come. This blessing you
are yet to have, and biding its advent you here live by the gifts and
grace with which you were enriched, until you are finally redeemed
from the sinful, wicked life of the world and from all its
oppressions. You must know, and must thank God for it, that you need
not seek after any higher calling or better gifts, thinking you have
not all that is essential, as the factious spirits would have you
believe.

8. For in your own judgment, what better thing could you have than is
the Christian's in his Gospel and his faith? He has assurance of sins
forgiven and washed away in holy baptism, of justification and
holiness before God, and of the fact that he is God's child and heir
to eternal life. Furthermore, although the Christian is conscious of
remaining weakness and sin, yea, although he be overcome by a fault,
he may avail himself of absolution, comfort and strength through his
fellow Christians and by the aid of the sacraments; and he has daily
guidance for his conduct and faith in all the walks of life. Again,
he can call upon God in prayer in the day of trouble, and the firm
assurance is his that God will hear and help him. What further can
one desire, or what more does he need, than the knowledge that he is
God's child through baptism and has God's Word at hand for comfort
and strength in weakness and sin? Do you consider it slight
enrichment to have assurance of the fact that God himself is speaking
to you and, by means of the office of the ministry, is effective in
you, teaching, admonishing, comforting, sustaining you, yea, granting
you victory over the devil, death and all evil influences on earth?

9. Formerly what would we not gladly have given and done for but a
single Gospel truth in our distress and trials of conscience! True,
when one was discouraged or perplexed he was advised to seek and
follow the counsel of some intelligent and judicious mind; but such
judicious one who might assist with his counsel was nowhere to be
found. For a wise man's counsel does not answer in such case. The
Word of God alone suffices, and you are to rely on it as if God
himself revealed his counsel to you from heaven.

10. As Paul says, it is great riches, a precious treasure, to possess
in very fact the Word of God and not to doubt that it is the Word of
God. It is this that will answer; this can comfort your heart and
support it. Of spiritual benefits you know we had none under the
tyranny and darkn