Address to the Worldly Minded

Come now, you earthly minded and ungodly, and learn here to become heavenly and godly minded. [n12-1] “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16, verse 32. In this the apostle Paul glories, when he says, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so I fight, not as one who beats the air; but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection,” and so on. First Corinthians 9, verses 26 and 27. This praiseworthy fight, when he had brought it to a good end, caused him to say about the time of his death, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: from now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day,” and so on. Second Timothy 4, verses 7 and 9. You who are impenitent, learn here to repent, and believe in Jesus Christ. Here must come also all the self-willed, who, from a prejudiced opinion of their own, do not consider the external commandments and ordinances of Christ as necessary, saying that nothing more is required than repentance and faith, or a so-called blameless civil life. These shall learn here that the external commandments of Christ must be united with the internal, that is, the signs with the things signified; or, to say it plainly: one must be baptized upon his faith and repentance; must keep the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Him, and so on; for in this the holy martyrs were an example to them.*

Here the passionate must learn patience and meekness from the most patient and meek, who endured without complaining the greatest reproach and disgrace, indeed, even death. Here the ill-mannered are taught modesty; the proud, humility; the discontented, contentment; the greedy, generosity; the insatiably rich, voluntary poverty; those who live after their lusts, the forsaking of all carnal desires; the irreligious, piety; and the wavering and inconstant, steadfastness to the end in all these things.

All this can be learned here, not so much by words as by deeds, from those who not only began the virtues named above, but continued in them to the end, indeed, confirmed them by their death, and sealed them with their blood.