ason, it is proper, nay, necessary, that His justice also be
incomprehensible, even as Paul also exclaims, Rom. 11, 33, saying: 'O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!' Now,
they would not be incomprehensible if we were able, in everything He
does, to comprehend why they are just. What is man compared with God?
How much is our power capable of as compared with His? What is our
strength compared with His powers? What is our knowledge compared with
His wisdom? What is our substance compared with His substance? In short,
what is everything that is ours as compared with everything that is
His?" (E. 363; St. L. 1962.)

Christians embrace the opportunity offered by the mysterious ways of God
to exercise their faith. Luther: "This is the highest degree of faith,
to believe that He is merciful, who saves so few and condemns so many,
to believe Him just, who by His will [creating us out of sinful seed]
necessarily makes us damnable, thus, according to Erasmus, seeming to be
delighted with the torments of the wretched, and worthy of hatred rather
than of love. If, then, I could in any way comprehend how this God is
merciful and just who shows such great wrath and [seeming] injustice,
there would be no need of faith. But now, since this cannot be
comprehended there is to be an opportunity for the exercise of faith
when these things are preached and published, even as when God kills,
our faith in life is exercised in death." (E. 154; St. L. 1716.)

245. Seeming Contradictions Solved in Light of Glory.

Christians are fully satisfied that hereafter they will see and
understand what they here believed, _viz_., that in His dealings with
men God truly is and always was absolutely just. Luther: "If you are
pleased with God for crowning the unworthy, you ought not to be
displeased with Him for condemning the undeserving [who were not worse
or more guilty than those who are crowned]. If He is just in the former
case, why not in the latter? In the former case He scatters favor and
mercy upon the unworthy, in the latter He scatters wrath and severity
upon the undeserving [who are guilty in no higher degree than those who
are saved]. In both cases He is excessive and unrighteous before [in the
judgment of] men but just and true in His own mind. For how it is just
that He crowns the unworthy is incomprehensible to us now; _but we shall
understand