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is without doubt deceitful and devilish. For Christ, speaking by His
servant John, not only said, "Repent ye," but added, "for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand" (Matt. iii. 2).

For not one word of God only, but both, should be preached; new and old
things should be brought out of the treasury, as well the voice of
the law as the word of grace. The voice of the law should be brought
forward, that men may be terrified and brought to a knowledge of their
sins, and thence be converted to penitence and to a better manner of
life. But we must not stop here; that would be to wound only and not to
bind up, to strike and not to heal, to kill and not to make alive, to
bring down to hell and not to bring back, to humble and not to exalt.
Therefore the word of grace and of the promised remission of sin must
also be preached, in order to teach and set up faith, since without
that word contrition, penitence, and all other duties, are performed and
taught in vain.

There still remain, it is true, preachers of repentance and grace, but
they do not explain the law and the promises of God to such an end, and
in such a spirit, that men may learn whence repentance and grace are to
come. For repentance comes from the law of God, but faith or grace
from the promises of God, as it is said, "Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God" (Rom. x. 17), whence it comes that a man,
when humbled and brought to the knowledge of himself by the threatenings
and terrors of the law, is consoled and raised up by faith in the Divine
promise. Thus "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
morning" (Psalm xxx. 5). Thus much we say concerning works in general,
and also concerning those which the Christian practises with regard to
his own body.

Lastly, we will speak also of those works which he performs towards his
neighbour. For man does not live for himself alone in this mortal body,
in order to work on its account, but also for all men on earth; nay, he
lives only for others, and not for himself. For it is to this end that
he brings his own body into subjection, that he may be able to serve
others more sincerely and more freely, as Paul says, "None of us liveth
to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live
unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord" (Rom. xiv. 7,
8). Thus it is impossible that he should take his ease in this life, and
not work for the good of his neighbours, since he must