Front matter (continued 4)

2. We read (Luke 11,1) that, at a certain time, the disciples saw and, probably heard their Master praying, speaking with His Father in heaven. This made so deep an impression upon them that one of them asked the Lord: "Lord, teach us to pray." The Lord gladly complied with this request and said: "When ye pray, say: Our Father who art in heaven," etc. The Lord Himself gave His disciples this prayer, and therefore we call it the Lord's Prayer. We say this beautiful prayer very often, daily, and we should do so. Our Lord gave it to us. When we use this prayer, we know that we pray according to our Master's will. But reciting this prayer is not enough, we must also understand what we are praying. We should ever better learn what the words of this prayer mean. Let us see how our Catechism explains them.

3. "Our Father who art in heaven," thus our Lord teaches us to address the true God, the Triune God. What love God has bestowed upon us that we are called His children, and that we are permitted to call Him Father! 1 John 3,1. Christ might have chosen different names to address God; but He teaches us to call God our Father. Why does He do so? "God would by these words tenderly invite us to believe that He is our true Father and we are His true children." When we come to God to speak to Him in our prayers, we should always believe and remember that God is our true Father, and that we are His true children. You know that God is indeed your Father and you are His child. It is true, we are all sinners, and the holy God hates sin, but our dear Lord has redeemed us from all sins and has earned for us forgiveness of sins and righteousness in the sight of God. Through Christ, my Brother, I have become God's true child, and God has become my true Father. In Christ's name I come to God and call Him Father, believing that for Christ's sake God really is my Father and I am His child. "For this cause" (because Christ is my Brother) "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Eph. 3,14.15. Remember that only those who believe in Jesus Christ may call God their Father. Only children of God, through faith in Christ, can really pray to God.

4. We pray to God, our Father. How tenderly does this name invite us to come to Him in our need! How this name does give us courage, "so that we may with all boldness and confidence ask Him as dear children ask their dear father"! A child is not afraid to come to his beloved father, to tell him with confidence all that he wants and needs. He knows that hie dear father will gladly listen to him and help him. So it is with the children of God. They do not fear to come to their Father, for He loves them. They do not doubt, but confidently believe that their dear Father will hear their prayer and help them. Our Father promised to do that. By the endearing name Father, God reminds us: I am your Father, you are my dear child. Come without fear and doubt; pray with ail confidence. I will hear your prayer.

5. "Our Father who art in heaven." This Father of ours to whom we pray is not a weak, not an earthly father. God is the heavenly Father; He is the almighty God, the Lord of heaven and earth. He can do whatsoever He wills. With all confidence we come to Him and believe that He not only will hear our prayers, but is also able to help us in every need and trouble.

6. Our Lord teaches us to say: "Our Father who art in heaven." He reminds us of the fact that all true believers are children of God, and that all children of God pray for and with each other. "One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all." Eph. 4,6. I am not the only one praying to God, but a great host of fellow- men, all my brethren in Christ, are praying with me and for me. In Christ's name I pray to my Father in heaven for and with all my brethren; should I not therefore with all confidence ask my dear Father, as dear children ask their dear father?

REMEMBER:—

1. Always pray in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior. Through Him alone God is your true Father, and you are His true child. In His name you may and should ask your Father in heaven as dear children ask their dear father.

2. As God's child through Christ pray to your Father without fear and doubt, with the firm, confidence that He will hear and accept your prayer.

3. The Father to whom you pray is the heavenly Father, the almighty God. To Him we pray with all confidence that He not only will, but also can answer our prayers and help us in all our troubles.

MEMORIZE:—

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3,1.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Eph. 3,14.15.

One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. Eph. 4,6.

QUESTIONS.

1. Of what does the Third Part of our Catechism treat? 2. Why do we call this prayer the Lord's Prayer? 3. On what occasion did the Lord teach His disciples this prayer? 4. Why do we Christians use this prayer so often? 5. But it is not enough to recite this prayer if we would use it correctly; what else is needed? 6. Whom do we address when we say "Our "Father"? [tr. note: punctuation is correct] 7. Why did Jesus teach us to use the name Father in this prayer? 8. How does God become our Father, and how do we become His children? 9. In whose name should we therefore always pray? 10. Who only can really pray to God? 11. Of what is a child certain when he asks his father for something? 12. What may we confidently expect when we pray to our dear Father? 13. Of what do the words "who art in heaven" remind us in our prayer? 14. Our Father to whom we pray is the almighty God; what can He therefore do regarding our prayers? 15. Why does our Lord teach us to say, "Our Father"?

LESSON 40. The Lord's Prayer.

The First Petition.

Which is the First Petition?

Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean?

God's name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that it may be holy among us also.

How is this done?

When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead a holy life according to it. This grant us, dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God's Word teaches, profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, Heavenly Father!

1. "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name," this is our first petition. It is a matter of utmost importance that God's name be hallowed among us; for this reason our Lord teaches us to pray for it in the first place. "God's name is indeed holy in itself." God has a name above every other name. In heaven and earth there is no name higher or more sacred than the name of our heavenly Father; no name can be compared with it. It is holy in itself. We cannot and we need not make it holy. What, then, do we ask for in this petition? Since the name of our Father in heaven is so holy and so exalted, we pray that it may be holy among us also, that we, His children, may hold it sacred and use it rightly both in words and deeds.

2. How is this done? We shall place God's name above every other name in heaven and on earth and hold it holy, sacred, only when we rightly know God as He is, and what He has done and will do for us His children. God has revealed Himself and His great name only in His Word. There alone we learn to know our heavenly Father and the great things He has done for our temporal and eternal welfare. We shall hold His name holy and sacred "when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity." God's Word must be preached among us without the admixture of any human thoughts and errors, just as God has given it to us, just as it reads. In God's Word we learn how great God, our Father, is, the perfectly holy and just God, and yet gracious, ever ready to forgive all our sins and heal all our transgressions, when we come to Him in the name of Christ; the almighty Ruler of heaven and earth and yet our dear Father in Christ, who pities those that fear Him, as a father pities his children Ps. 103,13. The more we learn from His Word how great our God is, the more we shall hold His name sacred, the more we shall exalt and praise it.

3. It is not enough that God's Word is taught and preached among us in its truth and purity, that we only hear it; we must also, as God's children, lead a holy life according to it. By a holy life we honor the name of our Father. If a child disobeys his father, if he leads a bad life, committing sins and crimes, he will not only bring dishonor upon himself, but he will also disgrace his father's name. Remember how the sons of Eli, the high priest, brought dishonor upon their father's fair name. 1 Sam. 2,12. When, on the other hand, a child is obedient to his father, doing the will of his good father, leading an upright and honest life, his father will be honored by the good deeds of his son. We are children of God. We confess that He is our true Father. If we were to lead an ungodly life, how would His name be dishonored among men! But when we live according to our Father's Word and will, if we live in accordance with the Word of God, our friends and neighbors will see our good works. By our godly life we shall help others, too, to know and honor the great name of God. Our Savior says: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt. 5,16.—By our own strength we cannot preach the Word of God in its truth and purity among us, nor can we by our own strength lead a holy life according to it; therefore we pray: Grant us, O Heavenly Father, the pure doctrine of Thy Word and a Holy life according to it.

4. As the name of our Father is glorified here on earth by the preaching of His pure Word and by our holy life, so it is dishonored by false doctrine and an ungodly life. In our sinful hearts we are always inclined to teach and live otherwise than God's Word teaches, and thus to profane the name of God. "Thou that makest thy boast of the Law, through breaking the Law dishonorest thou God. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you." Rom. 2,23.24. Therefore we pray: Preserve us, O Heavenly Father, for Christ's sake, from false doctrine and an ungodly life!

REMEMBER:—

We pray in this petition:—

1. Dear Heavenly Father, grant that we may always teach Thy Word in its truth and purity, and that we may always live in accordance with it, so that Thy name may be hallowed among us!

2. Dear Heavenly Father, preserve us from ever teaching and living otherwise than Thy Word teaches!

MEMORIZE:—

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matt. 5,16.

Thou that makest thy boast of the Law, through breaking the Law dishonorest thou God. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. Rom. 2,23.24.

QUESTIONS.

1. Why does Christ teach us to pray in the first place that God's name may be hallowed, held sacred, among us? 2. How is God's name in itself? 3. Why do we nevertheless pray that His name be hallowed? 4. What must we know before we shall hold God's name sacred as we should? 5. Where has God revealed Himself? 6. How, therefore, is God's name hallowed among us? 7. How must God's Word be taught among us? 8. What does it mean to teach God's Word in its truth and purity? 9. What, furthermore, is necessary if we wish to glorify our Father's name? 10. In what way is God's name honored by a godly life? 11. What does our Lord say Matt. 5,16? 12. Who profanes God's name among us? 13. From what do we ask God to preserve us? 14. What are the two things for which we pray in the First Petition?

LESSON 41. The Lord's Prayer.

The Second Petition.

Which is the Second Petition?

Our Father who art in heaven. Thy kingdom come.

What does this mean?

The kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of itself; but we pray in this petition that it may come unto us also.

How is this done?

When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life, here in time and hereafter in eternity.

1. "Thy kingdom come," that is the Second Petition. We pray for the kingdom of our heavenly Father. In the Second Article of our faith we already heard of a kingdom, the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. There we learned that our Lord has redeemed us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, in order that we may be His own, and in His kingdom live under Him in everlasting innocence, righteousness, and blessedness. Christ's kingdom and our Father's kingdom is the same thing. Christ established this kingdom by His sufferings and death. All that believe in Christ belong to this kingdom. Christ is their Lord and King; He governs them, bestowing upon them in His kingdom all His gifts: forgiveness of sins, the grace of God, true righteousness, peace with God, etc. He protects them against all their enemies, against sin, Satan, and death. We also call this kingdom of our Father the Kingdom of Grace, or the true Christian Church. It has its beginning here on earth; but when our Lord and King will come again at the Last Day, He will lead it to His glory in heaven. Then we shall call this kingdom the Kingdom of Glory.

2. Our Lord teaches us to pray for the coming of this kingdom. True, "the kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of itself." Christ lives and reigns, and He gathers His congregation through the Gospel from all nations, and He will lead it to its heavenly glory even if we do not pray for it. But still the Lord teaches us to pray for the coming of His kingdom. We pray "that it may come to us also." It is God's will to give us His kingdom. Our Lord says: "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12,32. But God wants us to pray for His good gifts. We pray in this petition that our Father's kingdom may come to us also, that we, too, may belong to His kingdom and remain in it, "here in time and hereafter in eternity."

3. "How is this done?" How does the kingdom of God come to us? The kingdom of God comes to us only through faith in Christ. Only those who believe in Him can enter the kingdom. But "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Christ, or come to Him." (In what part of your Catechism did you learn this?) To bring us to Christ is the work of the Holy Ghost. He has called me to Christ and His grace by the Gospel. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3,5. The kingdom of God, therefore, comes to us "when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life." The Holy Ghost can and will graciously, by the Gospel, work within our hearts, so that we believe God's holy Word, believe in Jesus Christ, our Savior; and in this way the kingdom of God will come to us.

4. The Holy Spirit does not only bring us to Christ, so that we, through faith, enter the kingdom of God, but He also preserves us in the true faith; by means of the Gospel He gives us strength to prove our faith by a godly life and thus remain in the kingdom to the end. He will lead us to the glory of our Lord, to the kingdom of glory in heaven. "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom." 2 Tim. 4,18. By the Holy Spirit the kingdom of God comes to me "here in time" (the Kingdom of Grace) "and hereafter in eternity" (the Kingdom of Glory). In this petition we especially pray our heavenly Father to grant us the most precious gift —His Holy Ghost.

5. But we do not only pray that the kingdom of God would come to us and remain with us, we also pray that it may come to all men who as yet are not members of this kingdom. We pray that all men may become true believers in Christ through the preaching of the Gospel. This work, preaching the Gospel to all nations, we call mission-work. The Second Petition is the great mission-prayer of the Church. The Lord admonishes us: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest." Matt. 9,38.

REMEMBER:—

1. In this petition we pray: Dear heavenly Father, grant me Thy Holy Spirit that by His grace I may believe in Jesus Christ, my King, and by faith in Him lead a godly life, so that I may be with my Savior in His kingdom, here in time and hereafter in eternity.

2. Do not forget to pray for our missions when you say this petition. Mission is the work our Lord has entrusted to all Christians, saying: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Mark 16,15.

MEMORIZE:—

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12,32.

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest. Matt. 9,38.

The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom. 2 Tim. 4,18.

QUESTIONS.

1. How did Christ establish His kingdom on earth? 2. Who belongs to it? 3. Who is Lord and King of this kingdom? 4. What does Christ bestow upon His own in His kingdom? 5. From whom does He protect and against whom does He defend us? 6. What do we also call the kingdom of Christ? 7. What will Christ do with His kingdom when He shall come in His glory at the Last Day? 8. What shall we then call this kingdom? 9. What does our Lord teach us to pray in behalf of His kingdom? 10. What, indeed, is true concerning the coming of His kingdom? 11. Why do we nevertheless pray for His kingdom? 12. How does the kingdom of God come to us? 13. Why do we need the Holy Ghost for this purpose? 14. The Holy Spirit does not only bring us to Christ and into His kingdom, what does He also perform in us? 15. What do we call the work for which we are especially praying in this petition?

LESSON 42. The Lord's Prayer.

The Third Petition.

What is the Third Petition?

Our Father who art in heaven, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

What does this mean?

The good and gracious will of God is done indeed without our prayer; but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.

How is this done?

When God breaks and hinders every evil counsel and will which would not let us hallow God's name nor let His kingdom come, such as the will of the devil, the world, and our flesh; but strengthens and preserves us steadfast in His Word and faith unto our end. This is His gracious and good will.

1. We pray in this petition that the will of our Father in heaven may be done. His will is a good and gracious one. Being the will of our heavenly Father, how could it be otherwise than good and gracious? He wills, or desires, that His name be hallowed among us, that His kingdom may come to us and all men, or, in other words, that all men be saved. "God will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. 2,4. He earnestly desires that His saving Gospel be preached to all men, that all men, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, may believe in Christ and through Him have eternal life. This is most assuredly the good and gracious will of our heavenly Father.

2. We pray that this will of our Father may be done on earth, that it may prevail. "The goo and gracious will of God is done indeed without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also," that His gracious will may prevail against all such as try to hinder our salvation.

3. How is the will of our heavenly Father done? Our Catechism answers: "When God breaks and hinders every evil counsel and will which would not lat us hallow God's name nor let His kingdom come, such as the will of the devil, the world, and our flesh." There is an evil counsel and will here on earth. It is the will of the devil, the world, that is, all godless men, who are in the service of Satan, and of the flesh, our own sinful heart, which is always in accord with Satan and the world. These our enemies do not want us to hallow God's name, to come into Christ's kingdom or to remain therein, to remain steadfast in faith, to remain true to Christ, our Savior. Theirs is an evil will, which desires to lead us astray from God, our Father, into sin, into the power and the kingdom of the devil. If their evil will and counsel prevails, we are lost. Against these mighty enemies we are powerless; we ourselves have no strength whatever to resist them and their temptations. Therefore we daily pray our Father in heaven to break and hinder their evil will and counsel, in order that they may not be able to fulfil their evil desires.

4. God sincerely desires us to be saved, to obtain eternal life. But our Lord says: "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matt. 24,13. We cannot endure by our own strength. "Ye are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation." 1 Pet. 1,5. Therefore we pray our dear Father to "strengthen and preserve us steadfast in His Word and faith unto our end." We ask Him for Christ's sake to grant us strength to remain steadfast in His Word, to continue to hear, read, and use it. By means of the Gospel the Holy Spirit will preserve our faith in our Lord and Savior; through faith He will give us strength gladly to do His will and to live according to His commandments. In this way God will preserve us unto our end, to our dying hour, and thus His gracious and good will is done.

5. God, our dear Father, directs and guides our whole life according to this will of His to lead us to salvation. For this purpose our Father sometimes will permit sufferings and troubles to come over us. In such times especially we should pray: "Thy will be done," my Father! Give me strength to remain steadfast and faithful in all sufferings and cheerfully to submit to your gracious will. Even our Lord Jesus Christ prayed in the hour of His deep agony: "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Matt. 26,39.

6. The first three petitions belong together. They are connected by the words "on earth as it is in heaven." We pray that our Father's name may be hallowed on earth as it is hallowed in heaven, that His kingdom may come to us on earth as it is in heaven, and that His gracious will may be done among us on earth as it is done in heaven. We ask our heavenly Father for His heavenly gifts. These gifts we most urgently need, and therefore our Lord teaches us to pray for them first of all.

REMEMBER:—

1. We pray in this petition: My dear heavenly Father, break and hinder every evil will of my enemies, the devil, the world, and my own flesh, that I may hallow Thy name and Thy kingdom may come to me.

2. My dear heavenly Father, strengthen and preserve me in Thy Word and in true faith unto my end, to my dying hour, that Thy gracious and good will may be done.

MEMORIZE:—

God will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim. 2,4.

Ye are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. 1 Pet. 1,5.

He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1,6.

QUESTIONS.

1. We pray that God's will may be done among us. What is God's will toward us? 2. What is this will, therefore, called in our Catechism? 3. This good and gracious will of God is indeed done without our prayer; why do we nevertheless pray that it may be done? 4. There is an evil will and counsel against us, the children of God. Whose will is this? 5. What is their evil will and desire against us? 6. Why must we ask God to break and hinder their evil will? 7. God earnestly desires us to be saved, to obtain eternal life. Who only will be saved and obtain eternal life? Matt. 24,13. 8. By whose power are we kept unto salvation? 1 Pet. 1,5. 9. How do we, therefore, pray? 10. Why is it necessary for us to remain steadfast in the Word of God? 11. Unto what time will God preserve our faith through the Gospel? 12. Why does God sometimes permit suffering and trouble to come over His children? 13. How should we pray especially in such times? 14. What gifts do we pray for in the first three petitions? 15. Why does Christ teach us to pray first of all for His heavenly gifts?

LESSON 43. The Lord's Prayer.

The Fourth Petition.

Which is the Fourth Petition?

Our Father who art in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread.

What does this mean?

God gives daily bread indeed without our prayer, also to all the wicked; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What, then, is meant by "daily bread"?

Everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

1. For our daily bread our Lord bids us pray in this petition. By daily bread everything is meant that belongs to the support and wants of our body, everything we need to support our life. Our Catechism enumerates quite a number of such things. For all these things we pray as far as we need them for our daily bread. We do not pray for riches, for many comforts or luxuries, but for that which we need. We pray: "Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." Prov. 30,8.9. The apostle says: "Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content." 1 Tim. 6,8.

2. We pray for our daily bread. "God gives daily bread indeed without our prayer"; He gives it "also to all the wicked," who cannot and will not pray for it. "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt. 5,45. If God gives daily bread without our prayer, why, then, do we pray for it? "We pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it," that is, we pray that God may lead us to know that our daily bread, all we have and receive in this life, is His gracious gift. Wicked, unbelieving men do not acknowledge this. They believe that they are earning their daily bread by means of their labor or receiving it by other natural means. Christians also often forget that all their earthly goods are the gift of their Father in heaven. Therefore we pray that God would grant us to know that every good gift comes from above, from Him, our Father. "The eyes of all wait upon Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." Ps. 145,15.16. When we acknowledge this, we shall receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. Then our daily bread, all our earthly goods, will be a blessing to us, a blessing for both our body and our soul. Knowing that our daily bread is God's gift, we receive it with thanksgiving; therefore we pray before each meal and, having finished it, say grace.

3. Our Lord tells us to pray for our daily bread. It is true, our daily bread is the gift of our Father in heaven, but He will generally bestow this gift upon us by means of our labor. God wants us to work, and He will provide what we need for this life. The bread that we eat should be the bread that is honestly coming to us. "If any would not work, neither should he eat." 2 Thess. 3,10.—We do not say my, but our bread, because we include our neighbor in our prayer, asking God to give also him his daily bread. This reminds us of our duty willingly to help our neighbor whenever he is in need and want. Our Father in heaven very often gives us more than we need for our own support and the support of our family; He does this for the purpose that we may have to give to those that are in need. God, then, desires to give our neighbor his daily bread through us. "Deal thy bread to the hungry." Is. 58,7.

4. We pray God to give us our daily bread this day. Our Lord reminds us that we should not be anxiously concerned for the morrow. We have a rich and kind Father in heaven, who cares for us, for our life and welfare. We pray to Him for our bread to-day and every day, and we know that He will not forsake us. Our Lord admonishes us: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." Matt. 6,34.

5. In the Fourth Petition we pray for our daily bread, for all that is necessary for our life and bodily welfare here on earth. In the first three petitions we pray for heavenly gifts, for the gifts which we need for our soul, for our eternal welfare. Our Lord in this way teaches us that the heavenly gifts are much more important, that we should pray for them first of all. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6,33.

REMEMBER:—

1. We pray in this petition: My dear heavenly Father, give me this day my daily bread. Grant me grace to know and acknowledge that my daily bread is Thy gracious gift in order that I may receive it from Thy hand with thanksgiving.

2. Do not forget to say your prayers at meals. Thereby you confess that your daily bread is the gift of your Father in heaven, and you show your thankfulness to Him.

3. Pray also for your neighbor and give from your abundance whenever he is in need.

MEMORIZE:—

He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matt. 5,45.

Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. Prov. 30,8.

Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. 1 Tim. 6,8.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt. 6,33.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is meant in this petition by "daily bread"? 2. Why does the Lord teach us to pray for our daily bread? 3. Wherewith should we be content? 4. Does not God give us our daily bread without our Prayer? 5. On whom even does He bestow this gift? 6. Why, then, do we pray for our daily bread? 7. Why do we pray God to lead us to know that our daily bread comes from Him? 8. How will we receive our daily bread when we know that it is He who gives it to us? 9. Why does our Lord teach us to pray for our daily bread? 10. Why do we not say my, but our bread? 11. Of what should this remind us? 12. Why do we add the words this day? 13. Why do we not need to be anxious for the morrow? 14. What does our Lord teach us by putting the petition for our daily bread after the petitions for His heavenly gifts?

LESSON 44. The Lord's Prayer.

The Fifth Petition.

Which is the Fifth Petition?

Our Father who art in heaven, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

What does this mean?

We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins, nor on their account deny our prayer; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them; but that He would grant them all to us by grace; for use daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So will we also heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us.

1. "And forgive us our trespasses," thus the Lord teaches us to pray in the Fifth Petition. That means, as our Catechism explains these words: "We pray in this petition that our Father would not look upon our sins." A child that has disobeyed his father approaches him sorrowfully, asks his forgiveness, and promises to be more obedient in future. We, the children of God, do the very same thing. Every day we come to our heavenly Father with a contrite heart and ask His forgiveness. Daily we confess that we have sinned again. We are deeply sorry that again we have been disobedient to His good will, that we have deserved His punishment. But we also know that God is our gracious, loving Father, always willing to forgive us our many sins. We know that Christ has paid the ransom for our transgressions and earned God's forgiveness for us. In our Savior's name, trusting in Him, we come to God every day and pray with deep shame, but also with firm confidence: My dear Father in heaven, I, a poor sinner, come to Thee and humbly confess that again I have trespassed and sinned against Thee. Do not look upon my sins, do not punish me as I have deserved, but regard Thy Son's righteousness and for His sake forgive me all my sins. We pray as did the prodigal son: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in Thy sight, and I am no more worthy to be called Thy son." Luke 15,21. However, accept me again for Christ's sake.

2. We have a special reason for asking God's forgiveness in our prayers. We pray to God for many blessings, for many precious gifts, both heavenly and earthly. But we are sinners; "we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them." If God would look upon our unworthiness and sin, how could He grant us our petitions? "For we daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment." As long as our sins separate us from God, we are certain that God will not hear us. Our prayers would indeed be in vain. Therefore we pray to our Father that He would not look upon our sins, "nor on their account deny our prayer," as we have so well deserved. We pray that He would grant us His forgiveness and give us all His rich blessings by grace, for Christ's sake. In Christ's name we come to our Father and confidently pray with the publican in the Temple: "God be merciful to me, a sinner." Luke 18,13.

3. Our Lord adds something to this petition. He says: "As we forgive those who trespass against us." These words contain a promise on our part. Because God so graciously and willingly forgives us our many and great sins, we promise that we also will forgive those who sin against us. There are such as sin against us, wrong and grieve us with word or deed. But how small are their faults over against the great and grievous sins we have committed against our Father in heaven! Having received the gracious forgiveness of our Father, how could we do otherwise than forgive also those who trespass against us? Willingly we promise to forgive them, and to do so heartily, from our hearts, as our Father has forgiven us, and not only to forgive them, but readily to do good to them. Does not our Father do the same thing to us? We sin against Him and grieve Him daily, and nevertheless He not only forgives us, but He also blesses us every day with all His gifts for body and soul. If, on the other hand, we refuse to forgive our brother, we shall not obtain forgiveness from our Father. "When we stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11,25.26. (Read carefully the beautiful parable of our Lord about the wicked servant, Matt. 18,23-35.)

REMEMBER:—

1. We pray in this petition: My dear Father in heaven, do not look upon my sins and do not on their account deny my prayer. I am not worthy of any of the things for which I pray, but on account of Thy grace hear my prayer and forgive me all my sins for Christ's sake.

2. We promise in this petition: My dear Father in heaven, as Thou hast forgiven me the multitude of my sins and hast granted me daily all Thy precious blessings, so will I show Thee my gratitude by heartily forgiving those who sin against me and readily doing good to them. Grant me grace to do this, dear heavenly Father.

MEMORIZE:—

Father, I have sinned against heaven and in Thy sight and am no more worthy to be called Thy son. Luke 15,21.

God be merciful to me, a sinner. Luke 18,13.

When ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11,25.26.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is meant by the word "trespasses" in this petition? 2. What do we ask our heavenly Father to do in this prayer? 3. How do we know that God will forgive us our sins? 4. How has Christ earned forgiveness of sins for us? 5. For whose sake, therefore, do we ask forgiveness? 6. What special reason have we to include this petition in our prayers? 7. Why are we unworthy of the things for which we pray? 8. What, on the contrary, have we deserved? 9. What moves God to hear our prayers? 10. What words does our Lord add to this petition? 11. What promise do we give God when we add these words? 12. How are the sins our neighbor commits against us to be regarded as compared with our sins against God? 13. What should we therefore willingly do? 14. What will happen to us if we do not heartily forgive our neighbor? 15. What must we be willing to do in addition to forgiving our neighbor? 16. What should induce us to forgive our neighbor when he trespasses against us?

LESSON 45. The Lord's Prayer.

The Sixth Petition.

Which is the Sixth Petition?

Our Father who art in heaven, lead us not into temptation.

What does this mean?

God indeed tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and obtain the victory.

1. "And lead us not into temptation," this is the Sixth Petition. Our Catechism explains it in the first place by saying: "God indeed tempts no one," that is, He tempts no one for evil. That is most certainly true. Our heavenly Father is the holy God. He hates sin and all those who willingly commit it. How could He tempt us to sin, try to lead us into evil ways which He hates? Scripture tells us: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man; but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed." Jas. 1,13.14.

2. As God does not tempt us for evil, why, then do we pray our Father not to lead us into temptation? We pray "that God would guard and keep us" that our enemies may not lead us into sin and shame. There are such as always try to lead us, the children of God, into sin, those enemies of whom we heard in the Third Petition—the devil, the world, and our own flesh. Our most dangerous foe is the devil. "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the faith." 1 Pet 5,8.9. Remember how he tempted Adam and Eve in Paradise and seduced them to fall into sin. Our next enemy is the world, that is, all the wicked men around us. How often do our friends or schoolmates entice us to do wrong! "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." Prov. 1,10. The third enemy is our own flesh, our old sinful heart, which is full of evil lust. Our own lust draws us away from God and entices us to sin.

3. These our enemies have an evil will against us. They want to lead us away from God and our salvation, to lead us again into the kingdom of Satan and sin. They try with all their power and cunning to deceive us; they try to give us the impression that it would be good for us to follow their temptations. By such enticements they try to seduce us to lead us astray from God and His Word, into misbelief, into a wrong faith, or into despair, so that we abandon all hope for our salvation. (Remember Cain, Gen. 4,15, and Judas, Matt. 27,4.5.) Or they try to lead us into other great shame and vice, into sins that will bring shame upon us, to yield to evil passions, which will destroy our faith.

4. Against these mighty enemies we are powerless. We could not seriously think of taking up the fight against them by our own power. If we did, we would soon learn to our sorrow that we cannot successfully resist their temptations. Our enemies would gain the victory over us. In this our pitiful condition we come to our Father in heaven, who has promised us His help, and who is always with us. We pray to Him in the name of our Savior not to lead us into temptation, that is, we pray that God would guard or watch over us that such temptations may not come near us, that He would graciously defend us against them.—If is true, temptations will come. We live in this sinful world, which is full of temptations. The devil "walketh about" to devour the children of God, and our flesh tempts us with evil lust. These enemies will again and again assail us to gain their evil ends and desires. And it is for our good that God permits them to do so. But we pray God to keep us steadfast in all these temptations, to strengthen us in order that we may fight the good fight of faith against them. We pray to our Father that He may preserve us in the true faith, so that we shall finally, in the end, overcome all temptations and obtain the victory. Our heavenly Father will hear our prayer. "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able." 1 Cor. 10,13. According to His good and gracious will He wants us to be faithful to the end and to be saved.

REMEMBER:—

1. We pray in this petition: My dear heavenly Father, guard and keep me against my powerful enemies, the devil, the world, and my flesh; hinder their evil will that their temptations may not approach me.

2. We pray in this petition: My dear heavenly Father, be with me in all temptations, whenever my enemies assail me, and grant me grace to fight the good fight of faith. Keep me in the true faith in Christ, my Lord, that I may finally overcome all temptations and obtain the victory.

MEMORIZE:—

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the faith. 1 Pet. 5,8.9.

My son, if sinners entice thee consent thou not. Prov. 1,10.

God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. 1 Cor. 10,13.

QUESTIONS.

1. Which is the Sixth Petition? 2. What does God indeed not do? 3. Why are we certain that God will not lead any one into temptation? 4. Why, then, do we pray God not to lead us into temptation? 5. Who are our enemies that lead us into temptation? 6. Why is the devil compared to a roaring lion? 7. Who is our second enemy? 8. What do we understand by our own flesh? 9. What is the evil will of these our enemies against us? 10. Into what do they try to lead us? 11. Who alone can help us against our powerful enemies? 12. What does it mean when we pray that God would guard us against our enemies? 13. When their temptations do assail us, what do we pray our Father in heaven to do? 14. What makes us certain that God will hear our prayer?

LESSON 46. The Lord's Prayer.

The Seventh Petition And The Conclusion.

Which is the Seventh Petition?

Our Father who art in heaven, deliver us from evil.

What does this mean?

We pray in this petition, as the sum, of all that our Father in heaven would deliver us from every evil of body and soul, property and honor, and finally, when our last hour has come, grant us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this vale of tears to Himself in heaven.

Which is the Conclusion of the Lord's Prayer?

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

What is meant by the word "Amen"?

That I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven, and heard; for He Himself has commanded us so to pray, and has promised to hear us. Amen, Amen, that is, yea, yea, it shall be so.

1. "But deliver us from evil." "We pray in this petition, as the sum of all"; in this petition we sum up all the others. We include in the word "evil" our misfortunes and troubles of every kind, all our wants and needs: all the ailments of our body, such as sickness and the like; everything that is hurtful to our soul, sin with all its fearful consequences; anything that injures or destroys our property, such as is done by fire, water, or bad, evil-minded men; whatever harms our honor, loss of our good name through lies and calumnies, etc. All these things we sum up in the word evil.

2. We pray that our Father would deliver us from all these evils. We beseech Him to spare us from as many evils as He sees fit. We know that days of sorrow and afflictions will indeed come to us. It is our Father's good will that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14,22. God sends us afflictions because He loves us, His children, because in His wisdom He knows that it is good and salutary for us. "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." Heb. 12,6. We willingly submit to His will. But whenever the Lord has afflicted us, in every need and distress, we lift our hearts to Him, the Father of mercies, and pray Him to be with us in our affliction, to help bear the cross He has laid upon us. We ask Him that He would turn every affliction to our benefit and in His own good time take it from us. It is our earnest prayer that through everything that seems evil to us He would keep us steadfast in faith to everlasting life.

3. True, as long as we live here on earth, we shall not be entirely free from evil. On earth we are living in a "vale of tears." But the time will come when "the Lord shall deliver me from every evil and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom." 2 Tim. 4,18. And when this time has come, our last hour, the hour of our departure from this world, we pray that our Father would grant us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this vale of tears to Himself in heaven, and thus wholly deliver us from all evil. In that hour we shall say: "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation." Luke 2,29.30. When our dear Father takes us to Himself in heaven, all our prayers will have been granted, all earthly sorrow and affliction will be at an end; we shall have and enjoy with our Father and our Lord all His heavenly gifts.

4. In the Conclusion of the Lord's Prayer we say: "Thine is the kingdom." We mean to say: Thou alone art my Lord and King, from whom I am to seek help, and who certainly will hear my prayer. "Thine is the power": that is, Thou alone art the almighty God, Thou alone hast the power to grant my petitions. And so "Thine is the glory"; that is, all glory, all honor, all praise, shall be given to Thee alone forever and ever.

5. The word "Amen" with which we conclude our prayer means, as our Catechism explains it: "Yea, yea, it shall be so." We express in this word our assurance that our prayers are acceptable to our Father in heaven, and that He will hear them. May we really be certain that our petitions are acceptable to God? Most assuredly. Our Lord Himself has given us this prayer, He has taught us these petitions, and "has commanded us so to pray." When in true devotion, in the name of our Redeemer, we come to our Father and pray these petitions, how could it be otherwise than that our Father is well pleased! And He Himself, our Father, has so often promised that He will hear us, that He will grant our prayer. Our Lord has promised us: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you." John 16,23. How could we doubt that God will hear us when we pray in Christ's name, according to His will?—Indeed, it sometimes seems to us as if God did not hear our prayers. But it only seems so; God hears every true prayer. But we must not forget that God grants us our petitions in His own manner, which we often do not understand. He does not always grant our petitions at once, but at His appointed time, at the time He has appointed for His help, which, indeed, is the best time for us. Confidently we always want to conclude our prayers with, "Amen; yea, yea, it shall be so."

REMEMBER:—

1. We pray in this petition: My dear Father in heaven, lead me through all my afflictions according to Thy gracious will and pleasure, and when my last hour has come, grant me a blessed end and take me up to Thee in heaven, and so deliver me from all evil.

2. We are certain that this, our Lord's Prayer, as well as all the prayers we are bringing before God in accordance with it, are acceptable to God, and heard; for He Himself has commanded us so to pray and promised to hear us.

MEMORIZE:—

We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14,22.

The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom. 2 Tim. 4,18.

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. Luke 2,29.30.

QUESTIONS.

1. What do we mean when we say: "We pray in this petition,as the sum of all"? 2. What is meant in this petition by the word "evil"? 3. Why does God sometimes send us afflictions? 4. What do we ask our Father in heaven to do when He has afflicted us? 5. To what should He turn all our afflictions, all that seems evil to us? 6. What should God preserve in us at such times? 7. Why do we call this life a "vale of tears"? 8. When, finally, will God deliver us from all evil? 9. What kind of end do we ask our heavenly Father to grant us? 10. Why will all our sorrows then be at an end. 11. What do the words of the Conclusion mean? 12. What the word "Amen"? 13. What do we mean to express by adding this word? 14. Why may we be certain that all our petitions are acceptable to God? 15. Why are we certain that God will always hear our prayers? 16. How will God hear our prayers and grant us His help?

LESSON 47. How We Should Pray.

Review Lesson.

1. When we pray we frequently use the prayer which the Lord has given us. It really does contain everything we need, everything we may pray for. But we also use other prayers; we bring our petitions before God in our own words, or offer praise and thanks to Him. This is well-pleasing to our Father in heaven. But we must not forget that all our prayers should be in accordance with the Lord's Prayer. He has given us His prayer also for this purpose, that we should learn from it how to pray. The Lord's Prayer should be the model for all our prayers. If that is our model, we are certain that we are praying according to God's will. Let us see what the Lord's Prayer teaches us in this respect. Let us learn how we should pray.

2. Whom do we address in the Lord's Prayer? Who is "our Father in heaven"? Our Father in heaven is the only true, the Triune God, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. To Him we pray, and to Him alone. Such is His will. "Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Matt. 4,10. Against which commandment do we sin when we pray to any one but the true God? We pray only to the true God because He alone is able and willing to hear and answer our prayer.

3. The Lord teaches us to call the Triune God "our Father." Why does Christ teach us to use this dear name? Through whom is God our true Father and we His true children? In whose name should we pray? Our Savior says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you." John 16,23. In the Fifth Petition we learn why it is so necessary to pray in Jesus' name, trusting in His merits. We daily sin much. We deserve nothing but punishment. We pray that God would not look upon our sins, but graciously answer our prayers for Christ's sake, who has earned forgiveness of sins for us. Only in Christ is God well pleased with us; only for His sake will our prayers be heard and answered.

4. Christ teaches us to address God as our Father, to believe that in Christ He is indeed our true Father. By this endearing name our Lord would encourage and tenderly invite us to come to Him as His children and ask Him with all confidence. We should always pray with confidence, never doubting that God for Chris's sake will hear us and grant our prayers. "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matt. 21,22. We are praying to the almighty God, who is able to give all good things; we pray to Him who is our Father, who has promised to hear our prayers.

5. For what do we pray in the first three petitions? For what in the Fourth Petition? We learn from this that we may pray for everything that is needful for our welfare, both spiritual and temporal things. "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11,24. In how many petitions do we ask for the heavenly or spiritual things, which we need for our souls? In one petition the Lord teaches us to pray for our daily bread, for our wants here on earth. Whenever we pray, we should first of all pray for those gifts which we need for our salvation. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," our Lord tells us. Matt. 6,33. Above all we should pray for the gift of God's pure Word, for the Holy Ghost, in order that by His grace we may believe His holy Word and lead a godly life, that His will may be done among us, and that we may remain faithful to our Lord and obtain eternal life.

6. The Fourth Petition follows the one in which our Lord teaches us to pray that God's good and gracious will may be done. When we are praying for our daily bread, asking God for the things we need for our body and our temporal welfare, we should submit everything to God's will, that is, we should pray that God would grant us these gifts, if it is His will, if they tend to His glory and to our welfare. "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us." 1 John 5,14.

7. Our Lord teaches us to say not my, but our Father; indeed, throughout the whole prayer we always include our neighbor in our petitions. He wants us to pray for our neighbors, not only for our friends and relatives, but for all men, even for our enemies. "Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you." Matt. 5,44.

8. In the last three petitions the Lord tells us to bring our cares and troubles, our afflictions and sorrows of every kind, before the Lord. Indeed, we ought to pray at all times. "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thess. 5,17. Especially, however, we should pray in times of trouble and need. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." Ps. 50,15.

REMEMBER:—

1. Always pray to the true God, the Father of your Lord Jesus Christ, who through Him is also your Father. Come to Him in Christ's name. That is His will, and He alone can and will hear such prayers.

2. Pray in Christ's name, with full confidence that your prayer is acceptable to God and heard. Pray in the same manner as a dear child asks his dear father.

3. Ask Him for all you need for the welfare of your body and soul; in the first place, however, for the welfare of your soul, for your salvation. In asking for temporal blessings submit your will to God's will. Not my, but Thy will be done, my heavenly Father.

4. Do not forget to include in your prayer your neighbor, all men, even your enemies. Finish your prayer with a confident "Amen; yea, yea, it shall be so."

MEMORIZE:—

Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Matt. 4,10.

This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. 1 John 5,14.

All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matt. 21,22.

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. Ps. 50,15.

LESSON 48. Holy Baptism.

What Baptism Is.

What is Baptism?

Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's word.

Which is that word of God?

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

1. After having explained the Lord's Prayer, our Catechism tells us about Holy Baptism. You all, most probably, have seen children baptized, and some of you, perhaps, also adults. You yourselves were baptized in your infancy in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. You, therefore, should learn what Baptism is, and what it gives and profits. Let us hear what our Catechism has to say about this sacred act. In the first place, it explains what Baptism is.

2. "Baptism is not simple water only." In baptism there is indeed water. The person to be baptized is sprinkled with water, with simple, common, natural water. We must use water in baptism and nothing else. Water is the external means which God Himself has instituted for baptism. But Baptism is not only water, it is more; "it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's word." In baptism there is both God's command and God's word.

3. Baptism is the water comprehended in God's command, that is, we use the water in baptism because God has commanded it. Without this command of God Baptism would be water only. Before our Lord ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples this command: "Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." Holy Baptism, therefore, is an act instituted and ordained by God. For that reason we call it a sacred act. Christ gave this command to His disciples, to His Church, to all Christians. The called ministers of Christ, our pastors, ordinarily administer baptism; but in cases of necessity every Christian can and should perform it. Christ commands us to baptize; that means He commands us to apply the water by washing or sprinkling the person to be baptized with water, or by immersing him into the water.

4. Baptism is the water connected with God's word. The word which Christ has commanded us to use in baptism is this: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." This word must always be connected with the water to make it a Baptism. "Without the word of God the water is simple water, and no baptism. But with the word it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life."—We are baptized in the name of the Triune God. What does this mean? God's name is God Himself, as we have learned in the Second Commandment. We are baptized in God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. By baptism we are received into communion with the Triune God. He gives Himself to us as our Father and accepts us as His children, He bestows upon us all His blessings, all that He has done for us to save us. With the word of God baptism is indeed a gracious water of life.

5. Our Lord commands us to baptize all nations, that is, all human beings, old and young, men and women. "Preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16,15.16. Baptism is necessary to salvation; consequently God wants all who believe in Him to be baptized. But a certain distinction should be made. Those who are old enough to be instructed we baptize after they have been previously taught the main doctrine of the Word of God, confess their faith in Jesus Christ, and desire to be baptized and thus become Christians.

6. Little children are baptized by us soon after their birth, before they are able to learn the Word of God. We teach them after their baptism in our homes and schools and churches. We baptize our little children because in the word nations the children, too, are included. We baptize them because our Lord says: "Suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God." Mark 10,14. Christ bids us bring our little children to Him that He may bless them. We can do this only by means of Holy Baptism. Without baptism they are under God's wrath, and their sins are not forgiven. By baptism the Holy Ghost Himself brings them to Christ and kindles in them the true faith in Him. God becomes their Father, and they are made His children.

REMEMBER:—

1. Holy Baptism is a sacred act instituted by God. God Himself has commanded us to baptize, that is, to apply water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. It is the water comprehended in God's command.

2. Baptism is the water connected with God's word. In baptism the water must be applied with these words: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." By baptism we are received into communion with the Triune God. He becomes our Father, and we are made His children.

MEMORIZE:—

Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Matt. 28,19.

Preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Mark 16,15.16.

Suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10,14.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is the external means which God has instituted for Holy Baptism? 2. What kind of water is to be used when we baptize a person? 3. In what is the water of Baptism comprehended? 4. What is meant when we say: "The water is comprehended in God's command"? 5. Recite the words of God's command. Matt. 28,19. 6. To whom did Christ give this command? 7. Who does now ordinarily administer Holy Baptism? 8. Who may and should do it in cases of necessity? 9. What does the word baptize mean? 10. What is the word of God with which the water in baptism is connected? 1l. What does it mean to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost? 12. What does God become to us in baptism? 13. Whom did Christ command us to baptize? 14. Whom do we generally baptize? 15. How can you prove that it is right to baptize little children? 16. What does Christ say about the little children Mark 10,14?

LESSON 49. Holy Baptism

What Baptism Gives, Or Profits.

What does Baptism give, or profit?

It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are such words and promises of God?

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved, but He that believeth not shall be damned.

1. In our last lesson we learned what Baptism is. "Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's word." Now the question arises, What good does it do one to be baptized? What does Baptism give, or profit? Baptism must indeed be a great and wonderful thing. God Himself instituted it. He put His name, His word, into it. Where His name and His word are, there, indeed, must be great, eternal blessings.

2. Our Catechism answers the question: "What does Baptism give, or profit?" by saying: "It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare." Three great blessings of Baptism are mentioned: 1. It works forgiveness of sins; 2. it delivers from death and the devil; 3. it gives eternal salvation. It does this because of the words and promises of God: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16,16. How can we prove by these words that Holy Baptism also works forgiveness of sins and delivers from death and the devil? Christ merely says that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Remember, however, that there is no salvation where there is not forgiveness of sins and deliverance from death and the devil. Salvation consists in forgiveness of sins and deliverance from death and the devil. If Baptism gives us salvation, it must also work forgiveness of sins and deliver us from death and the devil.

3. Baptism works forgiveness of sins. "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." Acts 2,38. How are we to understand this statement: Baptism works forgiveness of sins? Has not Christ Himself merited this heavenly gift? Christ, our Savior, has indeed, by His sufferings and death, atoned for our sins; He has redeemed us from all our sins and so indeed earned for us, for all men, forgiveness of sins. But Holy Baptism is the means by which the Holy Ghost makes the forgiveness which Christ has earned for us our own. In baptism He presents to us and gives us this great blessing. The apostle says: "Ye are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus; for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal. 3,26.27. We are baptized into Christ. In baptism we put on Christ with all His merits. As in a beautiful, white, spotless garment we are clothed in baptism in the perfect righteousness Christ has merited for us. Baptism works forgiveness by making Christ's righteousness our own.

4. Baptism delivers us from death and the devil. By sin death came into the world; death is the wages of sin. In baptism our sins are washed away for Christ's sake, and in this way we are delivered from death. In our dying hour we do not really see death, but have eternal life. In death we rejoice: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ... But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15,55-57.—Baptism works forgiveness of sin and therefore delivers us from the devil. When our sins have been washed away, the devil no longer has any power over us; we are free from hell and damnation. If Satan still tempts us to sin, we may, in the power of our baptism, resist him and gain the victory.—By working forgiveness of sin, by delivering us from death and the devil, Baptism gives us eternal salvation. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16,16.

5. To whom does Baptism give all this? It gives these things "to all who believe this." Our Savior says: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16,16. All those who believe, trusting in the promises God has given in His Word concerning Baptism, receive these heavenly gifts. It is true, Baptism contains all these precious gifts and blessings, whether we believe or not. They are offered to all who are baptized. But we must take them and make them our own. This is done by faith in Christ. Baptism is God's hand, by means of which He hands down His gifts, forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation. Faith is our hand, with which we take God's gifts and make them our own.—During our whole life we should remember our baptism and the grace God therein has bestowed upon us. Whenever we have sinned, we should in true repentance take refuge to our baptism, to the grace of God which He has promised us there. "The covenant of my peace shall not be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." Is. 54,10.

REMEMBER:—

1. Do not forget to thank your Father in heaven for your baptism. It makes you certain that His heavenly gifts, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, are indeed yours. It makes you certain that God is your Father and will remain your Father and you His child.

2. If you have sinned and grieved your heavenly Father, take refuge to your baptism. Trust to His unfaltering grace which He has promised you there. Believe in Christ, who is yours through Baptism, and you will be saved.

MEMORIZE:—

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Acts 2,38.

Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. 3,26.27.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15,55-57.

QUESTIONS.

1. What three great benefits does Baptism give us? 2. Where did Christ Himself promise this? Mark 16,16. 3. Prove that in these words of Christ forgiveness of sins and deliverance from death and the devil are included. 4. Which is the first benefit Holy Baptism gives us? 5. Who, indeed, has redeemed us from all sins? 6. How, then, can we say that Baptism works forgiveness of sins? 7. Whom do we put on in baptism? 8. What does that mean? 9. How, therefore, does Baptism work forgiveness of sins? 10. Which is the second benefit of Baptism? 11. How does Baptism deliver us from death and the devil? 12. How does it give us eternal salvation? 13. To whom does Baptism give all these blessings? 14. Baptism is God's hand, by means of which He gives us all His gifts. Which is our hand with which we receive them? 15. How long should we remember our baptism? 16. When, especially, should it be our refuge?

LESSON 50. The Lord's Supper.

What Is The Sacrament Of The Altar?

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.

What is the benefit of such eating and drinking?

That is shown us by these words, "Given and shed for you for the remission of sins"; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins there is also life and salvation.

1. You have often seen how on certain Sundays confirmed members of our church went up to the altar to receive bread and wine to eat and drink, while the minister said to them: "Take and eat; this is the true body of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Take and drink; this is the true blood of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." We call this sacred act the Lord's Supper, or the Sacrament of the Altar. What does this sacred act mean?

2. The holy evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and St. Paul the Apostle write about the Lord's Supper thus: "Our Lord Jesus Christ," etc. The Lord's Supper was not instituted by men, by the Church, but by Christ Himself. Therefore it is a sacred act. The Lord instituted His Supper "the same night in which He was betrayed," in the night before His sufferings and death. After He had given His disciples the bread and the cup, He added: "This do in remembrance of Me." The Lord commanded His disciples that after His ascension they should do as He had done, that they should take bread and wine, give thanks over them, and eat and drink in remembrance of Him. He commanded His Church to celebrate His Supper to the end of days. "As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come." 1 Cor. 11,26.

3. In the night in which Jesus was betrayed by His disciple Judas, our Lord took bread, and when He had given thanks, He brake it into small pieces, and gave it to His disciples, and said, Take and eat. After the same manner also He took the cup, filled it with wine, gave thanks, and gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, drink ye all of it. The Lord took bread and wine and gave them to His disciples to eat and drink. We should do likewise in celebrating the Lord's Supper. We should take bread and wine, eat and drink both in remembrance of the Lord. As in Baptism the water, so in the Lord's Supper bread and wine are the external, visible means. The Lord's Supper is the bread and wine comprehended in God's command.

4. In the Lord's Supper bread and wine are also connected with God's word. While the disciples ate the bread and drank the wine, the Lord said to them, "This is my body, which is given for you. This cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins." These words of Christ we must also have in His Supper, together with the bread and wine.—In His Supper, under the bread and wine, our Lord gives us, according to His promise, His body, which was given for us, which was crucified, and His true blood, which was shed for us on the cross for the remission of our sins. Under and with the bread and wine we eat and drink the body and the blood of our Lord. We cannot understand how this is possible, but we believe it because our Lord has promised it. "The Word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in truth." Ps. 33,4. Our Lord is the almighty God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think and can understand. Eph. 3,20. The Lord's Supper, or the Sacrament of the Altar, "is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself."

5. What is the benefit of such eating and drinking? Our Catechism answers: "That is shown us by these words, 'Given and shed for you for the remission of sins.'" In the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. Our Lord, it is true, speaks only of remission, or forgiveness, of sins; but "where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation."—In His Supper my Lord gives me, and I eat, His body, given for me, and He gives me, and I drink, His blood, shed for the remission of my sins. He gives me His body and blood, by the giving and shedding of which upon the cross He purchased and earned and procured for me the forgiveness of my sins. So the Lord's Supper strengthens our faith in Christ, our Redeemer. When we believe these words in the Sacrament, we have in it forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. How we ought to thank our Lord for making us so certain of our salvation in His Supper!

REMEMBER:—

1. We have two Sacraments, two sacred acts, wherein our Lord, through visible, external means, connected with the word of God, offers and gives us His grace which Christ has merited.

2. Very many of those who call themselves Christians, and who are Christians, deny that in the Sacrament there is really Christ's true body and blood, because they cannot understand how this is possible. We firmly believe the plain and clear words of our true and almighty Savior.

3. Let us give thanks to the Lord, who has prepared for us such a wonderful means of grace to strengthen our faith in the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

MEMORIZE: —

The Word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in truth. Ps. 33,4.

As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come. 1 Cor. 11,26.

QUESTIONS.

1. What do we call the second Sacrament of the Christian Church? 2. Who instituted this Sacrament? 3. When did Christ institute it? 4. Which words of Christ show that we also should do as He has done, and celebrate His Supper? 5. What are the external visible means in this Sacrament? 6. What word of God is it with which bread and wine are connected? 7. What does Christ give us to eat and to drink under and with the bread and wine? 8. Why do we believe this to be true though we can not understand it? 9. Why do we believe that Christ is able to do what He has promised in His Supper? 10. Which words of Christ show us the benefit of such eating and drinking? 11. What is given us, according to these words, in the Sacrament? 12. How do we prove that also life and salvation are given us in the Sacrament, although Christ speaks only of forgiveness of sins? 13. How does the Sacrament make us certain of forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation? 14. What is a Sacrament?

LESSON 51. Baptism And the Lord's Supper.

Review Lesson.

1. We have two Sacraments in our Church. What do we mean by a sacrament? By whom have the Sacraments been instituted? What has God ordained in the Sacraments to offer His grace? With what are these visible, external means connected? What does God offer and give through the external means connected with His word? What are the two Sacraments called?

2. Our first Sacrament is Baptism. How does our Catechism answer the question, "What is Baptism"? What is the external means in Baptism? What kind of water must we uge when we baptize a person? If we have no water, we cannot baptize. But the water in Baptism is not simple, common water; what, then, is it?—Baptism is the water comprehended in God's command. What command did Christ give His disciples before He ascended into heaven? Matt. 28,19. Who, therefore, has instituted Baptism? Who, at the present time, ordinarily performs this sacred act? In which case can and should every Christian do it? Christ has commanded us to baptize? What does the word baptize mean?—Which is the word of God connected with the water in Baptism? We are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, in the name of the Triune God. God's name is God Himself. We are baptized in God Himself, in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. What does God bestow upon us in Baptism? God there gives us Himself as our true Father and accepts us as His dear children. Since the water of Baptism is connected with God's word and name, it is indeed not common water, but a gracious water of life.— Whom are we to baptize according to God's command? What is meant by the word nations? We make a distinction in baptizing adults and children. When do we baptize adults? We baptize our children in their infancy, when they are still babies, not able to be instructed in the Word of God. We instruct them in the doctrines of God's Word after they have been baptized, when they are able to understand and to learn the Word of God. What kind of schools do we Christians therefore establish? Which word of Christ induces us to baptize our little children? Mark 10,14. To whom are our children brought in Baptism? What does the Holy Ghost kindle in them by Baptism? In Holy Baptism our children become God's children. Christ takes them up in His arms and blesses them.

3. Baptism is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's word. Baptism is indeed a great and wonderful institution. Why? What three great blessings of Baptism are mentioned in our Catechism? Where has Christ promised these three blessings? Mark 16,16. Christ here only says that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He mentions only salvation; how, then, can we prove that Baptism also works forgiveness of sins and delivers from death and the devil?—Baptism works forgiveness of sins. Christ by His innocent sufferings and death has earned us this great gift, and yet we say that baptism works forgiveness of sins. What do we mean to say by this? By what means does the Holy Ghost make forgiveness of sins our own? What does the Apostle write Gal. 3,26.27? Whom do we put on in Baptism? What does this mean? By Baptism all the merits of Christ are imputed to us, His spotless righteousness is made our own. The second great blessing of Baptism is this, that it delivers us from death and from the devil. How did death come into this world? If Baptism works forgiveness of sins, from what must it deliver us? Baptism delivers us from the devil. How does Baptism deliver us from the devil? How does it give us salvation? To whom does Baptism give all these great things? What does our Lord say Mark 16,16? It is true, Baptism offers all these heavenly gifts to us, whether we believe or not. But we must take and receive them by faith. As God offers all these things in Baptism, with what may we compare Holy Baptism as far as God is concerned? What is the hand with which we take all God's blessings which are offered in Baptism? We should remember our baptism during our whole life. When especially should we think of it? How long will God keep His promises?

4. Our second Sacrament is the Lord's Supper. What is it also called? By whom was it instituted? What does our Lord mean to say when He adds: "This do in remembrance of Me"? Christ wants His Sacrament to be celebrated in His Church till He again comes visibly on the Last Day.— What are the visible means in this Sacrament? What are we to do with the bread and wine? In the Lord's Supper as in baptism the visible means, bread and wine, are comprehended in God's command.—What is the word of God connected with the bread and wine? What does Christ give us in the Sacrament under bread and wine? We, indeed, cannot understand this, cannot see how it is possible. Why do we nevertheless believe it to be true? Can Christ fulfil what He has promised us? Why? In which of His words of institution is the benefit of such eating and drinking shown? What is given us in the Sacrament through these words? We are given forgiveness of sins; what must be there also, where there is forgiveness of sins? What is especially strengthened in us when we partake of the Lord's Supper?

Lord, grant that we e'er pure retain The catechismal doctrine plain As Luther taught the heavenly truth In simple words to tender youth.

That we Thy holy Law may know And mourn our sin and all its woe, And yet believe in Father, Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One.

That we on Thee, our Father, call, Who canst and wilt give help to all; That as Thy children we may live, Whom Thou in Baptism didst receive.

That, if we fall, we rise again, Repentingly confess our sin, And take the Sacrament in faith;— Amen. God grant a happy death!