ree are gathered together
as with thousands. Neither the Gospel nor the ministers nor the
Church is to be blamed that the multitude miss this treasure; the
multitude have but themselves to blame, for they close their ears and
eyes.

29. Now behold how loftily Paul has extolled and how beautifully
portrayed the Christian Church--where she is to be found on earth and
what inestimable blessings and gifts she has received of Christ, for
which she is in duty bound to thank and praise him in her confession
and in her life. This subject the apostle concludes with the words:

"God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of
his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

30. The good work which Christ has begun in you and already assured
to you, he will without fail establish in you until the end and for
ever, if you but do not fall away through unbelief, or cast grace
from you. For his Word or promise given to you, and his work begun in
you, are not changeable as is man's word and work, but are firm,
certain, divine, immovable truth. Since you are in possession of this
your divine calling, draw comfort therefrom and rely on it without
wavering. Amen.

_Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity_

Text: Ephesians 4, 22-28.

22 That ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the
old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; 23 and that
ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man,
that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of
truth. 25 Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one
with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry,
and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 neither give
place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather
let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he
may have whereof to give to him that hath need.

DUTY TO NEW AND OLD MAN.

1. Here again is an admonition for Christians to follow up their
faith by good works and a new life, for though they have forgiveness
of sins through baptism, the old Adam still adheres to their flesh
and makes himself felt in tendencies and desires to vices physical
and mental. The result is that unless Christians offer resistance,
they will lose their faith and the remission of sins and will in the
end be worse than they were at first; for they will begin to despise
and persecute the Word of God when corrected by i