money　and　possessions；　and　with　everything　we　have；　especially　those
  who　even　fight　against　the　Word　of　God。　Yet　Christians　have　this
  advantage；　that　they　acknowledge　themselves　in　duty　bound　to　serve　God
  for　all　these　things；　and　to　be　obedient　to　Him　＇which　the　world　knows
  not　how　to　do＇。
  We　ought；　therefore；　daily　to　practice　this　article；　impress　it　upon
  our　mind；　and　to　remember　it　in　all　that　meets　our　eyes；　and　in　all
  good　that　falls　to　our　lot；　and　wherever　we　escape　from　calamity　or
  danger；　that　it　is　God　who　gives　and　does　all　these　things；　that
  therein　we　sense　and　see　His　paternal　heart　and　His　transcendent　love
  toward　us。　Thereby　the　heart　would　be　warmed　and　kindled　to　be
  thankful；　and　to　employ　all　such　good　things　to　the　honor　and　praise　of
  God。
  Thus　we　have　most　briefly　presented　the　meaning　of　this　article；　as
  much　as　is　at　first　necessary　for　the　most　simple　to　learn；　both　as　to
  what　we　have　and　receive　from　God；　and　what　we　owe　in　return；　which　is
  a　most　excellent　knowledge；　but　a　far　greater　treasure。　For　here　we　see
  how　the　Father　has　given　Himself　to　us；　together　with　all　creatures；
  and　has　most　richly　provided　for　us　in　this　life；　besides　that　He　has
  overwhelmed　us　with　unspeakable；　eternal　treasures　by　His　Son　and　the
  Holy　Ghost；　as　we　shall　hear。
  Article　II。
  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　on　the
  right　hand　of　God　the　Father　Almighty；　from　thence　He　shall　come　to
  judge　the　quick　and　the　dead。
  Here　we　learn　to　know　the　Second　Person　of　the　Godhead；　so　that　we　see
  what　we　have　from　God　over　and　above　the　temporal　goods
  aforementioned；　namely；　how　He　has　completely　poured　forth　Himself　and
  withheld　nothing　from　us　that　He　has　not　given　us。　Now；　this　article　is
  very　rich　and　broad；　but　in　order　to　expound　it　also　briefly　and　in　a
  childlike　way；　we　shall　take　up　one　word　and　sum　up　in　that　the　entire
  article；　namely　（as　we　have　said）；　that　we　may　here　learn　how　we　have
  been　redeemed；　and　we　shall　base　this　on　these　words：　In　Jesus　Christ；
  our　Lord。
  If　now　you　are　asked；　What　do　you　believe　in　the　Second　Article　of
  Jesus　Christ？　answer　briefly：　I　believe　that　Jesus　Christ；　true　Son　of
  God；　has　become　my　Lord。　But　what　is　it　to　become　Lord？　It　is　this；
  that　He　has　redeemed　me　from　sin；　from　the　devil；　from　death；　and　all
  evil。　For　before　I　had　no　Lord　nor　King；　but　was　captive　under　the
  power　of　the　devil；　condemned　to　death；　enmeshed　in　sin　and　blindness。
  For　when　we　had　been　created　by　God　the　Father；　and　had　received　from
  Him　all　manner　of　good；　the　devil　came　and　led　us　into　disobedience；
  sin；　death；　and　all　evil；　so　that　we　fell　under　His　wrath　and
  displeasure　and　were　doomed　to　eternal　damnation；　as　we　had　merited　and
  deserved。　There　was　no　counsel；　help；　or　comfort　until　this　only　and
  eternal　Son　of　God　in　His　unfathomable　goodness　had　compassion　upon　our
  misery　and　wretchedness；　and　came　from　heaven　to　help　us。　Those　tyrants
  and　jailers；　then；　are　all　expelled　now；　and　in　their　place　has　come
  Jesus　Christ；　Lord　of　life；　righteousness；　every　blessing；　and
  salvation；　and　has　delivered　us　poor　lost　men　from　the　jaws　of　hell；
  has　won　us；　made　us　free；　and　brought　us　again　into　the　favor　and　grace
  of　the　Father；　and　has　taken　us　as　His　own　property　under　His　shelter
  and　protection；　that　He　may　govern　us　by　His　righteousness；　wisdom；
  power；　life；　and　blessedness。
  Let　this　then；　be　the　sum　of　this　article　that　the　little　word　Lord
  signifies　simply　as　much　as　Redeemer；　i。e。；　He　who　has　brought　us　from
  Satan　to　God；　from　death　to　life；　from　sin　to　righteousness；　and　who
  preserves　us　in　the　same。　But　all　the　points　which　follow　in　order　in
  this　article　serve　no　other　end　than　to　explain　and　express　this
  redemption；　how　and　whereby　it　was　accomplished；　that　is；　how　much　it
  cost　Him；　and　what　He　spent　and　risked　that　He　might　win　us　and　bring
  us　under　His　dominion；　namely；　that　He　became　man；　conceived　and　born
  without　＇any　stain　of＇　sin；　of　the　Holy　Ghost　and　of　the　Virgin　Mary；
  that　He　might　overcome　sin；　moreover；　that　He　suffered；　died　and　was
  buried；　that　He　might　make　satisfaction　for　me　and　pay　what　I　owe；　not
  with　silver　nor　gold；　but　with　His　own　precious　blood。　And　all　this；　in
  order　to　become　my　Lord；　for　He　did　none　of　these　for　Himself；　nor　had
  He　any　need　of　it。　And　after　that　He　rose　again　from　the　dead；
  swallowed　up　and　devoured　death；　and　finally　ascended　into　heaven　and
  assumed　the　government　at　the　Father's　right　hand；　so　that　the　devil
  and　all　powers　must　be　subject　to　Him　and　lie　at　His　feet；　until
  finally；　at　the　last　day；　He　will　completely　part　and　separate　us　from
  the　wicked　world；　the　devil；　death；　sin；　etc。
  But　to　explain　all　these　single　points　separately　belongs　not　to　brief
  sermons　for　children；　but　rather　to　the　ampler　sermons　that　extend
  throughout　the　entire　year；　especially　at　those　times　which　are
  appointed　for　the　purpose　of　treating　at　length　of　each　article　　of
  the　birth；　sufferings；　resurrection；　ascension　of　Christ；　etc。
  Ay；　the　entire　Gospel　which　we　preach　is　based　on　this；　that　we
  properly　understand　this　article　as　that　upon　which　our　salvation　and
  all　our　happiness　rest；　and　which　is　so　rich　and　comprehensive　that　we
  never　can　learn　it　fully。
  Article　III。
  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。
  This　article　（as　I　have　said）　I　cannot　relate　better　than　to
  Sanctification；　that　through　the　same　the　Holy　Ghost；　with　His　office；
  is　declared　and　depicted；　namely；　that　He　makes　holy。　Therefore　we　must
  take　our　stand　upon　the　word　Holy　Ghost；　because　it　is　so　precise　and
  comprehensive　that　we　cannot　find　another。　For　there　are；　besides；　many
  kinds　of　spirits　mentioned　in　the　Holy　Scriptures；　as；　the　spirit　of
  man；　heavenly　spirits；　and　evil　spirits。　But　the　Spirit　of　God　alone　is
  called　Holy　Ghost；　that　is；　He　who　has　sanctified　and　still　sanctifies
  us。　For　as　the　Father　is　called　Creator；　the　Son　Redeemer；　so　the　Holy
  Ghost；　from　His　work；　must　be　called　Sanctifier；　or　One　that　makes
  holy。　But　how　is　such　sanctifying　done？　Answer：　Just　as　the　Son　obtains
  dominion；　whereby　He　wins　us；　through　His　birth；　death；　resurrection；
  etc。；　so　also　the　Holy　Ghost　effects　our　sanctification　by　the
  following　parts；　namely；　by　the　communion　of　saints　or　the　Christian
  Church；　the　forgiveness　of　sins；　the　resurrection　of　the　body；　and　the
  life　everlasting；　that　is；　He　first　leads　us　into　His　holy
  congregation；　and　places　us　in　the　bosom　of　the　Church；　whereby　He
  preaches　to　us　and　brings　us　to　Christ。
  For　neither　you　nor　I　could　ever　know　anything　of　Christ；　or　believe　on
  Him；　and　obtain　Him　for　our　Lord；　unless　it　were　offered　to　us　and
  granted　to　our　hearts　by　the　Holy　Ghost　through　the　preaching　of　the
  Gospel。　The　work　is　done　and　accomplished；　for　Christ　has　acquired　and
  gained　the　treasure　for　us　by　His　suffering；　death；　resurrection；　etc。
  But　if　the　work　remained　concealed　so　that　no　one　knew　of　it；　then　it
  would　be　in　vain　and　lost。　That　this　treasure；　therefore；　might　not　lie
  buried；　but　be　appropriated　and　enjoyed；　God　has　caused　the　Word　to　go
  forth　and　be　proclaimed；　in　which　He　gives　the　Holy　Ghost　to　bring　this
  treasure　home　and　appropriate　it　to　us。　Therefore　sanctifying　is
  nothing　else　than　bringing　us　to　Christ　to　receive　this　good；　to　which
  we　could　not　attain　of　ourselves。
  Learn；　then；　to　understand　this　article　most　clearly。　If　you　are
  asked：　What　do　you　mean　by　the　words：　I　believe　in　the　Holy　Ghost？　you
  can　answer：　I　believe　that　the　Holy　Ghost　makes　me　holy；　as　His　name
  implies。　But　whereby　does　He　accomplish　this；　or　what　are　His　method
  and　means　to　this　end？　Answer：　By　the　Christian　Church；　the　forgiveness
  of　sins；　the　resurrection　of　the　body；　and　the　life　everlasting。　For；
  in　the　first　place；　He　has　a　peculiar　congregation　in　the　world；　which
  is　the　mother　that　begets　and　bears　every　Christian　through　the　Word　of
  God；　which　He　reveals　and　preaches；　＇and　through　which＇　He　illumines
  and　enkindles　hearts；　that　they　understand；　accept　it；　cling　to　it；　and
  persevere　in　it。
  For　where　He　does　not　cause　it　to　be　preached　and　made　alive　in　the
  heart；　so　that　it　is　understood；　it　is　lost；　as　was　the　case　under　the
  Papacy；　where　faith　was　entirely　put　under　the　bench；　and　no　one
  recognized　Christ　as　his　Lord　or　the　Holy　Ghost　as　his　Sanctifier；　that
  is；　no　one　believed　that　Christ　is　our　Lord　in　the　sense　that　He　has
  acquired　this　treasure　for　us；　without　our　works　and　merit；　and　made　us
  acceptable　to　the　Father。　What；　then；　was　lacking？　This；　that　the　Holy
  Ghost　was　not　there　to　reveal　it　and　cause　it　to　be　preached；　but　men
  and　evil　spirits　were　there；　who　taught　us　to　obtain　grace　and　be　saved
  by　our　works。　Therefore　it　is　not　a　Christian　Church　either；　for　where
  Christ　is　not　preached；　there　is　no　Holy　Ghost　who　creates；　calls；　and
  gat