sins,—­there it is not necessary.  In short, these are not the truths, that can be preached [Greek:  eukairos akairos], in season and out of season.  In declining life, or at any time in the hour of sincere humiliation, these truths may be applied in reference to past sins collectively; but a Christian must not, a true however infirm Christian will not, cannot, administer them to himself immediately after sinning; least of all immediately before.  We ought fervently to pray thus:—­“Most holy and most merciful God! by the grace of thy holy Spirit make these promises profitable to me, to preserve me from despairing of thy forgiveness through Christ my Saviour!  But O! save me from presumptuously perverting them into a pillow for a stupified conscience!  Give me grace so to contrast my sin with thy transcendant goodness and long-suffering love, as to hate it with an unfeigned hatred for its own exceeding sinfulness.”

Ib. p. 219-20.

Faith is, and consisteth in, a person’s understanding, but hope consisteth in the will. * * Faith inditeth, distinguisheth and teacheth, and it is the knowledge and acknowledgment. * * Faith fighteth against error and heresies, it proveth, censureth and judgeth the spirits and doctrines. * * Faith in divinity is the wisdom and providence, and belongeth to the doctrine. * * Faith is the ‘dialectica’, for it is altogether wit and wisdom.

Luther in his Postills discourseth far better and more genially of faith than in these paragraphs.  Unfortunately, the Germans have but one word for faith and belief—­’Glaube’, and what Luther here says, is spoken of belief.  Of faith he speaks in the next article but one.

Ib. p. 226.

  “That regeneration only maketh God’s children.

  “The article of our justification before God (said Luther) is, as it
  useth to be with a son which is born an heir of all his father’s
  goods, and cometh not thereunto by deserts.”

I will here record my experience.  Ever when I meet with the doctrine of regeneration and faith and free grace simply announced—­“So it is!”—­then I believe; my heart leaps forth to welcome it.  But as soon as an explanation nation or reason is added, such explanations, namely, and reasonings as I have any where met with, then my heart leaps back again, recoils, and I exclaim, Nay!  Nay! but not so.

25th of September, 1819.

Ib. p. 227.

“Doctor Carlestad (said Luther) argueth thus:  True it is that faith justifieth, but faith is a work of the first commandment; therefore it justifieth as a work.  Moreover all that the Law commandeth, the same is a work of the Law.  Now faith is commanded, therefore faith is a work of the Law.  Again, what God will have the same is commanded:  God will have faith, therefore faith is commanded.”

  “St. Paul (said Luther) speaketh in such sort of the law, that he
  separateth it from the promise, which is far another thing than the
  law.  The law is terrestrial, but the promise is celestial.