is not placed in their own hands (for otherwise they
would lose it much more easily than was the case with Adam and Eve in
Paradise, yea, every hour and moment), but in the gracious election of
God which He has revealed to us in Christ, out of whose hand no man
shall pluck us, John 10, 28; 2 Tim. 2, 19." (1093, 89.)

In order to manifest its consolatory power predestination must be
presented in proper relation to the revealed order of salvation. We
read: "With this revealed will of God [His universal, gracious promises
in the Gospel] we should concern ourselves, follow and be diligently
engaged upon it, because through the Word, whereby He calls us, the Holy
Ghost bestows grace, power, and ability to this end [to begin and
complete our salvation], and should not [attempt to] sound the abyss of
God's hidden predestination, as it is written in Luke 13, 24, where one
asks: 'Lord, are there few that be saved?' and Christ answers: 'Strive
to enter in at the strait gate.' Accordingly, Luther says [in his
Preface to the Epistle to the Romans]: 'Follow the Epistle to the Romans
in its order, concern yourself first with Christ and His Gospel, that
you may recognize your sins and His grace; next that you contend with
sin, as Paul teaches from the first to the eighth chapter; then, when in
the eighth chapter you will come into [will have been exercised by]
temptation under the cross and afflictions,--this will teach you in the
ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters how consolatory predestination is,'
etc." (1073, 33.)

Predestination, properly taught, affords the glorious comfort that no
one shall pluck us out of the almighty hands of Christ. The _Formula_
says: "Thus this doctrine affords also the excellent glorious
consolation that God was so greatly concerned about the conversion,
righteousness, and salvation of every Christian, and so faithfully
purposed it [provided therefor] that before the foundation of the world
was laid, He deliberated concerning it, and in His [secret] purpose
ordained how He would bring me thereto [call and lead me to salvation],
and preserve me therein. Also, that He wished to secure my salvation so
well and certainly that, since through the weakness and wickedness of
our flesh it could easily be lost from our hands, or through craft and
might of the devil and the world be snatched and taken from us, He
ordained it in His eternal purpose, which cannot fail or be overthrown,
and placed it for preservation