420. All-Saints Day. I.
Speak, Lord;
and give us grace to hear. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 5, 1-12. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
❦
Here we are told who are blessed, and what it is to be blessed. “The poor in spirit”; these are the humble souls. They have nothing with which to stand before God, nothing of their own with which to make themselves blessed; they have neither righteousness nor love. “They that mourn”; these are the souls which have “that godly sorrow”; which grieve because they have sinned against God. “The meek” are they who for the sake of God suffer wrong without being provoked to anger. “They which do hunger and thirst after righteousness” are they who of their innermost heart, and with a longing which will not be stifled, desire to be able to stand before the righteous God. Hunger and thirst are the most imperative of the natural desires. So ardently do the saints desire righteousness; so heartily do they hate all wrong. “The merciful” are they who feel the distress of others as their own, and relieve it. “The pure in heart” brook no unchastity, anger, falsehood, nor any other wicked lust, in their hearts, but strive to be holy, as God is. “The peacemakers” are they who promote peace, gather the souls to the Lord, guide them in the way of peace, and unite them in one spirit. The peacemakers gather; the destroyers of peace scatter. Nevertheless, the saints must suffer persecution, slander, and all manner of evil in the world. — Yet they are blessed. They are blessed already, and they shall be blessed and saved eternally. They are “poor”; yet in Christ they possess all the treasures of the kingdom of heaven; righteousness and love, peace and joy. They “mourn”; yet they are happy, and shall have eternal comfort; “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” They are robbed and wronged in the world; but none can take their treasure from them. They shall inherit all things; for in Christ all things are theirs. Their hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be satisfied with the grace of Jesus; in him they are perfect before God, and shall at last be delivered from all sin, of whatever kind, in and about them. In the meantime they are entirely surrounded by the mercy of God, in which they live and breathe night and day. They also understand more and more of the glory of God; and they shall “see God” as he is, which is the fullness of bliss. They are “the children of God,” and are so called; they are like God, and wear the title of honor “sons and daughters” before all angels; and the kingdom of heaven with all its glory is theirs forevermore. — Rejoice, and be exceeding glad in all your afflictions; “great is your reward in heaven” for that which you now suffer; — a reward not by reason of any merit on your part, but by the grace of God. “For those who weep / And those who sleep / Beneath the portals narrow, / The mansions rise / Beyond the skies; / We’re going home tomorrow.”
Lord Jesus, teach me thy way, and keep me from the path of the hypocrite. Let righteousness and truth lead me; for I believe in thee. Holy God, who art enthroned forever; who dost dwell on high, and art nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and a contrite spirit! make me humble, and quicken my spirit and my heart. Let me be known of thee as one of thy saints on earth, that I may stand in the midst of the saved in heaven. Amen.*
How happy is the man who hears
Instruction’s warning voice,
And who celestial wisdom makes
His early, only choice!
For she has treasures greater far
Than east or west unfold;
And her rewards more precious are
Than all their stores of gold.
[suggested tune: St. Peter (TLH 286) ×2; listen here]
421. All-Saints Day. II.
Lord, make our hope
sure and living. Amen.
Scripture Lesson, Revelation 7, 1-12. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
❦
By these hundred and forty and four thousand is meant the entire church militant. That they are sealed in their foreheads signifies that God knows each one of them, makes them his peculiar care, and brings them out of all their tribulations. The righteous shall not be destroyed with the wicked; the angels of the Lord lead Lot out of Sodom, and the Christians out of Jerusalem before the destruction. The saints are the salt of the earth. As long as they dwell among the wicked, country and people will be preserved; but when the measure of sin is full, and the Lord takes his children away, destruction must follow. He who believes in Jesus has the seal of the living God in his forehead; the angels know this seal, and the devils are compelled to get out of its way. This is one of the things with which our text comforts the people of God in their afflictions. — The other is the sight of that great multitude which has already reached the home in heaven. It is a multitude gathered together out of all peoples of all generations, of all the twelve tribes, and all nations of gentiles who are become Israelites. And all are perfectly holy, cleansed from all sin in the blood of the Lamb; wholly righteous; without spot or blemish. All are victors, and carry the palms of eternal peace; they were in the midst of trials and struggles, but “came out of their great tribulation.” With a loud voice all were singing praises to God and the Lamb. “They are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” — How glorious a comfort is not this to the soul struggling against sin and poverty and care! Look; your home is over there! All these who stand before the throne and the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, were even as you are; fought the same fight, and often thought, as you do, that they must be vanquished. Not many days ago they were weak and sinful, worn and weary, tempted and troubled; and now they are sinless and perfect, happy and blessed, exalted and glorious. Then they walked in gloom; now they dwell in the light. Then they were far away from the lover of their souls; now they are at home with him. Then they sighed and groaned; now they sing with gladness forevermore. You also are sealed unto this salvation; your place in heaven has been prepared for you from eternity, and is now awaiting you. If you believe in the Lord Jesus, and your righteousness be his blood, wherewith you wash yourself; then of a certainty you belong to the great white multitude, and shall receive grace of the Lord to assume your rank among the just men made perfect. — After the death of Melanchton there was found on his writing table a sheet of paper on which was written: “You shall enter the light; you shall see the Son of God; you shall learn those wonderful mysteries which in this life you have not been able to understand; such as the questions why we are created thus, how the two natures in Christ are united, and the like.” And on the same sheet, to the left, was written: “You shall be wholly free from all sin, all labor, and all strife.”
Lord Jesus, turn our eyes toward the glory of heaven; grant us grace to strive lawfully, and gain victory. Know us as being of thine own, and help us to confess thee fearlessly in the face of hate on the part of the devil and the world. Sanctify us wholly; and let us with truth be called the children of light, to the glory of thy name. Let our whole life bear witness that thy people are in truth a holy people. Amen.*
O what array, O what the glorious host
Comes sweeping swiftly down?
The chosen ones, on earth who wrought the most,
The Church’s brightest crown,
Our Lord hath sent to meet me, —
As in the far off years
Their words oft came to greet me
In yonder land of tears.
[TLH 619, LSB 674, ELH 541; 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.