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
the wolues but that good shepeheard can no where be found who flieth away euen at that time when the sheepe haue most neede of a defender and strengthner The same shall happen to vs in time to come when we shall once begin to be touched in deede Then the Preachers will shut their mouthes and prouide for their safetie by flying and the sheepe shall be miserably dispersed so that one shall be caried this way an other that way God graunt that some of them may stand valiantly in defense of the Gospell and spende their blood if the case so require in deliuering their sheepe Thus Christ hath painted forth the hirelings in their colours who thus sayth moreouer I am that good shepeheard and knowe mine and am knowne of mine These wordes doe containe much I shoulde spend ouer much time if I should handle them seuerally He speaketh here of the peculiar dutie that belongeth to him selfe I know my sheepe sayth he and they againe know me Nowe the summe is this Christ knoweth vs to be his sheepe we againe know him to be our shepeheard He knoweth vs to be such sheepe as are weake and diseased which he doth not cast of but hath a care of them and healeth them although they be so diseased that all the worlde thinketh that they are not his sheepe and this in deede is the knowledge of the world But Christ doth not so know them neither doth he greatly regard what maner of ones they be but considereth whether they be sheepe They therefore are the true shepeheards who following Christ doe so know their sheepe that they looke vnto the persons not to the disease My father knoweth me sayth Christ The world knoweth not Christ but the world knoweth me not When as therefore the howre shall come that I shal die an ignominious death vpon the crosse all with one voice will cry out was this the sonne of God he must needes be a condemned man and giuen vp vnto Satan both in soule and also in body So the world will consider and know me But my father will say in this sort this is my welbeloued sonne my king and Sauiour He beholdeth not my affliction my woundes my crosse death but he considereth my person that is me very selfe Wherefore if I were in the middest of hell or in the iawes of Satan yet I should come out againe for the father will not forsake me Likewise I know my sheepe and they knowe me They are certaine that I am a good shepeheard they know me therefore they come to me for succour and cleaue vnto me neither doth it any thinge feare them that they are subiect to manifold infirmities and diseases they knowe very well that I would haue such maner of sheepe to resort vnto me Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this folde them also must I bringe and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one shepefold one shepeheard Some haue so handled this place that they affirme it shall be fulfilled before the latter day when Antichrist Iohn and Helias shall come Which is flatly against the truth and forged of Satan that men might beleue that the whole world shall at the last become Christian Which Satan therefore did that he might darken the sound doctrine that we might neuer rightly vnderstand it Beware therefore of this delusion For by and by after the ascension of Christ this was done and fulfilled and is yet at this day fulfilled As soone as the Gospell was published it was preached to the Iewes and this people was the shepefold Now he sayth that he hath certaine other sheepe also which are not of this fold which also he must gather together whereby he sheweth that the Gospell must be preached to the Gentiles that they also may beleue in Christ that of the Iewes and Gentiles may be made one Church Which he performed afterward by the Apostles who preached the Gospell to the Gentiles and brought them to the faith So there is now one body one Church one faith one hope one loue one baptisme and so of the like which continueth at this day and shal so continue euen to the ende of the world Wherfore doe not so vnderstand it as though all men shall beleue in Christ for the crosse must alwayes be borne of vs forasmuch as the greatest parte is alwayes of that faction which persecuteth Christians The Gospell also must be continually preached that alwayes some may be brought to Christianitie And thus much for a compendious exposition of this text A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE LOST SHEPE Luke 15. Verse 1. THen resorted vnto him all the Publicans and sinners to heare him 2. Therefore the Pharises and Scribes murmured saying He receiueth sinners and eateth with them 3. Then spake he this parable to them saying 4. What man of you hauing an hundred sheepe if he lose one of them doth not leaue ninety and nine in the wildernes and go after that which is lost vntill he find it 5. And when he hath found it he layeth it on his shoulders with ioy 6. And when he commeth home he calleth togither his friendes and neighbours saying vnto them Reioyce with me for I haue found my sheepe which was lost 7. I say vnto you that likewise ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that repenteth more then for ninetie nine iust men which neede none amendement of life IN this text dearely beloued What kinde of doctrine this text cōtaineth euen that doctrine is contayned which we are perswaded and glory to be our chiefe doctrine and which by best right deserueth to be called christian doctrine to wit of grace and forgiuenes of sinnes set downe against the doctrine of the law and of workes But it is a very shamefull thinge that a sermon so excellent and replenished with so great comfort and ioy should be heard of a man that is wicked a contemner of the word of God This is much more miserable that all thinke they haue so soone throughly learned it to the knowledge whereof euery one will seeme to haue attained thinking that there is nothing in it which he doth not perfectly vnderstād and that there is no neede to spend any more studie in learning it Although it be not grieuous to God him selfe neither doth it yrke or wearie him euery yeare repeating it or rather euery day exercising it as though he knewe to preach nothing else being vnskilfull and ignorant of all other kind of doctrine And we miserable and wretched men doe so soone as we thinke attaine to the knowledge of the chiefest doctrine that forthwith it is wearisom and tedious vnto vs to repeat it whereby all pleasure and loue of the worde of God dieth and is extinguished in vs. But before I declare the article or chiefe point here taught I thinke it good that the beginning of this chapter be diligently considered which S. Luke setteth in steede
of a preface sheweth what gaue Christ cause to make this sermon where he sayth Then resorted vnto him all the Publicans and sinners to heare him In which wordes he plainly signifieth with what mē Christ kept companie With what kind of men Christ was conuersant namely with them which in the sight of all men liued as it did not become them and were openly called sinners and euell persons Whereby it appeareth that the Pharisees semed to haue sufficient cause to finde fault with Christ for that he which would be counted holy did familiarly keepe companie with such men Publicans what they were For they were commonly called Publicans at that time to whom the Romās did let out some citie or custome or some charge or ouersight in matters for a certain summe of money as the Turke or Venetians do now commit to some one some citie or office for which a certain summe of money is yearly to be payed and what soeuer they shall scrape togither by vniust exactions aboue this summe that is their owne So also the aforesaid Publicans did which so gathered those tributes and money wherewith they were charged that they themselues also might haue some gaine thereby And seing that a summe of money to be paide for some citie or office was not small they desirous to gaine thereby did by all meanes deale vniustly and vsed extortion in all thinges in all places and with all persons For the Lordes and maisters held them so hardly and straightly that they could not get much thereby if they would deale rightly and iustly and oppresse no man with vniust exactions Whereupon they had a verie euell report abroad that they were most vniust exactors and endued with small honestie and integritie of life Likewise the rest in generall were called sinners which otherwise liued dishonestly and wretchedly were defiled with filthie offences as with couetousnes with whoredome with surfetting and drunkennes and such like Such resort here vnto Christ and come to heare him when as before they had knowen him by report to be excellent and famous both in wordes and deedes Howbeit it is certaine that in them although they semed euen desperate there was a sparke of vertue and honestie in asmuch as they longed after Christ both couering to heare his doctrine and also earnestly desiring to see the workes which he did when before they knewe him to be a good man and heard no ill report either of his doctrine or workes so that their life did farre differ from his Neuertheles they are so wel disposed that they are not his enemies neither refuse or flie his company but runne vnto him not of any euell purpose or intent but to see and heare some good thing whereby they may amend their life The malitious dealing of the Scribes Pharisees Contrariwise the Pharises and Scribes which were counted most righteous and holy are such poysonfull beastes that they are not only sore displeased at Christ whom they cā abide neither to see nor heare but also they can not be content that miserable sinners should come vnto him and heare him whereby they being led by repentance might amend Yea they do also beside this murmur and reproue Christ for that he admitted vnto him and receiued Publicās and sinners saying Behold is this that holy and famous man Who will now say that he is of God when as he hath society with so wicked wretches yea rather he is a drinker of wine and a glutton as they say elsewhere Luke 7.34 a freind to Publicans and sinners Such a report he is cōstrained to beare of the holy Pharises not for that he giuing himselfe to gluttonie and surfetting accustomed to feede excessiuely and followe riotous pleasure togither with them but onely because he admitted such into his company and did not contemptuously reiect them For in their opinion he should haue gone with a sad and austere countenance in base apparell haue remained seuered from the conuersation and companie of men and refused their felowshippe lest that by familiar custome with them he should be defiled and should haue done as they were accustomed to do after the maner of holy men Of whom Esaie writeth that they studied for such puritie that they did feare and suffer against their will euen the touching of a sinner Which in deede plainly appeareth Luke 7. in the Pharise murmuring against Christ because he suffred himselfe to be touched of the sinfull woman And it was they that would alway be his maisters prescribe vnto him rules whereby to liue and behaue himselfe in this life Therefore in this place they murmur for that he did not applie himselfe vnto thē neither did disdaine the cōpany conuersation of such sinners according to their example Now Christ also is somewhat stout plainly shewing here The stoutne of Christ that he can suffer the maistership of none but that he is altogither free exempt from the commaundements of all as commonly in the Gospels we see him to be at his owne will pleasure who neuertheles otherwise was both gētler and also more seruiceable then all the rest But when as they would deale with him by lawes be his maisters thē all friendship ceassed for he did not otherwise leape back then the adamant layd vpon the anuyle striken speaking and doing onely the contrary of that which they require of him although they seeme to speake euen rightly and well alleaging thereunto also the worde of God As they doe here where they come and say thou must doe thus thou must follow the conuersation of honest men thou must flee the companye of wicked men This truly is a substantial doctrine and confirmed by testimony of the Scripture For Moses him selfe commaundeth the Iewes to auoid euill men take away euil from amonge them By this text they confirme their sayings come with their Moses Christ compared to the Vnicorne and would make Christ subiect to their lawes and haue him ruled by them But Christ neuertheles will be at his owne libertie And he is not vnlike the Vnicorne which beast men deny that he can be taken aliue with what kind of hunting soeuer he be assayled He suffereth him selfe to be wounded to be striken with darts and to be slayne Christ is impatient of lawes to be taken he doth not suffer him selfe No otherwise doth Christ also who although he be set vpon by lawes yet doth he not suffer them but breaketh through as through a spiders web rebuking them most sharpely As Matth. 12. where they found fault with his Disciples because they had plucked the eares of corne on the Sabbath day alleaging the commaundement of God that the Sabbath was to be kept holy c. he auoucheth the cleane contrary tearing in sunder the commaundement affirming the contrary both in wordes and also by examples Also Matth. 16 where he declareth to his Apostles that he shall suffer and be