recollected that surely it must needs be the juggling of the devil,
for Christ appeareth unto us in his word, and in a meaner and more
humble form; therefore I spake to the vision in this manner:
"Avoid, thou confounded devil; I know no other Christ than he who
was crucified, and who in his Word is pictured unto me." Whereupon
the image vanished.


That Christ is the Health and Wisdom of the Faithful.

Alas! said Luther, what is our wit and wisdom? for before we
understand anything as we ought, we lie down and die; therefore the
devil hath good striving with us. When one is thirty years old, so
hath he as yet Stultitias carnales; yea, also Stultitias
spirituales; yet it is much to be admired that, in such our
imbecility and weakness, we achieve and accomplish so much and such
great matters; but it is God that giveth it. God gave to Alexander
the Great, Sapientiam et fortunam, Wisdom and good success; yet,
notwithstanding, he calleth him, in the Prophet Jeremiah, Juvenem, a
youth, where he saith, "Quis excitabit juvenem" (A young raw milksop
boy shall perform it: he shall come and turn the city Tyrus upside-
down). But yet Alexander could not leave off his foolishness, for
oftentimes he swilled himself drunk, and in his drunkenness he
stabbed his best and worthiest friends; yea, afterwards he drank
himself to death at Babel. Neither was Solomon above twenty years
old when he was made King, but he was well instructed by Nathan, and
desired wisdom, which was pleasing to God, as the text saith. But
now chests full of money are desired. "Oh!" say we now, "if I had
but money, then I would do so-and-so."