Church Postil (sermons on the Gospel & Epistle lessons)

whom the TiiOrd: Nvill not impute j sin.'' Pv'iTt.-Bt." Hlxiil iivtr-oduces this to show tlmt thi^ divii-io iinputation aii^cts the beiievers in Christ al0ne, not free-will or natKire on-accoiint: of its Avjorks:. For,')ve -.intr^dnces Abrahanr, jinasnfVrcU -as his- taitl),' when he believed the diviiie ])rbndse otonceriuHg.-his: seed,,' was douhted t«) him for right^- eeusness. ' Now,;althouglroutiOf pur(i; grhce, GoA imputevS not our sins to us, yet he would not do this, were his law and iightecmslw'ss, not comydetely and ad«ply satisfied before.. This gracious imputation had first to be bought and

Since, therefpre? this was impossi-.;ble;for u^, h^pjtjiained for us, q^e in.our stead,s^.wKQ.:tQQk all the punishments which.^ie deserved, iipon hinjself, and fjiltilied the law for us;* and:thns iiytTted ipom us. the judgment of- God, and appeased; his.Vtrath. Tlips, indeed, grace is given to u^. gmtuitously, so as to cost us notldng; but yet,, for iiS',; it cost another much, and was obtiiii^j^d with an incaJcuUtble, an infinite -treasure; namely, tho;Bon of God.lni^iself.. It is necessary, therefore,.■Hjiiii^:^:^. all things j to be in possessioni oJHdm, who has accoinplished ti.ii,s i*arUT,s; nor is it possible •to obtain gi^i|3(>-:e:jLcept alone tlirougii him*:.:'•.-.:.■:..,.. •;:

• 'BeholdiffTom.the time of Adam, therefore^jtO.'^.tltat of Abraham, no ono was.savod.,v; (Except through faith in the >v.Qman!s. seed who should bruise. the serpent'* liead; and, after 2\brahani,.n().on(i' was saved except througJi tViith in.lds.'sejed. Xor, can any one,be savred-.i^xtiept thnmgli faith. alono in; this;!^eetl,.of Abraham, who. is now come. O, it is not sufficient for yon, withoittlthis -Mediator, to attempt to coane-:ti> God, through yourself, tlauitiiii^a..your:.ow]i energy; as t\w> >Jew>Sj th'ft "Turks, and Papists,.teach. A¥ho will first reconcile you with Godl H^ei.says, John 14, 0,: ''No man Cometh- unto the Father, but by me^-'*^::;■■.■:.,-.

In.the.; ■time of the famine, tho Egyjltians also wished to coine to Pliaraoh,, tlie king liimself, and complaiavbut he referred them to Joseph sayin.g''.:: " Go unto Joseph; what ho saithto-you, do;" Gen. 41, 55. Thus, viiA like -jnanner, God hears no one, nor does he aid any one in obtandng salivation-, ■ but we all must come to (:;laTi;sfti:;; who is placed Lord over all thiinig8,Mind v/ith whom is the throne ^.Off i^mce;! ho obtained it for us. For •tlwi* ^Y^^iison-, it is vain to seek it (:^lsewA]d^r^if:r' jYes, if we were destitute oi' (Siir«;rtiis ^-Idam was betbre the fall, wo wjftijf^.'Jilive no need of Christ; we might Koine before God through ourselves;: r.But, in the time of tandne, since the fall, we must have a Joseidi,

^viio'is withoiif siris, and' yet ^vill receive us needy sinners, who come to)iim and desire it of him.

Hence^ it follows, that the papists do not speak and believe otherwise <*oneei'hing' nature, than as if it were yet undefiled; as it was before the i\\W of Adam; they do not believe that it is entirely corrupted in sin, and that: it is- the enemy of God.* For God is an eqemy to sin"; so sin is an enemy to God, as Paul teaches, Rom. 4 and ^^; consequently they certaiidy do not believe what.Moses, Gen. o, writes in i-efereiirce 'to. the iall of Adam, orthey reiT^u-d tlfat fall merely as a disgrace^ which lih^ produced no eifectin our iiature, h-ashotreiulered it sinful, nor subjected if' to the wrath of God. Since, th^ri, ^they neither believe Moses; nor liaTe any need for Christ, and, thus rejc^'fiiig- the Old and Kew Testaments, condemn the entire Scriptures; Godin return has treated them right by i)brmitting tliem to become the diseii)les bf Aristotle, that dead * and condemned heathen, and a retreat for the devil, who, through thfe la w^ of the Pope* 'liTid the doctrines of men, fills theni'tv^lth his pollution till it runs over j^nd over, and pollutes and contamiiiat^^^fhe' whole world; yet they ever retiiaih ill darkness, endeavoring to for^e'tlti^msielves to God, without this faitli'ih Christ, by their prayers, fast^, Ctel\eJ3?iitions of Masses, their (levbtionj^id preaching.

And if • t^ey even mention and confess- Christy their meaning is nothing else;bTitJ-;-thht, as a supertluity, God has^cqii^fitutedlilm such a lord as requires U^jto bb oljedient to God in this resi)ecf,^'{tV)d to regard him as a lord; thaty (i^'dr \vise; independent of this hiin.to''Uri.thus constituted a lord, and j»reVipl,V!fi!^ irjiy other kingdom, ^to whicH*''jtyiv: one is subject,— not be-' cause-i,t^'ls necessary to salvationy mnc(? ini^ependent of siich kingdom, we rijay be. saved^— but because it is' God^s ^\^ll and commandmewt to be obetftent to that king,

Consequently, tlien, wifh them, in the bottom of their' ttearts, Christ is no Saviour, but rather a tyrant and a task-master, of whom, hature, to^ obtain grace, has no need, but is only more burdened with him, as it muyt: how have not oidyGody as before, but* also Christ, as Lord, as well-, as hiscommandments*. •- -•

In fornu'r days mapy persons pi ophesied that in the time of Antichrist all heretics would combine acd ex-. terminate the whole world. Now, umk^r the Pope and the 'Turk, this has its full sway. For if Christ with the entire Scriptures, Is rejected.and condemned, so that nothing more than the mere iiame remains, it may be easily shown how all heresies, all' errors, all darkness^ that have existed from the beginning of the world, now reign; so that I often fear that all persons will now be condemned, except those who. die in their cradles; and yet no one sees, deplores, or bewails that dreadful wrath of God^ which hangs over us..

Behold, this is the indispensable reason why St, Paul ailways thus enforces faith in Christ, because he well foresaw tlijs virulent doctrine which would inesume to treat with God independent of Christ, as if God and our nature were ^ on friendly terms, as if righteousness might lovfr sin, and grant Avhat sin desires.

Therefore, beloved friends, let us be wise, and. learn to know Christ rightly; namely, that above all things, we must hear the Gospel, an^. thereby, believe in Christ; not only tor his ^ake,.because he is Lord, but because. he is the one who took the place of Qpr siiifiLilnatur^, and loaded, upqii, '. himself. (ill.the. wrath of G od, which; we, ha.d.;ih^rited..;b^ all our AVqrJfS, andjOyercaine it:.";»ind all this. h(> did not reserve for lumSelf, but as- Signed it to lis. a. ^ our o.iyuj.sb that all. wliq l)eli.eve.0^*. i^.and (>f liaiii, shall; " certainly be redeenied frbiii this wratli^.;^^ of God,,un^ taken i.utO|gr.ace, by him; ' iiience, weiearn lio\y i^yport^nt and. necessai;^^ CVi.risjt is to u^,^and that the position,; tiiat a j>er.son..majj. by hii^ ^ owii natural pOwei'sJ do sd inuch that the grace of God will he i^iv^n to him,

is false, yes, a device of Satan himself. For, if nature can ^tain grace, Christ «9 unnecessary as aa intercessor and ^ mediator. But, *f be is necessary, nature can obtain nothing but dis- ^ace: it is inconsist^ent, to be a mediator for one^s self and. to have Christ as a mediator, iHow beautiful is tfee order which the Apostte observes: ^^But after that faith is <Jome, we aw no longer nnder a schoolmaster.^ Why? " For ye are all th« children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." But how does it -cjome to. pass that we become the children.of iGod? ^ ^ For as many of you as have b^en baptized into Christ, have put on Chri^" Christ is the child of <God. Whoever, therefore, clothes tiims^lf in the child of God, must also l>e the child of God; for he is clothed "with divine adoption, which must undoubtedly constitute a child. If, then, he is a child, he is no longer under the law, where there is nothing but g<^vants. And, if a child is under the law, like a child under a tutor, he i;^ like a servant, as long as he is un- 4er it, as the text follows in St. Paul, s^d has been stated in the preceding Epistle.

;But, what is meant by putting on •Christ? The unbeliever* suddenly replies: "It is to follow after Christ, j^hd to imitate his example." But, in ^is way, I might also put on St. Peter, Paul, or any saint, without any {fecial reference to Christ; for this reason we shall let the faith which St. Pj^ul so beautifully describes by the vords put on, speak here. It is evidient that those who are baptized, have never before followed Christ, but begin in baptism to follow after liim; Christ must, therefore, first be put on, hefore he is followed. And there must be a marked difference between putting on Christ, smd following his ex-

It is a spiritual putting on in the conscience, and is effected by the noul's reception of Christ and all his ngliteousness, a>s its own, and by its confident reliance on these, as. if it had accomplished and merited them itself; just as a person is accustomed to receive his apparel. This reception is, spiritually, to put on: this is the nature and character of true faith. Most assuredly is Christ so given to us that all his righteousness, all that he has and is, stands as our surety^ as if it were our own. And, he thatbelieves this, will enjoy the blessing, as indicated by St. Paul, liom. 3, 32 r " He that spared not his own son, but^ delivered him up for us all^ how shall he not with him also freely give us all thiugsf Again, 1 Cor. 1, 30: — " Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.'^"

Behold, whoever thus believes in Christ, puts him on. Faith is, tberefore, a thing so great that it justifieti: and saves a person; for, it affords hini all the blessings of Christ, by which the conscience is consoled, and uponwhich it relies. Hence, the individual rejoices in Christ, and feels disjmsed to do all that is good, and to avoi<i ail that is evil, no longer fearing either death or hell, or any evil, being so richly clothed in Christ.

This is satisfying the law, and be-> ing under it no longer. For, heriv with the garment, the Holy Spirit is in the soul, and here is an entirely different person; here the soul is clothed in the adoption of God. It must, therefore, be a child. Behold, in this manner, no saint can be put on before God. Because, it is necessary for every one to put on Christ for himself, and he has nothing that he might give to another to put on.

After the reception and putting on of this garment, the example and imitation of Christ follow; then, in return, the person acts towards hia neighbor, as Christ acted towards him; he grants his neighbor all the good that he has, and does for him all that he can; he also permits himself to be put on, and clothes his neighbor with what he possesses. But, the garment with which he himself i» clothed in Christ, he cannot give to him; for no one can confer his faith upon another, or give hiiii a sinvfl^r faitb. Though he may, indeed, pray for hiiB, that he may in like manner l>e thus clothed with Christ; but every one must believe for himself, and Dhrist alone must clothe us all with himself.

Now, whoever is not in possession of this faith, that Christ with all his blessings, is his, does not yet believe light. Neither is he a Christian, nor Is his heart cheerful and happy. For this faith, only, renders Christians "<jheeiful, joyful, secure, happy, and •children of God: here the Holy Spirit must dwell. O, what a beautiful, vaiiegated, and precious garment is this, iu which decorations, jewels, and 'Ornaments so noble and profuse, associate all virtue, grace, wisdom, truth, righteousness, and whatever is in Christ; so that St. Paul might well fxclaim: ^^I thank God for his unspeakable gifts;" and St. Peter, 2 Epistle, 1, 4: '^ Through Christ great and precious gifts are given to us." This is the variegated coat of Joseph, which his father Jacob made for him, in preference to his other children, Oen, ^7, 3; for Christ alone is full of grace ^nd truth. Again, this is the I)reci9«s garment of Aaron, the High Priest, in which he served Go<i; con- <!emiaig which much might be said. Por, St Paul in these words refers us to these histories.

As we, moreover, j)ut on Christ and receive him, so he also puts us on and receives us, and all that is ours, as if it were his own. Now he finds nothmg good in us, but he finds sins only m us. These he assumes, and removes fix)m us, as from his glorious garmeat. He intercedes, moreover, for us, and bears our sins, before God, -so that they are not eternally punished, as St. Paul, Rom. 8, 34, says that Ghrist makes intercessions for us before God; in Ps. 41, 5, it is «aid: "I said, O Lord be merciful unto me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee;" and Ps. 69, 5: '*0 God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee." All this is said in allusion to us personally, as St. Paul, Rom. 15, 3, explains it from this same Psalm, «tadng how Christ b6i*e our sins, and neither rejected us, nor regarded hii holiness too good for us; but as it -i^^ written; <^ The reproaches of th^ that reproach thee fell on me." ^

Now, it aftbrds us pleasure to hear that he is our garment, and that he mediates for us, as his garment; but; it is with great reluctance that we suffer him to purify his garment; If we desire to be his garment, we must certainly suffer him to i)urify it; for he neither can nor will appear in an impuie garment. In the days of thd martyrs, when he had newly assumed this garment, he began with earnest' ness to purify it with death and varii ous sufferings; then he sat, as Maltl^ chi, 3, 3, says, and purified the sous of Levi, as a fuller who purifies gar^' ments. Therefore, where he effects much suffering, the indication is favorable; and wherever his garment exists, he continues to purify it ^th various kinds of suffering; noi* will he cease: but wherever this is not the case, his garment does not exist.

'* There is neither Jew nor Greek/ there is neither bond nor free, there iB neither male nor female: for ye are ail one in Christ Jesus."

It is sufficiently clear that Patil does not mean that there is no JeWy nor Greek, no man, nor woman, in a a natural or a physical point of view^ but in that respect, of which he, speaks. But concerning what does he speak t Not concerning body and nature, but concerning faith, justification, and Christ, how in him we become the children of God, through faith; all of which is effected in the soul and conscience of a person, noi through his flesh and blood; not through his hand or foot, but through the word and Gospel.

In this sense and in this respect^, there is no difference between per^ sons, w^hether they be Jews or Greeks^ bond or free, male or femal*. In the view of the people and iU physical transactions, the Jew has a different law, and mode of living from the Greek, the bond from the free, the male from the female. The Jew is.cir» cumcised, the Greek is not, the male does not cover pis hair, the female puts on a veil. Besides this, more-