vvordes and iudgement I make no small account of but aftervvard entring into deeper consideration of the matter and vveying on the one side the great ignorance of many euen in matters of saluation togither vvith the dayly dishonouring of God by vngodly life and on the other side the diuine doctrine and most vvholsom exhortations vvhich these Sermons conteine I vvas more forcibly stirred vp thereunto and thought that the painefull perusing of them and frutefull follovving of that vvhereof they entreat vvould be a souereigne salue to help to cure such daungerous diseases For by them may they learne to knovv one onely true God and vvhom he hath sent Iesus Christ and the infinit riches vvhich are comprised in him and offered vnto vs through him of God his Father that he humbled him selfe to exalt vs that he became a seruaunt to set vs at libertie that he vvas empouerished to make vs rich that he dyed for our sinnes rose again for our iustification that through his meanes mercie hath svvallovved vp miserie and bounty hath ouercome all euill finally that vvithout him there is no ioy nor consolation no peace nor quietnes no felicitie nor saluation but that he is the onely meanes by vvhich all good thinges are attained so that they vvhich enioy him receiue not one gift alone as vvith Salomon vvisedom vvith Samson strength vvith Iob patience vvith Paule zeale c but for pouertie they receiue riches for vveakenes strength for folly vvisedom for seruitude freedom for griefe ioy for sinne righteousnes for death life yea all good thinges vvhatsoeuer VVherefore if the faithfull man be pressed vvith pouertie he may here learne that by Christ he is adopted to be the Sonne of God and so may be comforted saying to him selfe Hovv can he be poore vvhich hath God to his Father vvho both is able to giue all thinges necessary for his is the earth and all that therein is and also vvill giue the same because he is most louing and gracious to his children Againe if he feele in him selfe vveaknes he may learne here that he is not able of him selfe to attaine vnto strength but that it is the gift of Christ vvho strengtheneth such as beleeue in him so may be stirred vp by harty prayer to aske the same of him that he vvill vouchsafe by his holy spirit to strengthen and confirme him that he may be able to performe that by grace vvhich by nature and of him selfe he shall neuer be able to doe as mightely to subdue the rebellious flesh strongly to resist and at the last valiauntly to ouercome the tentations of Satan patiently to beare the troubles of the vvorld and constantly to contemne the allurements of the same Moreouer if he thirst after diuine and heauenly vvisedom vvhich is to knovv God aright and those thinges that are necessary to be knovvne to the attaining of saluation he may finde here largely and liuely set forth that Christ came his Fathers Embassadour and Messenger to men that by him they might be brought to the right knovvledge of God and into all truth so that by him vve are enlightened vvith the knovvledge of God by him vve are instructed in all truth and consequently by him vve obtaine diuine and heauenly vvisedom Here also shall he learne that Christ vvas made vnder the lavve that he might redeeme them vvhich vvere in bondage vnder the lavve of seruile bondmen make them free sonnes euen the children of God Furthermore if griefe and heauines come vpon him he is here taught vvhere true ioy may be had euen in Christ Iesus alone that in him onely he may fynde sure comfort souereigne medicines present remedie true ioy of heart and quietnes of conscience Finally vvhereas vve are synnefull and haue by our synnes iustly deserued Gods eternall vvrath and most heauie vengeance he shall here learne that Christ hath payed the ransome for our synnes and pacified Gods most grieuous vvrath and displeasure iustly conceiued against vs. And because it is not sufficient that due satisfaction be made for synnes and Gods vvrath appeased but vve must also appeare righteous before God it is here shevved that as by one mans disobedience many vvere made synners so by the obedience of one namely of Iesus Christ as many as beleeue in him shal be made righteous inasmuch as his righteousnes is imputed to them as their ovvne vvhereby they appeare perfectly righteous before God and are accepted of him so that vvhereas they had of themselues deserued eternall death they are through Christ accounted vvorthie of euerlasting life But vvhat doe I goe about to rehearse the infinite treasures vvhich the faithfull enioy through Christ it shall be sufficient to conclude vvith the Apostle Paule and say If God spared not his ovvne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death hovv shall he not vvith him giue vs all thinges also Novv forasmuch as these thinges and the right meanes to attaine vnto them are in these Sermons of that most learned Diuine Martin Luther most learnedly yea euen diuinely set forth they may vndoutedly be a singular meane not onely to instruct them vvhich be ignorant in matters of saluation but also to increase and confirme the knovvledge of such as haue already vvell profited in Christian religion Hovvbeit there is annexed hereunto sound and absolute doctrine concerning good vvorkes and godly conuersation as being most necessary to be of all Christiās perfectly knovvne and effectually follovved For Christians through Christ being become the Sonnes of God hovv vnmeete yea hovv abhominable a thinge is it that they should resemble Satan in their doinges being novv made the members of Christ hovv detestable a thing is it that they should be instruments of iniquitie being novv the temple of the holy Ghost hovv beastly a thinge vvere it to defyle the same vvith the filthines of synne Finally hauing receiued so many and so great benefites of God through Christ hovv vvicked and shamefull a thinge should it be to be vnthankefull to so gracious a God to be disobedient to so louing a Father in any vvise to displease so mercifull a Sauiour But it shal be needelesse much to stand vpon this point seeing it is not vnknovvne to the faithfull vvith hovv great endeuour they ought to auoyde that vvhich is euill and embrace that vvhich is good and therefore shall syncere perfect doctrine concerning good vvorkes be vnto them no lesse commodious and profitable then needefull and necessarie For the causes aboue specified especially among other I haue right VVorshipfull though not finely yet faithfully translated these Sermons into our vulgar tounge and haue done myne endeuour for the publishing of the same vvhich I doe humbly dedicate to your VVorships protection by your zealous godlines and godly zeale chiefly moued thereunto vvhereby I am induced to thinke that you vvill vvell accept of them For as the godly do vvith Dauid delight in the Arke of the Couenant in the Tabernacle of the Lord in
thee whatsoeuer he is able do thou likewise to thy neighbour Wilt thou worke workes deriue them to thy neighbour who is compassed with troubles miseries Thou must doe nothing for this cause that Christ hath neede thereof whereby thou maist enrich him for neither was he bountiful to this ende that he might any thing profit his father thereby or that he might receiue any commoditie of him but he did it onely for this cause that therein the father might be well pleased inasmuch as he submitteth him selfe wholy to his fathers will and loueth vs with so great affection After the same sort we also must doe in our works toward our neighbour which we ought therefore onely to doe that we may giue thanks to the father that he sheweth his fauour vnto vs for that he hath giuen his beloued sonne vnto me to bestow vpon me whatsoeuer he hath When I beleue this vndoutedly I burst forth and say If God sheweth vnto me so great benefits and fauour in his beloued sonne that he suffereth him to bestow all things vpon me I also will doe the like againe and bestow all thinges whereby I may doe good to my neighbour and loue him And so I doe not lift vp myne eyes vnto heauen but I go thether where my neighbour is oppressed with aduersitie pouertie sicknes sinne or errour and I helpe him wherein soeuer I am able Thus doe thou whosoeuer thou art which mindest to do true good works as thou wouldest haue done to thy selfe if thou were troubled with pouertie so doe thou to thy neighbour being poore Againe if thy neighbour be a sinner and thou seest it but thou thy self art without sinne and hast a holy natiuitie goe preach vnto him whereby he also may be deliuered But thou must doe all these things freely in euery respect as Christ hath done for thee without all workes and merits of pure grace loue and mercy Such workes see thou doe if thou wilt doe good and Christian workes in deede God hath no neede of them neuertheles thou must doe them in respect of him inasmuch as it so pleaseth him and he will haue it to be so This onely is rightly to doe good workes which those hypocrites do not which will merit heauen by their chastity pouertie obedience Vnto whom I pray you are such works of theirs good I my selfe neede them not neither doe they profit my neighbour wherefore it is mere deceit whereas a name is giuen to workes as though they did merit heauen when as they are nothing worth neither profitable to others Laye vppe these thinges in your hartes and do also according to them In all this text being discussed from the beginning to the ending ye haue these two thinges namely faith and loue If ye shall keepe these then both the holy natiuitie of Christ shall be a helpe commoditie and comfort vnto you and also ye shall be spiritually the children of his mother as Christ Iesus is her childe carnally An exposition of the song of the Angells Glory be to God on high c. Glory be to God on high and in earth peace good will towards men Forasmuch as this song is very common and there be fewe that rightly vnderstande it when as notwithstanding it contayneth many thinges in it I thinke good to handle it somewhat at large The Angells in this hymne apply three things to three glory to God peace to the earth and good will vnto men The first is the honour or glory of God Glory due to God alone with which we must beginne that in all thinges prayse and glory may be asscribed to God as to him which doeth giueth and hath all thinges so that none may chalenge any good thing at all vnto him selfe neither ought to count it his owne Glory is so due to God onely that no part therof may be deriued to any other Adam being perswaded of Satan went about to take this glory to him selfe whereby all men fell into the displeasure of God haue that vice so throughly fixed in their mind that no other thing can be so hardly pluckt away from them Euery man pleaseth him selfe no man can abide to seeme that he is nothing or is able to doe nothing whereof come almost all euills so many contentions warres and innumerable other discommodities This glory Christ gaue to God his father teaching that all our thinges are nothing before God but sinnes which deserue his wrath and indignation and nothing lesse then glory Wherfore there is no cause that we should euen neuer so litle please our selues or glory in them but rather that we should be ashamed and feare being set in so great perill and confusion that so all our glory and pleasing of our selues may passe away and come to nothing and we may reioyce being destitute of our owne glorie that we may be found saued in Christ alone The second is peace in earth For Where true peace is and where it is not as where the glory of God is not and where euery one seeketh his owne glory there can not be peace according as Salomon sayth Prouerb 13. Among the proude there is euer strife so contrariwise where the glory of God is knowne there true peace also must needes be For why should they contend why should they disagree which doe know euery one of them that they haue no good thing of their owne but that all thinges which are which they haue and which they are able to doe come from God to whose power also they commit all thinges they in the meane season being very wel content that they haue God fauorable vnto them Howe also can it be that when one counteth nothing of him selfe and the thinges that be his he should be so carefull of him selfe and his thinges that he should moue contention with any because of them Such beleeue that Christ onely is made all thinges vnto them him they thinke on and for him alone they contend Hereupon it certainly followeth that there can be no contention or discord at al among true Christians The peace of Christians described by Esai Esai 11.9 which maner of peace of Christians Esay declareth sayth No man shall doe euill vnto an other no man shall destroy an other in my holy hill that is in the Church of Christ The cause hereof he addeth next after The earth is full of the knowledge of God that is for all know God as to whom all good thinges doe belong and all their owne things they confesse to be nothing but sinnes they may easily therefore haue peace among them selues Esai 2.4 Wherefore the same Esay sayth in an other place They shall breake their swordes into mattocks their speares to make sythes and one shall not lift vp a weapon against an other neither shall they learne ro fight from thence forth Hereupon Christ is called the king of peace or the prince of peace of whom Salomon was a figure who
heale vs. Now if thou be weake and oppressed with faintnes feeling great affliction hereby thou hast gotten a greater occasion to goe vnto him to say on this maner Most sweete Christ I therefore come vnto thee because I am a sinner that thou maist helpe and iustifie me yea very necessitie doth compell thee hereunto For the greater thy disease is so much more needfull is it for thee to be healed And Christ him selfe requireth the same of vs and doth allure vs to come vnto him boldly and cherefully But others which are not such shepeheards do thinke that they shall make men righteous if they exact much of them and vrge them much whereby they onely make that which is euill worse as we see it to be done at this day whereas it is come to that disorder that all thinges are most miserably brought out of course as in this place the Prophet sayth The broken haue ye not bound togither To be broken is as when ones legge is broken or a wound some where else giuen him That is when as a Christian is not onely weake and diseased that he stumbleth sometime but also runneth into so great tentations that he breaketh some part They which fall so grieuously that they euen deny the Gospel must not be vtterly despeired of and so is brought to that passe that he falleth and denieth the Gospell after the maner of Peter who did forsweare Christ Now if any should so stumble that he should be compelled to goe backe be vtterly cast downe in minde neuertheles we must not as yet cast him of as though he did neuer any more pertaine to the kingdom of Christ for we must leaue Christes propertie to him self that his kingdom may remayne vnto him selfe meere grace and mercy whose desire is to helpe them onely which are grieued with their calamitie and miserie and doe greatly desire to be deliuered from it That his kingdom may altogither abound with comfort and he him selfe be the comfortable and gentle shepeheard which prouoketh and allureth euery one to come vnto him And all this is done by the Gospell whereby the weake are to be strengthned the sicke to be healed For it is such a word as is fit for all distres of consciences giuing aboundant comfort to all that none dispeire although he be a great sinner Christ therfore alone is that good shepeheard which healeth all sortes of diseases and helpeth them that are fallen which he that doth not is not a shepeheard The Prophet thus goeth forward That which was driuen away ye haue not brought againe What is that that is driuen away The despised soule which is so scorned and contemned that it is thought to be done in vaine whatsoeuer Christian doctrine is bestowed vpon it Notwithstanding Christ doth not yet suffer that it should be dealt roughly with His kingdom is not compassed with so straight boundes that onely the stronge whole and perfect doe florish therein for this pertaineth to the heauenly life to come now in this his kingdom onely grace and sweetnes must abound As God promised to the children of Israell Exod. 3. that that appointed land of Canaan should flow only with milk hony euen as Paule 1. Cor. 12. affirmeth that vpon those members of the body which we thinke more vnhonest we put more honestie on He concludeth The lost haue ye not sought That is lost which seemeth to be condemned They which seeme euen past hope must not be quite cast of of the returne whereof there is scarce any hope Of which sort in the Gospell were Publicanes harlots and at this day they who haue not so much as a sparke of godlines but are vntractable and vnruly Neither are they notwithstanding to be left but all meanes are to be assayed that at the last they may be reclaimed and brought againe into the right way Which S. Paule eftsoones did as when he deliuered two of this sort vnto Satan 1. Tim. 1. I haue deliuered them vnto Satan that they might learne not to blaspheme And 1. Cor. 5. I haue determined sayth he to deliuer them to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lorde Iesus Them he cast of as condemned and yet notwithstanding did not despeire of them Christ therefore is so to be preached that he reiecteth no mā although he be weake but that he willingly receiueth comforteth and strengthneth euery man so that he alwayes appeareth to be the good shepeheard Hereupon it commeth to passe that men willingly resort vnto him and that it is no neede any more to compell them The Gospell so allureth and maketh them willing The Gospel allureth vs with loue pleasure to come vnto Christ that they come with a certaine loue and pleasure and with all boldnes Whereupon a desire and loue vnto Christ is increased in them so that they doe any thing willingly who before were to be vrged and compelled If we be constrayned we doe grudgingly vnwillingly which God plainly abhorreth But when as I shall perceiue that God dealeth so louingly and gentlely with me my hart is as it were rauished so that I can not stay my selfe but I must euen runne vnto him leauing all other things wherupon afterward all pleasure and ioy ensueth vnto me Now consider how great an euill it is when one iudgeth an other The kingdom of Christ as we haue heard is so ordeined that it healeth and iustifieth onely sicke and miserable consciences wherefore all they are farre deceiued which haue regard only to the stronge and whole It is great therefore and very effectuall knowledge whereby Christ is well knowne It is graffed in vs by nature to be altogither euill and wicked yet notwithstanding we would haue euery one to be honest we earnestly regard stronge Christians not looking therewithall to the sicke and weake thinking them not to be Christians if they are not stronge and iudge others euill if they be not altogither holy when as we our selues in the meane season exceede the rest in naughtines Now the cause hereof is our most corrupt nature Our corrupt nature and blind reason cause vs to erre iudge amisse our blind reason which will measure the kingdom of God according to her owne opinion whereby it thinketh that those things are vncleane before God which seeme vncleane vnto it self wherfore that opinion must be remoued out of our minde For if thou hast very much regard thereunto thou shalt at the last come into the mind to thinke alas what shal become of me if all Christians must be such namely stronge whole and godly When shal I once attayne so farre And so thou shalt bringe thy selfe into such a perplexitie that thou shalt hardely euer attayne vnto true comfort and ioye Thou therefore must be so affected that thou say Most gracious Iesu although I finde my selfe altogether weake diseased and in a wretched state yet I
and manifest wordes declare Rom. 13 Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God VVhosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to them selues condemnation For Magistrates are not to be feared for good workes but for euill VVilt thou then be without feare of the power doe well so shalt thou haue prayse of the same For he is the Minister of God for thy wealth but if thou doe euill feare for he beareth not the sword for nought for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill VVherfore ye must be subiect not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake For for this cause ye pay also tribute for they are Gods Ministers applying them selues for the same thinge Giue to all men therefore their dutie tribute to vvhom ye ovve tribute custome to vvhom custome feare to vvhom feare honour to vvhom ye ovve honour And therefore also are Magistrats ordayned of God that they may defende maintaine publike peace which alone exceedeth all worldly good thinges we felt a litle in the last cōmotion of the common people what losse miserie calamitie and grieuous sorrow conspiracie and sedition bringeth in the world God graunt that it may so continue that we trie it no more Thus much shall suffize to haue bene spoken for the exposition of this text A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER TEACHING THAT SALVATION COMMETH by Christ alone Ioh. 6. Verse 44. NO man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him I will rayse him vp at the last day 45. It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth vnto me 46. Not that any man hath seene the Father saue he which is of God he hath seene the Father 47. Verely verely I say vnto you He that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life 48. I am the bread of life 49. Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernes and are dead 50. This is that bread which cōmeth downe from heauen that he which eateth of it shoulde not die 51. I am that liuing breade which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the breade that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world The summe of this text 1 CHrist is knowne of none but of him whom the Father draweth that is except the Father teache vs that knowledge inwardly in the hart Therefore Christ sayth to Peter Matth. 16 Flesh and blood hath not reuealed it vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen 2 Christ is the wisedom of God which is of more price then precious stones and whatsoeuer can be wished is not to be compared vnto it Pro. 8.11 as Salomon sayth in the Prouerbs 3 The old heauenly bread that is the righteousnes of the lawe doth not iustifie But Christ if we beleeue in him iustifieth for euer The exposition of the text THis text teacheth vs nothing els but christian faith and stirreth it vp in vs as surely Iohn through his Gospel doth almost no other thing but instruct vs how we must beleeue in the Lord Christ And such a faith as is grounded on the true promise of God made vnto vs in Christ Onely faith in Christ saueth vs. shall saue vs as this text plainly declareth Also they are here all proued fooles which haue taught vs an other way and meanes to obtaine righteousnes Whatsoeuer mās minde cā inuēt although it be holy although it haue a fayre shew before men it must needes vtterly fal if that he wil haue saluation to come thereby For albeit that man is exercised with the duties of godlines he shall not be able to attaine vnto heauen vnles God preuent him with his word which may offer his diuine grace vnto him and lighten his hart that he may walke in the right way Now this way is the Lord Iesus Christ Christ the right way he that will seeke an other way as the most part of men with their outward workes commonly doe hath now erred from the right and high way For Paule sayth Gal. 2 If righteousnes be by the law that is by the workes of the lawe then Christ died without a cause Therefore I saye that a man must by the Gospell be as it were brused and broken humbled euen from the bottom of his hart as being fraile weake which can moue neither hands nor feete but onely lyeth prostrate and cryeth Helpe me O omnipotent God merciful Father I am not able to helpe my selfe Helpe O Lord Christ myne owne helpe is nothing That so against this corner stone which is Christ al may be broken as he saith of him selfe in Luke when he asked the Pharisees and Scribes Luke 20.17 VVhat meaneth this then that is written The stone that the builders refused that is made the head of the corner VVhosoeuer shall fall vpon that stone shall be broken on whomsoeuer it shall fall it wil grinde him to pouder Wherefore either let vs fal vpon it by our imbecillitie and weakenes by denying our selues so be broken or els he will breake vs for euer in his straite iudgement But it is better that we fall vpon it then that it fall vpon vs. Vpon this foundation Christ sayth here in this text No man can come vnto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will rayse him vp at the last day Now he whom the Father draweth not shall surely perish It is also concluded that he which commeth not to this sonne shall be damned for euer He is the onely Sonne giuen vnto vs which may saue vs without him there is no saluation if he helpe not Without Christ there is no saluation our case is most miserable Of him Peter also speaketh to the same effect in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 4 This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other for amonge men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby vve must be saued Whither would our Diuines and Scholemen turne them selues here which haue taught vs that by many workes we must attaine vnto righteousnes Here is that high Maister Aristotle confounded who hath taught vs that reason endeuoureth to doe the best things is alwayes ready to the better But this Christ doth here deny for vnles the Father possesse and drawe vs we shall perish for euer Here all men must confesse their imbecillity and slownes to good thinges If so be that any perswade him self that he is able to doe any good thing by his owne strength truely he hath reproued Christ of falshood and with great arrogancie presumeth