for this reason also: because they thereby bring the
doctrine of Christ and our faith into good repute, that the
heathen cannot complain of us and be offended [1 Tim. 6:1]. St.
Peter also says: "Servants, be subject to your masters, for the
fear of God, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the
froward and harsh. For this is acceptable with God, if a man
suffers harshness, being innocent." [1 Pet. 2:18 f.]

Now there is the greatest complaint in the world about servants
and working men, that they are disobedient, unfaithful,
unmannerly, and over-reaching; this is a plague sent of God. And
truly, this is the one work of servants whereby they may be
saved; truly they need not make pilgrimages or do this thing or
the other; they have enough to do if their heart is only set on
this, that they gladly do and leave undone what they know pleases
their masters and mistresses, and all this in a simple faith
[Eph. 6:5]; not that they would by their works gain much merit,
but that they do it all in the confidence of divine favor [Col.
3:22] (in which all merits are to be found), purely for nothing,
out of the love and good-will toward God which grows out of such
confidence. And all such works they should think of as an
exercise and exhortation ever to