Monday, July 02, 2007

Thoughts on why to flee solitude by ML

Admonition to flee solitude. D.M.L
There are more and more difficult sins encountered in solitude than in the fellowship of men. Eve, in Paradise, was deceived by the snake when alone. Murder, robbery, and thievery are perpetrated in solitude; there Satan is given room and opportunity. Thus one is ashamed among many people or fellowship to contemplate a harmful act. Christ has promised that where two or three are gathered in His Name He will be in the midst of them. The devil tempted Christ in solitude. David fell into murder and adultery at a time when he was alone and idle. And I have learned that I never fall into sin more than when I live in solitude. God has created men for fellowship not for solitude(as one can see from the two generationsthe rational being and the non-rational animals. Humans are created that at the same time there should be two, one man and one woman, and out of their marriage an everlasting church is assembled by God. And the Almighty God has not wanted solitude because He ordered the Sacrament and the holy sermons in the church in the gathering of humans and thereby created an enduring consolation. Solitude, on the contrary, brings an evil sadness and wherein also may come to mind that we consider everything as very evil.And on occasions when we encounter something frustrating we make it exceedingly great as there could be no one more unfortunate than we; thus we imagine the most evil outcome of everything. In short, we deduce one from another and interpret everything in the worst way. On the contrary we imagine others to be very happy and are tormented by that good while evil comes to us.
NOTE: No date except 1534 or why this is included in the letters. Looks like there is a version of this in the table talks.

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