LUTHER gives an account of a Duke of Saxony, who made war unnecessarily upon a bishop of Germany. At that period ecclesiastics could command military resources as well as the secular nobility; but the weapons of, the good bishop were not carnal. The duke thought proper, in a very artful way, to send a spy into the company of the bishop, to ascertain his plan of carrying on the contest. On his return, the spy was eagerly interrogated by the duke. “Oh, sir,” replied he, “you may surprise him without fear; he is doing nothing, and making no preparation.” “How is that?” asked the duke; “what does he say?” “He says he will feed his flock, preach the Word, visit the sick and that, as for this war, he should commit the weight of it to God Himself.” “Is it so?” said the duke; “then let the devil wage war against him; I will not.”
Men may often avoid the greatest threatened evils by committing their cause entirely to God. And evil men often fall into the greatest sorrows, by lifting up their hands against God’s poor praying people.