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
Lord knoweth the wayes of the righteous and their inheritance shall endure for euer They shall not be confounded in the perilous time and in the dayes of dearth they shall haue enough And againe I haue bene yonge and now am old and yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread All which thinges Christ bringeth with him for that we are and are called his brethren not because of any merit but of meere grace If we would print these things in our hart that we might throughly feele them it should goe well with vs but they goe in at one eare and out at an other This is that wherof S. Paule so greatly glorieth Rom. 8. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God if we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Moreouer this title ascendeth so high that mans mind is not able to comprehend it For vnles the spirit the comforter did impart this grace vnto vs no man should euer be able to say Christ is my brother For reason can not be bold so to say albeit one repeat it in wordes very often as the new spirits doe It is a higher thing then that it can be so spoken for except the hart feele it as it is requisite it should it shall be nothing but onely flatterie But if thou feele it inwardly in thy hart it will be so excellent a thing vnto thee that thou wilt much rather say nothing of it then speake and talke of it yea by reason of the greatnes of so good a thinge thou wilt perhaps dout as yet and be in an vncertaintye whether it be so or not They which onely cry out thus Christ is my brother are fanatical spirits who vainly pronounce words without any frute The case standeth farre otherwise and farre more maruelously with a true Christian so that he is thereby enforced to be amased neither dareth he either say or confesse any thing sufficiently thereof Wherefore we must endeuour that we doe not heare this onely with fleshly eares but that we feele it in our hart for then we will not be so rash but we shall be forthwith caried into an admiration thereof True and sincere Christians enter into the viewing and feare of them selues thinking thus O wretched and defiled creature which am drowned in sinnes am I now made worthy that the sonne of God should be my brother how doe I miserable wretch attayne to such a thing Thus he is by and by astonied and doth not well vnderstand the thing But a great studie and endeuour surely is required that a man may beleue this yea if it were felt as it ought in very deede a mā should forthwith dye thereupon For he can not vnderstand it according to his flesh and blood and the hart of man in this life is more narrow and straight then that it is able to comprehend so great thinges But in death when the hart shall be stretched out then I say we shall trie what we haue heard by the word In the Gospel of Iohn chap. 20. Christ doth farre more plainly declare vnto Marie Magdalen this vse and frute both of his death and also of his resurrection when he sayth Goe vnto my brethren and tell them I ascende vnto my father and your father vnto my God your God this is one of the most comfortable places whereof we may glory and boast As though Christ should say Marie get thee hence and declare vnto my Disciples which did flee from me which haue throughly deserued punishment and eternall condemnation that this resurrection of myne is for their good that is that I haue by my resurrection brought the matter to that passe that my father is their father and my God is their God They are but a fewe verie short wordes in deede but they containe great matter in them namely that we haue as great hope confidence reposed in God as his owne sonne him selfe Who can comprehend such exceeding ioye I will not say vtter it that a wretched and defiled sinner may be bolde to call God his father his God euen as Christ him selfe The author of the Epistle to the Hebrues chap. 2. did well remember the wordes of the Psalme and weied with him selfe how it speaketh of Christ who as he sayth is not ashamed to call the beleeuers brethren saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the Church or congregation will I sing prayses to thee If any worldly Prince or noble man should humble him selfe so low that he would say to a theefe or robber or to one that is infected with the french pocks thou art my brother it would be a certaine notable thing which euery one would maruell at But whereas this king which sitteth in glory at the right hand of his father sayth of some poore man this is my brother that no man layeth vp in the bosome of his brest neither doth any man consider of it in his mind wherein notwithstanding our chiefe comfort and confidence consisteth against sinne death the deuils hell the law and against all sinister successe of thinges as well of the body as of the mind Moreouer forasmuch as we are flesh blood and therefore subiect to all kindes of aduersitie it followeth that the case should stand so also with our brother otherwise he should not be like vnto vs in all thinges Wherefore that he might be made conformable and like vnto vs Christ like vnto vs in all thinges except sinne he tasted and had experience of all things euen as we haue sinne only excepted that he might be our true brother and exhibite him self openly vnto vs. Which the Epistle to the Hebrues doth liuely set forth chap. 2. where it sayth Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh blood he also him selfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuil that he might deliuer all thē which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage For he tooke not on him the Angells nature but he tooke on him the seede of Abraham VVherefore in all thinges it behoued him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull a faithfull hie Priest in thinges concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted The profit The frute of Christes passion and resurrection vse and frute of the Lordes passion resurrection
the Father hauing fulfilled his will in all thinges and thereby merited eternall life For seeing that he hath no neede of this merit he giueth it vnto vs which beleeue in him that before God all his thinges may be imputed to vs and by them we may receiue saluation See how rich a thing sound faith is and how great good things it bringeth with it See also how precious a thing the Gospell is and how great a treasure it is to haue it purely preached and contrariwise how great a discommoditie there is where it is not preached or not rightly preached the inuentions of men being mingled with it or thrust in stede of it Take heede therefore of such deceiuers and of their counterfet faith rest not in thy selfe but get thee vnder the winges of Christ keepe thy selfe vnder his protection trust that thou art heire of eternall life not by thy owne righteousnes or grace which thou hast receiued but whereby he is righteous and acceptable before God Hereunto pertaineth this saying Psal 91. He will couer thee vnder his winges and thou shalt be safe vnder his fethers And in the Songe of Salomon it is said My spouse is a doue building her neast in the caues of the rockes and in the holes of the wall that is in the woundes of Christ And this in deede is a true Christian faith which resteth not in it selfe as the Scholemen dreamed but reposeth it selfe wholy in Christ and as it trusteth in him so it resteth in him hauing receiued eternall saluation Whereas he saith that we are made heires of eternall life according to hope beside that he proueth that we without all our owne merits by onely hope of grace are borne againe heires of eternall life and do not become heires by working whereof we haue already spoken at large he also teacheth this that our saluation and eternall life is as yet hid although if we beleeue we do verely possesse it and this body being put of and the kingdome of Christ reuealed all thinges shall appeare manifestly The weapons of this text Our owne righteousnes and good workes are of no power to saue vs. This text fighteth most mightily and with most plaine words against all righteousnes and good workes of mans reason and free will For the wordes are plaine Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing c. All which wordes do vtterly ouerthrow our righteousnes attributing all things to the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost to Christ and his grace How can there notwithstanding any presumption as yet remaine in vs Wherefore let all sacred and prophane lawes haue a fayre shew let all sacrificing priests monkes and nunnes boast of themselues let all religious and honest men and women seeme goodly in outward appearaunce let them euen rayse the dead if faith in Christ be absent whereof we haue now spoken so much all these things are to no purpose These most false shewes do as yet deceiue the whole world and seduce almost euerie one They make the Gospell obscure and extinguish the faith of Christ All their workes and orders although they appeare goodly and they thinke them to haue merited neuer so much do auaile no more vnto saluation then the workes of beastes or of artificers whereby they do maintaine themselues and theirs yea they do most hurtfully hinder it Therefore that I may conclude take heede as much as thou art able of these wolues which vnder a faire pretence counterfet themselues sheepe and learne and accustome thy selfe with a sound faith to cleaue vnto Christ alone A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. FOrasmuch as there is often mention made in the new Testament of these wordes the kingdom of heauē the kingdom of God the kingdom of Christ and it is very profitable and expedient for a Christian to know these to wit that they are nothing els but remission of sinnes and grace preached and offered by the Gospell For in this kingdom thou shalt finde nothing but grace and goodnes pardon and forgiuenes of sinnes loue and gentlenes I therefore thinke it good to entreate somewhat at large of the state of this kingdom and of forgiuenes of sinnes The kingdom of God whereby he reigneth ouer all the faithfull and as a faithfull king defendeth punisheth rewardeth guideth and directeth them c. they againe from their hart trust in him suffer his fatherly chastisement and correction with a patient mind and alwayes serue him through obedience is not worldly or temporal but spiritual Neither consisteth it in meate and drinke The kingdō of God wherin it consisteth or in any outward thing but onely in iustification quieting and consolation of the hart and conscience of man Wherfore it is nothing els but forgiuenes and taking away of sinnes by which consciences are defiled troubled and disquieted A similitude For euen as a worldly and temporall kingdom is ordayned to this ende that men may liue quietly peaceably one with an other So the kingdom of God giueth these thinges spiritually and destroyeth the kingdom of sinne and is nothing else but an abolishing and pardoning of offences God reigneth in the hartes inasmuch as he worketh in them by his word peace quietnes and consolation euen as sinne worketh the contrary namely vnquietnes anguish and all kinde of euills Herein God sheweth his maiestie and grace in this life that he taketh away and pardoneth mens sinnes and this is the kingdome of grace Nowe when as sinne with his gard that is Satan death and hell shall trouble man no more then at the last the kingdom of glory and absolute felicitie shall be The kingdō of God is gouerned not by the law but by the Gospell Hereupon it followeth first that the kingdom of God is ruled or gouerned by no law no not by the law of God much lesse by the lawes of men but onely by the Gospell and faith in God by which harts are purified comforted and quieted whiles that the holy Ghost poureth loue and the knowledge of God into them maketh man as it were one thinge and one spirit with God so that his affection is set vpon the same thinge he willeth and desireth the same thinge he seeketh and loueth the same thinge that God doth Neither standeth the case otherwise here then it doth betweene two frendes which beare good wil one to an other and agree one with an other in all thinges Hereof it commeth that a man in this kingdome of God is perfect mercifull pitifull and bountifull toward his neighbour seeing that he knoweth by the instinct of the holy Ghost that God is of the same affection toward him and toward all men and doth poure forth his goodnes plentifully Such affection of God no man can know by the lawe but onely by the spirit and word of the Gospell None therefore shal obtaine
vs from the Lawe for this that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes both which come vnto vs by faith Thus therefore we haue those fiue thinges whereof Paul admonished vs in this so plentifull and fruitfull a place A question But here riseth a questiō Forasmuch as to be vnder the Law is to be subiect to the Lawe by compulsion and to obey the Law no otherwise then vnwillingly so that none of them which are vnder the Lawe are able to satisfie the Lawe why Paul sayth that Christ was made vnder the Lawe The answer I aunswere that the Apostle maketh a verie great differēce betweene Christ who was made vnder the Lawe Great differēce between Christes being vnder the Law ours and other men which are borne vnder the Lawe For whereas he sayth that Christ was made vnder the Lawe he would signifie that Christ did put himselfe vnder the Lawe of his owne accord and was with his will made subiect vnto it of the Father when as he might not haue bin vnder the Lawe But we were vnder the Lawe being the seruaunts of the Lawe by nature and bearing the dominion thereof vnwillingly as Christ was willingly not by nature and against his will Wherefore there is as great difference betweene It is one thing to be made vnder the Lawe an other to be vnder the Lawe by nature To be made vnder the Lawe and To be vnder the Lawe by nature as betweene these To be subiect to the Lawe of free will and To be subiect to the Lawe by seruile constraint It was free vnto Christ to be vnder the Law or not to be vnder it and he made himselfe subiect to it of his owne accord that he might most diligently do all thinges that the Law requireth but we were vnder the Lawe euen against our will Thou mayst see a resemblaunce hereof in Peter Ours and Christs being vnder the Law and our deliueraunce frō the same most excellently resembled and the Angell which came into the prison to Peter to deliuer him Both of them were then in the prison but Peter was there being cast into it of Herode not of his owne accord wherein he was also to abide for he could not go forth when he would But the Angell went into the prison of his owne accord whereupon it was free for him also to go forth when he would he was there onely for Peters sake and not for his owne and freely euen at his owne will whom when Peter heard and folowed it was free for him also to go forth of the prison whereas before it was not This prison is the Lawe Peter is our conscience The Angell is Christ Christ being absent our conscience is held captiue of the Lawe and being vnwilling of it selfe is moued vnto good thinges by the threatninges and promises thereof and is tied and bound vnto honest thinges with these as with two chaines The keepers of this prison are the teachers of the Lawe which declare the force of the Lawe vnto vs. So we being bound in the prison of the Lawe Christ commeth vnto vs and willingly maketh himselfe subiect to the Lawe and doth the workes of the Lawe of his owne accord which we did bend our selues to do against our wills yea and doth them for our sake that he may ioyne vs vnto him and also bring vs out togither with himselfe For he may easily go forth who is held in the prison by no necessitie If now we cleaue vnto him and follow him we also do goe forth But this cleauing to him and following him is nothing els then to beleeue in him and not to dout that he became man and was made subiect to the lawe for thy saluations sake Togither with this fayth commeth the spirit he by and by maketh thee ready and willing to do with pleasure all thinges that the Lawe requireth and so truly deliuereth thee from the captiuitie of the Lawe those chaines of threatninges and promises fall of from thee and thou mayst now go whither thou list that is thou mayst liue according to thine owne will or rather according to the wil of the holy Ghost ruling all thinges in thee finally what good thinges soeuer thou doest thou doest them from the heart and with great pleasure Christ made vnder the Law after two sorts Moreouer that it may be made more plaine after what sort Christ made himselfe subiect to the Lawe we must vnderstand that he was made vnder the Lawe after two sorts both for that he did perfectly performe the workes of the Lawe and also for that he suffered and ouercame the curse and punishment thereof for our sake For he was circumcised presented in the temple and the time of the purification being finished was obedient to his parents All which thinges he might haue omitted being Lord of the Lawe and ouer all Howbeit he applied himselfe to these thinges freely of his owne will not being either compelled by any feare or allured by any hope In outward workes he was in the meane season altogether like vnto them which were vnder the Law that is which did the workes of the Law against their wills inasmuch as his free spirit was hidden from others euen as also the seruile and constrained will of others is hidden And so he both was vnder the Lawe and not vnder the Lawe He behaued himselfe outwardly in workes as they which are vnwillingly held vnder the Lawe whereas notwithstanding he was not vnder the Lawe as they but of his owne free will Wherefore in respect of his worke he was vnder the Lawe but in respect of his will he was free from the Lawe How we are vnder the Law But we as well by will as by workes are vnder the Lawe by nature for that we do workes according to the rule of the Lawe of necessitie yea and we do them with that will which the Lawe constraineth and vrgeth in asmuch as we do not endeuour to do them of our owne accord Christ made himselfe subiect to the punishment of the Lawe also for our sakes of his owne will He did not onely performe those workes which the Lawe commaundeth but he suffered the punishment also which was due to vs being transgressors thereof The Lawe condemneth to death and the eternall curse all those that continue not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the Lawe to do them as Paule Gal. 3. reciteth out of Moses Leuit. 18. Now it is declared at large before that the Lawe is fulfilled of no man but that all men are against their willes held captiues of the Law wherefore euerie one is subiect to death and to the curse so that there is no man subiect to the Lawe in respect of workes and will which is not also subiect to it in respect of the curse For it curseth and condemneth all that do not performe it with their whole heart But here Christ maketh intercession for them
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
what this is that the Lord sheweth to his Disciples his handes and his feete whereby is declared vnto vs what commoditie we haue by Christ whereunto he profiteth vs and what we must loke for of him It is engraffed in the harts of all men as it were by nature to haue a certen wil to be honest godly euery one thinketh how he may come to saluation wherby it hath come to passe that one hath inuented this thing an other that being verily persuaded that thereby he should make God fauourable vnto him and obtaine heauen but none such at any time hath stoode in the right way forasmuch as all haue had this drift that they might procure Gods fauour by deedes and good workes Notable Doctors also and holy fathers haue written taught many things how we might attaine vnto godlines About this they haue miserably troubled them selues but as we see and to our notable losse haue felt they haue done litle Wherefore it is exceeding necessary that some sound knowledge be had hereof wherby we must endeuour to true godlines forasmuch as it is a thing of no small importance For he that is deceiued here lozeth the summe and chiefe point of all Christianitie hereof therefore we must nowe speake somewhat True righteousnes is obtained not by our owne workes but by the works which Christ hath wrought for vs. True sound righteousnes consisteth not in our owne works but in the works of an other Take an example hereof One buildeth temples an other for religions sake goeth to S. Iames to Aquisgrane to Rome to the holy sepulcher the third pineth him selfe with fastings prayeth weareth a cowle goeth bare foote or worketh some other such worke whatsoeuer it be these are our owne workes God hath not commaunded them but men and hypocrites iustifiers of them selues haue inuented them and haue thought that they are precious good workes and greatly esteemed of God sweetely persuading them selues that they are by them deliuered from sinnes and that God is pacified towards them But these workes chosen of their owne proper will are nothing worth at all neither can stand forasmuch as they proceede not of faith yea they are sinnes as Sainct Paule saith Rom. 14 VVhatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne These our works therefore are defiled and vncleane in the sight of God yea he doth abhorre and loathe them Wherefore if we will haue to doe with God we must not ascend trusting to our owne workes but to the workes of an other But which are those workes of an other that are allowed of God Truely the workes of our Lorde Iesus Christ whom God the father sent downe from heauen that by his death and passion he might satisfie for our sinnes This satisfaction fel out vpon this occasion We were subiect to great daunger The miserable case wherein man was before he was deliuered by Christ grieuous tyrannes had power ouer vs which day and night without ceasing did vexe vs. The law which God gaue vnto man did vrge vs and required many thinges of vs which we were not able to performe and therefore it condemned vs. Sinne also did lye vpon vs as a heauy burden which the lawe did oft times make greater greater Death went about to deuour vs inasmuch as it is the wages of sinne Satan also endeuoured to throw vs downe headlong to hell inasmuch as he would punish vs for our sinnes committed all thinges were full of trembling and anguish God taking pitie vpon this so great calamity sent his only begotten sonne and that of his mere grace goodnes without our desert that he might deliuer vs out of so great tyrannie which he mightely did after this sorte He satisfied the law Christ hath fulfilled the law preuailed against sinne ouercome death and vanquished Satan and fulfilled it perfectly For he loued God with all his heart and with all his soule with all his strength he loued his neighbour also as him selfe in these the whole law and the Prophetes do consist Nowe whatsoeuer Christ did it consisted in these two He loued God inasmuch as he obeyed his will he tooke vpon him the nature of man and performed in all obedience those thinges that were enioyned him of the father as Paul saith Phil. 2 He became obedient to the father vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Secondly he loued his neighbour for all the workes which he did in the earth tended vnto this end that he might therby profit his neighbour and therefore he so loued his neighbour that he euen died for him as he saith himselfe to his disciples Ioh. 15 Greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life for his frends S. Paul doth more set forth this saying for his enemies when he writeth thus Rom. 5 But God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Forasmuch then as Christ hath so fulfilled the law it could not accuse him neither was sinne of any force with him He set vpon it and did preuaile ouer it and swallowed it vp it was enforced to be extinguished of him no otherwise then a sparke of fire in the most wide sea For in him was nothing but mere righteousnes Death also came and went about to deuour him it deuoured him in deede but it could not digest him it was enforced to yeeld him vp againe yea and this deuouring was an vtter discommoditie to death for the case being quite altered Christ deuoured death it selfe For it had set vpon him against whome it had no right forasmuch as not a whit of sinne did appeare in him Where sinne is not there death hath nothing to doe as Sainct Paule sayth 1. Cor. 15 The stinge of death is sinne with this it killeth otherwise it should be dull and haue no strength Satan also made a triall of his strength in him but in vaine and to his owne griefe for he layde handes on him with whome he had nothing to doe The wretch was ouercome in this conflict and went away with shame as Christ sayth Ioh. 14 The Prince of this world commeth and hath nought in me Hell also did open his mouth and would haue deuoured Christ but contrariwise it was deuoured of him And so in this conflict the Law Sinne Death Satan and hell were vanquished ouer all which he triumphed gloried with great pompe as Paule sayth Col. 2. The beleeuers by faith enioy the workes of Christ as their owne All these thinges were not onely done for our commoditie but also if we beleeue in this Lorde Christ they are giuen vnto vs. For whatsoeuer he hath it serueth for vs yea he him selfe is ours as Paule sayth Rom. 8. God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all thinges also So that I may boldly glorie of all victorie which he obtained ouer the law sinne
grieuous to be borne but my burden is not so grieuous it is light and tolerable ye may easily beare it Our wisemen saye now that the yoke of Christ is more grieuous then the yoke of the Lawe was and they alleage the fift chapter of Matthewe But Christ dothe there interprete the Lawe how it ought to be vnderstood he doth not make lawes but sayth that murders and adulteries proceede from an euell and vncleane heart And so he doth onely expounde the Lawe of Moses and prescribeth not any lawes there Why the yoke of Christ is saide to be easie But the yoke of Christ is therefore easie and his burden light because he taketh awaye not onely ceremoniall and mans lawes but euen the whole lawe the curse synne death and what soeuer maye come vnto vs from the Lawe all this Christ taketh awaye from me and endueth me with his spirit by the motion and instinct whereof I doe gladly willingly and with pleasure performe all the duties of the Lawe It is therefore also called easie sweete and light for that he himselfe helpeth vs and taketh part of the burden if we be not of strength sufficient It appeareth in deede grieuous and intolerable to the world but it is otherwise when there is one ready to ease the burden It is a common saying it is good to sing with a fit compainō you two will easily beare the burden although one alone were not of strēgh sufficiēt to beare it Thus much shall suffize for the exposition of this Gospell **** A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE GOSPELL ON THE FEAST OF S. PHILIP AND IAMES Iohn 14. Verse 1. IEsus said vnto his disciples Let not your heart be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me 2. In my Fathers house are manie dwelling places if it were not so I would haue tould you I go to prepare a place for you 3. 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 4. And whither I go ye know and the waye ye knowe 5. Thomas said vnto him Lord we know not whither thou goest how can we then knowe the waye 6. Iesus said vnto him I am the Waie the Truth and the Life No man commeth vnto the Father but by me 7. If ye had knowne me ye should haue knowne my Father also and from hence forth ye know him and haue seene him 8. Philippe said vnto him Lord shew vs thy Father and it suffiseth vs. 9. Iesus said vnto him Haue I bin so long time with you and hast thou not knowne me Philip he that hath seene me hath seene my Father how then sayest thou Shewe vs thy Father 10. Beleeuest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father is in me The wordes that I speake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the Father that dwelleth in me he doth the workes 11. Beleeue me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me at the least beleeue me for the verie workes sake 12. Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleeueth in me the workes that I do he shall do also and greater then these shalhe do for I go vnto my Father 13. And whatsoeuer ye aske in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne 14. If ye shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it The summe of this Gospell 1 IN this Gospell is contained a comfort against offence that tempteth vs through the crosse and persecution 2 Without the merit of Christ no man commeth to glorie Therefore he sayth In my Fathers house are many dwelling places For many are elect frō euerlasting of God the Father which notwithstanding can not come vnto glorie without Christ 3 The Disciples beleeued in Christ yet did they not vnderstād that he should come vnto glorie by death Wherein we must marke that fayth being vnperfect in the Apostles and Disciples of Christ is a comfort vnto vs if we rest vpon the foundation Christ 4 In Philip we see a verie grosse fayth for he will see and know by experience Wherefore Christ sayth If ye will not beleeue my wordes at the last beleeue the workes that the Father is in me and I in the Father 5 These wordes I say vnto you he that beleeueth in me the workes that I do he shall do also c. shew that Christ shall reigne in vs when he is glorified with the Father 6 And thus we see that in all this Gospell Christ requireth nothing els of them that be his but fayth The exposition of this Gospell IN the beginning of this Gospell Christ declareth wherefore he came and what office he executeth which is properly the preaching of the Gospell to wit that he is he which prepareth dwelling places with the Father and wil when he commeth againe receiue vs vnto himselfe Moreouer he sayth that he is the way the truth and the life which he afterward more plainly expresseth when he sayth No man commeth vnto the Father but by me Also when he sayth If ye had knowne me ye should haue knowne my Father also Hereunto moreouer pertaineth that which he sayth vnto Philip He that hath seene me hath seene my Father This is the chiefe and the greatest thing in this Gospell vnto which all are to be referred Hereof we ought to learne that we are not iustified by our owne strength neither saued by our owne merits but are sanctified by the spirit of Christ and saued by grace that Christ is the way leading to saluation We will discusse and examine this Gospell throughout as God shall giue vs grace These wordes the Lord spake vnto his Disciples after his Supper when he was now about to depart from them Forasmuch as he had said many thinges vnto them of his departure and passion they were after a sort troubled and terrified wherefore the Lord beginneth louingly to comfort thē saying Let not your heart be troubled As if he would say I perceiue that my departure dothe grieue you and that ye are therefore troubled But seeing it can not be otherwise be not discomforted there is no cause why ye should therefore be troubled I will come againe vnto you Notwithstanding ye shall see many thinges in me before whereat ye wil be offended they shal crucifie me and vnworthely handle me But be not ye troubled because of these thinges be not afrayde it wil be better shortly after the will of the Father is such Howbeit flesh can not do otherwise but be offended if it seeth Christ to be crucified it byandby reuolteth from him it beleeueth him not neither counteth him for a Sauiour Which also it doth when it seeth holy men suffer persecution to be afflicted and tormented for then it thinketh that God hath no care of them Against this offence Christ aforehand confirmeth his Disciples and sayth Ye beleeue in God beleeue also in