Following the “Age of the Reformation” came the “Age of Orthodoxy.” There are many who insert the word “dead” before the word “orthodoxy” claiming that all the theologians and pastors did was contend over minor biblical and theological points. The “spiritually” of these teachers is called dry, boring, unhelpful, sterile, or some other such adjective. I’m reading a new book, a translation of Valerius Herberger’s work, The Great Works of God. The following excerpt will show that the Age of Orthodoxy was anything but dead.
Just as Moses put Jesus before all else, so the angel in Matthew 2:13 put Him before all else, saying, “Take the Child and His mother.” And these words are often repeated there in this order, which Chrysostom in particular commends to our attention.
This gives us a good rule of faith and life;
Light of my faith, prince of my heart
May Jesus Christ be from the start.
Therefore, whenever I am told much about good works and the merits of saints, let me answer, “In the beginning Jesus.” O Lord Jesus, You are the foundation of my blessedness. May You be its continuance, may You be its end, for then I will have comfort, strength, and power in life and death.
When I pray, I will say, “In the beginning Jesus, may You be the foundation of my prayer. Dear Lord Jesus, help me to strengthen my prayer. Put in a good word for me with Your heavenly Father. O God the heavenly Father, if You refuse to hear my prayer because I am such a great sinner, at least hear me for the sake of Your dearest Son whom I set at the beginning of my prayer. Do not give me anything on account of my worthiness, nor withhold anything from me on account of my unworthiness. Rather, in the beginning, first regard Christ on whose worthiness I rely.” This prayer will pierce the clouds and attain much with God the Father.
When all kinds of cross and trouble oppress me and poverty gnaws at me, when my heart cries nothing but blood and my heartache throbs without ceasing, then I will say, “Why are you downcast, my heart? If in the beginning you count your troubles, you will find no comfort. Think of Jesus in the beginning. Put Him before everything. See how He sanctified and hallowed your grief by His own misery and hardship. See how He won eternal salvation which you can confidently expect after this present poverty. Then my misery will be filled with such sweetness that I will have patience and be able to forget my grief.
In heavy spiritual attacks, when the evil one thrusts the ledger of my sins in my face and deals me sharp blows, let this be my breastplate: “In the beginning Jesus,” with all His benefits. Soon all attacks will vanish, just as when that troubled man asked to have these words placed on the ledger of his sins: “The Virgin’s Son will crush the head of the serpent.”
Herberger, Valerius The Great Works of God: Parts One and Two: The Mysteries of Christ in the Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-15 32-33