Von Gottes und der Welt Tractamenten
The World's Unbalanced Table
The world offers only extremes of sweetness or bitterness, failing to provide the balanced nourishment the soul requires.
Neither too sweet nor too sour. That is the rule I follow. Too much sweetness turns the stomach; too much sourness takes the charm away—both go against the appetite. The world doesn't know how to keep measure in this; it treats its lovers either too sweetly or too sourly.1 To one person it gives everything; to another, nothing at all. One has to worship her from a throne of honor; the other, out of the dust. When she is downcast, there's no comfort in it; but when she once rejoices, every sorrow has to leave the house.2 You never see the children of the world laughing and weeping at the same time.3 God sets a better table; He knows how to balance sweet and sour with a steady hand.
God's Balanced Provision
God tempers affliction with comfort and joy with holy fear, allowing the believer to experience a spiritual wholeness that the world cannot understand.
He sweetens bitter affliction with comfort so that it strengthens the heart, much like a lemon coated in sugar. Just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so we are also richly comforted through Christ.✦ 1:5. He sours the sweet delight of heaven with fear. I rejoice with trembling. Ps. 2:11. For I know that Satan's messenger does not dwell far from the third heaven.4 12:2. And5 7. God's children can weep and laugh at the same time. For they are like deceivers, and yet true; like people unknown, and yet well known; like the dying, who nevertheless live; like the punished, and yet not killed; like the sorrowful, yet always joyful; like the poor, who nevertheless make many rich; like those who have nothing, and yet have everything. 2 Cor.✦ 6.✦ 8–10. I'd rather sit at the table with God than with the world. I can't stand things too sour, and too sweet does me no good.
The Cost of the Worldly Feast
While the world demands a high price for its fleeting pleasures, God provides true nourishment that requires only a heart of gratitude.
God arranges it so that it always does me good, even if it doesn't always taste good. The price I have to pay for the world's table is far too high.6 One bite of the apple and paradise was lost; God is content with a single Deo gratias.7 A wise person holds what is theirs carefully in reserve.8
Read the original Latin
Nicht zu süß, auch nicht zu saur.
Da halt ich's mit. Alzusüß bringt ekel, allzusaur benimmt die Anmuth, beides ist dem Appetit zuwider. Die Welt weiß hierin kein Maß zu halten, tractirt ihre Liebhaber entweder zu süß oder zu saur. Dem einen gibt sie alles, dem andern nichts. Der eine muß sie vom Ehrenthron, der andere aus dem Staub anbeten. Wenn sie betrübt, ist kein Trost dabei; hingegen wenn sie einmal er freut, muß aller Kummer zum Haus hinaus. Nimmer steht man die Weltkinder lachen und weinen zugleich. Gott hält einen bessern Tisch, weiß süß und sauer fein zu temperiren.
Die saure Trübsal versüßt er mit Trost, daß eine Herzstärkung daraus werde, wie aus einer überzuckerten Citrone. Gleich wie wir des Leidens Christi viel haben, also werden wir auch reichlich getröstet durch Christum 2 Cor. 1, 5. Die süße Himmelslust versäuert er mit Furcht. Ich freue mich mit zittern Ps. 2, 11. , denn ich weiß, daß vom dritten Himmel des Satans Engel nicht ferne wohnt 2 Cor. 12, 2.
u. 7. Kinder Gottes können zugleich weinen und lachen. Denn sie sind als die Verführer und doch wahrhaftig, als die unbekannten und doch bekannt, als die sterbenden und die doch leben, als die gezüchtigten und doch nicht ertödtet, als die traurigen aber allzeit fröhlich, als die armen, aber die doch viel reich machen, als die nichts inne haben und doch alles haben 2 Cor. 6. 8-10. Ich will lieber bei Gott als bei der Welt zu Tisch gehn. Denn zu saur mag ich's nicht, zu süß dients mir nicht.
Gott richtets so zu, daß es mir allwege nüßt, obs gleich nicht allweg schmeckt. Der Welt muß ich den Tisch zu theur bezahlen. In den Apfel ge bissen, das Paradies verloren, Gott nimmt mit einem Deo gratias vorlieb. Ein Kluger hält das Seine zu rath.
Scripture echoes
- ↩2Cor.1.5 — For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
- ↩2Cor.6.8-2Cor.6.10 — through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; as deceivers yet true, 2Cor.6.9 — as unknown, yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as disciplined, yet not put to death; 2Cor.6.10 — as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.
- ↩2Cor.6.8-2Cor.6.10 — through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; as deceivers yet true, 2Cor.6.9 — as unknown, yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as disciplined, yet not put to death; 2Cor.6.10 — as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.
Notes
- 1 ↩tractirt (from Tractament): 'treats/entertains' in the table-hospitality sense of the chapter title, not modern 'tracts' or mere abstract treatment.
- 2 ↩Normalized 'er freut' read as erfreut ('rejoices'); the spaced form looks like a print/OCR split of one verb.
- 3 ↩steht man taken as the AcI construction of sieht man ('one sees'); the sense is visual observation of the world's children, not 'standing'.
- 4 ↩The German joins 'third heaven' (2 Cor 12:2) with 'Satan's angel' (cf. 2 Cor 12:7) under a single citation that continues as 12:2 in s8.
- 5 ↩Source is the bare abbreviation «u.» (standard early modern German for und). Rendered as the connective And; may also be a stranded fragment or print signature rather than full prose.
- 6 ↩Early modern 'zu theur' = modern 'zu teuer' (too dear/expensive).
- 7 ↩Deo gratias kept as the traditional thanksgiving formula ('Thanks be to God'); the contrast is that the world's first meal cost paradise, while God accepts simple thanks.
- 8 ↩Early modern 'zu rath halten' ≈ 'zu Rate halten': to husband thriftily, keep carefully in reserve rather than squander.
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