ur age, the consciences of almost all have been led
astray by human doctrines into a false trust in their own
righteousness and their own works, and knowledge about faith and
trust in God has almost ceased. Therefore, for him who is about
to go to confession, it is before all things necessary that he
should not place his trust in his confession--either the
confession which he is about to make or the confession which he
has made--but that, with complete fulness of faith, he put his
trust only in the most gracious promise of God; to wit, he must
be altogether certain that He, Who has promised pardon to the man
who shall confess his sins, will most faithfully fulfil His
promise. For we are to glory, not because we confess, but because
He has promised pardon to those who do confess; that is, not
because of the worthiness or sufficiency of our confession (for
there is no such worthiness or sufficiency), but because of the
truth and certitude of His promise, as says the xxiv. Psalm: "For
Thy Name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity." [Ps. 25:35] It
does not say, "for my sake," or "for my worthiness' sake," or
"for my name's sake," but "for Thy Name's sake." So it is evident
that the work of confession is nothing else than an occasion by
which God is called to the fulfilment of His own promise, or by
which we are trained to believe that we shall without doubt
obtain the promise. It is just as if we were to say: "Not unto
us, O Lord, but unto Thy Name give glory, [Ps. 115:1] and
rejoice, not because we have blessed Thee, but because Thou hast
blessed us, as Thou sayest by Ezekiel." [Ezek. 20:44] Let this be
the manner of our confession, that he who glories may glory in
the Lord, and may not commend himself, but may glorify the grace
of God; and it shall come to pass that "confession and majesty
shall be the work of God." [1] Psalm cxi [Ps. 111:3].

SECOND

[Sidenote: God's Promises]

But God, for the glory of His grace and mercy, has promised
pardon. And this can be proved from Scripture. First from Psalm
xxxii, "I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." [Ps. 32:5] Then from
II. Samuel xii, from which this Psalm is taken. David first
said, "I have sinned against the Lord," and Nathan straightway
said, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."
[2 Sam. 12:13] Again, from Jeremiah xviii, "If that nation turn
away from their evil, I will repent of the