ith us for the
revelation, groaning and crying out in anguish.

13. But Paul protects the creature from condemnation and reproach for
sinful submission to abuse. He says, in effect: "True, it is subject
to vanity, yet not willingly." Likewise I do not desire to suffer
reproach as a heretic and a deceiver, but I endure it for God's sake,
who permits it. This attitude on my part does not make me partaker of
the sin committed against me by enemies of the truth who reproach me.
The case is the same as that of the creature suffering abuse for the
sake of him who has subjected it. And you Christians are to imitate
the example of creation. The sun seems to say: "Great God, I am thy
creature; therefore I will perform, I will suffer, whatsoever is the
divine will." So when the Lord God sends upon you some affliction and
says, "Endure a little suffering for my sake; I will largely repay
it," you are to say: "Yes, gladly, blessed Lord. Because it is thy
will, I will suffer it with a willing heart."

OF HOPE.

It also belongs to the consolation against suffering to be conscious
that the suffering will not last forever, but will sometime have an
end--on the day of judgment, when the godless shall be separated from
the godly. For this life on earth is nothing else than a masquerade
where people walk in masks, and one sees another different than he
is. He who appears to be an angel is a devil, and those considered
the children of the devil are angels and the children of our dear
Lord. Hence it is that they are attacked, plagued, martyred and put
to death as heretics and children of the devil. This masquerade must
be tolerated until the day of judgment; when the wicked will be
unmasked and will no longer be able to pass as holy people.[1] The
text now continues:

"That the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God."

"[Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God.]"

[Footnote 1: This paragraph is from the pamphlet edition of 1535.]

14. We Christians are not the only beings to receive deliverance,
Paul declares; the creature in bondage has the same hope of release
as the poor, enslaved human being. Sun, moon and every other created
thing is captive to the devil and to wicked people, and must serve
them in every form of sin and vice. Hence these sigh and comp