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Sacred Meditations
Johann Gerhard is consistently acknowledged as the third most respected and valuable theologian among the early Lutherans, after Martin Luther and Martin Chemnitz. This book was his most popular devotional writing, published in 1606 when he was only 23 years old. It includes 51 meditations that exhibit a warm devotion and reverence for the Lord.
This edition is a reprint of C.W. Heisler’s 1896 translation from the original Latin manuscript.
The first eleven meditations deal with that most basic distinction of Law and Gospel. The harsh power of the Law drives us to the comfort and consolation of the Gospel. Meditations twelve and thirteen deal with the topics of true faith (revealed in deeds) and how Christ unites Himself with us. Meditations fourteen and fifteen draw the reader’s attention to the manger of Christmas, the mystery and blessings of Christ’s incarnation. Sixteen through twenty speak of the means of grace, especially Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, including a meditation on the proper preparation for receiving the Supper. The Holy Spirit, the doctrine of the Church, predestination, prayer, angels, and the devil are the subjects of meditations twenty-one through twenty-seven. The next fourteen meditations address the subject of piety in avoiding carnal security, patience in Christ, the imitation of Christ, fleeing lust, and overcoming temptation. Finally, the last nine meditations deal with the subject of the last dealing with death (our own death and the death of loved ones), being ready for the last day, keeping hell as a reminder for our old Adam, and the hope of resurrection to eternal life for our new man.
This edition is a reprint of C.W. Heisler’s 1896 translation from the original Latin manuscript.
The first eleven meditations deal with that most basic distinction of Law and Gospel. The harsh power of the Law drives us to the comfort and consolation of the Gospel. Meditations twelve and thirteen deal with the topics of true faith (revealed in deeds) and how Christ unites Himself with us. Meditations fourteen and fifteen draw the reader’s attention to the manger of Christmas, the mystery and blessings of Christ’s incarnation. Sixteen through twenty speak of the means of grace, especially Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, including a meditation on the proper preparation for receiving the Supper. The Holy Spirit, the doctrine of the Church, predestination, prayer, angels, and the devil are the subjects of meditations twenty-one through twenty-seven. The next fourteen meditations address the subject of piety in avoiding carnal security, patience in Christ, the imitation of Christ, fleeing lust, and overcoming temptation. Finally, the last nine meditations deal with the subject of the last dealing with death (our own death and the death of loved ones), being ready for the last day, keeping hell as a reminder for our old Adam, and the hope of resurrection to eternal life for our new man.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
30 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Johann Gerhard
216 books12 followersJohann Gerhard was a Lutheran church leader and Scholastic theologian during the period of Orthodoxy.
At the age of fourteen, during a dangerous illness, he came under the personal influence of Johann Arndt, author of Das wahre Christenthum, and resolved to study for the church. He entered the University of Wittenberg in 1599, and studied philosophy and theology. A relative then persuaded him to change his subject, and he studied medicine for two years. In 1603, he resumed his theological reading at Jena, and in the following year received a new impulse from J.W. Winckelmann and Balthasar Mentzer at Marburg. He graduated in 1605 and began to give lectures at Jena, then in 1606 he accepted the invitation of John Casimir, Duke of Coburg, to the superintendency of Heldburg, today Bad Colberg-Heldburg, and mastership of the gymnasium; soon afterwards he became general superintendent of the duchy, in which capacity he was engaged in the practical work of ecclesiastical organization until 1616, when he became the senior theological professor at Jena, where the remainder of his life was spent.
Here, with Johann Major and Johann Himmel, he formed the "Trias Johannea." Though still comparatively young, Gerhard was already regarded as the greatest living theologian of Protestant Germany; in the "disputations" of the period he was always protagonist, and his advice was sought on all public and domestic questions touching on religion or morals. During his lifetime he received repeated calls to almost every university in Germany (e.g. Giessen, Altdorf, Helmstedt, Jena, Wittenberg), as well as to Uppsala in Sweden. He died in Jena.
His writings are numerous, alike in exegetical, polemical, dogmatic and practical theology. To the first category belong the Commentarius in harmoniam historiae evangelicae de passione Christi (1617), the Comment, super priorem D. Petri epistolam (1641), and also his commentaries on Genesis (1637) and on Deuteronomy (1658). Of a controversial character are the Confessio Catholica (1633–1637), an extensive work which seeks to prove the evangelical and catholic character of the doctrine of the Augsburg Confession from the writings of approved Roman Catholic authors; and the Loci communes theologici (1610–1622), his principal contribution, in which Lutheranism is expounded "nervose, solide et copiose," in fact with a fulness of learning, a force of logic and a minuteness of detail that had never before been approached.
The Meditationes sacrae (1606), a work expressly devoted to the uses of Christian edification, has been frequently reprinted in Latin and has been translated into most of the European languages, including Greek.
At the age of fourteen, during a dangerous illness, he came under the personal influence of Johann Arndt, author of Das wahre Christenthum, and resolved to study for the church. He entered the University of Wittenberg in 1599, and studied philosophy and theology. A relative then persuaded him to change his subject, and he studied medicine for two years. In 1603, he resumed his theological reading at Jena, and in the following year received a new impulse from J.W. Winckelmann and Balthasar Mentzer at Marburg. He graduated in 1605 and began to give lectures at Jena, then in 1606 he accepted the invitation of John Casimir, Duke of Coburg, to the superintendency of Heldburg, today Bad Colberg-Heldburg, and mastership of the gymnasium; soon afterwards he became general superintendent of the duchy, in which capacity he was engaged in the practical work of ecclesiastical organization until 1616, when he became the senior theological professor at Jena, where the remainder of his life was spent.
Here, with Johann Major and Johann Himmel, he formed the "Trias Johannea." Though still comparatively young, Gerhard was already regarded as the greatest living theologian of Protestant Germany; in the "disputations" of the period he was always protagonist, and his advice was sought on all public and domestic questions touching on religion or morals. During his lifetime he received repeated calls to almost every university in Germany (e.g. Giessen, Altdorf, Helmstedt, Jena, Wittenberg), as well as to Uppsala in Sweden. He died in Jena.
His writings are numerous, alike in exegetical, polemical, dogmatic and practical theology. To the first category belong the Commentarius in harmoniam historiae evangelicae de passione Christi (1617), the Comment, super priorem D. Petri epistolam (1641), and also his commentaries on Genesis (1637) and on Deuteronomy (1658). Of a controversial character are the Confessio Catholica (1633–1637), an extensive work which seeks to prove the evangelical and catholic character of the doctrine of the Augsburg Confession from the writings of approved Roman Catholic authors; and the Loci communes theologici (1610–1622), his principal contribution, in which Lutheranism is expounded "nervose, solide et copiose," in fact with a fulness of learning, a force of logic and a minuteness of detail that had never before been approached.
The Meditationes sacrae (1606), a work expressly devoted to the uses of Christian edification, has been frequently reprinted in Latin and has been translated into most of the European languages, including Greek.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 21, 2019
This is a devotional book that worked well for me. Each meditation was a good length for a morning devotional time, and Gerhard's words were powerful, with accessible translation in this edition. I did not find it to be a book with doctrinal or theological thoughts that stuck with me or taught me something, but it was meditative and led to prayer. I found Gerhard to be strong on justification, but bad on resurrection. His last several meditations reinforce the prevalent idea of a spiritual resurrection as eternity in heaven, not a heavenly rest followed by a physical resurrection in the new earth.
February 21, 2025
Like Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a good read for philosophy, Sacred Meditations by Johann Gerhard is a good read for theology. A devotional as well as theological text. Quite brilliant is this text.
December 18, 2017
Weighted a bit too heavily on the law side of the law/gospel dialectic.
April 6, 2018
Excellent devotional read. Rich exposition of Law and Gospel on many topics of doctrine.
March 21, 2021
A superb devotional book that every Christian should own and read.
January 11, 2023
Banger.
July 18, 2023
I've been meaning to read this for years, so I'm glad I finally made it happen. An excellent collection of devotional thoughts that pulls no punches in laying out Law and Gospel.
December 6, 2023
Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvWu7...
September 15, 2024
Excellent devotional. I enjoyed it very much.
December 24, 2025
Beautiful and poetic book. Amazing to think the author was only 20 or so years old when he wrote this magnificent piece of art.
October 12, 2014
Rich soul food. Re-read this one often.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews