No. 68.

FATHER, Spirit, Son,

Holy Three in One!

God of grace and great salvation

Thine be praise and adoration,

As the ages run,

FATHER Almighty, to Thee be addressed, With Christ and the Spirit, one God ever blest, All glory and worship from earth and from heaven; As was, and is now, and shall ever be given.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER'S

SMALL

CATECHISM.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS,

As the Head of the Family should teach them in all Simplicity to his Household.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie or deceive by His name; but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not despise preaching and His Word; but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not despise our parents and masters, nor provoke them to anger; but give them honor, serve and obey them, and hold them in love and esteem. THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not kill.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body; but help and befriend him in every bodily need.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

We should fear and love God, that we may lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed, and each love and honor his spouse.

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not steal.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not take our neighbor's money or goods, nor get them by false ware or dealing; but help him to improve and protect his property and business.

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, nor defame our neighbor; but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house.

What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, nor obtain it by a show of right; but help and be of service to him in keeping it.

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. What does this mean? Answer:

We should fear and love God, that we may not estrange, force or entice away from our neighbor his wife, servants, or cattle; but urge them to stay and do their duty.

What does God say of all these commandments? Answer:

He says thus: I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

What does this mean? Answer:

God threatens to punish all that trangress these commandments. Therefore we should fear His wrath, and not act contrary to them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also love and trust in Him, and willingly do according to His commandments.

THE CREED,

As the Head of the Family should teach it in all Simplicity to his Household.

THE FIRST ARTICLE.

OF CREATION.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean? Answer:

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them; also clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He richly and daily provides m with all that I need to support this body and life; that He defends me a rainst all danger, and guards and protects me from all evil; and all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which it is my duty to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

THE SECOND ARTICLE.

OF REDEMPTION.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

What does this mean? Answer;

I believe, that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives, and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

THE THIRD ARTICLE.

OF SANCTIFICATION.

I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body: and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean? Answer:

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has

called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on carth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith in which Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all sins to me and all believers, and will at the last day raise up me and all the dead, and give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.

THE LORD'S PRAYER,

As the Head of the Family thould teach it in all Simplicity to his Household.

Our Father who art in heaven,

What does this mean? Answer:

God would by these words tenderly invite us to believe that He is our true Father. and that we are His true children, so that we may with all boldness and confidence ask Him, as dear children ask their dear father.

THE FIRST PETITION.

Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean? Answer:

God's name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that it may be holy among us also.

How is this done? Answer:

When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we as the children of God also lead a holy life according to it. This grant us, dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God's Word teaches, profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, Heavenly Father.

THE SECOND PETITION.

Thy kingdom come.

What does this mean? Answer:

The kingdom of God comes indeed without our prayer, of itself; but we pray in this petition that it may come unto us also.

How is this done? Answer:

When our Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life, here in time, and hereafter in eternity.

THE THIRD PETITION.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven