in daunger by too much honger and watching or the true puritie of life by ouermuch abstinence from matrimoniall companie but we must vse these thinges with knowledge that is with conuenient wisedome and discretion that they may not any whit hurt but alwayes edifie Whereupon Paule 1. Cor. 7. expressely admonisheth maried folkes that they abstaine not ouermuch from mutuall companie lest that they be tempted of Satan In all these therefore in fastings watchings labours chastitie c the Apostle would prescribe and appoint no rule lawe or measure which the councels of the Pope and Monkes do but the meane or measure to be obserued in them he left free to euerie mans knowledge and discretion that euerie one may consider with himselfe how much or long he must labour fast watch or abstaine to this ende that the flesh may be camed and made obedient to the spirit In long suffering in kindnes in the holy Spirit What the two former are the Apostle hath at large sufficiently declared Rom. 2. Gal. 5. But whereas he saith In the holy Spirit it may be vnderstood after two sorts either that he speaketh of the holy Ghost God himselfe or that he meaneth by the holy spirit the true force and maner of a spirituall life as though he would admonish in this maner Beware of an hypocriticall spirit which wil be counted for a holy spirit through a meruelous shew and craftie counterfaiting of spirituall thinges when it is in deede an vncleane prophane and an euell spirit and bringeth in nothing but sects and heresies A true spirituall life But liue ye in the true holy spirit which is giuen of God which giueth and maintaineth vnitie one mynde heart and affection whereof he speaketh also Eph. 4 Endeuour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace They therefore which perseuer in the same true faith mynde and sentence behaue themselues as the ministers of God in the holy spirit being truly spirituall and liuing a spirituall life For a syncere spirituall life which is led by the assistaunce of the holy spirit of God is also led in the vnitie of myndes the hearts by faith being affected after the same sort In loue vnfained in the word of truth As he set the holy spirit against heretikes and false Prophets so he setteth vnfained loue against slouthfull and sluggish Christians who albeit they haue the same meaning and mynde in the true spirituall life as concerning opinions of doctrine yet are they remisse colde and faint in loue So he setteth the word of truth against them which abuse the word of God and interpret it according to their owne affectiōs that thereby they may get them a name and profit For as false spirits do contemne the word of the Scripture and preferre themselues before it so these do in deede boast of the word and wil be counted maisters of the Scripture but by their interpretations do peruert the sense and meaning thereof Against these Peter speaketh If any man speake let him speake as the wordes of God that is let him take heede that he be certaine that those wordes which he speaketh be the wordes of God and not his owne vaine imagination Now Paule calleth that here the word of truth which that is syncere word of God The word of truth not which is vnsyncere fained which forasmuch as it is ours is falsly called the word of God For that which we call the true right word the Hebrewes call the word of truth In the power of God In spirituall functions matters of saluation we must do nothing but that which we are certain that God worketh by vs. Of this power Peter also speaketh 1. Pet. 1. If any man minister let him do it as of the abilitie which God ministreth And Paule Coloss 1 Whereunto I also labour and striue according to his working which worketh in me mightely Againe Rom. 15 I dare not speake of anything which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient c. Christians must be certaine that they are the kingdome of God and do nothing at all especially in spirituall functions and those thinges that pertaine to the saluation of soules whereof they are not certaine that it is not they which worke but God that worketh by them For in the kingdome of God it is meete that God alone do speake commaund do dispose and worke all thinges This Christ ment wen he said Matth. 5 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen as the author of them which doth them and not you By the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour c. This armour he describeth more at large in the Epistle to the Ephesians Thessalonians He rehearseth there the girdle of veritie The spiritual armour of a Christian the brest plate of righteousnes the shoes of preparation to preach the Gospell the shield of faith the helmet of saluation c. This armour of righteousnes he calleth in his Epistle to the Ephesians the armour of God both are to this ende that he may turne Christians from corporall and prophane armour and admonish them that they are a spirituall people and therefore must be furnished with spirituall armour wherewith they must alwayes fight a spirituall fight with spirituall enemies which here he rehearseth and sheweth that they do assaile vs both on the right hand and on the left The enemies of Christians which assaile them on the left hand On the left hand he setteth dishonour euell report and that we are counted as deceiuers vnknowen dying chastened sorrowing poore hauing nothing For all these thinges come vnto Christians they are openly defamed being reproched to their face and by infamie falsly accused and railed on counted as deceiuers and followers of most wicked trades They are as vnknowne although noble all refusing to be friends with them because of the perilous confession of the name of Christ yea it manie times commeth to passe that they that were their most familiar friends are ashamed of them for that they haue so euell a report and are verie ill spoken of among the chiefe richest wisest and mightiest of the world They are dying that is as sheepe appointed to the slaughter they looke for death euery moment by reason of the great hatred and enuie which the euell beare toward them being alwayes persecuted of the chiefe of the world They are chastened for it often times falleth out that they are striken and beaten and do by other discommodities trie how they are enuied of the world and how great indignation the mightie of the world beare against them They are as sorrowing for all outward thinges are against them and the whole world giueth many causes of griefes vnto them They are as poore for there is no man of the world which will giue them any
mercie and truth alone not by our strength and industrie forasmuch as our wayes being ordered hereby are nothing but vanitie before God and do deserue his wrath According to that which the Lord sayth Esai 55 As farre as the heauen is higher then the earth so farre do my waies exceede yours As if he should say Your righteousnes is earthly and of no value wherefore ye must bid it farewell and walke in myne if ye hope for saluation But according to his mercie he saued vs. It is maruell how the credit of these wordes can stand wherein the Apostle affirmeth that we are alreadie saued although liuing yet in earth and therefore in continuall miserie But he did so speake that he might more fully expresse the power of the diuine grace and the nature of faith against hypocrites who as though saluatiō were yet farre of do in vaine endeuour to get and obtaine it by their workes We are already saued by Christ For Christ hath already saued vs he hath perfourmed all things which are required hereunto that we may be saued he hath ouercome and subdued synne death hell c. so that he hath left nothing for any man to care for he hath also giuen all these things vnto vs in Baptisme that who soeuer beleueth in Christ that he hath perfourmed them hath them togither in the same moment so that he hath neede of nothing more vnto saluation but faith alone that he may firmely beleeue that these things are so perfourmed But marke how incōparable riches of his grace God hath poured vpon vs in Baptisme who hath deliuered vs euen from those workes whereby those foolish holy ones go about to merit heauen and to be saued For we must haue heauen and be saued before we can do any good workes for that workes can not merit heauen but heauen being before giuen of meere grace causeth vs to do good workes and that for no hope of merit or reward but onely to the commoditie of our neighbours and the glorie of God vntill this bodie also be deliuered from sinne and death What the life of a Christiā is after baptisme Wherefore all the life of a Christian after Baptisme is nothing els but an expectation of saluation and felicity to be reuealed which they that beleeue in Christ do now possesse although hidden They haue all thinges nowe certainly but they are yet hid in faith which when as it is chaunged knowledge being reuealed all things as they now haue them shall appeare which shall come to passe when pleasaunt and wished death commeth 1. Ioh. 3.2 according to that saying of Iohn Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what we shall be But we know that when he shall appeare we shal be like him And euerie man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure Wherefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued and to be seduced from this truth by those hypocrites which contemning faith do falsely affirme that saluation is farre from thee and teach thee to endeuour in vaine to attaine vnto it by thy workes It is in thy selfe if thou beleeue that all things are perfourmed by Christ euen as he himselfe witnesseth The kingdome of God is within you Luke 17. So that all our life after Baptisme ought to be nothing els but an expectation that that should be reuealed which is already in vs and that we may comprehend as we are comprehended as Paul sayth Philip. 3. I follow if that I may comprehend that for whose sake also I am comprehended of Christ that is that I may at length see those things which are giuen me being as yet in the shut closet of faith He coueteth and burneth with desire to see the treasure which by faith he receiued both giuen and sealed in Baptisme Whereupon he addeth in the same place Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall chaunge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Herewith also agreeth that which he saith Gal. 4 Ye know God and by and by he doth as it were correct that which he had sayd Yea sayth he rather are ye knowen both which are true although not after the like sort We are now knowen of God so that he comprehendeth vs and we in deede know God but we do not yet comprehend for that our knowledge is as yet hidden and closed vp in fayth He sayth moreouer Rom. 8 We are saued by hope that is we are saued although we yet see it not for that which one seeth he hopeth not for but if we hope for those thinges which we see not we do with patience abide for them Christ confirmeth this Luke 12 Let your loines be gird about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto men that wait for their maister when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly In which words he onely biddeth them that be his to be ready to looke for him the bridegrome as which are already saued being admitted into the number of his ministers Hereunto also pertaineth that which the Apostle sayth Tit. 2 Let vs liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ In these and such like places whereof thou maist reade many here and there in the holy Scriptures he witnesseth that we are already saued and that it doth not behoue that a Christian man should first seeke to attaine to saluation by his workes This opinion and deuelish doctrine blyndeth the eyes of Christiās extinguisheth the knowledge of faith and carieth men from the waye of truth and saluation We must cleaue vnto that which the Apostle here saith He hath saued vs according to his mercie and that which he addeth in the ende of this text that we are heires according to the hope of eternall life We are now heires but that is hidden in fayth Why God will haue vs to looke for the reuelatiō of our inheritaunce a certain time but we looke with a certaine hope that hereafter it shal be reuealed And God will haue vs so to looke for the reuelation of this inheritance and to liue a certaine time after Baptisme that he may chastise our body by our ministery and declare the power of his grace in fight against the flesh the world and the deuil but especially for this cause that by vs he may helpe our neighbours and both by doctrine and also by our life which he liueth in vs may bring them to the communion of fayth And albeit he can do this by Angels yet it pleaseth him rather that it should be done by vs men that both the maner of fayth may be the better knowen and that all things may be done sweetely and louingly For if
able to number And so the present wordes of the Apostle doe shewe neither needeth it any further declaration that by these six workes all thinges are to be vnderstood whereby they that are voyd of fayth and are yet in darkenes doe liue vnpurely as concerning themselues and vniustly toward their neighbours whose whole life is disordered and out course both toward themselues and toward other For there is no man that knoweth not what it is to be gluttonous and dronken that is either to eate or drinke aboue a measure necessarie for the body it is as well knowne what it is to sleepe in chambers and to be wanton that is to follow the pleasure of the body both with sleeping aboue measure and with other lewd and vnchast gestures and workes which are wont to be committed in chambers of full fedde well tipled idle and slouthfull bellies as well in the daye as in the night as well when they are alone as in the resort and companie of others All which thinges do require euen naturall darkenes and secret places and are signified of Paule by chambering and wantonnes But put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ In these wordes as it were in a summe he sheweth all the armour of light when as he exhorteth vs to put on Christ Christ is put on two maner of wayes Now Christ is put on of vs after two sortes first when we are clothed with his righteousnes which is done by fayth wherewith he that is endued beleeueth that Christ for him died and fulfilled all thinges For not ours but Christes righteousnes hath reconciled vs to the Father and deliuered vs from synnes And so to put on Christ pertaineth to the doctrine of faith which teacheth that Christ was giuen vnto vs and is vnto vs in stede of a pledge Whereof Paule speaketh Galat. 3 All ye that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ The other maner of putting on Christ is when we wey and consider that he is giuen vnto vs also in steede of an example that we should shewe our selues seruiceable toward our neighbours being endued with the same vertues with which we by fayth acknowledge that he being adorned did serue vs that so we may resemble him in all points and of this maner of putting on Christ Paule speaketh here The same also he willeth vs to doe 1. Corinth 15. when he saith As we haue borne the image of the earthly so let vs now beare the image of the heauenly And Ephes 4 Cast ye of concerning the conuersation in time past that olde man which is corrupt through the deceiuable lustes and be renewed in the spirit of your mynde and put on the new man which after God is created vnto righteousnes and true holines Now in Christ we see nothing but the armour of light no gluttonie no drunkennes but fasting temperancie keeping vnder of the flesh by diuers labours traueling preaching praying and doing well to all men in him was no place for slouthfulnes or superfluous sleepe much lesse for wantonnes but a meruelous chastitie and puritie he accustomed himselfe to watche to rise early to lye on the ground in the field hauing neither house neither chamber nor bedde in him was noe wrath contention or brauling but altogether goodnes sweetnes meekenes charitie mercy patience c. Wherefore where as Paule sayth here briefly Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ it is as much as that we should set him before vs as an example to follow Colos 3.12 He teacheth the Colossians the same thing in somewhat more wordes after this sort Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on the bowells of mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meekenes long suffering forbearing one an other forgiuing one an other if any man haue a quarrell to an other euen as Christ forgaue euen so doe ye And aboue all these thinges put on loue which is the bond of perfectnes and let the peace of God rule in your harts to the which ye are called in one body and be ye thankefull And Philip. 2 after that he had exhorted them to loue one an other and that euery man shoulde esteeme other better then him selfe and seeke to pleasure do for other he also setteth Christ before them as an example who shewed him selfe to vs our seruaunt sayth Let the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God But he made him selfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruaunt and was made like vnto men was found in shape as a man The summe therefore is this The armour of light the armour or weapons of light are good workes contrary to those workes of darkenes gluttonie drunkennes chambering wantonnes contention and enuying such workes are to fast to watch to pray to labour to suffer hunger thirst colde heat to be chast to vse modestie temperancie goodnes and that I doe not thrust in too many of myne owne wordes let vs heare Paule him selfe rehearsing them in order Gal. 5 The frute of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperancie But he rehearseth them farre more at large 2. Cor. 6 saying VVe beseech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine for he sayth I haue heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee behold nowe the accepted time behold now the day of saluation as if he sayd Our saluation is now nearer vnto vs then when we beleeued to wit that it would come to passe that these dayes of saluation in which the Gospell is preached abroad to the whole worlde shoulde appeare It is time therefore to arise out of sleepe Let vs giue no occasion of offence in any thinge that our ministerie be not reprehended But in all thinges let vs approue our selues as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumults in labours by watchings by fastings by puritie by knowledge by long suffering by kindnes by the holy Ghost by loue vnfeyned By the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left By honour and dishonour by euill report and good report as deceiuers and yet true as vnknowne and yet knowne as dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alway reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges See what a plentifull and very golden streame floweth out of the mouth of Paule Hereof I think we most plainely perceiue what is the armour of light wherewith we must be fenced and fortified both on the right hand and on the left A most excellent and perfect example for all Christians to follow Now this most fitly agreeth with the matter whereas
come to passe Christ is in the ship therefore the sea so rageth the windes trouble vs the waues fall vpon vs as though they would drowne vs. But let them rage and be furious as much as they may it is certaine the sea and the windes doe obey Christ which is the other principall thinge which this text offereth Persecution shall extend no farther nor rage any lenger then he will and albeit the waues doe euen ouerwhelme vs yet must they be obedient at his becke He is Lorde ouer all wherefore nothing shall hurt vs he onely endue vs with his grace that we be not ouercome by vnbeliefe and so despeire Amen Whereas the men merueiled and praysed the Lorde as vnto whom the sea and windes doe obey The Gospel is more spread abroad and faith increased by persecution it signifieth that the Gospell and word of God is so farre from being extinguished by persecution that thereby it is spread farther abroad and faith also is increased and becommeth stronger Wherein it appeareth howe diuers the nature of this diuine good thinge is from the good thinges of the world which decay by calamitie and misfortune and are increased by prosperitie and fortunate affayres But the kingdom of Christ is increased and strengthened by tribulation and aduersitie but is diminished and weakned by peace and tranquillitie Whereupon Paule sayth 2. Cor. 12 The Lordes power is made perfect through weakenes which God performe in vs also Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER WHEREIN IS ENTREATED OF THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN 2. Cor. 6. Verse 1. SO we therefore as workes togither beseech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine 2. For he sayth I haue heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee beholde nowe the accepted time behold now the day of saluation 3. Let vs giue no occasion of offēce in any thing that our ministerie be not reprehended 4. But in all things let vs behaue our felues as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses 5. In stripes in prisons in tumults in labours 6. In watchings in fastings in puritie in knowledge in long suffering in kindnes in the holy spirit in loue vnfeyned 7. In the word of truth in the power of God by the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left 8. By honour and dishonour by euill report and good report as deceiuers and yet true 9. As vnknowne and yet knowne as dying and behold we liue as chastened yet not killed 10. As sorrowing yet alway reioicing as poore and yet make many rich as hauing nothing yet possessing all things THis is an admonition and exhortation to the Corinthians to apply them selues to those thinges which they did already knowe The wordes surely are easie to be vnderstood but hard to be done and in vse most rare For in such merueilous order and colours he painteth out Christian life as it can not be pleasaunt to the flesh to behold First he sayth The Ministers of the word workers togither with God As workers togither we beseech you He calleth the Ministers of the word togither workers as 1. Cor. 3. he also sayth VVe togither are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandrie and Gods building Which is thus much in effect We preach and labour in the worde among you by teaching exhorting but God inwardly with his spirit doth blesse and giue the encrease lest that the outward labour in the word be in vaine And so God is the inward and true Maister which bringeth to passe all thinges whom we serue in the office of outward preaching Now he calleth him selfe his fellowes such togither workers lest they should contemne the outward word as though they either had not neede of it or had already sufficiētly attayned to the knowledge therof For although God can alone by his spirit without the outward word worke all things in the mindes of the elect yet he will not doe it but rather will vse togither working preachers worke by their word when where it pleaseth him Forasmuch therfore as it seemeth good vnto God to giue to Preachers this office name dignitie that they be counted workers togither with him it is not lawfull for any man to chalenge either that learning or holines vnto him self that he neglect euen neuer so simple a sermon wherein the word of God is preached much lesse that he contemne it for we know not when that time will come when God by his Preacher will vouchsafe to accomplish his worke in vs. The preaching of the Gospel doth not long cōtinue in one place sincere vncorrupt Secondly the Apostle admonisheth of the daunger of losing the light of the Gospel when he sayth that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine Wherby he giueth vs to vnderstand that the preaching of the Gospel is not a perpetual continuing permanent doctrine but rather that it is like raine that sodainly commeth soone passeth away when as the Sunne and heat come by and by and take away al the moisture that is left thereof and afterward scorch and hurt thinges neuertheles This very experience proueth for no man shall be able to bringe forth euen one place in the world where the Gospell hath remained pure and sincere aboue the age of one man but continued and increased while those liued by whose ministerie it began they departing hence that also almost wholy departed and by and by after followed heretikes and false teachers with their delusions and false doctrine peruerting and corrupting all thinges So Moses foretold his Israelites that by and by after his death it should come to passe that they should depart from the way of the Lorde and corrupt their owne wayes which the booke of Iudges witnesseth to haue come to passe Moreouer the same booke sayth that as often as any iudge which had called againe the word of the Lord did die they fell againe forthwith to their vngodlines made all things worse and worse So Ioas the king continued in his dutie so long as Iehoiada the Priest liued who being dead he began by and by to be a King vnlike him selfe Act. 20 29. left the office of a good and godly King Neither fell it out otherwise after Christ had receiued his Apostles to him selfe almost the whole world was filled with heresies and false doctrine Which Paul pronounced before I know this saythes that after my departing shall grieuous wolues enter in among you ▪ not sparing the flocke c. So standeth the case at this day also the pure and sincere Gospel hath shined vnto vs the day of grace and saluation and the acceptable time are present but they shall shortly be ended if the world stand Moreouer to receiue grace in vaine can be nothing els What it is to receiue the grace of God in vaine then to heare the
vncleane couetous persons vncleanes couetousnes c. This our light witnesseth that for such things the wrath of God commeth vpon vnbeleeuers whom he calleth the children of disobedience and therefore can not abide to beleeue the word of God to giue them selues to the obedience of faith This Paule declareth 1. Cor. 10. by many examples where he sayth that a great part of the people was slaine for fornication of which deede is spoken also Num. 25. For violence also couetousnes and vncleannes the whole world was destroyed by the flood Wherefore a sufficient sharpe yea and a certaine vengeance abideth them that are infected with these wickednesses Now he calleth them the children of disobedience that is of incredulitie which is as much as if he had sayd of them that haue reuolted from the faith and haue renounced Christ Hereby therefore we see and learne that he that doth not approue his faith by workes is no better then a Heathen yea worse inasmuch as he hath renounced Christ and denied the faith once receiued For this cause therefore the vengeance and wrath of God shal come vpon them that are such as we Germanes do now trie vnto whom God sendeth abundantly the pestilence famine cruell warres Let men take heede they giue no eare to those deceiuers which with vaine words promise that those sinnes shal escape vnpunished Let those slacke and slothfull Christians beware who although they be not blinde Heathen but know well that vncleannes and couetousnes are sinnes and thinke or teach no otherwise do neuertheles liue wickedly resting vpon faith whereby they hope that they shall obtaine saluation without workes forasmuch as workes do not saue Yea albeit they verie well know that faith without workes is a fained faith and that worthie frutes and good workes must needes follow where a true and sound faith is yet notwithstāding they liue securely in their synnes presuming of the grace and mercy of God nothing fearing God and his iudgement when as notwithstanding it is certaine that God doth require the mortification of the olde Adam and good frutes of good trees Although perhaps Paule speaketh not here properly of these but of thē which thinke and in vaine wordes teach that fornication couetousnes and such like are not synnes as the blynde Heathen did many do at this day vnder the name of Christians yet is it to be feared seing they liue no better then the heathen do be themselues fornicatours couetous persons that they shall feele the like vengeance of God with them yea so much more grieuous vēgeance as they doe know more certainly that those are synnes according to that saying Rom. 2 Thinkest thou this O thou man that condemnest them which do such thinges and doest the fame that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God after thine hardnes and heart that can not repent thou heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the daye of wrath of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God c. Be not therefore companions with them For ye were once darkenes but are now light in the Lord walke as children of light So Peter also sayth that it is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time past of our life after the lust of the Gentiles but from hence forth should haue nothing common with them but spend the rest of our life in the seruice and worship of God They which are not yet lightned by Christ are blinde and ignorant but they whom he hath lightened doe know both God their duty toward him When we were Gentiles we knew not that these were synnes we were so blynded through incredulitie and ignorance of God But after that we are made light in the Lord that is lightned by Christ we do not onely well vnderstand what God is and what he requireth of vs what synne and iniquitie is but are also able now to be in steede of light vnto others and to teach them those things which we haue learned Such Paul said the Philippians were that they shined as lights in the world in the middes of a naughtie crooked nation So before we were not onely darke but darkenes it selfe inasmuch as we were not onely ignorant and erred but did also bring other into the same darkenes both by wordes and deedes Let vs be thankefull therefore to him which hath called vs out of this darkenes into his meruelous light walking as the children of light which Peter also admonisheth vs to do For the fruite of the Spirit is in all goodnes and righteousnes and truth Forasmuch as he hath here spoken of light it had ben more agreable to haue added for the frute of light as the Latin editions haue then of the Spirit as it is read in the Greeke Who knoweth whether the greekes coppies were here chaunged vpon this occasion for that Paule in the Epistle to the Galathians entreateth of the frutes of the spirit But this skilleth litle Goodnes of the Spirit and of light are all one in this place Goodnes therefore is a fruite either of the Spirit or of light contrarie to couetousnes whereby a Christian man is good that is profitable and beneficiall to others Righteousnes ready to gratifie and do well to his neighbours Righteousnes being a frute of the Spirit is contrarie to couetousnes For it maketh that no man doth take awaye from an other that which is his either by violence either by craft or guile Truth but that he endeuour rather to giue vnto euerie man that which is his owne Truth is a frute of the Spirit contrarie to hypocrisie lying which requireth that a Christian be true and vncorrupte not onely in wordes but also in his whole life that he doe not glorie of the name of a Christian without workes that he be not called a Christian yet liue after the maner of the Heathen in fornication vncleannes couetousnes and other vices c. **** A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER WHEREIN IS DECLARED HOW GOD CARETH and prouideth for them that be his Luke 5. Verse 1. THen it came to passe as the people preased vpō him to heare the word of God that he stood by the lake of Gennesaret 2. And saw two ships stand by the lake side but the fishermen were gone out of them were washing their nettes 3. And he entered into one of the ships which was Simons and required him that he would thrust of a litle from the land he sate down and taught the people out of the ship 4. Now when he had left speaking he said vnto Simon lanche out into the deepe let downe your nettes to make a draught 5. Then Simon aunswered and sayd vnto him Maister we haue trauailed sore all night and haue taken nothing neuertheles at thy word I will let downe the net 6. And when they had so done they inclosed a great multitude of fishes so that their net brake 7. And they beckened to their