Martin Luther on Galatians 6:5

Verſe. 5. For euery man shall beare his ovvne burden. This is as it were the reaſon or confirmation of the former ſentence, leſt any man ſhould leane to other mens iudgement in praiſing & commending of him.In death, and in the day of iudgement other mennes praiſes profit not. As if he ſayde: It is extreme madnes for thee to ſeeke glory in an other & not in thy ſelfe: for in ye agony of death and the laſt iudgement it ſhall nothing profite thee ye other men haue praiſed thee: for other men ſhall not beare thy burden, but thou ſhalt ſtand before the iudgement ſeat of Chriſt & ſhalt beare thine burden alone. There thy praiſers ſhall nothing helpe thee. For when we die theſe praiſes ſhall ceaſe. And in that day when yt Lord ſhall iudge ye ſecretes of all harts, the witnes of thine owne conſcience ſhal ſtand either wt thee or againſt thee:Rom. 2.16. Againſt thee if thou glory in other men: with thee if thou haue it in thy ſelfe, that is to ſay, if thy conſcience beare thee witnes that thou haſt done thy duetie in the miniſterie of the word or otherwiſe according to thy calling ſincerely and faithfully, hauing reſpect to the glory of God onely and the ſaluation of ſoules. And theſe words Euery man shall beare his ovvne iudgement, are very vehement and ought ſo to terrifie vs that we ſhould not be deſirous of vaineglory. And this moreouer is to be noted, yt we are not here in ye matter of iuſtification, where nothing auaileth but mere grace and forgeuenes of ſinnes, which is receaued by faith alone: where all our works alſo, yea euen our beſt works, and ſuch as are done according to Gods calling, haue nede of forgeuenes of ſinnes. But this is an other caſe. He treteth not here of the remiſſion of ſinnes, but cōpareth true works & hypocritical works together. Theſe things therfore ought thus to be taken, yt although yt work or miniſtery of a godly paſtor is not ſo perfect but yt he hath nede of forgeuenes of ſinnes, yet in it ſelfe it is good & perfect,A compariſon betvene good vvorkes, and hypocriticall vvorke. in cōpariſon of the miniſterie of the vainglorious mā. So our miniſtery is good & ſound, becauſe we ſeeke therby the glory of God & the ſaluation of ſoules. But the miniſtery of theſe fantaſtical heads is not ſo, for they ſeke their owne praiſe. Albeit therfore that no works cā quiet ye conſcience before God: yet is it neceſſary yt we ſhould perſwade our ſelues that we haue done our worke vprightly, truly, & according to Gods calling, that is, that we haue not corrupted the word of God, but haue taught it purely & faithfully. This teſtimony of cōſcience we haue neede of yt we haue done our duety vprightly in our function & calling, & led our life accordingly. So farre ought we then to glory as touchīg our works, as we know thē to be cōmaūded of God, & that they pleaſe him. For euery one in ye laſt iudgemēt ſhal beare his owne burden, and therefore other mens praiſes ſhall there nothing helpe or profit him. Hetherto he hath ſpoken againſt that moſt peſtilent vice of vainglory, for the ſuppreſſing wherof no man is ſo ſtrong,Vaineglory. but that he hath nede of continuall praier. For what mā almoſt euen among the godly is not delited with his owne praiſes? Only ye holy Ghoſt can preſerue vs that we be not infected with this vice.