Discipleship. He who will have Christ for his King, will have the devil for his enemy.
Truth. A Christian must be will armed, grounded, and furnished with portions out of God's Word, so that he might stand and defend the gospel and himself against the devil, in case he should be asked to embrace another doctrine.
Abraham. When Abraham shall rise again at the last day, then he will chide us for our unbelief, and will say: I had not the hundredth part of the promises that ye have, and yet I believed. That example of Abraham's exceeds all natural human reason, who, overcoming the paternal love he bore towards his only son Isaac, was all obedient to God, and, against the law of nature, would have sacrificed that son. What, for the space of those three days, he felt in his heart, what hesitations and trials he had, cannot be expressed.
Ministerial Ambition. Ambition is the rankest poison to the church, when it possesses preachers. It is a consuming fire. The Holy Scriptures are given to destroy the desires of the flesh; therefore, how can we seek honour for the flesh therein? I much marvel for what cause people are proud and haughty; we are born in sin, and every moment in danger of death. Are we proud of our scabs? we, who are altogether an unclean thing.
Elijah. The history of Elijah is awful and almost incredible. It must have been a fierce anger indeed, that made so holy a man pray that it might not rain. But he saw that the true teachers were slain, and that the Lord's people were hunted down and persecuted. Therefore, he prayed against those men against whom he could not prevail with words and preaching.
Witness. Believest thou? Then thou wilt speak boldly. Speakest thou boldly? Then thou must suffer. Sufferest thou? Then thou shalt be comforted.
Charity. There is in Austria a monastery, which, in former days, was very rich, and which remained rich so long as it was charitable to the poor. But, when it ceased to give, then it became destitute, and so it remains to this day. Not long ago, a poor man went to the door of that place and asked for alms; but this was denied him. He demanded to know why they would not give to the needy who asked in the Name of the Lord, and was told by the porter at the gate: we are become destitute and poor ourselves. The beggar then expounded the cause of their poverty: "The cause of your poverty is this," he told them; "ye had in former days in this place two brethren; the one was named Give and the other was named It Shall Be Given You. The first one ye threw out, and the other then went away by himself.
Awareness of Sin. The devil does not need to tell me that I am not good or upright, nor, indeed, would I wish to be so – that is, to be without feeling for my sins, or to think that I need not remission of them. For, if that were the case, then all the treasure of Christ would be lost on me, seeing it is He Himself who says: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Salvation – by Faith Alone. Wickliffe and Huss assailed the immoral conduct of the papists; but I chiefly oppose and resist their doctrine. I affirm roundly and plainly, that they preach not the truth. To this I am called. I take the goose by the neck, and set the knife to its throat. The pope has taken away the pure word and doctrine, and brought in another gospel, which he has hung upon the church. I shook all Popedom with this one point – "Salvation by grace alone." This will I teach diligently, and mix up nothing else along with it.
Temptations. He that will dispute with the devil out of the Law, will be beaten and taken captive by him; but he that disputes with him out of the gospel, conquers him.
Victory. Adam lived; and death devoured life. Christ died, and death was swallowed up and devoured. Therefore, God be praised, that Christ died, and has got the victory. "O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?" God be praised, I say, that Christ died, and has got the victory.
