ines whereby all the comfort
which they have in the holy Gospel and the use of the holy Sacraments is
taken from Christians." (837, 20f.)

Concerning the way of considering eternal election, the _Formula_
writes: "If we wish to think or speak correctly and profitably
concerning eternal election, or the predestination and ordination of the
children of God to eternal life, we should accustom ourselves not to
speculate concerning the bare, secret, concealed, inscrutable
foreknowledge of God, but how the counsel, purpose, and ordination of
God in Christ Jesus, who is the true Book of Life, is revealed to us
through the Word, namely, that the entire doctrine concerning the
purpose, counsel, will, and ordination of God pertaining to our
redemption, call, justification, and salvation should be taken together;
as Paul treats and has explained this article Rom. 8, 29f.; Eph. 1, 4f.,
as also Christ in the parable, Matt. 22, 1ff." (1067, 13.)

While according to the Lutheran Church election is the cause of faith
and salvation, there is no such a thing as an election of wrath or a
predestination to sin and damnation, of both of which God is not the
cause and author. According to the _Formula_ the vessels of mercy are
prepared by God alone, but the vessels of dishonor are prepared for
damnation, not by God, but by themselves. Moreover, God earnestly
desires that all men turn from their wicked ways and live. We read: "For
all preparation for condemnation is by the devil and man, through sin,
and in no respect by God, who does not wish that any man be damned; how,
then, should He Himself prepare any man for condemnation? For as God is
not a cause of sins, so, too, He is no cause of punishment, of
damnation; but the only cause of damnation is sin; for the wages of sin
is death. Rom. 6, 23. And as God does not will sin, and has no pleasure
in sin, so He does not wish the death of the sinner either, Ezek. 33,
11, nor has He pleasure in his condemnation. For He is not willing that
any one should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3,
9. So, too, it is written in Ezek. 18, 23; 33, 11: 'As I live, saith the
Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the
wicked turn from his way and live,' And St. Paul testifies in clear
words that from vessels of dishonor vessels of honor may be made by
God's power and working, when he writes 2 Tim. 2, 21: 'If a man,
therefore, purge himself from these, he shall be