turn away from it and
refuse to have it. Thus they hide the truth from themselves by their own
blindness. And so, on the other hand, He reveals it to the babes; for
the babes receive it when it is revealed to them. To them the truth is
revealed since they wish and desire it." (W. 7, 133.)

In a letter giving comfort concerning predestination, dated August 8,
1545, Luther wrote: "My dear master and friend N. has informed me that
you are at times in tribulation about God's eternal predestination, and
requested me to write you this short letter on that matter. Now to be
sure, this is a sore tribulation. But to overcome it one must know that
we are forbidden to understand this or to speculate about it. For what
God wants to conceal we should be glad not to know. This is the apple
the eating of which brought death upon Adam and Eve and upon all their
children, when they wanted to know what they were not to know. For as it
is sin to commit murder, to steal, or to curse, so it is also sin to
busy oneself searching such things. As an antidote to this God has given
us His Son, Jesus Christ. Of Him we must daily think; in Him we must
consider ourselves (_uns in ihm spiegeln_). Then predestination will
appear lovely. For outside of Christ everything is only danger, death,
and the devil; in Him, however, there is nothing but peace and joy. For
if one forever torments himself with predestination, all one gains is
anguish of soul. Hence flee and avoid such thoughts as the affliction of
the serpent of Paradise, and, instead, look upon Christ. God preserve
you!" (E. 56, 140; St. L. 10. 1748.)

250. Statements Made by Luther in His Commentary on Genesis.

Luther's _caeterum censeo_, that we are neither to deny nor to search
the hidden God (who cannot be apprehended in His bare majesty--_qui in
nuda sua maiestate non potest apprehendi_, E., Op. Lat. 2, 171), but to
adhere to the revelation He has given us in the Gospel, is repeated
again and again also in his _Commentary on Genesis_, which was begun in
1536 and completed in 1545. In the explanation of chap. 26, 9 we read,
in part: "I gladly take occasion from this passage to discuss the
question concerning doubt, concerning God and God's will. For I hear
that everywhere among the nobles and magnates profane sayings are spread
concerning predestination or divine prescience. For they say: 'If I am
predestinated, I shall be saved, whether I have done good or evil. If I
am not predestinate