¶ A very Comfortable and necessary Sermon in these our dayes made by the right reuerend father and faithfull seruaunt of Iesus Christ Martin Luther concerning the comming of our Sauior Christ to iudgement and the signes that go before the last day Which Sermon is an exposition of the Gospell appointed to be red in the Church on the second Sonday in Aduent and is now newly translated out of Latin into English and something augmented and enlarged by the translator with certaine notes in the margent Act. 17. 30. ¶ Now God admonisheth all men euery where to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath geuen an assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead 2. Pet. 3. 3. THis first vnderstand that there shall come in the last daies mockers which will walke after their lustes and say where is the promisse of his commyng for since the fathers dyed all thynges continue a like from the begynning of the creation For this they willingly know not that the heauens were of olde and the earth that was of the water and by the water through the word of god Wherfore the world that then was perished ouerflowed with the water But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire agaynst the day of iudgement and of the destructioÌ„ of vngodly men Dearely beloued be not ignorant of this one thyng that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeare as one day The Lord is not slacke concernyng hys promes as some men count slackenes but is pacient toward vs would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repeÌ„taunce But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elementes shal melt with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shal be burnt vp Seyng therfore that all these thynges must be dissolued what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlynes Lookyng for and hastyng vnto the commyng of the day of God by the which the heauens beyng on fire shal be dissolued and the elementes shall melt with heate But we looke for new heauens and a new earth accordyng to hys promes wherein dwelleth righteousnes Wherefore beloued seyng that ye looke for such thynges be diligent that ye may be founde of him in peace without spot and blameles ¶ To all the inhabitauntes of England and other els where that vnderstand the English toung the translator whisheth true knowledge of God contained in his word which is lyfe euerlastyng BEfore tyme not many yeares since dearely beloued brethren countreymen the Disciples of Antichrist and Apostles of Sathan for the establishyng of their Lordes kyngdome knowyng that the coÌ„tinuance therof was the increase of their owne estimatioÌ„ wealth and pleasure in this world haue deuised many politicke practises so wicked and so deuilish that whosoeuer beholdeth them well shall soone perceaue they were not inuented without the counsayle of their Lord and master Wherof this was the first and chief and as I may say the ground of the residue to keepe all men both Princes and their subiectes in ignoraunce of God hys word that they not knowyng the truth might the more casely be brought into all kynd of deuilish heresies that they not vnderstanding vice should not be able to repreheÌ„d the horrible wickednes of Antichrist and hys ministers To this end they haue restrayned all the laity throughout Christendome from readyng the Scriptures and haue forbydden them to be Printed in their vulgare tounges an din stede thereof haue geuen them to occupie theyr braynes withall fables of Robin Hood of Gie of Warrike of Geuis of Hampton of the Knightes of the round table of the iiij sonnes of AmoÌ„ filthy tales Chaucer the Court of Uenus most horrible blasphemous lyes out of Saintes Legendes and such lyke Wherby men beyng drowned in ignorauÌ„ce and detestable heresies haue bene cast downe headlong into the most miserable pit of hell But now it hath pleased almighty God towardes the commyng of our Sauiour to Iudgement by the preachyng of hys word through the workyng of hys holy spirite to oppresse the power of Sathan to cut the hornes of Antichrist to reueale the man of sinne Which sittyng in the Temple of God boasteth hym selfe as god Now it hath pleased our Sauiour Christ to diminish the kyngdome of Antichrist to aduaunce his owne kyngdome to deface y Disciples of Antichrist and to glorifie hys owne Disciples He hath driuen out the filthy swyne and wylde bores that haue spoyled hys vineyarde and hath hyred laborers to husband it agayne that it may yeld hym frute now at haruest tyme wheÌ„ he commeth to receiue the same into hys euerlastyng kyngdome at which tyme hys faythfull seruauÌ„tes shall receiue for their hyre a peece of money that neuer shall fayle and shall eate and drinke the frutes of their labours with hym world without end Therfore it is conuenient and necessary for all Gods labourers that is to say Princes and their Magistrates Prelates and all Ecclesiastical Ministers to labour diligeÌ„tly in the Lords vineyard to kepe out these swyne which Antichrist hath sent to deuoure it not onely to yoke them but also to set dogges on theÌ„ which wil both barcke and plucke of their â—…ares if they enterprise to breake through the hedge and to route vp y vines with theyr deuilishe bookes altogether voyde of Gods word and of reason to euery man that hath any vnderstandyng and knowledge of god To this end by the authority of our soueraigne Lady the Queenes Maiestie in our Realme and other Princes in other Realmes a great number of godly men haue preached diligently other haue written very profitable bookes of Diuinitie both in Latin and in theyr own vulgare toung and diuers haue translated good bookes out of straunge tounges into their owne language husbanding therby the Lordes vineyard and keepyng out the swyne that endeuer to destroy it Amongest whom I beyng one more ready to shew my good will then able to do any great seruice haue chosen this short Sermon of Martin Luther the faythfull seruant of God GraÌ„dcapitaine vnder our Sauiour Christ and chief hunter of these wyld bores vnto theyr father the deuill from wheÌ„ce they were sent to destroy the sincere true worshyp of god This mans Sermon I say concernyng the commyng of our Sauiour to IudgemeÌ„t and the signes that go before the last day I haue chosen to translate into our English toung as that which I thought a most coÌ„uenient labour in this last houre of the day to preserue in the Lordes vineyard the ripe grapes from rottyng and from wild beastes and to hast those that are vnrype agaynst the Lordes
they shoot out their buds you see and know of your selues how that Sōmer is thē nigh at hand so likewise ye also whē see these thinges come to passe be sure that the kyngdome of GOD is nigh Doubtelesse this is a notable exposition which I my selfe could neuer inuent or apply vnto this purpose For who euer herd that the darkenyng of y Sunne and the Moone the destructiō of the heauē and earth the feare and tremblyng of men the ruine of the ayre water all creatures should be likened to the shootyng out of buds and y blossomyng of trees I would thinke rather that these thynges should bee lykened to a rough sharpe and very hard winter which with vntollerable cold destroyeth and kylleth all frutes and what soeuer groweth vpon the earth But our Sauiour Christ of all other the best interpreter and expounder of his word expoundeth these signes after an other sorte better to our comfort and consolation shewyng that those thynges which seeme terrible vnto vs are pleasaūt and beautifull to behold as if we see the Sunne and the Moone darkened the water and the wyndes stormy and tempestuous the mountaines ouerthrowē made equall with the valleyes he teacheth vs to say thankes be to God for now the pleasaunt som◅◅s at hād now we see the spryng of the leafe in some trees and other some to shoot out theyr buddes No man no reason no humane wisedome could thus interprete these signes terrible to behold that redemption and euerlastyng ioye should be signified thereby which vnto reason mans wisedome seeme rather to prognosticate death and all kind of destruction But seyug we haue learned this interpretation of such a notable scholemaster euē of him which sendeth them and therfore knoweth best how to expound thē therfore I say let vs learne it well accustome our selues vnto it that we may print it in our mindes the better to our comfort and that we may behold these signes and geue our indgement of them accordyng to the word of God and not according to reason and mans wisedome which is foolish and ◅ull of corruption which teacheth vs to shunne and bee afrayed of those things that in dede are pleasaunt ioyfull It will not gladly suffer vs to be hold all thinges darkened and to looke lowringly thunder lightenyng great stormes tēpestes are vnacceptable vnto it Notwithstanding a Christian mā ought not to be troubled therwith but take hold vpon Gods word whereby he openeth our myndes that as he interpreteth these thinges we may interprete them also knowyng therby y pleasantnes of sommer is now at hād and the earth will very shortly bryng forth an abundance of goodly lilies and swete roses most pleasāt to behold that is to lay that now after this filthy and wicked lyfe in the which we are tumbled and tossed with many miseries and calamities we shal be brought into the hauen of tranquillitie blessednes and all pleasure which neuer shall haue end For this is his will that as we must be new mē so we must haue new sences new cogitatiōs new vnderstandyng of thynges not behold any thyng with the eyes of our own reason as they seme vnto the world but with the eyes of faith and as they seme vnto God that we may the better fashiō our selues vnto that new lyfe to come which is inuisible which we hope for after the tribulation of this world And that we be not delighted with this temporall lyfe nor greued to depart out of it or to see the destruction of the world and all creatures therin of whom it is no time now to take pitie we ought rather to take pitie of the miserable Christiās both of them which presently are afflicted in the world and also of them which beyng departed sleepe in the graue and desire to see the glorious day of their resurrection Euen as the yerbes which in the wynter tyme lye hid in the earth and the trees the iuyce therof beyng kept in with cold can not spryng and bryng forth buds blossomes and leaues but looke for the spryng at which tyme shootyng out their buds they florish and are liuely to behold so we in lyke maner ought with ioy to looke for the iast day saying Now the sharpenes of wynter is ended the pleasaunt sommer is come yea such a sommer which neuer shall haue end At the commyng wherof not onely the Saintes but also the Angels reioyce and are glad Pea all creatures after a sort looke for it and desire it earnestly For heauen earth Sunne Starres ayre and all creatures can no lenger beare the wickednes of the world which they are constrayned to behold vnto whom it is greuous to serue to the vse or rather to the abuse of sinners are an ayde to the wickednes of the deuil And therefore they would gladly bee deliuered of thys fylthy bondage and be made a new heauen and a new earth as Peter and the Prophet Esay sayth in y which onely rightuousnes shall dwell For iniquitie and the wi◅kednes of man passeth all measure so that it can not be suffred any longer And therfore all thynges are moued as now we see crying as it were vnto God for their deliueraunce For this cause our Sauiour Christ concludeth after this sort So you when you see these thynges come to passe know that the kyngdome of God is at hand Verely I say vnto you this age shall not passe vntill all thynges be fulfilled heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe As though he should say you haue prayed after this sorte Let thy kyngdome come deliuer vs from euill Therfore now know you for a certainty euen as certainely as my worde is true and euerlastyng that when you see these sygnes your prayer is heard that the kyngdome of God shall come euen as you haue desired and all sinne shall haue an end and be consumed c. Therfore when I come in the cloudes withall my aungels with great glory in flaming fyre wherwith all creatures shall melt and be consumed and all thinges shall geue alyght and shyne after a straunger and wonderfull sorte your bodyes shal be glorified so that they shall passe the purenes of the ayre and all the army of heauen shyne they neuer so bright and shall raigne with me for euer in vnspeakable glory Finally you shall see the wicked vnder your feete naked in the earth in perpetuall shame tremblyng and shakyng beyng accursed and cast downe headlong into hell Now to make an end after this sort as I haue declared vnto you the signes of the last day must be expounded vnto the Christian people that it may appeare they signifie no harme but marueilous ioy great profite and commodity As for the Astronomers let them interprete them to signifie nothyng els but warre murder and vtter destruction let them feare and tremble which haue and desire nothyng but a temporall lyfe
commyng that is to say to comfort the faythful to confirme the weake and to instruct the ignoraunt in diuers necessary pointes of doctrine or at the least to geue them a watchword of our Lordes commyng that they may now at the length cease from sinityng theyr felow seruants and from eatyng and drynkyng with the drunken and may make them selues ready with oyle in their lampes to receiue hym that when the trumpet bloweth and the bridgrome commeth we may all folow hym into hys euerlastyng tabernacle therein to lyue with God the father the sonne and the holy ghost in euerlastyng ioy To whom be all prayse honor and glory world without ende Amen Anno 1569. March 22. T. B. THe places of Scripture that appertayneth to this Sermon folowyng are noted in the margent to the end that the Readers accordyng to the example of those men mentioned in the Actes of the Apostles may examine the Scriptures and try whether it bée so or no as the author hereof sayth and readyng them they may finde many moe Sentences besides for the comfort and confirmation of their fayth ¶ The Gospell for the second Sonday in Aduent THere shal be signes in the Sunne in the Moone and in the Starres and in the earth the people shal be at theyr wittes end thorow dispayre The Sea and the water shall rore and mēs harts shall fayle them for feare and for lookyng after those thynges which shall come on the earth For the powers of heauen shall moue and then shall they see the sonne of man come in a cloude with power and great glory When these thynges begyn to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heades for your redemption draweth nere And he shewed them a similitude saying behold the figge tree and al other trees When they shoote forth theyr buds ye see and know of your selues that sommer is then nigh at hand So lykewyse ye also When you see these thinges come to passe ▪ be sure that the kyngdome of God is nigh Verely I say vnto you this generation shall not passe vntill all be fulfilled heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe The Sermon or exposition of the Gospell IN this dayes Gospel Christ our Lord shew eth vs what shal be the estate and conditiō of the world whē all things draw to an end Wherby we may know when the great and horrible day shall appeare in the which Christ our Lord hym selfe shall come openly to Iudgement that no mā nede to wauer or doubt of the matter For he sheweth playnly the signes that shal be sene in the last age and shal go before the last day as tokens therof because it cānot be chosen but that so straūge yea that the last chaūge of the whole world should be declared by many and great tokēs seyng that much lesse alterations of countreys and natiōs haue ben signified by signes and wonders goyng before Bycause this prefēt Gospell hath ben before tyme sufficiently declared so that now it is well knowen vnto all men I mynde not to shew the doctrine that therof may be gathered but after an other maner and fashion to handle it to the glory of God our consolation For therfore is it put in writtyng and made manifest by preachyng that it may serue to our cōfort and to the encrease of fayth and hope in vs which professe Christ and beleue in hym notwithstandyng there is good cause why it may be a terror vnto the other sort of mē I meane the wicked vnbeleuers whose destruction these signes do portend Who in dede are nothyng moued with them at all but with security of mynde do contemne them Therfore commendyng them to our God theyr Iudge which shall come and reward them accordyng to theyr desertes that by experiēce they may alwayes feele that which now they neither beleue nor regard in handlyng the Gosspell we wil haue litle consideration of them but wil make it frutfull vnto our selues lest we should suffer it in vayne to be put in writyng and should leese the frute commodity thereof Which if we consider well we shall perceiue that it contayneth matter very comfortable and ioyfull seruyng much for our commodity Which consolation and comfort is very nedeful for vs seyng the signes of them selues are very terrible and as I may say horrible to behold Moreouer Christiās as they are at other tymes fearefull enough of base courage so whē they see the indignatiō and wrath of God towardes mākind the waggyng of a leafe is able to make them amased and almost dead for feare cōtrarywise the wicked are more secure and hard harted and are moued with no signes be they neuer so great and horrible Therfore this thyng seemeth not to fall out indifferently and as reason would for they which chiefly should be afrayd whom God by his signes doth terrible threaten they I say haue hartes of horne stone and yron so that they regarde them as thoughe they dyd nothyng appertayne vnto them what soeuer wrath of God was to come beyng euen now at hand they do forewarne shewe Contrarywise they which ought not to bee moued but rather reioyce when they see these signes and tokens as vnto them they do not portend any wrath or displeasure of God but fauour consolation they I say feare more thē nedeth and can scarsely lift vp theyr harts to cōceaue such swete and comfortable cogitations as thereby occasion is offered Now to come to my matter there are two thyngs chiefly to be noted in this Gospell The one is that our Sauiour reckoneth the signes in order which go before the last day which being fulfilled we may know for a certainty that the day is euen hard at hand The other note is that he sayth those signes shal be a consolation and a comfort to hys Christian children so that therby they may be moued to looke for hys commyng with a mery and cherefull countenance The first signe sayth he shall appeare from heauen in the sunne y moone and the starres that is to say as Mathew doth expoūd it The sunne shal be darkened and the moone shall not geue her light and the starres shall fall from heauen c. Moreouer vpon the earth the people shal be at theyr wittes end thorow dispayre shal be in such perplexitye that they shall not know whether to go or where to abyde their hartes shall fayle thē for feare of those thynges which are like to come vpon them Agayne signes shal be seene in the Sea in the Waters so that all creatures and the powers of heauen shall moue there shal be such an alteration that the world shall seeme by and by to haue an end and the last day shall seeme hard at hand Here I will not greatly contend with any mā but will leaue it to the consideration of my Christian brethrē whether the signes in the
sunne the moone and the starres be already fulfilled or not But this is my belefe most certaine hope that the greater part of them haue bene already sene and that many other are not here after to bee looked for For if we will beleue there hath bene sene euen in our time aboundantly both many and great Eclipses or darkenyngs of the sunne and mone within few yeares together one after an other besides diuers in one yeare the lyke we haue not read to haue appeared at any time before since the begyn nyng of the world But he that will not beleue the word of God will not beleue y signes nor take them for signes but will cōtemne them and tread them vnder hys foote yea although the sunne should be dayly darkned before his eyes the starres should fall by heapes from heauen Although Astronomers say that such darkenynges of the sunne and moone happen by y course of nature which some of them can tel of before hand yet they deny not but they signifie some terrible thyng to happen on the earth especially seyng there be so many all most euery yeare Besides this contrary to the course of nature many signes haue bene sene in the Heauens many Sunnes at one time many Raynebowes many terrible blasyng Starres fyres in the ayre like dartes and swordes and diuers other prodigious sygnes which if they should be written would fill a whole volume but all are forgotten if they be not dayly before our eyes and assone as they are past we liue securely as though no such thyng had euer happened at any tyme yea rather the oftener they happen so much the lesse we regard them For we take thē for customable thynges thinkyng with our selues that of necessitye they must so come to passe makyng no more accountes of them afterwardes And true it is that of necessity they must so come to passe otherwise they should be tokens in vayne and the world should not bee so soone destroyed if it beyng moued therby should beleue the Gospell For it might turnyng to God by repentaunce auoyde or turne away his wrath ▪ or at the least prolong it for a tyme But alas this is rather the chief care of the world by continuyng in wickednes most obstinatly heapyng sinne to hastē Gods wrath and spedely to procure◅hys owne destruction Thus much as concernyng the signes in the Sunne the Moone and the Starres Now as touchyng the signes in the Sea and the Waters I commit them in like maner to the Iudgement of my Christian brethren Whether they be fulfilled al ready or no. Old men testify that no man aliue is able to remember so great tempestes windes and floudes as haue happened within these few yeares Some floudes haue drowned whole countreys such haue happened of late about Rome and in the lower Germany besides the earth quakes which we haue heard of but I let them passe By these thynges it semeth that such is now the condition of the world that nothing shall continue any longer in hys old estate but all things shall quickly be turned vpsidedowne and fall to decay And also this we see come to passe by many examples that many are so troubled and vexed that for very anguishe of mynde they dispayre Which thyng may be vnderstanded both bodely and spiritually but especially spiritually For we haue heard of many before tyme and yet dayly heare of mo whom the deuill so troubleth and vexeth by temptations and desperation that for the greatnes of the grief and anguish they lay hand vpon them selues procure their owne death so that we see all the signes forespokē by our Sauiour Christ haue happened in all the world And although all thynges be not fully cōplished and ended yet we can not deny but that the greater part of them is already fulfilled especially so many happenyng together one after an other Therfore litle or nothyng hereafter is to be looked for besides the end of all thyngs which signes are therfore forespoken to put vs out of doubt and that we should not thinke they happen without a cause by chaūce or fortune rather thē to signifie some notable thyng to come But they are in dede all of them terrible signes threatening vnto the world cruell euēts although it do not feele them nor care for them But true Christians do both see them and marke them well are therby terrified much more then nedes seyng they are not sent to their destruction but rather to their consolation therfore they ought with ioy gladnes to behold cōsider them and not be discouraged although the firmament appeare lamentable vnto the beholders the Sunne the Moone the Starres and all the heauen beyng darkened The Sunne although he be couered with a thicke and blacke cloude although he leese his light neuerthelesse he goeth forwardes in hys course he is no worse then he was before he remaineth the same Sunne still and shineth as he dyd before sauyng that he lowreth for a time in token of destruction to wicked men in lyke mader the residue as the Moone and the Starres in that they seeme terrible to behold it is no harme vnto them selues For they are no tokens vnto them selues but vnto the wicked world of whō they are contēned After the same sort whereas mē are troubled and vexed hauyng a timerous fearefull consciēce it is in dede a terrible signe but not vnto thee or thē which suffer this if they be Christians onely it signifieth destruction to the wicked and despisers therof which do not suffer it but neglect it For the sufferers are preserued neuerthelesse and take no harme therby although they go vp and downe with a pensiue mynde in token of destruction to the wicked and vngodly persons Euen as Esay went naked and without shooes and Ieremy caryed a chayne about hys necke for a signe of misery and calamity to the Egyptians and Philistines and yet no harme happened vnto either of them For Ieremy remayned out of bondage ▪ thraldome and in as much liberty as he was before and Esay notwithstādyng hys ▪ nakednes kept still hys garmentes So they which kepyng vnto them a good cōscience do cary about them these tokens shal be without harme and voyde of of all daunger onely they declare vnto other what shortly after shal be their estate and condicion For although they bee euill signes yet they bryng no euill to them that cary them Otherwise he that hath the execution of condemned persons would not cary the sword or the axe neither durst any mā cary a weapon But thou which art a mansleaer and murderer take thou hede to thy selfe for thou art lyke to go to the pot when the officer draweth foorth his sword In lyke maner the fire the gibbet the halter the gallowes hurte not them selues but bryng destructiō to theeues and robbers which haue committed haynous offences So before the last day there must be many men whom