Thursday, June 12, 2008

Cling Tightly to the Word of God

AELW 5:353-354

"But we should take hold of and firmly retain the Word, and we should bear in mind that we have been baptized, absolved, and taught by the Word of God. Therefore let us give thanks to God and be joyful. Whether heaven or the whole world crashes in ruins and, in addition, hits us on the head, we are nevertheless certain that our games and most wretched misfortunes have been adorned and crowned with divine glory and splendor, namely, with the Word of God. For this reason these histories are called sacred and are common to all men who have the Word of God and in whom God works, and does so with good pleasure, with His mercy, and with His grace. He does not deal in this way with Alexander, Scipio, Cicero, Hannibal, etc. Therefore we should rejoice and be grateful and happy to find rest in God’s good pleasure, and we should bear with equanimity whatever troubles confront us. And no matter how unimportant, servile, womanish, and full of wretchedness our works are, we should nevertheless add this title: THE WORD OF GOD, because of which everything we do becomes glorious and will remain forever, while, on the other hand, the histories of the world are eternally wretched."

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