Locus 19 — The Invocation of God, or Prayer

Locus 19 — The Invocation of God, or Prayer

to God, not to seek or await help from Him in times of danger, not to give thanks to Him for His benefits.

Therefore we must use these precepts in opposition to our unbelief and unworthiness. Whenever there is doubt about whether God wants to be invoked, or is concerned about our groanings, tears, vows, and prayers, direct your attention to these precepts. For whenever He commands us to invoke Him it is helpful to murmur a prayer. If your unworthiness deters you, think what insanity it would be to argue by means of other precepts that we do not want to abstain from stealing or murder because we are not worthy to comply with His will. If the head of a family should command a servant [to do] his legitimate work, he will not accept the excuse from the servant that he is not worthy to obey him. marvelous and indescribable counsel, so that You show

Your measureless wrath against sin and Your mea sureless mercy toward the human race. Sanctify and guide me by Your Holy Spirit. Preserve and govern

Your church and the nations which are the homes of Your churches. Help the efforts of those who are learn ing the doctrine of the church and all other honorable areas of learning."

This form of prayer will help to teach the person who recites it about the persons of the Godhead, the mediator, and the promises. For when we mention the mediator, then the promises come to mind, as I shall indicate. For you must consider to what God you direct your invocations and where and why He has revealed

Himself. Great and indescribable is the blessing of God evident in that He has revealed Himself by such brilliant and certain testimonies, by His Word and the pending of His Son, Jesus Christ. Thus He wills to be known just as He has revealed Himself, and He hears only those and receives them who call upon this revealed

God and know the mediator.

Thus we should keep these precepts before us at all times. Matt. 7[:7], "Ask and it shall be given to you." And to this is added the universal principle [v. 8],

"Everyone who seeks, receives." Luke 18[:1], "We must always pray and not grow weary." Matt. 26[:41],

"Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation."

There is a sound and learned description in Plato:

"God is eternal mind, the cause of good in nature."

Someone might ask, "What more is required? Did not Plato know God, that, He exists, that He is eternal, wise, good, and the creator of all good things?" He has not yet said enough, for it is necessary that our minds be led to God as He has revealed Himself, and we must cling to the doctrine of His Son, the mediator.

1 Tim. 2[:1], "I exhort that you say prayers." 1 Thess.

5[:16—18], "Always rejoice, pray without ceasing, in all things give thanks . . . This is the will of God in Christ

Jesus toward us." Ps. 50[:15], "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you."

I have spoken about the precept [regarding in vocation], These passages also pertain to the Second

Commandment of the Decalogue. And invocation is the work of the Second Commandment and the most im portant form of worship.

After showing this distinction, I shall now divide the teaching of the doctrine of invocation into five parts.

First, you must consider what God you are in voking, to what God you turn your mind. For our minds, like those of the Gentiles, wander all over, but as Christ says John 14[:6], "No one comes to the Father but by Me." Remember that He alone is the true God who has revealed Himself from the beginning to His church by the giving of His Word and the sending of His Son, our

Lord Jesus Christ, the mediator. Therefore I used above the formula which includes the three persons and the reference to His revelation.

The third point is that as soon as we have con sidered these precepts, then the godly mind will seek the promises in order to learn whether and why God hears us in our unworthiness when we deserve only the most terrible punishments.

Now let us consider the order of the promises.

In the beginning let us take a look at the promise con cerning the remission of sins. For it is a true statement that God does not hear sinners, that is, those who do not repent and who do not seek the remission of their sins. Therefore, in every prayer, even when we are going to ask for something else, we should begin with the remission of sins, which has been promised for the sake of Christ. And we should keep in mind such very clear statements as Acts 10[:43], which says, "To Him all the prophets bear witness, that all who believe in Him shall receive the remission of sins through His name." And Rom. 5[:1], "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God."

And then we must give consideration to the Word.

For a mind which is ignorant of the Word of God will be in doubt whether God wills to be invoked or cares about our groans, or even why He would want to hear us. There seems to be no easier work than invocation.

For the Gentiles and the wicked in the church always are reciting some prayers. But when we think about these things, our minds may question whether God cares more about us than about them. We have often fallen, we deserve punishments, we are unworthy of the blessings of God. Against these arguments—by reason of which in many cases invocation languishes, and in others it totally dies—we shall fortify ourselves in the following paragraphs.

It is useful to remember the many passages we have gathered above and the many statements re garding justification and repentance, so that we may fix in our minds that this is the constant word of the Gospel from the time when the promise was first given to Adam, that it is a certainty that the remission of sins is given for the sake of Christ, and that in every prayer

Second, there is the precept regarding invoca tion. Not only are things like murder, theft, and adultery sins, but also it is a very great sin not to render worship

to do away with our darkness and our doubts. Thus Tabler is speaking very correctly when he says that the mind of man is never so eager to receive as God is eager to give. For God is true and He keeps His promises. we should draw near to God with trust in Christ the mediator, as it says in Eph. 3[:12], "Through Him we have courage to draw near with confidence through faith in Him." And Heb. 4[:14], "Having Jesus as our high priest, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace."

The fourth point is that in our invocation faith must be added. For the promises are given in order that faith may be kindled. And, as I have said earlier in regard to the order of the promises, we must first understand here that in every invocation, regardless of what is being requested, faith must shine forth, faith which re ceives the remission of sins and establishes the fact that we do please God and that our prayers are truly heard for the sake of the Son of God, our mediator.

Hence, also the testimonies regarding faith which Paul gives, although they also include other external things, yet they also involve this faith. But now, those who do not understand the matter are contending that the state ments from Genesis and the prophets have been im properly cited by Paul. For I recall hearing this kind of caviling. But David could not ask for a victory in battle unless he had previously determined that his sins had been remitted, that he had been received by God, and his prayers heard by Him. I have already touched on these matters previously when I spoke about justification.

Now that we have considered the matter of rec onciliation, next we shall gather together the promises concerning spiritual and physical blessings. John

16[:23], "Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give to you." "In My name," means mentioning Me, that is, if you ask using My name, the mediator and high priest who intercedes for you. For He commands that we draw near to God with trust in the mediator. And it is said repeatedly, [John

14:6], "No one comes to the Father except through the Son." Luke 11 [:13], "How much more will your heavenly

Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." Ps.

50[:15], "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you." John 15[:7], "If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, whatever you wish and ask will be done for you." These words bring the promise to the church in which the word of the Gospel is rightly proclaimed. Therefore it is certain that the church of Christ is that assembly which proclaims the Gospel of God, because He truly hears prayer as long as the church retains the Gospel.

Then we must distinguish between the things for which we ask. First, we request spiritual blessings, which God has promised specifically that He will give

(and He wills that we ask Him without any precondition), such as the remission of sins, deliverance from god lessness and eternal death, and the giving of His Holy

Spirit and eternal life. This is the chief promise of the Gospel. Even if all physical benefits are lost, God still wants us to be assured of it, as it says in Rom. 4[:16],

"Therefore, it is by faith, freely, that the promise may be certain."

In the same way in Matt. 18[: 19-20] it is said about the church, "If two of you agree on earth con cerning anything which they ask, it shall be done for them by My heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Here also a lovely promise is given to the church. Deut. 4[:7], "For what other nation has its gods so near to it as our God is to all who call upon Him?" This passage certainly affirms that [the prayer of] the church where the Word of God is proclaimed is heard. Ps. 145[:18], "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth." He will do what those who fear Him ask and hear their prayers.

In these prayers, faith supplies no condition be cause the command of God is unchangeable whereby

He commands that we hear Christ and believe the Gos pel, so they establish with certainty that, being led to repentances, we are accepted by God for the sake of Christ. Those who do not believe this accuse God of lying. Therefore this is not some condition to be patched on at this point, but we must believe the divine oath

[Ezek. 33:11], "As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the death of the wicked, but that he should turn and live." Saul, although he was often conquered in battles, should not have defected from God, but rather should have taken refuge in Him and sought reconciliation.

David, when driven out of his kingdom and all his glory, still did not defect from God. Rather, he knew that rec onciliation had been promised and that he had to cling to this promise by faith, even though the whoie nature of things was against him. For, although the church is subject to present physical miseries, yet it must not believe that because of these miseries we will be cast off forever, as we have asserted above. 1 Cor. 11 [:32],

Is. 65[:24], "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear." Sirach 35[:17], "The prayer of the person who humbles himself shall pierce the clouds... and he will not depart until the Most High looks upon him."

What indescribable goodness and mercy God shows to the church which proclaims the word of the Gospel! He commands us to ask for good things, and He adds the most wonderful promises to invite us to call upon Him. But great is the weakness and great is the stupidity of the human mind as it flees from God.

Therefore, having been moved by all these precepts and promises, let us curb our doubt and let us begin to draw near to God under the leadership of Christ, and not believe, as the Epicureans do, that these divine promises are only empty sounds. God has not revealed

Himself in vain in these glorious testimonies, nor has He set forth his will in vain, for He wills by His own voice

"But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world."

And Christ says [Matt. 5:4], "Blessed are those who mourn." faith must be present, as I have said. But in regard to these matters we must believe that God will either de liver us from these calamities about which we are of fering our prayer, or He will mitigate them. For while the church in this life is subject to the cross, some troubles will remain, but God diminishes them for the godly who pray to Him. Thus the prophets prayed for mitigation. Jer. 10[:24], "Correct me, but with justice, and not in Your anger." Hab. 3[:2], "Whenever You are angry, O God, recall Your mercy." And Is. 64[:9], "Do not be furious, O Lord."

I have spoken about seeking spiritual blessings, and now I shall speak of physical benefits. Here also, as has been said before, faith in receiving the remission of sins gives light to our way, and it determines that we are pleasing to God and that our prayers are heard for the sake of Christ. We must always in every petition present this faith to God. But regarding these same things we must believe three points: (1) God is truly the giver of these benefits; (2) they do not come to us by mere accident; and (3) they are not produced only by human diligence. Therefore, in order that we may un derstand that these things are divinely bestowed, God wills that we ask of Him such things as our fopd, pro tection, peace, tranquillity, success in the Conduct of our calling, and good health. Second, we must believe that God, even if He wills that the church be in subjec tion under the cross, yet it shall not be destroyed. He wills to give it physical blessings, administration, some degree of hospitable reception, provisions, a defense by those who contend for doctrine, schools, success in its governance, and other necessary things. Third, we must believe that God wills in our physical requests that faith in our reconciliation be exercised and increased.

And in prayer of this kind individuals ought not pray only for themselves, but first of all for the whole body of the church. We should pray that it be preserved, even if individual members must prepare themselves for obedience to bear whatever may come. Thus David in praying for his army asked for victory that the church might be unharmed. In the meantime he knew that some of his men would fall into danger or be killed, and he offered his own obedience. Nor was his prayer in vain, for he was received by God and he sought miti gation of their troubles for many people. Likewise, when we pray that a plague may be taken away, we are not anguishing only about ourselves, but we include the entire church of that place. The prayer for them is heard by God, and it is a certainty that He obtains safety for many people. And God wills that we in our prayer be concerned about other people and about the entire church, as it is written, Ps. 122[:6], "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem."

We should think about all of these things as we pray for physical benefits. And, although we know that the church must be subject to the cross, we must al ways ask for these things in such a way that at the same time we offer our obedience, so that if God wills, we may be exercised in our faith even longer. Just as David prayed and awaited his return to his kingdom when he was driven out of it by his son, but yet he offered to God his obedience, even if He would not restore it to him. Thus he says [2 Sam. 15:25-26], "If In Euripides [Suppliants 768] when Theseus re ceives the body of Agamemnon at Thebes and after wards washes it with his own hands, some of the people wondered why he did not command his servants to do the foul work of washing the corpse. A certain man replied that a person must give up his pride and his unworthy pleasures in the face of calamities which be fall the suffering, for in the conduct of our office (officio) we must ask, "What shame is there in our brother's troubles?" An example of this most laudable sentiment is seen in Christ. He did not consider it to be a shameful thing to transfer upon Himself the penalties of our ini quities and to be concerned about our miseries [cf. Phil.

2:5-8]; and likewise we individuals should be moved by the troubles which befall the church, the nation, our parents, our children, and our friends. We should pray not only for ourselves but for others, that they might have the strength to endure.

I have found grace in the eyes of the Lord, let Him restore me; but if He says to me, 'You do not please

Me,' here I am. Let Him do to me as seems good to Him." And Christ says [Matt. 26:39], "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; but not what I will but what You will, let it be done." And the leper says

[Matt. 8:2], "If You will, You can cleanse me." And the three men in Dan. 3[:17—19] say, "Our God, whom we worship, can take us out of here. But if He does not will to do so, be it known to you, O King, that we will not worship your gods." And Paul says [Rom. 8:26],

"We do not know what we should pray for as we ought," that is, the flesh, which is indeed pressed down under a burden of afflictions, seeks liberation and it dreads obedience, but the Spirit calls our mind back to obe dience. Although it seeks and awaits deliverance, yet it does not fight against the will of God, but wishes to be delivered and at the same time be pleasing to God.

By using it, we must learn to understand what this special faith is called which awaits deliverance or mitigation, that is, the heart which calls upon God in physical miseries must also learn to acquiesce in faith to God. For the more it is a matter of doubt and hesi tancy, the more we feel this torment in our heart. Thus faith is brighter in some and more hidden in others.

Faith was bright and strong in the woman of Canaan for her daughter. Likewise in the centurion. It was weaker in the father who brought his son, first to the Therefore, since we always pray for the church, or the nation, or the family, or the school, this general

they neglect the helper by which they have been sup ported. In my own case I know that by the help of God many calamities have been mitigated. apostles and later to Christ Himself, for he says in Mark

9[:22 ff.], "If You can do anything, have mercy on us."

And afterward with tears he admitted the weakness of his faith and asked to be strengthened: "I believe, Lord, help my unbelief."

Therefore we must recognize all deliverances, whether of other people about which we have read, or our own which we have experienced, as examples of divine promises. We must be instructed and learn from these promises and examples to call upon God and to seek and await His help. Our faith or confidence must become stronger little by little, and our heart must ac quiesce in the hope and expectation of divine aid. And We must also learn to recognize the terrors of heart in those who flee from God, even if faith is weak, yet always we must cling to the main point that our prayers are not in vain, that our murmuring is not use less, as the Epicureans and Academicians think. We must govern our minds with the thought that we are considering the distinctions between the promises and the realities. We must know espeically that we must seek reconciliation and believe that we do receive it, that no condition ... "if it is pleasing to God" should in this practice we must learn this verse Ps. 55[:22]:

"Cast all your cares upon God, and He will sustain you.

He will never permit the righteous to be moved." God gives physical blessings, such as this life itself, so that the church of God may always remain somewhere on this earth, in order that there may be teachers and be added. For He expresses His will and commands specifically that we seek reconciliation. Nor should we become distressed over questions about predestina tion, which I have mentioned above as things which should be set aside. For we must judge concerning the will of God on the basis of His express Word. learners, so that the doctrine is not destroyed and schools do not perish. If all the apostles had been killed, who would have brought and spread the Gospel in the world? Therefore, God grants the course [of life] to each teacher, and at the same time defends his physical life, supplies a home for him, a nation, a school, and food, just as on one occasion He preserved Paul's ship and finally Paul arrived safely on shore in it [cf. Acts 27].

Thus we should think of the true causes on account of which physical blessings are given to us, so that we may seek them regularly and earnestly as the blessings of God which are necessary for His church.

Then we must pray specifically regarding our physical torments and ask for either deliverance or mit igation. For this obedience of ours is necessary, since

God requires it. However, a prayer is not in vain, for it seeks deliverance or mitigation either for others or for yourself. The prayer of Lawrence in his gridiron was not in vain, since it demonstrated his obedience. For although he was not freed, yet his prayer required great strength. Jonathan, although he was killed by his ene mies when he followed after his father in his rejection and his misery, still did not pray in vain for the army and himself. For in the end, that part was victorious which he hoped would prevail, and he was sustained in his anguish by this secret comfort.

Two elements exercise our faith as we pray: the method and the time. Moses certainly did not think that he was going to wander in the wilderness for forty years in the midst of his troubles. He had hopes that perhaps the journey would take one month. But many examples teach us that God does deliver us in a different way and at a different time than we had thought or hoped for in our weakness. For He is training us that we should in faith depend on Him and not be dominated by our own notions. Thus in Ps. 4[:4 Vulgate], "The Lord has made His Holy One wonderful," that is, God does not deliver us by human counsels, but in marvelous ways which human wisdom cannot see in advance. Thus also

Eph. 3[:20], "God can do what is above what we ask or think." And in reference to the delay, it is often de scribed as in Luke 18[:7] in the story of the unjust judge and the widow. And Hab. 2[:3], "If He delays, keep waiting for Him, because He will come and will not be too late."

Therefore, we must not think that these prayers for physical benefits are spoken in vain, even if the outcome does not always correspond to what we hope.

Yet sometimes the outcomes do correspond, as when Hagar asked for a drink for her son [cf. Gen. 21:16 ff.]; when Jacob asked for a protector on his journey so that he would not be overcome by his brother Esau [cf. Gen.

32:9 ff.]; when Moses sought victory praying for his army in battle and placing his hands on a stone [cf. Ex.

17:12]; as Hannah, the infertile mother of Samuel, re quested fertility [cf. 1 Sam. 1:11]; as Jehoshaphat, Hez ekiah, the Maccabees, and many others who prayed for victory; as the Ninevites prayed that their city not be destroyed [cf. Jonah 3:5 ff.]. And there are many examples like this also in the Gospel accounts.

Thus it does not belong to us to prescribe for God the manner or the time, but these things should be entirely commended to His counsel, even if for the pres ent our eyes do not see the matter or its outcome clearly, but we must keep our eyes on God and draw near to Him in prayer. A very clear illustration of this principle is found in the story of Judith [8:11-13]. When

Judith had learned that the priest had prescribed for God a space of five' days to deliver the city, she con

To these stories we must join daily instances of deliverance which the church with her prayers seeks in all ages. How often to you, how often to me, how often to some other person has not God, when asked by us even fearfully, removed or mitigated some great evils! For we must not think that deliverance takes place by accident, as is commonly thought among ungrateful men after they have received some benefit, and then demned the priest and said, "Who are you to tempt

God?" This word stirred up her wrath even more, and she said, "You have set a time for God to deliver us."

God as not only being good in Himself but as also being a benefit to us. He demands that this praise be given to Him. And the things to be requested are things not forbidden by God's commandments. Saul should not ask for the destruction of David, nor David that Uriah might be killed. But as it says in 1 John 5[:14], "This is the confidence which we have toward God, that what ever we ask according to His will, He hears us."

Thus, as those who are ignorant of the way and the time, we should keep our eyes on God and seek from Him peaceful outcomes for our troubles, as it says in 2 Chron. 20[:12], "Since we do not know what to do, this alone remains for us, that we direct our eyes to You." Since this statement contains so much comfort, it should always be before us in the midst of all our doubts—from which we cannot extricate ourselves by our human wisdom, and so many of which befall a man.

Therefore, I shall cite the verses of Joachim Camerarius, by which he paraphrased the statement of King

Jehoshaphat [cf. 2 Chron. 20:6-13], in order that these words may instruct us who are interested in this pre cept. He says, "In the shadows and dense darkness of our mind, when our whole heart has no wisdop at all, in our wandering and disturbance, we turn to You, O

God, as the light of our heart, and our faith seeks only our help in our prayers. Rule our actions and our labor by Your counsels, great Father, that our every act of praise may serve You,"

We have spoken several times above about the order of our priorities. First of all, it is necessary above all other things that we seek reconciliation. Indeed, they pray in vain for other things if they neglect reconcilia tion. In vain did David ask for victory, unless at the same time he had sought the remission of sins. Therefore faith shines forth in seeking reconciliation and deter mining that we are received [by God] for the sake of Christ, something which is above all the other things we pray for. And then we should consider the great weakness we have which attaches both to our mind and our body, so that we must understand that we have great need for God's help. A great majority of people dwell in such great darkness that they consider nothing but their own miseries. Drunken men enjoy their plea sure and their wealth, even while living in great sorrows, and they do not realize that they need God's help. But others who endure troubles that are impossible ac cording to human wisdom, when pressed down under the weight of things, are compelled to seek the help of God, as Isaiah says in 26[:16], "Lord, in trouble they have visited You. They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them."

Ps. 37[:5] teaches the same thing: "Commit your way to God and hope in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." A clear example of this is Exodus 14, when Phar aoh, leading the royal army, catches up with the Isra elites and seems about to oppress them. The huge crowd of the Israelites was unarmed and hemmed in on one side by the sea and on the other by mountains and thus unable to flee and unable to escape according to any human wisdom. Then Moses cried out [v. 13],

"Do not be afraid. Stand and look at the mighty works of God which He will accomplish this day." He com manded them to stand still, that is, not to prescribe the manner to God, not to seek refuge in human fortifica tions, but to obey God here where they had progressed, and in this obedience calmly to await protection from God, as the statements cited above teach. [Is. 30:15],

"In silence and hope is your strength." Again [Ps.

46:10], "Be still and see that I am God."

The fifth point is that we should think about and speak the things which we seek in our prayer. Therefore prayer is the worship of God, because worship attri butes this honor to God—that in our great miseries He will bring help to those who call upon Him. His name is not an empty thing, as the Epicureans say in their raving, nor is it tied to secondary causes, as the Stoics teach. And particularly it is not an empty bellowing of words which neither instructs us that our blessings are received from God nor thanks God for the blessings received. The devils, the enemies of God, also know this, and they know with absolute certainty that God is the eternal mind, that He has measureless power, wis dom, righteousness, goodness, and mercy, and that He is the creator of things. But with this knowledge, they are not moved to love God because they do not seek any blessings from Him. Therefore prayer must be sure of the benefit in order that we may acknowledge

Therefore we should first consider the dangers of these opinions and moral ideas. So often the greatest men have fallen, men such as Adam, Aaron, David,

Peter, and countless others, many of whom did not regain their senses, such as Paul of Samosata, Arius, and others. Not only must we admit our weakness here, but also the devil, the deceiver who "walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" [1 Peter

5:8] must be recognized. The devil weaves an intricate web. Not only does he entangle David and the wife of Uriah in their adultery, but from this beginning he cre ates the long tragedy and trouble from which David could not extricate himself and in which David finally hoped that he would die, as Saul had perished.

And certainly we must grieve at how great the stupidity of men is, so that, although we see daily ex amples of the most tragic calamities which have clearly come from the devil, yet we do not carefully fortify our selves against this savage foe nor against these great dangers by our diligence or by calling upon Christ, our protector. One manifest raging of the devil is the se dition of the Anabaptists in the city of Munster, and the outcome was very sad. But still the minds of men are not moved by the shamefulness of this uproar or by the punishment to cause them to flee the ravings of the Anabaptists. How often the devil stirs up wars which have no real reason! How often he causes great injuries

by divine help. I have indicated the most important cause of these miseries, which philosophy does not understand, that is to say, that God as a righteous judge is declaring by these testimonies His wrath against the common depravity which inheres in all men and also

His wrath against the many crimes of individual people, on account of which common punishments mount. for individuals when he traps those whom he has de ceived by come specious advice at the hands of evil friends! The greatness of the evils with which the devil entraps men, and even the church, cannot be described in words, but in a way it is seen in the history of all ages, and you can observe it even in the examples in our daily life.

The dangers of those evils to our body, reputa tion, property, children, our churches, our nations—to us and to those who practice hospitality—are more nu merous and burdensome than can be included in our prayers. The church always lives like Daniel sitting in the den of lions. Always and from all sides the traps of the devil are set for us, and they catch many. Ungodly men always threaten the church with some atrocity.

Always some savage accidents are to be expected. The result is that there are many sudden catastrophes. And it is most correctly said, "All men are hanging by a thin thread, and they fall with any sudden accident which overpowers them" [Ovid, Epist. ex Panto IV, 3, 35 ff.].

Human reason argues against this with many dis putations which can be summarized thus: For the righ teous, things ought to go well. The church is righteous.

Therefore, things ought to go well for the church. We must first reply to the minor premise that the church is righteous, that is to say, by imputation and by the be ginning of righteousness in this mortal life. But great darkness still inheres in the church, including many doubts about God, and many wicked desires. And there are many signs of the lapses of many people in the church itself, such as Aaron and David, who stirred up the wrath of God. And I have mentioned above that the church is even more oppressed than the rest of the human race, which does not rightly call upon God, be cause God wills that His wrath against sin be under stood particularly in His church. Tiberius and many others like him despised God. Although after this life they are going to pay the penalty, yet in this life they get off more lightly than the church because God wills that His judgment upon the church be seen and feared, as it is written [1 Peter 4:17], "Judgment begins at the house of God." And other instances which I have men tioned above come to mind.

Young people who are still ignorant of life imagine that men are born for pleasure and for enjoying revelry, and so they demand and seek these with a mind set on leisure. But those who have tasted our common miseries judge far differently and understand that this whole life is filled with troubles, like a city which is be sieged on all sides and attacked sharply by its enemies, which now on this side and now on that side is attacked by the enemy who starts fires, tears down buildings, and can scarcely be held in check. It is a certainty that all wise men wonder why this present and still weak nature of men is burdened down with such great evils, which our nature by its own powers cannot endure.

Now I shall reply to the major premise: "For the righteous, things go well." This is in accord with divine order, and thus the Law asserts [Lev. 18:5], "He who does these things shall live by them." Likewise [Deut.

4:1], "This do, and you shall live." Again, Deut. 28[:1, 6], "If you hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and do all of His commands, you will be blessed in your going out and your coming in," that is, in all your civil activities and your domestic life, in wars, in peace, in the procreation of children, in governance and business success, in protecting the purity of the church, in upright behavior, etc. Therefore it is the true voice of the Law and the orderly rule of God that for the righteous there will be righteousness. But the Gospel gives us the in terpretation of this rule. For the church is not yet without sins. And since all the good things and all the evils of this life are brief and temporary, God does not will to adorn the righteous with fleeting blessings nor to punish the unrighteous with brief punishments, but rather wills to demonstrate His righteousness in eternal ways.

Therefore the chief rewards and the chief punishments There is an old saying that each person makes his own fortune, as if to say that fortune is ruled by our own wisdom and that human care can ward off all ac cidents. But in regard to the universal governance of man, it is manifest that this saying cannot be accepted.

Adam was not able to foresee and hinder the crime of his son Cain, nor by his own powers rescue him from the great sorrows which followed the tragedy of his brother. Diligence can contribute something in this com mon situation in people's lives, in smaller things which depend on our will. Scipio, by his prudence, was the maker of his own fortune in that he did not start a civil war out of his own desire for revenge, as was done later by Marius, Pompey, and Caesar. But there is no doubt that many sad and evil things do befall mankind, which they either cannot foresee, or if they do foresee such things, they still do not guard against the great errors which beset men, because we often make mis takes and foolishly devise good prospects for our selves, as it is said, "The empty-headed argue with empty words because of their desires." [a saying at tributed to Solon]. Finally, after the die has been cast, often such things happen which we cannot bear without the help of God. Adam and David would have suc cumbed to their sorrows if they had not been sustained

He defers to eternity. Meanwhile, in this life He regularly punishes notable crimes with manifest physical pen alties, both to admonish us concerning His wrath and eternal judgment, and for the sake of civil peace.

When philosophers, astonished and wondering at this confusion (as they consider it), see here that evils come to good men such as Palamedes and Soc

and He is concerned about shelter for the homeless among the enormous dangers in every region, as Christ clearly says. [Matt. 6:32], "Your Father knows what is necessary for you in the protection of your body," and rates, while good things come to Tiberius, they ask the reasons for this and try to connect rewards with good ness. Hence, the questions are whether virtue suffices for blessedness, or whether Socrates was blessed, since his reward was not commensurate with his virtue.

These questions are unanswerable in philosophy, but they are carefully explained in the church: Paul is blessed because he is pleasing to God and has God as his guardian and ruler. Although he knows that he is held under the cross in this life for various reasons, yet he knows that afterward the church will be adorned not with fleeting blessings nor with good things which endure only for a short time, as is the course of this world. Thus in his time rewards are joined together with virtue, but constant and not fleeting rewards, in the manner of the good things of this mortal life.

I have already described the promises concerning these blessings.

The second reason why God wants to be asked for these things is so that we may understand that in this life the church will be preserved. How long would

Paul keep on teaching if he was going to die immedi ately? Therefore, in order that he might teach for some period of time, he asked for life, food, and shelter. How can we serve the church of God if our bodies are going to be broken by tortures and sorrows? Therefore, we must pray for tranquillity or the lessening of our mis eries, so that we can serve the church. And for this reason, we must understand that God wills to increase

His blessings, as is often testified, as when Christ says [Matt. 6:33], "Seek first the kingdom of God . .. and all things shall be added to you."

I have pointed out this explanation of the argu ment which is going on among ordinary people, that things should go well for the righteous, in order that the reader might gain some clarification not only about the common question of the philosophers, but also that we might pay closer attention to ourselves and our own miseries, and their causes and cures.

The third reason is that God wills in these ex ercises of seeking physical benefits that our faith be strengthened regarding our reconciliation. For in these petitions, our faith in our reconciliation must always shine forth clearly.

Therefore, whenever you think that you are living in a besieged city which is being sharply attacked on all sides, these very circumstances should instruct you to seek help. And thus the things to be sought, as I have said above, should be included in our prayers, and the order in which they appear should be under stood.

I am emphasizing these three reasons in order that we may keep them in mind and that they may urge us to prayer. Chrysostom and many others in a foolish manner corrupted the prayer which Christ taught us when they were unwilling to understand the daily bread as applying to physical bread. Indeed, we need to know that these necessities, of the body, such as life, food, the fruits of the earth and civil government, are great and marvelous works of God, not mere accidents which are spread among men. With definite forethought God bestows these supports for our life upon the church and preserves it.

In the first place, we must seek the remission of sins and reconciliation, and along with these blessings also the light of the Holy Spirit, who kindles and strengthens in us the knowledge of God, faith, fear, endurance, and love, and finally guides us in our calling and in all our counsels, in teaching and in governing the nation.

In the second place, we should also ask for those physical blessings, both general and individual, such as peace in those places which give refuge to the church and those who desire to be godly, and which provide an orderly life for their citizens. We should also ask such blessings as fertility of the soil, favorable weather, good health, food, success in our endeav ors—both civil and domestic, and protection for our chil dren, reputation, and possessions. And the insanity of lazy hypocrites must be utterly destroyed, who say, that it is disgraceful to seek material goods from God. These ravings are filled with godlessness. Indeed, God com mands that we pray for physical blessings. He also commands this, as I have said previously, for three very important reasons: the first is that we may acknowledge and determine with certainty that physical blessings are not distributed helter-skelter or by mere accident among men, but that God is truly the giver of them, and that they are given by God to His church, and His church in turn is preserved under His marvelous coun sel. God preserves the life of Abraham, Elijah, and Paul,

Nor should we listen to the Stoics, who vigorously assert that since God must be served freely, there is no need to seek physical benefits. These notions come right out of the darkness. These Stoics do not under stand how great the weakness of this life is. They [faith ful Christians] do not seek these benefits as rewards, as compensations, although such things can be asked for also in their proper place; but they seek them as supports for their calling. Moses could not have gov erned the people if he had been overwhelmed by men tal or physical grief. Therefore, he prayed for life, comfort, and sustenance in order that he could serve in his calling, and yet he served with a free mind. He did not grumble against God, even though he was called out of his regular course of life and even though the great difficulties which occupied his prayers had to be endured.

Whenever we ask in this order that eternal bless ings be brought to us in advance, God does not neglect us, even if He defers or does not increase to us the blessings of this life, for this petition is pleasing to God,

relying on my own worthiness, but upon Your most lovely promises. For I acknowledge that I am in no way worthy of Your mercies, but You have said that You will be my helper." See how he [Jacob] comforts himself and finds rest in the thought of this promise. And then he subjects the thing for which he is asking to the cause, namely, that the church not perish, saying [v. 11], "De fend me so that the mothers and children will not be destroyed." and He assures us that He is honored by this form of worship. Nor is there any need for a longer discussion of this matter, for His precepts are well known, His promises are well known, and so are the examples of the greatest of the patriarchs and the prophets. Even though they did not know the philosophy of the Stoics

(or better, the Cynics), they did understand that all good things are established by God in a marvelous order, that they are great things which must not be despised, and that we must acknowledge God as the author from whom we should seek life itself and the support and defense for this life.

Often the patriarchs and the prophets pray, "God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," that is, "O

God, You who have revealed Yourself by sure testi monies to our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, You have given us the promises." Afterward they used the form given in the Decalogue [Ex. 20:2], "O God, who led Your people Israel out of Egypt."'These forms are

Jacob, when he had seen the Lord standing on the ladder [Gen. 28], heard the promise which dealt equally with eternal things and physical matters. For He called Jacob and his posterity to establish the church, which could not exist in this life without a place of refuge, without a living and provisions for those who were to teach. In regard to eternal blessings, He said

[v.14], "In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed." And of the defense of the body He said [v.

15], "I will be your guardian wherever you go." Thus universally we should cling to the argument, as they call it, whenever the divine Word promises that the church of Christ shall remain (and it makes this promise often and clearly); and we should cling also to the con text, namely, that at the same time help and refuge is promised for the church. Finally, godlessness and rag ing can lure away our minds from asking for physical blessings, although God desires to be given this honor and wants our faith to be increased by these exercises of piety. most commonly repeated in the Psalms. Finally, both the patriarchs and their posterity added a special name to their common calling upon God. Elohim is the com mon name which the Gentiles used, but Yahweh is the proper and peculiar name by which only the church of the patriarchs and the Israelites addressed God. Thus in Ps.20[:7] it says, "We will call upon the name of Yahweh, our God." And everywhere there are clear examples, and I believe they were in such common usage that these two names were recited by Thomas in John 20[:28], when he says to Christ, "My Lord and my God" (kyrios and theos).

Therefore we should become accustomed to a familiar form of prayer and utilize a form which has been composed with godliness and learning, free from su perstition and magic. We should not recite the hymns of Homer or Callimachus, but under the impulse of our mind take refuge in God through trust in the crucified

Christ. And we should direct our mind to that God who Therefore, as said above, we must pray in the proper order for both eternal and temporal blessings.

Although a prayer may be only a brief groan, it is val uable for both young and old to hold, without any su perstition, a form of prayer which is carefully prepared, which addresses the true God and distinguishes our prayer from that of the Gentiles, the Turks, and the Jews, and at the same time instructs us concerning the divine promise and which asks for definite things. The prayers of the first patriarchs and of the people of Israel were of this kind. They carefully distinguished in this prayer between the true God and false gods, and the passages of Scripture by which God reveals Himself demonstrate this point. Sometimes in picturing their struggle they refer in their prayer to the promise, as in Gen. 32[:9-12], where Jacob says, "0 God of my father

Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, 'Return to Your country, and I will deal well with you,' I am not worthy of the least of all Your mercies

... deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau and let him not smite the mothers with their children. You have said, 'I will surely treat you well.' " There are many prayers of this kind in the Prophets. And it is worthwhile to consider the various parts carefully. The address is,

"I call upon You, who were revealed as the true God to my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and I flee to you, not is the creator, who has revealed Himself in the sending of His Son, Christ, and by the giving of His Gospel.

Many ignorant, stupid, and self-confident people despise what we have just said. But godly people must be encouraged to accustom themselves, as we have just said, to some definite form of prayer. There are many good reasons for doing so. For the very words we have just spoken are a kind of confession by which the church both privately and publicly separates itself from idols, and each person learns and instructs himself regarding the true God and the true worship of Him.

Further, thinking about His revelation and promises stirs up our emotions, and faith becomes stronger when it meditates about how great His goodness is in re vealing Himself and in showing how He wills to be in voked, and in giving us the mediator. The many examples He has given constantly demonstrate that He hears those who call upon Him. It is necessary that these emotions of the mind and this faith be stirred up in our prayer. For this a well-expressed form of prayer is beneficial. For "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" [Rom. 10:17]. It is necessary,

therefore, that by meditation on the divine Word our faith be increased. words, "Almighty, eternal and living God, the eternal

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have revealed Yourself in Your measureless goodness and cried out regarding Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, 'Hear Him';

O creator and preserver and helper of all things with Your co-eternal Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who rules with You and who was revealed at Jerusalem, and with Your Holy Spirit who was poured out upon the apostles;

O wise, good, merciful judge and comforter—our Father who art in heaven." Thus our prayer is distinguished from that of the Gentiles, the Turks, and the Jews, and our mind is instructed regarding His promises.

A certain hermit has said that there is no work more difficult than to speak prayers to God. But no task is considered simpler and more ordinary. But when

Christ says [John 4:23], "Those who truly worship will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth," it is easy to understand the difficulty. Let your prayer be in the Spirit, that is, not in hypocrisy, not in babbling of words, but in the godly emotion of the heart, and let it be in truth, that is, in true recognition of God. Let it be directed to the true God and to the mediator. Thus we must concur that there must be true meditation about God, and true emotions of the heart. Thus God has revealed Himself in His Word, in the sending of His Son, that He might be seen in the flesh, that we might look upon the Son in our prayers and be taught about the Father. VVe must in no wise despise this visible life of the Son of God on earth among us, nor think that He undertook it in vain.

God recognized our weakness, and thus He willed to be known in the Son, and He commanded us to see

Him revealed in the Son. Thus His life among us was visible, and thus He willed that there be prayers and invocations of this God who sent His Son, whom the eyes of so many could see, who hung on the cross, and who rose from the dead.

Hallowed Be Thy Name This means, "Work efficaciously in us that You may be truly confessed, that true teachings may be taught through which Your glory will truly reveal that people are truly invoking You and worshiping You." For "Your name" signifies knowledge or recognition and a celebration of the name of God and invocation of Him.

Therefore, the thing which we must seek, which is re cited at the very beginning of the prayer, is the highest and first good. The First Commandment, and particu larly the Second Commandment, instruct us regarding it, namely, that God might become known to us; that the true word of the Gospel about God might be widely and correctly proclaimed and rightly received; and many people might honor God with true invocation and obedience.

But because it is difficult to pay attention while reciting, ignorant people therefore stay away from re citations. But the church has always used them and ordered that they be practiced both in public and in private devotions. It was with this high purpose that the Psalms were composed and given to us. Christ Himself gave a set form for praying, and He mentions it spe cifically in Luke 11 [:2] when He says, "When you pray, say ..." He prescribes the words and the specific recitation, as John had prescribed earlier. Therefore, we must hold to this and recite the form of prayer which has been given to us by God in His wisdom.

Thy Kingdom Come This petition speaks expressly about the effect of the First Petition. "May You rule us by the proclamation of the word of the Gospel, and by Your Holy Spirit cause us to believe Your Word, and begin in us Your kingdom, so that we may be made heirs of Your kingdom; and may You destroy the reign of the devil, who is horribly working in the human race and constantly driving peo ple into an Epicurean contempt for God or to worship idols, and to commit crimes, murders, lusts, lies, and other terrible things. Defend us against these evils, O eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and rule us by Your Holy Spirit, as You have said [Acts 2:17], 'I shall pour out My Spirit.' "

Our Father Who Art in Heaven This means "You who are everywhere, who sees and hears everything—the almighty creator of all things." But in reciting this part of the prayer the des ignation "Father" must engage our attention. What God do you call "Father"? Why do you call Him this?

Through whom has access to Him been provided for you? Here the words of Christ in John 14[:6] come to mind: "No one comes to the Father but by Me." And again [v. 9], "He who has seen Me has seen the Fa ther." John 16[:23], "Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give to you." Therefore, you call this God "Father" who has revealed Himself in the sending of His own Son, Christ, and in raising Him from the dead, and in the giving of the Gospel. And you call Him "our Father" because He has been placated through the Son and receives our prayers by the intercession of this high priest. There fore, in order that I may be further instructed, I add these

Thy Will Be Done This means, "Grant that all on earth may be obe dient to You. Grant that the pastors of the church, rulers, magistrates, those who teach and those who learn, and citizens, each in his own station, may perform their du ties rightly and joyfully, and that all may be obedient to You, just as the angels in heaven are obedient and pleasing to You. It is Your work to bring it about that we poor, stupid, and weak people do things which are good and salutary, that we may not be instruments of wrath but of mercy, that we may be useful for the church and not be plagues and curses to it. The nation under Hezekiah was happy because of Your help, and under

Zedekiah it was unhappy, because he rejected Your help. We are not rejecting You, but we pray with a true heart and true tears that You will rule our churches, teachers, schools, princes, governors, and people so that they may, in some degree be pleasing to you, as Christ commands us to seek reconciliation. And He would not command us to seek it unless it was going to be given. Therefore the attentive mind should dili gently think about the remission of sins and Christ the mediator. And there is a great confession of the church

Paul says [Phil. 2:13], 'It is God who works in you to will.' " He brings it about that you accomplish things which are pleasing to Him. For the devils and godless men strive with great raging to do things which are displeasing to God. They stand fast in their Epicurean madness, their idolatry and lusts. They start unjust wars and create vast desolations. But lest the whole human race be created in vain, lest all do things which are displeasing to God, God has called His church, and by His Holy Spirit He leads it so that it does good and pleasing things. It proclaims the true doctrine about God, it hears, it calls upon Him in the right way, it gives thanks to Him, obeys Him, happily draws many away from the devil, governs others with godly and salutary counsel, and preserves peace and honorable instruction. in these words, for thereby the church confesses that it is surrounded by sins and every kind of infirmity. But comfort is offered here. For since Christ Himself com mands us to seek remission, there is surely no doubt that He will grant it. And in this recitation of the petition, the mind at the same*time must make a record of the express promises which are given, such as 1 John 1 [:8,

9], "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins,

He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."

The words which are added here, "as we forgive those who trespass against us," instruct us about re pentance, and that we should not continue in sins against conscience. When the mind retains its con tempt for God, it is not heeded by Him, as it says [John

9:31 ], "God does not hear sinners," that is to say, those who continue in their sins contrary to conscience. And Thus, up to this point the petitions have involved things which are of the greatest importance and bless ings which pertain more to the spirit than to the body, both collectively and individually. An order has been wisely established: first, the true knowledge of God is sought, then the effects of that knowledge, that we might be guided by the Holy Spirit. And third, that each in his own calling or function may perform his duties lawfully and happily. Now follows the petition which re fers to physical matters. in 1 John 3[:21,22] it says, "If our heart does not con demn us, we have confidence toward God that we will receive whatever we ask," that is, if we do not continue in sins contrary to conscience. To the same point per tains the statement in Matt. 5[:23], "If you offer your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you ..." From time to time, the prophets stress the point that we do not please God with our ceremonies and our prayers if we persevere in sins against conscience, as Isaiah 1 and 58 clearly show.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread This means food, peace, protection and good health so that as workers we may be able to carry out our calling, have success in accomplishing things in keeping with our calling, receive education for our chil dren, attain a measure of tranquillity, have shelter, good government, men to protect our good order, our laws, and our judges so that people do not destroy these things by seditions, laxity of discipline, or wars.

Furthermore, we should consider that it is truly miserable not to be able to flee to God for refuge, not to have God as our protector, our guide, our helper, and to be oppressed by the devil, or to rush into mad ness because of human errors. All men who cannot call upon God since they continue in sins contrary to con science are in these great miseries and dangers.

Therefore, let us rouse ourselves to repentance and let us amend our lives. But also let us be aware that for the person who is repentant there is remission of his guilt, freely, and for the sake of Christ, as we have often said above.

And Forgive Us Our Trespasses We have repeatedly said that in every prayer we must first ask for the remission of sins, and faith re garding our reconciliation must shine forth always in all of our petitions. Always we should begin by looking to our mediator and ask and believe that for His sake we are received by God and heard by Him, and understand that this high priest intercedes for us. In this confidence we should draw near unto God, as is often said, e.g.

[Rom. 5:1], "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God and access to Him." Likewise [Heb.

4:14, 16], "Having Jesus as our high priest... let us draw near in confidence to the throne of grace." There fore, although in our prayer our unworthiness always troubles us and frightens us away from God so that with terrified minds we flee from Him, at the same time

And Lead Us Not into Temptation This means, "Do not allow us to be drawn by the devil into impiety and other crimes. Defend us against the traps of the devil. Guide us by Your light and your good counsels. Do not permit us in our deception to fall into errors or be carried away by the weakness of our flesh." Great and marvelous was the wisdom and power of David, yet we often see him pushed one way or another by the devil and by human error, as when he ordered the numbering of the people. Therefore, since the weakness of all people is very great, O eternal

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, rule over us

and show us saving counsels both in individual and public matters, and by Your Holy Spirit strengthen our hearts that they may be obedient to You, and that we may not be instruments of wrath but instruments of mercy and useful to the church.

Son of the living God, who was crucified for us and rose again, the Word and image of the everlasting Father.

You have said [Matt. 11:28], "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Have mercy on me and intercede for me with the eternal Father. Sanctify and guide me by Your Holy Spirit. De fend me against the devils, the lying spirits, and mur derers—Your enemies.

Deliver Us from Evil This is a general petition which asks for deliv erance from all miseries and troubles of this life, from sins, from the tyranny of the devil, from public and per sonal calamities. Although the entire church is torn up by present miseries, yet we pray that we may be blessed with light, righteousness, and eternal life, and enjoy the sweetest relationship with the eternal God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

This calling upon Christ is a confession of His omnipotence. For he who invokes Him in this way be lieves that Christ sees the emotions of all the hearts of men and is our almighty protector, who gives His Holy

Spirit and aids us in dangers of body and soul. Also, this form of invocation includes the three persons. It addresses the Son and expressly speaks of His in tercession before the Father, and it confesses that the You see now that the things which we must ask for in the best order of importance, and in the form which He has commanded us to use, includes Christ

Himself. For He expressly says that we should speak this way in our praying and He specifies things which are eternal, spiritual, physical, present, and future. He wills that you consider your entire life, yes, and all eter nity too, present and future perils. Such consideration must assuredly arouse our minds to prayer and invocation.

Holy Spirit is given by Him.

This kind of express invocation of Christ is found in several places in the writings of the prophets and apostles, for example, Acts 7[:59], "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 1 Thess. 3[:11], "Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you." Nor is there any doubt that in Gen. 48[: 16]

Jacob is preaching about Christ when he says, "May God bless these boys, and may the Angel who has delivered me from all evils also bless them." And Ps.

72[:15], "And they will adore Him forever."

And this form of invocation is a clear testimony which teaches us that Christ is by nature God and om nipotent. But we are not to join to this kind of address the calling upon dead men, for this obscures and cor rupts true invocation. But we must hold to the rule [Luke

4:8]: "You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve." It is no light matter to establish the invocation of dead men, since there is no testimony favoring this which has been given us by God, and since it clearly obscures Christ, the mediator, and since the invocation of invisible things attributes to those who are invoked the power of judging the inner movements of our hearts, which is a property belonging only to the nature of one who is omnipotent, as is mentioned in 1

Chron. 28[:9], where it says, "The Lord searches all hearts and understands the thoughts of all minds." And Jer. 17[:10], "I, the Lord, search the hearts."

But at the very beginning I warn you that you must keep in mind which God you are invoking, and where

He has revealed Himself to us, and whether and why He hears us. You must give this careful thought, lest your mind wander as you pray, as the minds of the Gentiles wander. Thus the eternal Son of God has as sumed human nature and lived in a familiar way among us, in order that as we pray we might consider that He is the true God, who has revealed Himself to us in the sending of His Son, by manifest testimonies, and that these actions demonstrate that the eternal Father is bearing witness to us concerning His Son. Therefore I have described above the form of this prayer.

O almighty, eternal and living God, eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has revealed Yourself by Your immeasurable kindness and cried out concerning

Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, "Hear Him"; Creator, preserver and helper of all things, together with Your co-eternal Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who rules with You and was revealed in Jerusalem, and with Your Holy

Spirit, who was poured out upon the apostles; wise, good, merciful judge and defender, You said [Ezek.

33:11 ], "As I live, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he might be turned and live"; and also You have said [Ps. 50:15], "Call upon Me in the day of trou ble, and I will deliver you." Have mercy on me for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, whom You willed to be made a sacrifice for us as our mediator and pro tector. Also sanctify and guide me by Your Holy Spirit, guide and defend Your church and those nations which give refuge to Your church.

This honoring of God must not be transferred to the prophets or the apostles or to Mary. And Is. 63(:16] clearly says, "Abraham did not know us." But leaving out the invocation of Mary, the prophets, and apostles, other things can be said which are godly, useful, and worthwhile, such as giving thanks to God that He has revealed Himself through these people, that through them He has given His true teaching to us. And we should consider what kind of teaching it is which they taught as individuals, how they gave thanks, because it is evident that God has given clear testimonies through the deeds of these people, as through the mir acles of Moses, Elijah, and Elisha. God has strength ened His church through some of these people by Here is a proper form to be used in addressing

Christ, the Son of God: I call upon You, Jesus Christ,

were destroyed by God as a terrible example. giving us examples of the mercy which the fallen have received, such as David, Magdalene, and others. He strengthens His church by giving examples which show that our prayers are answered in times of dangers and that we do indeed receive deliverance, as in the case of Hagar when she asked for a drink of water for her son, or when Jacob, David, and Hezekiah prayed for protection. By these examples, we must encourage ourselves to call upon Him, that we may imitate the repentance of these people and their faith. Finally, we should also praise them because they were obedient to God when He called them, and they were anxious and careful to retain the gifts which God had given them. The account is long and filled with godliness con cerning these luminaries of the church, concerning the prophets, the apostles, and many other pious people, if their story is told carefully and presented to instruct us to imitate them for our own benefit.

Great and shameful is the ingratitude of all men.

We receive from God our life, our reason, our educa tion, our physical support, our learning, the Gospel, the church, and our nation. We are defended and aided, often when we have not even asked for help. Some times weTilay games in our self-security or we seek out pleasure, and we dispute about whether good things come to us by accident. We do not acknowledge

God as the giver of them. We are not anxious to keep His blessing, but rather kindle His wrath by our wicked ness. We must deplore these evils and amend our ways. Whenever we acknowledge benefits from God, we must confess that we have received them from Him.

We must not stubbornly reject God as our guardian and helper, but rather be anxious to please'Him and to show our gratitude by our voice and by true piety in our living.

For this requires the confession on our part that He should truly be honored, and first we must learn that good things do not come to us by mere accident, but that we really are of concern to Him, that our prayers are heard, and that we are helped by God. Then He also wills that our confession be a testimony among other men regarding His providence. He wills that oth ers be strengthened thereby, so that they may truly believe that human affairs are of concern to God and that the prayers of the church are heard.

I have added these points briefly^ in order that pious readers may disapprove and avoid the invocation of dead men. This is a Gentile practice to invoke many dead gods and dead men who have surpassed others either in power or in the glory of their achievements, men whom they call heroes, such as Hercules, Ro mulus, and others. There is no doubt that these ravings have come from the devil, who tries to obliterate the knowledge of the true God. Therefore, we should flee these examples which are like the raging of the Gen tiles, and rightly learn what has been handed down to us regarding the highest virtue, that is, regarding the invocation of God, in sure and certain testimonies, so that we may invoke and honor gratefully, correctly, and piously the true eternal God, the Father of our Lord,

Jesus Christ—who was crucified for us and raised again—and the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon the apostles.

Therefore, David in the Psalms very often per forms this duty because of the benefits he has received, celebrating the blessings he has been given, as in Ps.

118[:17], "I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord," that is, I will celebrate Your benefits and will be a witness of Your true teaching. He really is demanding and magnifying his gratitude toward God.

Therefore, although gratitude includes a desire to be obedient, yet we must accustom ourselves daily to a definite use of the words. Many people, when they arise from their bed, when they go to sleep, when they sit down at the table, when they get up from the table, almost like dumb animals do not even think about God, from whom their daily blessings come. This shameful neglect must be condemned and corrected. Every day, before you ask for blessings, think about your previous blessings, and give thanks to God. Then add your new petition, and give a public testimony of your gratitutde, either in writing or by example. You can use this kind of formula:

Now, after we have spoken about asking for benefits and help, then we need to learn also about gratitude, as Paul joins these ideas together in 1 Thess.

[5:16-18], "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks." But at this point it is necessary that all people confess their guilt. We are all ungrateful to God, and the more peaceful things are, the more we neglect Him in our thinking. Indeed, many people en tirely consign God to oblivion under secondary causes, and let down the barriers to their lusts, as the examples of some of the greatest men demonstrate. And expe rience gives birth to this kind of statement: "Our minds wallow around almost entirely in secondary matters, for it is difficult for a mind which is at ease to suffer pain."

[Ovid, De arte amat. 2.437 ff.].

I thank You, almighty, eternal, and living God, the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, creator, pre server, and helper of all things, together with Your co eternal Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was revealed in Jerusalem, and with Your Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon the apostles, that You have revealed

Yourself to us with Your measureless goodness by sure and certain testimonies, and that You have established and chosen for yourself the church as Your perpetual possession, and that You have willed that Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, be made a sacrifice for us, that Although Sodom had been defended by the man ifest blessing of God for the sake of Abraham when the army of the Chaldaeans had been destroyed, as re corded in Genesis [14], yet after this remarkable deliv erance the citizens in their sense of false security gave themselves up to debauchery for a few years thereafter, so that because of their shameful crimes, the cities

others may be invited to invocation, fear, and faith.

There is a frightful ingratitude in human nature, as the constant complaints of all ages testify, and it is con demned by both divine and human statements. We are morally obligated to show gratitude and yet it is far more common to show gratitude to men than to God.

You have given to us Your Gospel and the Holy Spirit, that You have remitted to us our sins and delivered us from the power of the devil and from eternal death, and that You give us eternal life, and already in this life You have bestowed many great blessings upon me, that You have given me life, food, the doctrine, peace in those places where I have dwelt, and that You have mitigated the punishments which I have deserved.

But ingratitude toward God is worse than ingra titude toward men. Saul, even if he was ungrateful to ward David, still could not deny that David deserved much thanks from him. But those who are ungrateful toward God deny that He is the author of their blessings, and devise the notion that dangers have been averted only by accident. Against these dark shadows and this madness, we must fortify our minds by the testimonies of Scripture and come to learn that we truly are re garded, helped, and heard by God. And whenever we are helped, we must acknowledge, confess, and pro claim that God is for us and for others the giver of this blessing, as we have said repeatedly above. Ps. 44[:6],

"I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me."

And Christ clearly says [John 15:5], "Without Me you can do nothing." Ps. 34[:6], "This poor man cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard him." Ps. 27[:10], "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me." Ps. 60[:11-12], "Give us help in trou ble, for the help of man is in vain. In God we will do valiantly; and He Himself will reduce to nothing those who trouble us." Ps. 127[:1], "Unless the Lord builds the house ..." Ps. 116[:16—17], "You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving."

Jer. 17[:5, 7], "Cursed is the man who makes flesh his arm ... blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his confidence."

I also thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, crucified and raised again for us, Emman uel, that You have joined to Yourself a human nature, suffered, and been raised for us, that You have re deemed us, that You preserve and defend Your church against the devil and Your enemies, and that You give and regularly replenish the light of the Gospel, that You forgive our sins and give us eternal life, and that You are our mediator and and tireless intermediary, and that You want to help us, as You have said [Matt. 11:28],

"Come to Me, all you who labor, and I will give you rest."

I thank You, O Holy Spirit, our life-giver, who was poured out upon the apostles, that You have kindled

Your light in our minds, that You guide, instruct, ad monish, and aid me with Your counsel, that You direct the works of my calling and sanctify me to eternal life.

After we have given thanks, then should follow the petition, as indicated above. We should give thanks individually and by name at a particular time for benefits recently received. This enumeration of blessings is a confession of the good things which have happened, something which God certainly commands us to do, and our words should be in keeping with our intention.

We must truly believe that danger has not been averted by mere accident, but that we have been preserved by God and aided by Him, and that our prayers have been heard. Our mind must honor God, that He is not a mere empty name, that He does not neglect mankind but truly listens to those in the church who call upon Him, so that there may be a clear distinction between the church and the unbelieving world which curses Christ, because

He really does look out for and help His church and keep His promises. We must keep these ideas always before us and remind others of them; we must tell oth ers how we have been aided and delivered, so that they too may be invited to come to the knowledge of God. Gratitude in itself is something which is pleasing to God, and it is required of us for the sake of the example it sets.

It is very difficult for godly minds, even after a blessing has been received, to remember the statement that we are truly helped by God and preserved by Him.

But we must strengthen ourselves by means of the testimonies which we have cited above, in order that we may determine that the dangers have been averted from us not by accident but by the help of God, and we must proclaim the blessings of God both to ourselves and to others.

I have made these brief remarks about our prin cipal sacrifice—about our gratitude—in order to instruct the pious reader, who, I pray, will consider these mat ters carefully and utilize the statements from the proph ets and apostles that he may direct his mind to faith, true invocation, and true gratitude. For it is difficult to keep in mind the correct understanding of the presence of God in the midst of our great weakness, even when we see before our eyes manifest testimonies to it. Just as the Israelites in the wilderness, even though they beheld many testimonies to the presence of God, yet constantly fell into doubt about whether they should have been led out of Egypt. The apostles had witnessed the actions of Christ, they had seen people raised from the dead, and yet their weakness of faith was great.

Therefore, whenever dangers are diverted from us by Thus Paul in a very beautiful manner gives en couragement that many people should ask for things on their own behalf, but even more give thanks for blessings after they have received them. 2 Corinthians

1, for example, points out that the giving of thanks is a very special sacrifice which is particularly pleasing to God. Many people should do so, because God espe cially demands that He be acknowledged and honored, particularly since many do celebrate the benefit they have received, that it may be a vivid example and that

miah clearly says in ch. 10[:23], "I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself." What inextricable problems befall Moses, Samuel, David, Hezekiah, and the blessings of God, as often happens, we must keep in sight these statements which will assure us so that we may recognize that God is helping us. Nor should we allow this concept to be forgotten. ultimately all rulers because of the counsel of men!

Therefore, just as these men did, we must ask to be Since it is difficult to keep this struggle in our minds, as experience shows and as the Scriptural ex amples of the Israelites in the wilderness teach, it is appropriate that we be even more diligent in our un derstanding of these testimonies which have been given to us in the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures, in order that faith and the understanding of the pres ence of God might be implanted and increase in us.

We should keep in mind the confession of Jacob in Gen. 48[:15 f.] when he proclaimed that he had been nurtured and defended by the God of his fathers Abra ham and Isaac from his infancy, and he goes on to make mention of the Angel, that is, the Son of God, through whom he says he has been rescued from all evils. Thus also the thanksgiving of David when he was about to die should be an example for us, cf. 2 Kings

22 [2 Sam. 22:18a], ''He has delivered me from those who hate me." governed and aided by God, and when the outcome is happy, we must confess that whatever the concern is, we have been helped and protected by God. Our pres ent age has also seen examples of this, which it is most appropriate to publish abroad, so that the blessings of God might be celebrated. For example, God has given peace now for many years to our churches. Not only has He given peace and hindered the efforts of our enemies, but He has even suppressed offenses time after time and so restrained to a great degree the zeal and judgments of those who would oppress the churches. As a result, the true doctrine has constantly been taught in our churches. For these great blessings

I give thanks to our eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with my whole heart I pray for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was cru cified and raised again for us, that He would rule over We must acknowledge that not all dangers can be averted by human wisdom or protection, as Jere us by His Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

Locus 20 Civil Rulers and the Validity of Governmental Matters the true knowledge and worship of God and of the promised mediator, and the beginnings of eternal life.

But in public life in the court, in judgment halls, in busi ness matters, in the use of the opportunities at hand, he [Joseph] used the laws of Egypt. Daniel had a similar light in his heart and the beginnings of eternal life, just as Joseph did. But in his life of service to the state, in the court, in the judgment halls, in his business rela tionships, in his possession of property and in ruling the provinces, he used the laws of the kingdom of Up to this point, I have described the church and set forth the chief teaching it proclaims, which is un known to human reason, and how the church should call upon God. Now, it is necessary that the church exist among men in their domestic life, their local gov ernments, and their empires, wherever God wills that the confession of the true faith be heard, indeed wher ever He wills to gather His church. The church therefore must be located in our domestic environment and in our civil life, and must be taught what to belieye con cerning marriage and government.

Babylon.

This alone must remain inviolate in the secular laws and civil matters, that they not be in conflict with the law of nature, but, as Paul says, they must bring honor to a good work and terror to an evil work [Rom.

13:3]. Then, even if the forms of the law or judgments and penalties have differences, as when we see that some are the laws of feudalism (as they call them), some the laws of Germany, some of France, yet each person in his own location is obedient to them. And this kind of difference has no more to do with the righteous ness of the Gospel than the difference in the length of the days and nights. To Paul living in Macedonia, the day at the time of the solstice was longer than for Christ living in Judea. But this difference in no way pertains to the righteousness in the heart of each of them. But the devil seeks to darken the eyes and the minds of people, so that they do not get a glimpse of the true light of the Gospel regarding faith and the knowledge of Christ. So the devil sows these monstrous opinions about this barbaric social order and devises the notion that it is a great virtue not to have property and to abol ish law courts and governmental functions. However, these are necessary for the human race and have been ordained by God, that in them our faith may shine forth along with invocation and confession, and that there may be training in the obedience which the Law of God demands and mutual love, as I shall soon describe.

It is also necessary that men be instructed about these matters on the basis of the testimonies of the prophets and apostles—correctly, clearly, and properly.

Often, both in ancient times and in modern, there have been superstitious and hypocritical fanatics who have condemned the marriage unions which have been or dained by God and the functions of rulers, judicial sys tems, civil laws, legitimate punishments, governments, just wars, and the military. In antiquity Marcion spread such ravings, along with the Manichaeans, and their lunacies spread all over Asia and Africa. The Flagelliferi

[scourge-bearers, who whipped themselves], as they were called, kept spreading these errors for three hundred years. And in our own time the Anabaptists wander from here to there and still propagate these errors.

Nor has the devil ever quit stirring up troubled minds to adopt false opinions about political matters, because in so doing he can arouse two great evils at the same time. He causes seditions in governments from whence come many unjust murders and destruc tions; and he obscures the Gospel. For as long as they figure that righteousness is some kind of new barbaric government in which people may live without distinction of ranks and without government, the true light is lost from their inner righteousness which is always in the heart, of which Christ speaks [John 17:3], "This is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God, and that He whom You have sent," Jesus, is the Christ.

And Paul says [Rom. 8:14], "Those who are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God." The righteousness of which the Gospel speaks is the light in the heart which by faith and the knowledge of Christ moves our minds to true invocation of God and to other pious activities which are in agreement with the Law of God and are the beginning of eternal life.

Therefore, in the churches and schools people must be carefully instructed regarding the worthiness of civil matters, and they must be fortified against the ravings of Marcion, the Manichaeans, and the Ana baptists. I realize that uneducated people are moved by the many perversions and confusions which occur in governments, courts, and judgment halls. For princes are often very negligent in their governing. They do not notice the sins and injuries of many people. There are many injustices and slanderers in the court system.

There are also many errors committed, many ambitious people in the courts, extortioners and other pests, and many fraudulent contracts. For in this weakness of our

In public life, just as the change of the seasons of the year has been ordained by God, so in civil and governmental matters each person is under subjection in his own station, just as Joseph carried in his heart

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