451. Saturday after Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 80, 1-7. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock: thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine: and we shall be saved. O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves. Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
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In this psalm the people of Judah pray for the people of the kingdom of Israel, who had been led captives to Assyria. “When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.” — As Jesus has taught us to strengthen our faith by praying to God as “our Father,” so the Spirit here calls the God of Israel by several glorious names of a kind to strengthen the faith of those who pray to him. The “Shepherd of Israel”; shall he not care for his own? He that “dwelleth between the cherubims”; shall he not be able to save? “The Lord,” Jehovah; “God,” Elohim, the glorious and heavenly majesty; “the God of hosts,” Zebaoth, the ruler of the hosts of heaven and earth; — in him who has these names, and who is that which he is called, in him is the hope of Israel. Shall his wrath continue against his people, when the incense of their prayers ascends to him? The vine which he has planted with great care, shall he allow it to be destroyed by the heathen? No; he blesses it now, and shall bless it forevermore. The psalmist lets the church repeat three times the prayer: “Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” He thereby reminds us of that which is written in Numbers 6, 22-27: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, THE LORD bless thee, and keep thee; THE LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; THE LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace! And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” This triple benediction, with its repetition of “the Lord,” plainly points to the Trinity of God; something of which the Israel of old was no doubt dimly conscious. But our Articles of Faith interpret this benediction most beautifully. Therefore we are able to pray for God’s Israel, his church on earth, with a more clear view and a more firm faith, than could the faithful of the Old Testament. Certain it is, the triune, almighty God is the Shepherd of the church, and leads us in the paths of salvation; no matter how long his anger may seem to burn, and prevent our prayers from reaching his ear. Yet a while “our enemies laugh among themselves,” and ask, “where is your God?” But his righteous judgments go surely, though in secret, through the world; and it shall be said to Zion: “Fear thou not, and let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” — God, we bless thee, and pray thee to reveal thy glory. Protect that which thy right hand hath planted; keep us alive, that we may call upon thy name. Amen.*
He will present our souls Unblemished and complete Before the glory of his face, With joys divinely great. Then all his faithful sons Shall meet around the throne, Shall bless the conduct of his grace, And make his wonders known.
* 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.
459. Saturday after Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 31, 19-24. Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord; for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications, when I cried unto thee. O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
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“Fear was on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O Lord; I said, Thou art my God” (v. 13. 14). The faithful are everywhere surrounded by mortal enemies; but God is their strong fortress. They are everywhere in mortal danger, and everywhere under safe protection. None can fully express the love felt for them by the mighty Lord of heaven. Joh. Arndt says:
He who of his whole heart with a living and sure hope gives himself to God possesses God himself with all the treasures of his grace, with all his goodness and love. God gives himself entire to him who gives himself to God. To him who gives God his whole heart God gives his whole heart with all his goodness and his salvation.
What a Tabor in the wilderness! “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence,” says the Psalmist. The secret of his presence; that is, a sure hiding-place, unseen of human eyes! They live before the countenance of the Lord, and this is their protection. They flee to him; and “he maketh his face to shine upon them”; who shall dare touch them when they are under his eye? Thus Joseph is delivered from the wicked woman, Daniel from the lions, and his friends from the fire. But the deliverance is often hid a long time, even from the children of God themselves. Yet it always shews itself at the proper time; only our time is not his; for our faith is to be tried. David recounts his experience: “I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes; nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee.” Though I was unbelieving, thou didst hear me. The Lord knows our weakness, and saves us of his “great goodness.” This he has hid from them that fear him, — hid it from them, and for them, — in order to reveal it before the eyes of all in due season. “O love the Lord, all ye his saints!” Rejoice in him with holy joy; and give yourselves to him with your whole heart. “Be of good courage;” hear this, ye timid ones, who fear his anger, and who see everything in dark colors; do hear and heed these words himself has spoken: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord!”
My God, thou knowest thy servant. When I see thy face to shine I am of good courage; but when thou dost hide it from me my heart grows faint. Take not thy goodness away from thy poor child; but hide me always in the secret of thy presence, and keep me in thy pavilion, and strengthen my heart, and be unto me a strong city, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame, From everlasting thou art God, To endless years the same.
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come! Be thou our guard while life shall last, And our eternal home.
* 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.
450. Friday after Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity.
The Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Revelation 19, 1-9. And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
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The great harlot “in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones and pearls, and having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations,” this harlot “is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Rev. 17, 4. 18), the seat of antichrist, Babylon and Rome revived, a caricature of the heavenly Jerusalem. The days toward the latter end of the world are in scripture described as a time of dreadful trials to the children of God. The woman shall be “drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Rev. 17, 6); but all nations shall revel in the abundance of her riches” (18, 3). Their life shall be to eat, and drink, and plant, and build, and luxuriate in the pleasures of the flesh (Luke 17, 28. 30). “No man may buy or sell, save he that has the mark, or the name of the beast” (Rev. 13, 17); then the people of God shall have sore temptation.
These dire prophecies have been and are being fulfilled;* the spirit of antichrist is even now at work; we also must make our choice! To us also comes the warning word: “Come out of Babylon, that ye be not partakers of her sin, and that ye receive not of her plagues!” Whom do you serve, and what is your God? Gold and silver? or fine clothes, and luxuries, and delicacies? or influence and power? Then you really live in the city of which it is said: “She saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” (Rev. 18, 7. 8). Let none of the faithful be infatuated with the pleasures of the world, and abandon the cross. If Christ be your God, then lift up your eyes. “He that sitteth upon the white horse is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes are as a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (19, 11. 12. 16). The marriage day approaches, and the bride is making herself ready! (Read our Bible lesson over again). — Help me, thou who art called Faithful and True; establish my steps in thy word, that neither pleasures nor sorrow may ever draw me away from thee. Give me grace to be arrayed in the fine linen, clean and white; cleanse me, and adorn me with thy full righteousness. Amen.†
Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, Brightest beam of love divine, With the early morning rays Do thou on our darkness shine, And dispel with purest light All our long and gloomy night.
* According to the Confessions of our Lutheran Church these prophecies refer primarily to the character and doings of Papacy, the Pope of Rome being the Antichrist.
† 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.
458. Friday after Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity.
Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word. Amen.
John 6, 43-47. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
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Our salvation is wholly of God from beginning to end. No man awakens himself out of the sleep of sin; no man is truly penitent; none comes to Christ for mercy; none believes the forgiveness of sins; none is born again; except that God work all this in him. In like manner the regenerated man’s faithfulness unto the end is the work of God. How comes it, then, that God does this for some men, and not for all? Is it not true that he will have all men to be saved? — We shall not here attempt to explain the mystery. The word of God explains it, certainly; and yet it remains a mystery which only when this life is done shall be fully revealed — to the glory of God’s wisdom, love, and justice. — Yet if any be troubled and ask concerning God’s purpose with him, let him obey the Lord’s call, and he shall experience that the Father is drawing him, even him to the Savior. Whenever serious thoughts of eternity stirred your heart, or you felt a longing after God, it was the Father drawing you. When you felt the emptiness of the world; when you were troubled, and yearned after peace; when the word of God laid hold on you in your secret heart; and the gospel commended itself to your conscience; when despite your aversion to Jesus, there yet was something in you prompting you to give yourself to him; then all these things were the work of the Father, who was drawing you to the Son. You might have come to him, had you wished it; and if you remained away, you have no excuse. On the other hand, dear reader, if you have learned from the word of God to know yourself as a sinner deserving of death; as one who knows nothing unto salvation save the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God; then the Father has drawn you, and you are already come to the Son. It is God has taught you to know your sin, and to ask mercy of Jesus. You already believe in him; for you put your trust in him as your only Savior, and are persuaded that he is the true God and eternal life. Give God the honor; he has done great things with you. Soon you shall in the light of heaven see clearly those ways in which his wisdom led you from the cradle to the grave. He says: “I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” For this you shall thank him with awe and worship forevermore.
Of our whole heart we confess that our salvation is wholly and solely of thee, our God; and we pray thee to grant us this grace that we may have our all in thee, thou eternal love. Amen.*
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind, Yea, all I need, in thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; Because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
* 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.
449. Thursday after Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, speak to our heart, that we may watch and walk in the light before thee. Amen.
2 Timothy 4, 1-8. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
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The number of such as teach false doctrines is all the time increasing; and people always run after something new, something which tickles their itching ears. Therefore the Lord’s true servants, and with them all humble and sincere Christians, must do their work all the more faithfully. They must walk constantly in the sight of him who soon shall come to judge the world; they must bear witness of him when it is convenient to them, and when it is not; they must not be exasperated on account of all the foolishness which they see, but with the meekness of Christ reprove, rebuke, and exhort the precious souls. They must keep watch over themselves, and keep an eye of love on the brethren; bear the cross without repining, and be faithful to the end in the Lord’s work. Fidelity, ye brethren in the sacred calling, constant fidelity be your watchword; zeal for Christ, fresh courage, unswerving loyalty to the truth, and fearlessness in confessing it unto the end! “Make full proof of thy ministry,” says Paul, and points you to his own example, but also to the crown that awaits you. There are especially three things which stir my heart in that which the apostle here says concerning his being ready to be offered, and his hope: 1) His example. He exhorts us to follow him, even as he followed Christ. “Let my example teach you that the Lord is faithful to give strength unto the end! To me it is a blessed thing to be offered; may it be the same to you when your time comes, as it soon will!” 2) The ranks are being thinned out. The old veterans are passing away to their reward in the church triumphant; while the difficulties are increasing, and we are now to take their place. Let us fill it with credit, stand united, lift high the banner of our confession of faith, and may we soon be gathered with them as victors! 3) The crown is worth fighting for; the day of triumph is coming, on which all the Lord’s soldiers who remained loyal to him shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. — Be strong, then, through grace; endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ; strive lawfully, that you may be crowned! Lord, wake us, and strengthen us by thy Spirit; keep all who are thine faithful and fearless unto the end. Amen.*
Awake, my soul! stretch every nerve, And press with vigor on: A heavenly race demands thy zeal, And an immortal crown.
A cloud of witnesses around Hold thee in full survey: Forget the steps already trod, And onward urge thy way.
* 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.
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.
* 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.
448. Wednesday after Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity.
Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I put my trust. Thou art my Lord; I have no good beyond thee.
1 John 5, 18-21. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true: and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
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When Saint John here says that “whosoever is born of God sinneth not,” and in the same Epistle, 2, 1, declares that “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father”; he clearly means that true believers do not live in sin; but walk in the truth, shun wickedness, and keep the commandments of God; yet without being sinless. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1, 8). This is as certainly true as it is that if any do not purify himself, he is not a true child of God (3, 3). The whole world lies in wickedness, and thus all unregenerate hearts are ruled by the devil. The children of God, on the other hand, have been set free; so that the devil can do no more than tempt them. They watch, and are on their guard, and the Holy Ghost is with them, and warns them, and chastens them; so that “the wicked one toucheth them not.” As the children of the world are in the liar, so the children of God “are in him that is true.” The words of the apostle are terrible in their solemn import, but at the same time they are full of comfort. “The whole world lieth in wickedness,” lieth in wickedness; but we are in him that is true, we are in the Lord. “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not;” but “the Son of God hath given us an understanding that we may know the true God, Jesus Christ.” Here the apostle distinctly declares that Jesus is the true God. Scripture could not with greater clearness assert the divinity of Christ. The unbelievers deny Christ, the true God; and they say: “The devil is a myth; we are lords; we are in God; for the whole world is God.” We know, however, that sin is not of God; and we know that everyone who serves sin is the slave of the devil; we know that Jesus has delivered us from the power of the devil; and we know that whosoever is of God and in God sinneth not. — “Little children, keep yourselves from idols!” Thus the apostle closes his letter. Be assured of your victory; but be vigilant always! Here a sifting out is taking place under dissensions and danger. Let the world keep its idols; idols of clay, and idols of gold, and intellectual idols! Do not receive the mark of the beast; but carry the cross, and follow Christ!
Faithful Savior, give us the assurance that the wicked one shall not touch us; and make us vigilant and faithful always and everywhere unto our dying hour. Thou knowest we were easily led astray by the alluring idols; but we put our trust in thee. Do not cast us off; and let our eyes never grow dim, but see thee with ever greater clearness. Amen.*
Sure I must fight, if I would reign: Increase my courage, Lord; I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by thy word. Thy saints, in all this glorious war, Shall conquer, though they die; They see the triumph from afar, By faith they bring it nigh.
* 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.
456. Wednesday after Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, give us humble hearts which hunger after thy grace! Let thy Spirit by means of the word accomplish this in us. Amen.
Isaiah 57, 15-21. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
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God is wroth with his proud and disobedient children. He smites them; but they increase their transgressions, and go on frowardly in the way of their heart. It may take a long time; and yet the prodigal son may come at last, and humble himself before his God. There is no peace to him who is separated from the Lord; the worm gnaws at his heart. Under the smooth surface is unrest; and ere you are aware of it, the troubled sea casts up mire and dirt. But when the wretched man humbles himself, the Lord comes in to him, and heals him. The Lord has established his throne in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit. He is the Holy One, high above all sin, the perfection of purity; and yet he dwells in the souls of miserable sinners. If any would come very near to God, let him become less than the least in himself! “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” O ye men, dust and ashes, unclean and wicked; humble yourselves, humble yourselves; know your misery, and give the Lord honor; then shall he gloriously exalt you. With love inconceivable he has fashioned the human heart in such a way that he may dwell in it, and it in him; but humility is the only door through which the high and lofty One enters our heart. — Lord, thou delightest not in the strength of a man; but thou takest pleasure in them that fear thee, in those that hope in thy mercy. Give me a humble heart and a simple and lowly spirit. Alas, my pride and my perverted mind! Lord, create humility and a living fear of God in my soul; so shall I in thee have much mercy and peace. Amen.*
Lord, forever at thy side Let my place and portion be! Strip me of the robe of pride, Clothe me with humility.
Meekly may our soul receive All thy Spirit hath revealed. Thou hast spoken; — I believe, Though the prophecy were sealed.
* 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.
447. Tuesday after Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity.
Grant, O Lord, that we may be of thy saints, and may stand firm in every trial. Amen.
2 Thessalonians 2, 1-10. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
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We are to be always prepared for the second coming of the Lord; yet we must wait patiently for his own good time. As he has hid from us the hour of our death, so likewise the hour of his coming. Many things, however, are still to take place; but they are such as may be brought about so soon, that his coming may in a moment be at hand. “The gospel of the kingdom” was to “be preached in all the world”; but who shall say that this has not already been done? Even in the days of the apostles it was proclaimed at least in the far East and in the West; and in our times it has been preached to the people of the frozen North and to those in the islands of the South. The “falling away must come”; but it has begun ages ago. The powers of the deep are hard at work; the earth is being undermined on all sides, and the collapse may come at any time. Furthermore, according to Revelation 13, a beast shall rise up out of the sea; and another beast shall come up out of the earth, and cause the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast. This is interpreted to mean, that there shall come forth out of the people a world-power; and it shall be quickened and strengthened by an idolatrous spirit and worship; for no rule can exist without some sort of religion. When these things have come to pass, says scripture; when this beast out of the sea of humanity has exercised its strength to “make war with the saints, and to overcome them”; when demoniacal powers perform wonders, and all the world follows the beast, and worships it, as though it were the truth itself; when there shall be sore trouble for the faithful, and the life of “the woman,” the church of God, shall be as a life in the wilderness in the midst of the peoples; when, at last, this world-power formed of a partnership between earth and hell is in the hands of a single ruler, and we thus again have a world-power like that of old, fashioned especially after the Roman empire, as depicted in Revelation 17, making war on God’s people; — then, and not till then, shall the Lord come and consume the antichrist.* Blessed is everyone who has not received the mark of the beast! His name is written in the Lamb’s book of life; and in his forehead the name of the Lamb that was slain, and the name of the Father, shall shine forth in eternal glory! — “Brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle! Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work!” To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.†
Awake, our souls, away our fears; Let every trembling thought be gone. Awake, and run the heavenly race, And put a cheerful courage on.
True, ’tis a strait and thorny road, And mortal spirits tire and faint; But they forget the mighty God, Who feeds the strength of every saint.
* But this “wicked one,” this “antichrist,” who causes the great “falling away” and makes war on God’s church, has, according to the Confession of our Lutheran Church, already come in Papacy!
† 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.
455. Tuesday after Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity.
Let thy light shine for us, thou Spirit of God; and drive the darkness out of our soul. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1, 17-21. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
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Christ thanks the Father, “because he hath hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes”; and to us he says: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Be, then, simple as a child; admit that with your natural wisdom you understand nothing of the truth unto salvation; and pray that God the Holy Ghost may kindle in you the light of faith. They have not entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. These things are too foolish and too glorious to have been invented by man. If we ourselves were to have prepared a scheme of salvation, would we, do you think, have ordained that the Son of God should die for us, and we be justified freely by faith in him? No; this plan of saving sinners could have originated only with God; nor could we by any possibility have established this rule of life, that “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” We never would have hit upon this plan; to us it would have seemed altogether too simple. — Nevertheless, because these things are of God, and are exalted above all wisdom, we must become foolish in order to learn them. Never think to be able with your reason to grasp the divine truth unto salvation; but become a little child, and believe the gospel. Look to him who hangs on the cross, and live; for it has pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Bless the Lord for this in all eternity! Merciful God, give us grace to believe, by thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
All our knowledge, sense, and sight Lie in deepest darkness shrouded, Till thy Spirit breaks our night With the beams of truth unclouded. Thou alone to God canst win us, Thou must work all good within us.
Glorious Lord, thyself impart! Light of light, from God proceeding, Open thou our ears and heart, Help us by thy Spirit’s pleading; Hear the cry thy people raises, Hear, and bless our prayers and praises.
* 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.
446. Monday after Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity.
Let thy word, O God, create earnestness and faithfulness in our soul! Amen.
Matthew 24, 4-14. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come.
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This is a truly appalling description of the time immediately preceding the end. Similarly Paul writes: “Know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come! For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Verily, this is something which should make us all to pause and examine ourselves! — Unhappy men are we, if we be of those here described! O that we would earnestly consider this in the sight of God! There are true believers among us; but they experience that the spirit of unrighteousness is mighty in these latter days of the world; they have difficulty in protecting themselves against the pride, disobedience, want of charity, unbelief, love of pleasure, and all the venom of Satan, which surround them. How sad a statement is not this, which Jesus makes in regard to the Christians living in the last days of the world: “Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Let this be so solemn a warning to us, that we may escape the awful danger. Even in the very worst times it is possible for us to watch and win the victory. The Savior says: “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” On another occasion he said to his disciples: “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” To each one of us he shouts: “Be faithful; watch, and hold fast; I will strengthen and keep you; surely I come quickly; endure a little while; fear not that which you shall suffer; be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life!” He is faithful; hear and obey him! Fear God; pray without ceasing; abstain from all appearance of evil; and keep the covenant of brotherly love with the children of God. Then shall the poison not kill you, nor the fire consume you, nor the flood carry you away; but Satan with all his cunning and power shall be put to shame.
Grant us this grace, our merciful and faithful God in Jesus Christ. Amen.*
Stand up, my soul, shake off thy fears, And gird the gospel armor on; March to the gates of endless joy, Where Jesus, thy great Captain’s gone.
Hell and thy sins resist thy course, But hell and sin are vanquished foes; Thy Jesus nailed them to the cross, And sung the triumph when he rose.
* 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.
454. Monday after Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity.
Draw us to thee, Lord Jesus, and reveal to us thy glory. Amen.
John 5, 19-23. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.
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Yesterday we heard Jesus say: “No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” As these words testify to his unity with the Father, so does also that which he says in the text before us, “Whatsoever things the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth. The Son quickeneth whom he will, and unto him hath the Father committed all judgment. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.” If we are to know God, it must be in Christ; for only in him do we find God. When we come to the Son in the gospel, in which he is to be found, we come to the very God himself. Then we also become partakers of his divine power to quicken the dead; for he gives us a new life, which causes us to love him, and abstain from sin. In thus honoring him we honor the Father. Though we usually address our prayers to the Father, we may also pray to the Son; indeed our hearts may at times feel a special need of making their petitions to him. And if we know the Son, and can speak to him as to an intimate friend, we are the beloved of the Father, and shall fear no anger. The Son has all judgment. He who hangs on the cross for me, and with his blood makes atonement for all my sin, he and none other has the power to judge me. He must needs judge the impenitent for that they will not be saved; but to the needy who trust in him as their Savior he shall give everlasting life. For himself has said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come unto condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
In thee, Lord Jesus, have I found the Father; and in thee shall I forever see him. Let me never fall into unbelief; but keep me with thee, and shew me thy glory. Lord Jesus, hold me fast, that I may abide with thee forevermore. Amen.*
O draw me, Savior, after thee! So shall I run and never tire. With gracious words still comfort me; Be thou my hope, my sole desire. Free me from every weight: nor fear Nor sin can come, if thou art here.
[alt. trans.: “Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me” (st. 5), TLH 349; 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.
Give us, O God, the enlightened eyes of understanding. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 24, 15-28. When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: Behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
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As the times were before the destruction of Jerusalem, exceptionally evil, so shall they be in the last days before the end of the world. Especially shall doctrines of human invention and heretical sects increase at a dreadful rate. In the first place, “false prophets shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Even Saint John in his epistles speaks of false Christs, deceivers, and antichrists, who deny the Father and the Son; but what must the apostle have said, had he lived in our day? The Christian religion proves its power to conquer the world; the Lord’s command to “go and make all nations my disciples” is being realized in all parts of the earth. And yet, how many thousands who have been baptized are there not who are become deceivers and infidels! How many are there not who have trampled under foot the apostolic doctrine of justification by faith; and how sadly have they not abused it, making it an excuse for lasciviousness! Who shall number the many who in our day have risen in revolt against the Lord and his Anointed; who deny the divinity of Christ, and revile the teaching of the church in regard to the Father and Son and Holy Ghost? And the people willingly allow themselves to be led astray. Our modern intellectual culture is born of the gospel, but turns against it to destroy it. The word of God is the light of the nations, the sun that illumines the peoples; yet men willingly surrender themselves to those who deny the gospel, and who thus lead them into black darkness. Wretched men to be thus blinded by the devil’s own malevolence! Saint Jude also finds it needful to write to the faithful, and exhort them that they must earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. By the spirit of prophecy he speaks in a wonderful way to us who live in these latter days. He warns against them that deny their only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ; and who, being filthy dreamers, defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities, and go in the way of Cain and Balaam and Core. (See the General Epistle of Jude.) Let us lay it to heart, and understand the signs of the times. — Secondly, to Jerusalem the terrible internal dissensions and schisms were certain destruction, as were the Roman legions thundering at the gates. In the Christian church it is becoming all the time more common to cry: “Lo, here is Christ, or there!” The apostles of infidelity, who place themselves outside of the communion of saints, and make war on the Christian faith, would not be particularly dangerous did the faithful but present a united front. But the devil is acquainted with the rule, “divide et impera”; which means, divide, and rule; bring about dissensions among your adversaries, and the victory is yours! Christendom has never before been divided into so many sects as now. Somebody has a new idea on some doctrinal point; at once he organizes a church denomination of his own. Another has his private opinion in regard to church government, and starts a new sect. A third thinks that the discipline is too lax, and a fourth rather likes the style of preaching adopted by some separatistic exhorter; so they form new parties, dissolve the old bonds, sever the connection with their former brethren in the Lord. Many who shrink from fellowship with us on account of our imperfections do not shrink from sinning against the most earnest prayer of Jesus for the unity of his disciples; nor do they shrink from founding heretical sects, though the apostle, in Galatians 5, places this sin in the same class with adultery, murder, and drunkenness. Dear brethren in the Lord; let us be united, forbearing one another in love! The party spirit is not the spirit of the lowly and loving Savior; if we would belong to him, let us strive to be of the same mind with him! Go not forth after them that say: Behold, he is in the desert, but not in the church! Neither follow them that say: He is in the secret chambers, in the small church societies, not in the large ones! Remain true to that which you learned from the beginning; remain in the church which became your spiritual mother. Continue in humility and love; stay at your spiritual birthplace, and prepare yourself to meet the Lord, who shall come when he is least expected. Let this be your care, “in a holy life and the exercise of godliness to wait and long for the coming of the day of Christ.” The words of the Lord concerning the destruction of Jerusalem have been fulfilled to the letter; that which he says concerning the end of the world shall likewise be fulfilled with equal certainty. Look and see, if the branch of the fig tree be not already tender. Are not our days becoming more and more like the days of Noe? And is not the church altogether too much like shattered and dismembered Jerusalem? Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come!
Help us herein, O God, for Jesus’ sake. Keep us united in thy love, and preserve us from the arts of seduction. Be merciful to thy church, preserve thy believers, and make us one in thee, that the cunning Satan may come to naught. Grant that we may always stand with loins girt about with truth, with lamps trimmed and burning, ready to go forth to meet our bridegroom. Amen.*
“Wake, awake, for night is flying,” The watchmen on the heights are crying, “Awake, Jerusalem, arise!” Midnight hears the welcome voices, And at the thrilling cry rejoices: “O where are ye, ye virgins wise? The Bridegroom comes, awake! Your lamps with gladness take! Hallelujah! With bridal care yourselves prepare To meet the Bridegroom, who is near!”
Lord, let this thy word edify us, and make us steadfast in faith, rejoicing in hope. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, 1 Thessalonians 4, 13-18. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
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Just as surely as Jesus is risen from the dead, all his disciples also which are asleep shall rise in glory. To Paul there is so intimate a connection between the resurrection of Christ and our resurrection that he declares, 1 Cor. 15, 13: “If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen.” It was for us that Christ died, and for us that he rose again; his death is our death, and his resurrection is our resurrection. The faithful are members of him; it cannot be, then, that he with a body quickened and glorified may sit on the throne of heaven, while their bodies remain in the grave. Therefore when you sorrowfully close in death the eyes of a friend who believes in Christ, remember that this friend shall hear the voice of the Lord, and that these eyes shall open again, and see the glory of Jesus. He is in the hand and bosom of the Lord, like a sick child that is carried in its mother’s arms until it falls asleep to wake again healthy and happy. — When our Lord Jesus on the last day shall descend from heaven with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, all who are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth. We who are alive at that time shall behold it. The graves shall be opened, and the dead shall come forth, and the sea shall give up the dead which are in it. As Christ at the moment when he was quickened found his way from paradise to his body in the grave, so shall the souls of his saints find their bodies, and bring them out of the grave. And in the selfsame moment when the dead arise, we which are alive and remain shall be changed, and that which is mortal in us be swallowed up in life. Then shall be accomplished the final and absolute separation between the good and the wicked, which is described in Matthew 25; and all the saints shall then ever be with the Lord. — But your soul must tear itself loose from the lusts of the world, and long only alter heaven! Prepare yourself, then, for that place, which you wish to make your eternal habitation!
Lord Jesus, give us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that we may believe thy word, and await thy glorious coming. Let me in truth be thine, my living Savior; let me be a member of thy body, and live with thee in eternal glory. Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly! Amen.*
Arise, the kingdom is at hand, The King is drawing nigh; Arise with joy, thou faithful band, To meet the Lord most high!
Look up, ye souls weighed down with care, The Sovereign is not far; Look up, faint hearts, from your despair, Behold the morning star!
* 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.
Lord, our soul is troubled; in thee only can it find rest.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 11, 25-30. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
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The Son would rejoice exceedingly to reveal the mystery of grace to all men; but they will not; they are determined to walk in darkness. Their “wisdom and prudence,” their pride and levity, make them blind to the light, and deaf to the word of the Lord. Give ear, then, ye who are needy, to the voice of the precious Savior, calling out to you, “Come unto me!” With these words he encircles us, and draws us to him. It is his earnest wish that we may come; and his invitation itself contains the strength which we need in order to accept it. When a king calls to him one of his subjects, the invitation itself is a passport which overcomes all difficulties, and clears the way to the royal presence; but here he calls to whom all things are subject, our King and Lord, Jesus Christ. None shall say: “I cannot come.” You can by the power of his grace, which invites you. Come, then; come to Jesus! “Where is he?” He is where his voice is, in the word and sacraments. O that you might see how near he is to you! But you shall not see it; for God has ordained that we are to believe; and he gives us grace thereto by his Spirit. How, then, shall I come to Jesus?” You must ask him for mercy, and commit yourself to him as your Savior. Believe that he is near you, and saves you; and give him thanks; then you are come, and you have rest. “But he invites only those who labor and are heavy laden. I do not know if I am one of them.” My friend; put away your own wisdom, and learn this, that God gives all things of his grace; that he does not deal out in driblets, but pours out freely and abundantly with heavenly and lavish beneficence. Here he calls out to humanity in general; and he does not say: “Only such as labor and are heavy laden are permitted to come.” No; he says: “Come, all ye that labor and are heavy laden;” or, in other words, all who desire to find rest. You certainly will not come, if you do not feel that you are heavy laden by reason of your sin; but if you then will come, it is his grace which calls you, and draws you; and the way is open. Now, dear reader, do you not feel that you are heavy laden and need rest? Do you not understand that you are blind, and that you need to be enlightened by the Spirit of God, in order that you may become wise unto salvation? If not, you at least stand at the parting of the ways, and have permission to enter his school, in which babes are instructed concerning the Father. Hear, all ye who understand that you cannot by your own wisdom know God, nor by your own works find peace of soul and hope of life; hear the Savior’s most loving invitation, and come to him, come to him! To all, with no exception, he calls out: “If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink!” “Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely!” Let none stay away! No matter who or what you are, if you need salvation, come, for he calls you. You are lost; he came for the very purpose of seeking and saving that which was lost; for that very purpose, and none other. Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in him! He says: Take my yoke, my harness, and with it carry my burden. I deliver you from the heavy yoke of the law, from the bondage of works; for I have done all things for you. Therefore when the law accuses you, all you have to do is to refer the matter to me, and find rest in faith in my perfect righteousness. Then make my love your own, and serve one another. “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” When we in love bear the infirmities of others, and help them in their bodily and spiritual need, we carry the “burden” of Christ by means of his “yoke”. Love is the yoke; the troubles of the brethren are the burden. We must “learn” of him: he gives us the grace without which we cannot take the yoke and lift the burden. He is a most patient teacher, who does not reject us because we are slow to learn. Furthermore he gives us his patience and meekness, thus enabling us in our turn to bear with others, and even to esteem them better than ourselves; and thus neither our own unworthiness nor that of others can prevent our finding rest in Christ.
Do not, precious soul, let it be in vain that Jesus calls you today to come to him! Come, and learn to know his love; so that you may surrender yourself to it, and may be delivered from the yoke of the law; that you may be sensible of your unworthiness, that you may be still before the Lord, and taste his peace. Then you are with him, and yet you continually come to him anew; you have peace, and receive peace; carry his yoke, and take his yoke upon you; are his disciple, and become his disciple; until you are made perfect in love, and enter on your rest in heaven.
Dear Savior, do thou interpret to me these thy precious words, and draw me to thee. Thou knowest how many things there are which would keep me away from thee, obscure my view of thee, and make thy yoke seem heavy. Yet, precious Savior, thou knowest thy servant; thou knowest how earnestly I pray thee for grace to believe in thee, love thee, be like thee in lowliness and meekness, follow thee in trouble and affliction, live in thy love, and exhaust all the strength which thou givest me for the welfare of the brethren. Thou seest, dear Lord, that in my heart I love thy yoke, and that I do not wish to rid myself of thy burden. Draw me to thee, and after thee; so am I truly blest. In thee alone has my soul found and will it hereafter find rest. Praise be to thee, and to the Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.*
When flesh shall fail, then strengthen thou The spirit from above; Make us to feel thy service sweet, And light thy yoke of love.
So shall we faultless stand at last Before thy Father’s throne; The blessedness forever ours, The glory all thine own!
Thy testimonies are very sure; holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.
Epistle Lesson, 1 Thessalonians 5, 12-23. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Only they whom Christ has made free are able to lead the glorious life here described. We point to but a few of the many good things contained in this text, which is a veritable treasure house.
It is directly contrary to the spirit of the times to esteem “them which are over you in the Lord” “for their work’s sake.” It is rather the custom to worship the men, and despise their office. Let the disciples of the lowly Savior note this: “Esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.” — Then the following: “Warn them that are unruly, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” We let the unruly do as they like, and the weak go down; we deal too indulgently with our own, and judge others too harshly. O that the words of the apostle might chasten us, and at the same time strengthen that which is good in us. Let none lose heart! — The apostle then goes on to say something most remarkable in connection with the preceding: “Rejoice evermore!” Can he mean this? Certainly he can and does. To the Philippians also he writes: “Rejoice in the Lord alway!” Joy, then, is to be the undercurrent under all the shifting sensations of our life; joy alway! “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, continue instant in prayer” (Rom. 12, 12). Here the apostle presents to us our duty, likewise in three successive steps: “Rejoice evermore! Pray without ceasing! In all things give thanks!” And he adds: “For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Then nothing must be allowed to prevent it; we can and shall do that which he says! Let every breath we draw and every beat of the heart be a song of praise in honor of God’s love for us in Christ! To this end we must heed the instruction with which the apostle follows up his exhortation: “Quench not the Spirit! Despise not prophesyings! Prove all things; hold fast that which is good!” Let the gifts of the Spirit be cultivated; let no feeling of envy or contempt quench the holy fire, whether this burn in the wise or the simple. Let nothing prevent the proper use of the gifts. But on the other hand, neither is everything that glitters to be regarded as gold. “Hold fast that which is good; but abstain from all appearance of evil,” even from the evil which appears in the shape of spiritual zeal. — “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” Practice obedience to him! He is “the very God of peace,” the origin and source of peace; he shall take away everything which injures you; he shall destroy sin, which prevents your joy from being complete; and he shall sanctify you wholly, and preserve you blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. When the apostle is able to strengthen us in a hope such as this, he has the right to say: “Rejoice evermore; and in every thing give thanks!”
We bless thee, our God, who didst ordain us unto salvation in Jesus Christ, and didst in him call us to eternal glory. We thank thee also for the precious words spoken through thy apostle, and humbly ask of thee grace to believe and to obey the word. Amen.*
Come, ye that love the Lord, And let your joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord, While ye surround his throne. Let those refuse to sing Who never knew our God; But servants of the heavenly King May speak their joys abroad.
[suggested tune: St. Thomas, TLH 462; 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.
443. Saturday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, today we again beseech thee, make us to rejoice in hope. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15, 20-27. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order; Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s, at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
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The Father has given the world to the Son; and the Son has undertaken to save it. By his death and resurrection he overcame our enemies; but he must deliver every individual who is to be saved from the power of the vanquished enemies; and this work he continues until the end of time. A patient has already been rescued from sickness and death when a physician who can be absolutely relied on to effect a cure has taken him under treatment, and administered the infallible remedy. So it is in the case of believers; sickness and death have been destroyed. But as the patient in the case supposed must for a time continue to feel the effects of the disease, which disappear gradually, so Christians continue to feel the ravages of sin and death, as long as they remain in this tenement of clay. Now, in what way is this brought about? The dominion of the devil over my heart is destroyed; but the power of death in my body increases and finally obtains complete victory, and delivers my body to the grave! Death consumes my strength, making me more weak from day to day. Now, why is this? Should I not become more healthy and strong? No, says the apostle; it is as it should be; for “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” This enemy must go on sapping the strength of your body, in order that you may be humbled by continuing to dwell in this ever more frail tenement; in order that your heart may die from the world; and in order that you may at last through death be wholly quit of “flesh and blood.” What though death be strong in your body; it was strong in the body of Christ also; yet Christ rose again; and you shall rise again with him. — To every earnest Christian who knows the nature of death it is an “enemy”; and I am glad that the apostle calls it by this name. For though I am able to look it in the face without fear, nay rejoice in its coming, because it must be my servant to “ferry me over to the shores of eternal life”; yet I never can do otherwise than hate it and revolt against it in the innermost recesses of my being; for it comes from hell, is the devil’s offspring, and is the enemy of everything which is of God. And it shall be utterly destroyed; Christ has done it, and shall do it; he “hath abolished death” (2 Tim. 1, 10). When the new humanity of all the saints shall have been perfected; when the dead shall have been raised up, and heaven and earth shall have been transfigured; then shall the Son return to the Father his sceptre; then his work as a Savior is finished, and all things brought back to their original state of innocence; but to us the conditions shall be much more glorious than they would have been, had no Savior been necessary. Through the Son God is forevermore all in all. — Grant to us also this blessed experience, that we may see these things clearly in the light of heaven. Do this, merciful, faithful, and almighty God, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
O Jesus! shorten the delay, And hasten thy salvation, That we may see that glorious day Produce a new creation; Lord Jesus, come, our Judge and King! Come, change our mournful notes, to sing Thy praise forever. Amen.
[suggested tune: Es ist gewisslich (TLH 611), 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.
442. Friday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
God, let our heart be in heaven. Amen.
2 Corinthians 5, 1-10. For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
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We are willing that our earthly body should be dissolved. As the Old Testament tabernacle was not to remain standing, so shall this body also in which we are housed pass away. But we have an eternal habitation awaiting us, a heavenly city and a new and incorruptible body. For this we would gladly, were it this very day, exchange our present habitation. Nay, for this we sigh and yearn; yet not for that would we be unclothed, but rather wish that our body might be changed without passing through death, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. What unspeakable happiness it would be to come home to the Lord! Not for that we doubt that we shall be glorified. The Spirit of God, crying “Abba Father” in us, is the earnest of our inheritance. Neither are we disturbed by the fact that we do not see our heavenly home. We may at times be timid, because we feel only sin, and see only death; but by this means our heart is loosed from the world; and so when the Spirit teaches us that we now “walk in faith,” that this is the order of salvation, the terms on which we are saved, the test of our obedience, — then hope becomes victorious. Yet we would so much like to escape our afflictions, to reach our home, to have passed safely over the dark gulf which lies between. “Happy the man who, all his troubles past, were safe at home in God’s own heaven at last!” — And yet, whether at home or in a strange land, we live for the Lord; and our chief concern is that we may be accepted of him. For whether we shall die and rise again, or be changed in a moment, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body.” There is no conversion after death. Everyone shall receive according to that which he has done in the body. Saint Paul could not have made this statement, had it been possible for the soul to be converted when the body is in the grave. Soul and body are so intimately united that the soul cannot be born again and sanctified apart from the body. Therefore it is of greater importance than tongue can tell that we here, in this life, become partakers of the grace of God, and live in newness of life.
Examine yourself, then, dear reader, and ask whether you feel the solemn import of death; whether you long after the heavenly habitation; whether you labor, that you may walk in a way to be accepted of God; whether you have the earnest of the Spirit that you shall inherit heaven; so that you dare die without fear, and go to meet your God!
Lord Jesus, give me thy Spirit; draw my heart to thee; and make me zealous to walk acceptably in thy sight. Let me not dream away my time of grace; but let me take thought that I may walk in the light before thee, and allow myself to be led by thy hand, dear Savior, and to be governed, chastened, comforted and guided by thy Spirit. Amen.*
When all with awe shall stand around To hear their doom allotted, O may my worthless name be found In the Lamb’s book unblotted! Grant me a firm, unshaken faith; For thou, my Savior, by thy death, Hast purchased my salvation.
[suggested tune: Es ist gewisslich (TLH 611), 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.
441. Thursday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, make thy face to shine upon thy servant, and save me by thy mercy. Amen.
2 Corinthians 4, 7-18. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
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Did we look at the things which are seen, we were of all men most miserable; but we have another treasure: Christ in us, and we in him; eternal glory and salvation. For which cause we faint not. — When you suffer bodily pain, or the world oppresses you, or you are troubled with doubt and with gloomy thoughts; when you are cast down and feel nothing but death in mind and members, and yet believe, and pray, and confess Christ; then this is his life in you, and then God deals with you as with all his children, in order that his power may not be set at nought by your pride and self-confidence. Then Jesus is made manifest in you, and his name is glorified. You impart good things to other believers, and receive new treasures of them in return; and prayers and thanksgiving ascend constantly to God. Even this would be well worth the afflictions which we suffer; how much more, then, must it be true of eternal glory! What do all suffering and death amount to as compared with this glory? Note the grand words of the apostle: Our affliction is “but for a moment,” while the glory is “eternal”; our affliction is “light” as compared with the “far more exceeding weight of glory.” Affliction is necessary; but therefore our dear God has disposed matters for us in such a good way that out of the brief and light affliction proceeds and is prepared for us an eternal and exceeding great glory. Now we die; but we shall come forth glorified in mind and soul and body, and live with God in the heavenly Jerusalem. “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” — Keep this steadily before your eyes, dear friend; live more than heretofore in hope; think more than heretofore on the last things; look every day more constantly forward to the consummation and the life eternal. — Give us this mercy, faithful God. Make us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, continue instant in prayer; and let us unto the end be among thy saints, who are renewed after Christ from day to day. Make us to see the things of heaven with ever greater clearness, that we may never tire of following him under the cross the little while we are yet to continue our earthly pilgrimage. O that this my poor earthen vessel might become ever more full of thy strength, Lord Jesus; in order that I might bless and glorify thee without ceasing, and stand at last among the number of the saved, to the eternal praise of thy name and thy blood. This we pray of our innermost heart. Amen.*
And when thy awful voice commands This body to decay, And life, in its last lingering sands, Is ebbing fast away, Then, though it be in accents weak, And faint and tremblingly, O give me strength in death to speak, “My Savior died for me.”
* 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.
440. Wednesday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Let thy word of life, O God, strengthen and quicken our hope of resurrection. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15, 35-44. But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool! that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
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The fact that our body decays should not frighten us; on the contrary, it shall give us the assurance that we are to be raised in glory. If the grain remained whole in the earth without dying, there would spring up from it no new grain; it must die in order to live, decay in order to be renewed. Thus it is with our body also. “Well,” say you, “this may be true; but the grain puts forth new shoots while it still lives; our body, on the other hand, dies and is destroyed before the new begins to sprout.” Are you, then, sure that our body has ceased to be, merely because we see it no more? In that which to your eyes seems to be empty space there are countless particles of matter. If we do not see even that which is of the earth, is it surprising that we do not see that which is of heaven? The matter of which your body is composed is renewed, perhaps several times in the course of your life, and yet you have the same body. There is in it a vital germ which cannot die. The body may disappear from the eye of man, in the earth, in the sea, or in other bodies, no matter where; the Lord shall quicken it again, and give it a new and heavenly shape. We do not mean to say that your reason shall make you sure of this; “the resurrection of the body” is an article of faith. But suppose that you were ignorant of the nature of the seed which we sow; would you not call it foolishness to bury the grain in the earth? Or suppose that you knew nothing of the evolution of the butterfly; would you not regard the caterpillar in the cocoon as being forever dead? What is to prevent the omnipotence of God from raising our body from the dead? As the new grain is one with the seed from which it sprung, so our new body shall be one with the body which we now have. “I know,” declares Job 19, 25-27, “that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Nevertheless, as the new grain is a new and other body than that which was sown, so also the body of our resurrection. Now we have the image of the terrestrial, of Adam and of our Savior in his state of humiliation; then we shall bear the image of the celestial, that of our glorified Savior. Who can know the solemnity of death, feel its strength in his members, look into the dark and cold grave; and then read the Bible lesson before us without heartily thanking God for it? Our resurrected bodies shall be like unto the glory of the sun and the stars. How marvelous shall be the perfection, beauty and glory of all God’s children! And this is a reason why we should now strive earnestly to sanctify both soul and body, and to make manifest to all the world that we have a living hope. Help us to do this, O God, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
’Tis sweet to rest in lively hope, That when my change shall come, Angels will hover round my bed, And waft my spirit home.
Soon too my slumbering dust shall hear The trumpet’s quickening sound; And, by my Savior’s power rebuilt, At his right hand be found.
* 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.
439. Tuesday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord Jesus, thou Son of the living God, let me hear thy voice. Amen.
John 5, 25-29. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life: and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
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Death is a separation of that which belongs together. When Adam fell from God, he died; and thus all men are now by nature dead in transgressions. This is the spiritual death which becomes eternal death, if a man be not born again before his time of grace is gone by. Of these “dead” the Lord says, that they “shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live.” He, he is the Living One forever, who by becoming man brought life again into the human race; and his voice contains life, so that all who hear it are quickened. Now, this voice of the Son of God is nothing else than the gospel which is preached in his church. If you hear it, hear the heavenly truth which it contains, you come to life again through the life of the Son of God. He speaks it in such a way that the dead hear; and all who will hear rise from the dead, and live in God. But many stop their ears, and remain in death. Nevertheless, the time shall come when every man must hear. As we all are by nature spiritually dead, so we all are likewise subject to the death of the body; but the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth. The good shall come forth unto the resurrection of life, glorified, body and soul enjoying eternal life and happiness; while the wicked, who in this life did not hear his voice, shall come forth unto the resurrection of damnation, wretched in body and soul, condemned to suffer in everlasting fire. — Hear, then, ye children of men; hear now the voice of the Son of God, and live!
Merciful God, give us the open ear of the spirit, that we may obey thy call, and may become heirs of life. Lord Jesus, thou who didst become man for our sake, and by thy death and victory didst purchase ownership in the whole human race, so that thou hast the power to judge us all; grant, we beseech thee, that we may behold thee with joy when thou shalt come in the glory of thy heavenly Father. Quicken us now, that we may enter in with thee into the life eternal. Amen.*
The Savior then comes unto our graves; His mighty command is given: Then break from the deep the ocean waves, Each tomb and restraint is riven. All earth hears the cry: Ye dead, come forth! In glory we go to meet him.
Then open the heavenly portals wide, The names of God’s saints are given. God grant that we all in faith abide, And rise to the bliss of heaven! Our Father, may we in that great hour Find none of our dear ones missing!
* 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.
438. Monday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Heavenly Father, draw us to thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
John 6, 37-40. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
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Every sinner who comes to Jesus, and abides with him in penitence and faith, is a gift from the Father to the Son. For “all that the Father giveth me shall come to me”; but “no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” Therefore no man is to brood on his election; if he wish to come to Jesus, this is because of the fact that the Father draws him; and it cannot be that the Father would draw him without the earnest purpose of giving him to the Son. This declaration, “all that the Father giveth me shall come to me,” is one exceedingly precious to sinners who seek mercy. And how many have not been comforted by that which follows: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out!” It has been the lifeline of thousands; it has drawn countless souls out of the waters of sin up into the city of God. It seemed to them that they must of necessity be cast out by reason of their many sins, their stubborn obstinacy, their hardness of heart, their faithlessness, their unbelief, and their love of self; in short; by reason of their thoroughly corrupt and wicked hearts; but he says: Him that cometh to me, no matter who or what he may be, I will in no wise, for no cause whatever, cast out; but will receive and save him. The invitation is so urgent that the poor heart could not resist it. Was any man, then, who comes to him cast out? Search the gospels from beginning to end, and see if you can find a case in which a sinner sought Jesus, and was repulsed. Then make trial of it for yourself! Nor is it possible that the Lord could cast off any man who seeks him. The Father sent the Son into the world for the very purpose that he was to seek and save that which was lost; and can you then think it possible that the Son might cast off the miserable sinner whom the Father draws to him? No; the will of the Father is the will of the Son also, even to death on the cross for our sake. Our salvation is fixed and sure, thank God! And it is great and glorious likewise; for it is the will of the Father, that we may have everlasting life. We shall see the Son, and be raised up incorruptible in eternal glory. Death shall swallow us, certainly; but death is itself “swallowed up in victory,” and thus it can do nothing but carry us into the kingdom of victory. — Dear heavenly Father, draw us to thy Son, and give us grace to believe the love with which thou dost love us; that we may overcome our unbelief, our sin, and our fear of death, and see light in the darkness. Lord, thou knowest how faint-hearted and unbelieving we are; have mercy on us, give us victory by thy word, give us a foretaste of the life everlasting, and give us perfect holiness on thy day of judgment. Amen.*
Author of good! To thee we turn: Thine ever-wakeful eye Alone can all our wants discern, Thy hand alone supply. O let thy love within us dwell, Thy fear our footsteps guide! That love shall vainer love expel, That fear all fears beside.
* 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.
Lord Jesus, awake us to believe in thee; and powerfully strengthen our faith. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 9, 18-26. While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: for she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about; and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them, Give place; for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
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“The maid is not dead, but sleepeth.” In these words the Lord declares his power to save from death. To our nature death is invincible, and to our eyes there is no deliverance from it. Every man whose thoughts are controlled by the laws of reason must surrender to death unconditionally, whether he be good or bad, wise or stupid. In every case he is helpless; he knows nothing, and has nothing, which can deliver him from death. To Jesus, however, death is a sleep; he is able with a word to awaken one who is dead, as one who sleeps. For he is Lord not only within the boundaries of created nature, but also above and without. He is able to do whatever he will, by supernatural as readily as by natural means. “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” Through faith only am I able to grasp this. My reason understands, to be sure, that God is infinitely great. When I consider that the sun is more than a million times as large as the earth, and yet is but as a grain of sand in the immensity of the universe which God has created; when I consider how he has marvelously formed me from the womb; I understand that God is great; but I also understand, — or possibly I do not, — that my thought can grasp but little or nothing of his greatness. Faith alone knows the glory of God, the power of God to create life from death.
In the gospels we always find our Lord Jesus in the midst of persons in affliction, who seek and receive help of him. Precious Savior, what a comfort this is for us; but do thou help me also to believe! This woman, “diseased with an issue of blood,” the Spirit of God had made humble through her long affliction; and now he had also given her faith by means of the word. She was unclean and excluded from human society; but now she comes notwithstanding, because she believes that Jesus will make her whole. She well knows that no man could do it; but she believes that it is in the power of Jesus, and she is not disappointed. Let everyone that is unclean, every sinner who is condemned by the law, and excluded from Israel, come to Jesus, and he shall save him. Jesus shall stop the issue of sin; its source shall be dried up; soul and body shall be cleansed and made whole. — The ruler of the synagogue in our text is another beautiful example of faith. When he had left home his daughter was at the point of death, and must, he thought, now be dead; yet he believes that Jesus is able to save her life. From his house comes the message that it is too late; but Jesus strengthens him, and he believes. Is his faith put to shame? Has any man who believed in the Lord been deceived? — “Yes,” say you, “this is all very well, did I but have such a faith!” You are right. Remember, however, that he who will humble himself, and pray God to give him faith, shall surely receive it! It is a gift of God, and created by his Spirit; it is a light in the soul, of a nature entirely different from the light of reason; and the Spirit is here in the word, and wishes to enlighten you. Faith is sure of the unseen and incomprehensible; so that the heart chooses it, and surrenders to it. Faith trusts in the Lord’s word, and builds on his promise without seeing. It knows that Jesus lives, and that he has given me his life; so that even though I die, yet I cannot die. Because he died and rose again, and I am baptized into him, and partake of his body and blood; therefore my sin is no sin, — though in itself it is damnable, and gives me pain every day, — and my death is no death, no matter how much I may feel it to be death itself both in soul and body. The Lord holds me fast; and there is no power can separate me from him. — Has the faith of the saints, then, no infirmities, do you think? Alas, it has many such; but do you come here, and strengthen your weak faith by the sight of the omnipotence and grace of your Savior! The woman in our text was hardly without superstition; and though she is lovable in her fear and trembling, yet her faith wavered. Jairus was on the very point of sinking down into the gulf of dark unbelief; he had been lost, had not the Lord at the proper time spoken to him, saying: “Be not afraid, only believe!” Let neither your sin nor your distress, neither your unbelief nor your weakness, neither your hardness of heart nor your blindness, keep you away from our Lord Jesus; but rather let all these things impel you to come to him. No power of hell can prevent your coming. If you can do no more, cry out to him: “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief!” Do this, and your help is come. — Lord, let thy Holy Spirit enlighten us with his gifts. Amen.*
It is not death to die — To leave this weary road, And, ’midst the brotherhood on high. To be at home with God.
Jesus, thou prince of life, Thy chosen cannot die; Like thee, they conquer in the strife, To reign with thee on high.
Give us, O God, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of thee. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Colossians 1, 9-14. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
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You, faithful brethren, are delivered from the kingdom of darkness, from the power of the devil, and from the fellowship of his angels. The spirit of the power of the air, the spirit which is in the children of unbelief to darken their minds, and urge them on to all manner of wickedness, no longer dwells in you, nor has power in you. You have been translated into the kingdom of the Son of God; his blood has cleansed you; you have entered into heavenly places in Christ, and live in the society of the holy angels. For this you shall give thanks, and in it you shall rejoice. That which you now possess through faith, and enjoy in hope, you shall soon receive in glory; for the Father has made you meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. This your fitness you shall prove by leading a godly life. You have made a beginning, and you should increase in godliness. The Spirit of God will give you all wisdom and understanding. He will give you an ever increasing knowledge of God, enabling you to see greater depths in the mystery of Christ; and he will give you more and more light and strength to walk in a way pleasing to the Lord. The more diligently you pray and use the word of God, the better shall you know the love of Christ, the stronger shall you be to serve him, and the more fruitful shall you be in every good work. When you are faithful herein, you receive all the time more light; the Spirit anoints your eyes, that you see the more clearly; and fills you with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Thus you are enabled to “walk worthy of the Lord;” think of it, “to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing!” Not only are you yourselves beloved of the Father; but your conduct also shall be pleasing to the holy God; and not only pleasing, but entirely pleasing, you “being fruitful in every good work.” You shall be fruitful in that which is good; and not only that, but “fruitful in every good work, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.” Do hear and learn this, in order that you may not lose heart and strength for your sanctification: His glorious power strengthens you unto all patience and longsuffering; that you may easily persist, nor become weary. All who have tried it know how strong is the temptation to become negligent and to cease doing good, especially when the results are slow to appear. Patience is necessary, and longsuffering; persistence and unwearied courage, and a childlike mind toward God and all men. These you shall not lack, however; for the Almighty, who delivered you from hell and from all the power of the prince of death, shall strengthen you with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. Blessed be his name! — Pray, then, for one another, and keep together under the standard of the cross! Ever more wise to know God, and to walk worthy of him; ever more holy and strong, more charitable and kind, more patient and happy! Give thanks to God, and bless him, and sing his praises always, until you stand before him, and see him face to face! — My God, I am, alas, as yet far, far away. But do thou, who didst give me an open ear, stretch out to me also thy strong hand and help me to lead a holy Christian life. Amen.*
My God! permit me not to be A stranger to myself and thee: Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove, Forgetful of my highest love.
Call me away from flesh and sense; Thy sovereign word can draw me thence: I would obey the voice divine, And all inferior joys resign.
[suggested tune: Federal Street (TLH 346), 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.
435. Saturday after Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 116, 10-19. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted. I said in my haste, All men are liars. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.
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We have a thousand things for which to thank the Lord; but forget to do it. In times of peace we fall into a sense of security; and in danger we are always prone to put our trust in human strength. Then it becomes necessary for the Lord to lead us into deep affliction, in order that we may believe in him only, and bless his name.
“I believed, therefore have I spoken,” says the Psalmist. “The Lord led me into sore affliction; and thus I learned to trust in him. Of this my speech bare witness, in that I said: Every man is a liar, I and all others; none is to be trusted; but the Lord is my strength; he hath delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.” Note well his words, dear reader: “I believed, therefore have I spoken; I said in my haste, All men are liars.” Here we are told that faith is born in agony, and that faith speaks; and we learn the remarkable truth that he who admits that “all men are liars” believes in God.
Now, when the Lord chastens me with affliction, helps me to believe, and saves me, what shall I render unto him in return for these benefits? “I will take the cup of salvation.” I will accept his salvation, and let the Lord save me, as he desires; trust in him, and surrender myself to him. He has pleasure in mercy; I also will desire it. A good method of making payment, certainly. Furthermore, I will “call upon the name of the Lord.” He is glad to have us call upon his name, and what more precious than to praise him? These are good terms which he has fixed for us. Finally, “I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.” The “vows” of an Israelite usually consisted in thank-offerings; and in connection with them there always was a sacrificial feast with other godly men, who rejoiced with him over his deliverance. I will scatter about me the joy of salvation; feed the poor, bodily and spiritually; foregather with God’s people; kindle their devotion, and be kindled by it. Truly, “I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord!” Thus is ended the sorrow of the Lord’s people.
Lord God, let me nevermore complain, and let me never put my trust in the power of man; but let me believe in thee, take the cup of salvation, call upon thy name, thank thee, and bless thee, and pay my vows unto thee. Truly, I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds. Hallelujah!*
Mighty God, while angels bless thee, May a mortal lisp thy name? Lord of men, as well as angels, Thou art every creature’s theme.
Lord of every land and nation, Ancient of eternal days! Sounded through the wide creation Be thy just and lawful praise.
* 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.
434. Friday after Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, give us the Spirit of grace and prayer, of humility and obedience. Amen.
1 Timothy 2, 1-7. I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the gentiles in faith and verity.
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Paul here teaches us that, as our first and most important duty of all, we are to pray for all men. As one God embraces us all in his love, we are to love all, and pray for them with trust in God. Furthermore, as one mediator, the man Jesus Christ, the second Adam, whose kinsmen we all are, has gathered us in himself, and redeemed us all, we must feel ourselves a unit with all men, and thus pray for them. As Christ took upon himself the sin of all, so we are to take upon ourselves the cause of all; not to make atonement for them, as he did, but to make intercession for them. We shall make “supplication” that they may be saved. These our supplications we shall present as prayers; each for himself and for all together; and these prayers are intercessions, in which we lay before God the need of others, as if it were our own; even as did Abraham and Daniel, and above all our Lord Jesus. And in these prayers there is to be “giving of thanks”; in the first place, because all have been redeemed; and then, because we are permitted thus to take our troubles to the Lord in prayer; and finally, because faith does not doubt that our prayer will be answered. Such prayers and intercessions with giving of thanks are matters of the very highest concern.
Now, it is a striking circumstance that in the midst of his dissertation on the duty of making intercession for all men, that their souls may be saved, the apostle makes special mention of “kings and all that are in authority.” “To be sure, the government of the state does not concern itself with the gospel, but with entirely different matters; and does not care for the souls, but for the bodies and bodily things;” and yet, the salvation of the souls is the ultimate purpose also of civic order in the world; and this is of great importance to the kingdom of God. For this reason Paul declares: We must pray for those in authority, that we may lead a quiet, godly, and honest life; for this is pleasing in the sight of God, who will have all men to be saved, and to come into the knowledge of the truth. He clearly establishes a relation of cause and effect between a peaceable civic government and a life in godliness, and again between these two things and the extension of God’s kingdom. He who follows the disobedient spirit of the age goes directly against the ordinance of God; and thereby he also violates the love which he should have for the salvation of souls, and hinders the extension of the kingdom of God. Let all believers pray diligently for those who administer the affairs of the state; and let them bear the burdens with them in the sight of the Lord. It is a great blessing that God has joined us together in orderly society; and this would be true, even if we had a bad government. How much more, then, should we pray and give thanks for those in authority over us, when they are good and just!
We thank thee, Lord God, for thy wisdom and goodness toward us needy sinners. We thank thee for the government which thou hast given us; and we humbly ask thee to bless it, and preserve it, and strengthen it unto every good work. Give us grace, we pray thee, to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; a life acceptable in thy sight, and one which thou dost bless for the promotion of thy kingdom. Give us to this end thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Lord God, we worship thee! And pray thee, who hast blest us, That we may live in peace, And none henceforth molest us: O crown us with thy love; Fulfill our cry to thee: O Father, grant our prayer: Lord God, we worship thee!
[suggested tunes: Nun danket alle Gott (TLH 36), listen here; or O Gott, du frommer Gott (TLH 395), 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.
433. Thursday after Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, let thy word chasten us and cause us to examine ourselves. Amen.
Titus 3, 1-7. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
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It is wonderful how often the apostles exhort the believers to obey the civil authorities. This must, then, be a matter of vital consequence, of the greatest importance for our salvation; and there must be strong temptations for us men to be disobedient to those in authority over us. We should heed this well; for it has not been written without good cause. If we allow free scope to our appetite for power and our spirit of disobedience, we are not fit for anything good, but fall into all the vices of heathenism. Note the words of our text: Believers are to be “subject to principalities and powers,” and “ready to every good work.” These two things, subjection to those in authority and readiness to every good work, belong together, then; nay, they are one. Formerly, when we lived in heathenism, our condition was a different one, says the apostle; for the heathen spirit is foolish, disobedient, envious, and full of hate; directly contrary to Christian subjection and obedience. Such we were; but now that we have been regenerated and made partakers of God’s mercy, we have received a loving and meek spirit. Therefore we must now prove ourselves wise, submissive, and obedient, to the glory of God. In like manner Peter says: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake; for so it is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; as free, but as the servants of God.” Therefore, he that is submissive and obedient to authority shows good sense, and has true liberty, and does good; he understands the will of God, and obeys it. He, on the other hand, who will not submit to authority is foolish and ignorant and wicked, knows not the meaning of liberty, and is a slave of the prince of darkness. — Christians, do not drift with the current; but prove that a new spirit dwells in you; prove that you are in truth the disciples of Jesus; prove the truth of the word of God, that submission to authority is a fruit of the new life created by the Spirit of God.
Lord, point out to us the royal path of humility, and give us strength to follow it. Teach us more and more to know that he whom the Son makes free is free indeed. Lord God, assist us against the evil spirit of willfulness which threatens to take possession of the whole world. Have mercy, and save our people and our country, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Lord God, we worship thee! For thou our land defendest; Thou pourest down thy grace, And strife and war thou endest.
Since golden peace, O Lord, Thou grantest us to see, Our land, with one accord, Lord God, give thanks to thee!
[suggested tunes: Nun danket alle Gott (TLH 36), listen here; or O Gott, du frommer Gott (TLH 395), 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.
432. Wednesday after Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Lord Jesus, let thy Spirit rule among us in all things. Amen.
Matthew 17, 24-27. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them, for me and thee.
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As Jesus is the Son of God it was no more his duty to pay tribute to the temple, which belongs to his Father, than it is the duty of a royal prince on earth to pay tribute to the king. As Jesus by that which he here says bears witness of his divinity, so he proves his omnipotence and omniscience by his deed, in that he orders Peter to take the piece of money from the mouth of a fish. He, who is the only begotten Son of God, the Lord almighty, who had no need to pay tribute, pays tribute nevertheless. The love of Christ is the spirit of subjection and peace, which forms and strengthens social order; and this love he has given to his disciples. He not only is our perfect example, but he has made us his members; so that his spirit in us overcomes the flesh and the unruly spirit of the devil. Examine yourselves, you who wish to be more than Christians in name only; learn which is the spirit whom you follow; Christ’s spirit of obedience, or the domineering spirit of the world; the love of Christ, which willingly bears the burdens of society, or the love of self, which is full of fault-finding and envy! Many boast of Christ and the liberty which is in him; but are so far away from the obedience of the lowly Savior and the free-born mind of the true Christians, that on the contrary they are the slaves of their own willfulness, and are governed by a spirit of liberty which would bring about a condition of anarchy in the church, and destroy all social order.
If you would belong to my kingdom, says the Lord, you must deny yourself. If you would reign with me, you must put on my humility and obedience. If you would have the crown of glory over yonder, you must carry my cross here, and walk in my steps. — Draw me, then, after thee, O Lord; and train me to follow in thy steps. Give me grace to put on thy mind, and to follow thee faithfully. Let me be a good citizen of the state in which thou hast placed me, and a living member of thy holy church on earth; and in heaven a blessed member of the church triumphant, into which thou dost gather all thy saints. Grant us this grace, most merciful God. Amen.*
Give peace, Lord, in our time: Oh, let no foe draw nigh, Nor lawless deed of crime Insult thy Majesty. O Lord, stretch forth thy mighty hand, And guard and bless our fatherland.
* 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.
431. Tuesday after Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, let thy word chasten us, and let it teach us obedience to thee. Amen.
Romans 13, 1-7. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
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Paul writes this to the Christians in Rome, and teaches them that even such rulers as Tiberius and Nero are ordained of God. The first duty of government is justice; a good ruler punishes without partiality that which is evil, and wields the sword with strong arm for the defense of the oppressed, and for the execution of judgment on evildoers. And such a government is a great blessing; none of us fully understands how much gratitude we owe to God for good and just magistrates and other persons in authority. Unhappy is the people of whom it is said: “I will give children to be their princes, and women shall rule over them.” All this does not, however, make void the truth that “the powers that be are ordained of God.” If a people suffer under wicked rulers, it is the duty of Christians humbly to accept the correction which God administers; for every soul is to be “subject unto the higher powers,” reverence them as God’s ministers, whom the scripture for that reason also calls “gods,” and be subject to them for God’s sake. Our modern doctrine is that governments and magistrates are not the servants of God, but of the people, commissioned by the people to execute the will of the people. Let Christians beware lest they be deceived! Above the people is a higher Power, to whom rulers and subjects are answerable. Let our human authorities never forget that their power is of God; let them always remember this, in order that they may serve God with a good conscience, and let us never forget that those in authority over us are ordained of God. Let us bear this clearly in mind; so that we are subject for conscience sake!
Willingly we then render tribute and custom to whom they are due. All things of God and for God. We show all respect to those in authority over us; taking a course widely different from that followed by the ungodly men who “despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.” Subjection for God’s sake and respectful behavior are the exact opposite of that servility which is the brother of impudence, both being the children of deceit. When authority commands we cheerfully obey; we bear wrong, but do not perpetrate it; — for we “obey God rather than men.”
Lord, help us to be subject to every ordinance of man for thy sake. Give us the true spirit of liberty and of obedience. Amen.*
Some trust in horses trained for war, And some of chariots make their boasts; Our surest expectations are From thee, the Lord of heavenly hosts. Now save us, Lord, from slavish fear; Now let our hope be firm and strong, Till thy salvation shall appear, And joy and triumph raise the song.
* 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.
430. Monday after Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.
Give us, O God, the true wisdom. Amen.
Proverbs 8, 10-17. Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
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Should we not love wisdom, and follow it? Saint James says: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” A glorious promise! Yes; we will “seek wisdom as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures.” “She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is every one that retaineth her.” — If you wish to honor God and benefit man; if you wish to walk honestly in the light of day; if you wish to be blessed, and to be a blessing to others; you must seek wisdom of the Lord. These four things you will find helpful: 1) Consider how sorely you stand in need of wisdom, if you are to do your whole duty as a father, a mother, a magistrate, an employer, a servant, or, in short, in any position in which God has placed you. Woe to them that walk blindly! Woe to the fool, who gropes in darkness, and does not know what he is doing! Bear in mind also that the natural man cannot see the ways of the Lord. 2) Pray earnestly, persistently, and in faith; cling to the promise of God, and hold it up before him. “The Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” 3) Live according to your catechism; and obey the word of God in all things, as far as your knowledge goes. Take heed unto yourself, that you walk in the paths of the Lord’s commandments. 4) Study the word with diligence, and keep it in your heart; ponder it, and do not forget it; make it a point, as far as possible, never to let a day pass on which you do not add a new passage to your store of Bible knowledge. — Observe these rules, neglecting none of them; so shall godliness and heavenly wisdom fill your soul. For you become “poor in spirit”; — and “are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1, 30).
Help us, O God, to incline our ears unto wisdom, and to apply our hearts to understanding; that we may understand the fear of God, and find the knowledge of God. Amen.*
Almighty God, in humble prayer To thee our souls we lift: Do thou our waiting minds prepare For thy most needful gift.
We ask for wisdom: — Lord, impart The knowledge how to live; A wise and understanding heart To all before thee give.
The young remember thee in youth, Before the evil day! The old be guided by thy truth In wisdom’s pleasant way!
* 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.
[For the foreseeable future, we expect that BFP devotionals will not be posted on a daily basis. Fret not. This doesn’t mean you need to skip your own family devotions. Please avail yourself of the PDF below.]
Lord, give us the fear of God, and make us obedient. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 22, 15-22. Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man; for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
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Lucifer was dissatisfied, revolted, and became a devil. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram could not endure the supremacy of Moses and Aaron, but indulged in a tirade about the holiness of all the people, revolted, and went to perdition. In the days of David Israel had honor, riches, and good fortune; but they listened willingly to the voice of Absalom, became dissatisfied, revolted, and were torn up by internal dissensions. During the reign of Solomon they murmured against him; and after his death the ten tribes rebelled against their rightful ruler. He who is the rebel from the beginning, who hates obedience and subjection, seduced them, and created discontent in their hearts; so, when they refused willing obedience, they were forced to render the obedience of slaves. — At the time of Christ the Jewish people were subject to the Romans. When the multitude, on Palm Sunday, supposed that his purpose was to liberate them from Cæsar, they did homage to him; but because he is the king of true liberty, and demands self-denial, they cried out five days later, saying: “Crucify him; crucify him!” Shortly after this they revolted against the Romans, and were destroyed.
The lesson which history for our warning teaches us in a manner not to be mistaken is taught by the rest of the word of God also in distinct terms. Today we hear Jesus say: “Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” The Lord puts these two duties together. Rendering unto Cæsar the things that are his does not militate against, but is a consequence of rendering unto God the things that are God’s. He only who gives God his own can give Cæsar that which is his. Bow in humility and the fear of God before the high and mighty Lord of heaven; give him the full confidence and love of your hearts; commit yourselves in faith and obedience into his hand; — and then render unto the government which he has placed over you reverence, obedience, and tribute. Obedience to the government as a result of obedience to God, this is the teaching of Christ. Willing submission to every ordinance of man, in that truly royal liberty which no power can put down, is one of the glories of the disciples of Jesus. Disobedience to the authorities, springing out of disobedience to God, is the spirit of Satan. Pride, and lust of power, and discontent; and, with it all, boasting about one’s spirit of liberty, and the promise of ease; — these things are the curse of Absalom and of others who serve the flesh. That which Jesus teaches in our gospel lesson of today he declares also in his reply to Pilate: “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.” The same truth he taught Paul also by revelation: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers!” Every man is in duty bound to obey the constituted authorities. “For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God.” The apostle could not have spoken with greater clearness. “There is no power but of God.” If we believe the word of God, we know who it is has given us our government. “The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. . . . For the power is the minister of God to thee for good. . . . Therefore we must needs be subject, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake.” Thus wrote Paul; and we know that the government under which he lived was heathen, unrighteous, and cruel. To Titus and to all ministers of the word he wrote: “Put the faithful in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.” Now, to be “subject” to them means of our hearts to reverence and honor them as having authority over us in God’s stead. And this is the teaching of all the apostles. Abstain from fleshly lusts, says Peter, and “submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” This is directly contrary to the desire kindled by the devil in the carnal man; directly contrary to the spirit which now, in a higher degree than ever before, holds sway in the children of unbelief. When modern liberty dawned in France toward the close of the eighteenth century, the people deposed the government and Christ at the same time. The Christian doctrine that the powers that be are of God, and are to be honored and obeyed as the servant of God, and for God’s sake, can by no possibility be reconciled with the assertion that there is no government but of the people, and that the people themselves are the supreme power. There is no reason why magistrates may not be chosen by the people; but the Christian religion demands, that while they hold their office, they are to be esteemed and honored and obeyed as servants of God, placed in their positions by the Lord, and exercising authority for him and under him.
False liberty, being slavery, has discontent as its companion; and being an untruth, it begets strife and calamity. Through the revolt of Korah and of Absalom the Jews destroyed themselves by the thousands; and in the destruction of Jerusalem they suffered as much from the internal dissensions as from the sword of the enemy. Disobedience means bitterness and self-destruction. On the other hand, subjection for the Lord’s sake, being true liberty, gives joy and peace; being truth, it brings good fortune to the people. There is One has said: “Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth!” The expression “father and mother,” however, includes all who have authority over us. The spirit of Christ is love; and love gathers, builds up, and strengthens. Even if the spirit of unbridled license had no evil result other than envy and bitterness in the minds of men, and conflicts between the classes into which society is divided, it would be more than bad enough; but contempt for the authorities brings upon us the judgment of God. — Be on your guard, then, Christian friends, and beware of the spirit of false liberty! This spirit is alluring; the beautiful word liberty is on its tongue always; it is wonderfully skilled in mixing together truth and falsehood; it clothes itself beautifully in the garment of light. I know a sure means of escape: “Bless the Lord alway, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103). Then shall you become humble, and happy, and make peace, and impress on the young the wise man’s words of gold, Proverbs 24, 21: “My son, fear thou the Lord and the king; and meddle not with them that are given to change.”
Lord, teach us to know our unworthiness of thy many and great benefits. Give us humility and a submissive spirit; and preserve us from the evil spirit of self-will and bitterness. Give us true liberty in the heart, that we may gladly honor and obey those in authority over us, and cheerfully render to them the tribute imposed on us. Bless all whom thou hast placed in positions of authority over us. Give them wisdom, righteousness, and strength; and prosper their work, that the people may be benefited. We thank thee, O God, for this great mercy, that thou hast so long blessed us with the glorious benefits of liberty and peace. Drive away, we heartily beseech thee, the evil spirit of discord which threatens us; and grant that we may yet a long time lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Accept our thanks, and hear our prayer, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
God bless our native land! Firm may she ever stand, Though storm and night; When the wild tempests rave, Ruler of wind and wave, Do thou our country save By thy great might.
For her our prayer shall rise To God above the skies; On him we wait: Thou who art ever nigh, Guarding with watchful eye, To thee aloud we cry, God save the state!
Lord, let us find the hidden treasure, sell all that we have, and buy it. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Philippians 3, 17-21. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
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These unhappy persons of whom the apostle cannot speak without weeping, “the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction,” are none other than they who “mind earthly things.” This statement is one of utmost gravity. Is it, then, so dangerous a matter to “mind earthly things”? Yes; so the word of the Lord says. If the earthly things be your treasure, your heart’s best and dearest possession; your “God is your belly,” you are an enemy of the cross of Christ, and your way leads to destruction. Terrible thought! To be an enemy of the cross of the precious Savior! His blood, which brings salvation, you will have none of it; in your innermost heart there is aversion to a Savior who dies on the cross, and by this means reconciles us with God. And you are reluctant to bear affliction with him; you will not deny yourself, nor walk in his steps through poverty and suffering. Earthly riches, power, and honor are to you better than his love, and of greater value than the benefits of his death and resurrection. Let every one examine himself! We might possibly be these of whom the apostle speaks; for they are “many”. The apostle says that they are many; and so says Jesus also: They are many who walk in the broad way to destruction.
As the people on the crowded streets of a great city divide into two currents setting in opposite directions, so do members of the whole human family. The children of the world hurry onward in their chase after the earthly things, and end in perdition; the people of God walk the way of the cross of Christ, and reach heaven.
Brethren, do not let the children of the world by their number and strength turn you back into the jaws of death. Let neither friendship nor enmity, neither threats nor promises, neither the craft of the Pharisees nor the shouts of the rabble crying “Hosanna,” and then, “crucify him”; neither the spirit of license nor the spirit of sloth, lead you astray, and cause you to turn your eyes away from heaven. The path is narrow; but do you stay always in the company of the disciples, and walk in the steps of Jesus; follow him in obedience and self-denial, and you shall reach the blessed end of your journey. Our portion is not the fleeting good things of this world; “our conversation is in heaven.” Upward, then; and homeward, in the company of all the saints! “He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
Lord Jesus, teach us to know the grace and the power of thy cross; give us the desire to follow in the steps of thy suffering; and grant that we may be faithful therein unto the end. Amen.*
Teach me, O Lord, my days to number, And when this life I shall depart, Let me commend my soul to Jesus, And die with a repentant heart. O God, when tolls my parting knell, For Jesus’ sake may all be well!
* 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.
427. Saturday after Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 86, 11-17. Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me; and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul, and have not set thee before them. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious; longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me: give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed; because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
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The Lord had delivered the soul of David from death, by saving him from the hand of Saul, and from danger of his life at the time of Absalom’s revolt. However, when we sing this verse, “Thy mercy is great toward me; and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell”; we think of our salvation from spiritual death, and of the blessed gift of our new life in God. He who has thus learned the Lord’s “way” has received a “heart united to fear his name”; an upright heart which is wholly on the Lord’s side, and struggles against all sin; — yet he prays that he may receive such a heart through an ever new revelation of the grace of God.
An undivided heart surrenders itself with entire confidence to the Lord. It regards only his word, and trusts only to his promise. It is as unmoved when sin and Satan rage against it, as when they hold their peace; it is of good cheer when threatened by distress and death, no less than when the outlook is most bright. It rests wholly in the mercy and truth of its almighty God. An undivided heart hates all sin with a perfect hate, and loves God with a perfect love. They whose heart is thus undivided have but one desire, which expresses itself in all that they think and say and do; one sun, which shines in the soul, and which they reflect; one life, whose beat is felt everywhere. There never is for one moment any corner of the heart in which the love of God does not live. Such a heart “united to fear his name” praises the Lord alway. It returns thanks not only for its joys, but for its sorrows as well; and nothing is able to silence it. “I will praise thee, O Lord my God; and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” To fear the Lord with a whole heart is above all to praise and thank him. The divided heart complains; the undivided, praises.
If you have an upright heart, and walk in the light, you now feel, and will continue to feel while you live, how sadly deficient your heart is in singleness of purpose. You feel it to be divided, but it is “united”; you feel it to be sick, but it has been made whole. Everything in you is new; you believe in the Lord, love him, and praise him for all things. Yet you still suffer from the old things, and must accuse yourself of unbelief, of the lusts of the flesh, and of ingratitude. Pray with all the saints for a perfect heart; and in a blessed hour you shall receive it.
Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy; O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Teach me thy way, O Lord, I will walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name. Amen.*
Teach me, O teach me, Lord, thy way; That, to my life’s remotest day, By thine unerring precepts led, My feet thy heavenly paths may tread. Informed by thee, with sacred awe My heart shall meditate thy law; And, with celestial wisdom filled, To thee its full obedience yield.
* 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.
426. Friday after Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, let the word which thou wilt now speak to us strengthen our faith. Amen.
Isaiah 42, 1-4. Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
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The spirit in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is mighty and victorious mercy. Himself has taken upon his own shoulders our sins, and made our cause his own, and made himself answerable for us against all accusers; and thus we have to do with him only. And he deals with us like the merciful Savior that he is, and continues his efforts until he has healed us, and completed the work of saving us. He shall save all who accept the gospel invitation, of all peoples on the face of the earth, no matter how sorry the plight into which the devil may have brought them. Even if our faith be most deplorably weak, yet will he not reject us. “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.” Thus we read in our text; and it is thus that we find him always. We all have many a time felt thus bruised and weak, and have disclosed our troubles to him, and received comfort and help. He is become the servant of the Lord, and was anointed to this very end, with meekness to help the afflicted. How carefully does he not take us in his hand; how indulgently does he not deal with us; how patiently does he not continue his efforts, even though the long course of treatment seem to effect no improvement in us! The bruised reed should become whole and vigorous. The faith in our heart should be strong and fearless; but alas, it is fragile and weak, and would fall to pieces at once, did not the hand of him who is meekness itself sustain us. The smoking flax should be ablaze; it should shoot its flames as high as heaven in the pure atmosphere of grace; but it smokes and smokes, and is on the point of being quenched; yet he continues to add oil and keep the spark alive, that it might burn brightly at the last. He shall not cease his efforts, until the victory has been forever won. — In thus saving us individually he preserves and perfects his kingdom. “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.”
Ye servants of the Lord, do ye also bring forth judgment to the afflicted! Israel is one with their Lord; and to them, as to him, it is said: “I have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I, the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. I the Lord thy God have spoken it.” If it seem to you that your labor is in vain, remember that the Lord makes the earth to bring forth fruit, and will make darkness light before you.
Lord, we praise thee; we bless thy glorious name, and pray thee for grace to believe in thee, serve thee, and give thee honor forevermore. Amen.*
Hail to the Lord’s anointed, Great David’s greater Son! Hail, in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun! He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free, To take away transgression, And rule in equity.
* 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.
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.
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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.
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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.
* 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.
425. Thursday after Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.
Give us, O Lord, thy spirit of wisdom and love.
James 3, 13-18. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not; and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
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Since the very essence of the devil is pride, we all are by nature vain, puffed up, wise in our own conceit, and self-willed; none has been born meek and lowly. Some are, however, even above others wise in their own eyes. When they are carried away by a spiritual revival, it is possible, to be sure, that the Spirit of God may humble them, and his discipline keep them humble; but they will, as a rule, sooner or later display their wisdom in such a way as to cause dissensions among the brethren. They imagine that they see more clearly than others the defects of society; they feel called upon to make “improvements” in the church; and their wisdom begets “envying and strife,” a continual tossing to and fro, “confusion and every evil work.” Such people are not “easy to be intreated”; they know it all. They pretend that in setting themselves apart and forming coteries of their own they are only following the example of our Lord Jesus; of Paul, and Luther, and other holy men. If they knew the living spirit of fellowship which characterized the Lord himself and his holy followers, and could feel the bitterness of their pain in being cast out, they would not charge them with having founded new sects. The separatists under consideration have so tender a conscience forsooth, that they cannot endure the imperfections of society! Did they but in the love of Christ take upon their conscience the sins of their people, they would find something to do besides cultivating bitter roots which produce confusion. “Glory not, and lie not against the truth.” This is not “the wisdom that is from above”; for the wisdom from above is “first pure,” having no admixture of the devil’s spirit of pride; “then peaceable,” gathering and uniting them that are the Lord’s in the bond of peace. Furthermore, it is “gentle,” kind and charitable toward all. It is “easy to be intreated”; ready to hear what others have to say, obedient to the truth, and willing to accept correction. It is “full of mercy and good fruits”; mark you, full of mercy and good fruits, “without partiality, and without hypocrisy,” just, earnest, and upright. He that has this wisdom makes peace, and shall reap blessed fruit in this world and in the next. — Help us, O God, that none of us may hold himself aloof from thy grace. Let no bitter root grow up and yield confusion, defiling many. Give us the wisdom that is from above, and let us shew out of a good conversation our works with meekness of wisdom. Amen.*
May he our actions deign to bless, And loose the bonds of wickedness, From sudden falls our feet defend, And guide us safely to the end.
May faith, deep-rooted in the soul, The flesh subdue, the mind control: May guile depart, and discord cease, And all within be joy and peace.
* 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.
424. Wednesday after Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 7, 11-17. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness; and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.
❦
Justice to all without respect of persons is the highest virtue of a judge. Now, the highest perfection of justice is found in God. None can be compared with him in the strict justice with which he rewards every man according to his works. This truth does not contradict that other truth, which we learn everywhere, that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of grace, in which forgiveness rules, and saves sinners deserving of death. For he who truly knows his sin is covered by the merit of Christ, and is as righteous as is Christ himself. It was the good pleasure, and therefore the righteous decree of God’s will, that Christ was to stand in the place of all, and that he who believes and is baptized shall be one with him; thus making our sin the sin of Christ, and the obedience of Christ our obedience. Now, as the justice of God is absolute, the only begotten Son must needs suffer in full the punishment which the world has deserved; there was no abatement whatever. Neither shall even the smallest part of the debt be forgiven, but payment in full be demanded of everyone who is not in Christ. The just punishment of all his sins shall be visited on him. Often the retribution begins here, in order that the sinner may be awakened to penitence; but if he continue in sin, a terrible sentence of wrath shall be executed on him in the world to come. The sword of God is whetted, his bow is bent; he has ordained his arrows against the persecutors, and none can escape. No matter how cunning the wicked may be, God shall find him, and visit just punishment upon him. Patience may spare him for a long time; but justice is close at hand, and appears on the scene at last with its shining shield and sharp sword. Do not doubt that a day is coming when all things shall be revealed, and when everyone, without respect of persons, shall receive according to that which he has done. The justice of God is as exalted and sure, as are his omnipotence and love; and equally with these it underlies everything which he has done from everlasting.
Thou art he who trieth the heart and reins, righteous God. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness; and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. Amen.*
When the judge his seat attaineth, And each hidden deed arraigneth, Nothing unavenged remaineth.
What shall I, frail man, be pleading? Who for me be interceding, When the just are mercy needing?
King of majesty tremendous, Who dost free salvation send us, Fount of pity, then befriend us!
* 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.
423. Tuesday after Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.
O God, be merciful to us; increase our faith, and give us the true brotherly spirit. Amen.
Matthew 18, 15-22. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.
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This lesson shows with clearness that Christ is in his disciples, and that his church on earth is one with his church in heaven; exclusion from one is exclusion from the other. He who does not repent and receive mercy, and live in the fellowship of the Lord and his saints on earth, has no part in the bliss of heaven. — In the next place our text wonderfully strengthens our faith in the efficacy of united prayer. If the Spirit move two of us to go before our heavenly Father with the same petition, we never fail to receive that which we ask. Let Christian fathers and mothers bear this in mind, and pray together for their children; and the children for their parents. Likewise when two or more persons are of the same profession; or neighbors; or, in short, Christians having a common interest; when they have the same thing at heart; let them speak of it with one another, and agree as touching any thing that they shall ask, and lay before the Father this promise given by the Son.
Above all things, however, our text teaches us: Firstly, that we are to care for one another; and, secondly, that we must never tire of forgiving them that sin against us. When your brother sins against you, it is your duty to deliver him from the snare of the devil. It is not enough that you bear the wrong with meekness; you must do what in you lies to restore him to the right path. If you think of yourself only, and let the other go his own way, you say with Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” and you act in a spirit directly contrary to that of Jesus, who in love reproved even Judas and Pilate with a view to their good. Let it be your heart’s desire to gain your brother; induce others to join you in praying for him. These two things belong together. — And you shall forgive your brother, no matter how often he may have sinned against you. As the heart of God is an ever living well which flows forgiveness for his children, even so shall your heart be toward the brethren. These words of Christ about forgiving “not seven times, but seventy times seven,” how strikingly expressive of the truth that the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of sinners, and rich in mercy! You need your brother’s forgiveness as often as he needs yours; and how much more often do not both of you, then, need the forgiveness of God! Where, now, may we sinners come into possession of the necessary charity? We must beseech the Lord to increase our faith. Lead us, O Lord, into a thorough understanding of thy infinite mercy. Amen.*
One there is above all others, Well deserves the name of friend. His is love beyond a brother’s, Costly, free, and knows no end. They who once his kindness prove, Find it everlasting love.
O for grace our hearts to soften! Teach us, Lord, at length to love. We, alas! forget too often What a friend we have above: But when home our souls are brought, We will love thee as we ought.
* 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.
422. Monday after Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.
Let me know thy holiness, O God, that I may see my sin, and fear thy judgment. Amen.
Job 15, 14-16. What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight: How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
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We might say that according to this text man is as unholy as God is holy. However it would not be exactly correct; for nothing can properly be compared with the holiness of God. “The heavens are not clean in his sight.” The glory of his countenance eclipses the purest sunlight. — Now, since God is so exceeding holy, what shall be our fate when we appear before him? How shall he which is born of a woman be righteous; a man abominable and filthy, which drinketh iniquity like water? And how can our Pelagians contrive to explain away this text?
Do learn to know the nature of Adam’s offense and of original sin; that your depravity is greater than you can say or understand. Learn to know yourself; to know what you are become as a result of the fall: that from being the image of God you are become the image of Satan, with all his wickedness and malignity. For as the image of God means all the holiness of God, purity, and every virtue; and as man before the fall was wholly of heaven, spiritual, and pure as an angel; so man’s inner nature is now become wholly of the earth, carnal, and brutish. In his anger and cruelty man has something of the nature of the lion; in malice and greed he is wolfish; in filth and gluttony he resembles the swine. If you will carefully examine yourself, you shall find in you a whole world of unclean beasts; and even in the one little member, the tongue, you shall find a nest of vipers and wicked spirits, “a world of iniquity.”
— Johann Arndt
This is the teaching of the Bible; almost literally what Paul writes in Romans 3, 10-18; it is truth unto salvation. How comes it, then, that only few men will listen to it, and that a still smaller number recognize the accuracy of this description of themselves? The trouble is that our conception of God is a faded picture. Come before the thrice holy and terrible God, in whose presence the seraphims cover their faces, saying. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.” Know him from whom you cannot escape; who in his holy zeal spared not even his only Son, who had taken upon himself our sins, but gave him the full cup of wrath to drink, though he wept, and prayed that it be taken from him. Know our God, who is a consuming fire. Do this; and you shall cease to dream of your own piety, and you shall see your uncleanness and unrighteousness. Your disease is incurable; yet there is One says: “I am the Lord that healeth thee.”
My God, I am shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me; and thus my heart is evil from my childhood. Have mercy on me, for Jesus’ sake; forgive me, and heal me, that I may live and praise thee. Amen.*
In vain we seek for peace with God By methods of our own: Jesus, there’s nothing but thy blood Can bring us near the throne.
’Tis thy atoning sacrifice Hath answered all demands; And peace and pardon from the skies Are blessings from thy hands.
* 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.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 18, 23-35. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents: but forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
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God forgives every penitent sinner even his greatest debt; but they only who are willing to forgive others can receive and keep the grace of God.
By the ten thousand talents is meant our whole great debt to God by reason of our sins. When you have counted to 10 you return to the figure 1 and repeat the series of units; 10 is the symbol of completeness. Now ten thousand is 10 times 10 times 10 times 10; and a talent is equivalent to nearly 1,000 dollars. Ten thousand talents is therefore mightily significant of the enormity of our debt. This is one of the lessons taught by our Lord Jesus; but do we recognize its truth? When he adds that the servant “had not to pay,” he shows us that we have absolutely nothing of value with which to put in an appearance before God. You owe ten thousand talents; but you have nothing whatever with which to make payment. This is the true state of the case. — Now, justice demands that payment be made. For yourself, you shall receive the punishment which you have deserved, and your “wife and children” likewise. The servant, however, humbles himself; and the Lord’s mercy appears. If you acknowledge that God in justice should and could condemn you; nay that he must do it, if payment of your debt be not made; and if your heart sues for mercy; — then he is moved with compassion, and forgives you the whole debt. — The servant declares that he “will pay all.” The doctrine is sometimes preached that he who is to receive mercy must have made himself entirely free from self-righteousness, nor have even a thought of himself paying any part of his debt. If this were true, it would be all but impossible for any sinner to enter the state of grace; but Jesus does not teach this disheartening doctrine. To be sure, the Spirit in the faithful “counts all things but dung, that they may win Christ”; but self-righteousness is still extant, and ever stands in the way of a perfectly fearless faith. For it is not our humility, but our self-righteousness which makes our faith weak. When the sinner refuses to admit his guilt, it is his self-righteousness which shuts him out from the grace of God; for then he does not plead for mercy. When, on the other hand, you admit the debt, and acknowledge that God’s judgment is just, he forgives you everything, even though you still wish to make payment. Is not this distinctly taught in our gospel lesson? Even so David also declares, Psalm 32, 5: “I acknowledged my sin unto thee; and thou forgavest me the iniquity of my sin.” In like manner John: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1, 9). At the same time the Holy Ghost also teaches us, and ever more clearly, to know that forgiveness of sins is wholly grace on the part of God; so that we thus may leave behind us the Old Testament with its “patience” and “forbearance” of sin, and enter fully into the perfect “forgiveness” of the New Testament, a forgiveness which has its deep and living root in the righteousness of Christ. Give heed, now, to that which Christ here speaks to you: If you with upright heart confess your debt, all your sins are forgiven you; no matter how far you still may fall short of clearly discerning the true nature of justification.
See to it, now, that you forgive your fellow servant! If you do not, you again fall under the judgment of God’s wrath. In the spirit of meekness you must help your neighbor onward to a knowledge of sin. He cannot enjoy the consolation of forgiveness without making confession; but do not you be angry, nor wish for revenge on him. No matter who he is, or what he has done to you, it is your duty to forgive him with all your heart; so that you may be able to bless him, pray for him, feel the sorrow which love inspires for his unhappy condition, and the hope that he may repent; in order that he and you may be united in heaven. If your debtor pray to you to have patience with him, shall not you, whom so much has been forgiven, gladly forgive the little debt to yourself? What are an hundred pence as compared with ten thousand talents? — Truly, there must be a black pit of iniquity in us, since Jesus presents this servant to us as a glass in which we are to see ourselves reflected. And it must be a matter of supreme importance to forgive our debtors, since he has taught us to say it every time we pray the Lord’s prayer. When one who has an unforgiving spirit prays the fifth petition of this prayer, he invites God’s judgment upon himself; he refuses to forgive, and he prays God to deal with him in the same manner. The kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of forgiveness; in which mercy sits on the throne, and stretches out its scepter over all the people. The grace in the blood of Jesus, God’s eternal love in Christ for us lost sinners, is the sun that gives light and heat to the whole city of Zion. He whose heart cannot submit to this law, and who will not breathe this atmosphere, cannot have his home in this kingdom.
Teach us, O God, to know our sin with heart-felt contrition; and forgive us all our trespasses, for Jesus’ sake. Teach us also to believe thy mercy in Christ; and give us kind and gentle hearts, that we may gladly forgive one another as in thy sight. Yea, grant that in truth we may “from our hearts forgive every one his brother their trespasses.” Amen.*
Lord, we confess our numerous faults, How great our guilt has been: Foolish and vain were all our thoughts, And all our lives were sin.
’Tis not by works of righteousness Which our own hands have done; But we are saved by sovereign grace Abounding through his Son.
The God of all grace make us perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle us. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Philippians 1, 6-11. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
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There is danger, dear Christian, — we will not hide it, — that you may fall; fall from grace, and away from God. You have not as yet reached the end of your journey; there may be many a dangerous piece of road yet before you. Bileam and Saul and Solomon and Demas, as well as the servant in the day’s gospel lesson, are presented as examples for our warning, in order that none may feel secure and cease to watch and pray. On the other hand, there is a confidence and trust of the spirit in God, a firm feeling of assurance that he will keep us unto the end; and this assurance, or certainty, we will encourage in one another. That which Paul says on this subject here and elsewhere God wants us to hear and keep in our hearts. Paul declares that he is “confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Can you think that God would begin a thing, and only half finish it? Now, it is God who has begun the good work in you; and “he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1, 21. 22). We “are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1, 5). God shall keep us in the fellowship with himself, and ever shed abroad his love in our hearts. This fountain is always full; its waters never cease to flow through the holy Christian church; and the Lord ever creates thirst after it in our souls. By this means we shall grow; and our love abound yet more and more, become ever more rich, full, strong, and prove itself in the practical affairs of life, “in knowledge and in all judgment,” that we may shun every appearance of evil, “be sincere and without offence, and filled with the fruits of righteousness,” filled with them so entirely that there may be room for nothing else. And these fruits “are by Jesus Christ”; not by you or me, but by “the Amen, the faithful and true witness,” the eternal God. “It is for me,” says the apostle, “to think this of you all”; not of some of you, but of you all. For I love you so well that “ye are in my heart to die and live with you”; but this is Christ in me, his love and mercy; and who shall be able to separate you from this love? — The plain purpose of the Holy Ghost in all this is to create in our soul full confidence in the power of the grace of God to sustain and keep us. He who acknowledges that himself can do nothing, but who trusts in God alone, and relies on the power of his grace, fully assured that he will perform the good work which he has begun; such an one is able to obey the admonition of the apostle in this same epistle: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God does not cease to work in you; God awakens in your soul the desire to pray and struggle; God gives you ever new strength unto holiness and every good work; God gives you continually the spirit of fear and of confidence. Therefore none may say: “I know not, if I can endure to the end.” Rather let each declare: “I am confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in me will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Thus we “resist the devil stedfast in the faith”; and thus we fight. We do not sleep, but watch and fight in “the power of the Lord’s might.” — Lord, help us herein. Keep us, O God, that we fall not from thee; hold us fast to thee, thou strong God. Give us grace to say with thy apostle: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Teach us more and more to know our own weakness, and to trust in thee, our God, alone. Give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of thee. Work in us the fruits of righteousness; and let us be filled with them until the day of Christ, unto the eternal praise of thy name. Amen.*
In vain would boasting reason find The path to happiness and God; Her weak directions leave the mind Bewildered in a doubtful road.
Jesus, thy words alone impart Eternal life; on these I live; Here sweeter comforts cheer my heart, Than all the powers of nature give.
* 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.
417. Saturday after Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 57. To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God Most High; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions; and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people; I will sing unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
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It was “in the cave” that David sang this “Michtam,” this golden song. “My soul,” he says, “is among lions; and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have digged a pit before me.” In this dark cave he nevertheless tunes his harp, and is awake early, not to make complaint, but to offer praise. With his rejoicing he ushers in the morning; he sings praises to God before the rising of the sun. In the very jaws of his voracious enemies he lifts up his voice in song, that it may be heard among all nations; and the sound of it still fills the world. The secret of his exultation appears at the opening and the closing of the psalm: “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me!” “For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.” Here, again, two things are especially to be noted: 1) He puts his trust in mercy; and thus his own unworthiness does not stand in his way. No matter how great a sinner he may be, he can confidently expect the Lord to save him. 2) His hope is in God alone. God is the Most High; and his power is as much greater than that of all his enemies, as heaven is high above the earth. God has begun to help him; this much he has experienced repeatedly; and God does nothing by halves; he “performeth all things for me.” As the mercy of God is great, so is his truth also. He does not permit deceit and wickedness to swallow up the innocent; but keeps his promise, and delivers all who in hope walk honestly before him.
The fact that David under these desperate circumstances was able to sing such a song of praise without a single note of complaint, shows clearly, that while afflictions may depress, and good fortune may lift up the soul, yet these things do not constitute our unhappiness and our joy. May we also learn this golden song, the secret of being able to praise and exalt God even in the dark cave! If you cannot be merry, you shall at least receive grace to be stout-hearted, contented, and grateful. “Rejoice in the Lord alway,” says Paul. This is God’s will. May he to this end give us the grace of his Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Beset with snares on every hand, In life’s uncertain path I stand: Savior divine! diffuse thy light, To guide my doubtful footsteps right. If thou, my Jesus, still be nigh, Cheerful I live, and joyful die: Secure, when mortal comforts flee, To find ten thousand worlds in thee.
[suggested tune: Duke Street (TLH 511) ×2; 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.
416. Friday after Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, give us truth in the heart, and the full assurance of faith. Amen.
Hebrews 10, 19-25. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.
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The veil barred the way to the holy of holies in the tabernacle; our flesh, that is our corrupted human nature, barred our way to heaven. But Christ was made flesh, yet without sin, and thus with his blood entered the presence of God for us; thereby “consecrating for us a new and living way.” Himself by his death becomes our way to eternal life (John 14, 6). Having ‘‘put on Christ,” and having been consecrated as priests (Exodus 29), and having had the soul sprinkled and cleansed with the blood of Jesus by the washing of the body with the pure, or holy, water of baptism, we have “boldness to enter into the holiest,” and are able to speak to God without fear concerning everything which we have at heart. “By one offering Christ hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” He has entirely taken away all our guilt, and overcome the sin in us; so that we have perfect righteousness, and the power of perfect holiness. And now “he ever liveth to make intercession for us.” — Let us, then, come before God with a “true heart”; with a heart wholly honest; with one which does not wish to keep and conceal anything; but to reveal everything, and be cleansed from all sin. And “let us draw nigh in full assurance of faith,” not doubting that the blood of Jesus is counted payment in full of every debt, and assured that God is glad to see and hear us. This “boldness to enter into the holiest,” this courage to speak freely in the presence of God, this “true heart” and this purity, and this “full assurance of faith” in a good conscience; — how glorious and how precious are these things! Thus, then, let us walk in the new and living way! Thus let us confess our hope; thus let us be united in love! These three things our Bible lesson teaches us. Help us, O God, to do them, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
His Spirit in me dwelleth, And o’er my mind he reigns. All sorrow he dispelleth And soothes away all pains. He crowns his work with blessing, And helpeth me to cry “My Father’’ without ceasing, To him who dwells on high.
* 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.
415. Thursday after Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Lord Jesus, help us to believe; that we may see thy glory. Amen.
Mark 9, 17-27. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit: and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away; and I spake to thy disciples, that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child: and ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
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In this scripture lesson there are especially two thoughts which stand out in strong relief: 1) Jesus, and he only, is able to deliver from the sorest need. 2) He does not reject even the weakest faith. — We have a strong Savior, who is able to rebuke all devils, and deliver us from all spirits that vex us. There is no power of hell strong enough to resist him. This child in our text presents a striking picture of the lowest depths of human misery; and the heart of the father must have been torn into shreds by the cruel spirit. He would rather have seen his son a corpse than witness this horrible gnashing of teeth and these demoniacal features. Wretched parents, is there none can save you? No, none other; but Jesus is able to do all things. He charges the spirit to “come out of him, and enter no more into him’’; and intimately as the spirit had entwined itself with every fiber of the child’s soul and body, it is compelled to come out of him and spare his life. No man on earth has been so badly torn and maltreated by Satan, whether spiritually or bodily, that Jesus cannot save him; and no misery is so great that Jesus cannot change it into joy. If you be sore vexed by the devil, you still are so fortunate that Jesus is here and wishes to help you, — do but believe! As long as you refuse to call upon the Lord, and to believe that he is mighty to save, he cannot manifest his power to you. Remember this, however: He can and will save you out of the direst need, if you will ask it of him with believing heart. Let your mind dwell on this thought; and he shall create prayer and faith in your troubled soul. There are thousands even now living who could tell you of his power to save. — If there be any who feels that his faith is altogether too weak, let him remember that for his special benefit the Spirit of God caused our Bible lesson to be written. Jesus must speak even of his apostles as a “faithless generation”; and they certainly were not likely to strengthen the man’s faith. And the man himself; what does he say to Jesus? He says: “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” “If thou canst do anything”; — there is in the man very little faith. But he is honest, and sensible of his weakness; therefore he cries out, and says with tears: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” To our merciful Lord Jesus this faith is sufficient; and he crowns it in glorious fashion. — As no power is so great that Jesus cannot cope with it, even so there is no faith so weak that he will not accept it, if we do but seek him with uprightness. Where can be found the man who sought of him assistance against sin and the devil, and did not receive it?
Lord, we heartily thank thee for that thou dost not break the bruised reed, and dost not quench the smoking flax. O that we might be found to be upright, and that thou mightest sustain and strengthen our weak faith. This we humbly beseech of thee, merciful Lord Jesus. Amen.*
If thou impart thyself to me, No other good I need: If thou, the Son, shalt make me free, I shall be free indeed.
From sin, the guilt, the power, the pain, Thou wilt redeem my soul: Lord, I believe, and not in vain; My faith shall make me whole.
* 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.
414. Wednesday after Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Merciful Holy Spirit, enlighten us with thy gifts. Amen.
Hebrews 11, 1-6. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he, being dead, yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
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To the natural man the things of eternity are as incomprehensible as they are real. Their plane is higher than any which reason and the senses can reach. Here is God himself with eternal life in the means of grace committed to the keeping of his church; but in the eyes of unbelief there is nothing. The blind walk in the light; and yet to them there is no such thing as light. Faith alone discerns the things of heaven. Faith is, however, itself a miracle wrought by the Spirit of God; it cannot spring forth out of the human understanding, nor can any man give it to another. None but the Spirit of God can create it; though he, to be sure does it through the instrumentality of the word and sacraments, administered by men. — As the things which faith discerns are of heaven, and as it is of heavenly origin, so faith itself is a thing of heavenly and divine nature. And as these heavenly things which are grasped by faith are true and real, nay the very essence of truth and reality, the living and everlasting; so faith also is not an imaginary something, but a real and living truth in the soul. It is not dependent on human wisdom, which is shifting and elusive; nor on human power and strength, which wither like the grass; nor on human virtue, which is nothing but imperfection; — no, faith has its origin in God’s own word, and is immovably established on this rock, in the eternal truth, righteousness, and love of God; and like the life itself it is the irrefutable proof of its own truth. Faith is hid in the heart; but it manifests itself in the conduct of the Christians, and is the root of all divine science and of all truth and holiness on earth. Take faith out of the hearts, and you have taken away all the true theology and all true piety. Faith is not seeing and feeling, but the act of the heart in clinging with childlike confidence to the promise of God in the gospel. Use the word; ask the Spirit to illumine you; and walk uprightly before the Lord according to the measure of light given you. Then he shall strengthen your faith, and give you victory, as he did to them of old time. This shall never fail. — “Yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and shall not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” — Grant us this mercy, O God; give us faith, and increase it from day to day. Amen.*
O then, impute, impart To me thy righteousness, And let me taste how good thou art, How full of truth and grace: That thou canst here forgive Grant me to testify, And justified by faith to live, And in that faith to die.
* 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.
413. Tuesday after Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Strengthen our faith, O God, and establish it firmly in thy word. Amen.
Matthew 16, 1-4. The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting, desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
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The Jews and their leaders certainly had seen all the signs necessary. With their own eyes they had seen Jesus heal the lame, the blind, the dumb, and the maimed; as is related in the chapter immediately preceding our text. However, unbelief is true to itself; they would not obey the truth, and therefore they could not believe. The Pharisees “desired that he would shew them a sign from heaven.” Our modern infidelity says: “Those miracles are too old; give us fresh ones, and we will believe.” Why, then, did not the Pharisees believe? They admitted of Jesus that “this man doeth many miracles” (John 11, 47); yet they did not believe. If the infidels of our day were permitted, like those of old, to see miracles before their very eyes, they would be as unbelieving as ever, and demand other signs. There was no want then, there is none now, of that which is necessary to faith. How could they explain the fact that all the scripture prophecies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled to the letter in Jesus! The explanation was easy to them: “We will not have this man to rule over us; hence he is a blasphemer; away with him!” Nevertheless, they knew not that hereby was fulfilled the prophecy of Jonas. — There is no lack of signs at the present time. We have such evidences as the historical authenticity of the Bible, and hence the truth of all its miracles. Then there is the church of Christ itself, whose existence would be impossible, were not Christ risen from the dead. There is the Jewish people; and the apostasy of our times, by which infidelity fulfills the prophecies of the word of God, as did the Jews when they crucified Christ. And how does the world contrive to evade the power of the truth? By the same means as formerly: “That which we wish to be true is true. We are wise; we are many. Away with Jesus; crucify him!”
There was and there is a church of God notwithstanding; and there always shall be a church of God which believes the gospel and sees the signs. By means of these our faith is strengthened; and our heart lives in the scripture, which is fulfilled on us, as it was on the Lord himself. Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in his cross! — Lord, thou dost still shew the world’s wicked generation the sign of the prophet Jonas. Thou dost permit thy church, and thus thyself, to be cast out, and the waters to overwhelm thee; but dost rise again, and dost with thy preaching of repentance force the great and the small to do penance in sackcloth and ashes. Lord, teach us to understand the times, and to escape perdition in the day of thy judgments. Amen.*
Among thy saints let me be found, Whene’er th’ archangel’s trump shall sound, To see thy smiling face; Then loudest of the crowd I’ll sing, While heaven’s resounding mansions ring The riches of thy grace.
* 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.
412. Monday after Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, increase our faith. Amen.
Romans 4, 18-25. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him: but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
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When we believe that which God has done for us in Christ, it is imputed to us for righteousness, as though we had done it ourselves. “If we believe,” says the apostle. Therefore the statement that the world has been made righteous in Christ needs explanation. To be sure, the sins of the whole world were imputed to Christ, and all men are redeemed by his blood. Thus righteousness is granted and offered all men; but it becomes the possession of them only that believe. Your sin is imputed to Christ, whether you be a Jew or gentile, whether you be a believer or one of the wicked; but his merit is not received by you for righteousness, except you believe. The believer is, then, in truth righteous before God. The purpose of Paul here is to prove that faith alone justifies. Not circumcision, not birth, not works; but faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness. It is, therefore, of the very highest importance that we believe; and it is this to which all scripture urges us.
Abraham and Sarah were old and decrepit, and could have no hope of issue. But God had spoken a promise; and to Abraham this was of greater force than were nature and reason. Giving glory to God, he became more strong and more sure in faith; and then he “saw the day of Christ.” Abraham believed in Christ; therefore he was justified through his faith. Christ, not the virtue of his own faith, was his comfort and hope. Notice, that to Paul it is one and the same thing which is reckoned for righteousness to Abraham and to us, namely that which God has promised, that is Christ. — We have nothing but sin, and are decaying in death; and when we consider this, it is against all hope to expect eternal life. Yet, even as through the word Abraham was enabled to believe, so Christ is with us in the word; and thus we also are able to believe. Is it not true that Christ died and rose again for us? Is it not he who has given us the gospel, and baptism, and the Lord’s supper? Is not he himself present in these means of grace as the Savior who died and rose again for us? And is not the promise of God more to be trusted than are your eyes; blind as they are in matters divine? Give glory to God, then; let him be true. “Against hope believe in hope”; and you shall be strengthened in your faith, and have the assurance beyond a doubt that he is able to do that which he has promised. How foolish is unbelief after all! Shall not God be able to perform what he has promised? Was he not able to give us his Son? Shall he not, then, be true to his promise, and through him make us righteous? Have compassion, merciful God, and create true faith in our hearts. Amen.*
Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood Shall never lose its power, Till all the ransomed church of God Be saved, to sin no more.
E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die.
* 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.
Lord, let thy word punish us for our unbelief and strengthen our faith. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, John 4, 46-53. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
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The faith of all believers is not equally strong. There plainly is a wide difference between the man in our gospel lesson and the centurion who said to Jesus: “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” The Lord has pleasure in them that believe in him with full trust and confidence; but neither does he disown those of weak faith, if they but be upright. He chastens and humbles all his own, and thus increases their faith; for this reason the son of this man was sick, and for this reason both you and I have our afflictions in the world. For this reason the Lord reproached the nobleman in our text, saying: “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” For this reason also the word of God often gives us a different answer from that which we desire. — Although the woman of Canaan stands high above this nobleman in humility and faith, yet the Lord’s manner of dealing with them is somewhat similar. She can bear it, and is therefore most thoroughly humbled, in order that her faith may gain a glorious victory; he is humbled to the limit of his strength to bear it, in order that his faith may increase. Both continue to pray; and the prayers of both are answered. Both have come to Jesus on behalf of their children; and both find more than they seek. — In the case of many the discipline by means of temporal affliction is in vain; but in the case of the upright it opens the door to the word of God. Look at the nobleman in our text. He had heard accounts concerning the Lord, but did not seek him. Afterward his son fell sick; then he remembered what he had heard, and went to Jesus. The Lord then reproached him in severe terms; and the nobleman humbles himself and sues for mercy. Thereupon the Lord brings the truth home to his soul; and now he is able to receive it. He believes without having seen, and then he is permitted to see also; — and he believes, and his whole house. Thus it is that the Lord deals with the upright; he humbles them, and creates faith; humbles them, and strengthens their faith. In like manner as he said to this man: “Thy son liveth,” so he says to you: “Your soul lives, your sin is taken away, your death is destroyed; your prayer is answered, you and your house are saved. When your time comes, lay yourself down to sleep; you are in heaven, and your body shall be called forth to glory.” The man went his way at the Lord’s word, believing without seeing; go thou, and do likewise. He was not deceived; neither shall you be. None who trusts in the word of the Lord shall be disappointed. Go your way gladly; you shall find the Lord’s words come true. — If your faith be weak, the Lord shall try you according to the measure of your ability to bear it, and chasten and strengthen your soul. Even though you may never become a mighty giant in faith, like Paul and Luther, yet you shall without any doubt obtain victory. The greater effort the devil makes to quench the spark of faith in you, the more brightly it shall burn. — Lord Jesus, I am full of frailties. Do not cast me off; but try, if there be truth in me; and strengthen my weak faith. Amen.*
Lord, I believe; thy power I own, Thy word I would obey; I wander comfortless and lone When from thy truth I stray.
Lord, I believe; but gloomy fears Sometimes bedim my sight; I look to thee with prayers and tears, And cry for strength and light.
Lord, put on me thy armor, and give me thy sword. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Ephesians 6, 10-17. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
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In the fight against the devil our own strength is as nothing; but in the power of the Lord’s might we are strong; so strong that “we are more than conquerors.” The purpose of the apostle is to make us earnest by impressing us with the character and strength of the enemy. Let your mind dwell on the terms used to designate the enemy: “Principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places.” The “wiles” of the devil, the strongest and most cunning of all created spirits, you must be able to withstand “in the evil day”; these terrible powers you, a poor broken reed, must overcome in the battles of life and in the agony of death, if you are to reach your crown. — The purpose of the apostle, however, also is to make our souls intrepid. I may be completely overawed on beholding the strength of the enemy; but then again, I am inspired with dauntless courage “in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” I have been baptized into the Lord; by faith I am united to God the Almighty, who allowed himself to be attacked by all the power of wickedness, and has gained the victory. In him, and in the power of his might; mark you, in the power of the Lord’s might, you shall surely tread the devil and his hosts underfoot. It is a case of fighting for your life, while you are here; but the victory is assured, and its spoils shall last forever. Put on the armor; work with one hand, but carry a sword in the other. “The whole armor of God.” The apostle repeats it: “Put on the whole armor of God,” and “take unto you the whole armor of God.” First of all, you must be girt about with truth. This is the belt by which the garments are held in place; truth, truth in your innermost heart! Walk in the light before God and men, or you will stumble and be trampled underfoot. In the next place, you must have on the righteousness of Christ; the breastplate which protects the heart and conscience against the dagger of every accuser. Furthermore, you must have your “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” That is to say, you must live all the time in the covenant of peace with God, in all your life gladly confess Christ, and suffer with him the ignominy of the cross. Do this, holding up the “shield of faith” against all the fiery darts of the wicked; that is, feeling assured of the presence of the invisible God, and of the truth of his promise; thus mortifying all the wicked thoughts and desires which are kindled in you by the tempter. The “helmet of salvation” is hope; that is, the soul’s certain expectation of eternal glory, which gives you courage to hold up your head in all afflictions. Finally, you must use the “sword of the Spirit”; for you are not only to protect yourself, but to put your enemy to rout. Use the sword of the Spirit, the sword which is the Spirit; but the Spirit is the word of God. The Spirit of the Lord in the word shall, then, be your strength of soul and hand, wherewith you smite the devil, as did Christ in the wilderness. — That we shall in this way conquer in the strength of the Lord is as certain, as it is that we can by no possibility conquer in our own strength. Brethren, the crown of glory beckons; “put on the whole armor of God,” and “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might!”
Almighty faithful God, be with us in the evil day, and protect us against the cunning and violent attacks of the devil. Lord God, make us strong in thee, and put on us thy whole armor; give us victory, and let us stand, having done all. Amen.*
As true as God’s own word is true, Nor earth nor hell, with all their crew, Against us shall prevail. A jest and byword are they grown; “God is with us;” we are his own; Our victory cannot fail.
* 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.
409. Saturday after Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 36, 5-12. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me. There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
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The lovingkindness of God is his undeserved goodness toward us; that we, in place of punishment and wrath, receive nothing but benefits. David praises it as something glorious in itself and precious to his heart. “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God!” “Excellent,” of great worth: the thought of the life and blood of God’s Son is brought before us. “Excellent,” precious; that is, a gem of value above all others. Such is the Lord’s lovingkindness; there is nothing can be compared with it. It is of infinitely greater value than a thousand worlds full of the most precious things which could be created. That God loves us, and is good to us; — is there any price at which we would sell this truth? When David speaks of it as excellent (“jakar”) it is as if he said: “Thy rich and priceless lovingkindness, O my God, is to me more precious than the pearls of greatest price, and is worth more to my heart than heaven and earth; it is excellent in itself and excellent to me!” I hope that you also, dear reader, know the lovingkindness of God, and prize it highly. How sadly blind and how terribly depraved are they who regard lightly the mercy of God! — I do not by any means say too much; truly they are “evil eyes” which do not see this sun, and do not heed its glory. When the Spirit of God enlightens us we understand that without it we were the most wretched of all creatures, abandoned to temporal and eternal misery, having no peace, given up to hate one another and to be trodden under foot by the devil; we understand that it is the mercy of God in Christ which gives us all good things, and we say with David: “Thy mercy, O God, is infinitely precious; it is better than life, and more excellent than heaven.” Yet we feel that we do not grasp its full value. Of the bottomless ocean of the Divinity we can hold but a few drops; the love of God is a glorious sun, of which our poor eyes are able to see but a feeble reflection.
God, continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Amen.*
Every human tie may perish, Friend to friend unfaithful prove, Mothers cease their own to cherish, Heaven and earth at last remove: But no changes Can attend Jehovah’s love.
In the furnace God may prove thee Thence to bring thee forth more bright, But can never cease to love thee; Thou art precious in his sight; God is with thee, God, thine everlasting light.
* 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.
“I had fainted, unless I had thought to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Hebrews 4, 9-16. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
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Weary pilgrim among the people of God, a blessed sabbath rest awaits you. The sabbath is the day of holy convocation, of divine service, of liberty, and of the singing of praises to God. “There remaineth a rest to the people of God’’; a condition of perfect repose, with the full enjoyment of bliss in the fellowship of God and all the saints. “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem; that ye may be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. Your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb.” (Isaiah 66, 10. 11. 14). If you, my reader, desire to enter into that rest, you must walk with fear, and at the same time with boldness. Neither the thoughtless nor the faint-hearted can gain admittance. Let the living word of God lay bare, melt, crush, and judge your heart; but let it also heal and comfort you; so that you stand confidently before his face, and boldly confess your faith before men. The Son of God became our high priest; therefore we may be of good cheer. He has not only atoned for our sins with his blood, which he shed on the cross, and bore to heaven; but he was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Thus of his own experience he knows our struggles and our sorrows, our suffering and our labor, and all our weaknesses; nay he knows better, and feels more acutely than you do the condition of your sick and troubled heart, and the sufferings with which sin and Satan afflict you. A great high priest have we, Jesus the Son of God, great in power and great in mercy. “Such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” “Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” — We will, then, labor to enter that rest; labor hard to do it! Here, labor; yonder, rest! We will walk by the light of the word in the sight of God with holy earnestness, and come boldly before him sheltered under the wings of our merciful and faithful High Priest. — Accomplish this in us, O God, by thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Jesus, tender Savior, Hast thou died for me? Make me very thankful In my heart to thee.
Now I know thou livest, And dost plead for me; Make me very thankful In my prayers to thee.
Soon I hope in glory At thy side to stand; Make me fit to meet thee In that happy land.
[suggested tune: Wem in Leidenstagen (TLH 158); 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.
407. Thursday after Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.
Give us, O God, an ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3, 14-22. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
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This is a most impressive sermon. Let us all lay it to heart! These are the words of Jesus, set down in order that we also may hear them. There are many who deceive themselves with a sort of Christianity in which there is no life. They neither have knowledge of their sin, nor do they seek the grace of God. They refuse to practice self-denial; and they live in sensuality, covetousness, hate, anger, pride, deceit, and other sins. They boast of Christ, though they mock and deride him in his saints and trample his blood under foot.
O you blind, deceived, and spurious Christian; certainly the word of God never taught you that you can be saved in this way; nor has it been preached by any of the prophets or apostles. On the contrary, the burden of their preaching is this: If you wish to receive forgiveness, you must repent, and renounce and hate your sins, and believe in Christ, your only Savior and Redeemer.
— Johann Arndt
Others have begun to repent, but have then gone the way of Demas, spoken of in 2 Tim. 4, 10. They may perhaps keep up a certain appearance of piety, and have converse with the true Christians; and they “have a name that they live, — and are dead.” — However, in the sight of God there is no greater abomination than that lukewarmness which he reproaches in the Laodiceans. He who is “the Amen, the faithful and true witness,” — thus he here calls himself in order to wake us up; — he knows your works, and would rather have you to be cold than lukewarm. Give ear, then; awake, and know yourself! It is not the one that is wretched whom he will spew out of his mouth; — not the one who is sensible of his sin, and feels sorrow by reason of his misery; but the one that is satisfied with himself, and is rich and has need of nothing. When we no longer pray: “God be merciful to me a sinner;” when we no more feel the need of putting on Christ; when we have no desire to “behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple”; when we no longer have the wish to confess God, and to serve the brethren; — then we are lukewarm, and on the way to perdition. Deplorable self-complacency! For Jesus’ sake, rouse yourself from your torpor! He chastises you by his word, and disciplines you by means of afflictions, because he loves you. He knocks at the door, because he wants to sup with you. Will you force him to reject you? Is it to become necessary for him to place another in the seat intended for you? You may yet “overcome,” and then you shall “sit with him in his throne.” Note this: You may overcome, and sit with Jesus in his throne, he says, “even as I also overcame, and am set with my Father in his throne.” He still holds you in his heart; will you compel him to “spue you out”? to pronounce judgment and condemnation on you by his word? He yet loves you; yet there is time! Do return his love; go to your chamber, and pray with all your heart: Lord, wake me; and quicken me, and keep me. — Lord Jesus, if thou canst yet save me; if thou wilt yet have compassion on me, I humbly beseech thee to do it. “I would be, dear Jesus, where thou wouldst have me. I take thee, O Lord, into my heart with all thy grace and gifts.” Faithful Savior, let us keep together; I cannot live without thee, I must not lose thee. Chastise me, but do not cast me off; save, O save thine own, whom thou hast bought with thy life. Amen.*
Just as I am, without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bid’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not To rid myself of one dark blot, To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
* 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.
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.
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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.
* 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.
405. Tuesday after Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.
Ephesians 2, 13-22. But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
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Without Christ the law is a wall of partition between the Jews and gentiles, and sin a wall of partition between God and both of them; but in Christ both are reconciled to God, and united with each other. God’s holy, eternal, and immutable law no more stands as a threat between God and Israel; for Christ has fulfilled both its demands and its judgment. “In his flesh,” — his work of atonement in his human nature and his humiliation, — he “abolished even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” “He blotted out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” As he has atoned for the sin of the whole world, Jews and gentiles now have free access to God.
Paul everywhere teaches that Jesus Christ as our Savior himself is in the words of the gospel. “He is our peace,” he who abolished the enmity; he is himself our peace. And again: “He came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Read this aright and see that Jesus with his blood, which he shed on the cross, is present in his means of grace; so that whosoever accepts the gospel accepts him, and is reconciled to God; but whosoever closes his heart to the gospel rejects Christ himself, and remains under the wrath of God. As there is no salvation in any other, so there is no participation in him but by faith in his word.
By the word he has in fact created a new people of God, composed of Jews and gentiles. We also, with our fathers, were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, without hope, and without God. But the word came, and the Spirit therein made clear to us the cross; and now we also are made nigh by the blood of Christ. In the word of God we have our true certificate of citizenship in Israel. Christ is our only ground of salvation; and in him we are indissolubly joined together with the church of the Pentecost and of all time. Of his infinite mercy God has quickened us, raised us up, and lifted us to heaven in Christ Jesus. This is no idle dream; for we have the true gospel, the true Savior, the true life of love, and stand night and day before the throne of God. — O God, we bless thee for thy wisdom and mercy. Help us to believe the word, and to glorify thee. Amen.*
The foolish builders, scribe and priest, Reject it with disdain; Yet on this rock the church shall rest, And envy rage in vain.
What though the gates of hell withstood; Yet must this building rise: ’Tis thine own work, almighty God, And wondrous in our eyes.
* 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.
Psalm 8. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies; that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
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The holy bard of Israel glorifies the mercy and goodness of the Lord toward man; this is one thought of the psalm before us.** The Lord, who is so great, and has set his glory above the heavens in such a way that even babes must praise him, — to the shame of blind and infatuated scoffers and infidels; — he has appointed little man to have dominion over all his works, and put all things under his feet.
Excellent is the name of the Lord in all the earth! Consider the splendor of the heavens; it is the name of our Lord which you see written in these lines and curves of countless jewels. When you know that nearly all these points of light are mighty suns, they speak to you, saying: Infinitely great is the Lord of hosts. When they look down upon you with their wondrously gentle and kindly light, they declare that the Lord is good; and when the mists roll away, and the stars reappear, each in the place in which it was seen by Abraham and Moses, they proclaim the unchangeable truth of the Lord. The universe is a crown of heavenly orbs; and how incomparably more grand than the crown of an earthly king! What then, shall we say of the inconceivable goodness of God, in that he has made man to have dominion over all his works? Man, know your littleness, and your greatness! Know the Lord and his mercy, and become humble; so shall you become great! From the beginning he created man in his own image, and said: Have dominion over all things, in the height and in the depth. By the fall we lost our glory; but it has been given us again in Christ; and in him we shall attain to supreme dominion over all things. One outgrowth of the Christian religion is an intellectual culture which has enabled man to penetrate deep into the secrets of nature, and harness its forces, and compel them to do his will; and yet, how much more shall humanity see when it has been made perfect, and how like a king shall it be then in its relations to all things! God, the glory of whose name shines forth in all his works, did not only give us an intellect above all other creatures, when he breathed life into us from the beginning; but he has given to us fallen creatures his Son, and in him renews us to be his children, and fashions us into a church which is flesh and bone of the only begotten Son of God. This I remember when I consider the greatness of the Lord in all the earth and his splendor in the heavens; and then I sink down at his feet with the fear of the humble and sinful creature before the infinitely glorious and holy One, but with the trust of a child in my heavenly Father, and say: “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”*
Before Jehovah’s awful throne, Ye nations, bow with sacred joy: Know that the Lord is God alone; He can create, and he destroy.
His sovereign power, without our aid, Made us of clay, and formed us men; And when like wandering sheep we strayed, He brought us to his fold again.
We are his people, we his care, Our souls and all our mortal frame: What lasting honors shall we rear, Almighty Maker, to thy name?
* 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.
** According to Matthew 21, 16; Hebrews 2, 6-9 and 1 Corinthians 15, 27 this Psalm treats first of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, let thy Holy Spirit teach us what is meant by the wedding garment, and clothe us with it. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 22, 1-14. And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all, as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
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The kingdom of heaven, or the church of Christ, is the kingdom of grace in this world and the kingdom of glory in the world to come. It is likened unto the marriage of a king’s son, because it surpasses everything else in splendor. In this kingdom we are reunited with God, and receive that which the soul needs; righteousness, peace and joy, love, life and salvation. We, who are baptized and use the word of God and the Lord’s supper; we are guests at the wedding. Now all depends on our having the wedding garment; if we are without this garment, we shall be cast into outer darkness, into eternal despair and misery. How unspeakably important, then, to have the wedding garment!
What we need is the righteousness and purity which can avail us before God. He that is righteous and holy in the sight of God has this wedding garment. Now, “Christ Jesus of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”; and as many as have been baptized into Christ, and believe in him, have put on Christ (Galatians 3, 26. 27). Christ is himself our wedding garment; Christ himself, the Savior of sinners, who died for us, and lives for us, and through the means of grace in the church imparts his righteousness and holiness to everyone that believes. It is often said, and with truth, that the wedding garment is nothing else than the righteousness of Christ; but in this case the “righteousness of Christ” is his whole grace unto salvation, which presents us righteous and undefiled before the sight of God. He who is to stand before God must have put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and trust only to his merit. As the hymn has it: “Nothing in my hand I bring; / Simply to thy cross I cling; / Naked come to thee for dress; / Helpless, look to thee for grace.” Then I am, in the words of Isaiah, 61, 10, “clothed with the garments of salvation, and covered with the robe of righteousness, as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” He who has put off his own righteousness, and who has no hope but in the merit of Christ; he has put on the wedding garment. Then he has also been born again and sanctified; in Christ he not only has remission of sins, but he has also been cleansed; he is not only counted pure in the sight of God by the mercy of the Father for Christ’s sake, but has also received the pure and holy mind of Christ, and becomes every day more pure in spirit and soul and body. According to that merciful decree of God which scripture calls justification, he is in Christ absolved from every charge against him, and can stand without fear before the bar of divine justice; but by reason of the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, and the resultant purity of mind and conduct, he is also fit to dwell with God and enjoy his eternal bliss. The merit of Christ covers him; the purity of Christ adorns him. Now, do you understand what the wedding garment is? Blessed is he who is able to say with Paul: “For Christ I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Of these David sings: “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” These belong to the church, which Christ “loved, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Blessed is he who can say to the Savior: “Thou art my precious garment, the great treasure of my heart. Thy righteousness is my eternal wedding jewel.” Help us thereto, O Lord, by thy good Holy Spirit. Amen.*
Zion hears the watchmen singing, Her heart with heavenly joy is springing, She wakes, she rises from her gloom; For her Lord comes down all-glorious, The strong in grace, in truth victorious, Her star is risen, her light is come! All hail, incarnate Lord, Our crown and our reward! Hail! Hosanna! The joyful call we answer all, And follow to the nuptial hall.
Lord, let thy word wake us, and make us to walk wisely and circumspectly always. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Ephesians 5, 15-21. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
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The sky becomes more dark, and the path more dangerous; there are pitfalls on either hand, and a secret snare at every footstep. Infidelity and false doctrine, worldliness and stupid carelessness, pride and sectarianism are stronger temptations now than ever before; “the days are evil.” “See then that ye walk circumspectly!” Do not allow yourself to be enticed hither and thither! Remain in the narrow path of lowliness and self-denial. Become ever less in your own eyes; believe in Christ; let your heart be full of his love, your life abound in his virtues! “Redeem the time”; do not neglect to make use of that which can promote the salvation of your soul; grasp the precious hours of grace, and use them, that you may have fruit thereof!
In order that we may thus walk circumspectly and wisely, our epistle lesson commends to us these four rules: 1) “Be not drunk with wine; but be filled with the spirit.” The brethren of Nahal and Elah and Ben-hadad in the matter of gluttony and drunkenness are many among the children of the world; but you, who fear God, must shun excesses. Enjoy the gifts of God in such a way that you may always be in a fit condition for worship and prayer. Never drunk with wine; but all the time more happy, brave, hearty, and zealous; more entirely filled with the Spirit. (Acts 2, 4. 15). If you have begun to taste the love of God, then do you watch and pray and do good, and drink of the river of his pleasures, of the fountain of life in his word and sacraments (Psalm 36, 9. 10). 2) “Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord”; and if you have the gift of song, make use of it for the delight of others. “If any be afflicted, let him pray; if any be merry, let him sing!” Do it; it is a natural and healthy impulse. The Israel of old was a people of song; should not this be even still more true of the new Israel? God has given our Lutheran church a rich treasure of grand hymns; learn them, and sing them while at your work and in your home. Keep close to the brethren always, that they may kindle the fire in you, and you in them. Rake the embers apart, and they die; heap them together, and they glow. 3) “Give thanks always for all things unto God.” That which God gives you is altogether good, and altogether undeserved. There is absolutely nothing for which you do not owe him thanks. All is included in the name of Jesus Christ; you receive it for his sake; and the purpose of everything which befalls you is to carry to completion his work as your Savior. Give thanks, then, in “all things”; and in return give them all to God with humble gratitude. This rule, also, is one to be honored in the observance! 4) “Submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Let the contemplation of God’s holiness and greatness and mercy cause you to become less than the least in your own eyes, in honor preferring one another. “Ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility.” (1 Peter 5, 5). — He that does these things walks circumspectly, as the wise, understanding what the will of the Lord is. — God, give us grace thereto according to thy promise in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.*
O God, thou faithful God, Thou Fountain ever-flowing, Without whom nothing is, All perfect gifts bestowing; A pure and healthy frame O give me, and within A conscience free from blame, A soul unhurt by sin.
* 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.
401. Saturday after Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 63, 1-7. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
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Notice how David “thirsteth for God,” and rejoices; how he is happy, and praises God in the midst of most grievous afflictions. Such psalms as this he sang in the desert, when he fled before his son Absalom. Will not you also aspire to this glorious state; that your longing for God may grow more intense, as your troubles increase, and your joy in praising him become greater, as your cross becomes more heavy? “To David every spring of human comfort had run dry; but he thirsted the more after the well of salvation. This is the true mark of God’s children. When the children of the world wander in the desert even the last remnant of longing for God dies in their soul; while the children of God thirst for him more and more in proportion to the sufferings through which he leads them. By this rule each of us may test the condition of his soul.” — “All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me” (Psalm 42, 7. 8). “Alas,” say you, “point out to me the wicket into the holy land, and give me the key which will open its gates!” If you earnestly desire to gain admittance, you are near the gate; and the Spirit, the true and faithful, shall guide you. David mentions the way when he declares his longing “to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” If we have and use the Lord’s word and sacraments, there is no doubt that the Lord himself is here with grace and life. Had David “seen him” with his bodily eyes, do you think? No; he believed his presence, because he had the Lord’s own promise; and thus it was that he saw the Lord. That God who had brought the Israelites out of Egypt, and planted them in Canaan, and given them the law, and kept his covenant with them; him David saw in the holy of holies in the tabernacle, where it was pitch dark to the eye, and where none but the high priest was permitted to enter. Let the Holy Spirit reveal to you your sin; it is real, but cannot be seen without the light of the Spirit; and let him teach you, as he taught David, to see our Lord Jesus Christ, who is just as truly present among us in his means of grace, — Christ, who destroyed death, founded the church, preserves it unto the end, and mercifully pardons you for all your sins. Let the Spirit teach you thus to see him; then he becomes your God, glorious to you, as he is the Glorious One in fact; and the Spirit shall knit your heart more closely to him through many tribulations. — I pray and beseech you by the burning love of Jesus Christ, let nothing, nothing in all the world, keep you away; but come in, and learn to “rejoice in the shadow of the Lord’s wings!” Bring this to pass, O God, by thy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Soon shall I pass the gloomy vale, Soon all my mortal pow’rs must fail; O may my last expiring breath His lovingkindness sing in death.
Then let me mount and soar away To the bright world of endless day; And sing, with rapture and surprise, His lovingkindness in the skies.
* 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.
400. Friday after Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Romans 5, 6-11. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
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In this text we again have one of those pearls of great price which, when carefully examined, seem to transcend all others. For us, weak, helpless, and ungodly men, Christ died in due time. “For us”; that is to say, in our place, for our benefit. It is done; it had been promised, and it is finished. For us, who were without strength, but were thoroughly depraved, and wicked, and strangers to God; for us, the ungodly, the Son of God died. He died for us, sacrificed himself on the cross, gave himself as a ransom for us. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet Christ died for us ungodly men. Peradventure some might be willing to die in the stead of their best friend and benefactor; but Christ died for his enemies. Thus has God loved us, and proved his love. Could he have done more to “commend” it? Could he have given us better proof that he loves us? Shall this not assure us of our eternal salvation, lead us to commit ourselves wholly to God, melt our heart, cause us to fall down and worship before his throne, make us certain that we are in the state of grace, and make us fearless in the face of the accusations brought against us by sin and Satan? Christ shed his blood for us, when we were dead in sin and altogether ungodly; being now justified by his blood, shall we not, now that God is well pleased in us, escape wrath through him, through his life and his intercession for us? He wished to save us, when we were ungodly; shall he not wish to save us now that we are his beloved? He was willing to die for us then; can it be that he is unwilling to be our advocate and intercede for us now? Behold, how sure is our salvation! We were the enemies of God; the wrath of God was upon us; then he gave his Son to die for us, and reconciled us to himself. Now we are friends, and his Son lives for us. On the one hand, enmity and the Son’s death for his enemies; on the other, friendship and the Son’s life for his friends. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Nor can Christ be lost to us by death. An earthly father may die, leaving a bereaved family behind; but Christ dies no more. We were reconciled to God by his death; much more, says Paul, much more shall we be saved by his life. We might have thought that he would not be willing to die for us, — as, thank God, he has done; — but it is not possible for us to think that he will not live for us. — Has not God given us a firm rock on which to build our faith? And this is for us all, let us but believe. For Christ died for us all. Shall we with Paul glory in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received reconciliation; or shall we glory in ourselves; or shall we still doubt, and all the time complain that God does not give us a sufficiency of grace and light to enable us to believe? — Lord God, we are ashamed of our unbelief. Thou knowest how difficult it is for us to learn that Christ died for us; to learn this, which to our reason and senses seems utterly impossible: “The Son of God died for us, and lives for us.” Nevertheless, we thank thee; we praise thy infinite love, and will praise it forever and ever, world without end. Help us to do this. Amen.*
Do we pass that cross unheeding, Breathing no repentant vow, Though we see thee wounded, bleeding, See thy thorn-encircled brow?
Yet thy sinless death has brought us Life eternal, peace, and rest; Only what thy grace has taught us Calms the sinner’s stormy breast.
* 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.
399. Thursday after Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 25, 1-11. A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed; let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
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“Gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity. Believe in him, and he will help thee; order thy way aright, and trust in him. Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and go not aside, lest ye fall. Ye that fear the Lord, believe him; and your reward shall not fail. Ye that fear the Lord, hope for good, and for everlasting joy and mercy. Look at the generations of old, and see; did any ever trust in the Lord, and was confounded? or did any abide in his fear, and was forsaken? or whom did he ever despise, that called upon him? For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, long-suffering, and very pitiful, and forgiveth sins, and saveth in time of affliction.” (Ecclesiasticus 2, 5-11). You, dear friend, who call upon the name of the Lord may feel sure that he shall lead your cause to a glorious issue. This you may expect with as much confidence as though you already saw it. He who has loved you from eternity, and has given you his only begotten Son; he who is love and mercy and truth without end; could he be the God of your perdition, calamity, and ruin? Impossible! He must, then, be the God of your salvation, as David here calls him. Wait for his salvation in all manner of need; whether it be of the soul, fear and sorrow by reason of sin; or it be of the body, poverty, sickness, and danger; — wait upon him, and hope in him; he is as willing as he is mighty to help you. If the end be not that which you had hoped for, it is because the Lord makes it much more glorious; and if he do not come when it seems to you that he should, he comes at the proper time; for he is much wiser than you, even as he loves you better than you love yourself. He places you in the fiery crucible, in order that he may give you more resplendent glory. It is an unalterable law that “none that wait on the Lord shall be ashamed.’’ “But,” say you; “how about my sins?” You must confess them, and pray him to forgive them. David is not speaking of angels. He says: “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.” “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.” “According to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord!” “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he will teach sinners in the way.” Take your soul to him out of your sins, and believe his forgiveness; then you are in his covenant; and, as he lives, all his paths are mercy and truth unto you! — Lord, keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. Amen.*
Thou on my head in early youth didst smile, And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile, Thou hast not left me, oft as I left thee; On to the close, O Lord, abide with me!
I need thy presence every passing hour; What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who like thyself my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me!
* 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.
398. Wednesday after Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
God, give us to see something of the depth of thy mercy. Amen.
Micah 7, 18-20. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities: and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
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This is the glorious issue of the judgments of God which were proclaimed to Israel by the prophet Micah. Such was the issue in the case of Israel: “Who is a God like unto thee?” The name Micah means: Who is like unto Jehovah? But that glory of our God at which the prophet marvels is his infinite mercy. In righteous anger he chastises us to make us penitent, in order that we put away our sins, and come over on his side; and then he “pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by transgression,” and “retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” “As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” So great is his delight in mercy that he gave his only begotten Son in order to have compassion upon us and save us. Must we not say in wonder and worship: “Lord, who is like unto thee?” — “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us,” says the prophet. He will “again” have compassion; let the troubled soul take note! If you now feel his anger, take notice that he says he will “turn again.” There is to be a change; the matter shall take a new turn, and have another issue. “He will have compassion.” Our iniquities are as enemies resisting us; they accuse us, attack our conscience, and want to kill us; but he will have compassion, and subdue them. Every time that old sins and evil desires and all manner of infirmities rise against us, he shall place his foot on their neck, and give us victory over them. “Into the depths of the sea shalt thou, Lord God, cast all the sins of thy people. Thou, thou canst hide them; thou canst cast them into eternal oblivion; thou only. I will confess them, nor hide one of them from thee.” — This is the right way, brethren! Come to God with all the sin of which you have knowledge; and it is engulfed at once in the bottomless sea of mercy. You shall lay bare your sin before him; he shall take it away and hide it. And do you think that the sin which has been drowned in these depths shall hereafter burn in your conscience? Can Satan kindle anew the spark which has been quenched in this great sea? Impossible! When he causes you to tremble in fear of eternal perdition he is practicing the art in which he is the great master, that of lying. But God is true, and his words shall stand: “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah 43, 25). Your sin is not only forgiven, but eternally forgotten. — Thy oath, O God, can never fail; thou hast delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and we shall serve thee without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our life. Do also, we pray thee, “turn again” soon, and “perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham.” Amen.*
Grant us, dear Lord, from evil ways True absolution and release; And may we more than in past days Increase in purity and peace.
Thy pardon give, and give us joy, Sweet fear and sober liberty, And loving hearts without alloy, That only long to be like thee.
* 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.
397. Tuesday after Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
“Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks; for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.”
Lamentations 3, 22-33. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them, that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. For the Lord will not cast off for ever: but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
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The Lord does you no evil. He smites you because he loves you, and wants to prepare you for eternal happiness. If you be converted, the afflictions with which he visits you will cause you to heed his word and obey his call. Thousands who are in heaven would have been in hell, had not their tribulations taught them obedience to the word of God. That man who was sick of the palsy would not have been prepared to receive absolution, had he not been suffering with a painful disease; nor would David have been able to speak of the bliss of those on whom God had bestowed favor, had he not previously felt the hand of the Lord heavy upon him. It was not for his own pleasure that the Lord put the hollow of Jacob’s thigh out of joint; nor was it without a purpose that he let sorrow visit the house of Jairus. The saved in heaven thank God that he brought them out of their sleep by laying on them the sharp lash of affliction; and who shall say that the sorrow which now oppresses you may not become a blessed aid in the hand of God for your conversion? As you live, this is at all events the Lord’s purpose. — If you be a believer, it should not be necessary for me to assure you that the cross is a blessing; but alas, we are slow to learn to thank God for our tribulations. Know, then, that the adversity and sorrow which you have are the very best things that can befall you, and that the Lord’s great mercy has sent them to you. By this means you are humbled and become like Jesus; by this means your heart is loosed from the world; by this means you are taught to pray, and to have patience, hope, and confidence in God; by this means you are sanctified, and prepared to enjoy the bliss of heaven. “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”; and none is become great before the Lord except through humiliations. Through what deep waters were not such men as Jeremiah and David compelled to go in order to become the comforters of the church of God; in order that they might be able to sing the pilgrims across the dark valleys on to Jerusalem! — What should I do in my great distress and anxiety, if thou, O Lord, didst not strengthen me with thy holy word? If I do but reach the haven of safety at last, what care I how many severe storms I must encounter on the voyage! — Thou, Lord, art my portion; what more do I desire? If thou do hide thy face, I will wait and hope; and thou shalt change my lamentation to songs of praise, and gird me round with eternal joy. Blessed be thy name! Amen.*
Whate’er the burden be, The cross upon me laid, Or want or shame, I look to thee: Be thou, O Christ, my aid.
And let thy sorrows cheer My soul when I depart: Give strength to cast away all fear, Console, sustain my heart.
Since thou hast died for me, Help me to trust thy grace, That thou wilt take me up to thee, Where I shall see thy face.
* 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.
396. Monday after Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 130. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
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God’s good Holy Spirit does not tire of pointing out to us the only and safe way out of our troubles: We must confess our sins, humble us before the Lord, and confidently expect his gracious help. “This psalm,” says Hengstenberg,
teaches us that the church of God must not complain nor lose heart in her suffering; but pray her merciful Lord and Savior to forgive her sins, and remit their well deserved punishment; and confidently believe that he has the will to do it and truly does it. This is the royal road by which we attain fearlessness in trouble, and escape from suffering into the state of joy.
Especially do we here learn to wait and hope, wait and hope for the Lord’s help, and never cease humbly to pray in faith and hope, even though for a long time we hear no answer. In this waiting and hoping are included two things: 1) We have a hearty longing and yearning, and say: “Lord, make haste to help me!” This lesson is readily learned when we are in distress, when we cry out of the depths, when the waters threaten to engulf us. 2) We confidently expect the Lord to save us; we cling to his promise, and have the assurance in our heart that the help will come in due season. This is, alas, more difficult; and none can learn it save by the Holy Ghost. That we may learn it, he has caused this and many similar psalms to be written. By means of words such as these he gives humility, faith, and comfort to the upright hearts; so that they not only learn what they are to do in their affliction, but also receive grace to do it. At the time of the Diet at Augsburg, when Luther made his home at Coburg, he was often in such sore spiritual distress that he himself says: “I have been in deep agony of spirit, the like of which you will, I hope, never feel; I should not wish any man to have the experience which I have had.” At this time of trial he often sang the psalm before us; and it so mightily strengthened him that he was able to write: “And were the world with devils filled, all eager to devour us, our souls should not yield to fear; for on our side we have One who can easily and quickly fell them all.” — It is the way of our Lord to postpone helping us, when it seems to us, that if he loved us, and were aware of our distress, he should come at once to our assistance; and then it is the way of Satan to whisper into our soul: “There is no God to hear and deliver you.” But then, thank God, it is the way of the Holy Spirit to keep us in the word and faith, and say to the soul: “Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” In the greatest need the one thing to do is to wait with humble faith for the Lord, and continue to expect mercy and salvation of him; this, and nothing else; of him, and of none other. None who has waited for the Lord has ever been made ashamed. — To wait for the Lord, and to hope in the Lord, he shall give you the strength by the power of his word!*
Out of the depths I cry to thee, Lord, hear me, I implore thee! In grace thine ear incline to me, My prayer let come before thee! If thou remember each misdeed, If each should have its rightful meed, Lord, who can stand before thee?
Like those who watch for midnight’s hour To hail the dawning morrow, I wait for thee, I trust thy power, Unmoved by doubt or sorrow. So thus let Israel hope in thee, And he shall find thy mercy free, And thy redemption plenteous.
* 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.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 9, 1-8. And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
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“Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” This declaration Christ has not taken with him away from the earth; in that case we were undone. What did I say? taken with him from the earth? As though Christ had left us! No; as these are living words, which never pass away, even so our Lord Jesus himself is here among us with these his words unto the end of time. When we preach in his name repentance and forgiveness of sins, so that the penitent soul believes and finds peace in the blood of Jesus, it is the Lord himself who declares: “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” If he were not present to let his divine voice be heard through us, our preaching would not have power to drive sin and the devil out of the hearts of our hearers. Let every minister of the gospel bear in mind that the Lord is with him when he rises to preach; that he may “speak as the oracles of God.” In like manner the Lord is with the words of forgiveness of sins in baptism and the Lord’s supper; — while to them who feel themselves weighed down by their sins, and are unable to apply to their hearts the comfort offered them when they hear or read the gospel addressed to all, he has given the rite of absolution; through which we give the anxious soul which confesses its sin, and prays for mercy, assurance of full forgiveness by the word of God. When David confessed his sin, Nathan said: “The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” This was the own word of God; and who can doubt that it came true? When Jesus said to the man sick of the palsy, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” were they not in truth forgiven? And the word is equally true when spoken to you in absolution; for it is the very word which Jesus spoke, God’s own word, which he has given his church the office of proclaiming to poor sinners; and in which himself is present, though unseen; — unseen, because we are to be saved by faith. Or is it not true that he gave his disciples this commission: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”? And again: “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained”? Do all, then, who receive absolution come into possession of forgiveness of sins? We say that it all depends on faith. He that does not believe is condemned already; for he makes God a liar. They who in their hearts despise the grace of God, and covet the world only; and they whose hearts refuse the gift, and who with the scribes in our text declare absolution by men to be blasphemy; — these certainly do not come into possession of the forgiveness which the words of absolution contain. For the very reason that faith alone can accept the grace of God, and that it is a most dangerous thing to refuse this great gift from the Lord, and deny this divine truth unto salvation; therefore we are vitally interested in giving one another instruction on this point, and by the revelation of the truth encourage one another to believe. If you do not as yet feel your sin with regret and pain, I beseech and exhort you by the love of Jesus to repent, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For he who does not know his sin with at least that degree of godly sorrow which impels him to go to Jesus and seek mercy, such a one has no life at all, but belongs to either the Pharisees or the Sadducees or the thoughtless multitude. If, on the other hand, you are sensible of your sin, and pray for mercy, you must not look about you in the domain of your own works or feelings in order to become a believer and find peace; but let yourself be brought to Jesus like the man sick of the palsy, and receive the comfort of forgiveness in the word which he has spoken, and which is preached to you by his servants. You do not believe that the word which we preach is the word which was spoken by his lips? Whence comes, then, this word of forgiveness which has been, and is, and will be heard in his church unto the end? From whom does it proceed? “Well,” say you, “the message may come from him; but it may not be addressed to me.’’ Let me ask you one question: “Who is the author of your soul’s prayer for mercy? Dare you say that it is any other than he? And yet you dare assert that he may have forgotten you, or that he may refuse to hear your prayer of which he is himself the author! Such unbelief surely is the height of foolishness and falsehood. Let me ask you another question: Of the many who came to Jesus with their burden of sin can you mention one who was turned away? Why, then, should he refuse to help you? Himself declares: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Yet you dare think that he may cast you out? Away, terrible unbelief, which contradicts the very words of truth itself! — Thank God, the truth shall remain the truth; our Lord Jesus is present in his own word with forgiveness of sins for every needy soul; and on this word we will take our stand, and bid defiance to sin and death and the kingdom of Satan. In the word of Jesus, and in nothing else whatever, will we put our trust, and let him be in the right in all things.
Do thou help us to do this, Lord Jesus; thou knowest the unbelief of our hearts. Hold us fast; draw us to thee; give us the grace of thy Holy Spirit to believe in thee, and to find rest in thy word of truth. Amen.*
By servant thine thou say’st to me: “My child, thy sin’s forgiven thee! Depart in peace, and sin no more, And e’er my pard’ning grace adore.”
Yea, Lord, we bless the wondrous grace That granteth us this joyful peace; It is through Jesus’ precious blood That we enjoy the heavenly good.
Lord God, give us today by the word new zeal and new strength. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Ephesians 4, 22-28. That ye put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
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Paul writes this exhortation to believers who are sealed with the Holy Ghost. Even they, then, still have such sins as these. Let no wicked man, however, comfort himself with this reflection. For the wicked will not put away that which is evil. When they rejoice at the sins of the saints it is the devil’s joy, springing out of their love of sin. To the children of God, on the other hand, who grieve by reason of the evil still remaining in their flesh, and who fear that they may not be true Christians, it shall be a source of comfort that Paul finds it necessary to write thus to the holy church at Ephesus.
Let us also, then, obey the admonition of the apostle to put off the old man, and put on the new. No garment is so thoroughly moth-eaten and so full of filth and vermin as is the old man here spoken of. In these foul rags the unconverted are clothed; but without knowing it, because their lusts make them blind. You Christian, however, have put off the hideous garment; yet you must continue still to drag it with you; and the devil wants to make you put it on; but do you stamp it under foot, and put down the promptings of the flesh! If the soul stricken with palsy be healed by the grace of forgiveness, it must arise, and walk in newness of life; when the prodigal son has been received into the house of the father, and the best robe has been put on him, he must stay there, and wear it, and keep it clean, and consort no more with harlots. O with what zeal the regenerated children of God should follow after holiness! And the pure conversation proceeds from within. They have received a new mind, which, being born of God, is altogether holy; but in this they must be continually renewed. As there is a constant renewal of matter in a living body, some of the old being all the time replaced by the new; so it is also in the case of a living Christian. Of the Spirit of God he is ever receiving new light and new strength, and is being purged of the sin which still dwells in him; thus he has every day a new desire after that which is good. Many who at one time were filled with holy fire became cold, because they neglected this renewal of the mind. It gives the bounding freshness of youth to young and old; so that “they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” — Out of this renewal of mind proceeds holiness of life. Let the devil and his people do all the lying; for love and lying can by no possibility be yoked together. And let them have all the bitterness; for love and bitterness will not intermix. When you are overcome by the temptation to anger, and persist in it, you grieve the Spirit of God; can neither pray nor give thanks, but are palsied of both heart and hand. Is it not solemnly impressive that the apostle combines these two things: “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath,” and “Neither give place to the devil”? In Cain and Saul the devil found lodgment by their wrath; in Absolom and Ahithophel, by their greed of power; in Judas, by his covetousness; in you he must never find a place by any means whatever! The Lord shall keep you. “Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.” — Merciful and faithful God, work in us to will and to do; and sanctify us wholly in spirit and soul and body. Amen.*
Cleanse our hearts from sinful folly, In the stream thy love supplied, Mingled stream of blood and water, Flowing from thy wounded side; And to heavenly pastures lead us, Where thine own still waters glide.
* 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.
393. Saturday after Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 102, 1-14. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call, answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop. Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, and thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.
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In temptations it seems to the believer that God has entirely deserted him, and is deaf to his prayer. He never before stood in such need of God as now; and never had God seemed to be so far away. The cry of his soul dies away without having reached the ear of God. He must have help, and at once: “Make haste to help me, Lord; fear is on every hand, I sink in the deep mire”; — but there is no reply! “Alas, was this to be my lot? I had thought that my life was to be bright and full, that my strength was to increase, my heart to remain young in the Lord; but my days have fled, and I am become old, they are consumed like smoke; my bones are brittle, and my heart, my heart is smitten, and withered like grass.” — In the bright seasons of our life of faith we feel love’s fellowship with God and the brethren; but in temptations we are cut off and alone. We are left to be mocked by the venomous spirits of evil, and are not sensible of the delightful bond of brotherly union with the children of God. “How happy was I when in the company of God’s saints! Then I was in Bethany and on Zion; nay I was lifted up to heaven by the mercy of the Lord; I was blessed, and I was a blessing to others. But I kept not the grace which I had, nor made I the right use of it; I exalted myself, and thus I lost my place in the beautiful family circle of God’s children. Formerly I was with the Lord when I fell asleep, and when I awoke; now I lie at night trembling with fear. I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.” You, dear brother, may perhaps fear that this sorrow in you is nothing but that “sorrow of the world.’’ If it were, you would not lament in this way; you would not thus pour out your complaint before the Lord. You do not belong to the devil; you belong to our Lord Jesus. There are two things which you shall do: In the first place you shall confess that you have neglected to be faithful and vigilant; and you shall humble yourself, and say: “I will bear the Lord’s anger; for I have sinned against him.” The Spirit of God shall help you herein; he has indeed done it already. In the second place, you shall continue to pray for mercy, and cling to the promises of God. This also the Spirit of God works in you. The Lord hears you, even if you do not perceive that he answers. The whole word of God declares that he delights in mercy. When we ask mercy of him this is, therefore, a prayer according to his will; and we know that we then “have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5, 14. 15). “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death.” (Psalm 102, 17-20). You shall, then, receive strength to wait and suffer, and in the midst of the darkness to have hope; and God shall shame the devil, but give you double your former glory; to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem. — Have mercy, Lord; save us, pardon us, and heal us; and when we shall sit in darkness, be thou our light. Help us against hope to believe in hope, and never to grow faint. Amen.*
In the weary hours of sickness, In the times of grief and pain, When we feel our mortal weakness, When all human help is vain, By thy mercy, O deliver us, good Lord!
In the solemn hour of dying, In the awful judgment day, May our souls, on thee relying, Find thee still our rock and stay; By thy mercy, O deliver us, good Lord!
* 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.
392. Friday after Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, give unto us the spirit of revelation in the knowledge of thee. Amen.
Galatians 2, 19-21. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
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Here we again have one of those divine scripture passages which, when we examine it, seems to transcend all the others in glory. — In Romans 7, 1-13, Paul has explained how he through the law was dead to the law, that he might live unto God. Worldly-minded and self-righteous men do not feel the condemnation of the law; even as a dead body does not feel the surgeon’s knife. But the penitent sinner knows that the law works wrath, and revives sin; so that sin, taking occasion by the commandment, slays him. In this way only can the soul learn to give heed to the gospel of faith; namely this: Christ is crucified for you, and thus you are crucified; the law’s demands have been fulfilled; the punishment has been borne; the accursed death has been suffered, suffered with entire willingness, without sin and without complaint; Christ truly died, not without cause, but as one wholly guilty, the object of God’s righteous anger. All this for you; can it have been done in vain? And now you are baptized into his death (Rom. 6, 3; Gal. 3, 27), and are through faith united to him; so that his death and his life are yours. Thus you are dead to the law, and justification by the law must, therefore, be entirely out of the question; but thus you are also raised up with Christ, that you may live the life of Christ unto God. He has bestowed on you that love wherewith he loved unto death; he who gave himself for you has given himself to you; and the Spirit has given you faith, through which you receive him, and live in him. You are dead to sin, but living unto God; for Christ lives in you. Thus saith the gospel; — what do you think of it? Is not Christ in truth crucified and risen again; and have you not been baptized into his death and resurrection? Are you going to defeat the arrangement which God has made: His death to be your death; his life, your life? “Alas, I cannot find his life in me,” say you? I answer: Faith does not lay hold on that which we find in ourselves, but on that which God has done for us, and speaks to us. “The life which I now live in the flesh,” says the apostle, “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” “We must, therefore,” as Luther says, “when dealing with the righteousness of the Christians, pay no regard to ourselves; else, no matter how we take it, the gospel could apply to none but saints, who fulfill the deeds of the law. No; I must fix my eyes on nothing but Jesus Christ, the crucified Savior, who rose again from the dead. For if I turn my eyes from Christ, I am undone.” “Learn to say confidently and fearlessly: I am Christ; not personally, but in the sense that the righteousness, the victory, and the life of Christ are mine. For Christ says: I am this needy sinner; that is to say: His sin and death are my sin and death; through faith he clings to me, and I dwell in him.” — Help us, O God, to believe with childlike confidence, and in all our life to praise thee for thy infinite mercy. Amen.*
This I believe — yea, rather, Of this I make my boast, That God is my dear Father, The Friend who loves me most; And that, whate’er betide me, My Savior is at hand, Through stormy seas to guide me, And bring me safe to land.
* 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.
391. Thursday after Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord Jesus, light of our life, come and abide in us. Amen.
1 John 2, 4-11. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you; which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
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“Darkness” means spiritual ignorance and blindness, malice and wickedness, and, finally, affliction, terror, and distress. Saint John speaks of the darkness of ignorance and wickedness, and of deceit and hatred, which holds sway in all hearts in which Jesus does not dwell. A terrible night of death came upon the earth when man fell. Love and the knowledge of God were extinguished in our soul, and were replaced by the blindness and wickedness of hell. Now, however, it is again true in the church of God that “the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.” What light is this? What should it be but Jesus Christ, the true God? And what is God but love? He that says he is in the faith and grace of Jesus Christ, and harbors hatred and malice, is a liar; he is in darkest darkness; he turns the kingdom of Christ into the kingdom of the devil. If you comfort yourself in the thought of Christ, while you at the same time are angry with your neighbor, you are in a sad and terrible condition. God help you out of the darkness before it is too late! For you walk in darkness, and know not whither you go. “He that loveth not his brother abideth in darkness,” says the same apostle, in 3, 14; and in our text he declares: “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Can any earnest Christian read this without being humbled and made to confess that he still, alas, is far, far from being that which he ought? Yet, there is comfort also in these words: “I ought also so to walk, even as he walked.” Yes, this is my bounden duty, as my own innermost heart also tells me. The old commandment, “love ye one another,” is become a new commandment in you; and can there, then, in all the world be any man whom you hate? “No, by the love of Christ I pray for every man, and wish him well; and I cannot give up the fight before having learned this lesson.” This, my friend, is not darkness, but light. God’s commandment, “Thou shalt love,” is through Jesus become truth in you; you give it your assent; your knowledge and will coincide with it; you keep his commandments; you are in the kingdom of light; you are in Jesus, and he in you. Walk now in love; that you may shed abroad light more pure, more beautiful, more abundant, day by day! — God of love, grant us this mercy in Jesus Christ. Amen.*
Deluded souls that dream of heaven, And make their empty boast Of inward joys and sins forgiven, While they are slaves to lust!
Vain are our fancies’ airy flights, If faith be cold and dead; None but a living power unites To Christ, the living Head;
A faith that changes all the heart, A faith that works by love; That bids all sinful joys depart, And lifts the thoughts above.
* 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.
390. Wednesday after Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
Romans 8, 1-4. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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Frivolous, carnal, and self-righteous persons do not know that they are condemned; and thus they are able to remain unmoved when they read words of life such as these, full of celestial fire. It is an easy matter for them to comfort themselves, as they do not feel the sting of sin, and the devil does not assail the faith which is dead. He, on the other hand, who feels that he is himself carnal, sold under sin, and that he ought to die; and who thus is dumb before his accuser, and is condemned by his own conscience; — such a one finds it not so easy to repeat that which Paul says in our text. However, if the Spirit succeed in teaching him this lesson, it becomes a song of praise in his heart. To him who feels no condemnation, and has no knowledge of the fight of faith, there is nothing but condemnation; but to him who feels his sin, and leans on Christ alone, “there is no condemnation” whatever. Here you must learn to forget yourself and all that you are and do and feel, and look to Christ only, who has condemned sin in the flesh; so that it can no more condemn you, nor hold sway either in your conscience or your life. For Christ took upon himself our flesh, and fulfilled the law, and bore the curse; and unto him, the selfsame Christ, you are baptized, you hear his voice in the gospel, and of his body and blood you partake in holy Communion. Pharisees and shallow Christians may be able to find comfort in their own feelings; but he who is sincerely conscious of the sin and death in his own members wants Christ himself, who died and rose again, sits on the throne, and reigns in the midst of the church by means of the word and sacraments. When you yourself have nothing except that which can condemn you, and yet feel that you cannot deliver yourself up to be condemned, but must on your life find salvation; then the Spirit teaches you to believe, and thus, in the words of Luther, moves you to
go out of yourself and into Christ, and belong to him, as one who has been baptized into him, and is a partaker of his body and blood. Thus you rid yourself of sin and an evil conscience, of death and devil; so that you can say that you know neither death nor hell. Let death first consume my Lord Jesus Christ; let hell swallow my Savior; if sin, or law, or conscience, can condemn, let them direct their accusations against the Son of God! If they can prevail against him, I will let them condemn and destroy me also. But since the Father and Christ still live, I also remain alive; for I know that I am in Christ, even as Christ is in the Father. [John 14, 20]
Commit yourself, then, into the hands of your Savior; he has made all things ready, and all is given you in the gospel. The important thing is to be in Christ; on which point Paul says, Gal. 3, 27: “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You do not believe it, and you urge your objections. You say that it is the world which puts its trust in Christ as he is found in the sacraments. You are mistaken. The world does not in any sense trust to Christ in the word and sacraments. Insofar as they trust to anything, it certainly is not to Christ in the means of grace, but rather to their own deed in making use of word and sacraments. By their unbelief they reject the living Savior in the means of grace. You, however, who heartily desire him, shall by the Spirit of God be taught to believe; and then behold, you are made free from the law of sin and death!
Good Holy Spirit, help us in this most important of all concerns. Teach us, and guide us, that Jesus may be to us the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.*
To God the only wise, Our Savior and our King, Let all the saints below the skies Their humble praises bring. ’Tis his almighty love, His counsel and his care, Preserves us safe from sin and death, And every hurtful snare.
* 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.
389. Tuesday after Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
God Holy Spirit, enlighten us with thy gifts. Amen.
Ephesians 1, 8-14. Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will; that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
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To gather, to gather together is the good pleasure of the Lord. Understand that it is the nature of love, and hear what the apostle says on this subject; and you will pray for grace to gather together, but have a dread of rending asunder. It is God’s good pleasure from eternity that he “might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.” The fullness of time is come, the dispensation has been established, and the gathering together is in progress; one church has been built, with one gospel, and one baptism, and one communion table; one Spirit unites Jews and gentiles in one body, whose head is Christ. Even as all things in heaven and earth are created by him, and by him all things consist, so all things are by him reconciled unto God, who has made peace through the blood of his cross (Col. 1, 16-20). While the angels in heaven had no need of redemption, as they did not fall, yet the love of God in Christ is their bliss also; so that they also have been included in the same dispensation. Christ is the head of the church of thrones, and of principalities, and of the Jews and gentiles who have been saved. We also have obtained an inheritance in him. God, “who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,” has foreordained that there now shall be a gathering into his kingdom here among us; and he has predestinated us, who hear and believe, to partake of this salvation. For this reason we also have received the Holy Ghost as earnest. Every believer clings to God in Christ; cannot let him go; expects salvation at his hands; worships him with childlike fear and confidence; and has his peace and joy in him, saying in his heart: “Heavenly Father, I bless thee for the salvation in the blood of thy Son; help me to believe until my last hour, and to bless thee forevermore!” This is the voice of the Spirit, not the voice of flesh and blood. The longing after God, and the joy in God’s love are the earnest of our salvation; and he who has given you this earnest money cannot deceive you. He is himself the seal with which you are sealed; can it, then, fail to be valid? Believe in him, have faith in him, and you shall receive the inheritance. “Inheritance” it is called; and in truth it is an inheritance with Jesus, and mercy altogether; faith, and the earnest, and purification, and sanctification, all is grace only. Do not let your sins and imperfections create any doubt in you; for the grace in the blood of Christ is the one thing on which everything depends.
Praise be to thee, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost! Enlighten us, that we may know the excellence of our inheritance. Give us grace to gather together and unite in Christ, from far and near, and to approach ever nearer to perfect holiness. Amen.*
Welcome, O my Savior, now! Hail! my portion, Lord, art thou! Here, too, in my heart, I pray, Oh, prepare thyself a way!
And when thou dost come again, As a glorious king to reign, I with joy may see thy face, Freely ransomed by thy grace.
* 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.
388. Monday after Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Enlighten us, our God, that we may praise thy mercy. Amen.
Ephesians 1, 3-7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved: in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
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We also bless God for that he has made us partakers of “the glory of his grace.” We also, dear brethren in the Lord, are among those whom he has “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ;” and he has chosen even us in him before the foundation of the world, “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” He has given us his only Son, and by his death redeemed us from death and devil; received us into his fellowship; forgiven us our sins; created in us a new heart; given us spiritual light; and keeps us by his power until we reach the appointed end, eternal salvation. All believers are embraced in this “good pleasure” of God “which he hath purposed in himself,” that Jews and gentiles, as many as accept the call, shall be gathered together in one house, and be glorified in heavenly glory. Nay, all believers already “sit together in heavenly places” (Eph. 2, 6); for we stand before the throne together with an “innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12, 22. 23). Is it not in the house of God, in his service, before his face, together with the blessed angels, that we live and do all our work? And is it not the life of heaven which stirs in us with love and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost? But “we walk by faith, not by sight.” We see that we are on earth; but we believe that we are embraced by the love of God; sustained by his eternal purpose to save us, and by his divine power; surrounded by angels and beatified human spirits as being of the same household; — and is not that which God says more certain and true than that which we see? It is, a thousand times! Then blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has chosen us, and saved us; and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began! My God, I am deeply sensible of my own unworthiness; but it was the good pleasure of thy will to predestinate me unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to thyself. I will, then, by this grace serve thee with all my soul; do thou help me by thy Holy Spirit. Amen.*
No good in creatures can be found, But may be found in thee; I must have all things, and abound, While God is God to me.
O that I had a stronger faith To look within the veil, To credit what my Savior saith, Whose word can never fail!
* 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.
Holy Spirit, write the law of love in our hearts by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 22, 34-46. But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word; neither durst any man, from that day forth, ask him any more questions.
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“Thou shalt love.” What a beautiful commandment! What is better than love? It is the greatest thing of all; and there is no salvation but in it; as it is written: Love God above all things, and thy neighbor as thyself; this do, and thou shalt live (Luke 10, 27. 28). And what a just commandment this is! That which the Lord himself has given us, and which alone can make us happy, he must want us to have; and he gave us his love from the beginning, and without it we are unhappy men. In it is embraced everything that is good; and all his commandments are therefore but reflections of this one great, holy, and righteous law of love. But, alas, we have lost the love which he gave us; and the commandment cannot return it to us; but can only reveal our poverty, and condemn our unrighteousness. And there we stand, unhappy, with the holy commandment over us; it demands of us that which we have received, but have ourselves thrown away; that which we must have in order to be happy, but of which we have entirely stripped ourselves. There we stand, lost and condemned; and the commandment cannot help us. For it can only demand; and can give nothing whatever. We must have love, but there is none in us; we must love, but cannot! There is, then, nothing for us but to die and be lost on account of this beautiful and righteous commandment! Is there not after all some way in which my heart can be made to give up its resistance, and come again into agreement with the law; so that the holy commandment, the loving will of my God, can once more become my will and the desire of my heart? Is there no commandment of the law by way of which I might return to the great commandment? Is there no commandment which I could begin to keep, and thus by degrees reach the higher level of the great commandment of love? Foolish questions! Can one who is evil do that which is good? Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? (Jer. 13, 23). No; all the commandments of the law demand love, while not one of them can give us a spark of it. However, praise be to God; he has given us something more than the law: He has given us the gospel concerning his only Son; by which means the Holy Ghost can beget us anew, bring our hearts over onto the side of the divine law, and make this to become life and truth within us. The Son of David is the Lord of David; the man Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, true God from everlasting to everlasting. In him love has returned to the world. He is himself the fulfillment of the great commandment; and he is this for us, in our stead. God has thus ordained. He counts that which Christ does as having been done by us; and it is finished. Christ has fulfilled the law for me, has loved with a perfect love, been obedient in all things, submitted to the will of the Father even unto the death of the cross; and thus I have received pardon for my transgressions, and that title to salvation which is contained in the proviso of the law: Keep the law, and thou shalt live. Christ has kept it for me; and thus I have kept it. The Holy Ghost gives me grace to believe this; so that I live and die trusting in the vicarious atonement of Jesus. Thus I am in Christ; and then he also is in me. His love has entered my heart; and now we may therefore speak of keeping the several commandments; — not in order that we may learn to fulfill the great commandment, but because this commandment now is in our hearts, and we in it. For now my heart has its being in the great commandment; and this is in my heart. Now we can and shall practice love by obedience to all the commands of the Lord; so that love of self, hate, covetousness, and all the lusts of the flesh, which still are in us, may die and be destroyed, in order that we may at last sit in the midst of the heaven of love. — We do not, then, in any sense make void the law through grace, but rather establish the law by the very means of the gospel. “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Love, the eternal and immovable, the heavenly and immutable law, truth itself, which shall and must be realized in us, confronts us in Moses as the law of works with its requirements and commands; but it thus never becomes truth in us; for it can only make us to see our unhappy condition, and be our “schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” Through Jesus, on the other hand, love is become grace; and thus it enters our hearts. God’s loving purpose concerning the world, the truth itself, is in and through Christ from eternity; and through the gospel it becomes in us the truth of faith. — Have you, dear reader, had this experience? Is the law of love your great commandment, dear and sweet and blessed? Do you understand Saint John, who writes not a new commandment, but one old, and yet new, which is true in God and in us? (1 John 2, 7. 8.). Then you have begun to know the joy of love and the sorrow of love. Now, make diligent use of the power which God has given you; obey the Spirit of God; hear the voice of Christ, and he will take you to his heart. There your sin and distress and pain shall die. Amen. God grant us this mercy. Amen.*
Jesus, thy boundless love to me No thought can reach, no tongue declare; Unite my thankful heart to thee, And reign without a rival there. Thine wholly, thine alone I am; Be thou alone my constant flame.
Give us, O God, the living hope of the humble hearts. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, 1 Corinthians 1, 4-8. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Though Paul wrote this epistle to the Corinthians with a sad heart, because there was so much wickedness in the church, yet he begins this way: “I thank my God always on your behalf.” — In like manner we also will thank our God always for his mercy in Christ. The numerous infirmities of the church must never for one moment interrupt our thanksgiving. It is the most bitter fruit of your unbelief and pride that you do not give thanks all the time. Always, when I turn my eyes in that direction, I see through Jesus on the cross into the heart of God, full of mercy toward us. Nor do we at any time come behind in divine instruction; the word of God dwells in us richly. Through the enlightenment of his Spirit all scripture also is opened to me; I walk nowhere in darkness; Christ shines out everywhere in the Old and New Testaments. Though I do not understand clearly all the details, and though I feel that the whole is infinitely more deep than I am able to see; I yet have “all knowledge”; that is, the key to it all and the necessary light for my whole life. Others in our church have more light; and it is the common property of us all. — The testimony of Christ is not on our lips merely; the Holy Ghost has written it in our hearts. And he does not write faintly on the surface, but burns the truth into the soul. Wherein, then, do we come behind? “Alas,” you say, “how sad is the condition of the church!” It is true; and you have the right to make the complaint; — if it be love which burns in you by reason of the offenses given, and if you weep with Paul, moved by the mercy of Christ. In that case, however, you certainly also shall with Paul, in the fellowship of the same Lord, rejoice because of God’s great mercy toward us, and with longing and joy wait for the coming of our Lord. The pure eye looks upon that which is pure, and rejoices in every virtue which appears; but acquiesces in the arrangement that the tares and wheat are to grow together until the harvest. You are weighed down by the sin in yourself and in the church; you shall find deliverance; you shall become perfect in holiness, and the church shall be purified and stand an undefiled bride at the Lord’s side. This hope dwelt in the church at Corinth, in spite of all its imperfections; and it dwells in us also. The children of the world cling to that which is of earth; the children of God, to that which is of heaven. There is in truth a church of God among us, which waits and yearns for the second coming of Christ; and you may be as sure of his coming as though you already saw him; and you may be equally sure that he “shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” Is not this something to strengthen us and to humble us? Must you not hereafter thank and praise God always? Repent, all the ends of the earth, and be ye saved; but do ye also repent, ye believers. I say it with emphasis: Repent, ye believers, and become as children; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Give us, O God, the humble and grateful spirit of faith; and confirm us in the truth unto the end, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Abide, our Strength and Refuge, With us till life’s last hour, That world and Satan never Our weakness overpower.
Abide, O faithful Savior, Among us with thy love; Grant steadfastness, and help us To reach our home above.
* 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.
385. Saturday after Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 119, 97-105. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients; because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
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Is the word of God so dear to you also? Is it your greatest treasure and your highest delight? Stop and think of it! Is the word of God sweeter to your taste than all things else? Is it more precious to you than gold? Alas, many read newspapers, while their Bible is covered with dust! They have time enough for balls and banquets; but they often are too busy to go to church, and when they do go it is not for the purpose of hearing what the Lord has to say to them. They do not know that they slight and despise the most sacred thing which God has given us. They do not know that they walk in darkness; for the darkness has made them blind. — However, if you have tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partaker of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good work of God, and the powers of the world to come; you then love the word, and would not lose it for anything in the world. “God’s own word, the Holy Bible, is our only source of light; / all our life would be without it nothing but a hideous night. / For this book on all its pages shews the Father’s tender love / in the Son who died to save us, lead us to our home above.” Yet I am sure that you wish to love the word of God better than you do; and here are two means by which you shall accomplish this result: 1) Meditate on the word of God all the day. When you are not obliged to occupy your thoughts with the work imposed on you by your worldly vocation, let them busy themselves with the word of God; and though you must think on other things, do not forget that God is present, — even as when good children play in the presence of their parents. I have known young people who always carried a copy of the New Testament, and employed every vacant hour in reading it; and I have known men who never tired of searching the scriptures; — and their faces had something of the glory of Tabor. Read thoughtfully and in regular order, and compare the different passages; and make use also of the assistance which the Spirit offers you in the works of pious commentators. Now, do not say that you have neither the inclination nor the opportunity to do this. You have begun to love the word of God, have you not? Do not, then, sin by neglecting this love; but cultivate it, and overcome your natural resistance and sloth by means of the word. 2) Walk faithfully in the light of the word, hate every false way, and keep the Lord’s precepts. Act in all things according to the word; make no step but in the light which this word gives. Undertake nothing without having inquired, if it have the sanction of God’s word, and be pleasing to the Lord. Do without any hesitation that which he says; but never do that which he hates. Then shall you see your sin, and become needy and hungry, and come to love the gospel of mercy. — Our Bible lesson opens to us this double door into the sanctuary of the word. Come, enter, and behold the glory of the Lord, and drink of his well of gladness! — Grant us this great favor, merciful God! Enlighten us by thy Spirit, help us to study thy word in a devout spirit, and make it our holy desire to live according to thy precepts. Amen.*
How shall the young secure their hearts, And guard their lives from sin? Thy word the choicest rules imparts To keep the conscience clean.
’Tis like the sun, a heavenly light, That guides us all the day; And through the dangers of the night A lamp to lead our way.
* 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.
384. Friday after Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, chasten us, and give us truth in our heart of hearts. Amen.
Mark 7, 6-13. He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men: For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
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“This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” This is true of those who go to church, read their prayers, partake of holy communion, and lead decent lives; yet are dead, and ignorant of their danger, and have knowledge neither of sin nor of grace, and will not admit the necessity of repentance and a new birth. Dear reader, hear these words of the Lord, and examine yourself in their light! There are thousands of such among us; and they rob themselves of eternal salvation. Even among those who are regarded as patterns of piety there are doubtless many whose judgment is pronounced in these words: “They honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” They associate with believers, receive “the brethren” in their houses, and have a way of speaking with unction and of looking devout, but they are without the daily knowledge of sin and the grace of the blood of Jesus, which cleanses from sin. Neither do they know that charity which “seeketh not her own,” and which “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things”; but they are severe in pronouncing judgment on those whom they call the children of the world; give short measure; are willing to profit at the expense of others; drive hard bargains, and make it unpleasant to have any dealings with them; are blind to the faults of their own set, and fairly shine with self-complacency. Such people are the greatest pest of the church; the upright must suffer, and the name of God is blasphemed for their sake. Let none think that truly pious men are like those above described, and let none cast a stone at his brother; but rather let each examine himself as in the sight of God! — These words of the Lord are for the admonition of us all. You know that your flesh is a snare always, and that out of it come many evil things. You must watch, and obey the Spirit, if your life is to please God and be for the edification of man. Shun all hypocrisy as the worst of Satan’s belongings; and exterminate all falsehood in yourselves! I do not advise you to abstain from using the word of God and from doing good until you shall be able to do it in a perfectly proper spirit; but I must say to each one of you: Lay to heart the word of God, and obey it; obey it as the word of God, in the fear of God and with honest heart; and set men a good example! Let them see that it is charity which speaks and acts in you; the charity which never is petty, but generous and rich; never censorious, but high-minded and merciful; and bear in mind that your conduct must bear witness of Jesus!
Help us, O God, that our hearts may fear thee, and that we may in truth honor thee. Grant us grace to live in true holiness, in holy charity; that they who revile our good conversation in Christ may be put to shame, and repent, and praise thee. Amen.*
Whate’er we do, where’er we go, Let love our sonship prove: Our lives the fire celestial show, Our thoughts and words be love.
O deign to send the love of thee From highest heaven above; For then our life thy praise shall be, When all our life is love.
[suggested tune: St. Agnes (TLH 361; 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.
383. Thursday after Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, today we again pray thee: give us humility and charity. Amen.
Matthew 20, 25-28. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
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Help us, O God, to understand and practice the lesson here taught us! It is a heavenly lesson, which the carnal mind is utterly unable to grasp; but to the spirit it is the word of wisdom. In the world the great is great, the mighty is mighty, and the ruler rules; but in the kingdom of Christ the least is the greatest, the weakest is most mighty, and the servant of all is the chief of all. This is the mystery of humility, as strange to the natural man as a sealed book, but revealed to the saints of God. If you be a disciple of Christ, you have begun to understand and practice this lesson; but you have done nothing more than to make a beginning, and most zealously seek the revelation of the mystery. There is nothing which the Lord said a greater number of times than this: “Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” If you wish to become great, strive to become one of the least;not in pretended, but in hearty and true lowliness of mind. Let your worldly condition be that which God has ordained, whether honored or obscure; but whatever you may be, you must not wish to become great; but your wish shall be to regard yourself and to be in truth the servant of all. This is the true dignity of love; a dignity as far from the vainglorious greatness of the world as the heaven is far from the earth. If you are to be chief, you must not, like the sons of Zebedee, ask to sit on the right and the left hand of the Lord in his glory, nor must you, like Diotrephes (3 John 9), love to have preeminence among men; but you must become the servant of the brethren, in duty bound to minister to them all. What a dignity, and what a kingly estate of liberty, to be the servant of all, never to be prevented by anything from practicing charity! “Free from all men,” says Saint Paul, “yet have I made myself servant unto all; for the love of Christ constraineth us.” Alas, I am as yet far, far from the rank of “chief”; but do thou reach out after this dignity, O my soul! Jesus will have you to be like him. “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” The better you learn in the distress occasioned by your pride and love of self to apply to your heart the comfort of these gospel words, the more fully will the admonition which they contain become truth in your life and conduct, and thus cause you to descend to lower depths of humility, and to ascend to a higher rank in the kingdom of God. — Lord Jesus, give us thy mind, and shed abroad thy love in our hearts. Let us come near to thee, that the spirit of pride may depart far from us. Give us light to understand thy ministering life on earth; that we may live in the power of thy redemption, establish love and peace, and devote ourselves wholly to the service of one another. Grant us this mercy, precious Lord and Savior. Amen.*
How shall we show our love to thee, Thou living God most high, But loving this thy family, For which thou deignedst to die?
If thou for me such love didst bear, Shall I not love again? For all are objects of thy care; Thy love doth all sustain.
[suggested tune: St. Agnes (TLH 361; 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.
382. Wednesday after Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.
That brethren dwell together in unity is as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion.
Philippians 2, 1-4. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
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If, says Paul to his dear Philippians, there be among you these good things, consolation in Christ, comfort of love, the fellowship of the Spirit, bowels and mercies; then do ye increase therein more and more! The world must live in strife; for the spirit of pride and self-love rends asunder and scatters. But ye, who are Christ’s, ye have received the Spirit of love and lowliness; and wherever this prevails, it knits the hearts together in the same mind and in the same judgment; walk in this Spirit, and ye fulfill my joy.
The times become steadily more perilous, as the end approaches (2 Tim. 3, 1); but there always shall remain a brotherhood among whom love is law. If we have in some measure learned by experience how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalm 133), let us fulfill the joy of the apostle. What do I say? of the apostle? Yes; but still more the joy of our Lord and Savior! Let us walk in lowliness of mind, that each esteem other better than themselves; and in love, that we look not every man on his own things. For the sake of your lowly Savior, esteem others better than yourself! Examine yourself; learn to know the pride of your heart, and mortify it with the mind of Jesus! Live not unto yourself, but unto Christ; look on the good of others; please your brethren for their good; that is to say, study to practice charity always, and increase therein! This is the sure bond of union between God’s people, which prevents us from dividing into sects and parties. There is but one Father and one family of children, one Lord and one kingdom of light, one head and one body, one house and one household; shall we not, then, endeavor to stand together, shudder at the thought of dismemberment, and abhor all manner of factions? Is it not God’s own command that we shall present ourselves as one body? (Eph. 4; 1 Cor. 1, 10). Has not Christ redeemed us with his blood, in order that we may be one in him? (Eph. 2, 16; John 17, 21). Every founder of a sect acts in direct opposition to the heart of God and the cross of Jesus; dismembers, as far as in him lies, the body of Christ, and scatters the people whom Christ gathered about him at the Supper the same night in which he was betrayed. When Satan succeeds in causing dissensions among us; so that the Christian people, who in every place should present themselves as the one body of Christ, are divided into parties which will not be united; then the Spirit of God is grieved, and the church presents a sad picture of that God whose unity in love his children should make manifest to all the world. (John 17, 23). Is it, then, to be wondered at that the apostle says: Fulfil ye my joy by living with one another in the undisturbed fellowship of love?
Lord Jesus, give us thy lowly and loving mind, and keep us united with the bond of perfectness. We earnestly beseech thee, prevent the devil from henceforth causing dissensions among thy people; and unite all that can be united in the truth. Have mercy on us; have mercy, Lord Jesus. Amen.*
One, the strain that lips of thousands Lift as from the heart of one; One the conflict, one the peril, One, the march in God begun: One, the gladness of rejoicing On the far eternal shore, Where the one almighty Father Reigns in love forevermore.
* 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.
381. Tuesday after Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 42, 1-5. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
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True Christians have a deep and imperative longing to commune with God in their hearts. They cannot do without him; no substitute whatever will satisfy them. Their soul thirsts and pants after God himself, the living God. They must speak with him out of their heart daily, and satisfy themselves with his word; and when the church has its meeting with him they always find it necessary to be present. The thirsty man needs no command to drink. Instinct teaches the infant to find the mother’s breast. True Christians need no ordinances to compel them to go to church; but by reason of the temptations of the flesh and the devil, that is nevertheless a good commandment of the Lord which says: “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.” Even the devil knows that a diligent use of the word of God is more necessary than all things else; therefore he especially tempts us to neglect the word, and cannot endure to have us sit still and hear what Jesus speaks to us. For this reason the Lord introduces this particular commandment with his emphatic “Remember!” It is a precious command, which is in harmony with the inner law in every sanctified soul. He who can go on day after day without the word of God is surely dead, and his heart is more dark than that of a heathen; and he who does not care to attend divine service, and to partake of the Lord’s supper, has no part in the kingdom of heaven. When in the darkness of temptation the Lord is lost to sight by the believer, the soul is made to bend like a bulrush, or it becomes like a stormy sea. If he did not have the word, he would despair; the word keeps hope alive: “Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” — I know not what is worse; either those terrible thoughts of unbelief, which deny God, and are like a “sword in my bones”; or the sense of fear before God as the just judge, the waves and billows of whose wrath go over the soul (verse 7). Yet the upright receive help forevermore. “The Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life” (v. 9). He who panteth after him, as the hart after the water brooks, and who therefore eats the bread of tears all the day long, shall yet close his complaint at last with the song of hope in praise of his victory over the powers of darkness. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Yet the word was and is the light and comfort, the shield and weapon of all saints.*
The word they still shall let abide, Nor thanks be due them for it; The Lord of hosts is by our side, Grants us his gifts and Spirit; And though they take our life, Goods, honor — children, wife, Yet, when their worst is done, They still have nothing won: The Kingdom ours remaineth.
* 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.
380. Monday after Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 84, 1-7. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the ways of them: who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well: the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
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The “courts of the Lord” were, during the time of the old covenant, the tabernacle, and afterward the temple; but the true courts of the Lord are the Christian church. Without God I am in the world like a sparrow or a swallow which has no nest. In the house of God, however, the holy church, I have shelter and protection, peace and joy. And the more I know of the glory of this house, the more do I long for it, until I come out of the courts into the wedding hall itself, out of the church militant on earth into the church triumphant in heaven. “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord”; while at the same time “my heart and my flesh crieth out to the living God.” In the words of Joh. Arndt:
My poor soul, this frightened little bird, has found its right house and its right nest, even thine altars; but had I not found this beautiful and glorious house of God, I must needs have gone astray, and been homeless forever. I had been as a sparrow alone upon the housetop, and like a turtle dove which has lost its mate.
This is a beautiful and striking figure: “The sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.” I and mine and all the friends of God have been received into the house of the Lord of hosts as our King and our God; and there we dwell while our exile lasts. Must not, then, the valley of tears be made a well, and the rain also fill the pools? Even though we must for a long time sow the seed with tears, the harvest of joy shall be all the more glorious. To be sure, the song of tears and dark valleys is always heard among the saints on earth; and it were well for us to learn this! Nevertheless we say: “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be still praising thee. Selah.” — All is well, if but God be our strength; that is, if our heart do but trust in him only, and confidently lean on him without fainting; and if he but be our King who reigns in our heart, our God whom we love, fear, and trust above all things! Lord, grant us this mercy. “O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.”*
Pleasant are thy courts above, In the land of light and love; Pleasant are thy courts below, In this land of sin and woe. O, my spirit longs and faints For the converse of thy saints, For the brightness of thy face, For thy fullness, God of grace!
Happy souls! their praises flow Even in this vale of woe; Waters in the desert rise, Manna feeds them from the skies; On they go from strength to strength, Till they reach thy throne at length, At thy feet adoring fall, Who hast led them safe through all.
* 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.
Gospel Lesson, Luke 14, 1-11. And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees, to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And behold, there was a certain man before him, which had the dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
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The Spirit of God warns us against being like unto the proud Pharisees, who employed the sabbath in tempting Jesus. How, then, shall we keep the sabbath day holy? The Lord employed it in deeds of mercy and in teaching the word. The world makes of Sunday a day on which to indulge the flesh; the Pharisees used the sabbath to strengthen themselves in self-righteousness, and to judge others; but Jesus spends the day in services of love, causing much thanksgiving to ascend to God. “If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; — then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58, 10. 13. 14). “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1, 27). This is the right way to use the day of rest. Call on one who is sick, or sad, or a widow; on one who has gone astray spiritually, or on a brother who suffers. First go to your chamber and pray the Lord to give you charity. Take the word of God with you, above all in your own heart. Hear the story of the afflicted, and put yourself in his place; enter into his circumstances, take upon your soul his infirmities, and apply to his soul the healing ointment of the word. Whatsoever you may do more for him, the Lord will teach you, and give you the necessary strength. — However, if Sunday is to be a day of charitable deeds, it must first of all be to us a day of rest. Our soul shall always have rest in the word of God; this is “the one thing needful” (Luke 10, 42); blessed is he who with Mary choses “that good part”! Jesus calls to himself all them that labor and are heavy laden; but he is in his word; and Sunday and the other days of rest are appointed, in order that we may devote them especially to the study of this word. Do not neglect the word of God; do not remain away from the divine service except for the most urgent reasons. Many stay away from church for almost no reason at all; and are absent as often as present. It gives me great pain to observe that very many of our young people after their confirmation become strangers to the church. What must be the fate of such as despise the word of God; the only means by which they might cleanse their way? Defenseless against the devil, they must soon become his prey. If parents and masters gave this matter proper thought, they would be diligent churchgoers; if for no other reason, that they might draw the young people with them to the house of God. But when the old people are careless about going to church, the young follow their example; and then the descent of both into wickedness is rapid. Do not, I beseech you, neglect the services in the church! This prayer comes from the heart; do you take it to heart! Promise the Lord that you will come to meet him at the appointed time; and keep the promise! Let it be as much a matter of course that you go to church on Sunday as that you go to your work on other days, and to the table when you are called. Go with simple heart to meet the Lord; and fix your eyes on him, who looks on you; then shall you forget the imperfections of the preacher, and in the spiritual fellowship of the saints, as less than the least of all, feel that the hands of the heavenly High Priest are lifted over you to bless you. For the public church service is the solemn audience of the congregation with Christ. We come to him in company as his people with petitions and thanks; and he comes to us in the word and sacraments with grace and blessing. As a whole people gathered in the presence of their king, praying, and rendering thanks, and receiving his blessing, the Christian church stands in its Sunday service before the Lord Christ. Will you remain away, dear brother? Or is it possible that you can come in the spirit displayed by the Pharisees in our gospel lesson? Believe the truth, that the Lord is there; and accept his love with humble soul. Go out with joy in the service of love, and bring the blessing of the divine service to those who were prevented from coming.
Lord God, give us humble hearts; that we gladly hear thy word, and keep it as our greatest treasure. Give us therein rest for our souls, and power to mortify the lusts of the flesh, and to practice deeds of charity. Give us at last part in that rest which remains to thy people. Amen.*
Thine earthly sabbaths, Lord, we love; But there’s a nobler rest above: To that our laboring souls aspire, With ardent hope and strong desire.
O long-expected day, begin! Dawn on these realms of woe and sin! Fain would we leave this weary road, And sleep in death, to rest with God.
Epistle Lesson, Ephesians 4, 1-6. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
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All believers are united with the Lord Jesus, and knit together by his love. They walk the same narrow path to the same glorious goal. Strangers on earth, they hasten toward heaven. One hope comforts and strengthens them all; the hope, namely, that they shall dwell together in the same house of the Father in the land beyond the sky. They all serve the same master, to whom the hearts of all belong; and all have the same faith, which is created by the Spirit, and which rests on the only true God, as it is founded on the word of forgiveness and salvation for Jesus’ sake only. All are baptized with one baptism, the baptism in the name of the triune God. He is the God of their heart; and thus they all are children of the Lord in heaven, and pray to him as to their Father. His omnipotence and mercy cover them all together; the Son’s life of love courses through and controls them all, as the brain controls the movements of the body; and the Spirit which sanctifies, sevenfold yet one, lives in them all. They all are nourished by the same spiritual meat, the gospel and the body and blood of the glorified Savior; they all stand before the same mercy seat; and all fight the same fight under the same standard, the cross of Christ. Neither time nor space separates them. We who now live sit at the Supper with the apostles in Jerusalem the same night in which Jesus was betrayed; and Paul belongs to us as much as to the church in Ephesus.
What an admonition is there not herein! Do not violate this precious and holy unity, but endeavor to keep it in the bond of peace. There is nothing whatever which Jesus himself more ardently desires than that his disciples may dwell together in the fellowship of love. How earnestly does he not pray that all who shall believe on him through the word of the apostles may be one, as the Father in him, and he in them, that the world may know the love of God (John 17); hence that they may not only be one in spirit, but that there may be an outward and visible unity before the eyes of all men. How earnestly does he not exhort them to prove to the world their discipleship; and what an example of humility and forbearance does he not present to them by washing their feet; even the feet of Judas, though well aware of his perfidy! In like manner do all the apostles beseech the faithful to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. — Do not, then, separate, but keep together, and forbear one another. Punish sin, and purge out the old leaven; but do not go from one another, and do not disrupt the body of Christ. Hear also the old fathers; they weep, and pray that the brethren may continue speaking the truth in love. Alas, this admonition is much needed in our age! True humility seems to have disappeared; and there are sects without number! Dear brethren, make the earnest endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace! Endeavor to do this, for Jesus’ sake! What must the world think of you, if you, who formerly dwelt together in brotherly unity, now go each his own way? How do you honor the name of the Lord? Or how shall you in this way stand against the hosts of darkness, which are wise enough to present an unbroken front in the fight against the church of God? Do not go and divide yourselves up into factions; but when the time comes in which the world shall cast you out, do you stand together, and the Lord shall lead his people. — Lord Jesus, unite thy believers; and resist the devil, who would cause dissensions among us. Help us to obey thee, and walk in thy lowliness and love. Let none of us grieve thy Holy Spirit by rending asunder thy body; but give us grace to be united, and to wash one another’s feet in the spirit of humility and meekness. Amen.*
The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is his new creation By water and the word; From heaven he came and sought her To be his holy bride, With his own blood he bought her, And for her life he died.
Elect from every nation, Yet one o’er all the earth, Her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.
* 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.
377. Saturday after Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 116, 1-9. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
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If Israel must love the Lord, because he had delivered them out of their Babylonian captivity, and guided them back to their own country; should not we love him, we whom he “hath delivered from the power of darkness, and hath translated into the kingdom of his dear Son”? If they must shew forth his praises, his grace and righteousness and grace and mercy, and thank him for deliverance out of great trouble; how much more should we do it! God has shown you, dear Christian, so much mercy, that you must feel impelled to prostrate yourself before him with praises and thanksgiving forever. You deserved death and hell forevermore; and now you have received as your portion a heritage in heaven, and have already begun to taste the sweetness of eternal life, love, peace, and joy in God. You walked in darkness and spiritual death, and did not want to come out into the light; but the Lord called you so long and so urgently that you awoke; and he led you in before his face in the land of the living. How faithfully does he not follow you with his Spirit, and from how many temptations and dangers has he not delivered you! He hears your voice, and inclines his ear to your cry; he keeps you, and helps you, and shall fulfill his good work in you. You may lean with confidence on his mercy and faithfulness. — We will, then, love the Lord always, and call upon him with thanks and praise as long as we live. Who is like unto thee, Lord Jesus; to deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper? Who is like thee, strong, and faithful, and kind, and loving; beautiful, and a joy to the soul? “Grace is poured into thy lips”; and “thy name is as ointment poured forth.” Nothing in heaven and on earth is so sweet. I was needy; thou didst save me. I am needy; thou dost save me. What shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits toward me? I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds. Of my heart I love thee, precious God; but I earnestly beseech thee to quicken my love. Let all that is within me love thee, and praise thy holy name; let “my bowels sound like an harp” to thy glory. In the Savior’s name. Amen.*
Thou art my hiding-place, O Lord! On thee I fix my trust, Encouraged by thy holy word, A feeble child of dust. I have no argument beside, I urge no other plea; And ’tis enough the Savior died, The Savior died for me.
* 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.
Romans 5, 1-5. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.
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In vain the devil accuses the faithful on account of the sin and weakness which still cling to them; they stand in grace unceasingly, are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and thus they all the time have peace with God. The apostle does not here speak of the feeling of peace in their hearts, but of God’s relation to them, that he no more condemns them or casts them off, but is to them a God of peace and a merciful Father in Christ. Rejoice, then, in the midst of your afflictions, dear Christian; you dwell continually in “a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings” with the Almighty. To have him as your enemy is terrible; but to be his child of grace is bliss; for “if God be for us, who can be against us?” — In Christ faith has access to the heart of God. He has taught us to pray to “our Father,” and has given us the spirit of children; so that by his blood we have boldness to enter into the holiest, and find help at all times. Glorious estate of grace! Yet our rejoicing is in the hope of the glory to come. For this very reason, however, no tribulation can rob us of our joy; on the contrary, we glory in tribulations also. It has been said concerning woman, that she “is in pain from the day on which she becomes a mother”; and this can be said with still more truth of a Christian: The world persecutes him, and God disciplines him; and he has labor and vexation and danger and fear every day. Herein we glory, however; for “tribulation worketh patience.” It does not only demand, but “worketh” patience; and “patience worketh experience.” It teaches us to suffer without complaining, and to have brave hearts, and to gain the victory. It consumes our pride and our despondency, and gives our faith the stamp of experience. Saint James says: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work.” We glory in everything with which our enemies would injure us; for it must serve to injure and destroy our sin only, and to strengthen our hope of glory. — Cause and effect here work beautifully in a circle: Hope causes tribulation; tribulation, patience; patience, experience; experience again, a stronger hope. Christ has taken away my sin; God has bound me to himself in an eternal covenant of peace; he who cannot lie has from ages eternal promised me everlasting life. — Give us, O God, faith unfeigned; and shed abroad thy love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Let our hope wax strong, and sustain us in our tribulations, that we may emerge from them with the genuine stamp of experience; and give us at last the heritage of glory. Amen.*
When darkness and when sorrows rose And pressed on every side, The Lord has still sustained my steps, And still has been my guide.
Here will I rest, and build my hopes, Nor murmur at his rod; He’s more than all the world to me, My health, my life, my God!
* 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.
375. Thursday after Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord Jesus, reveal to us thy glory. Amen.
John 11, 39-45. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
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These are the words of omnipotence which Jesus speaks: “Lazarus, come forth!” Nothing can resist them. The body of Lazarus had by this time lain in the grave four days, and decomposition had begun; but in obedience to the Lord’s command the soul returned, death retreated, and the body was again quickened. He speaks to the dead, and awakes him as out of sleep. God, who gave life, has power to take it away, and power to give it anew; and this power he has given to his Son. From everlasting the Son is with the Father, and equally omnipotent; but in his state of humiliation he has left the use of his omnipotence in the hands of the Father, and asks the Father’s consent to every miracle. His will always coincides with the will of the Father; for which reason his prayer always is answered. By this obedience unto death the Son of Man has received the “uttermost parts of the earth for his possession,” and shall on the last day awake us all from the dead. My brother who has fallen asleep in the Lord shall, as well as the dead brother of Martha, hear the voice of the Son of God, and come forth before my very eyes. Or, if I also die before the coming of the Lord, I shall myself be awakened by this voice, and the angels shall be my servants. — “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” With these words Jesus sustained Martha when she was about to sink; her faith was victorious, and she saw the Son of God glorified. Could we also but believe, we should see his glory! We would in faith ask of him new life for one another, spiritual revivals through the name of Jesus. We would see that it is the word of the Lord which brings about everything great and good on earth; and we would see that the graves of the faithful are chambers in which to sleep, and that their decomposing bodies are seed springing forth to the glorious harvest of the great day. Thank God, our struggling faith shall obtain victory through his grace, and all our sickness shall make for the honor of God; for sorrow and death must flee before the voice of our Lord Jesus.
Lord, we pray thee, increase our faith, and make us to see thy glory. This we beseech of thee: Give us thy Spirit, strengthen our weak faith, and open our eyes to see thy glory. Amen.*
These eyes shall see him in that day, The Lord that died for me: And all my rising bones shall say, Lord, who is like to thee!
If such the views which grace unfolds, Weak as it is below, What raptures must the Church above In Jesus’ presence know!
* 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.
374. Wednesday after Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, take us also with thee into the grave of Lazarus. Amen.
John 11, 33-38. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold, how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
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Two words form the most noteworthy sentence in this Bible lesson. They have been set apart as a separate verse; and this verse, John 11, 35, is the shortest in the whole Bible, and at the same time one of the greatest. “Jesus wept.” Here he wept at the grave. Shortly after this he wept over Jerusalem, and then again during his spiritual agony in Gethsemane. The Son of God waters with his tears our cemeteries, our pleasure-grounds, and our paths to glory. His tears at the grave of Lazarus prove to us his human heart, his brotherly spirit, and his friendly feeling toward us. When you mourn the death of a dear one, you have the sympathy of Jesus. You need not fear to weep; besides which you know that your tears have been consecrated by his tears; you know that he likewise has wept, and has been tried in the same sorrow. You know that he has made atonement for the sin which still taints your sorrow by reason of your self-love and the weakness of your faith; but you know also that your tears are of an entirely different nature from the tears of the unbelievers. In the sorrow of unbelief are hopelessness and bitterness against God; in the sorrow of faith is a feeling of bitterness against sin and death, but submission to the will of God and the hope of a blessed reunion. — That which is here recorded concerning Jesus is precious beyond the power of words to express. “He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see! Jesus wept.” Always when death has come home to me, and taken away one of my dear ones, I have been stirred to thorough anger against this “king of terrors,” and have felt deep sorrow on account of our grievous offense, which has given cruel death power over us. Away with it! Let it be utterly destroyed; let it be sent back to the devil, from whom it came! It would be vain for me to cry out, and weep, and curse sin and death; but the Son of God has taken upon himself our sorrows; and he does not weep in vain; it is not in vain that he groans in the spirit against death, which reigns on the earth. For he takes sin, and buries it; and by his resurrection he promises us that death shall be forever destroyed; and hence I no longer cry and weep in vain against sin and death. Lord Jesus, we thank thee for that thou didst weep! Teach us the meaning of thy tears, and grant that in them we may find healing. Amen.*
Be thou my consolation And shield when I must die; Remind me of thy passion, When my last hour draws nigh. Mine eyes shall then behold thee, Upon thy cross shall dwell, My heart by faith enfold thee: Who dieth thus, dies well.
* 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.
373. Tuesday after Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, increase our faith. Amen.
John 11, 20-27. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord; I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
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There was mourning in the house of Martha. The two women had buried their brother, and been left to weep over their bereavement. Worst of all, they were assailed by unbelief; and the soul was like a storm-tossed sea. “Why did the Lord not come? Is he also faithless? Could he also be one of those friends who fail when trouble comes. Impossible! Why, then, did he not come? He had said: ‘This sickness is not unto death.’ Yet our brother is now dead. We can, then, no longer trust in that which Jesus says! Yet, after all, there can be no guile in his mouth. Nevertheless, Lazarus is dead!” — The Jews could give them no comfort; it was necessary for the Lord himself to come. He sometimes appears in one of his servants, but his own real presence is necessary; for he alone can loose the bonds of the soul, even as he alone can deliver the body from death. He came to Bethany; and the words of Martha show us what thoughts were struggling for mastery in her. They are the selfsame thoughts which cause my own sick heart to waver between submission to the Lord and accusation against him, between belief and unbelief. The words of the Lord, however, light up the heart, humble, comfort, heal, and quicken. Jesus says not only that Lazarus “shall rise again”; but he adds: “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” And now he has given me also faith. I am certain that Jesus is the Son of God; that he died for my sins, and rose again for my justification; that he is the Lord of life and death; that in baptism he has made me a member of himself, and that in the holy supper he gives me his own body and blood. Himself gives me the grace of the Spirit to believe and to gain victory in the fight against unbelief. We have, then, brethren, the life eternal in us. He who said, that Lazarus should rise again, also said: “Whosoever believeth in me shall never die.” The last is as certainly true, as was the first. Do you not already feel that your heart clings to him, and that his love holds you fast? Yet, we do not build our hope of life on our feelings, but on his eternally true and faithful promise. Though I die, yet my soul is with him; and he shall resurrect my body also. Whether here or yonder, Christ is my life; and that which he has said remains in force forever: “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Blessed be thy name, Lord Jesus! Grant us grace to believe in thee with our whole heart. Amen.*
I shall see God with these eyes, Shall behold my blessed Savior; I, the selfsame, shall arise, In my flesh see God forever; Then shall wholly disappear Frailties that oppress me here.
What now sickens, mourns, and sighs, Christ with him to glory bringeth; Earthly is the seed and dies, Heavenly from the grave it springeth; Natural is the death we die, Spiritual, our life on high.
* 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.
Jesus, thou Lord of life, give us the grace to believe in thee, and to love thee. Amen.
John 11, 1-13. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judæa again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
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“Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” These are beautiful words; words expressive of pain, but still more of hope and trust. In this manner we also should speak to the Lord concerning our dear ones who are sick. Tell him your fears and troubles with genuine trust in his power and mercy. “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” This was all the message which they sent; having done which they had placed all their trouble on him. — “This sickness is not unto death.” This was the glorious reply which Jesus made; and these words also apply to all the diseases of all the friends of Jesus. — In the meantime Lazarus died, nevertheless. What must they then have thought of Jesus? What doubts must have crossed one another in their minds, do you think? Because Jesus loved them he waited two days, that Lazarus might die and be buried. He loves us; and therefore he allows us to be tortured with gloomy thoughts, to suffer, and to die; yet his purpose in all things is to give us life and salvation. “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth,” says Jesus. A black woman who had received the gift of faith was asked, if she had seen Missionary Kitchen recently; and she answered: “The fever attacked him; he said, ‘I go to God’; and he fell asleep.” “O, is Kitchen dead?” “Dead, sir? No; Father Kitchen cannot die. He fell asleep; and he sleeps until the voice of the Son of God wakes him. Mister Kitchen does not die, but he sleeps.” This is the echo of the words of Jesus: “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” Now that Lazarus lay in the grave, it was the “day” for Jesus to go again into Judæa.
Dear reader; shall we not love him? If you do, no sickness which you have is unto death, but unto the honor of God and his Son. He shall try you with afflictions, and remain away from you longer than seems right to you; nay, he may let you wither and die; but he does this, in order that everything in you which is of sin and death may be destroyed. He shall have no difficulty in awakening you; and you shall rise again in perfect health. Let us only be able to say of you with truth: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick!”
Lord Jesus, I know that thou lovest us all with an ardent desire to save us. Give me, then, grace to love thee, that thou mayest say of me: “My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Come into our hearts and houses, thou Lord of life, that when we or our loved ones are sick, we may say to thee: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” And let us then hear thy answer: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Amen.*
A slumber I know, in Jesus’ name, A rest from all toil and sorrow; Earth tenderly takes my weary frame, To sleep till the blissful morrow; In heaven my soul with God abides, Forgotten are cares and trials.
O Savior, when darkens life’s last day, And death in his bonds me keepeth, Come unto my bed, in mercy say: The child is not dead, but sleepeth. Then grant me thy grace, that I arise To praise thee in life eternal.
* 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.
Lord Jesus, speak to us; thou hast the words of eternal life. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Luke 7, 11-17. And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumor of him went forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.
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On this earth we carry one another to the grave; it is one continuous funeral which no man can stop. A thousand times the heart of the parent has said: “I will not place my son on the bier; you shall not carry him out to the grave!” In vain! The whole earth is a cemetery, and the whole human race a funeral procession. We do not only follow to the grave them that are dead; we carry death in ourselves, and hasten onward to our own grave. These eyes, this tongue, these hands, shall rot; decompose; return to dust, in the bowels of the earth, or in the depths of the sea. That which is most closely joined together must be put asunder. You surrender your place to another, and he in his turn to still another; and soon you are as completely forgotten as a blade of grass whose place knows it no more. This is the death of the body; but there is also a death of the soul, namely when man is separated from God through sin and unbelief. Everyone who does not in his heart believe in Jesus is dead while he lives; and is on the way to eternal death. Here such a man has a darkened understanding which knows not Christ; and his heart is cold toward God, having neither love’s longing after him, nor joy in him. And in the next world such a man is forever shut out from light and life. Nothing is more terrifying than pitchy darkness; but eternal death is that “outer darkness”; that is to say, eternal misery and gloom and despair.
This we men have brought upon ourselves by our revolt against God; and there is none can save himself or others. Behold, however; the procession of death coming out of the gate of Nain is met by a procession of life, Jesus and his disciples. And Jesus is able to change its character, making them that went forth in sorrow and tears return with joy and songs of praise. He goes all the time at the head of his company of disciples, the holy Christian church, and subdues death, and adds to the number of his people; and they turn back to Nain, to the earth which has been created anew and made beautiful forever. For as many as believe in Jesus Christ have been quickened from the dead; their understanding has been enlightened, and their heart awakened; they love God, and live in the fellowship of love with him. They “have passed from death unto life,” and need have no fear of the death eternal. When their body dies, it is but a sleep, out of which Jesus gloriously wakes them; his members cannot remain in death. They are nourished by his ever living body and blood, and are the temple of the Holy Ghost; how, then, can they be doomed to die? “No,” says Luther,
Christ shall in a moment gather all who are dead, call them forth with a word out of dust and ashes, air and water; and, as Paul puts it, in 1 Thessalonians 4, 14, bring them with him as the head its members, a countless multitude of the faithful, and translate them from death and misery into eternal life. He shall, as Isaiah says, 25, 8, wipe away the tears from off their faces, that they may with eternal joy and praise and honor forever and without ceasing laud and exalt him, their Lord and Redeemer. This we must learn to believe, in order that we may have comfort in every sorrow and in the agony of death; so that we, — should we come to the point where, like this widow of Nain, we see nothing but death and corruption, nay if we be in the jaws of death, and be placed in our coffin, as was her son, and be carried out to the grave, — may still have the unshaken faith that in Christ we have life and victory over death. For faith in Christ must be so constituted, or must at least try to learn the lesson taught in Hebrews 11, 1, that it may grasp and hold fast the evidence of things not seen, nay even that which seems to be contradicted by the things seen. Thus Christ will have this widow to believe and hope life, in that he says ‘weep not’; although she and all the world, according to their sense and reason, must entirely despair of life. For he wants to teach us by experience that of us and in us there is nothing but corruption and death, while of him and in him is nothing but life, which swallows up both our sin and death. Nay, the more of misery and death there is in us, the greater wealth of comfort and life shall we find in him, if we do but in faith cling to him; to which he encourages and exhorts us by his word as well as by this example.
[So far Doctor Luther.]
Lord Jesus, give us the light and the gifts of the Spirit to believe and to hold fast to thee, that thou mayest give us eternal life. Save us, Lord, from cruel death; save us from eternal perdition. Amen.*
Since thou from death didst rise again, In death thou wilt not leave me; Lord, thy ascension soothes my pain, No fear of death shall grieve me: For thou wilt have me where thou art, And thus with joy I can depart, To be with thee forever.
Heavenly Father, give us thy Spirit in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Ephesians 3, 13-21. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
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The love of Christ passes all knowledge. It embraces the whole world, causing him to die for all men; it flows like the broadest stream of mercy over all the earth; and it endures from everlasting to everlasting, so that its length is infinite. It descends into the deepest depth, suffers death itself, and has mercy on the most wretched of men; and it sits on the throne on high, and leads us to eternal glory. It is the will of the Father to give us grace by his Holy Spirit, that in this love of Christ we may be rooted and grounded through faith. The Spirit illumines us; so that we believe this love, and have the assurance in our hearts that God loves us in Christ with a love which is victorious over sin and death, and which is so infinite and so mighty that we surrender to it with our whole heart. We are made fast to it with the deepest roots of our nature; so that nothing can separate us from it. The union is so strong and intimate, and all is so entirely of and through God, that we dare ask men and angels: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? We are more than conquerors through him, through him that loved us! For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8). He then dwells in our hearts by faith; and we know this love, which passes all knowledge. Do the words of the apostle terrify you; and do you think: Alas, I am far, far away from this glorious estate? In that case you must humble yourself, and ask the God of love, who spared not his Son, to give you his Holy Spirit; and he shall do it. Humble yourself, but do not lose heart. If you know that you are a lost sinner, and believe that Jesus died for all the world, and pray that your heart may be cleansed in his blood, you are in truth received into the communion of the saints; you are embraced in God’s eternal love, are already his child in Christ, and a branch of the vine of life. It is God himself who has brought this about; and he shall continue to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think. Do you not believe that his love is great beyond your power to understand? Do you not believe that his mighty power can overcome everything which resists him in you and about you? “Yes; but dare I have this faith? Dare I for my own part take this comfort to my heart?” Are you not to believe that which is true? Has not God given his Son for you? Have you not been baptized into his death and resurrection? Has not his Spirit made you to see your sin? Or have you done this yourself? Does not the Spirit groan in you, and do you not thirst after his love? He loves you infinitely better than you can love him; and the fact that he dwells in you is the only thing which has taught you to cry after the living God. O, that he might enlighten us by his Spirit and thus make us to believe; so that the power of Christ in us may be victorious and prove itself in patience and joy and the praise of the Lord! Grant us this grace, merciful heavenly Father, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Now I am thine, forever thine: O save thy servant, Lord! Thou art my shield, my hiding-place; My hope is in thy word.
Thou hast inclined this heart of mine Thy statutes to fulfill; And thus, till mortal life shall end, Would I perform thy will.
* 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.
369. Saturday after Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 34, 1-10. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
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It is one of my gravest offenses that I have not always blessed the Lord for all things, but have often spent much of my time in complaining of my lot. Now, a Christian dwells all the time in the Lord’s house, inhales his love every moment, receives without ceasing full forgiveness of sin, is given help in every need; and nothing which may mar his true happiness can ever befall him. The eye of the Lord watches over him; and the ear of God is open to hear his prayer; the Spirit sighs in him, and the power of God delivers him out of all tribulations. A ladder to heaven is before him always, as before Jacob in Bethel; and hosts of angels are encamped round about him, as around Elisha in Dothan. He that touches a child of God touches the apple of the Lord’s eye (Zech. 2, 8). — Even if it seems to you, dear Christian, that much evil befalls you, it is nevertheless certain that “goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.” David does not in our text speak to the “young lions,” or, in other words, to the noble and brave, but to “the poor man”; and farther on he says, in verse 19: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” Paul, who knows that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” has but a short time before said; “Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” All who seek the Lord have the sense of being wretched; for they know their sin, and accept chastisement for it. But in fact they are blessed; and God will have us to believe this fact, believe the word of God; and praise him for salvation, though we do not see it. In doing which we shall see it. Therefore it is written: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Again we hear who it is that sees the Lord’s goodness; it is the man that trusteth in him. “They looked unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” You do not understand how blessed an effect your troubles have in making you whole and promoting your happiness. They are useful beyond measure, even if they do have their origin in your sins.
My purpose is and shall be this: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” By his grace my innermost heart shall always be happy and well satisfied in my God; so that my life shall make for the honor of his name and the edifying of his church. — Lord, for this in thee we trust; grant us this mercy by thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Thou art my portion, O my God! Soon as I know thy way, My heart makes haste to obey thy word, And suffers no delay.
I choose the path of heavenly truth, And glory in my choice; Not all the riches of the earth Could make me so rejoice.
* 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.
Lord our God, give us the light and joy of the Spirit.
Romans 8, 28-32. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
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This is the voice of a soul which is filled with joy; a song of victory in the very midst of every manner of danger and trouble. Too often we complain with David: “How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” — God grant that the spirit of gladness in our Bible lesson might enter our poor hearts, that we also, in spite of all our distress, may sing: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” — We are of those who “love God,” if we daily resign ourselves to him, and ask of him grace to deny ourselves, but do his pleasure; “for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” We are called according to God’s eternal purpose in Christ, and have obeyed the call. Therefore the glorious comfort contained in our Bible lesson belongs to us also.
We know that all things work together for our good. We know this. We do not see it; neither do we comprehend it; but in faith we “know it.”“All things” — so our text plainly says — all things; good fortune and bad fortune, nay sin, and temptation, and danger, and death; all things work together for our good; they help to encourage us, humble us, strengthen us, purify us. In Romans 5, 3-5, Saint Paul speaks of the benefits of tribulations; and Saint James says that we shall “count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations.” When it seems to us that we do not love God, are not called to glory, and that everything goes against us rather than for us; this also must be for our good. Do not forget that “all things” promote our welfare. The eternal love of God in Christ embraces us and all our ways. Before the world was he knew us, and ordained us in Christ to be brought low and to be exalted, to lose all things and die, and to possess all things and live. In the Son he loves us eternally; of this love he gave us the Son for our Savior, reconciled us with himself, and made us the brethren of the only begotten of the Father. And that which he has begun he shall perform; so that we shall be glorified as surely as we have been called and justified. Whom he has called and justified, “them he also glorified.” “What shall we then say to these things?” Are we to sigh and complain? Yes, on account of our unbelief we may! But at the same time we shall say: God is for us and with us; he is our friend, our Father; God the Almighty is on our side; “who can be against us?” Who or what can harm us? Our cause is in all these things his; must not, then, all things make for our benefit? Why are you sad, despondent Christian? Is not everything well? Hear what the apostle further says: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” The “Only Begotten” was not in God’s eye too precious to be sacrificed for us; him God delivered up for us all, for our benefit, for our reconciliation, when we were enemies, — how impossible, then, that he should deny us anything which our welfare demands! How utterly impossible! How should it come to pass that he should not with him also freely give us all things? “With him” we have already received all things; for is he not the beloved Son of the Father, and are not all things his; all mercy, all salvation, all victory, all treasures, the heart of God, and everything in heaven and on earth? Him we have received, that we might become partakers of all these blessings; how, then, shall God not with him freely give us all things? It could not by any possibility be otherwise; my unbelief is silenced and must pale into nothingness before the clear light of the Spirit of truth. — Ponder our text, speak of it with God in your chamber, and remind him of his promise; and you will come to say with Paul Gerhard: “If God be for me, let whatsoever will be against me; in the joy of prayer I shall tread it under foot. If God be willing to hear me, and if the Father love me, the devil and all his hosts can do me no injury.” — Merciful God, give us this faith and courage. Amen.*
Who puts his trust in God most just Hath built his house securely; He who relies on Jesus Christ, Heaven shall be his most surely. Then fixed on thee my trust shall be, Whose truth can never alter; While mine thou art, not death’s worst smart Shall make my courage falter.
* 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.
367. Thursday after Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, come and dwell in our hearts. Amen.
Romans 8, 5-11. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
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No Christian should be able to read this Bible lesson without being impelled by it to institute an earnest and thorough self-examination. To be carnally minded is death; if I have this mind, I live in enmity against God and in antagonism to his law. But if I be spiritual, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ is in me; and Christ himself is then my life. To no Christian can it be a matter of indifference, whether he be a child of death or of life; whether God be his enemy or his friend. — How shall I know, then, whether I am carnally or spiritually minded? “They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;” their thoughts and desires are contrary to God and his law; they feel no sorrow and pain on account of sin; and Jesus, the Savior of sinners, is a stranger to them; neither do they know his humble, holy, and loving spirit. Their mind is filled with the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life; their care is that they may have power, honor, riches, sensual pleasure, or that they may seem to be righteous, and may boast of their virtues. On the other hand, “they that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit.” To them God’s grace and favor and the soul’s salvation are more important than all things else; so that this is their first thought and concern. They willingly submit to the law of God, feel that their flesh is evil and corrupt, and acknowledge that their life is sinful, and that they deserve death. But the Spirit of Christ in them works faith in his blood; so that they, being baptized into his death and resurrection, always seek him, on the cross and on the throne, and receive grace. — If you are, then, subject to the law of God, and confess your sin with honest heart; if Christ is your righteousness, and his death and resurrection your hope; if you love him, and always pray for grace to do his will; — this is the work of the Spirit in you, and you are not carnal, but spiritual. Now, let the Spirit himself make you sure of this, and cause you to taste the life and peace of God’s grace. Never mind the how and the wherefore of this miracle, that “Christ is in you;” but rejoice in it, and be glad to walk the way of self-denial in his strength. You live no more after the flesh; but still the flesh lives in you; now you shall be made aware of its enmity against Christ, and mortify it every day. — It seems a little thing to be a Christian; but it is great beyond measure! “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”
Lord Jesus, save me from the deceitfulness of the flesh; give me thy Spirit, and let me have no peace but in thee. Come, Lord, dwell in me, and let my whole life become pleasing to thee and the Father. Amen.*
How blessed, from the bonds of sin And earthly fetters free, In singleness of heart and aim Thy servant, Lord, to be! The hardest toil to undertake With joy at thy command, The meanest office to receive With meekness at thy hand!
Thus may I serve thee, gracious Lord! Thus ever thine alone, My soul and body given to thee, The purchase thou hast won: Through evil or through good report Still keeping by thy side, By life or death, in this poor flesh Let Christ be magnified!
* 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.
366. Wednesday after Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Give us, O God, light and the desire to find and buy the pearl of great price. Amen.
Matthew 13, 44-46. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
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The hidden treasure is the riches of God’s mercy; that is, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Christ is in the means of grace in the church, with the fruit of his death and resurrection, forgiveness of sins and eternal love; but hidden from our reason and the mind of the natural man. But when the Holy Spirit enlightens us, we find the treasure and keep it in our heart. Christ becomes more precious than all others to us; and the gospel with its blessed contents becomes so dear to us that our heart is willing to sell everything in order to possess it. Everything else which you value, as, for instance, your wife or husband, your home, your good health, your friends; everything which seemed good to you, and shed luster on your life, disappears like the stars before the light of the sun. You still have these earthly things; you keep your home; you live with your family and kindred; you enjoy your good health, if God preserves it; you ply your vocation, and love your country; but nothing of all these things is now your dearest treasure. There is One dwells in your heart; and for his sake you are willing to leave everything else. In him wife and children and all earthly blessings come to have a new meaning; they are, I might say, of less and of greater value than before. You rejoice in all these things, and thank him for them; and you can part with them all, if it be his will, — lose them you cannot, as long as you do not lose him. You can do without everything else; he remains as dear as ever to you. You may feel sorrow because of what you have lost; but in the midst of your sorrow you can be happy. Your Savior alone is indispensable to you; to lose him would be to lose your heart and life.
Some there are who seem to find this treasure without having sought it. It falls in their way, and they hide it; they receive the word into the heart as soon as they hear it, and go and practice the required self-denial. Others seek with patience after life and peace, — and find God. And a glorious find it is; a “pearl of great price,” a gem of the highest value, pure and beautiful and precious above all other precious stones combined! God moves with us in different ways; to some faith is given early, to others late. But all who find the Lord deny themselves for his sake. Note this lesson, dear reader; there is admonition in it: He will and shall have your undivided love. At the same time there is comfort in it also. To “sell all” means to practice self-denial. The Lord speaks of “selling,” because it is something which costs all Christians a struggle. Do not lose courage, even if you feel that it is a costly transaction. Pray for the light of the Spirit, that you may see the excellence of the treasure; and for grace to believe the presence of the Savior whom you do not see, and to taste, insofar as you can bear it, the “joy of his salvation.” Howbeit, we all understand, I hope, that the “buying” of which the Lord here speaks is the “buying without money and without price.”
“O thou eternal Light, who dost transcend all created light; fill my whole heart. Cleanse, gladden, enlighten, and quicken my spirit and all its powers, that I may cling to thee with grateful and joyous devotion. O, when shall come the happy time in which thou shalt satisfy me with thy presence, and become my all in all!”*
O Zion, hail! bright city, now unfold The gates of grace to me! How many a time I longed for thee of old, Ere yet I was set free From yon dark life of sadness, Yon world of shadowy naught, And God had given the gladness, The heritage I sought.
* 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.
365. Tuesday after Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Give me, O God, an eye single and clear. Amen.
Matthew 6, 19-23. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light: but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
❦
Every man must have something or other as his treasure; the soul holds to something, either the corruptible or the eternal. It is foolishness to rest one’s heart on the things of earth; for every earthly good passes away. When a man has labored hard, and secured it, and wants to enjoy it, it proves to be moth-eaten, and brings nothing but sorrow and disappointment; when he thinks that he has it safe, he finds that it has been stolen. The more your heart gathers of earthly riches and splendor, the poorer do you become; a burning thirst tortures your soul, and you have nothing with which to satisfy it. Alas, what a wretched thing is man’s idolatrous love of earthly treasures! It is a deplorable blindness, which darkens his whole existence, and shuts him out from the eternal light. We regard the temporal things as the truly real, as though they could satisfy the eternal craving of our hearts; while they are in fact only shadows of the true treasures of life. If we be wise, we have these earthly good things without owning them; or rather, without allowing our hearts to cling to them. We are free from them, and masters of them, and able to turn them into deeds of charity.
We need an eye which is single. Worldly-minded men also want the things of heaven; but “their eyes do not look right on.” They wish to enjoy the world, and to have heaven before them; but the eye which receives the images of different objects at the same time sees nothing clearly; the heart which is divided between God and mammon is in darkness.
Ye Christians, who have been enlightened by the Spirit of God and have caught a glimpse of heaven; keep your hearts free from the corruptible things. The Lord, the living God, be your God; and the eternal heritage of glory be your treasure! Let your whole heart be with Jesus! See him ever more clearly with the eye of faith, and give yourselves to him more and more with living confidence and love! “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” (Proverbs 4, 20. 23. 25).
Help me, O God; the things of this world are always before me, and threaten to obscure my vision. Give me a good, single, clear eye; so that I give myself wholly to thee, use all the earthly things in the service of charity, and lay up treasures in heaven. Grant us, O God, this mercy, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Well for him who all forsaking, Walketh not in shadows vain, But the path of peace is taking Through this vale of tears and pain!
O that we our hearts might sever From earth’s tempting vanities, Fixing them on him forever, In whom all our fullness lies!
* 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.
Lord, give me a whole heart and a right spirit. Amen.
1 Kings 18, 17-21. And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him! And the people answered him not a word.
❦
Our Lord Jesus said to his disciples: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” In like manner Elijah spoke to Israel: “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him!” We are always prone to fall into this unhappy habit of being half-hearted and fickle; and that which is written concerning this matter is for the warning of us all. We are tempted not by the heathen gods, but rather by the riches and honors of the world; not by gods of wood and stone, but by pride and lust of power in worldly or in spiritual guise; not by Baal, but by the golden calf; not by the prophets of the groves, but by the company of Korah (Numbers 16). Be on your guard, brethren; walk in earnestness and fear! It is to the children of God that Jesus speaks of this matter; and the sermon of Elijah is addressed to Israel. The heart of the unregenerate belongs to the idols; but yours is to belong wholly and entirely to the Lord. If you have riches, you shall be none the less poor; and if poverty be your lot, you shall be none the less rich for all that. If God give you power and honors, you must with even more abject humility lie in the dust at his feet; and if you be servants, your royal glory shall prove itself in cheerful obedience and in praise and thanks to God. Do not let the spirit of the world, which always desires to enjoy temporal pleasures and make the heart to trust in fleeting things, obtain power over you; but believe in the Lord; hold fast the Invisible One, as though your eyes saw him. Let him be your God; that is to say, trust in him with full confidence, put all the faith of your soul in him, and never make flesh your arm. Love him with all your mind, that he may be your supreme good, your joy and delight, the king of your heart, whom you would not for any earthly consideration desert, or grieve, or offend; fear him from the bottom of your heart, and be of nothing so much afraid as of stirring him to anger. Is he not the true God? Is he not willing and able to care for his own? Is it not a glorious thing that he wants to possess our undivided heart, and that he has a jealous affection for us poor, miserable mortals? Shall not you, who have begun to know him, and feel his life in you, keep a jealous watch against every form of idolatry which assails you with temptation? Should not you be entirely on the Lord’s side with a holy ardor surpassing even that of Elijah himself? You know that he answered by fire from heaven; and when the people saw it they said: “The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.” You shall give yourself with all that is yours as an offering to the Lord; and he shall kindle in you a fire better than that which he sent down to Elijah. It shall consume your sacrifice and lick up all the water round about; that is, you shall consume your strength and all that you have in the service of charity, and nothing shall be able to quench your love. But there are strange doings in the world; they who worship idols boast in their own hearts of their piety; while they whose God the Lord is never cease to deplore before him the idolatry which they find in their hearts. The first are their own saviors; these have Jesus as their Savior.
God, thou knowest how the flesh and the world entice and tempt us; how the spirit of the age threatens to ensnare us; so that we are easily drawn hither and thither, and halt between two opinions. Save us, faithful God; let our hearts be wholly thine. Amen.*
So let our lips and lives express The holy Gospel we profess: So let our works and virtues shine, To prove the doctrine all divine.
Thus shall we best proclaim abroad The honors of our Savior God; When his salvation reigns within, And grace subdues the power of sin.
[suggested tune: Rockingham Old (TLH 175b; 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.
Lord, speak to us, and help us to hear thy word. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Matthew 6, 24-34. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
❦
Our Lord Jesus speaks thus to us, dear brethren, in order to strengthen our hearts to resist the temptations of covetousness and worldly cares, that whatever our earthly lot and portion, we may be happy and praise God. Covetousness and worldly cares vex, torture, and kill the inner life, if we give them room. God does not want this to be our fate. He cares for us with most tender and mighty love. Therefore he says: “Take no thought” for these things! Alas, why will you worry? Do not borrow trouble! And he repeats the instruction: “Therefore take no thought” for your life, nor yet for your body! With the strongest reasons he demonstrates to us, in the first place, that all our worry is unnecessary; and in the next place, that it also is unprofitable.
We have no cause to feel concern in regard to that which is necessary for the support of this life; for the life itself is the Lord’s, and shall he not, then, sustain it as long as he deems it expedient? Life itself is more than meat; shall he, then, who gave the greater, not give the lesser also? Here we are reminded of that which Paul says: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Then again, shall he who feeds the fowls and clothes the lilies forget us? Do you think that he will care for the least of his creatures, and not for the greatest? for the fowls so far beneath us in the scale, and for the grass which withers in a day or two; but not for us, whom he has created and redeemed to live forever? Shall the fowls and the grass praise him, and we be consumed by the cares of this life? Furthermore, he is our Father; and we are his children; and he has taught us to pray: “Our Father, who art in heaven.” Shall not the heavenly Father care for his children? An earthly father considers what his children need, knows that it is his duty to provide it, and does not forget any of them. Shall not he, of whom all fatherly kindness is, remember all his children, and provide them with all things needful? There is strength and comfort unspeakable in these words: “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Your Father, your Father in heaven knows what you need, knows it well; knows your wants, and does not forget you; knows that you have such need of all these things that you cannot be without them. If you were heathens, you might with some reason feel anxiety; but you are the own children of the heavenly Father, the sons and daughters of the Father in heaven.
However, if you stubbornly disobey the Lord, and insist on taking thought for these things, what does your worry accomplish? Are you not troubling yourself to no purpose? Do you by this means add one cubit to your stature, or prolong your life? Is your heart enlarged or your life made more rich by your cares? No; but your trouble is increased, and may become so heavy as to crush you entirely. Every day will bring us labor and trials; and it were well for us to learn this truth; — and sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. He who adds to this evil the cares of riches, or the fears of future poverty, will have a load so heavy that it will crush him. He takes a cubit from his stature.
Lord God, heavenly Father, help me to seek first thy kingdom, and thy righteousness. Give me a childlike trust in thee; give me a contented mind; and prosper me in my vocation. Give me neither poverty nor riches; but feed me with food convenient for me. Lord, thou knowest our hearts and our temptations; have pity, and satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Amen.*
Thou on the Lord rely, So safe shalt thou go on; Fix on his work thy steadfast eye, So shall thy work be done. No profit canst thou gain By self-consuming care; To him commend thy cause; his ear Attends the softest prayer.
Lord, give by thy word the power of the Spirit. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Galatians 5, 25-6, 10. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
❦
They that “live in the Spirit” shall “walk in the Spirit.” The life must of necessity come into view, and the fruit of the Spirit appear. The spiritual freedmen are constrained by love to serve one another. “Though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all.” All that I have is the Lord’s for the edifying of the church. — Let us give heed to the admonition of the holy apostle to bear one another’s burdens! There is great need of it.
Each of us needs indulgence and the assistance of the brethren to wash his feet. We all admit this; but forget it in real life, when others are overtaken in a fault. Why is this? The reason appears when you note how the apostle speaks of “vainglory” in connection with “envying,” and how in encouraging charity and patience he warns against “thinking one’s self to be something.” He who is desirous of vainglory, and thinks himself to be something, is not like the meek Savior, and cannot bear the burdens of others. Such a one flatters himself that he is humble and loving and zealous for the brethren; and does not understand that he is merely looking with complacency on his own picture of himself. He sees the faults of others, and thinks: “That is something which I neither do, nor could do.” And he excludes the erring one from the kingdom of God. What would have been the fate of Peter after his offense in the court of Caiaphas, and afterward in Antioch, had you been his judge? You forget that Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery: “Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.” You forget the parable of the mote and the beam. You do not understand what it means to feel the weight of the sins of others, and to remove it; which you can do, not by making atonement, but by making intercession for them. You are able to pronounce others wanting in the godly life, but are unable to live this life yourself. Verily, God has the greatest abhorrence of such spiritual bloodthirstiness; he does not recognize as his children such executioners of other people’s souls. You think yourself to be something, and call yourself spiritual; but you are carnal, and deceive yourself. Do prove your own work; this every man should do, says the apostle; but he does not instruct you to prove the work of others. If you must see their sin, take it upon yourself, as Daniel and Nehemiah took upon themselves the sins of their people; and confess it to the Lord as your own sin. Bear with your weak brother, and endure the suffering of love on account of his sin. Then Jesus endures you and him; the blood of Jesus cleanses you both, and you practice the blessed art which only love understands, that of “hiding a multitude of sins.” Brethren, ponder this epistle lesson, and follow its golden precepts.
Help us, O God, to go the way of humility and charity. Help us to bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Help us, O God, to sow to the Spirit, and of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Amen.*
The law of God is good and wise, And sets his will before our eyes; Shows us the way of righteousness, And dooms to death when we transgress.
To those who help in Christ have found And would in works of love abound, It shows what deeds are his delight, And should be done as good and right.
* 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.
361. Saturday after Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 139, 13-18. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works: and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect: and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
❦
Truly the Lord has fashioned man wonderfully and gloriously. Deep is the great sea, deeper still the depths of space; but yet more deep is the spirit of man. Our body is curiously and beautifully fashioned. The eye, the ear, the tongue, all members great and small; with what marvelous nicety have they not been formed! Could any human ingenuity have invented and adjusted the processes of respiration, digestion, or any other of the vital functions? And yet what is all this as compared with the wonders of the soul, the spirit, which God breathed into us from the beginning? Here are understanding and memory with their ever increasing powers; the will, which no force can bend, but which can bend itself, when it is in a healthy state; the conscience, this heavenly witness; the heart, which can give itself, can love, can receive into itself the love divine, and be united with God in liberty most glorious and bonds most beautiful. All this hast thou, O God, designed from eternity; and thy thoughts and thy will wrought me curiously in secret, in my mother’s womb. — As thou hast wonderfully wrought me, so thou dost wonderfully lead me, in ways which not I, but thou, my God, hast found. I am fallen, and my form has been disordered; but thou dost heal me, and lead me in the paths of salvation; thou hast destined me to eternal life, and thou dost give me this life. Thou dost care for me in all things; nothing befalls me without thy counsel; never for one day, for a single moment, dost thou abandon me. “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. The darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day.”
This will we ponder, dear reader! We must marvel at the wisdom and power of the Lord, and his infinite goodness toward us; it follows us always; shall we not always praise it? In his arms we fall asleep at night, and in them we awake in the morning. When we go to rest, and when we rise from our couch, we are with the Lord; we are near him always with soul and body. We dwell in the Lord’s house, we eat at his table; with him we labor, and with him we rest; with him we live, and with him we die. Blessed every man who knows thee, O Lord! Thy mercy is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. Blessed be thy glorious name forever! Amen.*
Plenteous grace with thee is found, Grace to cover all my sin; Let the healing streams abound; Make and keep me pure within. Thou of life the fountain art, Freely let me take of thee: Spring thou up within my heart, Rise, to all eternity.
* 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.
360. Friday after Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Holy Father, sanctify us through thy truth. Amen.
1 Peter 1, 14-19. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
❦
The least taint of leprosy made an Israelite unclean, and caused his exclusion from the people. The least of sins which rules over you excludes you from God’s Israel; and every one who is to enter the perfect sanctuary of heaven must be wholly cleansed from all sin. The Father is holy; and the children must be holy. The Son is holy; and the blood wherewith he cleanses you is that of a lamb without blemish and without spot. The Spirit who dwells in the faithful is none other than the very Holy Ghost. You have been bought with a great price; and precious and pure you must be. The evil from which you were delivered was something terrible; and “a burned child fears the fire.” He is righteous; and you call upon him as your Father; he does not, as did Eli, wink at the wickedness of his children. If, then, you be one of Christ’s believers, you live no more in sin; for you have been washed, justified, and sanctified by the blood of Jesus and by the Spirit of God. But as you for all that, while you are in the flesh, have sin and evil desires, you must continually mortify them, that you may become ever more holy in all your conversation. God will give you both the desire and the strength to do this. When he says, “Be ye holy; for I am holy,” your heart makes reply: “Cleanse me, O Lord; sanctify me wholly, merciful God!” And your prayer is answered; so that the power of sanctification is given you. Use it, and increase in purity and piety day by day. Your hatred of sin and your love of God should be stronger today than yesterday; your patience greater, your mercy more tender, your gratitude more warm, all your conduct more like that of the Lord Jesus. If you be a child of God, let it be seen of angels and men. See that you be distinguished from the world by a truly saintly life. “Come out from among them, and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God!” (2 Cor. 6, 17-7, 1).
Lord God, who dost work in thy saints both to will and to do of thy good pleasure; grant us grace; grace to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and to receive the desire and the power of holiness from thee in the word and sacrament; so that we may increase daily in the likeness of thy image. Holy Lord God, sanctify us wholly in spirit and soul and body. Amen.*
By the baptismal stream, Which made me thine, By the dear flesh and blood, Thy love made mine, Purge thou all sin from me, That I may nearer be, Nearer to thee!
Surely it matters not What earth may bring, Death is of no account, Grace will I sing. Nothing remains for me, Save to be nearer thee, Nearer to thee!
* 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.
359. Thursday after Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 103, 1-5. A Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
❦
When you awake in the morning let your first thought be that the Lord is good; and let the first impulse of your soul be to give him thanks. During the day, when you work or rest; in the evening, when you seek your repose; in the watches of the night, give thanks to the Lord. Ye Christians old and young; how is it with your Christianity? How will you be able to join in the anthem of praise sung by the saints before the throne, if you here have dissatisfied minds, or are at least slow to praise the Lord? It is well that you know and regret your sin; nay, this is an unavoidable necessity. It is well that you are tried in diverse temptations; for this is the lot of the saints on earth; they must carry the cross, and feel its weight. But it is not well that sorrow is victorious, and the tongue of praise is silent. He that humbles himself receives mercy. The Lord chastens, but comforts also. The needy and meek shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. There is an immeasurable difference between the soul whose keynote is a wail of complaint and the soul in whose cry of distress is resignation, victory, and hope. Why is your life so poor in songs of praise and joy? Because your penitence is so shallow. You bewail your condition; but your wailing is a complaint against God, and an accusation against the church or the brethren; and there is in it little or nothing of true humility. What is it makes it possible for David to sing such grand songs of praise? It is the deep penitence of his heart. Why does his cry of distress end in thanksgiving and praise? Because even his songs of mourning celebrate the righteousness of God. Humble yourself, and believe the mercy of God; humble yourself, I beg, and believe his words of mercy; then shall goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life; and how can you, then, fail to give thanks? Be simple and honest before the Lord; be one of those of whom David speaks in Psalm 89, 15-18, where he says: “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength; and in thy favor our horn shall be exalted. For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.” Blessed is he whose heart is full of harpstrings, giving a beautiful sound in praise of the Lord. You may be thus blessed, dear reader; for he forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy diseases; redeemeth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Shall not all that is within you bless his name?
Lord God, I confess my sin, my odious ingratitude; and I earnestly beseech thee, give me grace to humble myself and to believe. Give me victory over the pride and unbelief of my wicked heart. Give me this great mercy, that I may praise thee all my life; that of my whole heart I may thank thee and praise thee for all things. Amen.*
O Father ever glorious, O everlasting Son, O Spirit all victorious, Thrice Holy Three in One, Great God of our salvation, Whom earth and heaven adore, Praise, glory, adoration, Be thine forevermore. Amen.
[suggested tune: Jeg vil mig Herren love (TLH 655, ELH 178); 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.
358. Wednesday after Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Teach me thy way, O Lord, that I may walk in thy truth. Amen.
2 Timothy 2, 19-22. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
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The holy church of God, built on Christ as the chief stone of the corner, and the doctrine of truth which it possesses, cannot be overthrown by any teachers of falsehood. As the devil came to Eve in paradise, so his prophets come into the church, mingle with the saints, and try to keep themselves from being known for what they are. But as the inscription on a seal stands sure, has its specific meaning, indicates to whom it belongs, and prevents fraud; so the church of God stands sure, having this seal: 1) “The Lord knoweth them that are his;” so that none shall be able to steal in among them without being known of the Lord. He has already judged and separated the liars from the others, and we need have no fear; they shall neither overthrow the foundation, nor destroy them that have the seal of the living God in their foreheads. 2) “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” All the Lord’s people strive after sanctification. None of them can live in deceitfulness, pride, carnal lusts, covetousness, gluttony, conceit, lust of power, a partisan spirit, or other manner of uncleanness. This is written for the admonition of the Christians, that they may examine themselves; and as a testimony for the world.
We must not allow ourselves to be led wrong by the circumstance that there are vessels of wood as well as vessels of gold in the great house; for here on earth it cannot be otherwise. In the external church organization are two classes of men, with many differences within each class. Our text, however, does not speak further of the vessels of dishonor. — If you know before God that you walk in the truth, you are a vessel to honor, can endure the fire of purification; and neither shall you flee from it, but endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. “Study to show thyself approved unto God.” Study to do this! Be thoroughly in earnest in striving to shew yourself approved of God. “Remember Jesus Christ,” and walk in his steps. If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him (Verses 3. 8. 11. 12. 15). Keep yourself undefiled by the vessels of dishonor; do not cultivate spiritual fellowship with them that serve the flesh; so shall the Lord sanctify you, and use you unto his honor, to the edification of the church, and to every good work. “Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with all them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Follow these things. Follow them; not slowly, not in a lukewarm way, but zealous and fervent in spirit! Follow these things; then shall the Lord deliver you from every evil work, and preserve you unto his heavenly kingdom; to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.*
Behold the sure foundation stone Which God in Zion lays, To build our heavenly hopes upon, And his eternal praise.
Chosen of God, to sinners dear, And saints adore the name; They trust their whole salvation here, Nor shall they suffer shame.
* 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.
357. Tuesday after Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.” Amen.
John 5, 2-9. 14. Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep market, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
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All the miracles of Jesus manifest his glory, and strengthen our faith. To us he is then a present Savior; and we experience his power on ourselves. That which he did he does; that which we read in regard to the sick whom he healed agrees with our own experience. Even if it be a spiritual healing, it is no less true; but, for the matter of that, it is he who by healing and quickening them gives our bodies also the power to live forever.
The story in our text may greatly edify the earnest reader. Bear in mind that this hospital is called Bethesda (the house of mercy); which vividly reminds one of the church of Christ; that it is by the market for the sheep which are to be sacrificed; that it has five porches; that under these are a great multitude of sick persons; that they are blind, halt, and withered; that it is water in which they are healed; that it is an angel, a messenger of God, who troubles the water; that the sick need aid to get into the pool; etc. Let me call special attention to but one of these sick men, and to Jesus. Clearly, this man is the most wretched of all, or at least one of the most wretched. Him Jesus saves. He has been waiting for help a long, long time; and has almost lost the last remnant of hope. He has been abandoned by everybody. Jesus asks him: “Wilt thou be made whole?” and thus quickens his dormant longing. Why does God let some men be sick for so long a time? Is it because they are greater sinners than others? By no means; it is for the purpose of teaching them humility. In the case of some he for this purpose employs sickness; in the case of others some other means. We have often seen that sin and sickness go together; and the Lord calls our attention to this truth when he says: “Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” — Here we see, then, that Jesus can help, and does in fact help the most abjectly wretched of men; if we do but admit our guilt and feel our helplessness. The Lord speaks first. He comes first; he is the author, and he is the finisher of our salvation. When he has opened our ears to hear him, he again speaks to us; and in his words is life; through them he gives us the faith which receives this new life. Jesus said “rise”; and this word raised the impotent man from his bed. It entered his heart, and made him believe that he should rise; and as soon as he believed it he was able to do it. Have not you also had this experience, dear reader? When your soul, in sin and trouble, heard the words of Jesus, “I save you; I took away your sin; you shall inherit eternal life; rise, and walk with God;” — you received a new life, rose up, and praised the Lord. Or, if you have not had this experience, give heed now to that which the Lord says. Is it your wish that Jesus may save you from sin and sickness, and make you whole in soul and body forever? If this be your wish, hear his words to you: “Rise, and walk.” Obey them; do this; the word itself gives you the required strength. Go thy way, then, and “sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”
Precious Savior, thou art the Lord who healeth me. Let me know thy healing power until I become perfectly whole in the life eternal. Amen.*
O Savior Christ! Thou too art Man; Thou hast been troubled, tempted, tried; Thy kind, but searching glance can scan The very wounds that shame would hide.
Thy touch has still its ancient power; No word from thee can fruitless fall; Hear in this solemn evening hour, And in thy mercy heal us all.
* 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.
356. Monday after Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 6. To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: Oh save me for thy mercies’ sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity: for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.
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The sore trouble in which we here find David was occasioned by his persecutions suffered at the hands of his enemies. For the saints of God recognize that there is an intimate connection between sin and trouble. Their spiritual distress may be caused by some special act of wickedness, or it may be the result of some earthly affliction, as poverty, sickness, the death of a dear one, the loss of property, the malice of other men, the tongue of slander, and the like; and in many cases they do not know with certainty, whether that which they feel is “godly sorrow,” or “sorrows of the world;” and this uncertainty increases their fear. — Jesus has suffered the punishment for all our sins; and hence it is not the anger of the judge, but of the Father, which disciplines the faithful. Yet all suffering, being a result of sin, has another meaning to their conscience than it has to that of the world. We therefore, in this psalm and elsewhere in the scriptures, hear how the greatest of heroic souls fear, and tremble, and weep like children. Furthermore, the truly pious do not have the callous hearts of unbelief, but a quickened sense of good and evil. None has found suffering so bitter as did our Lord Jesus; none has felt more sorrow and shed more tears than he; — the bravest and strongest champion against death and hell.
This psalm and similar passages of scripture are of great assistance to such as are in spiritual trouble; for here they find expressed that which their own hearts have felt, and learn how to lay their troubles before God. Not all the saints of God are as sorely tried as was David, who several times in the course of his life “made his bed to swim all the night” with his sweat and tears; for he was to learn to sing songs of lamentation, in which each of us finds his own misery expressed; and to sing songs of joy, in which the heart of the whole church throbs with exultation. But at some time or other in his life as a child of God every man must taste something of the bitterness of death. Then he is conscious of nothing but the wrath which punishes. God appears in his eyes as the strange and stern master in Egypt appeared to the sons of Jacob; so that he remembers his sins. He withers and is consumed. The happy days of grace and the light of life have disappeared. He was happy and full of bliss; but this is passed away. And yet the soul cries out to God, who seems all anger: “Have mercy upon me, O Lord; save me for thy mercies’ sake.” It is the true nature and distinguishing mark of the saints that they bow before God, and always fly to him. Then the soul groans and cries out: “O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure!” “O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul also is sore vexed; but thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul! I am thine, Lord Jesus; thy property which thou hast bought with a price. Thou must, thou must have mercy! Do with me what thou wilt; but surrender me not to the power of the devil and the darkness of death. Thou hast created me, and bought me to the glory of thy name; and this is my salvation. Thou canst not and wilt not desert me!” — And the Lord saves in truth; “unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.” Note how the psalmist closes his lamentation with shouts of joy. Wait upon the Lord; commit your way unto him with “hope against hope;” and you shall surely sing — though it may not be until a long time after your “O Lord, how long,” which has been the motto of some of the pious children of God throughout their whole life — you shall surely sing at last: “The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.” “Away, then, ye false and terrifying accusers, ye spirits and powers, which threaten me with anger and punishment and death, and would imprison my happy and victorious life as in a hell!” Come, thou Spirit of life, my comforter in every trouble, and teach me to sing songs of thanksgiving before God. Amen.*
Come, Holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear In this glad hour; Thou who almighty art, Now rule in every heart, And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of power!
Jesus, our Lord, descend; From all our foes defend, Nor let us fall; Let thine almighty aid Our sure defense be made; Our souls on thee be stayed; Lord, hear our call!
* 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.
Lord, make us clean, and let us live and praise thee. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Luke 17, 11-19. And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
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We are all lepers by birth. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” But we who live here in the church with the word and sacraments have all been cleansed also; and should we have allowed the leprosy to take hold on us again, the Lord is near, so that we can cry to him: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” He who sees that he is unclean, and feels that he is diseased, will thus cry out. Then the Lord makes reply: “Go, and be cleansed. Believe my word; believe in the cleansing power of my blood, and you are clean. You may then come with confidence among my saints, sit at my Supper, and appear before my Father in heaven.” We must do like these ten men, who went away in accordance with the Lord’s word before they had been made clean; went away in faith, and believed his word, and were confident that they would be cleansed because he had said it; went to shew themselves as having been cleansed, even while they yet saw and felt their uncleanness. He who sees his sin, and is sensible of being sick and wretched, lost and condemned, shall hear the word of the Lord: “I have cleansed you with the washing of water by the word;” “ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” He shall then believe the word, and he is in truth cleansed; he is accepted of God, is justified, has remission of sins; and none can accuse and condemn him. Let all the Jewish priests and most malicious enemies of Christ, all the pious and all the wicked, all spirits and angels, see one who believes the Lord’s word, “I have cleansed thee with water and blood, and thou art clean;” and they shall confess that it is true. For as the Lord speaks so it is; and he who believes, to him belongs the blessing. — Thereafter you shall go to him, and thank him. In this way only can you preserve your purity; with Jesus only can the one who has been cleansed remain clean. The nine are to warn us, and the one to encourage us. Come back to the Savior again and again unceasingly, and give him thanks! Never forget what he has done for you! There are indeed not many who, when they have just been cleansed, forget to render thanks; but when some time has elapsed they come to regard the grace of God as a matter of course; and then they easily forget to praise the Lord. It is therefore necessary that you see your daily sins with ever increasing clearness, and feel how glorious a thing it is to receive forgiveness all the time. Never, never let the blood of Jesus, nor the precious water of baptism become things of little value in your eyes; and never neglect to give thanks for them. Sing a new song always in praise of the old, yet ever new, nay ever more great, more sweet, more rich, grace of God! “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies!” Happy child of God; bless the Lord now, this hour, and next hour, today, tonight, tomorrow morning, unceasingly, while you live; prostrate yourself at the feet of Jesus, giving him thanks forever and ever! This is his will, and your salvation. Satan must not be allowed to prevent it!
Blessed be thou, Lord Jesus, who didst atone for all my sin with thy holy and precious blood! Blessed be thou for the gospel, which brings salvation, for the cleansing water of baptism, and for the healing strength of thy holy Supper! Blessed be thou for the grace of the Spirit, which kindled the spark of faith in my soul, and created in me a new and holy life. Preserve my faith, and increase it; and let nothing seduce me to separate myself from thee, thou only lover of my soul in time and in eternity. Amen.*
My soul, now bless thy maker! Let all within me bless his name, Who maketh thee partaker Of mercies more than thou dar’st claim. Forget him not, whose meekness Forgiveth all thy sin; Who healeth all thy weakness, Renews thy life within; Whose grace and care are endless, Who saved thee through the past; Who leaves no sufferer friendless, But rights the wronged at last.
He shows to man his treasure Of judgment, truth, and righteousness, His love beyond all measure, His yearning pity o’er distress; Nor treats us as we merit, But lays his anger by; The humble, contrite spirit Finds his compassion nigh; Far as the heavens above us, As break from close of day, So far, since he doth love us, He casts our sins away.
Lord God, give us the holy Spirit of liberty. Amen.
Epistle Lesson, Galatians 5, 16-24. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
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To “walk in the Spirit” is, then, the opposite of being “under the law.” The apostle contrasts “the Spirit” with “the flesh”; and he also speaks of walking in the Spirit as contrary to being in bondage under the law. Be not deceived, however. They who are not under the law are not without the law. The carnally minded would like to be without the law; but they have its judgment in their conscience, whether they know it or not; and in reality they all are in bondage under the law. They are not the children of the Spirit. The spiritually minded, on the other hand, who are free from bondage, cherish and obey the law of love. The law condemns the works of the flesh, and is an object of hatred to the carnally minded; but against the fruit of the Spirit there is no law, and there is no enmity between the law and the spiritually minded.
The believer knows that the commandment of love is pure and just. He believes that Christ has fulfilled it for him; and through this faith the Holy Ghost gives him the new life of love in his soul. That which Christ has done has been given me, I know, in my baptism, and is counted exactly as if I had done it myself. By this means I am righteous and saved, and free from every demand of the law, and from the condemnation of the law; nay, in this respect the law no more has any existence for me, but is nailed to the cross, and is dead and gone. In this faith in the love of God, however, I love God with all my heart, and love all men, even my worst enemies. Through the gospel God has given me his love, and thus written his law in my heart. “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8, 2-4). At the same time we still have the flesh, which causes our conduct to be marred by weaknesses and imperfections. When the apostle says that “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, . . . so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,” we understand that the believers shall humbly acknowledge the lusts of the flesh as their own. That which the flesh lusts after, that which you yourselves desire, is to be renounced. I must not forget that I, the selfsame individual who loves God with holy love, I have in my self-will, in my flesh, such hideous things as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, etc.; which have, however, thank God, been crucified. I must suffer these things, in order that I may learn humility and self-denial; but I must not follow them to be their slave; I must mortify the flesh with the affections and lusts. On the other hand, let us come forward with the fruits of the Spirit! Let the roots of the heart strike deeper every day into the love of God! Let us walk more and more in the free, happy spirit of the child; and let it bear more abundant fruit in all heavenly virtues! Grant us this grace, merciful God, through Jesus Christ. Amen.*
Spirit of adoption! Make us overflow With thy sevenfold blessing And in grace to grow.
Into Christ baptizèd, Grant that we may be Day and night, dear Spirit, Perfected by thee!
* 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.
353. Saturday after Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, cleanse us and keep us in the covenant with thee. Amen.
Ezekiel 16, 9-14. Then washed I thee with water: yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work: thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.
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As it was the custom of oriental princes at their own expense to robe and deck their brides with ornaments for the wedding, so the Lord cleansed and decked Israel to be his bride. By its system of sacrifices Israel was washed of its sins; through its religious service it was clothed in glory; and it was crowned a queen among the peoples with power and honor. — The true bride of the Lord is the spiritual Israel, the Christian church. In our text the prophet describes the purification and adornment of every Christian. You have sprung from sinful seed, and are unclean from your birth, and must confess with David: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” You were “cast out in the open field,” and were in a wretched condition like the man in the desert of Jericho; and no eye would have pitied you, had not Jesus come. But “I saw thee,” he says, “and I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, Live! Yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine.” And he “washed you with water;” he washed you in baptism with the water and blood from his side; and you received forgiveness of sins and a new life. And he “anointed you with oil;” he gave you his Spirit, and made you a king and priest before God. He “clothed you also with broidered work, with fine linen and silk, and decked you also with ornaments;” he gave you his righteousness and all manner of spiritual gifts, charity, humility, patience, mercy, peace, joy, meekness, temperance. “Christ loved the church, and he gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5, 25-27). The 45th Psalm sings of the theme in this wise: “Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. . . . The king’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework; the virgins, the companions that follow her, shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they shall enter into the king’s palace.” Such purity and glory did you receive in your baptism, dear Christian; and all the believers stand thus arrayed before God in the righteousness of Christ. “For thy beauty was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee,” saith this our Lord Jesus. Israel was a faithless bride to him; — be thou faithful unto the end!
Lord, give us hereto thy grace. Good Holy Spirit, faithful guide, care for us, and guard us, and keep us with the bridegroom of our souls, until thou dost conduct us to the wedding feast in heaven. This we pray thee of our innermost heart. Lord Jesus, do thou never take thy Holy Spirit from me. Amen.*
Rejoice, all ye believers, And let your lights appear! The evening is advancing, And darker night is near; The Bridegroom is arising, And soon he draweth nigh; Up! pray, and watch, and wrestle! At midnight comes the cry.
The watchers on the mountain Proclaim the Bridegroom near; Go meet him as he cometh, With hallelujahs clear. The marriage-feast is waiting, The gates wide open stand; Up, up, ye heirs of glory! The Bridegroom is at hand.
* 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.
352. Friday after Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, give us a living knowledge of sin and a living faith in thee. Amen.
1 Timothy 1, 12-16. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
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It is not an unusual thing to hear from the children of God a statement like this: “I am the chief of all sinners; none other can be as wretched and as corrupt as I.” If you are sincere in saying this, and it is not mere idle words, a great miracle of grace has been wrought in you by the Spirit of God. For we are by nature blind to our own defects, and see the mote in a brother’s eye, but not the beam in our own. He only who stands before God, and sees himself clearly in the light of his holy law, is so humble of heart that he can say with the apostle: “I am the chief of sinners;” “I am less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3, 8). Many may have this feeling at certain times in their life; but I fear that only a few of us have in fact this measure of piety. The many dissensions and the discord obtaining among us indicate neither humility nor a thorough knowledge of sin. Let Paul be a pattern for our correction. Let us, as he did, enter the presence of God, and stand in the clear light of his countenance; and we shall become little in our own eyes, and forget to find fault with those who stand at our side.
However, the Holy Ghost has written this Bible text for the comfort of all those who grieve because of the magnitude of their transgressions. The law condemns you, but Jesus does not. For this very purpose he is come into the world, that he may save sinners. Will he fail to carry out the purpose for which he came, do you think? “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” Do hear how the Holy Ghost in Paul bears witness, and wants to help us to believe. But if you think that your sin is great, he has foreseen this also, and presents Paul to you for a pattern. Paul says truly that he was the chief among all sinners. It does not only seem so to him, but he is fully conscious of being that which he says. Yet he obtained mercy; and shall not you, then, also obtain mercy? He had blasphemed, persecuted, and reviled Jesus, and breathed out threatenings against him. “Lord, I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to thy saints” (Acts 9, 13). He says that he “did it ignorantly in unbelief;” but he does not offer this as an excuse. On the contrary; it was his own fault that he was so blind. Nevertheless, he can now accept mercy because of this; and he says that mercy is extended to him as chief of sinners, in order that all others, all other great sinners, may know, that there is mercy for them also. If the chief of all sinners actually has obtained mercy, your sin cannot by any possibility be so great that mercy cannot take it away. There is not in the world one sinner who asks forgiveness, and does not receive it. For the mercy of the Lord is great beyond all measure; “as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” Jesus never has cast off any penitent sinner; and never shall.
To the God of grace and mercy be praise and honor forevermore! Amen.*
As the shepherd seeks to find His lost sheep that from him strayeth, So hath Christ each soul in mind, And for its salvation prayeth; Fain he’d have each wanderer live: Jesus sinners doth receive.
Come, then, all by guilt oppressed, Jesus calls, and he would make you God’s own children, pure and blest, And to glory he would take you; Think on this, and well believe Jesus sinners doth receive.
* 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.
351. Thursday after Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
“He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”
Zechariah 3, 1-5. And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.
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Joshua the high priest represents the whole people of Israel. It was a “brand plucked out of the fire;” that is to say, just now barely and with difficulty saved from the wrath of God. The “angel of the Lord” is Christ, who defends the wretched people against Satan. The “filthy garments” are their sins, of which Satan accuses them. The “change of raiment” is the righteousness which they receive of the Lord, and which gives them courage to lift their heads with hope. — Are not all who have been converted “brands plucked out of the fire”? Have not all been the children of wrath, and nearer than we are aware to the fire of perdition? Have not all the faithful been plucked out of the godless world; and is it not by the wonderful grace of God alone that we are saved? The faithful “sit together in heavenly places,” and stand ever before God in Christ (Eph. 2, 6. Hebr. 12, 22 sqq.); but Satan is at hand to accuse them. This is shown clearly by the Book of Job. In these latter days “the accuser of the brethren” has been cast out to wreak all his furious anger on the earth (Revelation 12, 9 sqq.). His power is, to be sure, already broken (Luke 10, 17-19); but he still is permitted to act as our accuser; and he goes about, and gathers up our sins, and places himself with them at our side, when we stand before God. Unhappy we, did we not have the advocate that we have! (1 John 2, 1. 2). In our Bible lesson Israel has just been plucked out of the fire. We are instructed in regard to the justification of a penitent sinner. The soul is before God, but is clothed with many sins, “filthy garments.” How impossible for it to pass muster! Even if there were but one spot on you, one single little blemish; or if only one unclean desire had stirred in you; this would yet be enough to condemn you. How, then, shall you be able to stand before God with your many and great sins? — However, praise be to God! The “angel,” God’s messenger, our Lord Jesus Christ, has authority and power to say: “The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan! Thou hast no more any right to accuse this man, whom God hath chosen and called and saved. I, Jesus, have been in the fire of wrath, and plucked him out of it; shall I, then, not defend him?” The sinner stands before the angel’s face in filthy garments; the penitent man does not hide his sin; but confesses it, and comes to the Lord “just as I am.” Then the Lord says to his servants: “Take away the filthy garments from him.” “David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him,” and “set a fair mitre upon his head.” It is done as he commands; and while his stewards in the gospel serve him, and deal out to the souls forgiveness of sins, he stands by, and defends them against Satan, and guides them with his eye. For this reason it is that we can sing: “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.” “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Go thy way, thou pardoned sinner; be of good cheer by reason of the comfort of forgiveness and the defense by our heavenly advocate; keep your garments pure, and walk in the ways of the Lord! Help us, O God, that we sin not! But when we sin, do thou chasten us; and forgive us for the sake of thy Son’s blood; and let the Spirit remind us that we have an advocate in heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous; so that we preserve a free and good conscience, and obtain victory over the accuser of the brethren. Amen.*
Still for us his death he pleads, Prevalent, he intercedes, Near himself prepares our place, Harbinger of human race.
There we shall with thee remain, Partners of thy endless reign, There thy face unclouded see, Find our heaven of heavens in thee.
* 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.
350. Wednesday after Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, awaken us, and create faith in our hearts. Amen.
Acts 16, 25-34. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm; for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
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Paul and Silas were thrown into prison in the first European city which they visited; but they were happy, and sang joyful praises unto the Lord. The body in the dark, cold prison, but the spirit free; such is the fate of the church in the world. In this way the church does its work, which is to save souls, and gather them into the kingdom. Luke does not tell us what effect the songs of praise by Paul and Silas, and the miracle which accompanied them, had on their fellow-prisoners, but mentions the keeper of the prison. This man had but now made their feet fast in the stocks, and he was, no doubt, one who slept soundly in sin. Now, however, he awakes. First he would have killed himself; for according to the Roman law he was liable to suffer death in the place of the escaped prisoners. Afterwards, when he hears the voice of Paul, learns of the miracle which had been wrought, and looks the apostle in the face, he feels the presence of the living God, and his own life in sin is presented to his view. He knows his unrighteousness, and quakes before the wrath of God. He then brings the apostles out, and asks them: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? How shall I be able to make restitution for all the wrong which I have done? How shall I with deeds of charity toward all whom I have maltreated make sufficient atonement for all my guilt? What sacrifice shall I bring, in order that the wrath of God may be appeased? Ye are the servants of God, and can tell me what to do!” Paul and Silas answer with one voice, saying: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. This is all which thou shalt do.” Marvelous scheme of salvation, which never could have been conceived in the human brain! Glorious gospel which snatches sinners out of the power of Satan, and creates light and peace and life in the soul! “Believe on the Lord;” but where is he to be found? Notice what the Spirit teaches us on this point in our text. “Believe on the Lord Jesus,” say the apostles; and they spake the word of the Lord to them, and baptized them. Hence the Lord Jesus, on whom we are to believe, is in the word and in baptism. When they believed the word, and were baptized, they believed in God. Being baptized into Christ they believed his gospel; and then there was nothing more to do. — Go thou, and do likewise, dear reader! Believe on him in the word and in baptism; on him who died and rose again; then are you saved, — and your whole house shall follow you. Note this also! Thus it was in the case of the keeper of the prison. Ask as he did, and you shall receive the same answer; and the joy shall spread from the prison to your heart and house, as it did to the heart and house of the prison-keeper. “What must I do to be saved?” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Now is the time. Ask; ask, and hear, and believe, and give thanks to God! Is it not a grand thing, even for us, that the apostles crossed over to Macedonia?
Lord Jesus, wake us all, and give us a living desire to be saved and a thorough knowledge of our sin; and give us grace to believe on thee, with all our household. Amen.*
Lord Jesus Christ, in thee alone My only hope on earth I place; For other comforter is none, No help have I but in thy grace. There is no man nor creature here, No angel in the heavenly sphere, Who in my need can succor me; I cry to thee, In thee I trust implicitly.
* 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.
349. Tuesday after Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
God, let the light of the gospel shine into our hearts. Amen.
Galatians 3, 5-11. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
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All the unregenerated are under the law; and insofar as they hope to be saved, it is through their own works. To some it is a light, to others a grave matter. Some imagine that they keep the law, and feel safe; others strive to keep it, but are wearied and troubled. Some feel sure that they have faith, but say to themselves: What can it profit, when my works are not perfect? Others work like slaves in the effort to believe and to bring forth the fruits of faith. To some the most important thing is to hear, to read, to pray, and to shun the pleasures of the world; others seek to do right and justice and practice mercy. All these lack knowledge of the law’s last demand and true meaning, and all are under the condemnation of the law. Dear friends, “wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?” How do you read the law? and how do you understand Saint Paul? Look at yourself in the law of love as in a glass, and see that you are a lost and condemned sinner; and let the law drive you to Christ! This is God’s purpose with the law. As long as you are your own savior, either alone or with the help of Christ, you remain under the curse. When you die from yourself, and are quickened in Christ; when you learn to rest on faith, and not on the law; you are blessed with faithful Abraham. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us;” and this redemption belongs to everyone that believes. The law has nothing to do with you in the matter of your justification before God. The handwriting that was against you is nailed to the cross; the tables of stone have disappeared. You are as far from the court of the works of the law, as the east is far from the west. Do you never hereafter bring your works into the work of Christ; but let him alone be and remain your righteousness. Go forward, now, in the Spirit, become ever less in yourself, and let Jesus be your only glory! Then are you a child of Abraham, and inherit his blessing. You are wholly righteous, and there is no condemnation in you. Your conscience is cleansed of dead works to serve the living God. You love him, who loved you first, and you gladly do his will. The holy commandment of the law is written on the tables of your heart. — Hear this, all you who desire to be saved: No man is justified before God by the law. All scripture bears witness that everyone who trusts in the works of the law is cursed; all scripture testifies that the just shall live by faith. Come, and incline your heart to this blessed teaching! The Spirit himself shall work it in you; and when you obey him, you shall experience his blessed and mighty power against sin and death and devil.
Merciful God, enlighten us with the gifts of thy Holy Spirit, lead us into the blessed liberty of faith, and bring about mighty works in us, to the glory of thy name. Amen.*
Savior! all my sins confessing, Gracious hear me when I cry; Give, through faith, the promised blessing, Freely, fully justify.
By thy holy Spirit’s leading, Bring me to thy bosom nigh, In thy blessed footsteps treading, Soul and body sanctify.
Thus, the days of conflict ended, In the mansions of the sky, Whither, Lord, thou art ascended, With thyself, me glorify.
[ELHB 14; suggested tune: Lobt den Herrn, die Morgensonne (TLH 461; 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.
348. Monday after Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Good Holy Spirit, give us the liberty in Christ. Amen.
Romans 7, 1-6. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband, so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held: that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
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When Christ was here in his state of humiliation, he was under the condemnation and dominion of the law (Gal. 4, 4; 3, 13); by his obedience unto death, however, the power of the law to judge and its right to reign have been destroyed; by his death he is set free from the law. But it was for us that the Son of God was born under the law, and was made a curse, so his liberty from the law is our liberty. This blessing is enjoyed by the faithful. They are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ, and are thus united with him as he died, and united with him as he again lives. Without Christ they were under the law, bound to keep it, and cursed forever. But now that they are one with Christ (Eph. 5, 30-32), they are by his death loosed from the law, in like manner as a woman is loosed from her husband when death has parted them.
This liberty of the faithful from the law is a very excellent thing. In the first place, there is no obligation resting on them to keep the law, in order that they may be justified before God. Satan cannot accuse them of any transgression of the law. Christ has fulfilled the law perfectly, and this is counted as having been done by them that believe in him; he has suffered the whole punishment, and thus they have suffered it also. They are free from the law which says: “Keep the commandments, and thou shalt be justified.” They are free from it as completely, as the woman is loosed and free from her husband when death separates her from him. The law has nothing whatever to do with the question of my right to salvation. I was a transgressor, and my life is still imperfect; but this can no more condemn me. It no more affects my right to salvation, than it affects the right of my Lord Jesus; for I am no longer under the dominion of the law, but have by my baptism entered the house of the precious bridegroom of my soul; and in that house there is a dispensation entirely different from the law’s command, “do this, and thou shalt live.” — In the second place, the believers have a free and happy conscience, and serve God and all men with joy and delight in the new life of the Spirit. They do not flee from God, but to him; and do his will, not as bondmen, but as children. Herein they are not, however, perfect, as they are in respect to their righteousness in Christ. All Christians do not have so clear a conception of their state of grace that they know how excellent is the liberty in which they live; and neither is the truth equally clear at all times to the same person. The sins which cling to him obscure his vision, and give the devil occasion to tempt him. He is tempted to put on again the yoke; — but then the sun of mercy shines out once more, the soul is with its bridegroom; and the prize of victory, the spirit of liberty, is won. That which Paul here teaches is a matter of the greatest importance. While an earnest man clings to his own righteousness, he has the fear of death in his heart; for his good works are nothing but the forced obedience of the slave. But when you understand what grace is, and believe yourself quickened with Christ, and know that you are free, and the spirit in you cries out Abba, Father; then you bring forth fruit before God unto eternal life. The Spirit of Christ, which makes us free from the law, writes the law in our hearts.
God, teach us this through living experience, by thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Thou, O Christ, art all I want; More than all in thee I find: Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, Heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is thy name; I am all unrighteousness: False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.
* 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.
Lord, teach us to know mercy, and to practice it alway. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Luke 10, 23-37. And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
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The lawyer in our text knew very well what God will have us to do; and the opportunity to do it was given him, but he did not make use of it. So it was also in the case of the priest and the Levite. They had just attended the temple service in Jerusalem; and then they had come face to face with an instance of that crying distress which appeals to the feeling of mercy; but they shut their hearts, and passed by, and did not do that which they knew to be their duty. They did not do what they could to get to heaven; but they did what was possible to insure their own damnation. God placed the afflicted man in their path; but they turned aside, and did not go to the home of love. — Before relating the parable the Lord says to the lawyer: “this do”; and after having told it he says: “Go, and do thou likewise.” That which the Spirit of God wants to impress upon us today is these words, “this do”; “this do.” — The priest and the Levite had performed their service in the temple, kept the Sabbath, and made their prayers and sacrifices. They had for so long a time read and heard the commandment of love without obeying it that they were satisfied with merely observing the outward form of religion. The lawyer, on the other hand, seems to have felt less safe. His knowledge of the law and his conversation with Jesus indicate that something better was stirring in him; though the immediate purpose of his questioning was to tempt the Lord. What his fate came to be we do not know; but we hope that he went his way, and did like the Samaritan; in which case he now is in heaven. How, then? Does the word of God promise us heaven in return for our good deeds? By no means. The case is this: If anyone honestly desire to do the will of God, this desire has been created in him by God himself; and when he continues therein, and earnestly examines himself according to the law of love, he sees with ever greater clearness these two things: 1) That which he does is nothing more than his bounden duty. 2) He does not do this duty of a pure heart and in holy love, as he should. Neither does he, as did the lawyer, stop short at the second table of the law; but recognizes that his foremost duty is to love God with his whole heart. He learns that he is a sinner; and this knowledge is not mere information in regard to man’s wicked nature and wicked deeds, but a matter of living experience. Then he becomes a man mortally wounded, who is saved, not by the priest and the Levite, but by the Samaritan; one who cannot be quickened by the law, but by the merciful Lord Jesus. Thus he receives life and salvation; and now his delight is in doing good, but his righteousness and hope are in the merit and blood of Jesus. — Go now at once, and do this; love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself. The afflicted are in your path, in order that you may find God. Do as did the Samaritan! Is this not right and proper? Let love take root in your heart, be on your tongue, and bring forth fruit in your actions. If you, like the Samaritan, take your neighbor with you, he shall receive you in the everlasting habitations; “but if you pass him by, like the priest and the Levite, he shall be an obstacle in your path, and shut you out from heaven.” “Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” Dear reader, go, and do this!
Lord Jesus, give us to this end thy Holy Spirit; give us, we pray, thy Holy Spirit. Amen.*
Let none hear you idly saying, “There is nothing I can do,” While the souls of men are dying, And the master calls for you. Take the task he gives you gladly, Let his work your pleasure be; Answer quickly when he calleth, — “Here am I, send me, send me.”
Epistle Lesson, Galatians 3, 15-22. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
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God promises to Abraham and his seed the Land of Canaan forever; but this land is the new, transfigured earth with heavenly glory and salvation; and the seed of Abraham is Christ in his church, the communion of all the faithful, Jews and gentiles. Faith, faith alone, is the means which God has fixed as necessary in the case of everyone who is to be partaker of the inheritance. The “promises” are God’s covenant, his immutable will, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be subtracted by any man. None must imagine that since God himself afterward gave the law, he is fickle, and has changed his will already established; as though the law together with faith, or the law instead of faith, were to give us the inheritance. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent.” The law has not been added in order to change or annul the given covenant; though it certainly is the word of God, the word of the one and the same God, given by “a mediator,” namely Moses, who is not a mediator of one; who stood not only in man’s stead to receive the law, but also in God’s stead to give the law to man. On the contrary, the law is given to confirm the promise; the law multiplies our transgressions, and shews us our sin, thus making it clear that faith alone can save. — This is an unutterably precious truth, the very doctrine of life and the sun of salvation, which dispels the darkness and lifts the burden of unbelief and bondage. It has pleased God to establish this covenant; this is his eternal will and his last testament: Everyone of whatever people who believes in Jesus Christ shall inherit the glory and salvation of the children of God. And it has pleased him to give me the “baptism into Christ,” and let me learn this gospel, in order that even I may believe. He has also shewn me my sin, and driven me to Christ; so that I know nothing unto salvation, save his cross and blood. What, then, shall now condemn me? — Neither will we, then, brethren, bring the law and our own works into the covenant of God. We have learned to know that everything in us is sin according to the law; and we see this more clearly every day. Our experience is, then, in perfect harmony with all the scripture, and declares that faith alone, Christ alone, grace alone, is the sinners’ way to salvation. Is not this the faith and confession of your heart? This faith the Holy Ghost has created in you; and where he is there is liberty. “We are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Verses 25-29). — Blessed be God, who has made this covenant, and given it to us! Now none need be in doubt concerning his salvation; for everything which is our own has been excluded, and the inheritance is given us in the gospel. Lord, help us to believe the truth and the mercy of God. Amen.*
Where’er the greatest sins abound, By grace they are exceeded; Thy helping hand is always found With aid, where aid is needed: Thy hand, the only hand to save, Will rescue Israel from the grave, And pardon his transgression.
* 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.
Psalm 142. Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. I cried unto the Lord with my voice: with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him: I showed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge, and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
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Do not, dear Christian, shut your sorrows up in your own breast; but lay your soul bare before God, and pour out your heart to him in words of prayer. The devil is a dumb spirit, who wants to tie our tongue, that we may not be able to “cry unto the Lord”; and he is a proud spirit, who wants to make our heart stubborn, that we may not “with our voice make supplication unto the Lord.” I am sure that you have some acquaintance with this dark cavern in which the soul sits silent, and broods on its own misery, reproaches God and all men, and refuses admittance to every thought of comfort. Our Psalm instructs us to break this unhappy silence. 1) You are not the only one who eats the bread of tears. On the contrary; all who have true piety receive their share. David was brought so very low, and felt so despondent, that his spirit was overwhelmed within him. He had a sense of being so entirely alone and forsaken in his distress that his refuge failed him, and no man cared for him. When the saints have this experience, they become like unto Christ; for on him these words were fulfilled to the letter. 2) Humble yourself before the Lord. Than this nothing is, I might say, more important. There is nothing to which the devil has a stronger dislike; nothing which so decidedly promotes your peace. Know that you deserve punishment; and then sue for mercy. Note the words of our Psalm: “With my voice unto the Lord did I make supplication.” 3) You must learn to believe in the Lord; to renounce every form of idolatry, that the Lord, the Lord alone, may be your God. “My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” (Psalm 73, 26). 4) He “knoweth your path,” and cares for you. His eye watches over you, and his ear is open to your complaint. “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 49, 15). 5) In this way your complaint shall soon come to an end. “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30, 5). He shall bring your soul out of prison, and you shall praise his name; and the righteous shall praise the Lord for your deliverance. — Now, follow the instruction of David: Cry unto the Lord with your voice; make your supplication to the Lord; pour out your complaint before him; shew before him your trouble. Cry to the Lord, saying: “Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living; attend unto my cry, and bring my soul out of prison!” The Spirit of God shall himself loose your tongue; and when you have brought everything to the Lord in humble prayer, your sorrow shall become joy, and your lamentation a song of praise.
Lord, help us hereto by thy Holy Spirit. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name; the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me. Amen.*
O thou, from whom all goodness flows, I lift my heart to thee; In all my sorrows, conflicts, woes, Dear Lord, remember me!
When on my aching, burdened heart My sins lie heavily, My pardon speak, new peace impart; In love, remember me!
* 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.
