Old Lutherans

457. Thursday after Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 138. A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

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Wherefore will ye not all come and receive mercy at the hands of our God? Why will ye not all learn to sing praises unto his name? Have you any fear that he will not receive you? Is the sin of any man so great, or the heart of any man so wicked, that the Lord cannot have mercy on him? By no means; but ye will not! Let us cry out with as loud a voice as possible into all the world, that God saves all lost sinners who will repent; so that not one need continue without peace under the yoke of sin, and then go to perdition. All the lies of Satan shall not shake the truth that Jesus receives sinners. — However, if you will not come and enjoy his lovingkindness, and take part in singing praises unto him, this must not prevent God’s people from rejoicing and from praising the Lord. “Rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy; the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.” Blessed be thou, O God; I will praise thee with my whole heart; before the gods (all the mighty) will I sing praise unto thee. I will nevermore be able to give thee all the thanks which I owe. Me, a wretched worm of the dust, who am deserving of death, and whom thou shouldest have crushed under thy foot; — me thou hast made thy child; my troubled soul thou hast given rest in thy loving bosom. And thou hast promised me things yet more glorious; thou shalt perform thy work in me, and I shall see thee as thou art in thy heavenly beauty. Then I shall drink of the water of the river of life clear as crystal, and walk in the light of thy countenance forever and ever. Blessed are they that do thy commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city! — Once more, ye men; wherefore will ye not come to him? You are miserable sinners and the certain prey of death; in your hearts you admit it, no matter what you may say! — Our dear Lord, we praise thee; we were like them that dream, when thou didst turn again our captivity. Yet we still groan and weep: Lord, let our captivity turn again as the streams in the south. Hear us for the sake of thy mercy and thy truth. Amen.*

When we pass through yonder river,
When we reach the farther shore,
There’s an end of war forever;
We shall see our foes no more:
All our conflicts then shall cease;
Followed by eternal peace.

[Church Book 576; 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.