The Twenty Sixth Sermon, which is the Sixth upon the Fourth Chapter - Ephesians 4:11-14
is ever at hand with us and will so work that we shall not lack anything that is for our benefit or profit.
Now let us fall down before the majesty of our good God, with acknowledgment of our faults, praying Him to make us so to feel them, that we may be cast down in ourselves and seek nothing else but to be set up again by Him. May our Lord Jesus have such preeminence over us that we may honor Him as He deserves, and that, being under His keeping, we may be guided by His Holy Spirit so that His Word may profit more and more in us and show forth His strength.
May He bear with our infirmities, and may He never cease to take us for His own, as long as we live in this world, until we are all gathered together into His kingdom.
May it please Him to grant this grace, not only to us but also to all.
Amen.
The Twenty Sixth Sermon, which is the Sixth upon the Fourth Chapter 11. And the same hath given, some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Shepherds and Teachers.
12. For the reparation of the Saints, to the work of administration, and for the building up of Christ's body,
13. Until we all come into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto the perfect man, unto the
measure of the full age of Christ.
14. That we may no more be babes, wavering and carried to and fro with every wind of doctrine, by the wiliness of men, and through their crafty conveyances to deceive us.
We have seen this morning how God, having respect for our frailty, has vouchsafed to use this means to draw us to Him: that is, that we should be taught familiarly by mortal men like ourselves. Therein,
He shows also that He had regard for what might be most fitting for His servants. For in saying that He will always send a prophet in Israel from among the people (Deuteronomy 18:15), He meant to show that we need not seek far for Him, but that He would find a way to be familiarly present among us. Therefore, when the Gospel is preached among us, God's applying of Himself in that manner to our frailty is as much as if He came down to us Himself.
So little, then, ought we to disdain the order that He has set among us, that our ingratitude shall be the more grievous if we do not consider how greatly He loves us in that He deals with us according to our own limited capacity. For, inasmuch as we do not have such excellent ability as the angels, He gives us such means as He knows to be necessary for us.
Moreover, Saint Paul adds now that this must not serve us for a little time only, but that we must continue in it all the time of our life. For, had he not added further, the thing that we see—a man might say that we ought indeed to conform ourselves to the rule that God gives us, but that this must be only for a while, as if a man should send little children to school, but not to spend their whole life there.
And so it would have seemed that what has been spoken of before served only for a time, and that when we have been trained in it for a
year or two, that should suffice us, and every man would be a clerk well enough learned, so that he might forgo all instruction afterward.
But Saint Paul tells us that, as long as we are in this world, we must still profit in God's school and have our ears continually filled with His word, that we may, on the one side, be bridled, and, on the other side, be strengthened and advanced more and more.
For, put the case that we were of such good ability and capacity as to learn all that is necessary for us within two or three years' space, yet we are so fickle-headed that every one of us would soon be starting out of the way if we were not held back. Therefore, God's willingness to have His word preached to us even to our dying day serves to make our faith sure and steadfast.
But there is yet a greater necessity, which is that those who think themselves the most advanced, if they examine themselves thoroughly, shall find themselves still far off from the mark at which they aim (Philippians 3:12). Therefore, it is important for us to be strengthened daily more and more and to have the light of our faith increased, like the day that grows brighter and brighter until high noon. So must we continue to make progress until the day-spring of righteousness appears to us.
It is true that many are so self-assured that they do not believe it, but that is because they are satisfied with their foolishness. For you shall see a great many who are so proud and presumptuous because they have studied three or four Latin words that, in their own opinion, they surpass all the greatest doctors in the world. And surely those who are just beginning to study some science often think they have already reached the perfection of it, even when they have scarcely entered into it. It is the same with trades; no one is as bold as the blind horse — he ventures to do all things more readily than the man
who has truly gained experience. So it is also with these lightheaded Christians: once they have some saying of Scripture on the tip of their tongues, they believe themselves to be (in their own opinion) half-angels and do not care to make any further progress.
However, those who devote their whole endeavor to continuing to learn in God's school find themselves behind even after ten or twenty years. Regardless of how things may be, let us mark well how the Apostle says here that God will not have us trained in the Gospel for just two or three years only, but He will have us go through it so that, even if we lived a hundred years or more in this world, we must still be students, and all our wisdom is to know that we have not yet come so near to our perfection that we do not need to go forward still.
Hereupon, each of us must stir up and spur ourselves on. And, along with this, God must be so gracious to us as to be always ready to continue teaching us without ceasing so that we may never grow weary. When we have learned some lesson that may do us good in one day, let us assure ourselves that it is not so well printed in our hearts as is necessary, nor yet so well known to us as is requisite. And again, when we have learned one point, or even two or three, we still lack much more. There is no person so well qualified that they do not need to be continually exhorted.
To be brief, let us be assured that in every way, God's ordaining of this government in His Church — that the Gospel should be preached
— is for the intent that, as long as we are in this earthly pilgrimage, we should resort continually to the school where God teaches us. For, as Saint Paul says, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians
5:7), wherein he shows that we are not yet capable of beholding God's glory (1 John 3:2), nor shall we be until we are wholly transfigured and made like unto God; then shall we see Him as He is.
As it is now (as Saint Paul says in another place), we see but in part, and we know but in part (1 Corinthians 13:12), verily because we walk by faith. Now, from where does faith spring? How is it nourished and increased? By the Word of God. When we have preaching and are diligent to be edified by it, that is the first point where our faith begins, and it is the means by which it continues and increases until it is thoroughly perfected, as we shall see.
For the same cause, Saint John calls both old men and young men, and those in the prime of their lives, to the intent that they should all submit themselves to the obedience of the Gospel. "You old men," says he, "come hear Him that was before all time" (1 John 2:13), speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ who has appeared. "And you young men and little children, learn to know that you have a Father in heaven. And you stronger sort, know wherein your strength lies."
To be brief, Saint Paul shows us here that God's children must be so humble as to submit themselves to instruction and teaching from day to day and from year to year, and consider that they are not yet come to where they would and should be.
And to the same purpose does he add, "Until we are knit all together in the unity of faith." For as much as we might quite wander away, and no bridle could hold us back if necessity once constrained us (as I have shown you already this morning), therefore Saint Paul tells us that we are not yet come to the point which these fanciful persons, who are puffed up with their vain overweening, think themselves to have already reached, as though they lacked nothing more. Saint
Paul says we are not there yet.
It is true that we ought to endeavor to be all one (as I have shown already), for without concord there can be neither church nor religion among us, nor is God honored and served. Nevertheless, we
are still progressing toward this concord as we are toward all other virtues. And as long as we live in this world, we must always go further and further, according to which this life is not in vain named a race or way, appointed to us by God (Hebrews 12:1).
In this manner, then, he speaks to us of the unity of faith — not that Christians ought to vary from one another and maintain contrary opinions while they are in the process of growth, but Saint Paul shows that their faith cannot be fully united until it is well settled.
Now there will always be imperfections and infirmities; there will always be clouds of ignorance. Therefore, we must keep our eyes on the mark set before us here.
Furthermore, we must carefully note what Saint Paul adds concerning the knowledge of the Son of God. For in this, he shows us the sum of our faith: not to wander to and fro, but to know who Jesus
Christ is, what His power is, and what benefits He brings to us. That is the true perfection of faith. Therefore, I said that it is a notable point, for we see how the wretched world has been misled and beguiled in times past and still is within the papacy. There, those who possess some devotion torment themselves greatly and take pains to inquire about this and that, always full of anxiety, always full of questioning, yet still belong to that sort whom Saint Paul reports as "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7).
Saint Paul speaks there of those hypocrites who despise the simplicity of the Gospel and turn away from Jesus Christ to follow their own foolish inventions. They will have their speculations on either side, and they will take enough trouble, but yet they shall never be the wiser (1 Timothy 6:4). For inasmuch as all the treasures of wisdom and understanding are laid up in Jesus Christ (Colossians
2:3), we must aim at Him; in Him alone shall we find the whole substance of our salvation.
When we once know that Jesus Christ is given to us by God His Father to reconcile us by His death and passion, when we once know that it is He alone in whom we must seek our righteousness, when we once know that we are washed from all spots and uncleanness by His blood, that He has made satisfaction for all our debts wherein we were indebted, that He by His Holy Spirit has sanctified us and dedicated us to the service of God (Hebrews 10:10), and that He is our advocate to make us find favor in all our prayers and supplications (1 John 2:1), I say, when we once know this, we may despise all the things which the other sort think themselves to know, and which they have imagined without any certainty.
For that reason, therefore, does Saint Paul add here expressly "the knowledge of the Son of God," to the end to define better what the word "faith" means. For it is commonly enough spoken by men's mouths, and everyone will say he believes. But meanwhile, if those men who vaunt themselves with full mouth to be as pillars of the church, and as good Catholics as may be (as the world sees well enough), are asked what faith is, they fall short of it. They will say perhaps that it is to believe in God. Yes, but the Turks and Papists will say so too; yet for all that, we will condemn the Turks because they do not know what true belief is.
As much is to be said of Papists. And wherein do we differ from them — we, I say, who call ourselves Christians? In knowing that God has sent us Jesus Christ to lead us higher, so that we may be sure that because He is our Father, He will not lay our sins to our charge but receives us into His favor through His own free goodness, accepting us as righteous when we condemn ourselves by true repentance and
seek all our welfare in Jesus Christ, acknowledging that there is nothing in us but utter curse. You see then that our Lord Jesus Christ is the very mark at which we aim.
If a man should shoot with a longbow, or with a crossbow, or with a gun, and have no mark or target before him but should discharge at random, now this way, now that way, what kind of shooting would that be? Even so stands the case with all those who do not aim at our
Lord Jesus Christ. For they do but wander, and entangle themselves in many troubles; and we should be ever in danger of being misled and deceived by men if we did not know Jesus Christ and settle our whole satisfaction in Him, assuring ourselves that He is the whole sum of our faith.
Now Saint Paul adds yet further that the same is for the age of perfection and for our true accomplishment. By this, he lets us know
(as I have touched on already) that as long as we live in this world, we must still grow and go forward, knowing that there are still many infirmities in us and that we have not yet come to our full stature. Yet it is not to be said, therefore, that we are still little children, as he will add shortly. Here he sets down, as it were, three degrees of age.
First is infancy and childhood; secondly, the years above twelve, before there is yet discretion and skill to govern ourselves, during which time we must still profit more and more. And when a man reaches the age of forty years, then he is in his prime. For by that time, he ought to have some measure of maturity, both of body and mind, upon which to stay and rest. Not that we must not continue to profit, even at sixty years, but I speak of the comparison that Saint
Paul sets down here.
First, therefore, he says that we must hearken to the Gospel until we come to full age. And when is that? At our death, says he. For here we
must not count our years after the manner of men. After a man is once past fifty, to all seeming, he declines both in his senses and in his wit. But Saint Paul says that we shall never be at our full growth until we are rid of this body. So then, the spiritual age of Christians is when they have gone out of this world.
But now, let us see what manner of people we are since we began to profit in the Gospel. We are like a child that is half a man. He is past fifteen years old, or perhaps past twenty, and yet he ceases not to learn still daily, for he has need of it. He is sure that although he has studied a good while, yet he is not come to the last step; he has not gotten so settled and sound a judgment as is required.
However, it may well come to pass that a child of twenty years shall have all the sciences at his fingertips, in which he has been trained and instructed. But yet shall he be nonetheless lightheaded for all that, neither shall he have the skill to apply them to his use, because he is not yet mature; for he is like green corn or like a vineyard that makes a fair show of a good vintage, but the grapes are not yet ripe.
Even so it is with that age. For that reason, Saint Paul says, by a comparison, that as long as Christians are alive, although they be sixty, eighty, or a hundred years old, yet must they still be like children—not children in wit, but young men who are of age to profit and do willingly submit and suffer themselves to be governed because they know well they are not yet of mature discretion.
Nevertheless, Saint Paul tells us we must not be like little babes who have neither wit nor discretion and can scarcely yet discern between good and bad (Hebrews 5:14).
First and foremost, therefore, we must bear this lesson well in mind: when we have seen and tried never so much in the world, traveled from place to place, and been exercised in many affairs, though we
think ourselves to be the wisest in the world, yet we are not so wise that we need to learn no more. And why? Because here the case concerns God's wisdom, which surpasses all the wit of man. We may be commended enough and too much by the world, and yet we shall know things only in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). Therefore, let us not deceive ourselves.
So, away with this foolish overconfidence, to think ourselves wise enough (I speak even of those who are able to teach others), and let us continue as learners still. For although Jesus Christ has appointed certain ones to be as leaders and guides to show other men the way, it does not follow that they are so wise that they must not be learners as well as the rest. For he who speaks must take instruction by it himself, and a man shall never be fit to declare God's will to other men unless he himself learns daily.
The thing, then, which we have to bear in mind is that we must be thoroughly persuaded that if we do not profit ourselves, we go like sea crabs. For they that do not go forward in the doctrine of salvation, no matter how much they vaunt themselves for being taught in God's school, undoubtedly go backward. Therefore, let us beware in any wise that we do not fall asleep or stand still as though there were no more to be learned.
Let us consider that our life is likened to a way and, thereupon, learn to go forward continually, to gain always some ground, and to spur and urge forth our slothfulness and slowness so that it may appear, day by day, that we have gained more knowledge than before—either by understanding better the things which we thought had been thoroughly imprinted in our minds or by conceiving some other point by others' instruction, which was unknown to us before. So then, let us increase the hoard of that treasure from day to day.
If old folks are much more careful to gather goods as they draw nearer to their grave, because they see themselves to be weak and in need of succor and are always afraid to be destitute of man's aid, so that their foresight drives them to burning covetousness, ought we not, on our side, to be greatly ashamed if we do not make provision of God's Word in our old age, seeing we perceive how there is much feebleness and sin still in us? Or if we do not labor to be continually enlightened until the Day-Sun of righteousness (which is our Lord
Jesus Christ) shines upon us, as at high noon, seeing we find our own ignorance by experience (Malachi 4:2).
You see, then, that the means to put this doctrine of Saint Paul's into practice is, first, to humble ourselves in such a way that no man takes more upon himself through vain self-conceit than belongs to him, but that we keep on our way wisely, assuring ourselves that we have not yet come to our journey's end. That is also why Saint Paul said that he looked not back to the things he had already done, but forward to the things that remained (Philippians 3:13).
Saint Paul had made a great journey and taken much pain for the Gospel's sake. He had been taken up before into the third heaven (2
Corinthians 12:2-4), and there he had heard and seen secret things which it was not lawful for him to speak of among men. You see, then, that he was as a man who had been taught in the school of angels. And in respect of men, he had surpassed all the other
Apostles, and yet, for all this, he says he strains himself forward and labors to attain to the mark he aimed at. Now, if Saint Paul spoke so, what ought we to do, who are yet as it were but at our ABC?
Therefore, concerning this full ripeness of age, let us assure ourselves that we cannot forbear new and daily instruction until we are completely rid of all the infirmities of our flesh. Until we are
departed out of this world, we must suffer ourselves to be guided and governed like teachable and meek young folk, and we must believe good counsel, assuring ourselves that we have need of it.
Therefore, Saint Paul attributes that (full ripeness of age) to our Lord Jesus Christ, as if he would say that men beguile themselves through their own foolish rashness by beholding themselves in themselves
(Ephesians 4:13). For once we know what Jesus Christ is, we shall perceive full well that there are yet many imperfections in us. He is called the wisdom of God His Father, He is called His everlasting
Word (John 1:1), He is called His image (Colossians 1:15). And all this is to the end that we should learn of Him and behold God's glory in His person, which otherwise would be invisible to us.
But now, can we comprehend God's infinite wisdom? Can we attain to the understanding of God's glory so that we may have the full sight of it? Alas, we are far short of it. Therefore, whenever we are tempted with foolish overconfidence, thinking we know more than we do, let us lift up our eyes to our Lord Jesus Christ and not presume in ourselves, as many fantastical persons do. For when we know that our wisdom is in our Lord Jesus Christ, then shall we perceive well that we are still far from it.
Herewithal, Saint Paul warns us also that it is not in our own power or ability to believe faithfully, but that we must be reliant upon having it given to us by God (Ephesians 2:8). It is true that we must do our best to establish our faith: we must be diligent in hearing
God's Word, attend sermons, read, and listen to good exhortations and sound doctrine, whereby we may fare the better. We must give careful heed to those things. And yet, notwithstanding, we must not presume at all upon our own abilities, as though our wit were able by itself to receive learning and instruction. Instead, let us learn that
our Lord Jesus Christ must bring us to that understanding by His Holy Spirit.
So then, let us be humble that we may be the scholars of our God.
Such humility involves ridding ourselves of all self-conceit and recognizing that we have no more than what is given to us by God.
On the contrary, Saint Paul says that we must not be like little children, wavering with every blast of doctrine, or being tossed and turned to and fro, like chaff in the wind, and to be short, we must not be deceived by the craftiness of men (Ephesians 4:14). Here, we see even better the thing that I touched upon before: that Saint Paul sets down, as it were, three stages of age. The first is as a childhood. And what is that? It is before we have any instruction at all when we are yet, as it were, half beasts, without the discretion to discern God's truth. And there are many such children in the world. At what age?
Even at three or four score years. For here, Saint Paul speaks by a likeness or resemblance and does not stand upon the counting of days, months, or years.
His meaning, then, is that those who are wavering and floating like a boat that is tossed upon the water are little children. It is true that Scripture often uses the word "child" in another sense: as when Saint
Peter exhorts us to be as newborn babes and to desire the milk of soundness, even putting away all malice (1 Peter 2:2). Also, our Lord
Jesus exhorts us to be as babes (Matthew 18:3), that is, not puffed up with presumption and pride, so that we make no reckoning of ourselves, nor are troubled with the lusts that vex us when we begin to know what it is to live among men. In that manner, it does us good to be babes or little children.
Again, in another place, Saint Paul says that we should be babes in naughtiness, but not babes in understanding (1 Corinthians 14:20).
That is the thing he repeats again in this present text. Therefore, he condemns those who are babes in understanding, that is, who are so doubtful and wavering that they are sure of nothing. They do not know what faith to hold or what God to worship.
Now, I have told you that the world is too full of such babes, who harden themselves in their brutishness and ignorance. Indeed, how many can a man find who are so thoroughly settled in God's truth that they cannot be made to dance to another man's tune, as Saint
Paul speaks of them here? For if it is asked what the Gospel is, some will answer, "It must needs be a good thing because God is the author of it." But meanwhile, being able to give a reason for their faith is no point of their skill, and they harden themselves in their ignorance, yea, and desire to remain as little babes still.
Others may be well enough skilled to give an account in such a way that a man might think there is some good root of faith in them. Yet, if there comes but one blast of wind, you will see them in such perplexity that they know not anymore in which God they believe.
For if any heresies or stumbling blocks arise, the most of those who spoke wonders before are so wind-shaken that they say, "How now?
Such opinions have never been heard of, and what does this mean?
Which may a man hold for the best?" In doing so, they show well enough (as I said before) that they never strained themselves, nor took any great pains to go forward, so they might no longer be so wavering.
Furthermore, besides this likening of men to babes, Saint Paul provides other comparisons, saying that such people are like reeds shaken with every wind or like a boat that floats upon the waves of the sea or some lake. Indeed, this does not only apply to little babes, but Saint Paul's intention was also to show how wretched their state
is when they are not thoroughly grounded in the Gospel. For is there any greater wretchedness than to be drifting and wavering at every wind, and to have no steadiness at all in matters that concern our salvation? If we were threatened every minute of the hour, and so scared that we were in continual fearfulness and trembling, would we not rather be dead out of hand than to linger after that sort and die a hundred times a day?
But now, we stand upon the everlasting salvation of our souls, and do not know where to turn in that case? Will there be no steadiness in us? Saint Paul, therefore, meant to show us this thing to redress the slothfulness or recklessness to which we are too much given.
And to prick us forward yet double, he says that we must not be subject to men's trickery. He uses here a word that is taken from dice playing. For we know that those who make a trade or occupation of that craft must have many sleights, for there is no faithfulness or trust in it. Indeed, it is said that a man shall see the trial of one's wit and disposition by play. But it is also known that all dice players are deceivers, insomuch that even the simplest of them would like to have the cunning to beguile those they play with.
Indeed, not all are so cunning as to strip others of their goods by their sleight of hand, but for all that, we see it is the general and universal nature of that play to be deceitful. And it is not only in that game but well near in all others. Saint Paul has set down here but one kind, but experience shows how the case stands, and even little children ought to bear it well in mind. And whereas I call them little children, I mean not those who are still at the breast, but these little
"cockchickens" that are tied to swords and are such pert fellows who think themselves men when they ought to have a rod for another half
a dozen years, and yet for all that, take offense if a man keeps them from being deceived.
For if all games were set at liberty, surely there would be plenty of tricksters everywhere. And a young heir should no sooner come to a dozen years old than he should have a new livery on his back (as they say). He would find tricksters enough who would take him by the hand to pick his purse and keep him good company until he were quite stripped of all that he has. Now then, although Saint Paul speaks here of the steadfastness of the faith of the Gospel, he borrows comparisons from common life and things seen day by day.
His saying, then, is that unless we have a well-settled faith, so that we are fully purposed and determined to walk in God's truth even to the end and to stand invincibly in it, we are but little children who are subject to every man's trickery, and we shall always find tricksters and deceivers who will rob and spoil us without us ever perceiving it, so that we will wonder how we became poor.
We are in the same condition. And all comes to this point: to show us that we have great need to be well-guarded. For when we are out of fear, every one of us falls to reveling; we take no care, and we keep no watch. But if there is war and we are threatened, then we think it behooves us to keep good watch, and we stand on our guard. If we fear any surprise attacks, then we think ahead, lest we are caught unprepared. Saint Paul, therefore, tells us here that there will be nothing but deceit and that we shall fall into Satan's snares every minute of the hour if we do not watch carefully.
And why? Among whom are we conversant? What a sort of tricksters are there in the world? There will always be wicked company seeking the overthrow of our faith; there will always be scoffers, heathenish folk, and other troublemakers who would like everything to go to
havoc and who will endeavor to spread their poisons and heresies abroad to corrupt and infect men. To be short, the devil has a thousand ways to deceive us, and men are ready enough for it, and there are supporters enough who will offer themselves and desire no better living, as they say.
For this reason, Saint Paul shows us that if we do not labor earnestly to profit in God's Word, we shall surely be caught and carried away from every side, drift to and fro, be led by the nose, and run about like little children, so that we shall have no discretion at all. Then if we are not well advised, even those who are the most advanced among us shall stumble, and within a step or two, break our necks, notwithstanding that we seem to be well along our way already.
And it is not only here that the Scripture tells us we must not be like little babes in understanding. We see that the people of the Jews were also reproached for it, insomuch that Isaiah tells them they are but as little children always at their ABC (Isaiah 28:9-10), and that they must always be rapped upon the heads because they continue still in their brutishness. When a man has cried out to them a hundred and a hundred times, "A, B, C," they immediately forget it and are ready anew to begin. Thus, he complains of them. And again, to make them ashamed, "How do you profit?" says he, "especially in God's doctrine? There you act as though you were little children and play the fool."
In worldly affairs, you are crafty enough, but in the doctrine of salvation, you understand nothing at all. Now herein God shows that He will punish those who scorn to be taught in His school. So then, let us labor to come to the middle age,* whereof Saint Paul spoke not long ago. And although we cannot attain perfection so long as we are in this world, yet let us not be stark idiots and altogether unlearned,
nor let us ever remain novices, but let us show that God has not lost His time in being so gracious to us as to beat our ears with His Word.
That is the thing we have to bear away.
Furthermore, let us understand also that it is due to none but ourselves that we are not well-armed against all the wiles of the devil and the world, namely by laboring to profit in the Gospel and in God's Word. For from thence we must fetch armor and weapons to furnish ourselves withal when we are weak. That is the way to withstand the deceits and falsehoods of Satan; that is the means for us to beat back all his assaults: that is to wit, by having the said
Word, which will serve us as a sword, shield, and helmet,* as we shall see in the sixth chapter. To be short, we shall be well-armed to withstand all attacks.
Therefore, if we are fickle-headed, and thereupon it pleases God to punish our unthankfulness according to His threatening by Moses in Deuteronomy 13, where He says,* that if He stirs up false prophets and the people give ear to them, it is a token that they did not love
Him, and that those who continue in His fear will abide firm and steadfast: I say, if we are so light and fickle-minded, let us arm ourselves with these exhortations; and (as Saint Paul says) if heresies spring up, let us understand* that it is for the trial of those who are rightly minded. Therefore, let us mark well that it is due to nothing but our own recklessness that we are not always steadfast in God's
Word, and that our faith does not always get the upper hand of all temptations, as Saint John says in his first Epistle. This ought to provoke us to take pains,* not only to get ordinary food to sustain our souls withal but also to withstand Satan and all his champions, and to beat back all assaults that shall be made upon us.
And forasmuch as our Lord matches His sacraments with His Word, let us make our profit of them altogether. And whereas we are to receive the Holy Supper next Sunday, let us understand that it is our spiritual armor, with which it behooves us to be fenced against Satan, and is added for a further strengthening of us after we have been instructed in God's Word. Wherefore, let us not, through our unkindness and vanity, suffer the means to serve for nothing, which God has given us and which He knows to be fit for us. Instead, let us follow this counsel of Saint Paul's. And on one side, let us consider that we are weak, and that we have need to be relieved, and that God's coming after that fashion unto us is to draw us unto Him, that we might yield Him thanks for the loving-kindness which He uses.
And for our own part, let us endeavor to advance ourselves the more by matching the Word with the sacraments, and the sacraments with the Word, so that we may be provoked thereby to resort to our God, that He may further us in the way of salvation, so that it may appear in the end that we have not walked in vain, nor been disappointed of our expectation.
Now let us fall down before the majesty of our good God, with acknowledgment of our faults, praying Him to make us feel them so deeply that we may utterly dislike them, and be always provoked to true repentance. Let us not only be sorry that we have offended, but also resist all the wicked lusts of our flesh, which hinder our true obedience in ruling our lives according to His holy Word.
And forasmuch as the right way to attain this is to profit in His Word, may it please Him to grant that we may never be destitute of that benefit. When we have it in our hands, may we use it well and labor to profit in it. May He work in such wise in us by His Holy
Spirit that it may not be a sound that vanishes away in the air, but a root that grows fast in us, yielding fruit in our lives, even to the end.