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CHRISTIAN READER,

Today's Christendom is such a miserable and wretched thing that one has reason to weep bloody tears over it and to call upon God for mercy. Many live without God, regarding Hell as much as Heaven, and both as much as nothing. Many serve wood, lime, and stone A reference to empty rituals or the physical structures of churches rather than spiritual truth., relying on their religion, church-going, hearing God's Word, going to preparation, approaching Jesus’ Holy Meal the Eucharist, and such things. Some are like a green reed, which is green on the outside but possesses no internal strength. I mean hypocrites, who indeed have the appearance of godliness but deny its power. They are Mouth-Christians, who carry Jesus only in their mouths and not in their hearts. They speak much of Him but do not live in Him. Others are Forced-Christians, who always have Moses teaching them with his Law and causing fear with his thundering punishments. Beyond this, they proceed as quickly as a stream with full sails into sin and destruction, and it would be more possible to press water from stone than to see any good work from them. Many are true Sugar-Christians A term for those who only want the "sweet" rewards of faith without the sacrifice or discipline., wanting always to be prayed over

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and to have their laps full, otherwise they feel neither desire nor fiery zeal for what is good. The upright, pure, and unfeigned power of Christianity consists in faith, yet not in so far as it is only a chatter, dead knowledge, and a historical faith. Rather, it is found in such a way that it experiences and feels the mysteries of God according to the inward man, and is practiced through good works according to the outward man. Therefore, D. Luther Doctor Martin Luther, the reformer says: All Christian teaching, work, and life is very clear and concise, contained in abundant measure in these two parts: faith and love. Through these, man is placed between God and his Neighbor as if in the middle, to give out here below what is received from above. He is like a lead pipe or similar manufactured instrument, becoming something through which the Fountain of Divine goodness must flow without stopping into other people. See, such are then upright men who are conformed to God, who receive from God everything He has in Christ, and also in return, as if they were the Gods of other people, show their benefits to others.

In this regard, the singer of Israel says through the mouth of Asaph: "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." original: "Psalm 82: 6" So far says that great Master of Morals, Luther. We are children of God through faith, which makes us heirs of all Divine goods. But we are gods through love, which makes us benevolent toward our neighbors. For such a Divine nature is nothing other than pure benevolence, which daily pours out its goods into all creatures in full measure, as we see and experience. But such a life and Christian