PSALM SIXTY-NINE

For he who is pleased with himself cannot stand in the fear of God and be without presumption. But what is worse than being without fear? Therefore every concern must be to strive for the supreme displeasure with ourselves, even in our good things.

The church is a kind of intellectual world.
Therefore without ceasing you receive life, feeling, being, understanding, food and clothing in spiritual things, the service of the sun of righteousness, of heaven and earth and of all the blessings in the church.

For at every moment endless benefits are offered you by the Lord. And as you cannot give proper thanks for one morsel of bread, neither can you for one word of truth. But one who thinks these benefits to be of little value and does not magnify those sins of omission will never be truly humble and displeased with himself, nor will he be fit to evaluate mercy and goodness.

How many are there who think everything is the result of chance, not knowing or not believing that they receive these things from the Lord! And this is only because of omitting the giving of thanks.

For when it comes to loving God and your neighbor, and so forth, how often have you offended?

Weigh the grace of God, who preserves you from damnation with the same measure as you would measure the grace of Him who snatches you out of the midst of hell. –Martin Luther