# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 04 02_S126
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

126

when He adds at the place touched upon: ""On earth"", indicating that He did not first receive the power to forgive sins in the state of His exaltation, when, leaving the earth, He took possession of the heaven of all heavens, but had it already and revealed it on earth in His lowest state of humiliation. The possession of this divine power was given to Him in the very first moment of His conception; in the exercise of it also there was not altogether a lack, yet the full and general exercise has been reserved for heaven ...

"Who is this that forgiveth sins also? Such thoughts the devil often puts into the poor sinner, when he listens to the Word that preaches reconciliation, whether in or outside the confessional, but especially before, or during, or after confession: Is it indeed possible that the preacher, the man, who is just as much a sinner as thou thyself art, can forgive thee thy sins? Yes, he is the very man for it. Only rely upon that, and thou wilt find thyself shamefully deceived. What should he forgive sin, who himself is in sins up to the ears? Against God hast thou sinned, and not against him. How can he give away God's right, and forgive thee what does not concern him? But, dearest soul, only do not let thyself be led astray. God has also given power to men to forgive sins on earth. True, because sin is committed against the LORD, the LORD forgives the sin also. No one may remit a debt that is another's; that belongs to the creditor alone. But since God no longer deals with us visibly on earth, He has instituted the office of reconciliation, and has given to him who has been lawfully called thereto the power to forgive sins, yet not in his own name, but in the name of Him who has entrusted the office to him. From Him he has the power to forgive sins. His servant he is, His command he must follow straightway, His honor he must also in this alone seek. Let it not seem strange to thee that a sinner forgives sin. The angel is without sin and yet forgives no sin. For who can endure His presence in this sinful flesh? Man a sinner, and yet forgives sin. Like is found with like. Through men God draws men to Himself. One sinner need not be alarmed at another. Men were the apostles, and yet Christ gave them power to forgive sins. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. The sickness is in us, the medicine we find near to us, one man by another. On earth we sin, there also sin shall be forgiven. To the humble God showeth grace. It is no poor humility when one man confesses his sins to another. It is no small grace when one man comforts another. Herein nothing is taken from God and His honor. For God alone forgives sin, as Lord, men only as His servants, men not as men, but in God's stead, not in their own name, but in His. The preachers forgive, properly speaking, not sin, but God through them. The preacher lends God only hand and mouth, but God thereby accomplishes what no angel nor archangel can accomplish, says Chrysostom. And Luther writes: ""True it is that it is not within human strength and ability, or merit and worthiness, to forgive any sin, even if one were as holy as all the apostles, and all the angels in heaven are. Therefore one must make a right distinction between that which men do of their own undertaking and upon their own worthiness, and that which Christ commands to be done in His name, and wherein He works by His power."" If the Absolution is to be right and effectual, it must proceed from this command of Christ and so run: I absolve thee from thy sins, not in my name, but in the name of Christ and by virtue of His command, who has commanded me to tell thee that thy sins shall be forgiven thee, so that not I, but He Himself, through my mouth, forgives thee thy sin, and thou art bound to accept it, not as a word of man, but as if thou hadst heard it from His own mouth, the Lord Christ's. For, although the power to forgive sins is God's alone, yet He exercises and dispenses it through the outward ministry of preaching, yea, not only through the ministry of preaching, but also through all believing Christians, through the former in all ordinary cases, through the latter in certain extraordinary cases, and when necessity requires it. ""It is not said to those alone"", says Luther, ""who are preachers or ministers of the church, that they shall remit sins, but also to all Christians."" There every one may comfort another in the agony of death, or wherever there is otherwise need, and pronounce an Absolution. The keys, as I have already written elsewhere, are given to the Church, and by her entrusted to the preachers, as stewards of the mysteries of God, yet so that each member of the Church retains his right to the keys, and can also exercise such right upon his neighbor, in case the regular pastor is not at hand. Every Christian has the power, yea, is bound, by virtue of the anointing which he has received of God, to announce to an anguished heart that wrestles with hell the comfort of God's grace in Christ out of the Word. But what is that other than to forgive sins? Of the effectual working of this Absolution thou, poor sinner, hast no cause to doubt, for the promise of Him who is the truth stands there expressly: Whosesoever sins ye remit on earth, they are remitted in heaven. Such a lovely echo is there between heaven and earth. Loosed on earth: loosed in heaven. If the man as man were to say to thee, Thy sins are forgiven thee, thou mightest doubt. But now that God says it through the man, thou canst be of good cheer. For thou hearest this comfort as from Christ's own mouth, since thou hearest it from him who speaks in Christ's stead and in Christ's name. For his own person thou wouldst not dare to trust the man who speaks with thee in a single word, but Christ, thy Redeemer, thou must trust, who has given him the power to remit thy sins in His name. The man does not forgive thee thy sin, but God through him; of this the word of Christ assures thee: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them.

"Who is this that forgiveth sins also? So mayest thou well say for wonder, when thou hearest that the servant of Christ or another believing Christian absolves thee from sins in Christ's name. Who is this man, that he forgiveth sins? Certainly the power of a faithful servant of Christ goes high above all power on earth, so that without him no one, however great and mighty he be, shall or can be freed from sins and eternal death. For though all kings and emperors should bring together their splendor and might, money and goods, they could yet help neither themselves nor any man from the least sin. What does it profit a man, when his heart is terrified, that he is a mighty king or emperor? The most mighty king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was helped by nothing, when he became insane, but that the prophet Daniel came and absolved him from his sins. And, oh! how comforting is this to thee, thou poor sinner, that thou canst find the forgiveness of sins on earth, as often as thou seekest it with a penitent heart. Truly an unspeakable comfort, that one man can, with a word, open heaven to another and shut hell. An inestimable comfort, that through men the heavenly eternal treasure is given thee, which the whole world with its riches cannot pay for. What are all the world's treasures, all kings' crowns, gold, silver, precious stones, compared with the treasure that is called forgiveness of sins, whereby thou art delivered from the power of the devil and of death, and assured that God in heaven will be gracious to thee, and so gracious that for Christ's sake thou shalt be His child and heir, and Christ's brother and joint-heir? Thou liest sick, thy father confessor or another pious Christian comes to thee, and comforts thee. Who stands there before thy bed? The Lord Christ Himself, though in His servant, visits and comforts thee. For he speaks not his own, but Christ's word, at Christ's command, in Christ's name. O comfort above all comfort! Christ thy comfort in the last hour, when otherwise no one can comfort thee. For such comfort be Thou, Lord Jesus, praised eternally!"

(Contributed by Pastor Fick.)

Petalesharro.

The Pawnee Loups had long had the cruel custom, unknown to the other American tribes, of bringing human sacrifices to the "Great Star," or the planet Venus. This dreadful practice preceded annually the preparations for corn planting, and was considered necessary in order to bring about a fruitful year.