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
morning and the daye of the power of Christ wherein we are conceiued and borne the children of God as deaw to wit without the labour of men by the onely grace of the holy Ghost from heauen The most pleasaunt and comfortable sunne Iesus Christ maketh this daye whom the Scripture hereupon calleth the sunne of righteousnes Christ the sunne of righteousnes God sayth Mala. 4 To you that feare my name shall that sunne of righteousnes arise and helth shal be vnder this winges For as many as beleeue in Christ do receiue of him the beames of his grace and righteousnes and doe obtaine saluation vnder his winges Whereupon it is saide Psal 118 This is the daye which the Lord hath made we will reioyce and be glad in it as though he saide This corporall sunne maketh the corporall daye but God himselfe maketh this daye euen he is that sunne from whence those beames and that daye come wherewith the whole world is enlightned Finally hereupon he calleth himselfe the light of the world Ioh. 9. And Psal 19 The heauens declare the glorie of God that is euen as these bodily heauens do bring the sunne and the day and the sunne is caried in them so the Apostles haue in themselues and bring by preaching the true sunne which is Christ c Whereupon it followeth In the heauens he hath set a tabernacle for the sunne which commeth forth as a bridegrome out of his chamber and reioiceth as a giant to runne his course His setting forth is from the vtmost part of heauen and his circuit vnto the vtmost part thereof and there is nothing hid from his heat All this is said of the exceeding pleasaunt beginning or rising of this day that is of the Gospel which the Scripture euery where meruelously setteth forth For it is a word which quickneth maketh glad willing cheerefull and ready to do good workes and finally it bringeth with it all good thinges Wherefore it is called the Gospell or glad tydinges for that it is a pleasaunt and prosperous message of the grace of God and of all good thinges The Gospell reuealeth vnto vs all thinges that are needfull for vs to know But who is able to rehearse all those thinges which this day reuealeth maketh manifest vnto vs For it teacheth all things what God is what we are whatsoeuer is past and to come of heauen hell the earth Angels and Deuels By this lampe is shewed vnto vs how we ought to behaue our selues in all these thinges and toward all from whence we are and whither we go Yet neuertheles Satan hath deceiued vs miserable creatures that neglecting such a day whereby all thinges might be cleere and manifest vnto vs we seeke the truth of Philosophers and heathen men who haue not so much as by a dreame knowne any whit of these thinges and so we haue suffered our selues to be blynded with mens traditions and to be thrust backe againe into the night For it is not light whatsoeuer is not this day otherwise Paul and the whole Scripture should in vaine extoll this day alone and call all other beside it the night Surely the burden of Gods displeasure must needes be most grieuous for that contrarie to so plaine and manifest places of Scripture we haue sought an other light although the Lord himselfe calleth himselfe the light and sunne of the worlde And if other proofes were wantinge this one is sufficient that vniuersities doe so impudently both set vp and glorie of Aristotle as a light vnto them in whom they exercise themselues much more then in Christ yea nothing in Christ but altogither in Aristotle Let vs therefore cast awaye the workes of darkenes and let vs put on the armour of light As Christ is the sunne By light is here signified and ment faith and the Gospell the daye so fayth is the light whereby to see and watch in this daye For it would not profit albeit the sunne did shine and make the day if the eyes did not perceiue the light Wherefore although the Gospell be begon and preached in the whole world yet none are lightened but they that receiue it and by fayth being made capable of the light doe arise out of sleepe But to them that as yet sleepe this sunne and daye bring no profite of which they receiue no light no more then if no sunne or daye had shined And this is that season and hower whereof he speaketh VVelbeloued brethren forasmuch as we know this that it is now time that vve should arise out of sleepe c. It is a spirituall time and season although begun in this outward time as it doth daily also come wherein we ought to arise out of sleepe and lay aside the workes of darkenes Whereby Paule sheweth that he doth not speake to them which are yet voide of fayth for as it is saide he teacheth not faith here but the workes and frutes of fayth when as he saith We know that the time is come and that the night being passed the daye is at hand they which beleeue not can not know these thinges Now if thou obiect and saye what reason or cause is there that he should write these thinges to the faithfull inasmuch as they know that it is time c. Thou must call to mynde that in the beginning of the exposition of this text of the Apostle we haue saide that the office of preaching is of two sortes one of teaching We haue neede of cōtinuall exhortation an other of exhorting and mouing Now a man can not attaine vnto that knowledge that it should not be needefull that he be alwayes moued and kept in a continuall and fresh meditation of those thinges which he hath learned least the deuell the world and the fleshe which are enemies that neuer graunt truce neither slacke their assault doe make him wearie and slouthfull that he maye at the last sleepe and become altogither negligent in good thinges For the deuell sayth Peter is such an enemie as goeth about continually like a roring Lion seeking whom he maye deuoure Wherefore he sayth VVatch and be sober Paule also will haue vs doe the same thinge here For seeinge that the Deuell the fleshe and the worlde keepe no meane nor make no ende of fightinge against vs neither must there be any meane kept or ende made of exhortinge prouokinge and mouinge vs to watche and worke Hereupon the holie Ghost is called an exhorter inasmuch as he inuiteth and moueth vs vnto good Paule calleth the workes of light armour and why For the same cause Paul also vseth here chosen wordes the workes of darkenes he calleth not armour but the workes of light he calleth armour not workes vndoutedly that he might shewe that there is a fight that labour and trauell is required and that it can not be obtained without perill to watche and liue well forasmuch as so mightie enemies the deuell the flesh and the world do without ceassing
he setteth before vs a most excellent and perfect example namely the Lord him selfe saying Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ For he is a sluggish beast and not a man who when he seeth his Lorde fast suffer hunger labour watch and to be wearie yet giueth him selfe to gluttonie sleepe and pleasures What Lorde could take these things at his seruaunts hand nay what seruaunt durst presume to doe these thinges So it can not be that a Christian man should not be ashamed when he beholdeth Christ and seeth him self so vnlike vnto him yea occupied in quite cōtrary things For whom the example of Christ him selfe doth not stirre vp exhort and moue who can bringe or stirre him vp vnto goodnes What would the leaues of wordes doe with their small noyce if these thundrings of the example of Christ doe not moue And surely for this cause Paule of purpose adioyned this word Lord saying Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ as if he sayd count it no great nor burdenous thinge to stand and fight in this armour of light ye that are seruaunts behold your Lord who when he had no neede did notwithstāding so wel valiantly vse this armour and fought in it for you And take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it The Apostle in these few words hath noted two cares of the flesh One is naturall Lawfull care for the flesh whereby necessary foode and apparell is prouided for the body that it may liue and be able to sustaine his labour lest that it be by ouermuch abstinence weakened and made vnprofitable to worke Vnlawfull prouision care for the flesh The other care is ioyned with sinne when the body is prouided for to fulfill the lustes thereof and that it may be delighted this care the Apostle here forbiddeth for it ingendreth the workes of darkenes so to pamper and make of the flesh which is continually to be chastised that it may be obedient to the spirit and may not shake of the sitter like vnto an vntamed horse albeit that chastising is so to be tempered that the body notwithstanding may doe his dutie and beare the sitter For as the fodder the whippe and the burden belongeth vnto the asse so meat correction and worke vnto the seruaunt Ecclesiastic 33. He doth not say that thou shalt flea or slay the asse neither that thou shalt kill the seruaunt or cast him into prison so vnto the body the chastising and labour thereof is due and necessary foode is not to be withheld from it Paule him selfe sayth 1. Cor. 9.27 I tame my body and bringe it into subiection He sayth not I cast it into sicknes or I kill it but I subdue it to the spirit that it may serue and be obedient thereunto Moreouer these wordes to fulfil the lustes thereof Paule added because of two sortes of men whereof the first vnder a pretence of naturall necessitie doe satisfie their pleasure We are prone and ready to fulfill the lustes of the flesh and couer that practize vnder this false pretence We are so prone and ready vnto this that euen many of the Sainctes haue very much complayned of this euil and because of it haue oftentimes aboue measure afflicted their bodies for the flesh is so craftie and meruelous sutle to prepare delights for it selfe that no man can sufficiently takē heede of it yea it is needefull that a man here doe neuer leaue to care and feare The other sort of men are those blind holy ones which thinke that the kingdom of God and the righteousnes thereof consisteth in meates and drinke and in chosen apparell and doe beside their owne worke regard nothing when they haue so fasted that they haue made their head diseased and their stomacke distempered Superstitious fasting abstinence frō meates 1. Cor. 8.8 and doe bring vnto their body some great infirmitie or sicknes they then thinke that they haue bene meruelous holy and haue wrought incomparable good workes But Paule sayth Meat maketh not vs acceptable to God for neither if we eate haue we the more neither if we eate not haue we the lesse And Colos 2. he writeth thus much in effect Beware of the worshipping of Angells which hath a shew of wisedom because of humblenes and superstition whereby they spare not the body while they withdraw from it the measure of foode due vnto it bestowing nothing vpon it whereby it may be fedde This preposterous worshipping of Angells yea in deede superstition did so deceiue Gerson otherwise a notable man that he praysed the Charterhouse Monkes for that they did so constantly abstaine from flesh that euen when they were sicke they would eate none although they might preserue them selues euen from death thereby But what if God shall iudge them as killers of their owne body For there can be none at all either ordinaunce or order yea or vow contrary to the commaundement of God if there be any such surely it ought to be of no force euē as if thou haddest vowed adulterie Necessary prouision must be made for the body Now God both here by Paule and elswhere hath commaunded that necessary prouision should be made for the body and hath forbidden that we should procure the death of it wherefore those thinges that are profitable to preserue it whether they be flesh or egges or any thing else must be giuen vnto it in what day or time soeuer whether it be the sixt or first day of the weeke whether it be Lent or after Easter in the meane season whatsoeuer orders lawes and vowes yea euen of the Pope being neglected For it is not lawfull for any man no not for the Angells to forbid any thing against the commaundement of God Howbeit this madnes proceedeth from that darkenes and blindnes wherby miserable men doe regarde the worke onely and thinke that they shall obtaine saluation through the greatnes and multitude of workes The true end of fasting But Paule willeth that our fastings and other chastisings of the flesh be the weapons of light whereby the workes of darkenes may be ouercome and not the body destroyed wherefore there ought to be no other vse among Christians of fastings watchings and labours As it is al one before God whether thou eate fish or flesh whether thou drinke wine or water whether thou weare redde or greene garments all these are the good creatures of God made vnto this ende that we may vse them haue regard only to this that thou mayst vse them with a meane and mayst abstaine thy selfe so much from them as shall suffize to ouercome the workes of darkenes Wherefore it is vnpossible that a common maner of this abstinence should be appoynted indifferently to all One common maner of fasting cannot be appoynted to all for the constitution of all mens bodies is not alike it is aboue measure to one which to an other is vnder measure one hath neede of much an
But this tentation doth not easily happen in these outward thinges as are bread apparell houses c. Thou mayst finde in deed some rash heads which for no cause do put their life goods good name in great daunger as they doe which goe on warfare of their owne accord which leape rashly into most deepe waters or goe voluntarily into other no small daungers Of whom Iesus the sonne of Syrach sayth Eccle. 3.27 He that loueth perill shall perish in it Whereof the Germanes haue a prouerbe Selfe do self haue what euery one followeth that he commeth vnto So is it almost vsuall that none are oftner drowned then they that are most exercised in swimming and none fal more perilously then they which vse to attempt hie matters We are seldō brought to tēpt God by not taking the vse of outward things which he hath giuen vs. But he shall be hardly founde which hauing a false and ouermuch confidence in God attempteth any such thing or vseth not the thinges present as bread apparell house and such like loking with perill while God prouide otherwise for him by miracle We read of a certaine Heremite who because he had vowed to take bread of no men brought him selfe into perill by hunger and so perished and vndoutedly went strait vnto hell because of that false faith and tempting of God which he learned no other where but of that deuill so that his madnes was altogither like that whereunto Satan here persuadeth Christ to wit that he shoulde cast him selfe downe from a pinnacle of the temple Howbeit thou shalt finde very few which doe follow this Heremite and doe differre to enioy corporall thinges present for that they hope that God will giue them other from heauen But in spirituall things which concerne the nourishment We are easily and often by the tentation of Satan brought to refuse the true spiritual foode of our soules and to seeke other contrary to the will and word of God not of the body but of the soule this tentation is wont to be both mighty and often In these God hath appoynted a certayne maner wherby the soule may be fedde nourished and strengthened both most commodiously and also most blessedly so that no good thing at all can be wanting vnto it This nourishment this strength this saluation is Christ our Sauiour in whom the Father hath most abundantly offered and giuen all good thinges But there are very few which desire him the moste parte seeke some other where whereby their soules may liue obtaine saluation Such are all they which seeke saluation by their works These are they whom Satan hauing sette on a pinnacle of the temple biddeth them cast them selues downe and they obey him They descende where as is no way that is they beleeue and trust in God yet so as they trust also in their owne works in which is no place at all for faith and trust no way or path vnto God wherefore throwing them selues downe headlong they breake their necke falling into vtter desperation Now Satan persuadeth miserable men vnto this madnes as also he persuaded Christ to cast him selfe downe from a pinnacle of the temple by places of Scripture peruerted and misapplied wherein workes are commaunded whereby he maketh them beleeue that the Angells shall keepe them that is that they shall be approued of God when as in deede they can by nothing so offend him as by that madde trust and confidence in workes For they acknowledge not that the Scripture doth no where require works without faith or that it doth euery where require a sound liuely faith from which works proceede We haue at large declared who are such namely incredulous hypocrites which are giuen to workes without faith which falsely boast of the name of Christians chalenging to them selues to be chiefe in the flock of Christ For this tentation must be in the holy citie Now these two tentations and the causes of them doe greatly differ In the former the cause why men doe not beleeue is neede and hunger for they are thereby moued to distrust God and despeire of his goodnes In the latter the cause why they doe not beleeue is ouermuch abundance for that miserable men are full of most plentifull and abundant treasure so that they loath it coueting to haue some other speciall thinge whereby they may procure the saluation of their soules So our case standeth ill in both respects If we haue nothinge we despeire and distrust God If we haue plentie of thinges we loath them and require other being then also voyde of faith Concerning the first we flie and hate scarsitie and seeke plentie concerning the latter we seeke scarsitie and flie plentie Howsoeuer God dealeth with vs we are not content our incredulitie is a bottomles pit of malice and vngodlines Againe the deuil tooke him vp into an exceeding high moūtaine Tentation by vaine glory pleasures and delights of the world Here he tempteth with vaine glorie power of the world as by the wordes of the deuil doth plainly appeare who shewing Christ the kingdoms of the world offered them to him if he would worship him By this tentation they are ouercome which reuolt from faith that they may enioy glorie and power here or at least doe so temper their faith that they lose not these thinges In the number of these are all heretikes and troublers of the Church which do therfore either leaue or oppugne the sinceritie of faith that being exempted out of the common number they may be extolled on hie So we may place this tentation on the right hand as the first assaileth vs on the left For as the first tentation is of aduersitie whereby we are moued to indignation impatiencie diffidence so this third tentation is of prosperitie whereby we are prouoked to delights glory pleasures and whatsoeuer is excellent and delectable in the world The second tentation is altogither spirituall whereby Satan by deceit and meruelous secret suttlery goeth about to withdraw man from faith For whom he can not ouercome with pouertie scarsitie necessitie misery them he tēpteth with riches fauour glorie delights power c so he assayleth vs on either side yea when he preuaileth by neither way he goeth about as Peter saith attēpteth all meanes that whom he can ouercome neither by aduersitie that is by the first tentation nor by prosperitie that is by the thirde tentation he may ouercome either by errour blindnes or false vnderstanding of the Scripture that is by the second tentation which is spirituall and therefore most hurtfull By which if he preuaile against any they are also ouercome both on the left side and on the right For whether they suffer such pouertie or enioy plenty of thinges whether they contend or yeelde vnto all thinges both is nothing while they are in errour either patience in aduersitie or constancie in prosperitie can be of no importance For in both euen heretikes
neglect the time then shall there be no place neither for helpe nor counsell As if he sayd Thou standest here adorned with sumptuous and goodly buildings and there are in thee mighty citizens which are both secure and merie thinking that no daunger hangeth ouer them but after the space of forty yeares thou shalt be destroyed Which the Lorde plainly foretelleth in these wordes The dayes shall come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side and shall make thee euen vvith the ground and thy children vvhich are in thee and they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone because thou knevvest not that season of thy visitation The careles securitie of the Iewes Now the Iewes as they supposed stoode vnmoueable safe resting vpon the promise of God so that they thought no otherwise but that they should perseuerantly continue so for euer they were secure and thought thus with them selues God will not send such thinges vnto vs we haue the temple wherein God him selfe is resident We haue also plenty of excellent men money and other thinges Goe to then who can doe any hurt or harme to vs Moreouer the Emperour and people of Rome hauing taken the citie seeing it furnished with so many and so great munitions and goodly and excellent buildings merueiled greatly and confessed that it was vnpossible that so great a citie should be taken vnlesse it had bene the speciall will of God Their boasting therefore and confidence in their owne false opinion deceiued them Howbeit the Lord did more earnestly and deepely consider the matter then they when he sayd O Ierusalem if thou knewest those thinges that are knowne to me thou wouldest haue a care of thy peace peace in the Scriptures is when the matters and affaires of any haue good successe thou thinkest that thou hast glad and merie dayes that it is well with thee and that thy affaires are in a prosperous state but if thou knewest howe thine enemies shall by siege afflict thee keepe thee in on euery side and bring thee into such distresse that they shall make thee euen with the ground destroy all thy buildings and leaue not a stone vpon a stone thou wouldest surely conueniently receiue the word whereby thou mightest enioy both true peace and all good thinges The reading of the historie of the destruction of this city doth make much to the right vnderstanding of this text A description of Gods wrath and most grieuous vengeance poured vpon the Iewes for their contēpt and disobedience God had plainly so ordained that at the feast of Easter at which time they came to Ierusalem out of all quarters the citie should be besieged and there were then gathered togither as Iosephus reporteth about thirty hundred thousand mē vpon whom the Lorde would shewe his grieuous indignation and wrath All the Apostles and Christians were departed and gone into the cuntrie of Herod not farre from Ierusalem The Lord tooke out the wheate and put the chaffe togither on an heape nowe there was so great a multitude of people that they might seeme to exceede not onely a citie but euen a kingdom And they were driuen into so great calamitie that all their vittells were spent and none at al left vnto them so that they were constrained to eate the strings of their bowes olde shoes dressing them in such maner as they could yea through the exceeding famine they were driuen to kil their owne children the souldiers tooke the flesh of children rosted from the mothers smelling the sauour of the rosted flesh two streetes of pigeons dunge was vnto them in steede of salte and was also very deare finally there was so great miserie so great slaughter and shedding of blood that it would not haue bene meruell for a stone to haue bene moued with pitie He that had seene it would haue thought that God could not haue bene so grieuously angry and so greatly haue afflicted a people Both houses and streets were filled with carkases dead through famine Notwithstanding the Iewes remained stil so obstinate and without vnderstanding that they gloried of God and would not yeelde them selues vntil the Emperour set vpon them with his whole power and tooke the citie which they were able to keepe no lenger And when as some of them were so craftie that they deuoured golde that it might not be takē from them the Romane souldiers thought that they had all so done whereupon they flewe about two thousand and hauing ript their bellies sought for golde There was such a slaughter manquelling made that it seemed a miserable thing euen to the Gentiles wherefore Cesar commaunded that they should not be so slaine but led captiue and sould The Iewes were then sould so cheape that thirty were bought for a penny they were then dispersed through the whole world and were coūted the most abiect people of all other as also at this day they are the most contemptible nation in the earth For they liue spred here and there without cities and cuntries of their owne neither can they be againe gathered togither into one place so that they shall neuer be able any more to erect their Priesthood and kingdom as they hope they shall Thus God reuenged the death of Christ all the Prophets thus were they recompensed for that they knewe not the time of their visitation Wherfore let vs be here admonished The example of the Iewes ought to admonish and moue other to know the time of their visitation for it belongeth not onely vnto vs but euen vnto all Germanie It is no iesting matter or sport neither is there any cause why we should perswade our selues that it will fall out otherwise with vs. The Iewes would not beleeue that euill should come vpon them vntil they had sufficiently tried it And we at this day are visited by the benefite of God he hath opened vnto vs a treasure his sacred and holy Gospell whereby we know his will and see how much we were subiect to the power of Satan but no man wil receiue this Gospell yea we contemne it and that which is more miserable we persecute and blaspheme it God is patient it pleaseth him to trie vs a while if we be not watchfull so that the word be againe taken from vs the same wrath and indignation which was poured forth vpon the Iewes shal also be poured forth vpon vs. For there is the same Word the same God the same Christ at this day that there was at that time whereupon vndoubtedly the punishment shal be the same or at the least as grieuous both in soule and body We make almost a sport trifling matter of the Gospel For no man embraceth it from his hart no man frameth his maners according vnto it Which is a manifest argument of blindnes O thing surely most miserable I feare lest the matter will shortly come to that passe that