Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Advent 1 - "This is said to the ministry and a new sermon is given them to preach, namely, nothing but what the words following indicate, a right knowledge of Christ. Whoever preaches anything else is a wolf and deceiver. This is one of the verses in which the Gospel is promised of which Paul writes in Romans 1:2; for the Gospel is a sermon from Christ, as he is here placed before us, calling for faith in him."

 

First Sunday in Advent, Matthew 21:1-9. Christ Enters Jerusalem: or Faith; Good Works; and the Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.


TEXT: Matthew 21:1-9. 

21.1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

1. In the preface I said that there are two things to be noted and considered in the Gospel lessons: first, the works of Christ presented to us as a gift and blessing on which our faith is to cling and exercise itself; secondly, the same works offered as an example and model for us to imitate and follow. All the Gospel lessons thus throw light first on faith and then on good works. We will therefore consider this Gospel under three heads: speaking first of faith; secondly of good works, and thirdly of the lesson story and its hidden meaning.

I. CONCERNING FAITH.

2. This Gospel encourages and demands faith, for it prefigures Christ coming with grace, whom none may receive or accept save he who believes him to be the man, and has the mind, as this Gospel portrays in Christ. Nothing but the mercy, tenderness and kindness of Christ are here shown, and he who so receives and believes on him is saved. He sits not upon a proud steed, an animal of war, nor does he come in great pomp and power, but sitting upon an ass, an animal of peace fit only for burdens and labor and a help to man. He indicates by this that he comes not to frighten man, nor to drive or crush him, but to help him and to carry his burden for him. And although it was the custom of the country to ride on asses and to use horses for war, as the Scriptures often tell us, yet here the object is to show that the entrance of this king shall be meek and lowly.

Again it also shows the pomp and conduct of the disciples towards Christ who bring the colt to Christ, set him thereon, and spread their garments in the way; also that of the multitude who also spread their garments in the way and cut branches from the trees. They manifested no fear nor terror, but only blessed confidence in him as one for whom they dared to do such things and who would take it kindly and readily consent to it.

3. Again, he begins his journey and comes to the Mount of Olives to indicate that he comes out of pure mercy. For olive oil in the Scriptures signifies the grace of God that soothes and strengthens the soul as oil soothes and strengthens the body.

4. Thirdly, there is no armor present, no war-cry, but songs and praise, rejoicing and thanksgiving to the Lord.

5. Fourthly, Christ weeps, as Luke 19:41, writes, weeps over Jerusalem because she does not know nor receive such grace; yet he was so grieved at her loss that he did not deal harshly with her.

6. Fifthly, his goodness and mercy are best shown when he quotes the words of the prophets, Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9, and tenderly invites men to believe and accept Christ, for the fulfilling of which prophecies the events of this Gospel took place and the story was written, as the Evangelist himself testifies. Therefore we must look upon this verse as the chief part of this Gospel, for in it Christ is pictured to us and we are told what we are to believe, and to expect of him, what we are to seek in him, and how we may be benefited by him.

7. First he says: “Tell ye” the daughter of Zion. This is said to the ministry and a new sermon is given them to preach, namely, nothing but what the words following indicate, a right knowledge of Christ. Whoever preaches anything else is a wolf and deceiver. This is one of the verses in which the Gospel is promised of which Paul writes in Romans 1:2; for the Gospel is a sermon from Christ, as he is here placed before us, calling for faith in him.

8. I have often said that there are two kinds of faith. First, a faith in which you indeed believe that Christ is such a man as he is described and proclaimed here and in all the Gospels, but do not believe that he is such a man for you, and are in doubt whether you have any part in him and think: Yes, he is such a man to others, to Peter, Paul, and the blessed saints; but who knows that he is such to me and that I may expect the same from him and may confide in it, as these saints did?

9. Behold, this faith is nothing, it does not receive Christ nor enjoy him, neither can it feel any love and affection for him or from him. It is a faith about Christ and not in or of Christ, a faith which the devils also have as well as evil men. For who is it that does not believe that Christ is a gracious king to the saints? This vain and wicked faith is now taught by the pernicious synagogues of Satan. The universities (Paris and her sister schools), together with the monasteries and all Papists, say that this faith is sufficient to make Christians. In this way they virtually deny Christian faith, make heathen and Turks out of Christians, as St. Peter in 2 Peter 2:1 had foretold: “There shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them.”

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity - 2024. The Sheep Ask the Ultimate Question.

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Bethany Lutheran Church 

Worship at 10 AM Central

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 2024

The Hymn #574   Come Ye Thankful People Come

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 
The Gospel 
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #462           I Love Thy Kingdom Lord  

The Sheep Ask the Ultimate Question

The Hymn #376                   Rock of Ages
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #511             Jesus Shall Reign

KJV 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10. 3 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth; 4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure; 5 which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 6 if so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you, 7 and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, 8 rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.

KJV Matthew 25:31-46. 

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity - From the Collects of Veit Dietrich
O almighty, eternal and merciful God, who by Thy beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, hast established the kingdom of grace for us, that we might believe the forgiveness of our sins, in Thy holy Church on earth, since Thou art a God who hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: We beseech Thee, graciously forgive us all our sins, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Announcements

In treatment - Kermit Way is recovering at home from a fall outdoors; Sarah Buck; the grandson of Dr. and Mrs. Cruz. 

Wednesday - Thanksgiving vespers service at 7 PM.

The installation of surveillance equipment should be finished Wednesday morning.

The Sheep Ask the Ultimate Question

KJV Matthew 25:31-46. But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Old Testament students are struck by the vivid examples in the Bible - plants, flowers, birds, and animals. Here we have a metaphor to describe the ultimate question about how we exist at the end of time. Even the skeptics have to admit that this a striking metaphor that we cannot ignore, especially when we read or hear it. Sheep and goats are related somewhat, but there is a difference, especially because the Good Shepherd is so clearly taught throughout the Bible. 

The second part of of Isaiah has this special description of the future Messiah -

KJV Isaiah 40 - 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

KJV John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

So the question must be - the Scriptures teach faith in Jesus Christ throughout, so why does Jesus teach works? The sheep are placed on the Savior's right hand and the goats on the left. The sheep represent good works while the goats are those who gave nothing except for themselves.

    The setting is a courtroom where all are gathered. Jesus is seated on the throne to separate the sheep from the goats, the good from the bad. All the angels are gathered too, because this is final judgement. The great shame is that people of all types are caught up in works and have given up faith in Jesus Christ.

    Luther's sermon on this passage makes it easier to understand (much like the True Vine of John 15). The good works are the natural fruit of faith, just like rose plants growing, blossoming, and bearing fruit. I checked the  English roses that survived the long drought here. Several plants blossomed and quickly went to seed, producing rose fruit - rose hips (high in vitamin C). Vitamin C tablets taste just like rose hips, because they are.

The Six Examples

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

This is a very touching portrait, covering the basics of human needs and kindness, which have often been experienced by people. I found out this story only a few years ago. One of my best friends (at age 9) was in dire straits with his family, lack of money, lack of food, lack of clothing. Nobody knew this but a group of women, including my mother, gathered everything they could. My mother took clothing from my bedroom. I said, "Mom! Why are you taking my clothes?" She explained - "None of your business," one of two statements she used frequently. The other one was, "You're not old enough." Many decades later, he described how much that meant to him and his family. And he let people know the facts so they would understand how much generosity can do, to encourage us. 

    Another friend told us how he never held garage sales. Instead, he had free give-always with no questions asked. I never liked garage sales and I disliked filling the garage with extra stuff. We followed his example and suddenly had a garage with a car in it rather than near it.

    Works Always Come from Faith in Jesus Christ

    Faith in Christ always goes with forgiveness of sin. The good works which Christ poured upon His followers - and still does - are expressions of His kindness and His faith. 

Revelation 14:12 - Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So we are inclined to think of good works aimed at people, but the teaching of Jesus moves us to see how much that matters to Him, thus a perfect loop, from Him to us and from us to Him. Luther described it well when he was cleaning the diapers and neighbors laughed at him. He responded, saying, "Laugh all you want, because the angels in Heaven are weeping with joy."

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

    The righteous are not perfect people but those who are forgiven through the atoning death of the Savior.

Tom Fisher - Transition to President Trump

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

I want to ask my readers to pray for President Trump and Elon Musk as they quietly negotiate an immediate cease fire and permanent end to the war in Ukraine. They are no match against Satan and his minions who seem to be successfully escalating and expanding the horrors of war globally.

The fight for peace, good government, and freedom is between God and Satan. 

Luther said the war is between God and Satan. Man is a donkey. He is either ridden by God or Satan. The same holds true for America and the world. America and the world are either ridden by God or by Satan. The war for world peace, good government, and prosperity is between God and Satan. 

Only God is good. Christ asserted that only God is good:

18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.               Luke 18:18-19

Psalm 136 asserts that God is good:

136 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Romans 3 asserts that no one does any good. All men are evil especially in their highest powers of their reasoning and will.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:10-20

Bible thumping internet prognosticators, analysts, and fortune tellers assert that man is good. They constantly insist that the war is between good and evil. WRONG! Only God is Good! The war for America and the world is between God and Satan. 

God our Heavenly Father has defeated Satan by sending us His Holy Infant Child Jesus born of the virgin Mary in a manger of straw for us sinners. Here is our true God and eternal life. He gives us peace that passes all human understanding as we face sin, death, Satan, war, and a world gone mad.

 Memories of my childhood take me back to Christmas at Grandma's farm. All of us grandkids would gather around the Christmas tree and listen to Grandma read Luke 2 to us from her King James Bible:

 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. Luke 2:1-16

So as the threats of world war, financial collapse, and global evil government trouble you, listen to Handel's Messiah. Nothing is more healing than God's Word in Handel's Messiah.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6

Psalm 2 describes our present evil world:

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Jesus gives us true peace:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

In Christ,

Tom Fisher

Borrowing the Doom Loop - To Explain the Big Five Apostates - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)

 

Thrivent Builds! toxic waste dumps.

The Lutheran Doom Loop - And a Previous Column

by Adam Turner

I routinely look over the political columns, so I discovered these two gems by Adam Turner, who wrote about beating a topic to death...and then some. During the Kamala Harris campaign I heard nothing but horrible, dishonest, invented accusations (and squeals of anger) about Trump. I kept thinking, "That bellowing is no way to warm up the nation to achieve the electors needed. (There is no popular vote, only the electors who are elected.)

As I read Turner, I thought, "That is exactly how the Lutheran sects work their way down to collapse."

1. They have relied on the business model ever since the Great Depression, because that gave the leaders an excuse to dictate everything and provide luxuries for themselves.

2. The pro-abortion Donald McGavran gave them an incredibly boring Church Growth bible (PhD sociology, Columbia University). 

3. Peter Wagner joined with his Pentecostal magic and hyper-drive, though he finally conceded that Church Growth Principles were a failure.

4. All denominations, quasi-Christian groups, and the Church of Rome gather at Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek and other centers of apostasy. Larry Olson (D.Min. Fuller) bragged that WELS and the LCMS had more "graduate" students at Fuller than they had at their own seminaries.

5. Now the Doom Loop becomes impossible to stop. Every seminarian, pastor, and synodical drone must emphasize (with great energy, threats, and dreams) the essential beauty of the Church Growth Movement. The Lutheran sects (and the rest) continue to shrink and lose income, even with Thrivent circulating some of the loot among them - Buy an Irrevocable Annuity Trust! salesmen.

6. The sects all have piles of books - or used to - but those tomes mean nothing. As the great Wayne Mueller said to the WELS youth rally - "Evangelism is easy. All you have to do is say - you are already forgiven." 

7. Much like the hysterics on The View, the Lutheran leaders jump on anyone doubting their Doom Loop, scream at them, and shun them. Those who understand the vacuous nature of the leaders must remain silent or leave the organization.

8. They are Photoshopping their statistics, just another downward lurch in the Doom Loop.

9. The Lutherans cannot build on the gimmicks they have borrowed from Fuller, Willow Crick, Andy Stanley, and Trinity Divinity. They have no use for the best Bible (KJV), no concept of the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. Notice how glowingly they talk about the poison of Objective Justification while avoiding the Scriptural medicine - Justification by Faith.

Sine fide - without faith - the real message.

10. Either by ignorance of the KJV Bible or malice, the Doom Loop charlatans have removed or altered the text, not to mention the bloated "Living" and the "Amplified" Bibles. The denominations see all these chameleons as cash cows, just as their dreadful hymnals serve as fodder for their red ink.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 26 - "For there are certainly souls who are joyfully and with a good conscience awaiting the judgment of Christ; for they are in the rank and fellowship of those who believe in Christ, and who show fruits of faith through charity and beneficence toward the poor, or through patience in suffering with them. For, as I have said, he who does not have faith will not do works of mercy to Christians, but he who does them, will do them because he believes that he has a faithful Savior and Redeemer in Christ, who has reconciled him to God."

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 25:31-46.
Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity

22. Therefore see to it that you are among those who are kind and merciful here upon earth for Christ’s sake, or who even suffer for his sake, then you may joyfully await the last day, and need not be afraid of the judgment; for he has already selected you and placed you among those who shall stand at his right hand.

23. For we, who are Christians, should hope for the coming of this judgment and desire it with our whole heart; as we pray for it in the words:

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, deliver us from evil; so that we may also hear the glad and welcome words: Come, ye blessed, into the kingdom of my Father. This is the verdict we await; for this reason we are Christians, and just for the sake of this hope we are so severely oppressed, first by Satan and by our own flesh, which would not have us believe this and rejoice over it; then by the tyranny and enmity of the world. For we must constantly see and hear the maliciousness which Satan and the world practice against the Gospel. There is so much misery upon earth that we ought to be tired of this life and cry aloud: Come, dear Lord, and deliver us.

24. For there are certainly souls who are joyfully and with a good conscience awaiting the judgment of Christ; for they are in the rank and fellowship of those who believe in Christ, and who show fruits of faith through charity and beneficence toward the poor, or through patience in suffering with them. For, as I have said, he who does not have faith will not do works of mercy to Christians, but he who does them, will do them because he believes that he has a faithful Savior and Redeemer in Christ, who has reconciled him to God. Therefore he must have also a kind, loving heart toward his neighbors, even toward his enemies, and serve them in every time of need. Yea, he endures also, as I have just said, those things which come upon him from the world and the devil on account of his faith.

Whosoever is thus minded, I say, let him be joyful and of good courage; for he has already the blessed and joyful verdict: Come, thou blessed one, for thou hast also been one of the least of my brethren, who hast thyself suffered hunger and thirst, or who hast served the other hungry and thirsty ones, and hast shown mercy, as I have done.

25. Behold, therefore, the separation of the sheep and goats is already made in this life, so that every one can experience it internally and must indicate and show it also externally. For they who have not faith will surely do none of these things: they will neither comfort themselves with the grace of Christ, nor think of exercising mercy; they pass by the Word of God and their neighbor, as though they neither saw nor heard anything; they do not care to know that there is a Lord whom they are to serve and who will demand such service from them. For if they would consider that they must die, and appear before this judgment seat, they would not at the time defraud any one of a farthing. But, on the contrary, they think best to turn their eyes away from death and to keep the heart from thinking of it.

26. The world is so blind and hardened, that it can see before its eyes the great mass of men of all kinds who have passed away, and who are daily passing away, but is unwilling to behold it with seeing eyes, and to heed it, but continues securely and gaily in its wickedness. Furthermore, when it hears of the terrible judgment and condemnation that shall come upon it, it gives no heed to the consolation and example offered through Christ, but practices all kinds of unmercifulness; strives to hear and will have nothing else than the terrible, irrevocable verdict pronounced upon it from the judgment seat of Christ, and immediately after be cast from his presence into eternal hell-fire.

27. Wherefore he who may yet be converted and is ready to listen, will have enough, both to frighten and warn him, and to animate and persuade him to accommodate himself to the Word and example of Christ, while there is time and opportunity, so that he need not hear with the world this dreadful judgment, but may have joy and comfort in mercy with all Christians. Nor did Christ spare his Apostles, but earnestly admonished them, when he said in Luke 21:34-36: “Take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life,” which, he shows, will be most prevalent at the end of the world,” and that day come on you suddenly as a snare; but watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man,” etc.