# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Mai 1860_S134
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

134 How the Simple, and Especially the Sick, Are to Be Instructed in Christianity, etc.

...and the deaf, dealt with them in the friendliest manner, and healed them, raised the dead, and preached the gospel to the poor. Again, he showed himself unfriendly in gesture and word toward the haughty and proud saints. This saying, Matt. 11, is especially comforting: Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, etc., and Matt. 12: A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench. John 10: I am come that my sheep might have life, and have it more abundantly. —Thus one should diligently impress Christ upon the timid, anxious, despairing conscience of the sick person, and show with all diligence what his office is, namely, that he lived, did, spoke, suffered, and died all for our good.

Seventh, one should further faithfully instruct the sick person how Christ, true God and man, has on earth the power to forgive sin, and by authority and full power to declare free from all sin, punishment, and guilt. Matt. 9: Be of good comfort, my son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Likewise: Be of good comfort, my daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And that those who believe this are henceforth not only without sin and guilt, righteous and blessed before God through Christ, but also children and heirs of God, and brothers and joint-heirs of Christ. That one is also bound to believe such absolution and remission of sins, so that one may say from the heart: Well then, dear God, although my whole nature is corrupted and I am nothing but sin, yet thou dost here let me be told, through thy only Son, my dear LORD Christ, that my sin is forgiven me. To this I hold, and am certain that it shall be done unto me according to these thy words. For it would be the greatest sin I could commit, if my heart would make thee out a liar. From that, dear God, preserve me! Let it rather be and remain as thy Son and thy Word say. —This, then, is a true faith, which cleanses the heart and makes a good conscience.

Eighth. As one is now freed and released from sin in conscience, purely by grace through Jesus Christ, so must one also instruct the sick person that he is freed from it also through the payment, satisfaction, and discharge before the strict judgment and severity of God. For if we, as we have deserved and are guilty, were to pay ourselves, we would have forever and eternally to pay, and forever and eternally to bear God's wrath, curse, death, damnation, the devil's tyranny, and eternal darkness, wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. As it is written, Ps. 118: Cursed are they that err from thy commandments. Rom. 2: But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil. Matt. 7: Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There, then, the heavenly Father sets forth his beloved Son for us as a mediator and sacrifice for our sin, and our dear LORD Christ takes this debt and