Luther's Table Talk. Lutheran LIbrary Publishing Ministry. Alec Satin. Lutheran LIbrarian.

 

Newsletter from The Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry

In This Issue

The Table Talk of Doctor Martin Luther: A Selection The Passion for Life by Joseph Hocking Miracles by Theophilus Stork [Journal Article] Columbus Theological Magazine Vol. 4, Matthias Loy, Editor Columbus Theological Magazine Vol. 3, Matthias Loy, Editor

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The Table Talk of Doctor Martin Luther: A Selection “Another quality that strikes us… is Luther’s unfailing sense of humor. Reformers are usually deficient in humor. Their earnestness seldom permits them to laugh. Luther was the most earnest man of his century, and lived in more earnest times than any Europe had witnessed since the close of the first century. But his merry laugh rings through the entire solemn drama of his life. He relieved himself and others by permitting himself glimpses at the ludicrous aspects which human nature presents even in the transaction of its most solemn and momentous matters. “Luther’s reputation has indeed gained rather than lost through the somewhat indiscreet publication of his familiar Table Talk. He has been the subject of much obloquy, which is hardly to be wondered at. He was the leader of a fierce theological debate, and he never spared his foes.” — From the Introduction Level of Difficulty: Intermediate: Some subject matter knowledge helpful. Book Contents List of Illustrations Introduction. Book 1. Of The Works Of God. Of The Word Of God. Of Jesus Christ. Of The Law And The Gospel. Of The Church. Of Preaching And Preachers. Of Confession And Absolution. The Lord’s Supper. Good Works. Of The Devil. Prayer. Book 2. Of Death. Of The Resurrection Of The Dead And Life Eternal. Of Marriage. Of The Jews. Of Ecclesiastical Legends. The World And Its Ways. Of Princes And Rulers Of The Use Of Learning. Of Comedies. Of The Power Of Music. Of Singing. Of Germany. Of Languages. Of The Schools And Universities Of Germany. Of The Turks. Of Heroes And Wise Men Of Antiquity. Of The Fathers And Doctors Of The Church. Download the eBook PDF Apple/Kobo EPUB Kindle AZW3 Legacy MOBI (If EPUB or AZW3 won’t work on your device) You can expect your book to arrive within a few hours. If you don't find it, check your spam or junk mail folder. You can also request a copy of this or any Lutheran Library e-book by sending an email with the book's title and format. Enjoy the book! Publication Information Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019-08-22 Updated: 2019-08-22 Copyright: CC BY 4.0 Read more

Recent Books and Articles Published

The Table Talk of Doctor Martin Luther: A Selection “Another quality that strikes us… is Luther’s unfailing sense of humor. Reformers are usually deficient in humor. Their earnestness seldom permits them to laugh. Luther was the most earnest man of his century, and lived in more earnest times than any Europe had witnessed since the close of the first century. But his merry laugh rings through the entire solemn drama of his life. He relieved himself and others by permitting himself glimpses at the ludicrous aspects which human nature ... Read more The Passion for Life by Joseph Hocking Frank Erskine is just at the start of his career when he is given less than a year to live. He moves from London to the Cornish coast in an effort to find peace before the end. And there his adventures begin. Level of Difficulty: Primer: No subject matter knowledge needed. About Joseph Hocking Joseph Hocking was a faithful Welsh minister. A prolific and popular writer in his lifetime, Rev. Hocking considered the novel an ideal platform for exploring Christian spirituality and the deeper ... Read more Miracles by Theophilus Stork [Journal Article] “There has always been a secret prejudice against miracles…there is still a reluctance in many minds to admit these departures from the order of nature predicated in miracles… A modified form of this feeling may be seen in many honest believers in their disposition to overlook the miracles as the wonders of a distant age, answering an important purpose in the first introduction of Christianity, but of little use now as evidences of their religion. “But those who ... Read more Columbus Theological Magazine Vol. 4, Matthias Loy, Editor This volume contains the three part series, “The Nature of the Will,” “The Liberty of the Will,” and “The Bondage of the Will,” all by Prof. Matthias Loy. Other articles include, “He Shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire,” and “The Power Of God’s Word, According To The Lutheran And The Reformed Systems”. Much good reading! Level of Difficulty: Primer: No subject matter knowledge needed. Matthias Loy served as ... Read more Columbus Theological Magazine Vol. 3, Matthias Loy, Editor “This Magazine is designed to supply the want, long since felt, of a Lutheran periodical devoted to theological discussion. Its aim will be the exposition and defense of the doctrines of the Church as confessed in the Book of Concord. Theology in all its departments is embraced within its scope, though for the present special attention will be given to the controverted subject of predestination.” Level of Difficulty: Primer: No subject matter knowledge needed. Matthias Loy served as ... Read more In The Apostles' Footsteps: Sermons on the Epistle Lessons for the Church Year by Leander Sylvester Keyser “…there are many people today who are wandering in doctrinal fogland, and do not know what they believe; or, if they think they have any real convictions, they have pared them down to what they call ‘the irreducible minimum.’ Many people of the so-called ‘modern mind’ have very small and short creeds. They are determined to accept as little on faith as is possible, and yet continue to have any faith at all. “For our part, we are glad to say that we have ... Read more The Story of My Life by Matthias Loy “The history of the Church confirms and illustrates the teachings of the Bible, that yielding little by little leads to yielding more and more, until all is in danger; and the tempter is never satisfied until all is lost. It is impossible to find a place to stop, when the concessions once begin." — Matthias Loy Level of Difficulty: Primer: No subject matter knowledge needed. Matthias Loy (1828-1915) is a theological giant of American Lutheranism. He served as president of the Joint ... Read more May God cause his face to shine upon you and bring you peace. From Your Lutheran Librarian editor@lutheranlibrary.org

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Fourth Mid-Week Advent Service, 7 PM Central

 Vimeo:

Fourth Mid-Week Advent Service, 2022

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Vimeo Link To This Service

The Hymn # 240                    Father Most Holy
The Order of Vespers                                             p. 41

The Psalmody            Psalm                           p. 124
The First Lection                  
The Second Lection       
The Sermon Hymn #60      Hark a Thrilling Voice

         

Paul and John Confirmed the Two Natures of Christ

The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer                            p. 44

The Collect for Peace                                           p. 45

The Benediction                                                                    p. 45

The Hymn #109   While Shepherds Watched

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Paul and John Confirmed the Two Natures of Christ

Nothing is quite so annoying as hearing or reading that the individual scholar or minister denies the Virgin Birth of Christ, as if that were too much to believe. The apostates, who have fallen from the Faith but still an income after losing all but the fragments of Christianity, like to drop that stinkbomb and pretend to be scholarly.

Their escape hatch is - "I agree with St. John and St. Paul about the Virgin Birth." Here is the frailty of their pretension. They are demanding that the truth from Matthew and Luke need two more versions of the Nativity, even though the two witnesses agree. The so-called experts want two more Nativity scenes even though they do not accept apostolic witnesses. That is a parallel to not accepting 5,000 witnesses - the Majority or Apostolic text - and favoring two dubious codices - Sinaiticus (fraud) and Vaticanus (the Greek version of the later Latin version).

Their reaction is to take away as many references to faith and the divinity of Christ as they can manage. Thus the Evil Four - RSV, NRSV, ESV, and the NIV. The four do not agree with each other so they should be rejected. Bibles are not expensive when sold by the thousands, so the Evil Four make a lot of money for ELCA, LCMS, WELS, ELS, ELDONA - for the kickbacks from sales.

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Jesus Christ is from the seed of David, and much earlier, the seed of Abraham, the father of faith. That is His humanity - according to the flesh.

When we pray, worship, and meditate about Jesus Christ, we should always consider His human nature. He accepted this role to teach us and to die in our place as our Savior. He understands our temptations (Hebrews 4) because He was tempted too, though without sin. There is no sin which He cannot take away, except refusing to believe in Him.

Many have regretted that they were raised in a false version of the Bible or the Christian faith. But that is true of the Apostle Paul, Luther, and the Reformation leaders. The background keeps us from falling into error and reminds us of the purity of Biblical teacher. 

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

This seems plain and simple - and it is. However, the clever false teachers turn that into "the Easter Faith of the disciples." They do that to deceive listeners and keep their salaries and benefits. Who can deny the divinity of Christ in hundreds of passages?

A neighbor stopped over to give me Christmas presents. One was a cup, always handy to have. But when I opened it, the contents reminded me of the Bible - a dozen gems, though made of candy, the best kinds.

When we open the Bible, there are thousands of gems to discover. And we never run out. Even our most known passages take on new and deeper meaning over time.

Happy Birthday - Today! - Norma A. Boeckler, Our Artist-in-Residence

 

Norma has provided an almost unlimited supply of beautiful Christian art for everyone to enjoy, and to use for my publishing work.

She and I had a great laugh from a Missouri Synod pastor, now retired, asking me, "How did YOU get to know Norma Boeckler?" He was startled that Norma was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church.

Everything we do in publishing at Bethany is non-profit. 

MidWeek Service Tomorrow Night - 7 PM Central Time

"Watchman, Tell Us of the Night"
by John Bowring, 1792-1872

1. Watchman, tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are.
Traveler, o'er yon mountain's height,
See that glory-beaming star.
Watchman, doth its beauteous ray
Aught of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes; it brings the day,
Promised day of Israel.

2. Watchman, tell us of the night;
Hiher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light,
Peace and truth, its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone
Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own;
See, it bursts o'er all the earth.

3. Watchman, tell us of the night,
For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, darkness takes its flight;
Doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, let thy wanderings cease;
Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveler, lo, the Prince of Peace,
Lo, the Son of God, is come!

Midweek Advent Tomorrow at 7 PM Central Time. Christmas Eve Vespers at 7 PM. Christmas Day Holy Communion 10 AM.

 

Contrary to rumors spread by me, we will have the fourth Midweek Advent service tomorrow at 7 PM Central.

Recording at Different Volume Levels for Best Buy Expert

If you would care to help, write me about what you are noticing as I vary the sound. I heard very clear organ music but also a fading in volume without anything being touched. 

Many of you know a lot about audio over the Internet so your advice is valuable.

Write to greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com

Thanks!

Trinitarian Bible Society - Luther's New Testament

 

Luther's New Testament  Justification by Faith Martin Luther published his first translation of the Scriptures into German in 1522. The first printing quickly sold out and had an immense influence on Germany and the German language, and were read, cherished, and memorised by ordinary people. This New Testament paved the way for others during the Protestant Reformation and beyond to produce translations of the Scriptures from the biblical languages into their native tongues. Click the link below to watch a short video on Luther's New Testament. Published in September 1522 Known as the September Testament Brought the German dialects together Led the way for other European Bible translations Watch Video ❯ +++

	Does the Textual Basis of Your Bible Matter? Answer - Not in WELS, LCMS, ELS, ELDONA, or ELCA.

Nothing Is Too Disgraceful for a WELS Vice-President

Young Huebner is a Church Growth addict, trying to outdo the others in disgracing the Gospel.

WELS supports alcoholism because the leaders are alcoholics - not all of them - but most of them.

Pastor Jim Huebner's father supported the WELS teacher who murdered his wife; that teacher served only a short time in prison. That is the heritage of the WELS cult - and not the only murder covered up.

"Pastor Jackson,

A great Church Growth menu addition to this WELS coffee bar would be ELDoNUTS pastries with Fuller artificial filling. 

Junk food at its finest!"

 One ELDONUT to rule them all and in the shortening fry them!

Check back with us frequently, on Facebook or in-person at our shop, to see what our daily, rotating menu items include and for details.

Free WiFi is available for guests as well, so come relax and enjoy a warm (or cold!) beverage while browsing the internet, working, or studying among friends.

Please note: not all items on the menu may be available due to supply chain issues and/or demand. Thank you for understanding!

 

The Mission of Grace Place Coffee

Grace Place Coffee is a full-service coffee shop that has been serving the East Town neighborhood and downtown Milwaukee since 2007.
Grace Place Coffee exists to help build Christian relationships for the people in our community and congregation by means of

• Outreach
• Programs and events
• Congregational fellowship

Grace Place Coffee - a great place to meet

Grace Place Coffee is available for meetings, weddings, or for those renting the Grace Center.
The intimate and fun space is available for up to 30 people with overflow seating in the atrium.
A large screen TV is available for presentations.

Please note: hours may be affected to combat and slow the spread of COVID-19. Watch our Facebook page for details as they come available:

Contact Us

Grace Place Coffee
(414) 271-3006, ext. 112
graceplace@gracedowntown.org
250 East Juneau Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Check Us Out on Facebook and Instagram!

Proudly serving Stone Creek coffee.
Prices and menus subject to change.

Types of KJV Bibles To Own - The Cost Is Often in the Leather Cover

 

Most KJVs are double column on each page. Several KJVs are single column on each page.

Some are KJV Thompson Chain Reference, which was the only KJV TCR at the beginning. I do not recommend anything else than KJV. The TCR is the work of several men and has value as a Bible-plus-concordance (word studies) put together.

Super Giant Print is the largest font - the one I use on the lectern.

Giant Print is large but by no means giant. 

Some Bibles are smaller so the fonts are smaller and compact. That kind is more portable but less readable for us older readers.

Bible covers have a great impact on the cost of a Bible.

I have not checked all of these changes, but this points out the basic fact there is a NKJV bridge to the modern Bibles but no modern Bible (the Evil Four) bridge to the KJV.

The seriously corrupted modern Bibles are:

1. NIV
2. ESV - Leftist National Council of Churches
3. RSV - Leftist National Council of Churches
4. NRSV - Leftist National Council of Churches

The Beck and the EHV are jokes, but nobody is laughing.

The Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2022.

Vimeo Is Linked Here

 

The Hymn #90       Comne Your Hearts            

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

Drop down, ye heavens, from above: 

and let the skies pour down righteousness.

Let the earth open: and bring forth salvation.

Psalm. The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament showeth His handiwork

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

Stir up, O Lord, we beseech Thee, Thy power, 

and come and help us with Thy great might, 

that by Thy grace whatsoever is hindered by our sins 

may be speedily accomplished 

through Thy mercy and satisfaction; 

who livest and reignest with the Father 

and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.

The Epistle and Gradual   

Gradual

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him: 

to all that call upon Him in truth.

V. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: 

and let all flesh bless His holy name. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Thou art my Help and my Deliverer: 

make no tarrying, O my God. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #94      Heark the Herald Angels          

Forgiveness and the Joyful Heart

The Hymn #87           Joy to the World            

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 #85:10 - 15            From Heaven Above to Earth I Come    

Announcements and Prayers

• Geek Squad, Tuesday 7 AM.
• December 22nd - Norma Boeckler's Birthday.
• Randy Anderson is doing well.
• This week's services will be Saturday at 7 PM, Christmas Eve at 7 PM. Sunday will be Holy Communion at 10 AM.
• 
  

        

KJV Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

KJV John 1:19 And this is the record [GJ - witness] of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed [GJ - homiletics, preaching], I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Fourth Sunday In Advent

Lord God, heavenly Father, it is meet and right that we should give thanks unto Thee, that Thou hast given us a more glorious baptism than that of John the Baptist, and hast therein promised us the remission of sins, the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life through Thy Son, Jesus Christ: Preserve us, we beseech Thee, in such faith in Thy grace and mercy, that we may never doubt Thy promise, but be comforted by the same in all temptations: and grant us Thy Holy Spirit that we may renounce sin, and ever continue in the righteousness bestowed upon us in baptism, until by Thy grace we obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen. 

Forgiveness and the Joyful Heart

KJV Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Especially in these times, people are oppressed by the accusations of the Law. Everywhere we turn, we are assaulted by accusations from the Puritan Police of Populism, new regulations every day about unforgiveable sin, such not recycling and not using the confused the pronouns of populism. There is no joy. People have limited or shut down power generation because it is good to do this, and they remain angry because it is never enough.

Joy does not exist, except in the forgiveness of sin - as defined by the Scriptures rather than the New York Times. Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), second only to love.

These fruits of the Spirit follow from faith in Jesus Christ. In an era where people are always praising grace, a large share of them ignore the plain and simple language of Romans 5

KJV Romans 5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

By faith we have access to this grace. This is so clear that many people turn instead to false gods and to false messages, such as being born forgiven (Objective Justification - a bizarre claim found in many distortions of religion). Apart from faith, there is no forgiveness of sin. Apart from faith, there is only condemnation. The heart cannot be joyful apart from faith, grace, forgiveness. 

References throughout the Bible to righteousness and saints are mistaken as a description of people who are perfect or nearly perfect. The labels mean - those who believe in Christ are righteous (forgiven) and holy (saints). Many believed in the Savior in the Old Testament. Adam and Eve were promised the Savior as they were being kicked out of Paradise, Genesis 3:15. Therefore, Eve saw her newborn son as that Savior. She had faith in Him even though her timeline was off. Genesis 4:1 - literally I have given birth to a boy-child, God.

and again I say, Rejoice.

In the midst of worries, tribulations, threats and gloom, it is especially import to rejoice in the communion of saints, believers, knowing everything is in God's hand.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Luther:

Rejoice with the joyful, weep with the mourning. Finally, be all things to all men, compelling them to confess you always agreeable, uniformly pleasant to mankind and on a level with everyone.

10. Such is the meaning of the little word here employed by the apostle - “epiikia,” equity, clemency, accommodation - and which we cannot better render than by “moderation” or “forbearance.” It is the virtue of adapting or accommodating oneself to another; of endorsing that other; of making all equal; of presenting a like attitude toward all men; not setting oneself up as a model and pattern; not desiring mankind to do homage to one, to conform to one’s position. Justice may be classified as severe and mild.

The problem with sects or cults is addressed here. The temptation to be "holier than thou" is strong, to reject those who do not belong and to make a big stink about it. Shunning, the stink-eye, and the Left Foot of Fellowship are all part of denominations today. They do not help or edify. They suggest that their only love is the Law, an especially crafted law.

The Lord is at hand.

The finale is close though we do not know when. Everything we worry about sinks to nothing in comparison. I see changes in the education field and wonder if I need a position at Walmart again. Then I realize that God has taken care of everything, far beyond anything I could imagine. I knew I was shut out of publishing when an accepted book (Catholic, Lutheran Protestant) was frozen out, but independent printing and blogs came along and literally formed a new congregation from the Internet.

6 Be careful for [anxious about] nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

In Peter Rabbit, the mother rabbit was always anxious. The more they said "Don't worry" the more she worried. This is a clear message about putting all our cares into God's hand, through Jesus Christ, as if the Savior is presenting our case Himself, and He is.

The reason so many clergy have gone silent is their fear. They told me so. The denominations love to use some as examples of that happens to those who speak up.  But they are also examples of people (lay and clergy) who survive and thrive without Thriven or synod loot. The guilty leaders are always anxious and angry.

The Votum - Prayer

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This prayer at the end of the sermon is an exhortation to stay with God's peace, complete forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ, beyond all comprehension. It will protect and guide our hearts (emotions) and our minds (our thinking) through the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Luther:

38. Note the beautiful logic and order of Paul’s teaching. The Christian is first to rejoice in God through faith and then show forbearance or kindness, to men. Should he ask, “How can I?” Paul answers, “The Lord is at hand.” “But how if I be persecuted and robbed?” Paul’s reply is, “In nothing be anxious. Pray to God. Let him care.” “But meanwhile I shall become weary and desolate.” “Not so; the peace of God shall keep you.” Let us now consider the last thought.

39. By the phrase, “the peace of God,” we must understand, not that calm and satisfied peace wherein God himself dwells, but the peace and contentment he produces in our hearts. It is called the “peace of God” in the same sense that the message of God which we hear and believe and speak is styled “the Word of God.” This peace is the gift of God, and is called the “peace of God” because, having it, we are at peace with him even if we are displeased with men.

40. This peace of God is beyond the power of mind and reason to comprehend. Understand, however, it is not beyond man’s power to experience - to be sensible of. Peace with God must be felt in the heart and conscience. How else could our “hearts and minds” be preserved “through Christ Jesus”? To illustrate the difference between the peace of God and the peace comprehensible by reason: They who know nothing of fleeing to God in prayer, when overtaken by tribulation and adversity and when filled with care and anxiety proceed to seek that peace alone which reason apprehends and which reason can secure. But reason apprehends no peace apart from a removal of the evil. Such a peace does not transcend the comprehension of reason; it is compatible with reason. They who pray not, rage and strive under the guidance of reason until they obtain a certain peace by fraudulent or forcible removal of the evil. Just as the wounded seeks to be healed. But they who rejoice in God, finding their peace in him, are contented. They calmly endure tribulation, not desiring what reason dictates as peace - removal of the evil. Standing firm, they await the inner strength wrought by faith. It is not theirs to inquire whether the evil will be short or long in duration, whether temporal or eternal; they give themselves no concern on this point, but ever leave it to God’s regulation.

They are not anxious to know when, how, where or by whom termination of the evil is to come. In return, God affords them grace and removes their evils, bestowing blessings beyond their expectations, or even desires.

41. This, mark you, is the peace of the cross, the peace of God, peace of conscience, Christian peace, which gives us even external calm, which makes us satisfied with all men and unwilling to disturb any. Reason cannot understand how there can be pleasure in crosses, and peace in disquietude; it cannot find these. Such peace is the work of God, and none can understand it until it has been experienced. Relative to this topic, it is said in the epistle for the second Sunday in Advent: “The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.” What the apostle there terms “peace in believing” he here calls “peace of God.”