1. of repentance, Joel 2:12 ff.
"Thus says the LORD: Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, with lamentation. Rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your GOD: for he is gracious, merciful, patient, and of great kindness, soon repenting of punishment." From this the Sophists of Louvain and the wretched Conciliar of Trent should take their description of penance, who reckon ear confession and satisfaction to penance. Repentance must be followed by amendment of life, but how do they prove that it is a satisfaction for sins and deserves forgiveness of sins? They also claim that faith is not a confidence. But why is it held against us that God is gracious, merciful 2c.? Is it not done so that we should trust in His grace, mercy 2c.? But in this way those must be struck with blindness and nonsense who want to be teachers of religion and of the holy Scriptures, and yet deliberately deal with nothing else but that they suppress the right doctrine.
2 The punishments of drunkenness are famine and hard times; likewise foreign enemies, Cap. 1, 5. ff.
"Wake up, you drunkards, and weep and wail, all you wine drinkers, for the must, for it is taken from before your mouths. For a mighty people is coming up to my land, and they are without number."
3. repentance includes calling, and the unintelligent must be enticed with public ceremonies, Cap. 1, 14.
"Sanctify a fast, call the congregation together, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord, your God, and cry out to the Lord" 2c. The papists also have ceremonies, but not for calling, which they do not know at all, since they do not know the faith and persecute the Word.
4. right form of prayer, Cap. 2, 17.
"O LORD, spare thy people, and let not thine inheritance be put to shame, that the heathen should reign over them. Why will you let say among the nations, Where is now their God?" The prayers of those at Louvain and Trent, who pray in the name of the dead, whose intercession they seek and thereby exclude Christ, naturally agree with this form and say that they act Christianly in it. They invent various kinds of prayer (dulias, latrias, hyperdulias) and other strange things. Thus they reveal how diligently and godly they read the writings of the prophets, which, as the wretched Council of Trent commands in a new decree, are not to be read other than in the usual 1) Latin translation. For thus they provide for their idleness, and their disciples take pains to see that they do not miss anything in what they should truly understand.
1) Wittenberger: inusitata instead of: in usitats.
1648 L. XXV, zss-308. the main teachings from the sermons of Joel. W. VI, 2429-2433. 1649
since they reject languages, an exceedingly glorious gift of the Holy Spirit. But as for calling, remember Christ's saying, John 16:23: "If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you."
5. a promise of the fruits of repentance, Cap. 2, 18. ff.
If you turn to your God, the LORD will be jealous for his land and will spare his people. And the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil in abundance, and ye shall have enough; and I will not suffer you to be put to shame among the heathen any more" 2c. But what can Germany promise herself, since the bishops insist on idolatry, but the others, on our side, do nothing from their usury, their splendor, their indulgence, their fornication, their cheating 2c.?
6. of the kingdom of Christ and the ministry of Christ, chap. 2, 23.
Christ is called "a teacher of righteousness", just as Paul [2 Cor. 3, 7. 9.] calls Moses a servant of sin in the fourth way, and it is clearly stated that he is sent by God the Lord. Therefore, two persons are taught here, that of the Father and that of the Son, one who sends, the other who is sent.
7. of the office and person of the Holy Spirit [Cap. 3, 1].
He who 2) before promised the Teacher of righteousness, Christ, now promises his Spirit: "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Therefore, the mystery of the Trinity is shown here in the clearest way.
1) in Quarta "eatsutia will probably have the same meaning as yuarto moüo, Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1418, Thesis 2. Cf. the addendum to this vol. XX, 2404. The sense would be: as Moses is called a servant of sin to all, so Christ alone is called a teacher of righteousness.
2) Erlanger: Hui; Wittenberger and Jenaer: Huia. We have followed the former reading.
8. from the invocation that it brings eternal life [Cap. 3, 5].
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Calling on the Lord means the word, the sacraments and faith, Rom. 10, 13. ff. But you should certainly consider that this saying is not understood by any papist.
9. of the calling of the Gentiles [Cap. 3, 5].
"There shall be salvation in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, even among the remnant whom the LORD shall call."
10. summa of the teaching of the gospel [Cap. 3. 21. f.].
"The LORD shall be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. And ye shall know that I the LORD your GOD dwell in Zion in my holy mountain."
The article of the holy Christian faith that the church is holy [Cap. 3, 22].
"Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no stranger will pass through it. With this saying compare the statement of the wretched Council of Trent: no one may be sure that he is in grace. That is, of course, to please God without faith, which is impossible, as the Epistle to the Hebrews [Cap. 11, 6] teaches.
12 A Testimony of Baptism, Cap. 3, 23.
"At that time a spring will come forth from the house of the Lord. But what kind of spring this is, Zechariah shows, Cap. 13, 1.
The church, which is afflicted in the world, will be saved at last, but her decease will be a sign of the end of the world.
followers will perish (Cap. 3, 24-26.].
"Egypt (that's what he calls the unbelieving synagogue) shall become desolate, and Edom a desolate wasteland, because they shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem forever. And I will not leave their blood unsmelling. And the LORD shall dwell in Zion." By this hope we are to be lifted up, for it is sure and steadfast. Other sins will be forgiven, but the shedding of the blood of a
1650 L. XXV, 7f. Interpretations on the Prophets. W. VI. 24ZS. 1651
Christians cannot remain unscented unless the princes, following the example of Manasseh, mend their ways, as Christ says of the Jews [John 8:24], "You will die in your sins." But now they surely despise this terrifying verdict.
[Revelation 22:20: "Come, Lord Jesus!
Yes, I'll be there soon."
Only believe and persevere, little host [Luc. 12:32].
Ps. 89:16: "Blessed is the people that rejoice."