vvordes and iudgement I make no small account of but aftervvard entring into deeper consideration of the matter and vveying on the one side the great ignorance of many euen in matters of saluation togither vvith the dayly dishonouring of God by vngodly life and on the other side the diuine doctrine and most vvholsom exhortations vvhich these Sermons conteine I vvas more forcibly stirred vp thereunto and thought that the painefull perusing of them and frutefull follovving of that vvhereof they entreat vvould be a souereigne salue to help to cure such daungerous diseases For by them may they learne to knovv one onely true God and vvhom he hath sent Iesus Christ and the infinit riches vvhich are comprised in him and offered vnto vs through him of God his Father that he humbled him selfe to exalt vs that he became a seruaunt to set vs at libertie that he vvas empouerished to make vs rich that he dyed for our sinnes rose again for our iustification that through his meanes mercie hath svvallovved vp miserie and bounty hath ouercome all euill finally that vvithout him there is no ioy nor consolation no peace nor quietnes no felicitie nor saluation but that he is the onely meanes by vvhich all good thinges are attained so that they vvhich enioy him receiue not one gift alone as vvith Salomon vvisedom vvith Samson strength vvith Iob patience vvith Paule zeale c but for pouertie they receiue riches for vveakenes strength for folly vvisedom for seruitude freedom for griefe ioy for sinne righteousnes for death life yea all good thinges vvhatsoeuer VVherefore if the faithfull man be pressed vvith pouertie he may here learne that by Christ he is adopted to be the Sonne of God and so may be comforted saying to him selfe Hovv can he be poore vvhich hath God to his Father vvho both is able to giue all thinges necessary for his is the earth and all that therein is and also vvill giue the same because he is most louing and gracious to his children Againe if he feele in him selfe vveaknes he may learne here that he is not able of him selfe to attaine vnto strength but that it is the gift of Christ vvho strengtheneth such as beleeue in him so may be stirred vp by harty prayer to aske the same of him that he vvill vouchsafe by his holy spirit to strengthen and confirme him that he may be able to performe that by grace vvhich by nature and of him selfe he shall neuer be able to doe as mightely to subdue the rebellious flesh strongly to resist and at the last valiauntly to ouercome the tentations of Satan patiently to beare the troubles of the vvorld and constantly to contemne the allurements of the same Moreouer if he thirst after diuine and heauenly vvisedom vvhich is to knovv God aright and those thinges that are necessary to be knovvne to the attaining of saluation he may finde here largely and liuely set forth that Christ came his Fathers Embassadour and Messenger to men that by him they might be brought to the right knovvledge of God and into all truth so that by him vve are enlightened vvith the knovvledge of God by him vve are instructed in all truth and consequently by him vve obtaine diuine and heauenly vvisedom Here also shall he learne that Christ vvas made vnder the lavve that he might redeeme them vvhich vvere in bondage vnder the lavve of seruile bondmen make them free sonnes euen the children of God Furthermore if griefe and heauines come vpon him he is here taught vvhere true ioy may be had euen in Christ Iesus alone that in him onely he may fynde sure comfort souereigne medicines present remedie true ioy of heart and quietnes of conscience Finally vvhereas vve are synnefull and haue by our synnes iustly deserued Gods eternall vvrath and most heauie vengeance he shall here learne that Christ hath payed the ransome for our synnes and pacified Gods most grieuous vvrath and displeasure iustly conceiued against vs. And because it is not sufficient that due satisfaction be made for synnes and Gods vvrath appeased but vve must also appeare righteous before God it is here shevved that as by one mans disobedience many vvere made synners so by the obedience of one namely of Iesus Christ as many as beleeue in him shal be made righteous inasmuch as his righteousnes is imputed to them as their ovvne vvhereby they appeare perfectly righteous before God and are accepted of him so that vvhereas they had of themselues deserued eternall death they are through Christ accounted vvorthie of euerlasting life But vvhat doe I goe about to rehearse the infinite treasures vvhich the faithfull enioy through Christ it shall be sufficient to conclude vvith the Apostle Paule and say If God spared not his ovvne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death hovv shall he not vvith him giue vs all thinges also Novv forasmuch as these thinges and the right meanes to attaine vnto them are in these Sermons of that most learned Diuine Martin Luther most learnedly yea euen diuinely set forth they may vndoutedly be a singular meane not onely to instruct them vvhich be ignorant in matters of saluation but also to increase and confirme the knovvledge of such as haue already vvell profited in Christian religion Hovvbeit there is annexed hereunto sound and absolute doctrine concerning good vvorkes and godly conuersation as being most necessary to be of all Christiās perfectly knovvne and effectually follovved For Christians through Christ being become the Sonnes of God hovv vnmeete yea hovv abhominable a thinge is it that they should resemble Satan in their doinges being novv made the members of Christ hovv detestable a thing is it that they should be instruments of iniquitie being novv the temple of the holy Ghost hovv beastly a thinge vvere it to defyle the same vvith the filthines of synne Finally hauing receiued so many and so great benefites of God through Christ hovv vvicked and shamefull a thinge should it be to be vnthankefull to so gracious a God to be disobedient to so louing a Father in any vvise to displease so mercifull a Sauiour But it shal be needelesse much to stand vpon this point seeing it is not vnknovvne to the faithfull vvith hovv great endeuour they ought to auoyde that vvhich is euill and embrace that vvhich is good and therefore shall syncere perfect doctrine concerning good vvorkes be vnto them no lesse commodious and profitable then needefull and necessarie For the causes aboue specified especially among other I haue right VVorshipfull though not finely yet faithfully translated these Sermons into our vulgar tounge and haue done myne endeuour for the publishing of the same vvhich I doe humbly dedicate to your VVorships protection by your zealous godlines and godly zeale chiefly moued thereunto vvhereby I am induced to thinke that you vvill vvell accept of them For as the godly do vvith Dauid delight in the Arke of the Couenant in the Tabernacle of the Lord in
and manifest wordes declare Rom. 13 Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God VVhosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to them selues condemnation For Magistrates are not to be feared for good workes but for euill VVilt thou then be without feare of the power doe well so shalt thou haue prayse of the same For he is the Minister of God for thy wealth but if thou doe euill feare for he beareth not the sword for nought for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill VVherfore ye must be subiect not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake For for this cause ye pay also tribute for they are Gods Ministers applying them selues for the same thinge Giue to all men therefore their dutie tribute to vvhom ye ovve tribute custome to vvhom custome feare to vvhom feare honour to vvhom ye ovve honour And therefore also are Magistrats ordayned of God that they may defende maintaine publike peace which alone exceedeth all worldly good thinges we felt a litle in the last cōmotion of the common people what losse miserie calamitie and grieuous sorrow conspiracie and sedition bringeth in the world God graunt that it may so continue that we trie it no more Thus much shall suffize to haue bene spoken for the exposition of this text A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER TEACHING THAT SALVATION COMMETH by Christ alone Ioh. 6. Verse 44. NO man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him I will rayse him vp at the last day 45. It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth vnto me 46. Not that any man hath seene the Father saue he which is of God he hath seene the Father 47. Verely verely I say vnto you He that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life 48. I am the bread of life 49. Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernes and are dead 50. This is that bread which cōmeth downe from heauen that he which eateth of it shoulde not die 51. I am that liuing breade which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the breade that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world The summe of this text 1 CHrist is knowne of none but of him whom the Father draweth that is except the Father teache vs that knowledge inwardly in the hart Therefore Christ sayth to Peter Matth. 16 Flesh and blood hath not reuealed it vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen 2 Christ is the wisedom of God which is of more price then precious stones and whatsoeuer can be wished is not to be compared vnto it Pro. 8.11 as Salomon sayth in the Prouerbs 3 The old heauenly bread that is the righteousnes of the lawe doth not iustifie But Christ if we beleeue in him iustifieth for euer The exposition of the text THis text teacheth vs nothing els but christian faith and stirreth it vp in vs as surely Iohn through his Gospel doth almost no other thing but instruct vs how we must beleeue in the Lord Christ And such a faith as is grounded on the true promise of God made vnto vs in Christ Onely faith in Christ saueth vs. shall saue vs as this text plainly declareth Also they are here all proued fooles which haue taught vs an other way and meanes to obtaine righteousnes Whatsoeuer mās minde cā inuēt although it be holy although it haue a fayre shew before men it must needes vtterly fal if that he wil haue saluation to come thereby For albeit that man is exercised with the duties of godlines he shall not be able to attaine vnto heauen vnles God preuent him with his word which may offer his diuine grace vnto him and lighten his hart that he may walke in the right way Now this way is the Lord Iesus Christ Christ the right way he that will seeke an other way as the most part of men with their outward workes commonly doe hath now erred from the right and high way For Paule sayth Gal. 2 If righteousnes be by the law that is by the workes of the lawe then Christ died without a cause Therefore I saye that a man must by the Gospell be as it were brused and broken humbled euen from the bottom of his hart as being fraile weake which can moue neither hands nor feete but onely lyeth prostrate and cryeth Helpe me O omnipotent God merciful Father I am not able to helpe my selfe Helpe O Lord Christ myne owne helpe is nothing That so against this corner stone which is Christ al may be broken as he saith of him selfe in Luke when he asked the Pharisees and Scribes Luke 20.17 VVhat meaneth this then that is written The stone that the builders refused that is made the head of the corner VVhosoeuer shall fall vpon that stone shall be broken on whomsoeuer it shall fall it wil grinde him to pouder Wherefore either let vs fal vpon it by our imbecillitie and weakenes by denying our selues so be broken or els he will breake vs for euer in his straite iudgement But it is better that we fall vpon it then that it fall vpon vs. Vpon this foundation Christ sayth here in this text No man can come vnto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will rayse him vp at the last day Now he whom the Father draweth not shall surely perish It is also concluded that he which commeth not to this sonne shall be damned for euer He is the onely Sonne giuen vnto vs which may saue vs without him there is no saluation if he helpe not Without Christ there is no saluation our case is most miserable Of him Peter also speaketh to the same effect in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 4 This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other for amonge men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby vve must be saued Whither would our Diuines and Scholemen turne them selues here which haue taught vs that by many workes we must attaine vnto righteousnes Here is that high Maister Aristotle confounded who hath taught vs that reason endeuoureth to doe the best things is alwayes ready to the better But this Christ doth here deny for vnles the Father possesse and drawe vs we shall perish for euer Here all men must confesse their imbecillity and slownes to good thinges If so be that any perswade him self that he is able to doe any good thing by his owne strength truely he hath reproued Christ of falshood and with great arrogancie presumeth
thou fynde comfort in thy conscience and say with Micheas VVho is such a God as thou Mich. 7. that pardonest wickednes castest all our synnes into the bottome of the sea Whosoeuer take not away synnes they are no Gods but idols whereupon he sayeth rightly that none is like vnto our God For other gods will fynde and not bring godlines but the Almightie God doth not finde it but bring it wherefore thou must not forthwith despeire if thy consciēce trembleth and feeleth synne For the more defiled that thou art so much the sooner doeth the Lord poure in his grace if so be thou be repentant and thirstest after it A great part goe so farre that they saye they merit grace whiles they dispose them selues thereunto which is as they interpret whiles they do that which lyeth in them and also that they doe satisfie for their synnes But it is not so The Scripture teacheth vs that it is God that taketh away synne and casteth it into the bottome of the sea We shall not put away synnes by our workes neither shall we be iustified of our selues God himselfe and none but he shall do the thinge of his meere grace as Esay sayth I am euen I am he onely Esa 43.25 that for myne owne selfes sake doe take awaye thine offences and forget thy synnes so that I will neuer thinke vpon them more And so must thou beleeue otherwise thou shalt neuer obtaine a ioyfull conscience Wherefore when as Peter sayd I am a synner he saide right It is true in deede there were causes why he might be afrayde of himselfe and humble himselfe but he ought not to refuse God but most willingly receiue him Wherfore when thou shalt feele thy synne like as Peter did and shalt perceiue that thou wouldest now flie from God then is it neede that thou do forthwith turne thy selfe and come more and more vnto him For if God should goe away and would not take away thy synne would not come vnto thee nor seeke thee yet the more thou perceiuest thy selfe a synner the more hast thou oughtest to make vnto him which see thou marke well and lay it vp in a myndefull memorie For as Sainct Peter doeth here so all consciences do which are terrified of synnes and would flie from God seeke an other god do not thou leaue so but come boldly and ioyne thy selfe neerer vnto God Otherwise if one goe away to seeke workes and helpe of an other god he is then found like the foolish Virgines which while they goe to get themselues oyle are in the meane season shut out But what doeth Christ when Peter so humbleth himselfe and by reason of his great feare and terrour desireth the Lord to depart from him did he leaue him in such desperation of himselfe No truly but he comforteth him saying thus Feare not from hēce forth thou shalt catch mē This is a ioyfull word God susteyneth the faithfull both in body spirit whereby weake heartes receiue comfort Now therefore that God hath a care for vs yea euen in those thinges that pertaine to the body ye see by this that he giueth Peter so many fishes he maketh him also so full and rich in spirit that he ought to bestow some of his plenty vpon others He maketh him a fisher both in body and in spirit in body for that he taketh many fishes which he may sell but in spirit he is a fisher of men For he hath the Gospel whereby other men must be brought to God by him and the kingdome of Christ be increased Loe it commeth to passe that where men beleeue the Lord giueth so much as succoureth and helpeth all men The faithfull man outwardly helpeth the needy with his substaunce and goods And from within he breaketh forth teacheth other and enricheth them also inwardly For such a man can not hold his peace but is enforced to shew and declare to others how he is delt with as it is in the 51. Psal Make me a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O giue me the comfort of thy helpe againe and stablish me with thy free Spirit Then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and synners shal be conuerted vnto thee And in an other Psalme also Dauid sayeth I beleeued Psal 116.10 and therefore will I speake Which is thus much in effect when I beleeue I knowe God and tast of his goodnes then I consider the case of other men and go and declare such knowledge and goodnes of God vnto them We see therefore in this text howe carefull God is for them that be his and that he doth susteine them both in body and in spirit But if he doth sometime differre any thinge without all doute it is through the fault of our incredulitie or because we haue now new begon to beleeue For where faith is new and litle there is sometime small and sclender helpe that we may learne to know the Lord and to trust in him But when we haue gone so farre that we trust strongly in God then nothing can be wanting to vs then God poureth vpon vs both corporall and spirituall good thinges and so aboundant treasures that we may be able to helpe others This in deede is to enrich the poore and to fill the hungrie Thus much shall suffize concerning this text A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING TRVST IN GOD IN PENVRIE AND DISTRESSE Marc. 8. Verse 1. IN those dayes when there was a verie great multitude and had nothing to eate Iesus called his disciples to him and said vnto them 2. I haue compassion on the multitude because they haue now cōtinued with me three dayes and haue nothing to eate 3. And if I send them awaye fasting to their own houses they would faint by the waye for ome of them came from farre 4. Then his disciples aunswered him whence can a man satisfie these with bread here in the wildernes 5. And he asked them how many loaues haue ye and they said seuen 6. Then he commaunded the multitude to sit downe on the ground and he tooke the seuen loaues and gaue thankes brake them and gaue to his disciples to set before them they did set them before the people 7. They had also a few small fishes and when he had giuen thankes he commaunded them also to be set before them 8. So they did eate and were suffised and they tooke vp of the broken meate that was left seuen baskets full 9. And they that had eatē were about 4. thousand so he sent them awaye I Hope dearely beloued that ye doe well vnderstand the meaning of this text For your vnderstanding is sufficiently well grounded in these mysteries so that ye doe easily perceiue what good is to be looked for in the Gospell and what is prescribed vnto vs therein namely the true nature and qualitie of
bodely seeing but he spake of the spirituall seeing whereby all Christian heartes did behold him before he was borne For if Abraham saw him vndoutedly many other of the Prophets in whom the holy Ghost was saw him also And although this seeing saued the holy Fathers and Prophets yet did they alwayes with most inward and heartie affection desire to see Christ in the flesh also as is commonly shewed in the Prophets Wherefore the Lord sayth here vnto his disciples which sawe him both in the flesh and in the spirit Blessed are the eyes which see those thinges that ye see As if he said Now is the acceptable yeare and time of grace The matter which is now in hand is so weightie and precious that the eyes are worthely said to be blessed which see it For now was the Gospell preached openly and manifestly both by Christ himselfe and also by his Apostles whereupon he here calleth them all blessed which see and heare such grace Of which grace I haue preached much a long time vnto you I would to God ye did keepe that which I haue spoken thereof fresh in memorie When the Lord spake these thinges a certaine Lawyer start vp shewing himselfe as though he had bin some thing who tempting the Lord sayth Maister what shall I do to inherit eternall life This lawer was endued with wisedome and not vnskilfull of the Scriptures which euen his aunswere doth declare yet in this place he is proued a foole yea he is brought vnto shame and ignominie For Christ taketh awaye all his glorying euen in one worde He was of this mynde that he had obserued the whole Lawe and that he was a certaine chiefe one in respect of other as vndoutedly he was and thought himselfe sufficient worthy by reason of his godlines and learning to be conuersaunt with the Lord. But what doth the Lord in this case the text folowing declareth And he said vnto him what is written in the Lawe how readest thou And he aunswered and said Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy mynde and thy neighbour as thy selfe Then he said vnto him Thou hast aunswered right do this thou shalt liue Me thinkes that the Lord gaue this good mā a hard lesson he dealeth verie straitly with him it may seeme to some that he should haue spared him a litle he putteth him to shame opēly before all he proueth that he had done nothing who notwithstanding thought that he had done all thinges He asked what he should do but I thinke he had enough and ouermuch to do if he had bin able to do more then he was If I had time manie things might be spoken of these two commaundements For they are the chiefe and greatest commaundements in Moses on which the whole Lawe and all the Prophets do hang as Christ himselfe sayth in Matthew Matth. 22.40 Notwithstanding we will entreat somewhat of them If we consider all the commaundements of Moses they haue respect altogether vnto loue For this commaundement Thou shall haue none other gods in my sight we can no otherwise declare or interpret then Thou shalt loue God alone Deut. 6.4.5 so Moses expoundeth it in Deuteronomie where he sayth thus Heare O Israell the Lord our God is Lord onely And thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy might from whence the Lawer tooke his aunswere But the Iewes vnderstand this commaundement so that they thinke it to extend no further then that they should not set vp nor worship idols And if they can say and witnes in mouth that they haue one God onely and do worship none but him they thinke they haue obserued this commaundement After the same sort did this Lawer vnderstand it but that was an euell and a wrong vnderstand thereof How the first cōmaundement is to be vnderstood and obserued Howbeit we must otherwise consider vnderstād this precept Thou shalt haue none other gods in my sight Thou it sayth with all that thou art but especially it requireth all thine heart soule and strength It speaketh not of the toung not of the hand not of the knees but of the whole man what soeuer thou art and hast That no other God may be worshipped of me it shal be necessary that I haue the true and only God in myne heart that is I must loue him frō myne heart so that I do alwayes depend on on him trust in him repose my hope in him haue my pleasure loue and ioy in him and daily remember him Euen as otherwise if we take pleasure of any thinge we say it doth me good inwardly at the heart And if any speaketh or laugheth and doth it not in good earnest neither from his heart we are wont to say Thou laughest in deede but it cōmeth not from thine heart The loue of the heart in the Scriptures signifieth a vehement speciall loue which we ought to beare toward God They which serue God with mouth hands and knees onely are hypocrites neither hath God any care of them For God will not haue part but the whole The Iewes did outwardly abstaine from idolatrie and serued God alone in mouth but their heart was farre remoued from him being full of diffidence and vnbeleefe Outward they seemed to be verie earnest in seruing God but within they were full of idolatrie Whereupon the Lord said vnto them Matth. 23 VVoe be to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye are like vnto painted sepulchers which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all filthines So are ye also For outward ye appeare righteous vnto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie These are those wicked ones which glorie of the outward thinge which go about to iustifie and make themselues good by their owne workes after the maner of this Lawer Consider how great the pride of this asse was he commeth forth as though he could not be blamed or rebuked of the Lord he thought yea it seemed vnto him that the Lord would here commend and praise his life before the people He thought not to learne any thing of the Lord but he sought onely his owne commendation he would willingly haue had Christ to set forth his praise toward whom the eyes of all were bent and who was an admiration to all So all hypocrites do outwardly they pretend excellent The qualitie of hypocrites great and weightie workes they say that they haue respect neither of glorie nor praise but within in their heart they are full of ambition and wish that their holines were knowen to the whole world shewing a goodly signe of their religion by the byting of their lippe if they heare any speake thereof But our Sauiour Christ sheweth here no kyndnes or gētlenes to this Lawyer inasmuch as he putteth him to shame