"God is not angry with you..."

AELW 7:332, notes that the first statement in bold below, "God is not angry with you..." is elsewhere attributed to Staupitz. And as a side note this particular quote is also reflected in "Luther - The Movie."

The second bolded text, "If the devil..." I highlighted because I liked the statement ;-)

And the sentence beginning with, "But a heart..." is similar to a later writing of Shakespeare, Richard III, Act V, scene 3, lines 193-195...

"My Conscience hath a thousand several tongues
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain."

AELW 7:332-333

"the conscience is affected toward God; for when He smiles and is most favorable toward us, it fears His wrath in spite of this and thinks that He is hostile and angry. Therefore it was an extraordinary statement on the part of a certain brother in our monastery who used to say to those who were afflicted and disturbed: “God is not angry with you. Do not be angry with Him. For you are more likely to be in a rage against Him.” This is really the feeling of hearts alarmed by fear, because an impure heart cannot see God, as Christ says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Accordingly, those who do not have a pure heart are by far the most unhappy of all; for they do not see God but think that they are looking at or listening to Satan when they think, speak, or hear about God.

Nothing so salutary, so good and pleasant, is offered to an evil conscience in the hour of trial that it does not turn to fear, pain, and terror. It can do nothing else than testify and fight against us. And when it finally lies prostrate, the whole world does not suffice to raise it up. For it is the death of the soul, and to raise up and arouse consciences is nothing else than raising the dead. Therefore the church quickens more through the spoken Word which it has than Christ Himself did during His ministry. Thus He says in John 14:12: “He who believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do.” Accordingly, many great miracles are performed daily—works which we do not see and to which the world gives no heed.

Conscience is something greater than heaven and earth. It is killed by sin and quickened through the Word of Christ. Therefore we should make efforts to be freed from this exceedingly evil beast from hell. For without it hell would have no fire or any tortures. But this beast inflames and strengthens death and hell; it arms all creation against us. For all things are angry and are sad, fierce, and gloomy; they are against us. And this is not the fault of the creature, which is good and neither threatens nor harms us. No, we, who are afraid and flee, are to blame for this.

On the other hand, a joyful and untroubled conscience breaks through, triumphs, and despises death and the devil, as is excellently described in Ps. 112:7–8: “He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady, he will not be afraid.” No matter whether the devil and the world laugh or are angry, it does not care. If the devil does not want to laugh, then let him be angry. But a heart conscious of guilt is terrified even at a good report; for conscience, as is commonly said, is a thousand witnesses, yes, a thousand armies, against us. But how these terrors are overcome is taught elsewhere, in the doctrine of the Gospel."