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HOW PLAIN PEOPLE ARE TO BE TAUGHT TO
CONFESS

  • What is confession?
    Answer: Confession consists of two parts. One is that
    we confess our sins. The other is that we receive
    absolution or forgiveness from the confessor as from
    God Himself, by no means doubting but firmly believing
    that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in
    heaven.
  • What sins should we confess?
    Answer: Before God we should acknowledge that we
    are guilty of all manner of sins, even those of which
    we are not aware, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer.
    Before the confessor, however, we should confess only
    those sins of which we have knowledge and which
    trouble us.
  • What are such sins?
    Answer: Reflect on your condition in the light of
    the Ten Commandments: whether you are a father or
    mother, a son or daughter, a master or servant;
    whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, lazy,
    ill-tempered, or quarrelsome; whether you have harmed
    anyone by word or deed; and whether you have stolen,
    neglected, or wasted anything, or done other evil.
  • Please give me a brief form of confession.
    Answer: You should say to the confessor: “Dear
    Pastor, please hear my confession and declare that my
    sins are forgiven for God’s sake.”
    “Proceed.”
    “I, a poor sinner, confess before God that
    I am guilty of all sins. In particular I confess in
    your presence that, as a manservant or maidservant,
    etc., I am unfaithful to my master, for here and there
    I have not done what I was told. I have made my master
    angry, caused him to curse, neglected to do my duty,
    and caused him to suffer loss. I have also been
    immodest in word and deed. I have quarreled with my
    equals. I have grumbled and sworn at my mistress, etc.
    For all this I am sorry and pray for grace. I mean to
    do better.”
  • A master or mistress may say: “In
    particular I confess in your presence that I have not
    been faithful in training my children, servants, and
    wife to the glory of God. I have cursed. I have set a
    bad example by my immodest language and actions. I
    have injured my neighbor by speaking evil of
    him, overcharging him, giving him inferior goods and
    short measure.” Masters and mistresses should
    add whatever else they have done contrary to God’s
    commandments and to their action in life, etc.
  • If, however, anyone does not feel that his
    conscience is burdened by such or by greater sins, he
    should not worry, nor should he search for and invent
    other sins, for this would turn confession into
    torture; he should simply mention one
    or two sins of which he is aware. For example,
    “In particular I confess that I once cursed.
    On one occasion I also spoke indecently. And I
    neglected this or that,” etc. Let this
    suffice.
  • If you have knowledge of no sin at all (which is
    quite unlikely), you should mention none in
    particular, but receive forgiveness upon the general
    confession which you make to God in
    the presence of the confessor.
  • Then the confessor shall say: “God be
    merciful to you and strengthen your faith.
    Amen.”
  • Again he shall say: “Do you believe that
    this forgiveness is the forgiveness of God?”
    Answer: “Yes, I do.”
  • Then he shall say: “Be it done for you as
    you have believed. According to the
    command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you your
    sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
    the Holy Spirit. Amen. Go in
    peace.”
  • A confessor will know additional passages of the
    Scriptures with which to comfort and to strengthen the
    faith of those whose consciences are heavily burdened
    or who are distressed and sorely tried. This is
    intended simply as an ordinary form of confession for
    plain people.

From Depths of Woe I cry to Thee

From Depths of Woe (1.08 KB .mid audio)

  1. From depths of woe I cry to Thee,
    In trial and tribulation;
    Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
    Lord, hear my supplication.
    If Thou rememb'rest ev'ry sin,
    Who then could heaven ever win
    Or stand before Thy presence?
  2. Thy love and grace alone avail
    To blot out my transgression;
    The best and holiest deeds must fail
    To break sin's dread oppression.
    Before Thee none can boasting stand,
    But all must fear Thy strict demand
    And live alone by mercy.
  3. Therefore my hope is in the Lord
    And not in mine own merit;
    It rests upon His faithful Word
    To them of contrite spirit
    That He is merciful and just;
    This is my comfort and my trust.
    His help I wait with patience.
  4. And though it tarry through the night
    And till the morning waken,
    My heart shall never doubt His might
    Nor count itself forsaken.
    O Israel, trust in God your Lord.
    Born of the Spirit and the Word,
    Now wait for His appearing.
  5. Though great our sins, yet greater still
    Is God's abundant favor;
    His hand of mercy never will
    Abandon us, nor waver.
    Our shepherd good and true is He,
    Who will at last His Israel free
    From all their sin and sorrow.