406. Wednesday after Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.
“The king’s daughter
is all glorious within;
her clothing is of wrought gold.”
Isaiah 61, 10. 11. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
❦
If you have seen a poor naked child receive a beautiful new dress, you also have witnessed her delight. We, also, were naked; and God gave us the most superb garment; shall we not rejoice? If the Spirit of God have enlightened you, your heart confesses that in yourself you are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Now, the same Spirit of truth says, Gal. 3, 27: “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” All carnally minded baptized persons have thrown away their glorious garment; but this must not prevent you from keeping that which God has given you. Have you not experienced the truth of that which the Holy Ghost says through the apostle? Have not we, who have been baptized into Christ, put on Christ? The Lord has said it; do you keep and ponder it in your heart, as it is God’s will that you should do? Faith is the one thing needful; then certainly we poor, naked wretches ought to obey the Spirit of God, and believe that which the Son of God has given us. Do you not want your soul to rejoice in God? For what are you waiting? Even in your childhood, when you were baptized, the Lord put on you the garment of salvation, the perfect righteousness of Christ. So God declares; will you, then, deny it? The world feels no concern on account of its nakedness; but yours makes you unhappy. Truly, God has taken the matter in hand, even before you asked it of him; and has more than satisfied your want. The Lord says: “I have taken away thine iniquity, and put on thee beautiful garments.” Shall you then say that it cannot be true? No; say rather: I will accept as true that which he declares; I will believe without having seen, because he has said it. Sing then with truth: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Brethren, in Christ we sinners are pure and beautiful in the sight of God; let us believe in him with the simple faith of children, and praise him with happy hearts! To do this grant us thy grace, thou God of mercy. Amen.*
Most heartily I trust in thee,
Thy mercy fails me never;
Dear Lord, abide
My helper tried,
Thou Crucified,
From evil keep me ever.
Now, henceforth, must I put my trust
In thee, O dearest Savior;
Thy comfort choice,
Thy word and voice,
My heart rejoice,
Despite my ill behavior.
[TLH 353, ELH 258; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.