on the crosse leapt at one leap two and forty degrees and came sodainely to Christ So did many Martyrs also and other holy men Notwithstanding none can goe so great a iorney with small griefe vnlesse he be caried with a great winde that is by the holy Ghost We must goe fayre and softly from Abraham to Isaac from Isaac to Iacob and so forth But we must begin at Abraham that we may be found endued with like faith as he was and obtaine the blessing promised vnto him then we shall more easily and cheerefully goe from one Patriarch to an other That is we shal passe ouer one affliction after an other vntill we be called out of this trauell and iorney vnto our rest Why the godly must suffer afflictions in this world For a man must be so long exercised with afflictions and so oft renounce his owne will vntill at the last he be brought vnder and his flesh by this meanes be subdued that it may obey the spirit and walke ioyfully in the will and obedience of God Wherefore let no man purpose with him selfe to come vnto heauen by leading a quiet life Luk. 18.25 and following pleasure thus Christ sayth in Luke It is easier for a camell to goe through a needles eye Act. 14.22 then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God And in the Actes of the Apostles Paule teacheth that we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God Againe Luk. 16.25 in Luke Abraham sayd to the rich glutton Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines nowe therefore he is comforted and thou art tormented So it behoued Christ also to suffer by the crosse to enter into his glorie 2. Tim. 3.12 And S. Paule sayth All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Hereupon we may learne that all that is poyson which is according to the lust of the flesh Rom. 8.13 Wherfore Paule sayth to the Rom. If ye liue after the flesh ye shal die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodye by the spirite ye shall liue The flesh striueth against the spirit The spirit which is of God is ready to suffer but the flesh resisteth This Iesus signified by his aunswer vnto Peter when he shewed vnto his Disciples that he must goe vnto Ierusalem Matth. 16.21 and suffer many thinges of the Iewes and be slayne also Peter tooke him aside and sayd vnto him Maister pitie thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee But Christ turned him backe and sayd vnto Peter Get thee behind me Satan for thou sauerest not the thinges that are of God but the thinges that are of men Here it is manifest that the reason of man doth flatly striue against the will of God God will haue vs enter into glory by the crosse and persecution but the flesh resisteth and is troubled in afflictions Moreouer they that are endued with the spirit of God doe reioyce if they be afflicted for God his sake Act. 5.41 as it is writtē of the Apostles They departed as Luke sayth from the councell reioycing that they were coūted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name Iam. 1.2 Wherefore Iames sayth in his Epistle My brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuerse tentations knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience And let patience haue her perfect worke that ye may be perfect and entier lacking nothing O how necessary is patience for a Christian man that we may possesse our soules by patience Luk. 21.19 as Christ sayth in Luke otherwise we shall lose them Wherefore we must enter into a new kinde of life and if at any time calamitie commeth we must not by and by burst forth into euill speeches take it vnpatiently but we must alwayes lift vp our hart to God and beare his will with a patient minde he will well deliuer vs in his time when it seemeth good to him God euen when he chasteneth and correcteth vs doth loue vs and care for vs. Heb. 12.5 and we must alwayes thinke that he beareth a fatherly affection toward vs euen when he sendeth persecutions anguishes afflictions and aduersities as the Epistle to the Hebrewes sayth Ye haue forgotten the exhortation which speaketh vnto you as vnto children My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint whē thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth If ye endure chastening God offereth him selfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for vvhat sonne is it vvhom the father chasteneth not If therefore ye be vvithout correction vvhereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes God giue vs his diuine grace that we may courageously passe these two and forty degrees with the Lord Christ be regenerate into a new life Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE HYMNE OF ZACHARIAS COMMONLY CALLED BENEDICTVS Luke 1. Verse 68. BLessed be the Lord God of Israell because he hath visited and redeemed his people THat godly man Zacharias speaketh here of things as already done when he sayth he hath visited and redeemed his people c. For he was certaine of them now the childe Iohn was come being about to begin to preach of our redemption as the Angell had foretold of him that he should goe before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the hartes of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedom of the iust men to make ready a people prepared for the Lorde this promise he knew should assuredly come to passe Wherin this redemption consisteth I thinke it is already sufficiently knowne vnto you namely in this that God visiteth and deliuereth vs. Which visitation and deliuerance is accomplished neither by sworde nor violence but by the worde alone wherein consisteth more then in the blood and death on the crosse * That the word promises of God might be accomplished and fulfilled For because of the worde Christ shed his blood on the crosse It was the word that Iohn preached when he shewed the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde that is when he declared our visitation and redemption which Christ hath purchased with his blood This Iohn was the first Messenger which preached the Gospel Wherefore to vs to whom the Gospel was not before preached it is as if Iohn him selfe did nowe preach it for now is first set forth vnto vs redemption sweete consolation deliuerance from sinnes death hell and all euill To visit is nothing else then to come vnto vs to bring and declare vnto vs the word of saluation by which we are saued Zacharias conceiued so great ioy and pleasure in his hart that he could not cōtaine him selfe but he must needes burst forth into those words which in this Hymne he vttereth not onely because of the
infant newly borne although euen this brought great ioy vnto him but also for that by the birth of this child he beholdeth a farre greater ioy forasmuch as he was a Messenger sent of God to preach his word to the world He reioyceth therefore because of such a word which he should heare and for that he should be as it were altered from an olde man to a yonge man and shoulde become a scholer of an infant now lying in the cradle whom he confesseth to be a Prophet better learned then him selfe Zacharias conceiued both natural and spiritual ioy at the birth of his sonne Iohn Manifest naturall ioy is here for that that infant was borne after a meruelous sort Moreouer here is ioy of the spirit inasmuch as that infant should become a Preacher of the word of God And I am of that mind that I thinke that there was neuer any father which conceiued so great ioy of his childe as this Zacharias did of his sonne being so meruelously borne by the power of God and for that especially in the time of olde age when he was nowe neare vnto death he is made a father of so great a Sainct which should be a maister and teacher of the world It is a delight and pleasure vnto vs if we beget a childe that is sound fayre and wel proportioned in body that I may say nothinge what ioy it woulde bring if our childe should be an Apostle and Preacher of the word of God to the world Whatsoeuer ignominie therefore and contempt he did suffer before when he was barren together with his wife Elisabet he is now most abundantly recompensed with plētifull honour and ioy so great blessings doth God bestowe if we patiently abide his leysure For if he at any time come he commeth very rich and plentifull in giftes and doth giue much more then we euer either wished or hoped for Verse 69. And hath raysed vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruaunt Dauid These wordes are not spoken of Iohn for that he is not an horne raysed vp in the house of Dauid for he was borne of the tribe of Leui but Christ our Lord is of the house and of the royall stocke and blood of Dauid Wherefore Zacharias doth not singe here in the house of Leui but that in the house of Dauid an horne is raysed and lifted vp and when Christ was not yet borne he neuertheles singeth so as if he were borne neither was the horne of saluation yet come notwithstanding he knew by the reuelatiō of the holy Ghost that it should forthwith come An horne what it signifieth among the Hebrewes An horne among the Hebrewes signifieth power confidence dominion and that whatsoeuer wherein any man may trust c. As we reade in Daniel chap. 7. where the Prophet first seeth kingdoms then beholdeth beasts some hauing one horne some two hornes And he afterward interpreting him self expoundeth them for kingdoms and Kinges and this is a phrase and maner of speaking peculiar to this language Nowe Zacharias signifieth that Christ is our head yea our God whose kingdom is his horne He addeth the horne of saluation or blessednes What difference there is betwene other kingdoms the kingdom of saluation which God hath raysed vp Some kingdoms are famous in name and power other are large abounding with plentie of greate treasures much people honours and all temporall thinges But this is called a kingdome of saluation grace life righteousnes truth and of euery thinge that pertayneth to saluation whereby it differeth from all other kingdoms For albeit they be large riche or mightie yet are they counted the kingdoms of death for they that gouerne them must at the last fall dye perish and leaue their power and riches behind them Neyther was there euer any worldely kingdome which might be called a kingdom of life wherein is life peace and saluation for onely the kingdome of Christ doth glory and triumph in this title inasmuch as God hath raysed it vppe that there may be nothing in it but saluation and felicitie Moreouer I finde nothing here spoken of maners and trades of life or of workes For this kingdome consisteth neyther in outward life nor workes but in the horne in Christ and his Gospell This kingdom is ours whereof ye haue heard that it is a kingdom of grace life righteousnes saluation and mercy so that whosoeuer is in it although he be inferior to Iohn in holines and farre vnlike Christ in perfection yet he liueth in a kingdom wherein is nothing but saluation and blessednes whereof also it hath and reserueth the name It is sayd moreouer that this kingdom is raysed vp in the house of Dauid but by what meanes was it raysed vp euen by the holy Ghost and by his worde He sayth in the house of Dauid for it must be a kingdome in the earth and yet a kingdome of saluation Nowe conferre these two one with an other The house of Dauid is the tribe and stocke of Dauid who was a man as the subiects of his kingdom So that thou canst not say that he doth here make mention of an heauenly kingdome amonge the Angells when as he doth nothing lesse but he speaketh of a certaine kingdome which is amonge men which liue clothed with flesh Dauid was a man the subiects of his kingdome also were men subiect to death For as the Scripture witnesseth man that is borne of a woman liueth but a small time he can not passe the boundes appoynted him Howe is it then that honour and dishonour come together in this kingdom What agreement and consent appeareth here where mortall men are deliuered from the power of death where they that are worthy of death enioy life the vnhappy are happy and they that are subiect to Satan become the sonnes of God In the reason hereof I hope that ye are sufficiently instructed yea I thinke that ye vnderstand it as well as I my selfe But because the text so requireth it must be eftsoones repeated A Christian is deliuered from death sinne Satan We haue affirmed therefore that a Christian which liueth in this kingdom shall neuer dye forasmuch as he can not dye For Christ hath therefore suffered deathe that he might ouercome death and deliuer vs from it He tooke our sinnes also vpon him selfe that we might not neede to beare them Moreouer he subdued and ouerthrew Satan that we might not be subiect vnto him Wherefore it is giuen to a Christian that he can neuer dye he can neuer be subiect to sinne and the deuill For that must needes be true which he sayth that he hath raysed vp an horne of blessednes or saluation And in whatsoeuer place that horne shall be there is no accesse neither for death neither for sinne nor the deuill And that in the house of Dauid Wherefore a Christian is both defiled and yet without sinne A Christian after a sort subiect to
death sinne and Satan why and free from Satan Howe commeth this to passe After this sorte Your brotherly charitie hath oftentimes heard heretofore that God leaueth in vs an appearance and feeling of death and the deuill so that my sinne disquieteth me and troubleth my conscience and would driue me vnto desperation Moreouer the iudgement of God terrifieth me death assaileth me as if it would deuoure me Satan is at hande and seeketh to suppresse me God suffereth these to remaine taketh them not quite away For this appearance must continue that we may perceiue and feele that we are nothing else of our selues but sinners subiect to sinne and Satan And yet vnder this appearance lieth hid life innocencie and dominion and victorie ouer sinne Satan hell c as Christ him selfe sayth Matth. 16. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it he sayth not they shall not assaile it nor fight against it for these two remayne to sinne and death Nowe it is also expedient that I feele the biting of sinne the terrour of the wrath of God the horrour of death yea and death it selfe But all this is a certaine outward appearance before my sight and the sight of the world The cōfort of Christians against sinne death and Satan which knowe and iudge none otherwise but that sinne death and Satan are present Notwithstanding in the meane season vnder that assault and terrour the word and spirit are encouraging me preseruing me assuring me that God is not angry with me that my sinne is forgiuen me that I shall neither dye nor be forsaken Vpon this foundation hope my hart doth wholy rest And no man hauing such a confidēce in God remaineth vnder sinne neither is drowned in death but is made a conquerour of sinne and death This is not to preuaile or ouercome for that albeit Satan attempteth yet he doth not get the victorie We call the house of Dauid a mortal house sinnefull and subiect to the deuill according to the maner of all flesh and blood and yet notwithstanding the horne of saluation is raysed vp in the same The kingdom of faith that men of that kingdom may enioy saluation and felicitie Hereby ye see that this kingdom is the kingdom of faith which can not be touched nor outwardly perceiued of any which one can not shewe to an other but euery one must haue it in him self that when he shall draw neare vnto death shal feele sinne or euen see death before him he may then in faith lay hold on this kingdom beleue that his sinnes are forgiuen him For Christ therefore died that thou mightest be in this kingdom of faith Wherefore sinne shal encounter with thee in vaine death is taken away Christ is with thee who can hurt thee who can do any euill vnto thee Here life and death sinne and innocencie Christ and Satan doe fight one with an other but Christ life innocencie doe ouercome and conquer This is soone spoken but not so easily felt yea the contrary surely is rather felt Wherefore if thou wilt esteeme and consider this kingdom according to the iudgement of the world thou shalt vtterly erre and be deceiued The world calleth that a good peaceable kingdom where all thinges are quiet prosperous and goe well forward where is safetie peace and innocencie outwardly But here is the kingdom of saluation and grace although it alwayes appeare otherwise Wherefore all these thinges are to be vnderstood in spirit and faith not to be iudged according to the person or outward appearance Neither ought it to seeme straunge that this kingdom doth flourish in the middes of sinnes the force of Satan death wherof Zacharias here singeth euen from the bottom of his hart and knoweth well how it commeth to passe faith and the spirit reuealing it Concerning sinne I haue seene or knowen none in whom it is not Euen the most holy are not free from sinne Rom. 7.18 Whomsoeuer thou settest before thee sinne will by and by appeare Paule a most holy Apostle affirmeth of him selfe that he feeleth sinne in his members VVill sayth he is present with me but I find no meanes to performe that which is good For I doe not the good thing which I would but the euil which I would not that do I. He wished in deede to be free from sinnes but yet he could not but liue in them And I and such like are also desirous to be exempted from sinnes but that can by no meanes be brought to passe we doe onely represse and keepe them vnder when we haue fallen into sinne we rise againe But as long as we are clothed with this flesh and beare the burden thereof about with vs so long sinne is not extinguished nor can be wholy subdued We may well goe about and endeuour to subdue it notwithstanding old Adam will leade his life also vntill he shall dye and come vnto the graue What shall I neede to say any more The kingdom of Christ is a certaine speciall kingdom wherein euery one of the Sainctes is compelled to make this confession Almighty God vnto whose power all thinges acknowledge them selues subiect I confesse my self to be a miserable sinner reuenge not I beseech thee my old iniquities Al also must sing this song Our father c. forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Other righteous holy ones which knowe no measure or ende of their righteousnes and holines doe vnderstand nothing hereof and therefore this Gospell is not preached vnto them seeing that they thinke the kingdom of Christ to be such that there is no sinne at all in it but that all thinges in it are cleane pure they require such a Christian as is wholy cleane from all filth of sinne and without sinne as Christ him selfe such a one they shall neuer be able to finde Now he is a Christian who being a sinner confesseth him self a sinner who hateth the feeling of sinne striuing against it from his hart He is not a Christian which thinketh that he hath no sinne neither feeleth any But if thou knowest any such he is an Antichristian and not a true Christian The kingdom of Christ therefore consisteth among sinnes it is established there where he hath set it that is in the house of Dauid Yea set Dauid him selfe before your eyes and ye shal finde him to haue bene a sinner who notwithstanding is bold to glory that he is a seruant acceptable to his Lord. There is none of the faithfull which ought to be ashamed of this maner of praying vnto God or of any other not much vnlike vnto it Lorde forgiue vs our sinne is it therefore true that they haue sinne because they say so yea truely for if they should lye they should be the children of Satan But godly Christians are weary of this life greatly desiring the life
we come to hand strokes that is when we feele our miserie and calamitie there remayneth no comfort or helpe then my hart can not lift it selfe aboue the heauy burden wherewith it is pressed downe but it must needes faint and be discouraged But if I conceiue a trust and doute nothing that Christs natiuitie is mine that my sinnes be taken away by him I become exceding ioyfull am confirmed with comfort whereby all heauines and sorrow is shaken of True comfort and ioy This onely is that comfort and no other which maketh a good conscience which feareth neither death nor hell for it alwayes resteth vpon the word of God which giueth Christ vnto vs. Wherefore it is a thinge altogether miserable and lamentable if such a good conscience be sought in any other thinges then here Thou shalt find no ioy no peace of conscience neither in heauen nor in earth but in this Christ be thou certaine and sure thereof Wherefore let all other thinges passe and cleaue vnto him onely if thou desire to be bold and couragious against sinne death the deuill hell all thinges that are against thee He is the Lorde Sauiour Ye vnderstand I trust this right wel forasmuch as ye haue now heard it so oftē But I doe with so great earnestnes as it were beate it into your mindes that ye may see that there is but one thing taught in the whole Scripture which I would haue to sticke firmely and vndoutedly in you this is that which I haue sayd that the vse of this natiuitie be knowne They which seeke any other thing and vse not this natiuitie are in a desperat case as ye haue heard Which ye haue very wel expressed in this songe the author whereof whosoeuer he was did nothing erre from the purpose to witte that the onely childe Christ is our comfort Which wordes surely are of very great importance and deserue most diligently to be weyed For ye did sing after this sort A child highly to be praysed is borne vnto vs this day of a chast virgin to the comfort of vs wretches If that child had not bin borne we had perished all Is it not sayd here that there is no comfort beside only Christ which in deed is most true Without dout the holy Ghost taught him that made this song to singe after this sort If the case stand thus it followeth that Monkes Nunnes Sacrificing Priestes and all which leaue this child and seeke to come to heauen by other wayes and works be cōdemned For such say that they neede not this child otherwise they woulde confesse that their owne workes be nothing worth These therefore do nothing but deceiue and seduce of whom mens harts are procured to depart from Christ and are led away vnto Satan In the aforesayd song is contayned moreouer He is the saluation of vs all oh sweete Iesu Christ forasmuch as thou art borne man defende vs from hell I greatly desire that ye did well vnderstand this It is soong abroade euery where but there is none that throughly beleueth it Whereupon it commeth that some doe oppugne these things especially they which know sing and babble very much of them that truely I feare that Christ is neuer more blasphemed then at this feast of his natiuitie and at other great feastes that it should be no maruel if when he is so blasphemed he should suffer the whole world to be swallowed vp but the last day is at hand Wherefore endeuour that ye may sound this excellent song in your hart and as ye sing it in mouth so ye may also beleue it If the case stande thus that all thinges without this child are vaine No meanes but by Christ to come vnto heauen what neede is there then of much busines why doost thou runne this way that way and endeuorest to do workes whereby thou mayst prepare thee a seate in heauen which they especially doe that murmure vp many Rosaries and doe continually extoll the mother of God in mouth onely but in hart thinke more euil of her then of all others not onely of her but of Christ him selfe also the Lord and Sauiour Wherefore commit this so to memorie that ye may be certainly perswaded that whatsoeuer dependeth of any other then of that child it is all damnable otherwise the Angell had lyed This must be compted for most certaine without any addition neither are these trifles to be weied to witte that this sufficeth not that thou doost beleeue moe thinges are to be added Forasmuch then as the Angell sayth that this child doth all and that he is the Sauiour and if he be not that all labour is lost tell me how can it follow that some thing is to be done of thee when it is already done before Doost thou goe about to doe any thinge that thou mayst obtaine him That child suffereth not him selfe to be apprehended and obtayned by workes for albeit thou heape together workes notwithstanding thou doost not yet enioy the child Moreouer thy works be vncleane by which such a great treasure can not be gotten no though they were euen holy But he is to be apprehēded in hart so that thou beleeue and say to the Angel I beleeue that it is true which thou sayest and nothing at all douting I count this childe for a Sauiour borne vnto me And this part wherof we haue now spoken pertaineth to faith Now we haue here also an other part pertayning to Christian life namely charitie that workes may not be reiected If thou wilt doe workes doe them not in that respect that thou perswade thy selfe that thou doost obtayne any thing of God by them A most excellent example to be followed of all Christians in doing of good workes But follow this example such a one as Christ hath shewed him selfe to thee be thou also towarde thy neighbour If thou doe more nearely consider the example of Christ thou shalt finde nothing but meere loue Whereas he humbleth him selfe and is borne in so great pouertie that declareth nothing but loue toward thee which moued him to become a seruaunt for thy sake as Paule Philip. 2. sayth who knew that he might remayne in diuine glory Now this he did for thy commoditie he bowed his eies to thy miserie and calamitie which art so miserable a man wholy damnable abounding with sinne thy natiuitie is vncleane thy misery is on euery side most great thou hast deserued nothing but the wrath of God eternall damnation If thou hadst bene a Carthusian Monke a thowsand yeares thou couldest not deliuer thy self from this miserye and damnation But Christ is able to helpe thee he is rich and hath strength sufficient seeing therefore he can doe such thinges he doth them willingly and with pleasure Loue enforceth him so farre that he employeth all thinges for thy sake and bestoweth whatsoeuer he hath for thee Forasmuch then as Christ sheweth so great loue toward thee and giueth vnto
vnto vs the couenant made to Abraham Thus he sayth to Abraham By my selfe haue I sworne sayth the Lorde that in blessing I will blesse thee And in thy seede c. Which words the Prophets diligently held marked hādled alwaies trusted vnto them for that he doth here solemnly sweare that he might wholy assure vs that he would poure forth his blessing vpon vs. And now the time is present the hower is come wherein he hath sworne that saluation should come vnto vs as it is declared Mar. 16. Goe ye into all the world preach the Gospell to euery creature he that shall beleue be baptised shall be saued but he that will not beleeue Abraham merited not the promise shall be damned Men surely haue not merited it no not Abraham him selfe who was not made partaker of the promise seeing that he died long before the fulfilling thereof In spirit in deede and faith he was partaker of it but he liued not so long til the Gospel was reuealed to the whole world The promise therfore was made vnto him although as I haue sayd he looked not for the fulfilling therof in this life That is his life was not prolonged vntill the preaching of the Gospell in the whole world although in faith he obtained the Gospell for him selfe Wherefore it can not be sayd that that promise was due to his merits otherwise he must haue liued in the earth vntill the fulfilling thereof and a due price or reward must haue bene payd vnto him But now the performing of the promise was after his death so that euery one must needes confesse that that promise was not made to Abraham because of his merits Againe it can not be sayd The Gentiles merited not the enioying of the promise that the Gentiles which enioy this promise haue obtained it by their merits which then were not God promiseth to the fathers and performeth not he performeth to the Gentiles to whom notwithstāding no promise was made who all at that time were not God will alwayes retayne to him self his honour and be the same God although the wicked world can not be so perswaded He chasteneth reproueth rebuketh prouoketh stirreth allureth doth whatsoeuer is to be done but the worldlings rob him of his honour and attribute it to them selues that is they will not acknowledge that whatsoeuer they possesse or haue it commeth vnto them by the only grace of God When therefore we glory of such good thinges acknowledge not God to be the author and giuer of them we make our selues as God and him as our seruaunt So he is dishonoured and the honour attributed vnto vs. But albeit we make marchandize of his honour yet he hath affirmed in the Scriptures that he will keepe his honour and glorye onely to him selfe that so he may be acknowledged to giue all things of his meere and only grace These thinges he that beleueth doth also receiue them he that doth not beleue shall at the lēgth receiue his due reward Zacharias sayth moreouer Verse 74. That we being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies might serue him without feare Verse 75. All the dayes of our life in holines and righteousnes before him He hath defined the nature and propertie of this kingdom that is the couenant made with Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed c. Which words of blessing thus sayth he I will interpret vnto you that being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies we may serue him without feare all our life long in holines and righteousnes before him Which to the world and our flesh sauoureth not well For the world thus murmureth here I had thought that he woulde haue giuen vs some pretious thing as a purse well stuffed with money a rich wife fayre and bewtifull children goodly houses and whatsoeuer the world is delighted in But now I perceiue it to be otherwise I heare that we must without feare serue him in holines righteousnes and so please him Wherefore it shall be meete that we apply hereunto spirituall eyes and eares that we may more rightly consider and vnderstand the wordes Whereas he sayth that he will deliuer vs from all our enemies it is againe thus to be vnderstood that this kingdom is placed in the middes of enemies and notwithstanding that it is not therefore destroyed but that alwayes all the enemies and aduersaries thereof are ouercome We must vnderstand also that the deliuerance from our enemies tendeth hereunto that we should alwayes obey him that deliuereth vs without any feare And this is a Christian thing an amiable kingdom that a Christian shall leade his life without feare Howbeit God hath bestowed this vpon vs that we should hereafter serue him alone The words without feare include in them that we shall quietly enioy the good thinges of this present world A Christian how he liueth without feare of the world to come For a Christian is sure and certaine of the forgiuenes of his sinnes although he as yet feeleth them as we haue sayd a litle before He is certaine that death hath no power in him that Satan doth not ouercome him that the worlde can not preuaile against him Such a hart is without all perill and feare plainly free from them Which doe not thou so vnderstand as though we do not feele sinne at all but that we are greatly grieued when sinnes trouble vs when the image or sight of death terrifieth vs when as being reproched and sclaundered of the world we stand as destitute and haue none in this earth to whom we may turne vs or resort for succour but God alone These thinges in deede are felt but they doe not preuaile nor ouercome vs for the hart notwithstanding remaineth safe and quiet in God So pouertie also is felt when thou art pinched with hunger hast not wherewithall to fill thy belly to maintaine thy wife and bringe vp thy children nor any certaine place where to dwell and abide but all these thinges shall not hurt thee thou must aske of God whatsoeuer thou needest serue him without feare as our present text declareth But herein we doe for the most part behaue our selues not as Christians we iudge after our owne affection and sense according as the world doth blame vs or report euill of vs. Also when our fieldes haue no corne no money is in our purse we thinke our selues vtterly destitute and forsaken But a true Christian with shut eyes and eares sayth with Paule speaking to the Galathians O flesh sinne death ye are dead vnto me Gal. 2. 6. and I againe am dead vnto you that Christ may liue in me The world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde That is the worlde hath no care or regard of me and my preaching and life is mocked and scorned of it But with the same measure that thou measurest vnto me I will measure to
thy selfe from him all goodnes and loue Secondly thou plainly seest this also how by all maner of outward signes meanes he poureth forth his ioy and vnspeakeable goodnes and also hauing found his sheepe how louing he sheweth himselfe For surely he dealeth not with it by any law as by his right he might deale and driue it before him as he doth the rest or suffer it to go by him Howbeit he doth none of these but layeth it vpon his shoulders and all the iourny carieth it through the desert taking all the labour and trouble vpon himselfe that at the lest wise the sheepe may rest Neither doth he it grudginly but willingly for he is full of ioy for his sheepe recouered Now marke this also how wel it goeth with the shepe with how great quietnes and ease it lyeth on his shepeheards shoulders neither doth it vnwillingly see it selfe resting so sweetly being deliuered from the difficulty of the iourney as also voyd of all feare both of dogs and woulues that is of all errours and lyes yea and of all perils and mischiefes And this surely deserueth to be called a very pleasaunt picture exceeding amiable and comfortable to be looked vpon No otherwise doth our Lord Iesus Christ deale with vs whiles he deliuereth vs which he hath once done corporally by his passion and death but now doth eftsoones the same by his power and spiritually by the preaching of his word Wherefore he layeth vs vpon his shoulders carieth and defendeth vs so that we are safe from all perils of death and the deuell which albeit they terrifie vs and shew themselues so as though they would denour vs yet preuaile they nothing For whereas we are caried it is a safegard vnto vs and the same exempteth vs from all daungers and putteth awaye all feare As the shepe lying vpon the shepeheards shoulders is litle careful though the dogs barke much and the woulfe craftily goeth vp and downe but rather hanging downe the head is quiet and sleepeth soundly If we beleue assuredly in Christ Iesus we need not feare the deuell rage he neuer so sore So we also if we stand and abyde vnmoueably in this article I beleeue in Iesus Christ our Lord who suffred died rose againe for vs c. there is no cause why we should be carefull lest we perish or be deuoured of the deuell though he open his iaws neuer so wide For we are not then in our own waye neither walke we vpon our owne feete but we hange vpon the necke of our shepeheard and lye vpon his shoulders where we are safe enough For sinne death and hell although in deede they be terrible yet dare they not set vpon him otherwise if it were not for this we should be miserable shepe which should forthwith be brought into a lamētable and wretched case For euen as a shepe can not take heede and foresee to it selfe that it stray not out of the way vnles it be led of the shepeheard when it hath strayed and is lost can not by it selfe come againe to the shepeheard but must be sought and enquired for of him vntill he hath found it and so must be layd vpō his shoulders and brought home againe lest that it be againe frayed and chased from him or catcht of the woulfe and rent in pieces So we also our selues can profite our selues neither by helpe nor counsel that we might obtaine peace and quietnes of conscience and escape out of the hands of the deuell death and hell except Christ himselfe repeat his word vnto vs and call vs againe vnto him And although we come vnto him and now stand in faith yet is it not in our powre to keepe our selues therein or to stand by our owne strength vnles he eftsoones by the power of his Word hold lift vp and carie vs for that the deuell alwayes imagineth and purposeth deceit and destruction toward vs and goeth about like a roring lyon seeking whom he may deuour as S. Peter witnesseth Wherefore here is no place to boast of free will or of our owne strength which is none neither in beginning any thing neither in going forward therein much lesse in perseuering or continuing in it but Christ our shepeheard alone doth all things Howbeit we are sure hereof that whiles we lye vpon the shoulders of Christ we shall remayne safe from all terrour and misfortune For he will not suffer vs to be plucked or taken from his necke neither will he himselfe cast vs of being so glad and ioyfull that he hath found his lost shepe and brought it againe to the rest of the flocke And in a summe here is no terrour or trouble or exaction but mere life and grace whereby he handleth his shepe most louingly and gently But on the contrarie Moses not as a shepeheard of miserable and weake sheepe but as a maister of stronger cattell driueth his heards with a staffe and a rod three dayes iourney through the desert vntill they be tyred and wearie with walking of this shepeheard those hardedened and wilde ones are to be tamed and bridled And we also when we shal be vnder Moses to wit according to the flesh and the outward life must goe and do that which the law requireth But in that we are and are called Christians we must by no meanes suffer that any worke be layed vpon vs yea or exacted of vs but must giue our selues onely to Christ to be caried and gentlely lifted vp not vpon horses and charrets but euen vpon his onely shoulders Whē Christ carieth vs vpō his shoulders Which commeth to passe as I haue sayd when he suffreth the word to be preached vnto vs and we also beleeue the same that he died for vs that on the crosse he bare our sinnes in his body that he hath ouerthrowne the deuell death and synnes and put them vnder his feete and hath made and opened vnto vs entraunce to eternall life Wherefore we must not haue respect to our owne life how righteous and strong we are but we must studie vpon his one thing that we may rest lying vpon his shoulders In this circle we must haue no care of synne death life or pensiuenes inasmuch as we haue all things to the full in Christ who beareth and keepeth vs. Now he is not content with all these things both that with such great trauell he seeketh his shepe and also that hauing found it Exceeding ioy because of the sheepe which was lost and is foūd againe he carieth it with incredible ioy but it being brought againe he maketh festiual dayes exceedingly reioyceth calling togither his neighbours and friendes that they may reioyce with him Yea he affirmeth that God also in heauen with the whole heauenly host do reioyce ouer one synner that repenteth In which wordes he sheweth and declareth who he is which deserueth to be called his lost shepe namely such a synner as being led by repentaunce of his former life doth
that be his and the iudgement which we haue deserued he taketh vpon himselfe he suffered the punishment due vnto vs willingly making himselfe subiect to death and the curse that is to eternall damnation no otherwise then if he had transgressed the whole Lawe and had more then all deserued the sentence thereof against transgressours when as he did not onely not breake the Lawe but himselfe alone fulfilled it yea and fulfilled it when as he ought nothing to it so that he suffered otherwise then he deserued in two respects both for that he had ought nothing to the Lawe if he had not obserued it and also for that moreouer he most diligently obserued it so that if the Law had had especiall dominion ouer him yet had he come in no daunger thereof But on the other side whereas we suffer we suffer by double right both for that by the transgression of the Lawe we haue deserued all the punishment thereof also for that if we had deserued nothing yet being creatures we ought to be obedient to the will of our Creator Hereof it now plainly appeareth what this meaneth that Christ was made vnder the Lawe Why Christ was made vnder the Law that he might redeeme them which liue vnder the lawe for our sakes for our sakes I say and not for his owne he performed that and that of no necessitie but of his great loue toward vs and thereby he hath declared his vnspeakeable both goodnes and mercy toward vs being made accursed for vs that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the lawe He willingly made himselfe subiect to the iudgement of the lawe did himselfe beare the sentēce pronounced against vs that as many of vs as do beleeue in him might be free for euer Whereby marke what an incomparable treasure faith bringeth vnto thee By fayth we enioy an incomparable treasure whereby thou enioyest Christ and all his workes that thou mayst trust vnto them no otherwise then if thou thy selfe hadst done them For Christ did them not for himselfe whom surely they could profit nothinge he hauing no neede of any thinge but by them he layd vp the treasure of saluation for vs whereunto we should trust and being made blessed might enioye it With which fayth also the spirit of the sonnes commeth which beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the sonnes and heires of God What should God nowe adde vnto these How can a mynde hearing these thinges containe it selfe that it should not loue God againe with a most ardent affection and be most sweetely delighted in him What in any wise maye come to be done or suffered which thou wouldest not willingly take vpon thee with exceeding ioye and most high prayse of God with a reioycing and triumphing mynde Which mynde if thou wantest it is a certaine argument of a faint or surely a dead fayth for the greater thy fayth is so much more ready also and willinge is thy mynde to those thinges which God either sendeth or commaundeth This in deede is the true deliueraunce from the Lawe and the damnation of the Lawe that is from synne and death which deliueraunce commeth to vs by Christ Yet not so that there is nowe no lawe or death but that they do not now trouble the beleeuers any thinge that is they are as though they were not For the Lawe can not conuince them of synne neither can death confound them but by fayth they most happily passe from synne and death to righteousnes and life Here Munkes Nunnes c were to be exhorted if there were as yet left any place with them for counsell and admonition that they would obserue their ordinaunces How mens ordinances ceremonies c. are to be obserued ceremonies prayers apparell and such like as Christ obserued the lawe by which meanes surely they should bring vnto them no damnation That is that they would set the faith of Christ in the first place and commit the rule of their heart vnto him acknowledgeing that by that fayth onely they do obtaine righteousnes and saluation and that all their ordinaunces workes do auaile nothing hereunto Againe that they would make themselues subiect to them of their owne accord in no other respect then that by them they might serue their neighbours and subdue the arrogancie of the flesh But now seing they are occupied in them with this double erroneous opinion as though they were necessarie to saluation and righteousnes and if they did not obserue them they should grieuously synne they are vnto them a most certaine destruction nothing but delusion and synne whereby with their great affliction they draw vnto hell where they shall fully suffer the vexations and torments vnder the Abbat the deuell which being miserable and foolish men they haue here begon For all their life doth vtterly disagree with the fayth of the sonnes and that which belongeth onely to fayth to wit to iustifie and saue vs they attribute to their workes Wherefore these men can not both thus sticke vnto their ordinances and therewithall haue faith which suffereth it selfe to be addicted to no certaine workes but what thinges soeuer the Lord either sendeth or commaundeth or the necessitie and neede of our neighbour requireth it suffreth and doth them with great willingnes ioy These he that is endued with faith counteth his workes hauing in the meane season no regard of Masses or fasting which some appoint to certaine dayes of choise of apparell of meates of persons of places and such like yea he greatly disalloweth of these inasmuch as they trouble Christian libertie These thinges shall suffize to haue bin spoken concerning the exposition of this place of Paul where about the matter it selfe required to spend so many wordes forasmuch as the nature of faith is so vnknowen For vnles thou do well vnderstand the nature of faith thou shalt perceiue nothing or very litle in the writinges of Paul Verse 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Here we see verie plainly that the holy Ghost commeth vnto the Saincts by no workes but by faith alone for Paul saith And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit 〈◊〉 Sōnes beleeue when seruaunts onely worke sonn̄es are free from the Lawe seruaunts are held vnder the Lawe as appeareth plainly by those thinges that are before spoken But how commeth it to passe that he saith Because ye are sonnes A question God hath sent forth the Spirit c. seeing it is before said that by the comming of the spirit we are chaunged from seruaunts vnto the state of sonnes so that the spirit must be first sent vnto vs before we are sonnes But here as though we could be sonnes before the comming of the spirit The answer he sayth Because ye are sonnes c. To this question we must aunswere that Paul speaketh here after the same sort that he
sea and from al tempest For this is the chiefe vertue and cunning of faith that it seeth those thinges which are not seene or felt and seeth not those thinges which are felt yea which are now sore vpon vs and doe presse vrge vs. As on the contrary side diffidence seeth nothing but that which it feeleth neither can it rest vpon any other thing but that which it feeleth For this cause those thinges are of God layd vpon faith which the whole world is not able to beare as sinnes death the world and the deuil neither suffereth he it to be occupied with small matters For who flieth not death who is not terrified ouercome of it The force of faith whereby death the world Satan and sinne are ouercome Against this inuincible faith standeth yea it couragiously setteth vpon it which otherwise tameth all thinges and ouercommeth and swalloweth vp that vnsatiable deuourer of life So euen the whole world is not able to bring vnder and subdue the flesh but it rather bringeth vnder and maketh the world subiect vnto it beareth rule ouer it so that he liueth carnally whosoeuer is of the world But faith subdueth this subduer of all other holdeth it in subiection and teacheth it not onely to be ruled but also to obey Likewise who is able to beare the hatred and furie ignominie and persecution of the worlde who doth not yeelde vnto it and is oppressed with it But faith euen laugheth at all the iniquitie rage and furie thereof and maketh that vnto it selfe matter of spirituall ioy wherewith other are euen killed It doth no otherwise behaue it selfe against Satan also Who is able to ouercome him which practizeth so many craftes and wiles wherby he stayeth and hindereth the truth the worde of God faith and hope and soweth against them innumerable errours sects delusions heresies desperations superstitions and such kind of abominations without number All the worlde is to him as a sparke of fire to a fountaine of water it is wholy subdued vnto him in these euills as alas we both see and trie But it is faith which troubleth him for it is not onely not made subiect to his delusions but it also discouereth and confoundeth them that they be no more of any importance that they are able to doe nothing but doe vanish away as we haue experience at this day by the decaying and vanishing of the Papacie and indulgences Finally sinne hath that force that that which is euen the least can not be appeased or extinguished of any creature that it doth not gnawe and teare the conscience yea if all men should goe about togither to comfort the conscience wherein sinne hath begun to liue they should goe about it in vaine But faith is that noble Champion which ouercommeth and extinguisheth euery sinne yea if all the sinnes which the whole world hath committed from the beginning were layde vpon one heape it would extinguish and abolish them all togither Is not faith therefore most mightie and of incomparable strength which dareth encounter with so many and so mightie enemies and beareth away the certaine victorie Wherefore Iohn sayth in his first Epistle chap. 5 This is that victorie that hath ouercome this world euen our faith Howbeit this victorie commeth not with rest and quietnes Faith obtayneth not the victorie ouer the enemies of our soules without sore fight conflicts we must trie the fight not without blood and woundes that is we must needes feele sinne death the flesh the deuill and the world yea and that assayling vs so grieuously and with so great force that the hart of man doe thinke that he is past all hope that sinne hath ouercome and the deuill gotten the vpper hande and on the contrary side very litle feele the force of faith We see an example of this fight here in the Disciples for the waues did not onely strike the ship but did euen couer it that nothing could be now loked for but that it should be drowned especially Christ being asleepe and knowing not of this perill all hope was then past life seemed to be ouercome and death appeared to haue the victorie But as it fel out with the Disciples in this tentation so also doth it fall out and must fall out with all the godly in all kind of tentations which are of sinne the deuill and the world In the tentation of sinne we must needes feele the conscience thrall vnto sinnes the wrath of God and hellish paynes to hange ouer vs and all thinges to be in that case as though we were past all recouerie Likewise when we haue conflict with the deuill it must appeare as though truth shoulde giue place to errour and Satan shoulde driue the worde of God out of the whole worlde and he him selfe reigne for a God with his delusions deceits Neither standeth the case any otherwise when it commeth to passe that we are tryed of the world it must needes be that it should greatly rage and cruelly persecute vs so that it shall seeme that no man at all is able to stand that no man is able to obtayne safetie or profes his faith that Cain onely shall beare rule and suffer his brother in no place Albeit we be in daunger great distres yet must we not be discouraged but beleeue that we shall be deliuered But we must not iudge according to such feeling and outward appearance of things but according to faith The present example ought to stirre vs vp hereunto to be receiued of vs in steede of speciall comfort For we learne hereof that albeit sinnes doe vrge vs death disquiet vs the world rage against vs and the deuill lay snares for vs that is although the waues doe couer the ship yet we must not be discouraged For although thy conscience being wounded doth feele sinne and the wrath and indignation of God yet shalt thou not therefore be plunged in hell Neither shalt thou therefore die although euen the whole world hate and persecute thee and gape so wide to deuoure thee as the morning spreadeth forth it selfe They are onely waues which falling vpon thy ship doe terrifie thee and compell thee to crie out we perish Lord saue vs. Thou hast therefore in the former part of this text the nature of faith set forth how it is wont and ought to behaue it selfe in tentation also howe desperate a thinge diffidence is and nothing to be counted of The other part commendeth vnto vs loue in Christ whereby he was brought so farre that he brake of his sleepe arose and counted the daunger that his Disciples were in for his owne and helped them freely asking or looking for nothing of them therefore Euen as it is the nature of Christian loue to doe all things freely and of good will to the glorie of God and profit of our neighbours The nature of Christian loue seeking to it selfe nothing thereby For the exercising of which loue man adopted
in daunger by too much honger and watching or the true puritie of life by ouermuch abstinence from matrimoniall companie but we must vse these thinges with knowledge that is with conuenient wisedome and discretion that they may not any whit hurt but alwayes edifie Whereupon Paule 1. Cor. 7. expressely admonisheth maried folkes that they abstaine not ouermuch from mutuall companie lest that they be tempted of Satan In all these therefore in fastings watchings labours chastitie c the Apostle would prescribe and appoint no rule lawe or measure which the councels of the Pope and Monkes do but the meane or measure to be obserued in them he left free to euerie mans knowledge and discretion that euerie one may consider with himselfe how much or long he must labour fast watch or abstaine to this ende that the flesh may be camed and made obedient to the spirit In long suffering in kindnes in the holy Spirit What the two former are the Apostle hath at large sufficiently declared Rom. 2. Gal. 5. But whereas he saith In the holy Spirit it may be vnderstood after two sorts either that he speaketh of the holy Ghost God himselfe or that he meaneth by the holy spirit the true force and maner of a spirituall life as though he would admonish in this maner Beware of an hypocriticall spirit which wil be counted for a holy spirit through a meruelous shew and craftie counterfaiting of spirituall thinges when it is in deede an vncleane prophane and an euell spirit and bringeth in nothing but sects and heresies A true spirituall life But liue ye in the true holy spirit which is giuen of God which giueth and maintaineth vnitie one mynde heart and affection whereof he speaketh also Eph. 4 Endeuour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace They therefore which perseuer in the same true faith mynde and sentence behaue themselues as the ministers of God in the holy spirit being truly spirituall and liuing a spirituall life For a syncere spirituall life which is led by the assistaunce of the holy spirit of God is also led in the vnitie of myndes the hearts by faith being affected after the same sort In loue vnfained in the word of truth As he set the holy spirit against heretikes and false Prophets so he setteth vnfained loue against slouthfull and sluggish Christians who albeit they haue the same meaning and mynde in the true spirituall life as concerning opinions of doctrine yet are they remisse colde and faint in loue So he setteth the word of truth against them which abuse the word of God and interpret it according to their owne affectiōs that thereby they may get them a name and profit For as false spirits do contemne the word of the Scripture and preferre themselues before it so these do in deede boast of the word and wil be counted maisters of the Scripture but by their interpretations do peruert the sense and meaning thereof Against these Peter speaketh If any man speake let him speake as the wordes of God that is let him take heede that he be certaine that those wordes which he speaketh be the wordes of God and not his owne vaine imagination Now Paule calleth that here the word of truth which that is syncere word of God The word of truth not which is vnsyncere fained which forasmuch as it is ours is falsly called the word of God For that which we call the true right word the Hebrewes call the word of truth In the power of God In spirituall functions matters of saluation we must do nothing but that which we are certain that God worketh by vs. Of this power Peter also speaketh 1. Pet. 1. If any man minister let him do it as of the abilitie which God ministreth And Paule Coloss 1 Whereunto I also labour and striue according to his working which worketh in me mightely Againe Rom. 15 I dare not speake of anything which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient c. Christians must be certaine that they are the kingdome of God and do nothing at all especially in spirituall functions and those thinges that pertaine to the saluation of soules whereof they are not certaine that it is not they which worke but God that worketh by them For in the kingdome of God it is meete that God alone do speake commaund do dispose and worke all thinges This Christ ment wen he said Matth. 5 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen as the author of them which doth them and not you By the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour c. This armour he describeth more at large in the Epistle to the Ephesians Thessalonians He rehearseth there the girdle of veritie The spiritual armour of a Christian the brest plate of righteousnes the shoes of preparation to preach the Gospell the shield of faith the helmet of saluation c. This armour of righteousnes he calleth in his Epistle to the Ephesians the armour of God both are to this ende that he may turne Christians from corporall and prophane armour and admonish them that they are a spirituall people and therefore must be furnished with spirituall armour wherewith they must alwayes fight a spirituall fight with spirituall enemies which here he rehearseth and sheweth that they do assaile vs both on the right hand and on the left The enemies of Christians which assaile them on the left hand On the left hand he setteth dishonour euell report and that we are counted as deceiuers vnknowen dying chastened sorrowing poore hauing nothing For all these thinges come vnto Christians they are openly defamed being reproched to their face and by infamie falsly accused and railed on counted as deceiuers and followers of most wicked trades They are as vnknowne although noble all refusing to be friends with them because of the perilous confession of the name of Christ yea it manie times commeth to passe that they that were their most familiar friends are ashamed of them for that they haue so euell a report and are verie ill spoken of among the chiefe richest wisest and mightiest of the world They are dying that is as sheepe appointed to the slaughter they looke for death euery moment by reason of the great hatred and enuie which the euell beare toward them being alwayes persecuted of the chiefe of the world They are chastened for it often times falleth out that they are striken and beaten and do by other discommodities trie how they are enuied of the world and how great indignation the mightie of the world beare against them They are as sorrowing for all outward thinges are against them and the whole world giueth many causes of griefes vnto them They are as poore for there is no man of the world which will giue them any
which being neglected we ought to haue cleaued onely to Christ Hereupon S. Paule sayth that the Gospell was promised of God by the Prophetes concerning his sonne He reduceth and bringeth it into such a streight that in the Gospell nothing is of any importaunce which concerneth not Iesus Christ He that knoweth this let him giue thankes to God that he knoweth where he may seeke for consolation and helpe and in whom he may repose his trust Christ in this dayes Gospell is set forth vnto vs that he is conuersaunt in the myddest of the people and draweth all the world vnto himselfe with his gentlenes and sweete doctrine that they maye cleaue vnto him in their heart that they maye commit themselues to his goodnes and hope that they shall obtaine of him both spirituall and corporall good thinges Neither dothe he receiue any thinge of them vpon whom he bestoweth benefites nay he obtaineth nothing of them but ignominie and scorning as is declared in this text A benefite proceedeth from him for which he receiueth a mocke and reproch Why the Gospell is preached Nowe the Gospell is preached and offered to the whole world that we may learne to know this man well and how we must be made Christians and not how we must be made good Other treatises besyde the Gospell teach of those thinges whereby men may be made good as the writinges of the Philosophers and the rules of the ciuill lawe The liues also of the Saincts haue especiall respecte vnto this that men may imitate them It belongeth not to the Gospell to make good men but to make Christian men For it is farre more excellent to be a Christian then an honest and good man A Christian can say nothing of his owne goodnes or righteousnes for he fyndeth in himselfe nothinge either good or righteous but he must flie to the righteousnes which is an others and which commeth vnto him from an other Hereupon Christ is sette forth vnto vs as a continuall fountaine which alwayes ouerfloweth with meere goodnes and grace for which he receiueth nothinge of vs but that the godly do acknowledge so great goodnes and grace doe giue him thankes for the same doe prayse and loue him others in the meane season mocking him such a reward he receiueth of them A Christian whereof so called Wherefore one is not therefore called a Christian for that he worketh much for there is an other thinge which is cause hereof namely for that he receiueth and draweth from Christ If one receiueth nothing any more of Christ neither is he any more a Christian so that the name of a Christian commeth onely by receiuing and not by giuing or doing If thou thinke that because of thy workes and deedes thou art a Christian thou hast euen then lost the name of Christ Good workes in deede are to be done counsell thereunto is to be giuen and receiued but no man is therefore called a Christian neither is any therefore a Christian Wherefore if any will more inwardly weye this name in this respect onely a Christian is to be acknowledged inasmuch as he receiueth of Christ alone Euen as one is called white of the whitenes that is in him blacke of the blacknes great of his stature so a Christian is called of Christ whom he hath in himselfe and of whom he receiueth that which is good Now if one be named a Christian of Christ he taketh not that name of his owne workes whereupon it plainly also foloweth that no man is made a Christian by workes Which if it be true as it is true and certaine it shall folow that Orders and Sects doe nothinge pertaine to the name of Christ neither doe make a Christian Wherefore they which preach or teach in the Church and ordaine preceptes workes and decrees are deceiuers who albeit they pretend a Christian name yet profite they nothinge for vnder the colour of that name they endeuour to burden and oppres vs with commaundements and workes Of workes giuing thy selfe to fasting and prayers thou mayest be called abstinent and temperat but by no meanes a Christian For although thou didest laye all thy workes togither yea and ioynedst the works of all other to thine yet neither so hast thou Christ neither art thou therefore called a Christian Christ is a certaine other more excellent thinge then either the lawe or mans tradition He is the sonne of God who is ready to giue onely not to receiue when as I am such a one that I do receiue of him I haue him also whom if I haue I am by good right called a Christian Moreouer the Gospel preacheth Christ also to be the greatest and most highly exalted person in the world not that he doth terrifie men but that he poureth forth all earthly and heauenly good thinges so that all men must trust in him must haue their hope reposed in him and alwayes receiue onely of him If any synne terrifie me in my conscience and the preachers of the lawe endeuour to helpe me with their workes they shall preuaile nothinge with me For then Christ alone can helpe and none besyde him yea others make the case worse whether it be Peter or Paule or the blessed virgine Marie her selfe the mother of God For Christ onely perfourmeth all thinges who in his word declareth that if I beleeue my synne is forgiuen me freely without all both worke and merit by pure grace through fayth in Christ Which word when I shall receiue I receiue also comfort that my synnes be forgiuen me as well before God as before men and I therefore giue thankes to God through Christ which giueth the holy Ghost and his grace vnto me that sinne may not hurt me neither here nor in the last iudgement If I feare death and would not die willingly in this Christ I shall finde comfort and remedie that I shall not greatly passe for death If because of the wrath of God I be afraid he is my Mediator And to be briefe he that hath not this Christ the wrath of God alwaies remaineth ouer him and in that state he standeth Wherefore he that desireth to haue a glad conscience A glad conscience how it is obtained which is not afraid of sinne death hell and the wrath of God must take heede that he repose his trust in this Mediator Christ For he is a fountaine abounding with grace which giueth both temporall and eternall life Endeuour thou to thinke and feele him euen in thy hart to be such a one then shalt thou obtaine all thinges for he aboundeth and ouerfloweth neither can he but giue flowe and abound if that thou canst beleeue Then also shalt thou be a right Christian howbeit by receiuing onely of Christ and not by giuing It is a verie rich and precious word which Paule prayseth so greatly neither can he euer prayse it sufficiently whereby God so gently offereth his sonne that he maye poure forthe his grace vpon all which doe
me That is ye beleeue that God loueth you and will glorifie you beleeue that he will do it after that sort that ye see me glorified and beleeue that this my death is life to the glorifying both of me and of my whole body that is of all Christians and that this death satisfieth for the synnes of the world as the Apostles afterward witnessed of him in their writinges 1. Iohn 2.2 Thus Iohn sayth Christ is the reconciliation for our synnes and not for ours onely but also for the synnes of the whole worlde Wherefore thou seest that Christ here will haue heartes confirmed by faith and by no other outward thinge He sayth moreouer In my Fathers house are many dwelling places These dwelling places haue bin prepared from euerlasting neither is there any neede that they should be prepared of him Why therefore doth he say I go to prepare a place for you This is nothinge els but that he goeth and is made Lord of all whereby he may prepare vs vnto such dwelling places For as long as we are not prepared neither are the dwelling places prepared for vs although they be ready by themselues Wherefore Christ meaneth thus much There are dwelling places but not yet prepared rightly and as they must be Howbeit then shal they be rightly prepared and appointed whē as I haue taken away the kingdome of death by my death and am now gone to reigne and that by the holy Ghost which by fayth shall prepare and wholy make ready you also vnto such dwelling places So that this is the simple and plaine meaning of these wordes There are dwelling places to wit where the Father glorifieth but those dwelling places are not yet prepared for that the kingdome of death is not yet taken away This Christ signifieth when he sayth If it were not so I would haue told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also In these wordes the Lord declareth how these dwelling places be prepared namely by the death of Christ as it is sayde by which he came vnto glorie and ruleth ouer all thinges which are in heauen and earth By which death he hath obtayned the holy Ghost for vs which as is before sayde may prepare vs vnto these dwelling places For through his operation and working in vs he maketh vs beleeue the Gospell by which beleeuing or faith we are prepared Which could not be done if Christ should not depart and dye and so possesse a kingdome ouer all This therefore is the summe of this text They are foreseene whome the Father will glorifie but they can not be glorified but by Christ who vnles he take away death and sinne all shall be in vaine Here thou seest that all tend vnto this that Christ is he which prepareth the dwelling places and that we can not be glorified but by Christ so that the whole drift of this text is that we are not iustified by mans strength nor by our owne merits but by Christ which the whole Epistle to the Romanes effectually declareth as also that which is written to the Galathians almost all that Paule doth in his Epistles tendeth to the same ende It followeth moreouer And whither I goe ye knowe and the way ye knowe For ye beleeue in me and haue shewed signes in my name whereby ye ought nowe to be certaine who I am and what I doe and wherefore I am come Ye haue also seene and heard the testimonie of the Father of me Wherefore ye may nowe knowe that the Father will glorifie me and beleeue that I and the Father are one it shoulde be therefore superfluous to speake more of these thinges But the Disciples albeit they were well instructed of the Lorde him selfe and had seene his miracles yea and they them selues also had preached the Gospell and wrought miracles were notwithstanding as yet somewhat grosse in vnderstanding neither did they perceiue whereof he here spake and what was that way and whither the Lorde did prepare to depart Wherefore Thomas bursteth forth into open wordes and confesseth freely that he is ignorant hereof and sayth thus vnto the Lord Lord we knowe not whither thou goest hovve can we then knovve the vvay Here ye heare and see that albeit there was faith in the Disciples notwithstanding they were not as yet persuaded that Christ shoulde be crucified and by his death shoulde enter into his kingdome and that the same kingdom should be spirituall which they did not vnderstand euen after the resurrection of the Lord Act. 1.6 Lorde say they wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israell Those good men were as yet persuaded that it should be a carnall worldly kingdom Such grosse things may here and there be found in the Gospels by meanes whereof the Disciples did sometime notably stumble and erre Comfort for them that be weake in faith and sometime through infirmitie fall All which were committed to writing for our comfort confirmation that we should not be by and by discouraged when we haue sometime stumbled in faith and can not at the first apply our selues to the workes and word of the Lorde If this happened to these great mē which afterward shoulde become pillers of Christianitie there is no cause truely that any should meruell if we also sometime faint in faith yea and let no man be afrayd although it falleth out that sometime through infirmitie he so doe It is the worke and matter of the Lorde he will amend these thinges when it seemeth good vnto him Now of the wordes we mind to entreate somewhat at large Not much before when Christ would confirme his Disciples in faith he promised them that they should be glorified Here he addeth and declareth how and by what meanes they must be glorified affirming that that must be by his departure that is by his death that by that meane he must obtaine his kingdome This he had often repeated vnto them so that now it did become them to know and vnderstand it Therefore he sayth VVhither I goe ye know and the way ye knowe but they did not yet throughly vnderstand it as the wordes of Thomas doe declare Now it is certaine that there was faith in the Disciples which the wordes of Peter proue who aunswered Christ in steede of the rest when he asked them whether they also would goe away Peter sayd Maister to whom shall we goe Ioh. 6.68 Thou hast the wordes of eternall life and we beleeue and knowe that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God This appeareth also by the wordes of the Lord which he had sayd to them a litle before at his supper Ye are cleane which he would not haue sayd if they had not beleued they knewe Christ therefore that he is the way to the Father So they knew the Father
of Bethlehem were Thou reuoluest in thy mind childish and altogether foolish cogitations Why doost thou not performe the like duties nowe Behold Christ walking before thee in thy neighbour do for him bestowe benefits vpon him whatsoeuer thou shalt bestow vpon thy neighbour which is needy and destitute of helpe that thou shalt bestow vpon Christ him selfe as he shall say in the last day to the elect Matth. 25.40 VVhatsoeuer ye haue done to one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me Wherfore it is a vaine and very foolish thing to admit such childish cogitations Let vs therefore at the last open our eyes let vs not heare examples of so great importance in vaine otherwise the time will come when we shall be grieuously punished But with what wordes did the Angell speake vnto the shepeheards the Euangelist sayth after this sort Then the Angell sayd vnto them Be not afraid for behold I bring you glad tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour vvhich is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a signe to you Ye shall find the babe svvadled and layd in a maunger Learne by these wordes of the Angell how to vse rightly the natiuitie of the Lord Christ neither let it suffice you to heare them onely A great treasure hidden in the earth or some other where is to no vse but if it be opened and occupied then is it profitable and precious Wherefore giue heede hereunto that thou mayst vse this natiuitie otherwise it shal be no commoditie and comfort vnto thee For whereas thou knowest the bare historie onely to witte what came to passe in his natiuitie and that he was borne needy and poore thou shalt take no greater commoditie hereby then if thou heare a historie written of the king of Fraunce or of some other puissant Prince whereby no commoditie or comfort should come vnto thee But how must we vse this natiuitie rightly and with frute What it is to vse the natiuitie of christ aright Our owne natiuitie of what sort it is Euen as I haue sayd if we be thus perswaded that he was borne for vs that his natiuitie is ours Our natiuitie is such that it altogether aboundeth with sinne as Dauid sayth Psal 51 Behold I was shapen in wickednes in sinne hath my mother conceiued me As if he would say here is nothing but sinne as well in the conception as in the birth whatsoeuer I bring with me from my mothers wombe it is wholly damnable it is due to death Satan hell Forasmuch then as our natiuitie skin heare are defiled what good can come therof This is our title which we haue receiued from Adam in this one thing we may glory and in nothing else at all namely that euery infant that is borne into this world is wholy in the power of sinne death Satan hel and eternall damnation our natiuitie is altogether miserable and on euery side to be lamented To deliuer vs from this natiuitie God sent an other natiuitie which it behoued to be pure without all spot that it might make this vncleane sinnefull natiuitie pure This is that natiuitie of the Lorde Christ his onely begotten sonne The natiuity of Christ Wherefore he woulde not haue him borne of flesh blood infected with synne but it behoued that he shoulde be borne of a pure Virgine He suffered no spot at all or sinne in his flesh but replenished it with the holy Ghost permitted nothing to sticke therein but those miseries which proceede of flesh and blood as hunger thirst aduersitie and death sinne excepted as the Epistle to the Heb. chap. 4. witnesseth that he was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne This is that most excellent thing which the Lord our God hath done for vs whereof none taketh any frute but he that beleeueth And none will easily beleeue this but he that feeleth of what sorte his owne natiuitie is He that hath no feeling of his owne miserie tasteth not of this natiuitie of Christ But if we feele our miserie it followeth forthwith that we cry with the Prophet Dauid and say Behold I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me for we feele our sinne and our euill natiuitie When death shall come vpon vs and our heart shal be touched with anguish grief thē at the last it may be that we would cast of this happy pure natiuitie and will excedingly thirst after it to enioy it But now when as we feele not our sinnes neither doe as yet tast of the bitternes of sinne it stideth coldly to the hart we heare it in deede but truely it doth not throughly enter vnto the hart For if a man did beleue that this natiuitie was for his commoditie he would feare neither sinne nor death Wherefore I haue sayd that a Christian must beleeue and dout nothing that the natiuitie of Christ is as well his as it is the Lord Christes And as he hath of the virgin pure blood and flesh so that he him selfe also is pure and that this virgin is his mother spiritually as she was the mother of Christ carnally Let the hart haue sure confidence in this perswasion otherwise it will be in an euil case This the Angell signifieth in these wordes when he sayth Vnto you he is borne Christ is borne vnto vs and is made wholy ours as if he sayd what soeuer he is and hath ye may chalenge it to your selues Also he is your Sauiour not that ye should onely looke vppon him but which is able to deliuer you from the tyrannie of sinne death Satan and all euell yea and how great soeuer he be he is borne vnto you and is yours with all that he hath Nowe forasmuch as he is myne and hath chaunged his natiuitie into myne his flesh blood also is myne he him selfe is myne with all wherewith he is endued so that I dare saye vnto his mother Beholde that child which thou hast brought forth is mine his flesh and blood are my flesh and blood yea and thou art my mother and I will be counted of thee for thy sonne for whatsoeuer Christ bringeth with him it must be myne euen as he himselfe is myne If so be that his natiuitie be myne being of a virgin and without synne replenished with the holy Ghost my natiuitie also must be of a virgin and pure from synne Here now Eue the first mother is no more my mother for it must needes be that that natiuitie doe vtterly die and perish that there may be no sinne remayning Here this mother Marie is to be set against that mother of whome I was borne in sinne And thus the Angel bringeth with him great ioy for it can not be but that the hart should be made glad when it enioyeth this Sauiour as his owne When
is called peaceable For Christ is truly called our king Salomō that is peaceable which hath restored peace vnto vs inwardly with God through faith in him and outwardly with our neighbours through loue whereby we liue friendly with all men and so by him we haue peace euery where both inwardly and outwardly in the earth Good will The third is good will of men Not that good will whereby we worke good workes but whereby we take in good part all thinges that happen whether they be good or euill sweete or sower and do receiue them with a quiet hart The Angells knew that the peace which they did sing of should be only among Christians which in all thinges doe depend vpon Christ and vsurpe nothing to them selues as their owne But in the meane season the world and Satan which doe exceedingly enuie them doe on euery side procure trouble vnto them and persecute them euen vnto the death so that they may looke for no peace or quietnes at all of these for Christ sayth Ioh. 16. In me ye shall haue peace but in the world ye shall haue affliction Therefore it was not enough for the Angells to haue soong peace in earth but it was to be added and good will towardes men that when they as much as they are able haue peace with all men and neuertheles are continually hated of all men and doe suffer persecution they may alwaies keepe a good wil wherby they may take all things in good parte and giue thankes to God Christians must beare persecution and trouble patiently howesoeuer he dealeth with them or suffereth them to be dealt with they may not murmure but resigne and commit them selues wholy to the will of God yea forasmuch as they knowe that God doth dispose gouerne all thinges whom they are sure that they haue a mercifull and most fauorable father vnto them through Christ they may euen reioyce be glad in persecutions according to that saying of Paule in the Epistle to the Romanes VVe reioyce in afflictions and persecutions For inasmuch as they haue a ioyfull conscience and a sure trust of the fauour of God they can not but count all thinges for the best whatsoeuer happen Behold what kinde of good will it is in all thinges whether they be prosperous or vnprosperous which the Angells doe here wish vnto men sing to be propper to the beleuers Where good will is not there peace can not continue Where such good will is wanting there peace can not long be Men take all thinges in the worse part they take nothing in good part but do alwayes increase and double the euil Hereupon howsoeuer God dealeth with them they like it not but require that they may be dealt otherwise with and so it falleth out as it is in Psal 18. with the pure thou shalt be pure and with the froward thou shalt be froward that is with him that counteth all thinges pure to him selfe and hath that good will in all thinges whereof we haue spoken thou also doost well agree inasmuch as he pleaseth thee and all good men But he that is froward so that neither thou nor those thinges that are thine doe like him can not but displease both thee and all good men Of this well pleasing one an other Paule speaketh 1. Cor. 10. Endeuour to please all men euen as I please all By what meanes shall this be done If thou take all thinges in good part and suffer others to please thee thou also againe shalt please others The matter may be comprehended in one word If thou wilt be liked of none nothing shall be liked of thee If thou wilt be liked of all How farre we may please men and submit our selues vnto them suffer that all thinges may be also liked of thee but so that thou doe not neglect the worde of the Lord. For that ought to be preferred before all without any regard had of all mē what pleaseth them or what displeaseth them But whatsoeuer may be done without transgressing the word of God giue place to all submit thy iudgement to the iudgement of others that thou mayst take euery thing in good part which shall chaunce vnto thee so thou shalt haue the good wil whereof the Angells did sing By this song it may be vnderstood what nature the Angells haue I omit those thinges which the Philosophers haue dreamed hereof here is so described what the Angells are that it can not be more fully done their hart and cogitations being declared The first thing to be considered in the Angells First with great ioy they sing prayses to God acknowledging all thinges to be due vnto him and therefore doe with an ardent mind and singing glorifie him As therefore thou wouldest thinke of a right lowly pure and obedient hart praysing God and alwayes enioying perpetuall gladnes in him so thinke also of the Angells and thou hast now the nature of Angells as much as they haue to doe with God The second thing which we ought to marke in the Angells The second thing to be considered in them is their loue towardes vs. Thinke that they are most louing toward vs which desire that it may goe as well with vs as with them selues they doe no lesse reioyce for our safetie then for their owne euen in this hymne full of loue to vs ward they declare them selues so affected toward vs that surely we may thinke and reioyce of them as of most louing friends This is to knowe the Angells truely not according to their essence whereof the Philosophers doe foolishly without frute babble many thinges but according to their hart and mind so that albeit I know not what their nature is in it selfe yet I know what is their chiefe desire and their continuall worke Thus much shall suffice at this tyme concerning the song of the Angells and the frute of the natiuitie of the child Iesus Christ God graunt vs his grace that we may print these thinges in our hart according vnto them also amend our life Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE EPIPHANIE OR APPEARING OF CHRIST Matth. 2. Verse 1. WHen Iesus then was borne at Bethlehem in Iudea in the dayes of Herod the Kinge beholde there came wise men from the East to Ierusalem 2. Saying where is that king of the Iewes that is borne for we haue seene his starre in the East and are come to worship him 3. When kinge Herod hearde this he was troubled and all Ierusalem with him 4. And gathering together all the chiefe Priestes and Scribes of the people he asked of them where Christ should be borne 5. And they sayde vnto him at Bethlehem in Iudea for so it is written by the Prophet 6. And thou Bethlehem in the lande of Iuda art not the least amonge the Princes of Iuda For out of thee shall come the gouernour that shal feede that my people Israell 7. Then Herod priuily
to come Now it is not giuen vnto them in this earth to goe so farre that they may say We are subiect to no vices we are cleane from all sinne if they shall goe so farre it is Satan that deceiueth them Notwithstanding they are sorie for their sinnes and doe lament them yea it grieueth them to the hart that they must beare the miserable burden of this flesh and they crie out together with S. Paule Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death This shrite crie all the faithfull doe giue for that feeling sinne they doe most earnestly desire to be deliuered from it And in this feeling knowledge of sinne the kingdom of Christ consisteth so that euen in sinne there is no sinne That is albeit I doe both acknowledge and feele sinne Though the godly haue sinne in thē and feele the grieuousnes thereof yet it doth not hurt them yet saluation and the kingdom doe so firmely abide in my conscience that God sayth vnto me I will forgiue thee thy sinne for that thou hast faith and beleeuest in Christ my especially beloued sonne who was deliuered to death for thee neither shall thy sinnes hurt thee Others which feele not their sinnes but trust in their workes and complaine nothing of their faultes and offences thinking them selues cleane such are giuen to Satan not receiued or admitted into the kingdom of Christ for they which are partakers of this kingdom can not be without conflicts and tribulation Death Satan and the world doe somewhat trouble the godly but the godly at the last ouercome them Psal 118.18 And that I may speake more plainly recken I pray thee any of the Sainctes whom death doth not trouble yea I know thou shalt not finde one which is not afraid and trembleth not at the horrible sight of death But the conscience taketh comfort here by the Prophet Dauid who sayth The Lorde hath chastened and corrected me but he hath not giuen me ouer vnto death it fighteth against vs in deede but it preuaileth not Thus a Christian wrapped in sinnes is both vnder sinnes and aboue sinnes at the last notwithstanding obtaineth the victorie After the same sort also must he haue to doe with Satan with whom he must wrastle all his life and at the last ouercome him So in the world also he must suffer many conflicts and troubles and yet at length become victor For although it be a kingdom of saluation which hath neither rest nor quietnes but suffreth the force of hel death the deuill sinne and all maner of aduersitie and tribulation yet they which be in it doe with an inuincible courage endure and at length ouercome all euills But God therefore permitteth these thinges that our faith may be exercised and shew forth it selfe Moreouer that is a pleasure to the conscience and bringeth vnto it comfort and ioye that it hath such a kingdom that it may say Blessed be the Lord God who hath visited and redeemed vs and hath raised vp a kingdom in the house of Dauid That is for that he visiteth vs by his word deliuereth vs from sinnes and maketh vs conquerours ouer death and Satan Thus he haue heard both that a kingdom is raysed vp in the house of Dauid and also that a Christian is both dead and yet aliue is innocent in the middes of sinnes and although he be subiect to Satan yet notwithstanding hath dominion ouer Satan For both are true for that sinne death hell doe assaile the flesh but doe not ouercome forasmuch as this kingdom of saluation triumpheth ouer them all Wherefore as it were with a certaine great boldnes or confidence he calleth it a horne that is a stronge and puissant kingdom Which hath no rest or truce but being assailed of many and stronge enemies is alwayes diligently occupied in defence of it selfe and doth notably repell the force of the enemie So a Christian laying hold on this horne ouerthroweth sinne death and Satan Neither consisteth this horne in our strength neither are we makers thereof for God hath made and raysed it vp by the ministerie of his word whereby we are saued Wherefore Zacharias so singeth that his songe hath respect not to his own sonne but to Christ Yea he celebrateth this kingdom as pertaining to the Iewes onely and declareth that it shall be glorious and maketh no mention of the Gentiles how they also should come vnto it as beside others Simeon in his song the beginning whereof is Lorde nowe lettest thou c. did prophecie that we Gentiles also are chosen into that kingdom But here he foretelleth of a kingdom raysed vp of God to the Iewes euen a kingdom of saluation and blessednes and that in the house of his seruaunt Dauid Wherefore he sayth moreouer Verse 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue bene since the world began Therefore he hath raised vp this kingdom that he might confirme his promise whereby he had foretold that he would sometime rayse vp a kingdom c. And now that time is come wherein he will fulfill that his promise So Zacharias reduceth the horne of saluation the kingdom of Christ to the olde Testament that out of it he may bring witnesses of so strong and puissant a kingdom The Prophets foretold of the kingdom that should be raysed vp in the house of Dauid For the Prophets from the time of Dauid did all prophesie that the seede of Dauid should haue a kingdom in the earth yet a spirituall kingdom and aboue the rest Esai and Ieremie foretold that it should be such a kingdom that the gouernment thereof should consist in the spirit worde to these especially Zacharias hath here respect The other as Osee Micheas and the rest doe speake of the same kingdom but not so manifestly Verse 71. That he would deliuer vs from our enemies and from the handes of all that hate vs. The Euangelist hath hitherto generally rehearsed what that kingdom of Christ is whereof the Prophets prophesied Wherein this kingdom of saluation consisteth Nowe he speaketh of it also but particularly declaring wherein it consisteth First in this that he deliuereth vs from the handes of our enemies yea and from all them that hate vs. Ye see here and vnderstand most dearely beloued that this verse doth witnes most plainely declare that we which are his people and kingdom doe liue amongst enemies and that no other is to be looked for of vs but to be hated of them That also the force qualitie and nature of this kingdom consisteth in this that it deliuereth vs out of the handes of all them that hate vs as the Prophet Dauid sayth Psal 110. The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion be thou ruler in the middes of thine enemies And Psal 45. Thine arrowes are very sharpe euen in the middes of the Kings enemies It is a delight vnto Christ
should somtime come which should erect a kingdom that should continue for euer c. But all dyed not one remayned which did behold this being aliue But this Prophet doth liue euen at that tyme when the Lord him selfe commeth and by and by followeth him For the Gospell was begon to be preached Baptisme was begon to be ministred by the comming and ministery of Iohn who ceassing Christ began both almost in the same yeare Now what shall be his office This truely The office of Iohn to prepare a way for the Lord. Which preparation is nothing else but to bring people to the Lorde the Sauiour Christ is the grace gift King and horne of our saluation This Lorde and King no man receiueth vnles he be first humbled that he thinke nothing of him self For he can not otherwise attaine vnto Christ neither can stand together to receiue the grace of God by gift and also to merit the same Iohn therefore in this part teacheth men nothing else but that they are sinners and altogether nothing He now which acknowledgeth him selfe and feeleth him selfe a sinner before yea and to be nothing well vnderstandeth the voice of Iohn which is prepare ye a way for the Lorde Giue place to him He is at hande that followeth me who is greater then I him ye shall heare him ye shall obey The other office of Iohn which followeth is that he bringeth men to the knowledge of saluation and sheweth with his finger that pascall Lambe that taketh away our sinnes that he may fasten them to the crosse with him selfe and abolish them Whereof Zacharias now goeth on to speake Verse 77. To giue knowledge of saluatiō vnto his people by the remission of their sinnes That is thou shalt begin the office and ministery of the word whereby is taught and learned how one is saued Wherein blessednes consisteth Which saluation or blessednes consisteth in this not howe we may be famous through great aboundance of riches glory and power in earth as the Iewes haue hitherto vnderstoode it but that we may obtaine remission of sinnes and be made partakers of the grace of God Now where remission of sinnes is there is no merit no reward or satisfaction otherwise it could not be called remission of sinnes So that this knowledge is to vnderstand how God forgiueth vs our sinnes without workes and merits and saueth vs by meere grace and mercy as it followeth Verse 78. Through the tēder mercy of our God wherby the day springe from an high hath visited vs. Here it appeareth that they which teach and obserue lawes workes and merits doe striue against both the mercy of God knowledge of saluation Forgiuenes of sinnes cometh not by any merit or worke of ours but through the tender mercy of God For he sayth not that forgiuenes of sinnes hath come by the prayers or workes of the fathers or of any of the Sainctes but through the bottomles mercy of God which Luke calleth the tender mercy and such mercy as commeth from the most inward affection and bowells Notwithstanding this forgiuenes of sinne which commeth vnto vs by mercye is not without merit although it commeth to passe without our merit but a Mediatour commeth betwene who hath in our steede deserued it for vs which is Christ our Lorde For God would that satisfaction should be made vnto him for our sinnes and that his honour and lawe shoulde be performed here we were able to doe nothing But Christ alone both was able and satisfied for vs who of the infinit mercy of the father was sent for the same cause and that to vs that he might dispatche it Therefore he sayth Through which infinit bottomles mercy the day springe from an high hath visited vs. Without all dout it was no merit but only vnmeasurable mercy that Christ came to vs and merited and obtained for vs such remission of sinnes vnto eternall saluation Now he calleth him the day springe from an hie which signifieth vnto vs his diuinitie And this is his meaning on hie that is aboue all creatures where nothinge is hier but heighth alone there is Christ in his diuinitie as the morning or day springe For he proceedeth from the father as the beames doe from the sunne whereof we haue elsewhere spoken at large Verse 79. To giue light to them that sit in darkenes in the shadow of death to guide our feete into the way of peace Many of the fathers vnderstood this of Lymbus as they call it but Luke agreeth here with the saying of Esai where he sayth The people that walked in darkenes haue seene a great light Esai 9.1 How Christ is the light of the world c. His meaning therefore is this Christ therefore came that he might be the light of the world and by the Gospell might enlighten mens hartes and allure them to him selfe which were held captiue vnder Satan in the blindnes and darkenes of incredulitie that so he might guide our feete into the way of peace How Christ guideth our feete into the way of peace that is he might gouerne our conscience well quietly and cherefully in the kingdom of grace that we may be afraid neither of Satan neither of sinne death hell nor of any aduersitie who heretofore haue rested parte of vs in filthy vices parte in good workes notwithstanding we could on neither side enioy any quietnes or peace but were compelled to despeire vnder Satan and the feare of death neither did we knowe howe to finde that way which leadeth vnto peace according to the saying of the foureteenth Psalme The way of peace haue they not knowne c. Thus ye haue heard how Zacharias doth in most goodly and fit wordes most liuely paint out the Gospel and kingdom of Christ with all the frutes colours conditions thereof that it is a word and kingdom of grace of forgiuenes of sinnes also a kingdom of peace ioy quietnes saluation and all goodnes God graunt that we may throughly know and feele the same Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE MEDITATION OF CHRIST HIS PASSION FIrst some doe so thinke vpon the passion of Christ that they are incensed with anger against the Iewes and doe inueigh against wretched Iudas in songes and reprochfull wordes and thus they are content and thinke this to be sufficient euen as they are wont in lamenting the case of other to take pity on them and to accuse and condemne their aduersaries But that can not be called a remembring of the passion of Christ but rather of Iudas and Iudas his wickednes Secondly some haue noted in their mindes diuerse commodities and frutes proceeding of the meditation of Christes passion that saying which is ascribed to Albertus being commonly in their remembrance that it is better to thinke vpon the passion of Christ superficially or once then if one should fast the space of a whole yeare and daily in praying goe ouer the whole Psalter
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
mercie and truth alone not by our strength and industrie forasmuch as our wayes being ordered hereby are nothing but vanitie before God and do deserue his wrath According to that which the Lord sayth Esai 55 As farre as the heauen is higher then the earth so farre do my waies exceede yours As if he should say Your righteousnes is earthly and of no value wherefore ye must bid it farewell and walke in myne if ye hope for saluation But according to his mercie he saued vs. It is maruell how the credit of these wordes can stand wherein the Apostle affirmeth that we are alreadie saued although liuing yet in earth and therefore in continuall miserie But he did so speake that he might more fully expresse the power of the diuine grace and the nature of faith against hypocrites who as though saluatiō were yet farre of do in vaine endeuour to get and obtaine it by their workes We are already saued by Christ For Christ hath already saued vs he hath perfourmed all things which are required hereunto that we may be saued he hath ouercome and subdued synne death hell c. so that he hath left nothing for any man to care for he hath also giuen all these things vnto vs in Baptisme that who soeuer beleueth in Christ that he hath perfourmed them hath them togither in the same moment so that he hath neede of nothing more vnto saluation but faith alone that he may firmely beleeue that these things are so perfourmed But marke how incōparable riches of his grace God hath poured vpon vs in Baptisme who hath deliuered vs euen from those workes whereby those foolish holy ones go about to merit heauen and to be saued For we must haue heauen and be saued before we can do any good workes for that workes can not merit heauen but heauen being before giuen of meere grace causeth vs to do good workes and that for no hope of merit or reward but onely to the commoditie of our neighbours and the glorie of God vntill this bodie also be deliuered from sinne and death What the life of a Christiā is after baptisme Wherefore all the life of a Christian after Baptisme is nothing els but an expectation of saluation and felicity to be reuealed which they that beleeue in Christ do now possesse although hidden They haue all thinges nowe certainly but they are yet hid in faith which when as it is chaunged knowledge being reuealed all things as they now haue them shall appeare which shall come to passe when pleasaunt and wished death commeth 1. Ioh. 3.2 according to that saying of Iohn Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what we shall be But we know that when he shall appeare we shal be like him And euerie man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure Wherefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued and to be seduced from this truth by those hypocrites which contemning faith do falsely affirme that saluation is farre from thee and teach thee to endeuour in vaine to attaine vnto it by thy workes It is in thy selfe if thou beleeue that all things are perfourmed by Christ euen as he himselfe witnesseth The kingdome of God is within you Luke 17. So that all our life after Baptisme ought to be nothing els but an expectation that that should be reuealed which is already in vs and that we may comprehend as we are comprehended as Paul sayth Philip. 3. I follow if that I may comprehend that for whose sake also I am comprehended of Christ that is that I may at length see those things which are giuen me being as yet in the shut closet of faith He coueteth and burneth with desire to see the treasure which by faith he receiued both giuen and sealed in Baptisme Whereupon he addeth in the same place Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall chaunge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Herewith also agreeth that which he saith Gal. 4 Ye know God and by and by he doth as it were correct that which he had sayd Yea sayth he rather are ye knowen both which are true although not after the like sort We are now knowen of God so that he comprehendeth vs and we in deede know God but we do not yet comprehend for that our knowledge is as yet hidden and closed vp in fayth He sayth moreouer Rom. 8 We are saued by hope that is we are saued although we yet see it not for that which one seeth he hopeth not for but if we hope for those thinges which we see not we do with patience abide for them Christ confirmeth this Luke 12 Let your loines be gird about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto men that wait for their maister when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly In which words he onely biddeth them that be his to be ready to looke for him the bridegrome as which are already saued being admitted into the number of his ministers Hereunto also pertaineth that which the Apostle sayth Tit. 2 Let vs liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ In these and such like places whereof thou maist reade many here and there in the holy Scriptures he witnesseth that we are already saued and that it doth not behoue that a Christian man should first seeke to attaine to saluation by his workes This opinion and deuelish doctrine blyndeth the eyes of Christiās extinguisheth the knowledge of faith and carieth men from the waye of truth and saluation We must cleaue vnto that which the Apostle here saith He hath saued vs according to his mercie and that which he addeth in the ende of this text that we are heires according to the hope of eternall life We are now heires but that is hidden in fayth Why God will haue vs to looke for the reuelatiō of our inheritaunce a certain time but we looke with a certaine hope that hereafter it shal be reuealed And God will haue vs so to looke for the reuelation of this inheritance and to liue a certaine time after Baptisme that he may chastise our body by our ministery and declare the power of his grace in fight against the flesh the world and the deuil but especially for this cause that by vs he may helpe our neighbours and both by doctrine and also by our life which he liueth in vs may bring them to the communion of fayth And albeit he can do this by Angels yet it pleaseth him rather that it should be done by vs men that both the maner of fayth may be the better knowen and that all things may be done sweetely and louingly For if
which strengthneth the knowledge that God hath taught him to wit that God is nothing els but a Sauiour abounding with grace who will be fauorable and mercifull to all them which call vpon him in this his Sonne Therefore the Lord sayth moreouer Verely verely I say vnto you He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life I am that breade of life Your Fathers did eate Manna in the vvildernes and are dead This is that bread vvhich cōmeth dovvne from heauen that he vvhich eateth of it should not die I am that liuing bread vvhich came dovvne from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I vvill giue is my flesh vvhich I vvill giue for the life of the vvorld In these wordes the soule findeth a table daintily furnished whereby it may stake all hunger For it knoweth assuredly that he that speaketh these wordes can not lye Wherefore if it commit it selfe confidently vnto him and cleaue to the word it resteth vpon him and so departeth not from this goodly table This is that supper to the preparing whereof the heauenly Father killed his oxen and fatlings and hath bidden vs all vnto it The liuing breade whereof the Lorde here maketh mention Christ the liuing bread whereon we must feede by faith is Christ him selfe whereby we are so fedde If we lay hold but of a morsell of this bread in our harts and keepe it we shall be satisfied for euer neither can we euer be plucked from God Moreouer such an eating is nothing els but to beleue in the Lord Christ that he is made vnto vs of God as Paule sayth 1. Cor 1. wisedom righteousnes sanctification and redemption He that eateth this meat liueth for euer Wherefore by and by after this text when the Iewes were at contention about these his wordes he sayth Verely verely I say vnto you Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you VVhosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath eternall life I vvill rayse him vp at the last day Manna which the fathers did eate in the desert as Christ here sayth could not saue from death but this bread maketh vs immortall If we beleeue in Christ death shall not hurt vs any thing at all yea there is no more death This the Lord meaneth by these wordes in an other place where he sayth to the Iewes Verely verely I say vnto you Ioh. 8.51 if a man keepe my word he shall neuer see death where it is certaine that he speaketh of the word of faith and of the Gospell But some man may say that holy men die notwithstanding An obiectiō for Abraham the holy Prophets are dead as the Iewes sayd vnto him I aunswere The death of Christians is onely a sleepe The aunswer as the Scripture also commonly calleth it for a Christian tasteth seeth no death that is he hath the feeling of no death For this Sauiour Christ Iesus in whom he beleeueth hath ouercome death that afterwards he shoulde not feele or tast it but death is vnto him onely a passage and gate to life as Christ him selfe witnesseth Ioh. 5 Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my vvord beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Wherefore the life of a Christian is merie and on euery side replenished with ioy and the yoke of Christ is easie sweete But that it semeth heauy and grieuous vnto vs this is the cause for that the Father hath not yet drawne vs hereupon it commeth to passe that we take no pleasure thereof neither is the Gospell comfortable vnto vs. If so be that we would lay vp the wordes of Christ well in our hart they would be vnto vs an exceeding comfort And thus ye haue heard howe we must feede on this breade which came downe from heauen that is on the Lord Christ to wit by faith which we then do when we beleeue in him that he is our Sauiour The whole chapter out of which this text is taken commendeth vnto vs nothing els but spirituall meat For when the multitude followed Christ that they might againe eate and drinke which the Lord him selfe signifieth he taketh occasion of the corporal meat which they sought almost through the whole chapter speaketh of spirituall meat as he sayd The wordes which I speake are spirit and life Wherby he would signifie that he therfore fed them that they should beleeue in him as they did eate the bodily meat so they ought also to feede of the spirituall Here let vs weie and marke this that the Lord doth so gently and graciously apply him selfe to vs and offer him selfe in such gentle wordes that it ought worthely to moue our hartes to beleeue in him to wit that that bread was therefore giuen for vs inasmuch as it was behouefull that he should tast death and suffer hellish paines Also should beare sinnes which he neuer had committed as though he had committed them and had bene his owne and he did also the same willingly for our sakes and tooke vs as brethren and sisters The will of the heauenly Father This if we beleeue we doe the will of the heauenly Father which is nothing els but to beleeue in his Sonne so be saued As Christ him selfe sayth a litle before This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life It now therfore appeareth that he that hath faith doth the will of God and eateth of this heauenly bread As Augustine sayth What doost thou prepare thy mouth beleeue and thou hast eaten Of this spirituall supper the whole new Testament speaketh but especially in this place of Iohn The Sacrament of Christes body blood is a certaine testimonie and pledge of this true supper whereby we ought to strengthen our faith and to be assured that this body and this blood whereof we feede in the Sacrament deliuereth vs from synne death Satan and all euell But how may a man perceiue and know How a man maye know whether he be called to this spirituall supper that he also doth pertaine to this heauenly bread and is called to this spirituall supper let him consider the case in his owne heart which if he fynde so affected that it doth as it were feele a sweetenes in the promise of God and is vndoutedly perswaded that he is of the companie of them which pertaine to his supper he is assuredly such a one in deede For as we belteue so commeth it vnto vs. Such a man hath also by and by a regard of his neighbour Charitie towarde our neighbour the frute of true faith and helpeth him as his brother careth for him giueth vnto him lendeth him comforteth him briefly doth no otherwise to him then he
therefore beleeued and we do also beleeue to wit the Fathers and we with a like and common faith in the same Christ although not after the same maner as it is saide And as by reason of this communion of faith which we haue a like in the same Christ we say we haue beleeued or we did beleeue when as not we but the Fathers haue beleeued or did beleeue so they againe did say that they should heare see and beleeue in Christ when as not they but we do liue in that time We read not in a few places of the Scriptures that they which were before the incarnation of Christ tooke vpon them the person of them which are after it and they which are after it of them which were before it because of the communion of faith and the same Christ which they haue in common and so there is as it were one companie of beleeuers Now whereas the Apostle saith How saluatiō is neerer vnto vs then it was to the beleuers before Christes incarnation that saluation is now neerer vnto vs then when we beleeued that is when our Fathers those auncient beleeuers did looke for it to come we must not vnderstād it of the neerenes of possession as though we now had it neerer and more certainly then they for the Fathers had altogither the same faith as it is said and the same Christ wherefore saluation was as neere vnto them as vnto vs. For Christ yesterday and to day the same also is for euer Heb. 13. Christ continueth the same from the beginning of the world euen vnto the end by whom all are saued alike But Paul speaketh of the neerenes of reuealing that what soeuer thinges were saide before concerning Christ they were now fulfilles death being ouercome the Lord did sitte at the right hand of the Father the Gospell was preached abroad in the world by which Christ did come vnto all in the whole world for this cause Paul sayth that our saluation is neerer then when it was hidden and knowne vnto few men because that Christ being not yet glorified it was not meete that the preaching of saluation should be made publike or common Whereas therefore the Apostle sayth here Our saluation is now neerer vs he sayth the same thing in the Epistle to Titus in other wordes The grace of God which bringeth saluation hath appeared that is hath sprong forth and is euerie where commonly preached although it was not hid before in any of the Saincts notwithstāding it was not yet commonly knowne vnto the world After the same sort the Scripture speaketh in many places when it sometime saith that Christ is to come sometime that he is come although he alwayes hath bin and is in all the elect Howbeit because he had not before his resurrection come to all by publike preaching the Scripture speaketh diuersly of his comming For because of this publike preaching he came in the flesh being made man for his incarnation had not bin profitable to any The cōming of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell if the Gospell had not thereupon bin preached by which he came into the whole world and whereby it is commonly knowne why he was made man whereby that blessing promised to Abraham is now published and made common to all which by the Gospell beleeue in Christ Hereupon Paul sayth verie well Rom. 1. that the Gospel was promised of God c. as though he would say although God hath promised euerie where in the writinges of the Prophets his sonne in the flesh yet forasmuch as all that should be done that the Gospell might be preached abroad in the world whereby he commeth spiritually to the myndes of the beleeuers which comming onely bringeth saluation and is farre to be preferred before that comming in the flesh inasmuch as it was done because of this I say rather that God promised by the Prophets in the Scriptures the Gospell concerning his sonne For God considered the Gospell and our faith in all these thinges for which he would also haue him to be made man that the Gospel might be preached of him that being made man he hath saued vs by his death and that the saluation which he hath wrought might go into the whole world and be made neere vnto all Some haue taught fower comminges of Christ according to the fower sundayes in Aduent as they call it but this comming of Christ by the Gospell which is most necessarie of all and of which all do depend of which Paul here speaketh this cōming I say they could not see inasmuch as they are ignoraunt both what the Gospell is and to what end it was giuen They babbie many things of the comming of Christ and neuertheles they driue him further from themselues thē heauen is distaunt from the earth For what can Christ profit any man which doth not possesse him by faith or how can any man possesse him by faith where the Gospell is not preached The night is passed and the day is at hand By the daye what is signified His meaning in effect is that saluation is at hand For by the day Paule vnderstandeth the Gospell namely that it is that daye whereby our hearts and mindes are enlightned therefore such a day being sprong our saluation is certainly at hand that is Christ and his grace promised in time past to Abraham hath shined forth by preaching in the whole world giueth light vnto all men raiseth all out of sleepe sheweth true and eternall good things wherein we may be hereafter occupied What is here ment by the night and may walke honestly in this day Contrariwise by the night all doctrine is to be vnderstood which is not the Gospell beside which none can bring saluation But if thou do a litle more exactly wey the wordes thou shalt see that Paule describeth that part of the daye which is most delectable of all and most full of all pleasauntnes namely the ioyfull and amiable morning and the rising of the sunne For it is the morning when the night is gone and ended and the daye is nowe come whereupon all thinges are meruelously cheered and recreated the birdes sing other lyuing creatures doe stirre vp with alacritie and ioyfulnes men being as it were made aliue againe doe goe forth to their labours all thinges the daye springing and the morning shining are so affected as though the world were renued and all thinges restored to life againe Wherefore in many places of the Scripture the ioyfull The preaching of the Gospell likened to the morning prosperous and quickning preaching of the Gospell is likened to the morning and the rising of the sunne as it is here of Paule who calleth the Gospell the day sprinking or arising Also Psal 110 In the daye of thy power shall the people offer thee free will offeringes of the wombe of the morning shall the dewe of thy children spring Here also the Gospell is plainly called the wombe of the
is a sinne to be against the lawe which is very good Thus therefore sinne is knowne by the lawe according as Paule teacheth forasmuch as we learne thereby howe our affection is not set on that which is good What the knowledge of sinne which commeth by the law ought to worke in vs. which ought to terrifie vs and driue vs to ceasse to trust in our selues and to long after the grace of God whereby this naughtines of the hart may be taken away and our mind may become such as is of it selfe ready to good things and loueth the lawe which voluntarily not for any feare of punishment or respect of reward but because it doth of it owne accord like well of the law and loue righteousnes worketh those things which are truely good By this meanes onely one is made of a seruaunt a sonne of a slaue an heire Which mind and spirit thou shalt receiue by no other meanes then by faith in Christ as it is before spoken at large Now let vs come to entreat of the text of Paule Verse 1. The heire as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a seruant though he be Lord of all He propoundeth a similitude taken of the custom of men For we see that the children vnto whom their parents haue left some substance be brought vp no otherwise then if they were seruants They are fedde and clothed with their goods but they are not permitted to doe with them nor to vse them according to their owne minde but are ruled with feare discipline of maners that so euen in their owne inheritance they liue no otherwise then as seruaunts After the same sort is it also in spirituall things The similitude of Paul applyed God made vnto the elect a couenant when he promised that it shoulde come to passe that in the seede of Abraham that is in Christ all nations shoulde be blessed Gen. 22. That couenant was afterward confirmed by the death of Christ and reuealed and published abroad by the preaching of the Gospell What the Gospell is For the Gospell is no other thinge then an open and generall preaching of this grace that in Christ blessing and grace is layde vp for all men which so many onely shall receiue as shall beleeue Nowe before that this couenant is truly opened and made manifest to men the sonnes of God liue after the maner of seruaunts vnder the lawe and are exercised with the workes of the law although they can not be iustified by them inasmuch as they are seruile and doe nothinge auaile to iustification as it is sayde before Notwithstanding because they are euen then predestinate to life when they are after the maner of seruaunts helde vnder the lawe they are true heires of heauenly good thinges that is of this blessing and grace of this couenant albeit they as yet doe not know or enioy it but are wearied with workes no otherwise then other that are voyde of fayth So at this daye thou mayest finde not a fewe which nowe hauing faith as they are the sonnes of God so doe they also enioye the grace of God in the libertie of the sonnes when as a litle before being drowned in workes they knewe nothinge at all of faith being in all thinges like vnto other hypocrites Neuertheles because they were before the foundation of the worlde appoynted of God vnto this fayth and state of sonnes they were euen then the sonnes of God before when they were as yet altogither ignorant of faith There are some also which being as yet as it were drowned in workes are like to seruaunts and those of Cains brood who notwithstanding before God are sonnes and heires which shall be brought vnto the faith of sonnes leauing the state of seruaunts and shall embrace the libertie and right of sonnes shall ceasse from the works of the law and come vnto the inheritance of iustification that being iustified by grace they may worke freely those things that be good to the glory of God and commoditie of their neighbours being farre from all feare or hope as well of iustification as of all other good things For they shall then haue and possesse it by the couenant of the Father confirmed by Christ reuealed published and as it were deliuered into their handes by the Gospell through the onely grace and mercy of the Father The faithful before Christes cōming had the same couenant which we haue This couenant both Abraham and all the fathers which were endued with true faith had no otherwise then we haue although before Christ was glorified this grace was not openly published and preached They liued in like faith and therefore they obtayned also like good things They had the same grace blessing and couenant with vs for there is one Father and the same God of all Thou seest therefore that Paul as almost in all other places so here also doth entreat much of faith that we are not iustified by our works but by faith alone whereby not certaine good things by peecemeale but all good thinges at once doe come vnto vs. For there is no good thing which this couenant of God doth not contayne in it it giueth and bringeth righteousnes saluation and God him selfe Workes can not be done at once but by faith the whole inheritance of God is togither receiued From thence also good workes doe come howbeit not meritorious whereby thou mayst seeke saluation but which with a minde already possessing righteousnes thou must doe with great pleasure to the profit of thy neighbours For thou shalt nowe haue neede of nothing being endued with faith which bringeth all thinges yea surely moe thinges then one dare wish much lesse can deserue wherefore it is no meruell if such worke all thinges freely and so do vnto their neighbour as they both beleeue and reioyce that God of his goodnes by the merit of Christ hath done vnto them What rewarde shoulde they hope for which already haue all things the shadow whereof those most miserable ones of Cains brood seeke by their workes but they shall neuer find it they follow it but they shall neuer come vnto it Verse 2. But is vnder Tuters and Gouerners vntill the time appoynted of the father Tuters and Gouerners are they which doe bringe vppe the heire and so rule him and order his goods that neither he wast his inheritance by riotous liuing neyther his goods otherwise perish or be consumed They permit him not to vse his goods at his owne will or pleasure but suffer him to enioye them as they shall be needefull and profitable vnto him First whereas they keepe him at home and informe him with good maners what doe they else but prepare and instruct him whereby he may moste commodiously and longe enioye his inheritance Agayne the more straitely and seuerely they bringe him vppe so muche greater desire they stirre vppe and enflame in him to come to and enioye his inheritance For as soone as
did Iesus againe after he was come out of Iudea into Galile AN excellent example of faith is set forth in this text of what sort it is of what nature and qualitie namely that it is not a resting or idle thinge but liuely and voyd of idlenes A true fayth is not idle but increaseth more and more which goeth not backe but proceedeth on and still more and more increaseth Which if it be not done it is no faith but onely a dead opinion of God in the heart For a true and syncere faith which the holy Ghost poureth into the heart can not be idle which I say for this cause that no man be therefore secure albeit he hath obtained faith neither that he stay there It is nothing to beginne vnlesse we increase by continual going forward and come to greater knowledge of God For on the contrarie side it is the nature and qualitie of our aduersarie Satan not to be idle as S. Peter sayth Satan sleepeth not but goeth about as a roring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure If so be that the Deuell is neither idle neither sleepe commeth vpon him neither shall it be meete for a Christian to be idle or put his handes in his bosom forasmuch as he hath the Deuell his enemie who is stronger then himselfe for he is called the prince of the world as it is mentioned in the Epistle appointed to be read in the Church on this day Ephes 6.12 VVe wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in hie places This prince gouerneth the world furiously and fiercely rageth and can not suffer the prosperous succes of a Christian Neither is it for his profit to be suffered of him for an entrie being made hereby his kingdome is burst into and his net torne in peeces out of which as much as he is able he suffereth no Christian to escape Moreouer when the fire of faith is kindled and the flame fostered and Satan trieth and marketh that by and by he practizeth deceit against it for he knoweth how much hinderaunce his kingdome shall take thereby wherefore as earnestly as he can euen with all his power he defendeth his kingdome laboureth to keepe all in obedience to him True Christians are not free from tētatiō for the deuel bēdeth his force especially against them Wherefore it is most certaine that when a Christian hath begon to beleeue by and by tentation and persecution will assaile him Which if it come not to passe it is a signe that his faith is not yet sound and that he hath not as yet truly receiued the Gospell For wicked Satan hath a verie sharpe sight he by and by spieth out where is a true Christian wherefore he applieth himselfe wholy vnto this that he may enforce him to fall and may besiege him and assaile him on euerie side for he can not suffer that any should reuolt from his kingdome It is perilous therefore for a man to beleeue for the Deuill is ready that he may set vpon him and ouerthrowe him which sometime chaunceth euen to verie holy men which vnderstand the word of God well The Saincts of God doe sometimes fall euē grieuously when they stand vpright and thinke themselues safe that priuie wicked fende commeth vpon them by litle and litle and wrastleth with them so longe till he ouerthrow them and cast them to the earth Set before thine eyes Moses and Aaron who were guides of the Iewes they had an excellent fayth when they brought the people out of Egypt and all the people in fayth passed through the redde sea death the wide wildernes and many other meruelous thinges whereby they shewed their fayth but at the last they fall grieuously they feare that they shall perish with hunger Is it not a thinge most miserable that by so great signes they shew their faith they goe into death and through death wrastle with it and ouercome it and yet while they thinke them selues surest they fal and suffer themselues to be ouercome of the belly murmure against God and are so grieuously tempted that they fall all togither Wherefore it is not certaine and sure if one begin to beleue and doth not alwayes more and more increase in faith Yea that godly man Moses who had so great and so strong a faith did fall also when as he should bring water out of the rocke with a staffe he douted and talked thus to the people Come let vs see whether we can bring water out of the rocke That good Moses which had shewed so many and so great signes falleth into reason and carnall vnderstanding fearing lest the incredulitie of the people would hinder so great a miracle signe But it had behoued him to cleaue fast to the word of God and to thinke it higher greater stronger and mightier then the vnbeleefe of the people that great man was tempted he stumbled and was ouerthrowne We haue like examples in the newe Testament Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede lest he fall Peter was hardie and firme in faith when he beheld Christ vpon the water he sayd vnto him with a strong faith Lord suffer me to come vnto thee committing him selfe to the water euen as to the ship he thought assuredly that the water would beare him Then was there an excellent faith in Peter and great courage which durst commit him selfe wholy vnto death in the middest of the sea reposing his hope freely boldly in Christ But when he thought him self most safe a storme and tempest ariseth he forgetting the word suffereth his faith to faile and he him selfe also falleth suffering Satan to plucke faith out of his hart Faith truely is a subtill and delicate thing a small thing maketh vs to stumble and fall Satan is alwaies watchfull and circumspect and doth by by obtaine his purpose if we doe not diligently watch How earnestly did the common people followe Christ they thought that he was a Prophet and did so cleaue vnto him and so defend him that the Princes of the people were made astonied neither durst they so much as lay hand on him But when they apprehend him proceede against him fasten him to the crosse the people forsake him all that they may and come no more at him A Prophet is present and no man any more assisteth him but they rather crie out against him crucifie him crucifie him and that which is most detestable of all his owne Disciples reuolt from him What is become now both of their faith and holines So is it at this day in our time at the first when the Gospell began to shine the preaching thereof was acceptable and pleasant then many seemed willing to embrace it but when Munkes sacrificing Priests Nunnes c. began to be spoken against and the Masse to be confuted all a meruelous
this prayer he shewed his faith which faith being perceiued the Lorde could not but graunt his desire wherefore rising forthwith he went with him in this going this historie of the woman came to passe which had bene diseased of an issue of blood twelue yeares as we haue now hearde When therefore the Lorde was entred into the Rulers house he sawe the minstrells and the multitude making noyse which were there according to the lawe of Moses and did sounde the trumpet and pipes as in our cuntrie they ringe the bells to gather the people togither But he commaunded the multitude to go forth saying The child is not dead but sleepeth And they laught him to scorne and mocked him Which giueth vs to vnderstand The preaching of the Gospell is contemned and counted foolishnes of the world that when it is preached that Christ is he which saueth that our works preuaile nothing then the world can not conteine it selfe but that it scorneth mocketh for it can not be persuaded that Christ doth helpe and succour euen as this people without all dout sayd after this sort Beholde what an excellent Maister and a goodly Phisitian he is what could he haue holpen which knoweth not yet what it is to sleepe and what to be dead This title must needes remayne to the Gospell in the world that the preaching thereof is counted foolish and contemptible For Satan can not abide that honour should be giuen to this Gospel before the world for it bringeth but smal commoditie to his kingdom which forasmuch as he perceiueth full well he practizeth all craftes and wiles that he may either altogither hinder it or at the least make it to preuaile litle with them that be his whose hartes he hath wholy blinded and possessed that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them as S. Paule sayth 2. Cor. 4. Neither yet can it be that this preaching of Christ should not be frutefull forasmuch as it is not vttered in vaine for albeit it be receiued but of a few that doth not greatly skill When therefore Satan perceiueth any thing to be taken from him and that that preaching is ordained plainly against his kingdom Satan a most grieuous enemie to the preaching of the Gospell he doth without delay pursue it contemne it and assaile it on euery side that euen now he is fierce and rageth in the whole world For the Gospell of Christ ouerthroweth whatsoeuer the world and Satan delight in and whatsoeuer to the worlde seemeth most holy goodly For the worlde imagineth to it selfe such a God as hath regard to our good workes and will be pleased with the erecting of Masses and vigiles for them that are departed with Rosaries as they call them habit shauing and whatsoeuer other trifles are vsed in the Papacie Now if there come any which bringeth the Gospell and inueyeth against these vaine toyes of the Pope and sayth that they are nothing worth but are meere delusions inasmuch as they are repugnant to Christ and the Scripture he is counted a most wicked felow and therefore must be punished he is reproued as an heretike and a seducer of the people so that they burst forth into great wordes and say wilt thou gouerne all the whole world doost thou thinke thy selfe the wisest man that is and were our forefathers foolish and without all vnderstanding many holy men haue done these workes and haue preached of them and wilt thou come and turne them all to nothing thou shalt not doe it Then rage and furie beginneth yea persecution slaying and murdering and the Deuill will seeme to haue a iust cause howsoeuer the matter goeth Thus much shall suffize at this time concerning this text Now ye must take especial heede that out of the Gospells ye learne throughly how all things consist in the onely person whose name is Christ and lay vp this in the depth of your hart that a Christian hath his name of Christ For I know how much it auaileth both in tentation and in aduersitie to hold that fast Let vs now by prayer call for the grace of God that at the last we may with most earnest zeale and harty affection embrace true Christianitie Amen **** A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE GOSPELL ON SAINCT THOMAS DAY CONCERNING THE VVORKS VVHICH Christ hath wrough for vs wherin is contained a most sweete consolation against the Law Sinne Death and Satan Ioh. 20. Verse 24. THomas one of the twelue called Didimus was not with them whē Iesus came 25. The other Disciples therfore sayd vnto him we haue seene the Lord but he said vnto them Except I see in his hands the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put mine hand into his side I will not beleeue it 26. And eyght dayes after agayne his Disciples were within Thomas with them Thē came Iesus when the dores were shut and stoode in the middes and sayd Peace be vnto you 27. After sayd he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see myne handes put forth thyne hand and put it into my side and be not faithles but faithfull 28. Then Thomas aunswered and sayd vnto him Thou art my Lord and my God 29. Iesus sayd vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued The summe of this Gospell 1 THomas doth not beleeue that Christ is risen from the dead but when he seeth and feeleth him 2 The Disciples beleue not without manifest signes But blessed are they that haue not seene but doe beleeue the word onely 3 It is a great matter to know Christ God and man He which attaineth to this knowledg of Christ feareth neither sinne nor death neither the deuill nor hell briefly he is quiet from all anguish tentation For he hath a greater and mightier then he which is in the world as Iohn sayth in his first Epistle chap. 4. The exposition of this Gospell I Know nothing more certaine concerning S. Thomas then that which this Gospell mentioneth of him Other things which are written of him in the booke of Legends are most impudent lyes And albeit they were partly true yet haue they no authoritie neither make vs any thing the better Wherfore we will leaue them vntouched speake something of this Gospel which shal be more profitable necessary for vs then all those Legends The former part of this Gospell fell out about the euentyde of the Passeouer when two had returned from Emmaus shewed vnto the other Disciples that the Lorde was risen againe The latter part fell out the eight day after the Passeouer It is meruelous how comfortable this Gospell is shewing vnto you the frutes of faith namely peace and ioye as Paule sayth Rom. 5 being iustified therefore by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ But now we will entreat in few wordes
death the deuill and may chalenge to my selfe all his workes euen as if they were myne owne and I my selfe had done them so that I beleeue in Christ Otherwise his workes shall profitte me nothinge at all if they were not giuen vnto me These are the workes of an other which doe commende vs before God and saue vs. Our owne workes shall doe nothing we are weaker then that we can resist euen the least sinne so farre is it of that we are able to encounter with death How a Christian may notably comfort him self against the law sinne death Satan Satan and hell Wherefore when the Lawe shall come and accuse thee that thou doost not obserue it sende it vnto Christ and say There is that man which hath fulfilled the lawe to him I cleaue he hath fulfilled it for me and hath giuen his fullfilling vnto me when it heareth these thinges it will be quiet If sinne come and woulde haue thee by the throte sende it vnto Christ and saye As much as thou mayst doe agaynst him so much right shalt thou haue agaynst me for I am in him and he is in me If death creepe vppon thee and attempt to deuoure thee saye vnto it Good Maistres death doost thou knowe this man come and byte out his tooth hast thou forgotten howe litle thy byting preuayled with him once goe too if it be a pleasure vnto thee encounter with him agayne Thou hadst persuaded thy selfe that thou shouldest haue preuayled somewhat agaynst him when he did hange betwene two theeues dyed an ignominious death which was counted cursed both before God and the worlde But what didst thou gayne thereby Thou didst byte in deede but it turned worst to thy selfe I pertaine to this man I am his and he is myne and where he abydeth there also will I abyde Thou couldest hurte him nothinge wherefore also let me alone After the same sorte if the Deuill if hell come violently vppon thee and trouble thee sende them vnto Christ and thou shalt easily make them to cease And thus ye see what Christ is vnto vs The inestimable commoditie which the faithfull enioy through Christ namely such a man as is giuen vnto vs of God that he might extinguish sinnes vanquish death destroy hell ouercome the Deuill and all these for our commoditie If he had not done this nor giuen vnto vs these thinges we had bene for euer vnder the curse of the law vnder sinne vnder death vnder the deuill and vnder hell God hath deliuered vs from these by that Christ Wherefore S. Paul saith out of the Prophet Osee 1. Cor. 15 Death is swalowed vp into victorie O death where is thy stinge O hell where is thy victorie The stinge of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ We are iustified before God by no workes or merits of our owne but onely by the workes of Christ Hereof we may easily vnderstand what kinde of workes those be which doe make vs entire and righteous before God Surely they are the workes of an other and not our owne workes chosen of our selues Wherefore the whole Papacie falleth here with all the most precious and holy workes thereof which hath this drift onely that miserable wretched and blinded men may be persuaded that they obtayne heauen by their merits and their owne workes Hereuppon haue spronge so many orders that they can not almost be numbred of which one striued to be holier then an other according as they exercised harder greater and weightier workes But this their miserable labour anguish prayers fastinges chastising of the body and such like were vaine workes and of no value at all neither had they so much power that they were able to take away so much as euen the least sinne which they call veniall They were altogither vnmindfull of this saying Esay 29 which the Lord repeteth Matth. 15 This people dravveth nere vnto me vvith their mouth honoureth me vvith their lippes but their heart is farre of from me But in vaine they vvorshippe me teaching such doctrines as are nothing els but the precepts of men Hereupon now thou maist gather with thy selfe that all holy men although they be exceeding holy yet do obtaine saluation not by their owne holines merites or workes And not so much as Mary her selfe the mother of God was made righteous holy in respect of her virginitie or in that she was the mother of God but saluation hath come vnto all by Iesus Christ as by the workes of an other Wherfore this is diligently to be noted that our felicitie doth not consist in our owne workes but in the workes of an other namely of Christ Iesus our Sauiour which we obtaine through only faith in him This also the historie of this Gospell seemeth to signifie when as the Lorde sheweth to his disciples but specially to Thomas his handes feete By which deede he declareth that it was necessary that those handes and feete should do these things that no other works that is their owne not the workes of an other do pertaine vnto saluation Handes and feete what they commonly signifie in the Scripture For in the Scriptures by handes and feete workes conuersation are signified These hands and feete Christ doth as yet eftsoones shew to vs say Behold I am that onely man whose workes conuersation are of force with God thou shalt labour in vaine with thine owne workes thine owne righteousnes maketh nothing hereunto it hath an other end If thou be righteous it is profitable to thee among mē here in eart thou hast the glory praise thereof as Paul sayth Rom. 4. But before God this thy righteousnes is of no estimation thou must set in place thereof an other namely mine this God my father doth allow For I haue deliuered thee from sinnes death the deuell hell from all euell thou shouldest neuer haue escaped out of these by thine owne power but hadst lyen as yet most deepely drowned in them I haue appeased the wrath of God and of an angrie iudge haue made him a gentle mercifull and gracious father beleeue this and it goeth well with thee thou art then safe entire and righteous Beware that thou presume not to deale before God with thine owne works but if thou wilt do any thing with him creepe into me put on me and thou shalt obtaine of my Father whatsoeuer thou desirest and askest as he him selfe sayth vnto his Disciples Ioh. 16 Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Wherefore as from the beginning sinne which was an others hath bene deriued vnto vs from Adam for neither I nor thou haue eate of the apple so also by the righteousnes of an other we must be restored vnto righteousnes and integrity This other is Christ Iesus by whose righteousnes
and works we are all saued as I haue nowe sufficiently declared This S. Paule hath very pithily comprehended euen in one sentence where 1. Cor. 1. he sayth thus Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedom and righteousnes and sanctification redemption that according as it is written he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. And Rom. 4. he sayth Iesus Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification In these two litle sentences are briefly comprised and ioyned togither whatsoeuer thinges we must looke for from Christ Howbeit all these thinges are enioyed by faith for he that is without faith to him they are vnpossible to be comprehended The preaching of Christ is coūted foolishnes of the vnbeleeuers but of the faithfull the power and wisedom of God yea they are counted foolishnes to reason to the world as Paul sayth 1. Cor 1 Christ vnto the Iewes is euen a stumbling block and vnto the Grecians foolishnes that is when Christ is preached that he is our righteousnes that saluation commeth vnto vs by him and that by him we are made the children of euerlasting life without our owne workes and righteousnes then those holy men and iustifiers of them selues are offended no otherwise then the Iewes Moreouer to the prudent and wise men of this world it seemeth foolishnes and a certaine ridiculous thing that a man being fastned to the crosse and put to death doth performe these thinges Whatsoeuer therefore is counted righteous holy wise and prudent in the eyes of the world it is offended and stumbleth at this Christ But saith Paul moreouer Vnto thē which are called both of the Iewes Grecians we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedom of God He sayth also Rom. 1. The Gospell of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also to the Grecian For by it the righteousnes of God is reuealed from faith to faith as it is written Haba 2 The iust shall liue by faith Wherefore the Lord sayth very well to the Disciples of Iohn Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me So thou seest now plainly that this faith which we haue in Christ commeth by the preaching of the Gospell as Paule affirmeth Rom. 10 Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Here here I say doth all the force consist by the word of God not by the worde of man The word of God doth these thinges not when we publish indulgences or preach of workes as hitherto alas it hath bene done to our exceeding losse as well in the good thinges of the body as of the soule We made no account of goods which we bestowed plentifully vnles we had afflicted our body with fastings chastisement pilgrimages and such like trifles In deede these thinges had bene to be graunted and borne if they had not with a false confidence in such doing so miserably and lamentably led vs away seduced vs from a true faith confidence in God through Christ But praise be vnto God that we haue for the most parte perceiued such delusions For the world was so full of this miserie and preaching that it did almost ouerflow which surely came by the vengeance and wrath of God for that we contemned his word and followed mens fables yea our owne wittes and opinions Then we were in so great blindnes that we did almost without difference beleeue euery man what kind of worke soeuer he brought and gloriously set forth From these deceitfull follies our consciences are nowe deliuered and set free but no man doth so much as once giue thanks to God therefore If we shal be contempteously negligent a more grieuous miserie shall light vpon vs then this was Neither should that come vnto vs vndeseruedly forasmuch as we doe greatly procure these euills against our selues by our vnthankefulnes When as before we gaue with so great aboundance and plentye that by our liberalitie they were made almost Lordes of the world nowe hardly six or seuen poore men are maintained in a citie yea nowe the Minister of a Parish Church hath not sufficient wherewith to liue Howbeit doe not impute this peruerse kind of liuing to the Gospell as our aduersaries nowe impudently doe It is not meete that thou suffer thy poore neighbour by thee to neede Yea rather the whole Gospel doth specially vrge this that thou haue a care of thy neighbour and that thou be seruiceable toward him that thou help him both with thy counsell and substance euen as God hath holpen and instructed thee Such a one without dout he that is endued with true faith sheweth him selfe for he bursteth forth The faithful man exerciseth charitie toward his neighbour and behaueth him selfe so toward others as he hath tried God towardes him selfe and as he desireth to be done to him selfe if he were pressed with pouertie anguish and necessitie God needeth not our good workes our prayers fastings and buildings of temples founding of Masses doe displease him he requireth not our sacrifices but rather as Esay sayth hateth and abhorreth them He is content with this one thing that we acknowledge him for our God trust in him giue him thankes as he sayth Psal 50 Heare O my people I will speake I my selfe will testifie against thee O Israell for I am God euen thy God I will not reproue thee because of thy sacrifices or for thy burnt offerings because they were not alvvay before me I vvill take no bullocke out of thy house nor he goates out of thy foldes For all the beasts of the forest are mine and so are the cattels vpon a thousand hils I knovv all the soules vpon the mountaines and the vvild beasts of the field are in my sight If I be hungrie I vvill not tell thee for the vvhole vvorlde is myne and all that is therein Thinkest thou that I vvill eate bulles flesh and drinke the blood of goates Offer vnto God thankes giuing and pay thy vovves vnto the most highest And call vpon me in the time of trouble so vvill I deliuer thee and thou shalt prayse me But God sendeth vs douneward with out works to our neighbours to the miserable afflicted them that be voyde of comfort It is our partes to helpe them to comfort them to teach and instruct them And whatsoeuer benefit we shall bestow vpon them that we shall bestow vpon God his Christ as he shall say in the last day Matth. 25.40 VVhatsoeuer ye haue done vnto one of the least of these my brethren he haue done it vnto me Thus ye now haue heard that we are iustified and made righteous by the workes of an other namely by the workes of Christ which we enioy onely by faith the same faith charitie doth naturally accompany whereby we doe so to our neighbour as we acknowledge that God hath done vnto vs. Hereof ye haue elsewhere