The Holy Scripture, or the Bible, said Luther, is full of divine
gifts and virtues. The books of the Heathen taught nothing of
Faith, Hope, and Love; nay, they knew nothing at all of the same;
their books aimed only at that which was present, at that which,
with natural wit and understanding, a human creature was able to
comprehend and take hold of; but to trust in God and hope in the
Lord, nothing was written thereof in their books. In the Psalms and
in Job we may see and find how those two books do treat and handle
of Faith, of Hope, of Patience, and Prayer.
To be short, the Holy Scripture, said Luther, is the best and
highest book of God, full of comfort in all manner of trials and
temptations; for it teacheth of Faith, Hope, and Love far otherwise
than by human reason and understanding can be comprehended. And in
times of troubles and vexations, it teacheth how these virtues
should light and shine; it teacheth, also, that after this poor and
miserable life there is another which is eternal and everlasting.
What we ought chiefly to seek for in the Bible, and how we ought to
study and learn the Holy Scriptures.
The chief lesson and study in Divinity, said Luther, is well and
rightly to learn to know Christ, for he is therein very friendly and
familiarly pictured unto us. From hence St. Peter saith, "Grow up
in the knowledge of Christ;" and Christ himself also teacheth that
we should learn to know him only out of the Scriptures, where he
saith, "Search the Scriptures, for they do testify of me.
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