Part 14
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? 11. 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 Lords 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."_