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 general: 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 things: 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.