Luther - Works of Martin Luther Vol. 6 - Righteousness is Love

48morning, say at four or five o’clock, and have God’s Word read, either byscholar or priest, or whoever it may be, in the same manner as the Lessonis still read at Matins; this should be done by one or two, or by one afterthe other, or by one choir after the other, as may seem most suitable.Thereupon the preacher or whoever has been appointed, shall comeforward and expound a part of the same lesson, so that all the othersunderstand it, learn, and are admonished. The first of these Paul, in 1Corinthians 14:28, calls speaking with tongues. The other, he callsexpounding or prophesying, or speaking with the sense or understanding.And if this does not occur, the congregation is not benefited by the lesson,as has been the case until now in cloisters and other religious foundations,where they have only wasted their breath against the walls.However, this Lesson should be taken from the Old Testament in thisfashion: One of the books should be selected and a chapter or two, or halfa chapter, should be read until all of it has been used. After that anotherbook should be selected, and so on, until the entire Bible has been readthrough; and where one does not understand it, pass that by and glorifyGod. Thus through this daily use of, and training in, the Scriptures, theChristians will gain an intelligent knowledge of them and become familiarwith them. For in this way, in former times, right excellent Christians weremade, — virgins and martyrs, — and truly should continue to be made.Now when the Lesson and its exposition have lasted a half hour or so, thecongregation shall immediately unite in giving thanks to God, in praisingHim, and in praying for the fruits of the Word. For this purpose the Psalmsshould be used and some good responsories and antiphons; but this allshould be brief, so that everything may be completed in an hour, or in aslong a time as may be desired; for one must not overload the souls so thatthey become weary and bored, in the same fashion as heretofore in thecloisters and institutions, where they loaded themselves with ass’ labor.In like manner, gather again at evening around six or five. At this time thebooks of the Old Testament should be taken rip, one after another, namelythe Prophets, in the same way as the books of Moses and the Histories aretaken up in the morning. But since the New Testament is a book also, I usethe Old Testament in the morning and the New Testament in the evening,or vice versa; and read, expound, praise, sing and pray in like manner as inthe morning, also for an hour. For all this is to be done for the sake of