Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/58

 46 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE In connection with the Commandments he deals seriatim with all the different kinds of sin — the seven capital sins, the sins against the Holy Ghost, and so forth. Then follow instructions on forgiveness of sin, contrition, confession, and satisfaction ; on the corporal works of mercy, and so on. Specially beautiful are the passages on prayer, on the devout hearing of mass and on Christian sanctification of the whole day. The duties of the different stations of life are clearly laid down. The passage on the preparation for death is very touching, telling how man should trust in nothing else but the merits of Jesus Christ, through whose ' hard expiation ' alone our repentance has any merit. The book being a manual of prayer as well as a cate- chism, it is interspersed with ejaculatory prayers for the sick and dying, which they can either utter for them- selves or have read to them. It is also enjoined that the narratives of our Lord's passion be read to them. All the manuals of instruction, prayer-books, and sermons of the period were of the same character. In a commentary on the Ten Commandments, published in 1515, we read : ' Man cannot be saved by himself alone, and must not expect salvation from his own merits, as it is earned alone through Jesus Christ, who will judge us not according to our deserts, but rather through His own mercy. We must fly for refuge to the loving heart of Jesus. The Father will not turn from us when we arrive at the kingdom where there are many mansions.' ' Every Christian,' says Albrecht von Eyb, in his ' Guide to Christian Perfection,' ' should thus address God : " I cannot redeem myself through my own works, but do Thou, God, redeem and sanctify me and have