Page:Works of Martin Luther, with introductions and notes, Volume 1.djvu/96

 82 because Thou hast blessed us, as Thou sayest by Ezekiel." Let this be the manner of our confession, that he who glories may glory in the Lord, and may not commend himself, but may glorify the grace of God; and it shall come to pass that "confession and majesty shall be the work of God." Psalm cxi.

But God, for the glory of His grace and mercy, has promised pardon. And this can be proved from Scripture. First from Psalm xxxii, "I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Then from II. Samuel xii, from which this Psalm is taken. David first said, "I have sinned against the Lord," and Nathan straightway [sic] said, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." Again, from Jeremiah xviii, "If that nation turn away from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do." Once more from I. John i, "If we confess our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The true definition of the righteous man is found in Proverbs xviii, "The righteous man is his own first accuser," that is to say, he is righteous because he accuses himself. The verse goes on to say, "His neighbor (i. e., Christ) cometh and searcheth him," that is, He seeketh him, and suffereth him not to perish; He will even find him and bring him back from the depths of hell. Hence Joshua vii. also calls the confessing of sin the glorifying of God, saying to Achan, "My son, give glory to God, and confess, and tell me what thou hast done." St. Jerome comments on this passage, "Confession of sin is praise of God." No wonder! For he who confesses his own sins speaks truth; but God is truth; therefore he