m and
circumcised, sole possessors of the promise of a Messiah, and
consequently sure of participating in the kingdom of God and enjoying
his grace.

26. Now, as Paul teaches, if terrible judgment and awful punishment
came upon these illustrious and good people, let us not be proud and
presumptuous. We are far inferior to them and cannot hope, in these
last ages of the world, to know gifts and wonders as great and
glorious as they knew. Let us see ourselves mirrored in them and
profit by their example, being mindful that while we are privileged
to glory in Christ, in the forgiveness of sins and the grace of God,
we must be faithfully careful not to lose what we have received and
fall into the same condemnation and punishment before God which was
the fate of this people. For we have not yet completed our
pilgrimage; we have not arrived at the place toward which we journey.
We are still on the way and must constantly go forward in the
undertaking, in spite of dangers and hindrances that may assail. The
work of salvation is indeed begun in us, but as yet is incomplete. We
have come out of Egypt and have passed through the Red Sea; that is,
have been led out of the devil's dominion into the kingdom of God,
through Christian baptism. But we are not yet through the wilderness
and in the promised land. There is a possibility of our still
wandering from the way, into defeat, and missing salvation.

27. Nothing is lacking on God's part; he has given us his Word and
the Sacraments, has bestowed the Spirit, given grace and the
necessary gifts, and is willing to help us even further. It rests
with ourselves not to fall from grace, not to thrust it from us
through unbelief, ingratitude, disobedience and contempt of God's
Word. For salvation is not to him who only begins well, but, as
Christ says (Mt 24, 13), "He that endureth to the end, the same shall
be saved." But the apostle continues:

"Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come."

ISRAEL'S CAREER AN ADMONITION TO INDIVIDUALS.

28. When you read or hear this historical example, the terrible
punishment the Jewish people suffered in the wilderness, think not it
is an obsolete record and without present significance. The narrative
is certainly not written for the dead, but for us who live. It is
intended to restrain us, to be a permanent example to the whole
Church. For God's dea