to come to heauen albeit he is not drawn of the Father Wherefore where the word of God is in his course soundly preached whatsoeuer thinges are high and great it casteth them downe it maketh all mountaines euen with the valleies and ouerthroweth all hilles as the Prophet Esai sayth that all harts hearing the worde may despeire of them selues otherwise they can not come vnto Christ The workes of God are such that while they kill they make aliue while they condemne they saue as Hanna the mother of Samuel singeth of the Lord 1. Sam. 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth dovvne to the graue fetcheth vp againe The Lord maketh poore maketh rich bringeth lovv How the Father draweth vs vnto Christ and heaueth vp on hie Wherefore if a man be thus striken of God in his hart that he acknowledgeth him selfe such a one as ought for his sinnes to be condemned he surely is euen that very man whom God by his word hath striken and by this stroke hath fastened vpon him the bond of his diuine grace wherby he draweth him that he may prouide for his soule haue care of him He could first find with him selfe no helpe nor counsel neither did he wish for any but now he hath found the speciall consolation promise of God which is after this sort He that asketh receiueth he that seeketh findeth to him that knocketh it is opened By such a promise man is more more lifted vp in mind conceiueth a greater trust and confidence in God For as soone as he heareth that this is the worke of God alone he desireth of God as at the hand of his mercifull father that he will vouchsafe to drawe him If so be that he be drawne of God vnto Christ vndoutedly that also shall come vnto him whereof the Lord maketh mention here namely that he wil raise him vp at the last day For he layeth hold on the word of God trusteth in God whereby he hath a certaine testimony that he is he whom God hath drawne As Iohn sayth in his first Epistle 1. Ioh. 5.10 He that beleeueth in that Sonne of God hath the vvitnes in him selfe Hereupon it must needes follow that he is taught of God and in verity now knoweth God to be no other but a helper a comforter and a Sauiour Hereby it is now manifest that if we beleeue God will be no other toward vs but a Sauiour helper and giuer of all felicitie who requireth and asketh nothing of vs but will onely giue and offer vnto vs as he him self sayth vnto Israel Psal 81 I am God thy Lord which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt open thy mouth wide I will fill it Who would not loue such a God which sheweth him self so gentle and louing vnto vs and offereth so readily his grace and goodnes They shall not be able to escape the seuere and eternall iudgement of God which do vnaduisedly neglect so great grace as the Epistle to the Hebrues sayth If they that transgressed the lawe of Moses escaped not vnpunished but dyed without mercy howe much more grieuously shal God punish them which coūt the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thinge and tread vnder foote the sonne of God The knowledge of God O howe diligent is Paule in all his Epistles to teach how the knowledge of God may rightly be conceiued O how often doth he wish encrease in the knowledge of God As if he would say If ye onely knew and vnderstood what God is ye should then be safe Then ye would loue him and do all thinges that are approued of him Thus he sayth Colos 1 VVe cease not to pray for you and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisedom spiritual vnderstanding that ye might walke vvorthy of the Lord please him in all things being fruteful in al good works increasing in the knowledge of God strēgthened with al might through his glorious power vnto all patience long suffering with ioyfulnes giuing thanks vnto the Father which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Sainctes in light And Psal 119 Dauid sayth Instruct me I will keepe thy lawe yea I will obserue it vvith my vvhole hart And thus ye haue out of the first sentence of this text that the knowledge of God doth come from the father It is needeful that he lay the first stone in our building otherwise we shal labour in vaine But that is done thus God sendeth vnto vs Preachers whom he hath taught and prouideth that his will be preached vnto vs. First that all our life and cōdition The preaching of the law although it haue a fayre shew be holy outwardly is of no estimation before him yea is abhorred and lothed of him And this is called the preaching of the law The preaching of the Gospell Afterward he maketh grace to be preached vnto vs to wit that he will not haue vs vtterly condemned and cast of but that he will receiue vs in his beloued sonne and not simply receiue vs but also make vs heires in his kingdom yea and Lordes ouer all thinges which are in heauen and earth This nowe is called the preaching of grace or of the Gospell And all this is of God which rayseth vp and sendeth forth Preachers This S. Paule signifieth when he sayth thus Rom. 10 Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God This also the wordes of the Lorde meane here in the Gospell when he sayth 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 Not that any man hath seene the Father saue he which is of God he hath seene the Father Whē as we heare the first preaching that is the preaching of the law howe we are condemned with all our workes then man sigheth vnto God What the preaching of the law worketh in man and knoweth not what to doe his conscience is euill and fearefull and except helpe should come in time he shoulde despeire for euer Wherefore the other preaching must not be long differred the Gospell must be preached vnto him and the way vnto Christ must be shewed whom God hath giuen vnto vs a Mediatour that through him alone we may be saued by meere grace and mercy without all our owne works and merits Then the hart is made ioyfull The preaching of the Gospel what it worketh in vs. and hasteth vnto such grace as the thirsty hart runneth vnto the water Dauid had a notable feeling hereof when he sayd thus Psal 42 Like as the hart desireth the vvater brookes so longeth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God yea euen for the liuing God When therefore a man commeth to Christ through the Gospell then heareth he the voyce of the Lord Christ
this meate and eatest that that thou remainest in this place that thou readest and mumblest vp daily so many wordes Surely thou doost nothing els by these but torment thy selfe to please Satan and to be a pernicious and hurtfull example to thy neighbours for there is no Christianitie in thy life being such Thou beleeuest not as it behoueth a Christian to beleeue and therefore neither doost thou pray Christianly Thy fasting also is not true chastising of thy body but rashly taken vpon thee in steede of a good worke In a summe this thy seruice and study of religion is no other thing then in time past amonge the Iewes was the religion of Moloch and Baal in the honour of whom they did kill and burne euen their owne children So pernitious and pestilent an example is this thy holines which seemeth so goodly vnto thee which when it meruelously counterfaiteth a shew of godlines it draweth miserable men to the following thereof and vtterly extinguisheth true religion Here perhaps some godly man will thinke If the matter be so and our workes doe not saue vs but onely to heare Christ and beleue in him who is giuen vnto vs of the Father to be our righteousnes and saluation to what ende then are so many precepts giuen vnto vs and why doth God so seuerely require that they be obeyed The present text of the Apostle shall giue vnto vs the solution of this question and vpon this fit occasion we will now enter into the exposition thereof The Galathians being taught of Paule the faith of Christ but afterwards seduced by false Apostles thought that the matter of our saluation must be finished made perfect by the workes of the law and that onely faith doth not suffize These Paule calleth backe againe from workes vnto faith with great diligence and words meruelous effectual plainly prouing that the workes of the law which goe before saith doe make vs onely seruaunts and be of no importance to godlines saluation but that faith doth make vs the sonnes of God that from thence true good workes doe without constraint forth with most plentifully flowe But here we must accustom our selues to the wordes of the Apostle Whom Paul calleth a seruaunt and whom a sonne in the text which is here intreated of He calleth him a seruaunt that is occupied in workes without faith whereof we haue already intreated at large he calleth him a sonne which is righteous and liueth by faith alone without workes The reason hereof is this this seruaunt although he apply him selfe to good workes yet he doth it not with that minde with which a sonne doth that is with a minde that is free willing certaine that the inheritance and all the good thinges of the Father are his but doth it as he that is hyred with a stipend in an other mans house who hopeth not that the inheritance shal come vnto him The works in deede of the sonne and the seruaunt are like almost all one according to the outward appearance but their mindes do differ exceeding much and their hope is nothing like euen as Christ him selfe sayth The seruaunt abideth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth for euer Ioh. 8. These of Cains broode want the faith of sonnes which they them selues confesse for they thinke it a most absurd thing wicked arrogancie to affirme them selues to be the sonnes of God and holy therefore as they beleeue euen so are they counted before God they neuer become the sonnes of God or holy neuertheles they are exercised with the workes of the law and are well wearied wherefore they are and remaine seruaunts for euer And they receiue no other reward but these temporall things namely quietnes of life aboundance of goods dignitie and honours c. Which we see to be vsuall among the followers of Popish religion then whom there is none at this day that liueth more pleasauntly more welthily more gloriously and honorably But this is their reward they are seruaunts and not sonnes wherefore in death they shall be thrust from all good thinges neither shall any portion of eternall inheritance come vnto them who in this present life would beleeue nothing thereof So therefore it is that seruaunts and sonnes are not much vnlike in workes but in minde and faith they are most vnlike Now the Apostle endeuoureth here to proue which in deede is the very matter that the law with all the workes thereof doth make vs no other then seruaunts if this faith in Christ whereof we haue spokē be away For that alone doth make vs the sonnes of God Neither the law nor nature can giue it onely the Gospel bringeth it when it is heard with an holy silence of minde It is the word of grace which the holy Ghost doth forthwith followe as it is shewed in very many places and specially Act. 10 where we read that the holy Ghost did by and by fall on Cornelius and his familie hearing the preaching of Peter The lawe why it was giuen Moreouer the lawe was giuen for this that we might learne by it howe voyd we are of grace and howe farre from being of the minde of sonnes yea that we are plainly of a seruile minde For we being left to our selues can in no wise be free from the lawe neither if we doe any good thing doe we it willingly forasmuch as that faith of sonnes is wanting wherwith he that is endued knoweth assuredly that the eternall inheritance shall come vnto him and is of his owne accord inclined and bent with a willing and ready spirit to doe those thinges that are good Nowe these men doe willingly confesse that they are void of this faith and if they would confesse the truth in deede they shoulde also plainly confesse that they had farre rather be without all lawe and that they are against their wills subiect thereunto Wherefore all thinges are among them constrained and void of faith and they are in very deede compelled to confesse that by the lawe they can not attaine any further Which one thing they ought to learne by the law and know that they are seruaunts and haue nothing belonging to sonnes wherby they might be enflamed with desire to come from seruitude to the state and condition of sonnes and might make no account of their owne thinges as in deede they ought to doe that God of his grace might aduaunce them vnto an other state by faith Nowe this were a sound vnderstanding of the law and the true vse therof whereof this is the office The office of the lawe to reproue and conuince men hereof that they are seruaunts and not sonnes as many as follow the law without faith and that they doe exercise themselues therein plainly against their wills and with no confidence of grace For it causeth and maketh such to be offended at it and learne by it how vnprepared and vnwilling they are to that which is good inasmuch as
labour but he himselfe would by meanes of their sword and labour ouercome and vanquishe the enemies Here also it might be said that the souldier doth slaie and ouercome the enemie not by his sword alone but by the word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Whereupō Dauid sayth Psal 44 I will not trust in my bow it is not my sword that can saue me And againe He is not delighted in any mans legges Psal 147.10 a man of great might is not deliuered by much strength a horse is but a vaine thing to saue a man c. Neuertheles God vseeh men swordes horses and bowes howbeit not by the power and strength of them but by them as by certaine meanes or instruments he himselfe fighteth ouercometh This he hath sufficiently declared oftentimes when he hath ouerthrowen the enemies and deliuered his people which suerly he daily doth when the case so requireth After the same sort God vseth bread also by it forasmuch as it is made for that vse he feedeth vs howbeit when it is wanting he neuertheles feedeth them that be his euen by his word without bread as he doth at other times by bread so that bread doth as it were worke vnder God as the Apostles and preachers of the word in spirituall and euangelicall meat serue vnder him as it is mentioned 1. Cor. 3. For as God vseth their ministerie to teache men A similitude he himselfe by his spirit speaking in their hearts through it and doing all thinges alone which he both is able to do and often times wont to do without the ministerie of the preachers of his word although he will not in the meane season haue the ministerie of his to be despised and so himselfe tempted so to the nourishing of our outward man he outwardly vseth bread although he doth make by his word inwardly that we be nourished and strengthened which he can as well do and is wont to do when bread is awaye that all our nourishment may be attributed to the word and not to bread which he vseth as an instrument but yet of no necessitie That I may speake briefly all creatures do as it were serue vnder him and are his instruments without which notwithstanding he is able and often times wont to worke by this meanes prouiding that we may depend on his word alone neither trusting more vnto him when we haue breade and other thinges which our life vseth neither lesse when we want them but may vse them with giuing of thankes when he bestoweth them vpon vs when otherwise may patiently be without them being certain neuertheles that we shall liue and be nourished in both times both when we haue them and when we haue them not And by this faith that vain and vngodly care of the bellie greedie desire of thinges and carefulnes of life are ouercome Tentation whereby we are moued to tempt God with presūptuous confidence Then the Deuell tooke him vp into the holie Citie c. This tentation is quite contrarie to the former He assaileth vs with such tentation also whereby he goeth about to moue vs to tempt God euen as he willeth Christ to cast him self downe from a pinnacle of the temple and so tempt God when there were ladders by which he might descend And that this tentation prouoketh to tempt God it is manifest euen by the aunswere of Christ who aunswereth Satan in this maner It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lorde thy God Hereby he signifieth that the deuill would prouoke him to tempt God Now this tentation doth not amis follow the former For when the deuil perceiueth the hart that in pouertie and necessitie it trusteth in God he by and by maketh an end of tempting by care of the bellie and desire of things as being weaker then that by it he may ouerthrow one so stronge in faith He thinketh therefore with him selfe If he professe him selfe to be of so religious and assured a minde I will on this side also giue occasion to sinne And so he setteth vpon him on the right side affirming that that is to be beleeued which the Lorde hath neither spoken nor commaunded to be beleeued As is this If he should bring thee to such madnes that whē thou hast bread at home giuen thee of God as he of his goodnes giueth vnto vs euery day thou wouldest not vse it but wouldest procure to thy selfe necessitie and hunger saying I must trust in God I wil not feede on this earthly bread I will tarye till God giue me other from heauen This were to tempt God For he doth not commaund thee to beleeue that that thing shal come vnto thee wherof thou hast neede if it be already come of his liberalitie For why shouldest thou beleeue that he will giue that which thou hast already of his gift Thou seest therefore that the deuill doth here obiect a certaine necessitie and neede vnto Christ where there is none For there was a sufficient meane to descende from the pinnacle of the temple neither was it reason to attempt this newe vnaccustomed and vnnecessary meane whereunto Satan persuaded Moreouer allegorically we may by this doing of Satan perceiue his craft and suttletie He tooke Iesus sayth the Euangelist into the holy Citie and set him on a pinnacle of the temple By this tentation he replenisheth men with cogitations that seeme most holy Satan tempteth men vnto hypocriticall holines that they may thinke them selues most plentifully endued with faith and to stande in a very holy place when as notwithstanding they are sette not in the temple but on the temple that is not in the synceritie of fayth but in a vayne outward shew of faith Neuertheles he is in the meane season in the holy citie because that this kind of men is wont to be no where but among Christians where the word of the Lord and the preaching of faith is daily heard who also like vnto Satan haue sentences of Scripture in a readines as concerning the wordes although they alwayes peruert wrest them to their owne errour and false imaginations So Satan recited here vnto Christ out of the 91 Psalme that God doth commaund his Angels concerning his children that they keepe them lifting them vp with their hands But the deceiuer concealed that which is added that is Psal 91.11 in their wayes For thus hath the Psalme He will giue his Angells charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes c. So that the custodie of Angells is not by the commaundement promised vnto vs vnles we walke in our wayes which he hath prescribed vs. If we walke in them we shal assuredly be kept of Angells Howbeit the deuill sayth nothing of the wayes of the Lord but promiseth by corrupting the saying of the Psalme that it is commaunded to the Angells to keepe vs in what wayes soeuer whereof the Lorde hath commaunded nothing And this is Satans seducing and persuasion to tempt God
and works we are all saued as I haue nowe sufficiently declared This S. Paule hath very pithily comprehended euen in one sentence where 1. Cor. 1. he sayth thus Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedom and righteousnes and sanctification redemption that according as it is written he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. And Rom. 4. he sayth Iesus Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification In these two litle sentences are briefly comprised and ioyned togither whatsoeuer thinges we must looke for from Christ Howbeit all these thinges are enioyed by faith for he that is without faith to him they are vnpossible to be comprehended The preaching of Christ is coūted foolishnes of the vnbeleeuers but of the faithfull the power and wisedom of God yea they are counted foolishnes to reason to the world as Paul sayth 1. Cor 1 Christ vnto the Iewes is euen a stumbling block and vnto the Grecians foolishnes that is when Christ is preached that he is our righteousnes that saluation commeth vnto vs by him and that by him we are made the children of euerlasting life without our owne workes and righteousnes then those holy men and iustifiers of them selues are offended no otherwise then the Iewes Moreouer to the prudent and wise men of this world it seemeth foolishnes and a certaine ridiculous thing that a man being fastned to the crosse and put to death doth performe these thinges Whatsoeuer therefore is counted righteous holy wise and prudent in the eyes of the world it is offended and stumbleth at this Christ But saith Paul moreouer Vnto thē which are called both of the Iewes Grecians we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedom of God He sayth also Rom. 1. The Gospell of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also to the Grecian For by it the righteousnes of God is reuealed from faith to faith as it is written Haba 2 The iust shall liue by faith Wherefore the Lord sayth very well to the Disciples of Iohn Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me So thou seest now plainly that this faith which we haue in Christ commeth by the preaching of the Gospell as Paule affirmeth Rom. 10 Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Here here I say doth all the force consist by the word of God not by the worde of man The word of God doth these thinges not when we publish indulgences or preach of workes as hitherto alas it hath bene done to our exceeding losse as well in the good thinges of the body as of the soule We made no account of goods which we bestowed plentifully vnles we had afflicted our body with fastings chastisement pilgrimages and such like trifles In deede these thinges had bene to be graunted and borne if they had not with a false confidence in such doing so miserably and lamentably led vs away seduced vs from a true faith confidence in God through Christ But praise be vnto God that we haue for the most parte perceiued such delusions For the world was so full of this miserie and preaching that it did almost ouerflow which surely came by the vengeance and wrath of God for that we contemned his word and followed mens fables yea our owne wittes and opinions Then we were in so great blindnes that we did almost without difference beleeue euery man what kind of worke soeuer he brought and gloriously set forth From these deceitfull follies our consciences are nowe deliuered and set free but no man doth so much as once giue thanks to God therefore If we shal be contempteously negligent a more grieuous miserie shall light vpon vs then this was Neither should that come vnto vs vndeseruedly forasmuch as we doe greatly procure these euills against our selues by our vnthankefulnes When as before we gaue with so great aboundance and plentye that by our liberalitie they were made almost Lordes of the world nowe hardly six or seuen poore men are maintained in a citie yea nowe the Minister of a Parish Church hath not sufficient wherewith to liue Howbeit doe not impute this peruerse kind of liuing to the Gospell as our aduersaries nowe impudently doe It is not meete that thou suffer thy poore neighbour by thee to neede Yea rather the whole Gospel doth specially vrge this that thou haue a care of thy neighbour and that thou be seruiceable toward him that thou help him both with thy counsell and substance euen as God hath holpen and instructed thee Such a one without dout he that is endued with true faith sheweth him selfe for he bursteth forth The faithful man exerciseth charitie toward his neighbour and behaueth him selfe so toward others as he hath tried God towardes him selfe and as he desireth to be done to him selfe if he were pressed with pouertie anguish and necessitie God needeth not our good workes our prayers fastings and buildings of temples founding of Masses doe displease him he requireth not our sacrifices but rather as Esay sayth hateth and abhorreth them He is content with this one thing that we acknowledge him for our God trust in him giue him thankes as he sayth Psal 50 Heare O my people I will speake I my selfe will testifie against thee O Israell for I am God euen thy God I will not reproue thee because of thy sacrifices or for thy burnt offerings because they were not alvvay before me I vvill take no bullocke out of thy house nor he goates out of thy foldes For all the beasts of the forest are mine and so are the cattels vpon a thousand hils I knovv all the soules vpon the mountaines and the vvild beasts of the field are in my sight If I be hungrie I vvill not tell thee for the vvhole vvorlde is myne and all that is therein Thinkest thou that I vvill eate bulles flesh and drinke the blood of goates Offer vnto God thankes giuing and pay thy vovves vnto the most highest And call vpon me in the time of trouble so vvill I deliuer thee and thou shalt prayse me But God sendeth vs douneward with out works to our neighbours to the miserable afflicted them that be voyde of comfort It is our partes to helpe them to comfort them to teach and instruct them And whatsoeuer benefit we shall bestow vpon them that we shall bestow vpon God his Christ as he shall say in the last day Matth. 25.40 VVhatsoeuer ye haue done vnto one of the least of these my brethren he haue done it vnto me Thus ye now haue heard that we are iustified and made righteous by the workes of an other namely by the workes of Christ which we enioy onely by faith the same faith charitie doth naturally accompany whereby we doe so to our neighbour as we acknowledge that God hath done vnto vs. Hereof ye haue elsewhere
hearde more here we will now make an ende and call for the grace of God A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE GOSPELL ON SAINCT MATTHIAS DAY Matth. 11. Verse 25. AT that time Iesus aunswered and said I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of heauen earth because thou hast hid these thinges from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto children 26. It is so O Father because thy good pleasure was such 27. All thinges are giuen vnto me of my Father no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne wil reueale him 28. Come vnto me all ye that are wearie laden I will refresh you 29. Take my yoke on you and learne of me for I am meeke and lowlie in hart and ye shall find rest vnto your soules 30. For my yoke is easie and my burden is light The summe of this Gospell 1 REason is not capable of the Gospell For as Paul 1. Cor. 2. sayth The natural man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Wherefore when reason seeketh saluation in worldly wisedome and foolishnes it fyndeth it not 2 Christ calleth them children here which trust not to their owne wisedome and righteousnes but do beleeue onely 3 As children onely do obtaine saluation so the Father also can not be knowen vnles he be reuealed by Christ that is our wisedome doth not know God the father But when as through fayth we are taught and instructed in bearing the crosse then the power of God becommeth known vnto vs. Therefore also he afterward comforteth them vpon whom the crosse is layd saying My yoke is easie and my burden light The exposition of the text THis text toucheth as it were the verie pith and marrow of the Gospel Other places of Scripture wherein the miracles and doinges of Christ are rehearsed haue not so much cōfort as those in which those sermons of Christ to the people are conteined wherein he doth so louingly teach vs and allure vs to himselfe I am not so certaine of the fauour which I see shewed to others in working miracles as if I haue the plaine wordes before myne eyes It is a farre greater comfort also vnto me to heare such louing admonitions and allurements then the preaching of miracles Albeit they also confirme my fayth and are examples that as he hath holpen them so also he will helpe me Moreouer this Gospell entreateth of the knowledge of God the father and of Christ his sonne shewing also whereof such knowledge doth consist Now that the meaning thereof may be well knowne it is requisite to vnderstād aright these two words wisemen and children or babes But lest when we heare it we say this pertaineth nothing to vs it is spokē to others as the Iewes said to the Prophets which referred all thinges to the Gentiles the wordes going before do sufficiently shew vnto whom or of whom these wordes of Christ are spoken For before he speaketh of them that contemne the Gospell not vouchsafeing to embrace it whose dutie notwithstanding especially was to embrace it inasmuch as they would seeme alone to be them that were occupied in the word of God and were to be counted for the people of God Of such he sayeth thus Whereunto shall I liken this generation it is like vnto litle children which sit in the markets and call vnto their fellowes and say we haue piped vnto you and ye haue not daunced we haue mourned vnto you and ye haue not lamented Which the Lord applieth to himselfe and vnto Iohn the Baptist as if he would say we haue preached vnto you the Gospell Iohn with a certaine seueritie and austeritie but I with verie great clemencie and gentlenes But ye cōtemne our preaching and will not receiue it ye shall at the last feele without dout to your great euell what it is to despise the word of God This is verie true howsoeuer thou preachest to the people whether thou be fayre spoken or seuere gentle or vngentle they will alwayes seeme to haue some cause or other to complaine of thee These the Lord calleth here wise and men of vnderstanding to these the Gospell is hyd He meaneth not here those wise men which are truly wise in diuine matters For it is a great commendation if one be worthy to be called wise and prudent True wisedom is nothing els but the knowledge of God True wisedome what it is Prudence to wit when as I know what we must thinke of God and do vnderstand his will But prudence signifieth abilitie and knowledge to iudge of worldly thinges what is right or wrong which Paule often ioyneth togither especially in his Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 1. and in his Epistle to the Colossians chap. 1. Of such wisedome Christ speaketh not here but of worldly wisedome which puffeth vp men and excludeth the true wisedome of God We are all of this disposition by nature eftsoones to rise against the wisedome of God Humane or worldly wisdome That is called good by the instinct of humane wisedome which bringeth pleasure honour and profite but those thinges that are contrarie to these as affliction dishonour losse those are called euill For mans nature can seeke nothing els at all but those things that are his owne that which pleaseth and profiteth him that he doth especially like But that which displeaseth him he counteth the worst of all thinges although it be the best Wherefore as I haue saide the Lord speaketh here of those wise and prudent men which with their owne wisedom striue against the wisedome of God Worldly wisedome seemeth to it selfe to be so great that is it not content to rule onely these worldly and temporall thinges but taketh also vpon it selfe to haue the ouersight of heauenly things it alwayes sercheth out and imagineth some new thing euen in spirituall and diuine matters So mans owne wisedome hath inuented shauen crownes and cowles almost all that wherein the papacie consisteth euerie one hath chosen his proper worke to himselfe this man hath inuented this an other hath inuēted that and if this be abolished and doth not greatly please byandby they fynde out some other thing as alas we haue seene and do as yet see neither is there any measure in these trifles whereupon it commeth that we can hardly away with the word of God and the truth but are alwayes delighted to inuent some new thing For truly this is certaine as often as we ordaine a new worship of God contrarie to the word of God we are byandby blynded and fall from errour to errour then which calamitie none greater can come vnto vs. Wherefore Paule 2. Thess 2. sayth Therefore God shall send them strong delusiō that they should beleeue lies that all they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but
amend most feruently desyring to be deliuered from synnes and earnestly endeuouring to come vnto Christ such a one hath a miserable and troubled yea and a contrite and humbled heart and an afflicted conscience which the deuell by all meanes fighteth against and so presseth it that it is almost ouercome with distresses c. But Christ assisteth and comforteth him for he is such a man as seeketh no shepe but that which is lost and can not helpe it selfe How may Christ be preached with greater gentlenes and more effectuall consolatiō of words or what thinkest thou should he do more to cheere the mind of a sinner and to confirme in him a sure confidence toward himselfe For we see him set forth by himselfe to vs miserable synners as a most louing shepeheard who most sorrowfully seeketh his sheepe being lost and most ioyfully bringeth them againe being found and taketh so great ioy that with him all the Angells also and Sainctes doe reioyce ouer vs. Now he that could firmely beleeue these thinges should without dout through Christ receiue true comfort and ioy forasmuch as here he hath a certaine promise that if he surely cleaue vnto Christ and rest vpon his shoulders he shall be an acceptable and welcome guest in the kingdom of heauen and shall be receyued with exceeding great ioye But we being troubled with sorrowe and anguish of conscience haue a farre other feeling and affection when as the hart can thinke nothing else but that all the Angells doe stand behind vs with a drawne sword which feare so troubleth vs that we can conceiue no cheerefulnes in our minde neither of God nor of the Angells And there are some also which can behold no creature with a glad minde fearing the beholding of the sunne yea being sore afraid at the noyse of a leafe All which proceede from hence for that they trouble and vexe them selues with their owne thoughtes out of which they would willingly wrastle sparing no labour that they might feele that vprightnes and integritie in them which would be abashed with no feare But if thou be desirous to conceiue true comfort and ioye in thy hart then see that thou doe diligently and well print and fasten therein this amiable image of the most louing shepeheard and the word of the Gospell and seeke it where it is to be sought that is in Christ and no where else In Christ true ioy is to be found without him can be found no true ioy at all for in this man thou shalt find all thinges so that thou abide in his safe custodie and vpon his shoulders But whatsoeuer comfort can be obtained without him it commeth not from the hart although thou call to helpe thee all the creatures and shouldest also be partaker of the pleasure and ioy of the whole worlde A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE WOMAN OF CANAAN Matth. 15. Verse 21. ANd Iesus went thence and departed into the partes of Tyrus and Sidon 22. And behold a womā a Cananite came out of the same coastes and cryed saying vnto him Haue mercy on me O Lord the sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a Deuill 23. But he aunswered her not a word Then came to him his Disciples besought him saying Send her away for she cryeth after vs. 24. But he aunswered and sayd I am not sent but vnot the lost sheepe of the house of Israell 25. Yet she came worshipped him saying Lord helpe me 26. And he aunswered said it is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelps 27. But she sayd truth Lord yet in deed the welps eate of the crommes which fall from their maisters table 28. Then Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto her O woman great is thy faith be it to thee as thou desirest And her daughter was made whole at that houre IN this text is set forth vnto vs an example of a constant and stedfast faith For this woman did so perseuer that she ouercame three most sharpe conflicts and notably teacheth vs what is the qualitie and proper vertue of a true right faith Faith what it is Which in deede is a certaine trust and most deepely setled in the mind of the diuine goodnes and grace knowne and made manifest by the worde of God For Marke mentioneth that she heard the report of Iesus without dout good and ioyfull that he is a bountifull man and maruelous ready to helpe euery one That report was good tidings the worde of grace vnto her whereupon also this her faith did begin For vnles she had beleued that she also might be made partaker of Christes bountifulnes and goodnes shee would not haue so followed him or cried after him Which is that wherof we haue often admonished Faith commeth by hearing which we are taught Rom. 10. that faith is by hearing Wherefore the word ought alwayes to goe before and giue the beginning of saluation But how came it to passe whereas many other also heard the same report of our Sauiour Iesus yet they followed him not yea they quite despised that report I aunswere They that are not sicke as they haue no neede of the Phisitian so neither are they desirous of him But this woman was afflicted and felt her necessitie yea that report was so ioyfull vnto her that she being stirred vp thereby did follow Christ running after such a pleasant sauour Cant. 1. We must first by the law come to the knowledge feeling of sinne before we cā tast howe sweete Christ is Wherfore Moses must alway goe before who may teach vs to feele sinne whereby grace may be wished for and desired of vs. It is in vaine therefore although Christ be preached to be louing and to be desired and longed for if a man be not before humbled through knowledge of him selfe and made desirous of Christ according to the songe of Marie The Lorde hath filled the hungrie with good thinges and the rich he hath sent emptie away Nowe all these thinges are written for the consolation lifting vp of them which be miserable poore needie oppressed with sinnes and abiects that they may knowe to whom they may flie in all distres and where they may seeke for helpe and safetie But see howe Christ vrgeth and inflameth faith in them that be his whereby they may become stronger and more confirmed For first whereas this woman being encouraged with that alluring fame of his goeth after him and cryeth for helpe douting nothing but she should trie him to be such a one as she had heard him reported to be and that she should forthwith entreat him for the recouerie of her daughter Christ in all respects sheweth him selfe vnto her so as though he would deceiue all her trust and make his report false so that she might thinke with her selfe Is this that man which is so bountiful and readie to helpe all Doth he so fulfill the most commendable report
neighbour and so witnes the faintnes and weakenes of faith which is the fountaine of all duties and benefites As contrariwise the stronger faith that one is endued with so much more dutifully and with readier minde he endeuoureth to deserue well of his neighbours All both doctrine and life worthy of Christ that all thinges may be declared most briefly manifestly and sufficiently consist of these two By faith and loue man is made as it were a meane betwene God his neighbours faith and loue Whereby man is made as it were a meane betwene God and his neighbours that he may receiue of God from aboue and may giue to his neighbours beneath be as it were a conduit pipe through which the fountaine of the diuine goodnes doth continually flow to his neighbours And such men are like vnto God which in Christ receiue of God whatsoeuer he hath and doe againe by their good deedes declare them selues as it were the gods of other and fullfill the prophecie of the Prophet Psalme 82 I haue sayde ye are gods and ye all are children of the most high We are children of the most high by faith whereby of nothinge we are made the heires of God And we are gods by loue which maketh vs beneficiall to our neighbour forasmuch as the nature of God is nothinge but bountifulnes and Paul here sayth the bountifulnes and loue of God toward men The meanes to be partaker of the bountifulnes and loue of God is to beleeue which he doth with incomparable plentie daily poure forth vpon euery one as we see We must onely endeuour that euery one doe nothing doubt that these thinges are spoken to him that the bountifulnes and loue of God to manward is reuealed and offered to euery one that by these wordes he may establish exercise and strengthen his faith being certain that they are most true and that God both vndoutedly is and alwayes will be bountifull and louing toward him If thou canst beleeue this it will assuredly so come vnto thee thou maist then with a full confidence pray and desire of him whatsoeuer thou wilt and complayne vnto him of whatsoeuer doth grieue thee or other But if thou want this faith it had bene better for thee neuer to haue heard any thing hereof for that by thy infidelity thou reprouest of falshood these wordes so precious and full of consolation and grace making so light account of them as not beleeuing that they be true Which surely is a great contempt and dishonour of God that scarce a more grieuous sinne can be committed of thee Contrariwise if thou be endued with this faith it can not be but that thy hart being thereby cheered should euen as it were laughe and leape for holy ioy in God being void of all care and trouble and be made aboue measure confident For how can any discouragement any whit of sorrowe remayne in that hart which douteth not that God is gracious and bountifull vnto it and beareth a singular affection of loue toward it that it is a delight and pleasure vnto him to doe it good and enioy it as a friende Surely the hart is necessarily delighted with this spirituall ioy and pleasure or vndoutedly it wanteth faith Paule in the Epistle to the Gal. calleth this to receiue the holy Ghost by the Gospell For the Gospell is so pleasant a preaching of the grace and goodnes of God that while it is preached and heard it bringeth the holy Ghost with it no otherwise then the beames of the sunne doe naturally bring heat with them How could the Apostle vse more pleasaunt and sweete words I dare say that I haue in the whole Scripture redde none more pleasaunt and so sweete words of the grace of God as these two Chrestotes Philanthropia that is bountifulnes and loue toward men How louing God is toward vs. in which the grace of God is so described as wherby he doth not onely forgiue our sinnes but doth also desire to be conuersaunt with vs and is ready to doe the part of a very friend toward vs voluntarily offering him selfe to helpe vs in al thinges also to bestowe more benefits vpon vs then we can desire or aske that we may presume of him no otherwise then of a most neare familiar friend of whom we may obtayne all thinges in whose eyes we are most deare and euen delightfull Thinke in thy minde of a most perfect friend which hath fulfilled all the partes of friendship toward thee thou shalt haue after a sort a forme although yet farre vnlike of the diuine goodnes and kindenes which is here attributed to our God by the name of bountifulnes and loue toward men But when thou hast a sounde faith in this bountifulnes and loue to manward and thereby doost liue in thy God so bountifull gracious and gentle to thee reioycest and art full of all good thinges being certayne of his continuall grace what shouldest thou doe any longer in earth what in this life He that is partaker of the bountifulnes and loue of God can not be idle Thou canst not in this case be idle as surely that loue of God and pleasure which thou enioyest in him will not suffer thee to be idle Thou shalt be enflamed with a marueilous study and desire to doe what things soeuer thou canst know will be an honour vnto thy God so louing and bountifull vnto thee and will turne to praise glory and thankes giuing vnto him Thou shalt haue no choise of works thou shalt passe for no precept thou shalt feele no compulsion of the law hauing a most ready will and pleasure to doe whatsoeuer thinges thou shalt know to be acceptable vnto God whether they be contemptible or noble small or great thou shalt count them alike But first of all it shall be thy desire that this blessed knowledge of God may be common also to the rest whereupon by and by thy loue will here shew it selfe and will assay all meanes to make this truth of saluation manifest vnto all it will publish and repete it wheresoeuer it shall be able reiecting and condemning whatsoeuer other either teach or say that agreeth not with this truth Satan the world can not abide falshood to be reproued the truth to be preached therfore they persecute them which preach the truth Whereby it will come to passe that Satan the worlde which heare nothing so vnwillingly as this truth can not abide that their things should be condemned wil rise against thee with all their might wil by by trouble thee all the great learned rich mightie of the world wil condemne thee of heresie and madnes and will leaue no meane vnattempted vntill if they be able they haue dispatcht thee of thy life Thus with Christ thy Lord thou shalt be persecuted suffer extreme ignominie thy body life goods name friendes and all things being brought into perill vntill they haue thrust
world that they might byd and call men to this supper with one voyce with one Gospell with one ambassade after such sort that if S. Peter had come and preached the Gospell of God in that place where Paule had preached it before yet had it bene one worde and the same preaching that the hearers should haue bene compelled to say Behold he preacheth the same that we heard before of the other they wholy consent and agree the thinge that they publish is all one That the Euangelist might insinuate this consent and agreement in preaching he sayth He sent his seruaunt he sayth not his seruaunts as of many Nowe this message the seruaunt must doe to the bidden guests The message which the seruaūt doth to the guests bidden to the great supper Come for all things are now ready For Christ had suffered death in his death had slaine sinne and death also was risen againe from death the holy Ghost was giuen briefly all thinges were prepared which pertained vnto that great supper All things were ready without al our cost For the Father by Christ hath payd the price of all things that without all our merit and labour we might enioy his goodnes and be nourished and enriched He sendeth his seruaunt therefore first to the Iewes to byd them to this great supper vnto whom the promise was made of God For the lawe and all the Prophets were directed hereunto that they might prepare the people of God As the Angel Gabriel declared of Iohn the Baptist to his father Zacharias Luke 1 He shall be filled with the holy Ghost euen from his mothers wombe and many of the children of Israell shall he turne to their Lord God For he shall goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the harts of the fathers to the children the disobedient to the wisedom of the iust men to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. But what did the guests aunswere to the message of the seruaunt the text following declareth But they all with one minde began to make excuse This is that whereof the Lord speaketh Matth. 10 He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me And he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of me And he that taketh not his crosse followeth after me What they must do that will be partakers of this great supper is not worthy of me For he that will be partaker of this supper must put all thinges into daunger for the Gospells sake body goods wife children frendes c. Moreouer he must leaue all thinges whatsoeuer they be that separate him from the Gospell albeit they seeme good iust right holy Neither thinke ye that these mē which here excuse them selues were gilty of grieuous sinnes or occupied about vniust matters and works For it is not vniust to bie to vse trade of marchandize to maintaine him selfe honestly to marie a wife to be ioyned in matrimonie But therefore can they not come to this supper for that they will not forsake these thinges but will rather cleaue to them in their hart Nowe they must be vtterly forsaken and left when the Gospell so requireth Thou wilt perhaps say I would in deede willingly follow the Gospell I would cleaue vnto it doe all other things whatsoeuer but to forsake goods houses familie wife children c surely this is a hard matter God hath commaūded me to labour to maintaine my wife and children c. Beholde therefore this is the scope and summe that the Gospell is the worde of faith and offence because of which euery faithfull man doth beare offence willingly In deede God hath willed thee to doe these thinges howbeit he hath also commaunded that thou preferre him before all creatures and loue him aboue all thinges and thinke him higher then all thinges which thou canst know euen as the chiefe and greatest commaundement giueth vs to vnderstande Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy minde Deut. 6. Wherefore thou must forsake all thinges before thou suffer thy selfe to be pluckt away from the loue of him or his worde although in deede he loseth nothing which forsaketh any thinge for the Gospells sake If for the Gospells sake thou lose this temporall life God will giue thee an other farre better to wit eternall life as Christ sayth Matth. 10 He that will finde his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it If thou be compelled to forsake thy wife togither with thy children remember that God hath a care of them he will be a better father vnto them then thy selfe which vndoutedly commeth to passe if so be thou beleeue For we haue very great rich promises that he wil not suffer his word to fail but will alwayes fulfill it if we can freely and confidently trust in him and commit our selues wholy vnto him Christ sayth after this sort Matth. 19 VVhosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my names sake he shall receiue an hundreth folde more and shall inherit euerlasting life We haue here his words and promise what would we haue more or what can we desire more wherein therefore doe we fayle onely in our faith Wherfore no man commeth to this supper A sound faith required in the guests of this supper but he that bringeth with him a sincere faith which God preferreth and loueth aboue all creatures But how doth the Lord recompense them which excused them selues that they could not come to the supper The text it selfe declareth Then vvas the good man of the house angry and sayd to his seruaunt Goe out quickly into the streetes and lanes of the citie and bring in hither the poore and the maimed and the halt and the blind The Gospell was first to be preached to the Iewes who because they refused it the Apostles turned to the Gentiles To goe into the streetes and lanes is nothing else but that whereas the Iewes made themselues vnworthy of the Gospell and did refuse it the Disciples turned to the Gentiles For it was enioyned them of Christ that they shoulde not turne them selues to the Gentiles nor preach the kingdom of God in the cities of the Samaritanes but should goe onely to the sheepe of the house of Israell and should feede them onely as they did Now the Iewes striuing against this worde and by no meanes receiuing it the Disciples sayd Act. 13 It was necessary that the word of God should first haue bin spoken vnto you but seeing ye put it from you and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life lo we turne to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord cōmaunded vs saying I haue made thee a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be the saluation vnto the ende of the world But what meaneth that
guide other whē thou thy selfe art blinder thē a moule so that he which foloweth thee doth fall with thee into the ditch Of such as iudge themselues to excell others thinke themselues to be followed more thē the word of God S. Paul speaketh Rom. 2 Behold saith he thou art called a Iew restest in the law gloriest in God knowest his will and triest the thinges that dissent from it in that thou art instructed by the law perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blinde a light of them which are in darknes an instructer of them which lacke discretiō a teacher of the vnlearned which hast the forme of knowledge of the truth in the law Thou therefore which teachest an other teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest A mā should not steale doest thou steale thou that sayest A man should not cōmit adulterie doest thou cōmit adulterie thou that abhorrest idols cōmittest thou sacrilege thou that gloriest in the law through breaking the law dishonourest thou God Whereupō he also sayth in the beginning of the same chapter to hypocrites Therefore thou art inexcusable O man who soeuer thou art that cōdemnest for in that that thou condemnest an other thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that condemnest doest the same thinges But we know that the iudgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things And thinkest thou this O thou man that cōdemnest thē which do such things doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God Loe this is to speake the truth to hypocrites who go about to shew the way to other which they themselues know not leading so other mē into the ditch with thē Therfore the Lord saith The disciple is not aboue his maister but who soeuer wil be a perfect disciple shal be as his maister This is a common prouerbe I can learne no more of my maister then he knoweth himselfe Wherefore doth the Lord speake this prouerbe because of two sortes of maisters the one is blynde whom if I shall follow I also my selfe shall become blynde he himselfe falleth into the ditch and I follow The other maister is the mercifull father of whom we must learne mercy whom if we follow we also do become mercifull like as he is if we were mercifull daily we should also become perfect as he is perfect but that commeth not to passe as long as we are in this life The second part of mercy is The second part of mercy to forgiue that we forgiue them which haue endamaged vs or hurt vs by any meanes A Christian can neuer be so hurt but he ought to forgiue not onely seuen times but seuenty times seuen times as the Lord sayd vnto Peter Matth. 18. Wherefore God forgiueth a Christian his synne or infirmitie that he also may forgiue other their infirmitie which Christ setteth forth els where in a most goodly parable which he cōcludeth in these wordes Matth. 18.35 So likewise shall mine heauenly Father do vnto you except ye forgiue from your hearts ech one to his brother their trespasses And so we praye daily in the Lords prayer with an addition saying forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Is this a hard matter if I a wretched synner do forgiue my neighbour his trespasses and his infirmitie whereas the Lord will forgiue me my synnes and my infirmities If one had killed my father what were this being compared to my synne wherewith I haue offended God and prouoked him to anger The third part of mercy is The third part of mercy to giue to the poore needy that we giue to them that be in miserie and neede and that we helpe them Whereof Iohn speaketh thus 1. Iohn 3 VVhosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him For where the loue of God is it is moued to shew it selfe euē in outward works Hereunto also pertaineth the saying of Christ Matth. 5 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Wherefore the Lord addeth a promise in the Gospell saying Giue and it shal be giuen vnto you a good measure pressed downe shaken togither running ouer shall men giue into your bosome And continuing on his speech he sayth For with what measure ye meat with the same shall men meat to you againe Thus much shall suffice concerning the partes of mercy which we ought to shew to our neighbours Matth. 7.12 Vnto which the speciall wordes of Christ ought to exhort vs who when in the Gospell of Matthew he had spoken much of a Christian life and of loue to be shewed to our brethren thus concludeth saying VVhat soeuer ye would that men should do to you euen so do ye to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Now euerie one is so affected that being cast downe and in distres he would wish all the world to helpe him If I be a miserable sinner drowned in sinnes bearing a burdened and troubled conscience I would that the whole world should comfort me should helpe and succour me should couer my sinne and shame So I also ought to behaue my selfe toward my neighbour not to iudge him not to condemne him but to forgiue him his offences to helpe him to prouide for him to lend vnto him giue him euen as I would wish to be done vnto my selfe if I were driuen into distres necessitie exile or pouerty And herein truly Christians are knowne if they loue one an other if one do such workes of mercy vnto an other as Christ sayd vnto his disciples at his last Supper I giue you a new commaundement that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you By this shal all men know that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other Thus ye haue the meaning of this text it remaineth that we call vpon God for grace A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE SVMME OF CHRISTIAN LIFE 1. Tim. 1. Verse 5. THE ende of the commaundement is loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith vnfeined 6. From the which thinges some haue erred and haue turned vnto vaine iangling 7. They would be doctours of the Lawe and yet vnderstand not what they speake neither whereof they affirme IT is well knowne vnto you dearely beloued brethren Gods worde must be heard and learned with how great seueritie God hath commaunded his worde to be heard and learned For he most highly esteemeth it and hath bestowed much labour in defending it and publishing it to the world He hath suffred all the Prophets to come into perils and daungers at the last also he sent his owne sonne because of his worde whom he suffered to die euen the death of the crosse And what persecutions haue not the Apostles themselues abode for the wordes sake what afflictions haue
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
doth as it were become white by reason of the blossoms A shower falling vpon it many of the blossoms are shaken of the frost also doth much more consume them Afterward when the frute beginneth to spring forth some great winde blowing much of it being newly come forth falleth downe and when it waxeth ripe the caterpiller commeth which with other wormes gnaweth spoyleth it so much that scarce the twentieth part yea scarce the hundreth part many times remaineth The same commeth to passe with the hearers of the Gospell in the beginning thereof euery one coueteth to be a true Christian euery one liketh of it very well and the first frutes thereof are very pleasant But when winde a shower or tentation commeth all fall away from it by companies afterwards sects and seditions arise which like vnto wormes and kankers gnaw and infect the frutes of the Gospell and so many false opinions spring vp that very few doe perseuer in the true profession of the Gospell We haue here thankes be giuen to Almighty God the worde of God plentifully taught we are deliuered out of deepe great darkenes but we forgetting the word are made weake we liue hauing no care of the word for it is not sauory vnto vs. But when as hereafter false prophets shall breake in with their corrupt opinions and Satan also shall violently assaile vs finding vs idle and the house swept and garnished he will bring with him seuen other spirits worse then him self and the ende shall be worse then the beginning Which thinges if they so fall out let vs not therefore be quite discouraged but let vs rather instruct one an other that we may learne to cleaue vnto God and pray vnto him and say Mercifull God thou hast giuen vnto me to become a Christian giue vnto me also that I may perseuer and become daily richer in faith Albeit the whole world did resist and euery one conspired to destroy the Gospell yet wil I be nothing moued but by thy diuine helpe will depend on the Gospell But to returne againe to the Ruler ye haue heard that his faith was very notable and excellent he heareth the worde thy sonne liueth They which beleeue shal assuredly obtaine al good thinges that they pray vnto God for he beleeueth it and goeth away giuing honour to God he receiueth the only word he trusteth wholy vnto it Hereupō God dealeth so graciously with him that he restoreth health vnto his sonne raiseth him vp and strengthneth him in faith neither suffereth him to sticke in dout or infirmitie but establisheth him and maketh him stronge and causeth him to goe forward increase Neither doth God delay vntill he commeth home but declareth vnto him being yet in his iorney the helth of his sonne sending his seruaunts to meete him that they might bringe him good newes and say thy sonne liueth For God can not differre or delay where there is a sincere hart which trusteth in him alone all other thinges being left looking onely vnto the word of God there God can not hide him selfe but reuealeth him selfe commeth vnto such a hart maketh his abode there as the Lord sayth Ioh. 14. Now what can be more ioyful thē for a mā to giue credit to the word of God to be plucked from it by no affliction or tentation but to shut his eyes against euery assault of Satan to lay aside humane sense vnderstanding reason wisedom and to say daily in his hart God hath spoken it he can not lye I say nothing is more ioyfull then such a faith For whatsoeuer we aske of God with such a faith we receiue it more aboundantly of him then euer we desired it and God is sooner present with vs then we had thought Hereupon the Euangelist vseth so many wordes euen vnprofitable as it appeareth vnto vs as these The man beleeued the word that Iesus had spoken vnto him and went his vvay And as he vvas novv going dovvne his seruaunts met him saying Thy sonne liueth Then inquired he of them the houre vvhen he began to amend and they sayd vnto him Yesterday the seuenth houre the feuer left him Then the father knevv that it vvas the same houre in the vvhich Iesus sayd vnto him Thy sonne liueth All which tende vnto this ende that we should know that if we beleeue in the Lord he will giue vs abundantly whatsoeuer we shall pray vnto him for The conclusion the Euangelist maketh as followeth And he beleeued and all his houshold He so increased in faith that he did not onely ascend from a low state to a higher but he brought others also vnto faith He had surely an effectuall faith which did not rest idle and slothfull in the hart but did breake forth so that whosoeuer were in his house were brought vnto faith The nature and qualitie of true faith For this is plainely the nature of faith this is the qualitie of it to drawe others vnto it to burst forth and apply it self euen vnto the worke of loue as S. Paule witnesseth Galat. 5 That faith which worketh by loue is effectuall For it can not keepe silence or be idle as Dauid sayth Psal 116 which place Paule applieth to the faithfull 2. Cor. 4 I beleeued therefore haue I spoken Faith can doe no other for it is enforced to speake neither can it keepe silence inasmuch as he that is endued with it endeuoureth to profit his neighbour This ruler had faith for him selfe but it doth not remaine in him alone but breaketh forth For without all dout he declared to his familie how he came vnto Christ and receiued comfort of him which they also beleued So we also when we beleeue must open our mouth and confesse the grace which God hath shewed vnto vs. The most excellent work of faith Which is the chiefe and most excellent worke of faith that one instruct an other in the worde For Paule sayth Rom. 10 VVith the hart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation If we be ashamed of this word it is a certaine argument of a very light vncertaine faith We see therfore that there is no difference with Christ betwene the strong and the weake in faith for a litle faith is faith also He therefore came into the world that he might receiue to him selfe beare and sustaine the weake If he were so impatient as we be he would by and by say vnto vs Get thee from me I wil none of thee because thou beleeuest not in me But this is a thing greatly to be cōmended when one can handle that weake gently and doth not deale rigorously with them and repell them by impatiencie For although they be weake to day the houre may come when they shall receiue the word more aboundantly then we Thus we ought to instruct and teach one an other that we may depend on that word of God For if we continue in sticking to the
feeble sicke was she oftentimes made with them yea if she might haue bene healed it may seeme she would haue taken any medicine howbeit it profited her nothing she was afflicted with her disease the space of twelue yeares How therefore is this miserable woman at the last helped When she did light vpon a man whose name is Christ and put her hope and trust in him she was healed But who led her to that man without dout not the Phisitians For if our Preachers should preach Christ the marchandize of the Pope togither with his decrees would be nothing set by but rather she heard it of some that was also restored to health who told her without douting that theâ—e was a certaine man whom his parents had named Iesus which is a gentle and good man which helpeth euery one and sendeth away none from him whom he helpeth not and therfore is without dout sent of God that he may helpe all Which the woman hauing heard she leaueth the Phisitians and maketh hast vnto Christ So also at this day it falleth 〈◊〉 Not Christ but workes only are preached doe this or that neuertheles it is spred among the people what Christ is what we must looke for of him that he alone must do all things without our workes or merits The true preaching of Christ calleth from the traditioÌ„s of men to faith trust in him alone This report being heard we follow him and lay vp these words in the depth of our hart we leaue the phisitians nothing regarding the Preachers of the law and works or their commaundements and traditions but runne with all desire of hart to this man which is Christ saying to the Pope if I must receiue onely of Christ how vnwisely haue I delt that I haue turned so much vnto thee farewel therfore O Pope farewell ye beloued Bishops I neede no more your medicine workes and merits precepts and lawes ye haue grieued me long enough with them I haue gotten one which bestoweth vpon me freely whatsoeuer I payed full deare for vnto you before he giueth that vnto me without workes and merits for which I was faine before to bestow my body strength and helth and yet could not obtaine it Fare ye well I minde to come no more to you hereafter Christians therefore are made not by the decrees of the Pope not by workes not by the ordinances of men but by the grace and goodnes of Christ We must flie vnto Christ in our distresse Wherefore if thou hast a disquieted and a troubled minde and conscience so that thou art afraid of sinne dreadest death or hast some defect otherwise get thee to that man confesse what thou wantest call vpon him then surely he will helpe thee poure out thy hart before him as the 62. Psalme sayth and say thus vnto him beholde here is an emptie vessell which greatly needeth wherwith it may be filled I beseech thee O my Lord vouchsafe to fill it I am weake in faith I pray thee to strengthen me I am cold in charitie do thou make me whot and feruent that my loue may extende vnto my neighbour I haue no firme faith neither can I sometime trust in God O Lord helpe me and encrease my faith and confidence in thee haue I reposed the treasure of all good thinges I am poore thou art rich and therefore didst thou come that thou mightest haue mercie on the poore â–ª I am a sinner thou art righteous yea I haue aboundance of sinnes but in thee is all fulnes and grace When thou shalt once haue learned this the Popes ordinaunces shall not snare thee by which thou gettest nothing but consumest all that thou hast like as this woman did Then wilt thou say I will choose to my selfe him of whom I may receiue vnto whom I â—eede not giue any thing The other Euangelists write concerning this woman that after she was healed Christ perceiued vertue to haue gone out of him and turned him about in the prease and asked who had touched him and that his Disciples made aunswere that the multitude did throng thrust him but that the Lord would not be content with that aunswere but sayd some one hath touched me for I perceiue the vertue is gone out of me I know that some one hath receiued some thing from me All which the Lorde therefore did that the faith of the woman might be thankefull vnto him which he would therefore haue made manifest before all the people for that nothing is more acceptable vnto him then that we beleeue and trust in him also that the Lorde might by this miracle confirme the faith of the Ruler Wherefore Marke sayth that when the woman vnderstood that the Lord knew of her she feared and trembled and came and fell downe before him and tolde him the whole truth how it fell out with her whereupon the Lord doth deliuer her and sayth Goe in peace be whole of thy disease Were not these louing wordes what great ioy did the woman take here when as Christ had delt so bountifully with her The frute of true hope in Christ This ioy and peace all they obtaine which repose their whole hope and trust in Christ Iesus Where this ioy shall be forthwith workes must needes follow which may shewe forth this ioy as also the faith of this woman must needes come to light For as soone as she had receiued of the Lord she confessed before all the people neither was she ashamed to declare that she had receiued something of him for which notwithstanding she had giuen nothing Now God requireth of vs these works this giuing of thanks to wit that we confes declare before all men such good things grace and benefites that others also may be brought vnto him suffer a benefite to be bestowed vpon them as it was here done Wherefore Christian life enforceth me to doe good vnto others also euen as God through Christ hath done good vnto me but thereby am I not made a Christian as the woman here is not healed by her confession for she was healed before any work and confession but after she had recouered her health she confesseth Christ and prayseth him euen to the commoditie and conuerting of others We also inasmuch as we are Christians doe so liue that one helpeth and pleasureth an other in what thing soeuer he is at any time able And as this woman was healed before all works so we must be made Christians before we doe any worke As the Gospell is set before our eyes in this woman so is it also set forth in the Daughter of this Ruler This chiefe ruler of the Sinagogue whom Marke calleth Iairus had a stroÌ„g faith and confidence that Christ would raise vp his Daughter For vnles he had bene of that minde concerning Christ he had not come vnto him neither had desired such a thing of him which exceeded the power strength of nature Wherefore by
called the wise men and diligently inquired of them the tyme of the starre that appeared 8. And sent them to Bethlehem saying Goe and serch diligently for the childe when ye haue found him bring me worde againe that I may come also and worship him 9. So when they had heard the king they departed and loe the starre which they had seene in the East went before them till it came stood ouer the place where the childe was 10. And when they sawe the starre they reioyced with an exceeding great ioy 11. And went into the house and found the childe with Marie his mother and fell downe worshipped him and opened their treasures and presented vnto him giftes euen golde frankincense and myrrhe WE celebrate this day a noble and most comfortable feast concerning the appearing of the Lorde Iesus who appeared a special comfort to al them which seeke him with a stronge faith first to the wise men which came from the East secondly to Iohn the Baptist when being about thirty yeares of age he was baptized of him in Iordane and the holy Ghost and voyce of the father gaue testimonie of him that he is the sonne of God thirdly when he shewed his glory and power in a miracle wherein he turned water into wine at a mariage whereby he would procure reuerence and estimation to matrimony which now Alas is after a shamefull sort torne contemned and reiected of the Pope his adherents as a certaine miserable and wretched state For whatsoeuer God hath ordained that of the world is contemned whereof at conuenient time we will speake more and we haue already as I thinke written sufficient therof Now we will speake in few wordes of the first appearance The wise men of Arabia which were industrious men and without all dout gouernours of that countrie as it was at that time the maner in those partes when they had seene the starre in the East breaking of all delaye made haste to Ierusalem diligently seeking for the kinge of the Iewes being newe borne Where we ought to marke that they could neither â—eeke nor finde out this king the Lorde Christ but by the starre going before them which at the last ledde them so farre that by the word of God they were certified where this king was to be found Without the word of God receaued by faith we can not finde Christ So also is it with vs we can not finde Christ without the Gospell without the word of God That must shew him vnto vs bringe vs thither where we may finde him which then onely is done when we receiue the same Gospell by faith otherwise although we haue it heare it and know it it profiteth vs nothing at all we shall not therefore finde him no more surely then the Scribes founde him who notwithstanding had the Scriptures readily and shewed the way to other not comming into it them selues for the thing did not touch their harts They did drousily neglect that king whom with great sighes they had looked for many ages Wherefore it is not enough that we haue the Gospell or that we heare it but we must beleue it and lay it vp in the secrets of our hart otherwise we shall neuer finde Christ Here also you see that it doth not skill whether one be learned or vnlearned instructed in many places of Scripture or in few vnto whom God giueth the grace he enioyeth Christ He respecteth not the person but whom he draweth he is drawne although in the meane season he prouideth that the Gospell be alwayes preached After therfore that these wise men had found the child Christ the king of the Iewes at Bethlehem together with Ioseph and Marie by the shewing of the Scripture guiding of the starre The wise men are not offended at the poore miserable estate of Christ they were nothing offended at the poore estate of the childe but being taught by the word acknowledged that Child for the Messias and king of the Iewes whom the Iewes had looked for so many yeares opened their treasures before him offering vnto him golde frankincense and myrrhe Wherein againe we ought to marke the nature of faith that it is offended at nothing but cleaueth to the word onely and nothing esteemeth those thinges that shine outwardly These wise men doe not therefore disdayne neither turne backe because the child together with his parents were without all pompe in pouertie and miserie and nothing lesse then a kingly child appeareth vnto them but they goe on and vndoutedly acknowledge him for a king as they had learned concerning him out of the Scriptures Moreouer they giue vnto him the honour meete for a king they offer most precious gifts which they had brought being euen of the best sort out of their owne countrie Nowe the world would haue done no such thing but according to the maner thereof would haue looked for garments of purple and resort of seruaunts and handmaydens In such places it is wont to bestow his giftes to wit where there is great plentie and abundance of thinges before yea it is of that qualitie How the world dealeth with the poore and afflicted that it depriueth the poore and afflicted of those thinges that they haue it taketh breade out of the mouth of the hungry needie which haue nothing but as they get it hardly by labouring sore all that they are able Whereof we haue to learne that if we will honour Christ with these wise men We must not esteeme those things which seeme precious to the world but those which to the world seeme contemptible and of no value we must shut our eies and turne them from all that which seemeth fayre goodly and noble before the world Neither must thou be offended or abhorre it if any thing seeme vile contemptible and ridiculous vnto the world let this suffize thee that thou knowest that it pleaseth God which is in heauen Take heede vnto thy selfe concerning those thinges which shine before the world exercise thy selfe in those workes which seeme vnto reason foolish and light as are to helpe the needie to comfort the afflicted to count the calamitie of thy neighbour thine owne If thou shalt be diligently exercised in these and faith being thy guide shalt endeuour rightly to apply thy self vnto them then other workes which haue a fayre shewe as to institute masses to be occupied in vigils and yeares mindes to build temples and such like follies shal by them selues be pluckt out of thy hart vanish away vnto which workes surely now almost the whole world is addicted they are in deede fayre in the very outwarde shew and seeme to be very precious when as notwithstanding they are an abhomination vnto God But whatsoeuer God hath commaunded as to doe good to our neighbour and to be touched with his aduersities no lesse then with our own to beare a friendly and well willing minde toward him these are neglected
and indignation For if there were moe beloued sonnes he would not so set forth shew this sonne alone saying This is my beloued sonne neither would turne his eyes vnto him onely and glory of him alone as though he knew no other For the words seeme to shew that he did diligently looke about yet founde none beside him of whome he sayth this is he as if he sayde Here at the last I haue founde such a one as pleaseth me and is my beloued sonne all other generally are not such Moreouer these wordes are not so onely to be vnderstood that it is shewed by them that Christ is very God as the Epistle to the Hebrewes sayth Vnto which of the Angells sayd he at any time Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee and againe I will be his father and he shall be my sonne c. For it is most certaine that Christ in these wordes is declared to be the true and naturall sonne of God seeing that this word was neuer sayd to any creature Howbeit he had bene as well the sonne of God and had so remayned for euer as he hath bene from euerlasting although this had not bene spoken vnto vs from heauen neither is any thinge added or taken away from him by this name but we must thus thinke perswade our selues that so excellent a praise and so noble honour of Christ was spoken for our cause For he him selfe witnesseth in Iohn Ioh. 12.30 that this came not because of him selfe but for our sakes He hath no neede that it should be sayd vnto him that he is the sonne of God He knew this before hath from euerlasting by his nature that which he heareth Wherefore when that is conceiued by voyce and word it pertaineth to vs and not vnto Christ Christ without the word is such as he is said to be We haue the word without him of whom it is spoken Wherefore we must lay fast hold vppon the word without the essence euen as he hath the essence without the word But what doth this word it teacheth vs to know Christ in which knowledge our saluation consisteth as Esay Paule and Peter doe witnes But how doth it teach vs to know him so that he is the sonne of God and doth especially please God his father by which wordes God cheereth the hartes of all the faithfull and greatly delighteth them with mere comfort and heauenly sweetnes Howe is this done When I knowe and am sure that this man Christ is the sonne of God and doth in all things please the father whereof I must be most fully perswaded forasmuch as the diuine maiestie doth confirme this by his voyce from heauen which can not lye whereby I am certaine that whatsoeuer that man doth speake and worke they are the mere wordes works of the beloued sonne which are aboue measure approued of God This therefore I doe singularly well marke and lay vppe in the bottom of my harte When as therefore I doe hereafter heare Christ speake or see him doe any thing and that for my commoditie which surely he euery where doth for he sayth that he doth and suffereth all thinges for vs that he came to serue and not that he should be serued then I remember these wordes of the father that he is the beloued sonne then I am enforced to thinke that all that Christ speaketh doth and suffereth and that for my sake doth singularly well please God Nowe howe can God poure out him selfe more liberally or shew him selfe more louingly and sweetely then by saying that it doth please him from the hart that Christ his sonne doth speake so gently with me doth with so great affection looke vnto my commoditie and with such vnusuall loue suffer dye and do whatsoeuer for my sake Doest thou dout that if mans hart did with due sense feele such fauour of God in Christ to wit that he doth so much for our sakes it would not for ioy burst into most small peeces for then it woulde looke into the depth of the diuine breast yea and into the exceeding and eternal goodnes and loue of God which he beareth toward vs and hath borne toward vs from euerlasting But we are too hard harted and cold the flesh doth lye more heauy vppon vs then that we are able to comprehend such wordes we doe not wel consider of them with our selues neither doth our hart come neare to feele how maruelous and vnspeakeable loue and ioy they contayne in them otherwise without dout we should perceiue that heauen and earth are full of the fire of the diuine loue of life and righteousnes full of honour and praise whereunto the fire of hel whereunto sinne death being compared are nothing but as it were a thing painted or pictured But we are colde sluggish vnthankfull wretches for we passe ouer such precious words as things of no importance as vttered of man as being contayned in a booke or writtē in paper as things vtterly decayed and now long since growne out of vse by long custom as though they pertayne onely to Christ and to vs nothing at all And being dull and senseles we doe not see that they belong nothing to Christ but were committed to writing and are extant onely for our sake Seeing therefore that Christ the beloued sonne being in so great fauour with God in all thinges that he doth is thine and doth in the same serue thee as he him selfe witnesseth without dout thou art in the same fauour and loue of God that Christ him selfe is in And againe the fauour and loue of God are insinuated to thee as deepely as to Christ that now God together with his beloued sonne doth wholy possesse thee and thou hast him againe wholy that so God Christ and thou doe become as one certaine thing Hereunto make many sentences of the Gospell but especially in Iohn as this If any man loue me Iohn 14.23 my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him Also Where I am there shall also my seruaunt be Againe Iohn 12.26 Iohn 17. I pray that they may be one in vs as thou and I are one I in thee and thou in me and they in me But where is Christ In the fauour of God in the depth of his hart there also are we if so be that we know and loue Christ there I thinke we are sure enough there our refuge is placed high enough whither no euill can come as it is in the 91. Psalme But thou seest that faith is required hereunto and that vnto these thinges no law no worke no merit doth preuayle Hereupō it commeth to passe that so precious wordes are so abstruse and vnknowen to reason For it hath bin gouerned of Satan from the creation of the world when as in Paradise it would be as God presumed after honour which God here attributeth to Christ alone forasmuch as he is his sonne
thy selfe from him all goodnes and loue Secondly thou plainly seest this also how by all maner of outward signes meanes he poureth forth his ioy and vnspeakeable goodnes and also hauing found his sheepe how louing he sheweth himselfe For surely he dealeth not with it by any law as by his right he might deale and driue it before him as he doth the rest or suffer it to go by him Howbeit he doth none of these but layeth it vpon his shoulders and all the iourny carieth it through the desert taking all the labour and trouble vpon himselfe that at the lest wise the sheepe may rest Neither doth he it grudginly but willingly for he is full of ioy for his sheepe recouered Now marke this also how wel it goeth with the shepe with how great quietnes and ease it lyeth on his shepeheards shoulders neither doth it vnwillingly see it selfe resting so sweetly being deliuered from the difficulty of the iourney as also voyd of all feare both of dogs and woulues that is of all errours and lyes yea and of all perils and mischiefes And this surely deserueth to be called a very pleasaunt picture exceeding amiable and comfortable to be looked vpon No otherwise doth our Lord Iesus Christ deale with vs whiles he deliuereth vs which he hath once done corporally by his passion and death but now doth eftsoones the same by his power and spiritually by the preaching of his word Wherefore he layeth vs vpon his shoulders carieth and defendeth vs so that we are safe from all perils of death and the deuell which albeit they terrifie vs and shew themselues so as though they would denour vs yet preuaile they nothing For whereas we are caried it is a safegard vnto vs and the same exempteth vs from all daungers and putteth awaye all feare As the shepe lying vpon the shepeheards shoulders is litle careful though the dogs barke much and the woulfe craftily goeth vp and downe but rather hanging downe the head is quiet and sleepeth soundly If we beleue assuredly in Christ Iesus we need not feare the deuell rage he neuer so sore So we also if we stand and abyde vnmoueably in this article I beleeue in Iesus Christ our Lord who suffred died rose againe for vs c. there is no cause why we should be carefull lest we perish or be deuoured of the deuell though he open his iaws neuer so wide For we are not then in our own waye neither walke we vpon our owne feete but we hange vpon the necke of our shepeheard and lye vpon his shoulders where we are safe enough For sinne death and hell although in deede they be terrible yet dare they not set vpon him otherwise if it were not for this we should be miserable shepe which should forthwith be brought into a lamētable and wretched case For euen as a shepe can not take heede and foresee to it selfe that it stray not out of the way vnles it be led of the shepeheard when it hath strayed and is lost can not by it selfe come againe to the shepeheard but must be sought and enquired for of him vntill he hath found it and so must be layd vpō his shoulders and brought home againe lest that it be againe frayed and chased from him or catcht of the woulfe and rent in pieces So we also our selues can profite our selues neither by helpe nor counsel that we might obtaine peace and quietnes of conscience and escape out of the hands of the deuell death and hell except Christ himselfe repeat his word vnto vs and call vs againe vnto him And although we come vnto him and now stand in faith yet is it not in our powre to keepe our selues therein or to stand by our owne strength vnles he eftsoones by the power of his Word hold lift vp and carie vs for that the deuell alwayes imagineth and purposeth deceit and destruction toward vs and goeth about like a roring lyon seeking whom he may deuour as S. Peter witnesseth Wherefore here is no place to boast of free will or of our owne strength which is none neither in beginning any thing neither in going forward therein much lesse in perseuering or continuing in it but Christ our shepeheard alone doth all things Howbeit we are sure hereof that whiles we lye vpon the shoulders of Christ we shall remayne safe from all terrour and misfortune For he will not suffer vs to be plucked or taken from his necke neither will he himselfe cast vs of being so glad and ioyfull that he hath found his lost shepe and brought it againe to the rest of the flocke And in a summe here is no terrour or trouble or exaction but mere life and grace whereby he handleth his shepe most louingly and gently But on the contrarie Moses not as a shepeheard of miserable and weake sheepe but as a maister of stronger cattell driueth his heards with a staffe and a rod three dayes iourney through the desert vntill they be tyred and wearie with walking of this shepeheard those hardedened and wilde ones are to be tamed and bridled And we also when we shal be vnder Moses to wit according to the flesh and the outward life must goe and do that which the law requireth But in that we are and are called Christians we must by no meanes suffer that any worke be layed vpon vs yea or exacted of vs but must giue our selues onely to Christ to be caried and gentlely lifted vp not vpon horses and charrets but euen vpon his onely shoulders Whē Christ carieth vs vpō his shoulders Which commeth to passe as I haue sayd when he suffreth the word to be preached vnto vs and we also beleeue the same that he died for vs that on the crosse he bare our sinnes in his body that he hath ouerthrowne the deuell death and synnes and put them vnder his feete and hath made and opened vnto vs entraunce to eternall life Wherefore we must not haue respect to our owne life how righteous and strong we are but we must studie vpon his one thing that we may rest lying vpon his shoulders In this circle we must haue no care of synne death life or pensiuenes inasmuch as we haue all things to the full in Christ who beareth and keepeth vs. Now he is not content with all these things both that with such great trauell he seeketh his shepe and also that hauing found it Exceeding ioy because of the sheepe which was lost and is foūd againe he carieth it with incredible ioy but it being brought againe he maketh festiual dayes exceedingly reioyceth calling togither his neighbours and friendes that they may reioyce with him Yea he affirmeth that God also in heauen with the whole heauenly host do reioyce ouer one synner that repenteth In which wordes he sheweth and declareth who he is which deserueth to be called his lost shepe namely such a synner as being led by repentaunce of his former life doth
which goeth of him Where doth there appeare so much as any thing like vnto those thinges which men haue told me of him They were deceiued them selues and deceiued me also He sheweth him selfe an enemie rather then a friende Why doth he not so much as speake a word and friendly denie me helpe if I be vnworthy thereof He holdeth his peace like vnto a blocke vouchsafeth not to speake a word neither offereth his help Here surely Christ gaue a grieuous blow to the minde of the silly woman So it is an incomparable torment to them that beleeue being in distres when God sheweth him selfe such a one at their prayers like vnto one that is angrie and whom they pray vnto in vayne hiding so deepely his grace that they now perceiue nothing els but that he will not performe those thinges which he hath promised and that so he will shew his owne wordes to be false That truely hapned to the Israelites at the red sea and to many other excellent holy men The constācie of this woman of Canaan But what doth this woman to these things She remoueth out of her sight mind that Christ shewed him selfe so vngentle and hard to be intreated she being constant and nothing moued hereat perseuereth in the trust of his goodnes whereof she had heard and which she had conceiued in her minde suffering her selfe in no wise to be turned from it We must not ceasse to trust in God though he seemeth at the first not to heare our prayers nor to fulfill his promise So also must we do we must trust vnto the word alone although God him selfe and all creatures pretende otherwise then the worde preacheth But this is thrise most hard to nature reason to be so vtterly destitute and to depend on the word of God without any feeling of comfort euen when a man feeleth and trieth all things to be contrary God giue vnto vs such a mind and faith that we may so doe especially at the point of death and in extreme necessities Secondly whereas the cry and faith of this woman seemeth to haue suffered repulse the disciples come with their faith douting not but that they shal entreat the Lord but when they thinke that they shall make him more easie to be entreated they find him to be much more harde repelling as it appeared and as they thought the faith and prayers both of the woman also of them selues Neither doth Christ here hold his peace and leaue them in doubte as before but he seemeth plainely to deny that which they aske saying I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel This stroke is much more grieuous then that former where not onely the person of the intreater is repelled but al hope also which is wont to be left is cut of namely the comfort of the intercession of all the other Saintes and elect For it is almost the last refuge to them that suffer distres and feele the indignation of God to get them selues to godly holy men seeking for comfort and helpe whereunto as charitie requireth they find them ready and willing but euen they also some time doe in vaine aske helpe and succour for neither are they heard and so the case of them that be in distres becommeth worse and more lamentable So the afflicted and desolate may truely obiect vnto Christ all those wordes wherein he hath promised that he will heare his Sainctes as Matth. 18.19 If two of you shall agree in earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shall be giuen them of my Father which is in heauen Againe VVhatsoeuer ye shall aske Marke 11.24 beleeue and ye shall receiue it And many such like But if to him that obiecteth these thinges and asketh him howe he can goe from his wordes and promises he aunswere thus I goe not from my promises I haue not promised that I will heare all prayers but the prayers of them that be myne which are of the house of Israell not of all whatsoeuer What thinkest thou may the hart then thinke hauing taken such a repulse Such an aunswere is as it were a flash of lightning wherewith the hart and all trust is seuered and broken in a thousand peeces For what trust can there be left when he heareth that that doth not pertaine vnto him which because of the word of God he trusted to haue obtayned but vnto others Here not so much as a worde can be left if one doe according as he feeleth But what doth this woman She doth not so fall from hope The great constancie faith of this woman of Canaan she still sticketh to the wordes which she had heard of Christ albeit he went about by this other repulse as with a certaine force to wrest them out of her hart she suffereth not her self to be fraied away neither with that vngentle silence neither with this hard aunswere shee continueth stedfastly in a sure confidence beleeuing that vnder this difficultie which Christ did pretend that grace was as yet hidden and layd vp for her which she had heard reported of him shee can not be brought as yet to iudge Christ not to be bountiful and gracious and that he can deny the helpe which shee desireth This was to perseuer strongly in faith Moreouer she followeth Iesus euen into the house as Marke writeth she is instant vpon him falleth downe before him and sayth Lord helpe me Here the Lorde giueth a deadly the last blow saying vnto her face that she is a dogge and vnworthy to be partaker of the bread of the children What may she aunswere hereunto For he seemed to signifie in these wordes that she is of the number of the damned and desperat which can looke for no part with the elect This word seemeth eternall and that can not be gainesayd For he which doth not pertaine to the companie of the elect by the ordinaunce of God what may he hope to be left for him This woman is not yet discouraged and past hope but yeldeth to this iudgement of the Lord she confesseth of her owne accorde that she is a dogge neither desireth she any thing but that which is wont to be giuen to dogges namely the crummes which fall from their maisters table Seemeth she not to haue vsed maruelous cunning She taketh Christ in his owne wordes He had made her like vnto a dogge she acknowledgeth it and desireth that he will onely suffer her to be a dogge according to his owne saying what should he here do how should he escape he was now as it were euen taken For the crummes vnder the table are graunted to the dogge for vnto dogges they are sayd to be due The frute of constant perseuerance trust in Christ Here therefore Christ being as it were ouercome doth open him selfe wholy and graunteth the desires of the woman and maketh that she is not now a dogge but a true Israelite
These things are written for the instruction and comfort of all vs whereby we ought to learne howe deepely sometime Christ hideth his grace from vs and how we must not iudge of God according to our owne sense and opinion but onely according to his wordes For we see here that albeit Christ shewed him selfe very hard to this woman yet he did not plainely deny to helpe her but whatsoeuer he aunswered howsoeuer it seemed to pretend a deniall yet was it not a deniall but did hange in dout and left an entraunce for faith although but small For he sayd not at her first petition I will not heare her but he held his peace neither promising nor denying helpe So to the second petition which the Apostles made he sayth not she is not of the house of Israel I can not therefore performe that which she desireth but he onely sayth I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell leauing all thinges in doute and in the middest betweene a plaine graunt and a deniall So when she had the third time desired him he sayth not thou art a dogge get thee hence the bread of the children is not due vnto thee but he sayth It is not good to take the childrens bread c. againe leauing in dout whether she was a dogge or no. Neuertheles all these sayinges doe pretende outwardly rather a deniall of helpe then prouoke her to hope but in very deede they did containe in them rather a promise and hope then a deniall Yea there was nothing but a promise and a certaine expectation of helpe howbeit most deepely hid and altogither secret vnder that silence and aunswers although they were hard and a deniall onely sounded outwardly By these it is shewed how our hart is wont to be affected in tentation For according as that feeleth in tentation so Christ here behaueth him selfe It feeleth all thinges to be denied when as it is farre otherwise Wherefore it is requisite that leauing it owne feeling by a sure faith in the word of God it conceiue and hold fast the promise of helpe deepely hidden vnder the deniall and yeeld vnto the sentence of God toward vs as this woman did so shall we ouercome and take the Lord in his wordes that he can not but helpe vs. So that if we feele in our conscience at any time God rebuking vs pronouncing vs sinners and vnworthy of the kingdom of heauen then we feele as it were hell and it seemeth vnto vs that we are past all hope and recouerie for euer When God pronounceth vs sinners we ought to acknowledge and confesse our sinnes pray former eye which God hath promised to them that be penitent for their sinnes then if any had the skill of this woman that he could take the Lord in his owne iudgement and say yea Lord I am a sinner and altogither vnworthy of thy grace but thou hast promised forgiuenes to sinners neither didst thou come to call the righteous but as Paule sayth to saue sinners he truely shoulde bringe to passe that the Lorde should be enforced euen by his owne iudgement to haue mercy vpon him So did Manasses when being penitēt he prayed for pardon as we read in his prayer He yeelded to the iudgement of God acknowledging him selfe a most grieuous sinner and so he bound God with his promise which had promised forgiuenes of sinne to sinners not to the righteous The same also did Dauid obserue Psal 51. Against thee onely sayth he haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying and found pure when thou art iudged For that doth purchase vnto vs all displeasure that we disdayne to suffer the iudgement of the Lord and doe against our wills yeeld vnto his sentence when he pronounceth vs sinners Such a great thing is it to acknowledge sinnes and to embrace the iudgement of God We all confesse our selues sinners in words but as soone as the Lorde speaketh that in our hart and pronounceth vs sinners we doe not abide by that which before we confessed we had leuer be counted righteous and free from that iudgement But it must needes be if God must be iust in his wordes that thou be a sinner then also maist thou vse the right of sinners which God him selfe hath giuen vnto them namely to pray with a sure expectation of forgiuenes of sinnes Then is it not permitted vnto thee onely to feede vnder the table of crummes after the maner of dogges but being a child of the houshold thou shalt sit at the very table hauing God nowe howe great soeuer he be giuen vnto thee according to thy desire Hereof also we haue an historicall exposition of this text according to the allegories For as it chaunceth to this woman her daughter being sicke for whom through faith she obtayned health by a miracle so also falleth it out with vs when we are deliuered from the spirituall sicknes to wit sinnes which truely are a most grieuous and troublesom Deuill vnto vs. For as she acknowledged her selfe a dogge so must we acknowledge our selues sinners and iudged vnto hell the Lord pronouncing it which if we can doe as she coulde we shall be safe We haue already spoken elsewhere of other thinges whereof there might be occasion to speake out of this text as howe one may obtaine grace and safetie by the faith of an other as here it fell out to the daughter of this woman Christ the Disciples the woman in this place are examples of loue This thinge also that Christ his Disciples and the woman are here examples of loue forasmuch as none of them pray for seeke or doe those thinges that are their owne but euery one that which is an others is very manifest by it selfe and easily acknowledged of euery one especially seing that we haue so largely entreated hereof in an other place A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER WHEREIN IS TAVGHT THAT WE ARE SAVED freely by grace without the workes and merits of men Tit. 3. Verse 4. WHen that bountifulnes that loue of God our Sauiour towarde men appeared 5. Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and the renuing of the holy Ghost 6. Which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour 7. That we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life PAVLE hauing willed before that all shoulde be put in mind to be obedient to such as be in authoritie and ready to euery good worke to speake euill of no man to be no fighters but gentle shewing all meekenes vnto all men c these fewe wordes being put betweene that we our selues were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing diuers lustes and voluptuousnes c he added those wordes which we haue already mentioned as if he should say
thee from them out of this life into the eternal blessed life In the meane season thou must suffer all these things with a patient mind and take them in good part losing none of the spiritual ioy which thou hast of Christ in thy God for thy part shewing to thy persecutors all kindnes and loue being alwayes mindful that thou a litle before wast not much vnlike them before God All which thinges thou shalt doe through faith loue albeit they exceede the strength of nature And this in deede is a true Christian life wherein thou doost endeuour to doe so to other as God hath done to thee Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done In these words the Apostle signifieth that which we haue now sayd and proueth it as it were by rendring a reason We must do well vnto men yea euen though they haue not so deserued of vs. For if the bountifulnes and loue of God to manward hath appeared he hath saued vs of his mercie and not because of our owne righteousnes yea we being by all meanes vnworthy and subiect to innumerable sinnes it is meete that we also do good to them that haue not deserued so much of vs are vnworthy therof For we which are become the sonnes of God must resemble God our father and bestow benefits according to our abilitie as well vpon our enemies and persecutours as vpon our friendes and them that do good vnto vs. Wherof Christ also hath admonished vs Matth. 5 Loue your enemies that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heauen who maketh his sunne to shine vppon the good euill sendeth raine on the iust vniust For if ye loue them which loue you vvhat revvard shal ye haue vvhen as euen the heathen Publicans doe the same Nowe the Apostle doth not onely expressely condemne vs for euill works but sayth Not by the vvorks of righteousnes or which vve haue done in righteousnes Where he also reiecteth those workes which we counted righteous and were thought both of vs others to haue bin done in righteousnes whē as they were so farre from being righteous that they made vs more vnworthy of the grace of God and more vnfit to receiue it for they are deceitfull workes whereunto we adde this sinne that we thinke them righteous and trust in them whereby God is prouoked to anger more then can be said euen as our enemies are wont to moue vs to anger when as they will auouch those thinges to be iust We ought to be beneficiall to others of meere loue hauing no respect to good or euill deserts wherein they sinne and doe vniustly But euen as God when we being vnwise by errour moued him to anger counting our sinnes workes of righteousnes did not therefore reiect vs but of his mercie deliuered vs from this errour and sinnes so we neglecting the foolishnes and dotage of our aduersaries whereby they contend that sinnes are to be counted for righteousnes ought neuertheles of meere loue hauing no respect of euill or good deserts to be beneficiall vnto them and endeuour to doe them good in all thinges looking for frute of our benefits not of thē but of God alone Let these things suffize to haue bene spoken for a compendious and generall exposition of this text Nowe let vs also briefly wey the wordes wherein he setteth forth and commendeth the grace of God First he so greatly extolleth it The good workes and righteousnes of men how they are esteemed of that in respect of it he condemneth all our good workes and righteousnes neither doth he condemne a small thing when he condemneth our righteousnes or righteous workes the most excellent thinge that man can haue in earth For if all men with all their might should labour and endeuour to attayne to most exact prudence wisedom and libertie of minde and will which we reade that some Philosophers and Princes haue done as Socrates Traianus and many other whose same the whole world hath long since spred abroade both by wordes and writinges neuertheles all such wisedome and all suche vertues are nothinge but sinnes before God forasmuch as they be not done in and by the grace of God Doers of such vertues are ignoraunt of God and therefore they can not honour him by their studies and endeuours they thinke they haue all thinkes of them selues when as no man can haue any good thinge at all but of this grace alone which the Gospell preacheth So Paule glorieth that he before he knewe Christ liued a blamelesse life and was more zealous towarde the lawe then those of his age that he also thought that he did a thing acceptable to God by persecuting the Christians which condemned that blameles life which he ledde but afterwarde when he had learned Christ he sayth that he coūteth that righteousnes to be but dounge that he might be found not in such righteousnes but in Christ by faith Philip. 3. The same thing he witnesseth and entreateth of at large in the Epistles to the Galathians and Colossians Here therefore is condemned all boasting of free will mans strength righteousnes and good workes and it is concluded that they are all nothing but sinnes and certaine destruction although they haue a fayre shew that we are saued by the onely grace of God as many of vs as beleeue and call for it with acknowledging of our owne vanitie and perdition Now we must accustome our selues to the Scripture Tow sortes of righteousnes which maketh mention of two sorts of rigteousnes one humane which Paul here and in many other places hath mentioned the other diuine euen that grace of saluation which iustifieth vs by faith Diuine righteousnes whereby we are iustified whereof he speaketh in the ende of this text That being iustified by grace we should be heires of eternall life Here thou seest plainly that the grace of God is our true righteousnes whereby we are iustified which is therfore called the righteousnes of God for that it is giuen vnto vs of God and is made ours when we are made partakers thereof by faith Of this he speaketh also Rom. 1 In the Gospell is reuealed the righteousnes of God from faith to faith as it is written The iust shall liue by faith And Gen. 15 Abraham beleeued and it was counted to him for righteousnes Whereupon the Scripture concludeth that no man is counted righteous before God but he that beleeueth as the Apostle testifieth where he reciteth that saying of Abacuc The iust shal liue by faith So it appeareth that faith grace mercye truth righteousnes that all these are that same which God worketh in vs by Christ and the Gospell Whereupon it is said Psal 25 All the wayes of the Lord are mercie and truth For those are the wayes of the Lord in which we obseruing his commaundements do walke and he againe in vs now those wayes must be directed by his
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
holde no water An other for that thou darest say I am without sinne and giltles tush his wrath can not come vpon me behold I will reason with thee because thou darest say I haue not offended First he sayth that his spouse is turned into an harlot and hath estraunged her selfe from God the fountaine of life from whom life saluation euery good thing floweth him they haue forsaken Secondly they set vp their owne traditions and digge vnto them selues a fountaine of their owne which can holde no water So our Papistes trust to their owne inuentions to their founding of Masses to their fastinges prayers and such like things Which appeare to be as a fountaine out of which they would draw life and blessednes or saluation when as notwithstanding it is able to hold no water they forsake God the fountaine of life Afterward he sayth they dare rise against me that I should not be angrie with them alleging that their workes be iust and they will goe to law with me Beholde this is an other sinne that they goe about to defende their workes Whereupon God also sayth I wil cōtend with thee in iudgment wil shew how thou gaddest hither and thither to change thy wayes So faith pertaineth to God alone Faith obtaineth all good thinges of God whereunto it belongeth to obtaine all whatsoeuer thinges are necessary as well temporall thinges as eternall and so to obtaine them that it thinke not that it hath merited in any thing Also it must againe apply it self downward toward our neighbour with out looking for any recompense not that blessednes consisteth in that deriuing of faith to wit charity for neither doth God require that who will haue the conscience to rest onely in him euen as the spouse must cleaue onely to her husbande and to no other so also God requireth of vs that we trust in him alone These things Christ declareth when he saith Be ye mercifull as your father is mercifull Wherefore I must so order my conscience toward God that I vndoutedly beleeue that I haue him a bountifull and mercifull father as I will afterward declare and that I also do shew mercy toward my neighbour Which faith must be inward and caried vpward vnto God but workes must be without and deriued downward to our neighbour After this sort Abraham did when at the mountaine in the countrie of Moria he ascended to God he left his seruaunts and asses below at the bottome of the mountaine taking onely Isaac with him The same must be done of vs if we will ascend vnto God that we may come to him with Isaac onely that is with faith seruaunts and asses that is workes are to be left below Thus much for the entraunce of this text concerning faith and workes to wit that faith must pearce inward and vpward but workes must go without and downeward whereby at the length it commeth to passe that we are righteous before God and men for that we giue due honour vnto God and beleeue according to his word and satisfie our neighbour in the dutie of loue Nowe let vs see the very wordes of the text in order Be ye mercifull as your Father is mercifull How our heauenly Father is mercifull toward vs. How therefore is our heauenly father mercifull after that sort that he giueth vs all good thinges corporall and spiritual transitorie and eternall freely and of his mercy For if he should giue vnto vs according to our desert he should giue vnto vs nothing but hell fire and eternall damnation What soeuer therefore good thinges he bestoweth vpon vs he bestoweth them of his meere mercy He seeth vs sticke fast in death therefore he hath mercy vpon vs and giueth vs life he seeth vs to be the children of hell therefore he taking pitie vpon vs giueth vnto vs heauen He seeth vs to be miserable and naked hungerie and thirsty it pitying him hereof he clotheth vs and refresheth vs with meat drinke maketh vs full of all good things So what soeuer we haue either in body or in spirit he giueth it vs of his meere mercy without any merit or desert of ours Whereupon Christ here saith Imitate your father be ye mercifull like vnto him This is not simple mercy What kinde of mercy reason teacheth vs to vse such as reason teacheth for that is greedy of her owne commoditie which giueth onely to great and learned men and to them that deserue it it loueth them that be fayre and beautifull it giueth vnto them of whom it looketh for profit and commoditie againe which is a mercy diuided begging and as it were torne and broken in peeces For if I shall giue to him that hath deserued or if I shall regard fayrenes or friendship it is a bargaine or det and not mercy Hereof Christ speaketh in the same chapter before this text in this wise Luke 6. If ye loue them which loue you what thanke shall ye haue and if ye do good for them which do good for you what thanke shall ye haue for euen the synners do the same and if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receiue what thanke shall ye haue for euen the synners lend to synners to receiue the like But the mercy of Christians must not seeke her owne but so behaue it selfe that it be indifferent that it regard all alike with open eyes both freinds and foes euen as our heauenly father doth Where true mercy is not neither is there any true faith And where soeuer this mercy is not neither is there faith also For thy heart being setled in faith so that thou knowest God to haue shewed himselfe thy God so gentle and bountifull without thy desert and of mere grace when thou wast as yet his enemie and the childe of euerlasting malediction thy heart I say being setled in this faith thou canst not containe thy selfe but that thou shew thy selfe againe so to thy neighbour that wholy for the loue of God and for thy neighbours commodities sake Take heede therefore what difference thou make betweene a friend and an enemie betweene the worthy and vnworthy for ye see all which are in this text rehearsed to haue otherwise deserued of vs then that we should loue them or do well vnto them And the same thing the Lord meaneth when he sayeth Luke 6 But loue your enemies do well vnto them lend looking for nothing againe and your reward shal be great and ye shal be the children of the most High for he is kinde vnto the vnkinde and to the euell An obiectiō But how commeth it to passe that a certain contrarie thing to that which we haue taught seemeth to appeare in this text where he saith Be ye merciful as your heauēly Father is merciful againe Iudge not and ye shal not be iudged condemne not ye shall not be condemned forgiue and it shal be forgiuen you All which authorities sound so that
to part from it to lend and to giue to our neighbour when it shal be requisite And if we see any not to haue wherewith to make restitution we must release him and forgiue the dette according to the example of Nehemias as we read in Esdras 1. Esd 5. For God hath giuen many things vnto vs who is able to giue vs moe thinges also if we beleeue And thus we heare that if we will be Christians we ought to lend giue and to be willing to part from that which we haue otherwise we shall not shew the frutes of a liuely faith Wherefore lay vp this text inwardly in your mindes that ye deale by no other thing before God but by onely faith and referre and bestow your workes to the only seruice and profit of your neighbour Thus much shall suffice to haue bin spoken concerning the former part Now what is to be sayd moreouer of this text or what doth follow we will afterward consider In the wordes following the Lord interpreteth himselfe what kinde of mercy he vnderstandeth saying after this sort Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged condemne not and ye shall not be condemned forgiue and ye shal be forgiuen Giue and it shal be giuen vnto you In this place the Lord diuideth mercy into three partes Three parts of mercy that we maye not be ignoraunt what maner of mercy that ought to be which it behoueth vs to shew to our neighbours First iudgement and condemnation is taken from vs. Then thou must forgiue thy neighbour if he hath committed any thing against thee Lastly thou must helpe the needy These thinges this word Mercie signifieth where soeuer it cōmeth in the Scriptures And all these must proceede from a syncere heart all colouring and flatterie being taken away that there be no respect had of the person For if thou desirest to will well and to wish well to them which will well to thee or to do well to them which do well to thee or to hurt them which hurt thee thou art vtterly deceiued But thou must do so as Christ saith a litle before Imitate thy heauenly father loue thine enemie do wel to him which doth euel to thee forgiue him that hurteth thee The first part of mercy not to iudge or condemne an other lend to the needy and so of the rest That therefore we may speake of the former part that we must not iudge or condemne we must marke that God hath ordained the sword of the magistrate to the punishing of publike offences so that it be prouided that it be not done against the precept and commaundemēt of God as that the innocēt be not executed for whereas the iudge dealeth vniustly he is as well an homicide as an other of which iudgement Christ saith nothing here Els where he maketh mētion thereof when as he said to him which desired that he would byd his brother diuide the inheritance with him Luk. 12.14 Who made me a iudge or a diuider ouer you For the care gouerning of outward thinges do not belong to the kingdome of Christ Of what iudgement Christ speaketh in this place But Christ speaketh here of an other iudgement namely of that whereby one reputeth and compteth an other good or euell when as notwithstanding he seeth no good or euell to be done of him Which iudgement belongeth only vnto God For it may be that thou see thy brother offend to day whom notwithstanding to morow God doth receiue thē may he both be and also seeme vnto thee to be good neither must thou remember his synnes for that Christ hath forbidden For there can not be either any loue or concord where this iudgement and condemnation is vsuall amongst men To iudge condemne an other is nothing els then to haue a beame in his owne eye which all hypocrites do without dout beare in their eyes For they that iudge themselues good are offended at their brother what soeuer others do it displeaseth them forasmuch as they will not acknowledge their owne synne But it commeth to passe that when thou seest many sinnes in others thou seest not the beame that is in thine owne eye and so fallest into the iudgemēt of God Hereof it commeth that thou which iudgest an other are made worse thē that most wicked baude or the most vnchast harlot before God who alone knoweth who is to be saued and who to be condemned Iudgers of other Such hypocrites are of that nature that it is a pleasure vnto them and they take no smal delight thereof if they reason and talke either of the adulterie or fault of an other man yea they increase a small thing or trifle in their neighbour and what soeuer others do they interpret it at the worst so that no mā is able to do that which pleaseth or liketh them And although they themselues do not such things yet they willingly here that other men do them whereas a godly man helpeth as much as he is able that these thinges may be couered and amended But it many times falleth out that they are most filthie adulterers euen according to the flesh which do so iudge and condemne others howbeit they do not iudge man onely but euen God himselfe Wherefore if thy brother be a sinner cōceale his synne and pray for him to the Lord if thou reueale his sinne and reioyce thereat surely thou art not the child of the mercifull father for if thou were thou wouldest be mercifull according as he is This is a thing most certaine that we are not able to shew so great mercy to our neighbour as God both hath doth shew to vs. But that is the practize of Satan that we do those things which are quite cōtrarie vnto mercy which is an vndouted signe that there is no mercy at all in vs. Of these iudgers of other Christ speaketh in the Gospell whē he sayth Can the blinde lead the blinde Luke 6.39 shall they not both fall into the ditch The disciple is not aboue his maister but who soeuer wil be a perfect disciple shal be as his maister And why seest thou a mote in thy brothers eye and considerest not the beame that is in thine owne eye either how canst thou say to thy brother Brother let me pul out the mote that is in thine eye when thou seest not the beame that is in thine owne eye Hypocrite cast out the beame that is in thine own eye first thē shalt thou see perfectly to pul out the mote that is in thy brothers eie As if he said thou thinkest that thy brother is blinde and in thy minde doest fynde fault with an other that is thou wilt guide an other whē notwithstāding thou thy selfe art blind Thou iudgest him a synner thy selfe an honest iust man What other thing is this thē for thy heart to be so affected that thou count thy selfe better Which is nothing els then that thou wilt lead
we must doe good workes nowe they teach this particular worke to be done an other time an other worke as offer so much sacrifice at this altar get thee into this or that Monasterie runne vnto this Sainct here erect a chappell to the honour of such a Sainct in an other place founde a Masse light tapers eate fishe buy indulgences c. Which being done they by and by bringe an other worke and forthwith after that an other So they know not how to instruct any after a constant certayn maner of teaching much lesse can they say this is or in this doth the summe of Christian life consist c. And yet in the meane season those thinges must be counted very excellent that they teach so much doe they boast and promise almost golden mountaynes as though they alone were Doctors that might not be gainsayd and controulers and Maisters of all other But he is to be counted an excellent Maister and highly to be esteemed which teacheth the chiefe point and whole summe of doctrine to wit how the hart and conscience yea and the whole man must liue They know nothing of that thing although they be very full of wordes but doe altogither erre from the summe principall point of the lawe In the meane season they intangle the mindes of the hearers with such a confused company of words that they know neither how to make a beginning nor end of speaking and it is vncertaine whereunto that disordered companie of wordes doth serue whereby no man can be made better much lesse can he confirme his conscience thereby as we hitherto haue enough and too much seene and tried in the Papacie amonge our Preachers of dreames What therefore is the summe of that doctrine which is to be taught to the people Sainct Paule aunswereth The ende of the commaundement is loue out of a pure hart and of a good conscience and of faith vnfeyned This is that Helen The summe of Christian life here thou hast the summe of Christian life most excellently and fully comprehended compendiously and briefly vttered and which may be not vnfitly printed in thy memorie Thou must endeuour if thou wilt not erre from the lawe but attaine to the chiefe point therof that thou mayst know what is to be done and what to be left vndone to haue loue proceeding out of a pure hart from a good conscience and faith vnfeyned If thy loue be of this sort thē is it right otherwise thou errest from the meaning of the whole law Now these wordes are profound and comprehend muche matter in them Wherefore we must partly expound them that they may be the better vnderstoode that we may accustom our selues to Pauls maner of speech First he attributeth to loue the summe of the whole lawe wherein it wholly consisteth What it is loue And to loue is nothing els as I thinke it is knowne to all but to fauour and embrace one from the hart and to shewe and performe vnto him all the duties of friendship and good will Nowe those iangling Doctors also vse such wordes preaching and boasting many thinges of loue but all by peece-meale and particularly applyed to their owne trifles and follies Euen as heretikes wicked men and vngracious wretches haue loue also but that which consisteth onely amonge them selues them that are of the same sorte with them in the meane season they hate and persecute all good Christians whom they would willingly accuse of murder if they could c. But this doth not yet deserue to be called true loue if I choose one or two whose conditions like please me whom I do friendly louingly embrace no man beside them It is called a particular loue which proceedeth not out of a pure hart Loue flowing out of a pure hart but from an infected and filthie hart For true loue floweth out of a pure hart when I endeuour as God hath commaunded me to poure forth my loue toward my neighbour and to fauour all without difference whether they be friendes or enemies euen as our heauenly father him selfe doth who suffereth his Sunne to arise on the good and euill and sendeth his raine to the thankfull and vnthankfull maketh the earth to bring forth many good thinges giueth money riches fruites cattell and many times especially vnto them that are the worst of all other But from whence commeth that doing of these things truely from pure loue whereof his hart is most ful This he poureth forth abundantly vpon all omitting no man whether he be good or euil worthy or vnworthy And this is called true diuine entire and perfect loue which loueth no one neglecting the rest neither cutteth or diuideth it selfe but imbraceth all indifferently Loue that proceedeth not from a pure hart of what sort it is The other is loue of theeues and Publicanes if I loue him which is for my turne and may doe me a pleasure and which esteemeth well of me and despise him that contemneth me and which is not on my side For that doth not proceede from the hart which ought wholy to be good and pure indifferently toward al but he that is endued with such loue seeketh his owne thinges is full of loue of him selfe and not of loue toward others Neither doth he loue any man but for his owne commodities sake regarding onely that which may serue for his owne vse seeking his owne profit by euery man and not the profit of his neighbour If he be praysed and honoured he laugheth but being looked vpon with sower countenaunce or an vnthankfull word being spoken vnto him he stomacketh curseth findeth fault so that all friendship forthwith ceasseth Contrariwise he that hath a pure hart must be so affected according to the worde of God and his example that he fauour euery one and bestow liberall and friendly benefits vpon them euen as God hath fauoured him and of his diuine loue hath bestowed benefits vpon him But some man will say he is myne enemie We must not therefore abstaine frō doing well to any because he is our enemie or euill and doth euill vnto me Surely he is an enemie also to God vnto whom he doth many moe thinges displeasant vnto him then he can doe either to me or thee But therefore my loue ought not to be extinguished or ceasse because he is euill and altogither vnworthy thereof If he be euill he shall at the last suffer punishment according to his deedes but his wickednes must not ouercome me But if I can through loue rebuke and admonish him or pray for him that he may amend and escape punishment I must do it readily I must not be an enemie vnto him or doe euill vnto him in any wise For what profit should redound vnto me thereby neither am I made better thereby and I make him so much the worse This therefore ought to delight me if I shall fauour him and bestowe benefits vpon him if so
synnes Againe He that shall beleeue and be baptized shal be saued And Ioh. 3. he saith God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Therefore God hath set forth the mercy seat vnto vs whereunto he leadeth vs from the iudgement seat Let vs leaue other before the iudgemeÌ„t seat namely those proud holy ones contemners and persecuters of the word of God where they shall heare sentence according to their deedes We will suffer these to abyde in their circle vntill they haue humbled themselues but we will not abyde in this circle but will depart from it as farre as we shal be able into the circle of the mercy feat vnto which we do appeale Neither haue we inuented this of our owne braine but it is the word of God himselfe which threatneth horrible iudgement to them which come with their owne holines and trusting thereunto do hope that they shal be able to stand before God the iudge neglecting the mercy seat of Christ For the sentence standeth that they shal be set before the iudgement seat as Christ sayth Ioh. 3 He that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he hath not beleeued in the name of that onely begotten Sonne of God He that beleeueth in him is not condemned that is shall not come to the iudgement seat but to the mercy seat where there is no wrath or rigour but grace forgiuenes of synnes all thinges being remitted which be not pure yea being blotted out and so consumed as a droppe of water is consumed of the heat of the sunne For where the mercy seat reigneth there is nothing els but meere forgeuenes and remission of synnes This therefore being knowne we must exactly vnderstaÌ„d the difference betweene the Lawe and the Gospel whereof we often teach The office of the Lawe The lawe draweth vs to the iudgement seat requiring of vs integritie of life loue out of a pure heart a good conscience it maketh vs also to exercise our selues therein and must goe no further But when it shall come and accuse thee and will reason with thee and haue those things to be performed which it requireth then shalt thou be greatly troubled For albeit thou hast done them yet art thou not able to staÌ„d before God before whose iudgement seat many thinges are yet found wanting in thee which should haue bin done of thee and thou hast left them vndone neither are they knowne vnto thy selfe The Law wil driue vs vnto desperation vnlâ—â—s we can appeale froÌ„ the iudgement seate to the mercy seate Whither then wilt thou turne thee Here the Lawe vrgeth thee by all meanes and thine owne conscience being witnes accuseth thee requiring the sentence of the iudge against thee Then must thou despeire there is no counsell or helpe to be had except thou knowest to flie from the iudgemeÌ„t seat to the mercy seat as for example Admit some Bishop die in his owne holines who while he liued was as it seemed of a good life and acknowledged Christ no otherwise then a cruell iudge as it hath bin hitherto preached of him neither hath he bin otherwise set forth as he is also wont to be vnto such not of his owne nature for in deede he is most gracious and comfortable but because they esteeme him for no other in their heart behold this man is a hinderaunce vnto himselfe that he can not obtaine any grace For he knoweth no difference of the iudgement seat and the mercy seat yea he is altogether ignoraunt whether there be a mercy seat from which he so erreth and must be bound to the iudgement seate But we teach thus How Christ must be learned and considered of that Christ is so to be learned and considered that we be most certainly perswaded that he sitteth before miserable and trembling consciences that beleeue in him not as an angrie iudge which commaundeth forthwith to carie violently them that be giltie vnto punishment but as a gentle louing and comfortable Mediatour betweene my fearefull conscience and God which sayth vnto me If thou be a sinner and astonied and the deuell laboureth to drawe thee to the iudgement seat then see that thou flie vnto me and feare no wrath or anger Wherefore Euen because I sit here that if thou beleeue in me I may make intercession for thee to my father that no anger and seueritie may hurt thee for all anger and punishment shal be sooner layde vpon me then be borne of thee Howbeit that can not be for he is the onely beloued sonne in whom all grace and fauour dwelleth whom as often as the father doth behold he can not but replenish both heauen and earth with grace and fauour and forget all wrath and displeasure And what soeuer he shall aske of his father that he shall forthwith obtaine with out all repulse or deniall So by faith we are made wholy blessed and safe subiect no more to any damnation yet not for our owne holines and purenes but for Christes sake to whom we cleaue by faith as to our mercy seate being assuredly perswaded that with him there remaineth no anger but meere loue and pardon and forgiuenes of synnes Thus the heart is purified before God and the conscience made good and quiet not in respect had of mine owne purenes of life led before the world but by trust and confidence of that excellent treasure which my heart apprehendeth which is vnto me in steede of a pledge and fulnes when as before God I am not able to paye We must especially take heede that our faith be not false or feyned But herein the whole force of the matter consisteth that we do againe and againe take heede that our faith be not false or as Paul speaketh fained For if this erre and deceiue vs all things deceiue vs. For there haue bin many in all ages as there be also at this day which can speake many thinges of faith and wil be maisters not onely of the law but euen of the Gospell also Who say the same that we do that faith performeth doth all things but that the Law and good workes are also to be ioyned vnto it and that otherwise if these be not added faith auaileth nothing In which words they mixe mingle togither our life workes and Christ But this is not purely and syncerely to haue taught faith but to haue coloured defiled and corrupted faith so that it can no more be called faith but a feined colour counterfecting of faith the trust and confidence of the heart standing not purely toward Christ as the onely mercy seate but being grounded vpon our one holines as being able to stand before the iudgemeÌ„t seat Wherefore doing thus we are most rightly cast of before God and condemned vnto destruction whereof we are most worthie For if faith must be pure and voyd of all counterfecting and faining
then these two thinges Christ and my workes must be rightly discerned and seuered one from the other For this is plaine euen to him that is blinde that Christ and his workes are not my life and my workes but are separated from the Law and from the workes of all men yea and that by a greater distaunce then man is vnlike or differeth from man For neither can I say that I and Cesar or the Bishop of Rome are the same thing yet I am much neerer and liker vnto either of them then a mortall man and a sinner is vnto Christ the Lord whoe is not onely a pure and holy man free from all spot and blot but is moreouer God also Therefore let the Lawe and the purenes of thy heart yea and thy good conscience auaile in earth onely toward men But where the mercy seat is to wit at the right hand of the father and the Mediatour betweene thee God thither no mans workes merits ought to haue accesse much lesse be they there of any force or value Wherefore Christ is purely to be separated from all my life deedes and workes and we must without exception conclude that he is an other thing then our life led before men with a pure heart and a good conscience albeit it be led euen perfectly and without blame For it being presented before God and by the lawe brought to the iudgement seat I am condemned and lost But Christ is the mercy seat and all that cleaue vnto him by faith can not be condemned and iudged So the iudgement seat togither with the lawe and all my life goe into one part but my faith must flie and lep farre vnto an other part and ioyne it selfe vnto him which is pure and hath no synne of whom the Scripture speaketh he that beleeueth in him shal not be confounded Because he is present in the sight of the father and maketh intercession for me Moreouer he giueth me his owne purenes and holines that being clothed and adorned therewith I may be able to stand before God and all wrath and displeasure may be taken away in steede whereof I may enioy meere loue and fauour Loe thus faith remaineth pure and free from counterfecting for it resteth not vpon my workes that because of them it should behoue God to be gentle and fauourable vnto me as a false and fained faith doth which mingleth togither mans merits and the grace of God and although it hold the words of Christ yet hath it the confidence and trust of the heart reposed in it selfe so A fained faith is no sure foundation but faileth theÌ„ that trust vnto it that it is certaine that it is onely a colour which can not long continue For the matter commeth at the last to this point that beleeuing that God is fauourable vnto thee because of thy life led without fault or blame thou must despeire and say who knoweth what I haue done whereby am I certaine that I haue neglected nothing through careleâ—nes or that nothing is wanting in me In this doutfulnes of minde the foundation faileth slideing away vnder thee like vnto sand moued or stirred and so faith is of no force or value at all Wherefore it is not vnfitly called fained and painted faith through which one seeth as it were through a lattis or painted glasse through which the thinge that is seene representeth the colour of the glasse and yet is not in deede of that colour So they also beleeue that that affection is in God that he vouchsaueth to regard our workes and merits Which they paint forth according to their owne opinion and dreames which are vtterly false rash and vnaduised And so iudgeing God all things according to them they see only as it were through a lattis or painted glasse But so onely thou shalt behold him with pure and cleere eyes if thou do wel separate the iudgement seat and the mercy seat one from the other that heauen with the starres thereof may remaine pure to grace remission of synnes obtained by the Mediatour where Christ reigneth with his workes and the earth also with her trees and herbes whither we must be referred with our workes The matter I say must be brought of vs to that passe if we will stand with a right and an vnfained faith before God that we do purely distinguish and seuer our selues our life and Christ or the mercy seat and he that will not do this but presenteth himselfe before the iudgement seat with a bold courage shall feele the reward of his rashnes I my selfe haue bin in that daunger and as it were a mouse hauing tasted pitch haue runne away reioysing greatly that libertie was giuen me to attaine to the mercy seat and now I am enforced to say that albeit I haue liued very well before men yet all things coÌ„mitted of me contrariwise do remaine beneath vnder the iudgement seat to be punished according to the sentence and iudgement of God Only Christ is our coÌ„fort and meanes whereby we attaine saluation Now I haue no other comfort nor no other helpe and counsell of my saluation then that Christ is my mercy seat who hath neuer offended hath defiled himselfe with no synne who died and rose againe for me and sitteth now at the right hand of the father defendeth me vnder his shadow and protection that I neede not doute that I am by his benefite and intercession safe before God from all wrath and terrour of iudgement Thus faith remaineth in all thinges pure setting no other thing before it selfe whereunto it may boldly trust but Christ alone Now he that knew this well should be a man of a resolute minde For all other haue to do with a fained faith boasting many thinges of faith but mingling all thinges together like as vintners mixe wine with water by this that they say if thou liue thus God wil be fauourable vnto thee and they make the iudgement seat of the mercy seat and the mercy seat of the iudgement seat which by no meanes can be for the iudgement seat shall remaine c. Wherefore separate these two one from the other as farre as thou shalt be able that they come not togither namely thy life and holines togither with the iudgement seat into one place which may driue enforce thee to haue a good conscience and to lead an vpright life before men But offer thy synnes to the mercy seate to be transferred into an other place where God louingly receiuing thee will embrace thee as a beloued sonne and will neuer remember more any wrath or synnes If such doctrine of faith were set forth vnto men then should it be excellently well done and all other thinges should follow of their owne accord as purenes of heart and goodnes of conscience through right and perfect loue For who soeuer is by faith quiet in his heart and assured that he hath God fauourable vnto him who is not angry with
him albeit he hath deserued his wrath diuers wayes he doth all thinges with a glad and cherefull minde Moreouer he liueth so also toward men that he is louing and beneficiall toward all although they be not worthie of loue He is quiet toward God through Christ the Mediatour who will not throw him downe hedlong into hell but doth louingly fauour him and lifteth him vp into heauē And this is the chiefe quietnes and principall point and foundation of our saluation Afterwardes he doth in his life shew himselfe dutyfull also toward his neighbour doing all the best thinges he is able vnto him what soeuer his state or dutie commaundeth or requireth And when he doth lesse then is meete he asketh pardon of his negligence before God and men so that there is left occasion neither to him nor to the world afterward to rebuke him power also to deuoure him is taken from hell to teare him in peeces from the deuell Thus a man is saide to be in all things perfect How we become perfect toward men by loue and toward God not by the lawe but by Christ whom he apprehendeth by his faith as the mercy seat Which gageth his holines for the beleeuers or rather giueth it to them so that in him they haue all thinges that are necessary to saluation Now this is right and pure doctrine which should be exercised and taught vnto men distinctly that they might know how they may be able to stand both before God and men that faith and loue be not mingled togither or life referred both to God and men This ought to haue bin perfourmed of those glorious and arrogant teachers seeing that they wil be counted maisters of the law that the difference of the law and faith might be well knowen vnto all Very hard to learne the true doctrine of faith For although it be taught and repeted with neuer so great diligence yet notwithstanding it is very hard to be wel and throughly learned especially to vs which haue bin instructed and trained vp in the doctrine of workes and led onely to the lawe and our owne workes To these may be added our nature also verie prone and ready by it selfe hereunto and now brought into a custome whereby it is confirmed and in continuaunce of time turneth the heart also into exercise and vse so that we can not abstaine nor thinke otherwise but that God wil be fauourable vnto vs which haue done so great workes and haue led our life so without blame or fault Therefore we must striue against both our nature custome For surely it is a very hard thing to thinke or be perswaded otherwise and so purely to put a difference betweene faith and loue the filth still hanging vpon vs and cleauing vnto vs albeit we be now in faith so that our heart can scarce rule it selfe that it say not so long time haue I taught the Gospell so haue I liued such great workes haue I done c. And we would very willingly haue God to regard our life and turne his mercy seat for our cause into a iudgement seat Thou mayst vse this boasting toward men I haue done well to all as I haue bin able and if any thing be wanting I as yet wil endeuour to make a recompense But if thou be minded to go vnto God I aduise thee to ceasse from such arrogant boasting and thinke to appeale from iudgement to grace Let who will begin and proue this thing he shall at length see and trie A hard thing to trust nothing to our owne workes and holines how grieuous and heard it is for a man that hath bin occupied all his life time in the workes of his owne holines to escape out and with all his heart by faith to cleaue to this one Mediatour I my selfe haue now preached the Gospell almost twentie yeares and haue bin exercised in the same daily by reading writing so that I may wel seeme to be ryd of this wicked opinion Notwithstanding I yet now and then feele the same old filth to cleaue to my heart whereby it commeth to passe that I would willingly so haue to do with God that I might bring some thing with my selfe because of which he should for my holines sake giue me his grace And I can scarce be brought to commit my selfe with all confidence to meere grace which I should doe for we ought to flie onely to the mercie seate forasmuch as God hath set it before vs for a sanctuarie which must be the refuge of all them that shal be saued Wherefore it is not to be merueled at if it be grieuous vnto others so purely to apprehend and lay holde of faith but especially to such as be yet hindered and entangled of deuelish preachers of whom Paul speaketh which crie out against the doctrine of faith and in these wordes vrge the workes of the Lawe Doe this and thou shalt liue Also if thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements c. Which in deede are true and right if thou didst also rightly vnderstand them Declare vnto me the true meaning of these wordes otherwise I know sufficiently already that I ought to be righteous and keepe the commaundements But how must I attaine hereunto or what is it to be righteous If thou saiest that it is to haue a good conscience and a pure heart and to doe all thinges that God hath commaunded Well be it so but heare ye then goe to performe me that or at least shew one that dareth say that he hath perfourmed it For thou shalt not yet so purifie my heart and conscience with thy doctrine that God can not accuse and condemne me But now the Lawe as it hath bin sufficiently declared requireth such a heart as hath a good conscience before God How therefore do we obtaine such a conscience This is the question and the cause whereof the controuersie is Truly it commeth not hereof How we obtaine a good conscience because thou teachest the iudgement seate that is the Lawe but from hence for that we haue a pure and vnfained faith which layeth holde of Christ in whom it most fully obtaineth all thinges which the Lawe requireth So at length all thinges are brought to passe in me hauing a good conscience inasmuch as I am now made righteous and iustified before God For although that many things be as yet found wanting in me yet he standeth on my side who hath so much righteousnes as wherewith he is able to supplie both mine and all mens defects Thus we shew the way whereby we are made righteous before God when as they when they teach best of all Teachers vrgers of the Lawe shew onely the waye to attaine to honestie and righteousnes which is of force and value before men contending that it ought to be of force before God also mingling together all thinges in one inasmuch as they haue no certaine knowledge thereof vnderstanding not what
they say or what they affirme For to what ende tendeth this thy immoderate cry He that will enter into life let him keepe the commaundements c. in which wordes thou shalt not shew the way to attaine righteousnes for descend a litle into thy selfe and examine thy selfe diligently then shalt thou fynde thy selfe to haue bin in time past conceiued and borne in synnes and to liue in the same nowe and not to be able to performe that which the lawe requireth Why therefore doest thou seduce other with vaine wordes saying be thou righteous and thou shalt be saued which is to no purpose neither foloweth there any frute thereof the waye being not shewed by which we attaine to iustification I heare the wordes well what things the lawe requireth but how shall we attaine vnto abilitie to fulfill them Then speakest thou to me againe and saiest thou must doe good workes But how shall I stand before the iudgement of God if I haue long and much wrought good workes and am righteous before men as thou teachest me howe shall I be certaine that I seeme such a one to God also For here my hearte and conscience be ready to witnes the contrarie against me True doctrin concerning Christian righteousnes Howbeit I should haue bin thus taught of thee as Paul commonly teacheth that righteousnes must proceede from faith vnfayned and before all thinges the mercy seate must be layd hold of from whence all thinges that are wanting in vs are to be taken And so in deede these wordes keepe the commaundements of God are rightly vnderstood For the lawe requireth perfect righteousnes in thee being of force as well before God as before men thou hauing obtained this goe forth into the companie and assembly of men and exercise loue and doe good workes By this order and meanes something is brought to passe and such sayinges of the Scripture are fulfilled For so man doth that which the lawe requireth first before God not by his owne strength or vertues How a Christian is perfectly righteous but by Christ without whom we can doe nothing before God and secondly by his owne endeuour before men And he is now perfectly righteous inwardly by faith in Christ and outwardly also by his workes yet so that there is place amōg men for mutuall pardoning of offences Therefore the righteousnes of Christians doth much more consist in forgiueing then in their owne workes Those vaine praters doe peruert the order of this doctrine and without preaching of forgiuenes doe teache that workes onely are to be vrged Loe thus Sainct Paul reprehendeth the errour and ignoraunce of them which speake much of the lawe and repete it in daily sermons Vaine teachers and yet they themselues doe not vnderstand or shew the waye how the lawe must be fulfilled knowing nothing so wel as to babble forth and often to repete these wordes that the lawe the commaundements are to be kept if thou wilt be saued good workes must be done c. As they do at this daye fill all bookes with such confusion of wordes and in all their sermons vtter nothing els then such vaine babbling which they themselues vnderstand not But they neuer saye worde of those thinges whereof Paul here speaketh namely of the summe of Christian doctrine how loue must flowe out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnfayned they say no more but keepe the commaundements They leueling at the true marke do neuer hit it therefore they corrupt and fulsifie all thinges loue the heart the conscience c. For the head of the fountaine is wanting that is syncere fayth which if it be not right and sound all thinges must needes be corrupt which shall flow and proceede from it And what soeuer they teach it is a conceit of their owne imagination and like to delusions not vnlike also to those thinges that are seene through a lattis or glasse which resemble the colour of the cleere glasse and yet in deede are not of that colour They thinke that God will regard them when they liue so before men as it seemeth good to their obscure opinion But if God were of that opinion he might then haue well kept still Christ and the Gospell For what neede or necessitie should moue him to send Christ from heauen who should purchase that vnto vs with his precious blood which we our selues haue before with vs He surely should be the foolishest of all men which would poure forth a precious treasure which no man needeth Thus thou seest how these men teach their owne dreames whereof they themselues know or haue tried no certainty neither doe any thing els but fill men with errours being not able to declare how that which they teach is to be attained vnto They draw men vnto workes whereby they confirme them in their olde nature and custome out of which they were to be drawen These truly are grieuous and odious men and not vnworthely verie sharpely accused and reprehended of Paul and it appeareth that they were of no small authoritie and estimation seeing that he pronounceth of them that they were called and would be counted doctours of the Lawe and farre greater and worthier then the Apostles themselues Wherefore we must endeuour to lay vp and print this text euen in the bottom of our heart for it is excellently well ordered and is pure and perfect doctrine teaching how we must be righteous before God and men as the Lawe requireth that these three maye be as it were conioine in vs namely a pure heart a good conscience and fayth vnfayned and that our life may flow out of all these and be occupied and led in them then haue we attained and fulfilled the meaning of the Lawe Howbeit we must most diligently take heede and endeuour to draw Christ vnto the Lawe who is the ende and fullfilling of the Lawe and our righteousnes and fulnes before God which we fynde not in our selues and without fayth shall neuer fynde albeit the Lawe be taught and often repeted without vnderstanding and knowledge And these thinges maye suffize to haue bin spoken at this present for the exposition of this place ⸪⸪⸪ ⸪ A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE QVESTION OF THE PHARISEES AND aunswere of Christ concerning giuing tribute to Cesar Matth. 22. Verse 15. THen went the Pharisees tooke counsell howe they might tangle him in talke 16. And they sent vnto him their disciples with the Herodians saying Maister we know that thou art true and teachest the waye of God truly neither carest for any man for thou considerest not the persone of men 17. Tell vs therefore how thinkest thou Is it lawfull to giue tribute vnto Cesar or not 18. But Iesus perceyued their wickednes and said Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites 19. Shew me the tribute mony And they brought him a penie 20. And he said vnto them Whose is this image and superscription 21. They said vnto him Cesars Then
one that wil keepe his promise I am sure that he wil not deceiue me but wil deale faithfully euen then hast thou fallen from God and worshipped an idoll putting thy trust in a lyar Wherefore when thou hast any dealing with man thinke boldly If he deale faithfully it is well if he doe otherwise in the name of God let him goe I will commit all thinges to the will of God he shall prosperously bring them to passe Of such a false and vngodly confidence reposed in men How the worshipping of Saincts crept in amonge Christians that euill crept in among Christians namely the worshipping of Sainctes whereby the Christian Church that is the true congregation of the faithfull hath suffered exceeding great hurt and incomparable ruine For what other was the seruice and worshipping of Sainctes but a deuilish thing When as men vsed to reason after this sorte This man was very holy that which he taught he did whom we wil follow and doe the like Hierome Augustine Gregorie sayd this therefore is it true therefore will I beleeue it Frauncis Benedict Dominicke Bartholomewe liued thus they did this and that I will imitate their life and workes Moreouer Augustine was saued by this rule wherefore I also shall be saued by it Fy howe vnstable and miserable a thinge is this they are onely lyes and dreames of men there is not in one word mention made here of Christ and his word but they are onely the vaine inuentions and trifles of men I would vtterly breake the rule of Augustine if he therefore ordayned it thinking to be saued thereby So blind and without vnderstanding is reason that it receiueth the dotages vaine inuentions of men when as notwithstanding the worde of God onely is to be receiued in matters of saluation as if Herod Pilate Caiphas Hannas should preach the Gospell I ought to receiue it Againe if those that are counted holy should rise and preach lyes also rules habits shauings ceremonies and such like vaine inuentions of men I ought in no wise to receiue them for we must here haue respect not to the persons but to that which they preach Doost thou presume to be wiser then all the fathers saincts then all the Bishops and Princes of the whole worlde Thus may some man obiect against me Farre be that from me For I doe not contend to be wiser then they But this without controuersie is thus that whatsoeuer is wise great liberall mighty strong before the world doth seldom or neuer agree with the word of God For so it falleth out that they that are such doe for the most part persecute the Gospel and if they were not so great the Gospell should not so greatly shine forth and triumphe The Romane Emperours Hadrian Traian Diocletian were the most wise Cesars of all whose gouernment was so liked of that it was praysed of the whole world yet they persecuted the Gospell and could not abide the truth The same we find written of the Kings of the Iewes as of Achas and others which gouerned their kingdom very well yet despised the word of God and disobeyed his commaundements We in our time had neuer such Emperours or Princes as are comparable to them But it ought to be verified in these that God would by foolish preaching confound the wisedom of this worlde as Paule sayth 1. Cor. 1. All these thinges are shewed vnto vs in this text which we haue in hand which hath a simple and a sclender shewe and appearance of it selfe but yet containeth many thinges in it most worthy the noting Now how the Lord concluded with the Pharisees when they had shewed him the tribute money and had aunswered that it was Cesars image and superscription the Euangelist declareth saying Giue therefore to Cesar the things which are Cesars and giue vnto God those things which are Gods Although they had deserued no such thing of the Lorde The sword and office of the Magistrate confirmed by Christ neuertheles he teacheth them the right way And in these wordes he confirmeth the sword and office of the Magistrate they hoped that he would condemne resist him but he doth nothing lesse for he commendeth and prayseth him commaunding that they giue vnto him those thinges that are his Whereby he plainly will haue that there be Magistrates Princes and Rulers vnder whose gouernment we must liue Neither must we care whether they vse and exercise their rule and authoritie well or ill we must haue regard onely to their power and office for their power authoritie is good inasmuch as it is ordained instituted of God Neither is there any cause why thou shouldest find fault with power if at any time thou be oppressed by Princes and tyrannes for whereas they abuse the power giuen vnto them of God they shall surely be compelled to giue an account thereof The abuse of a thing doth not make that thing euill which is in it selfe good A chayne of golde is good A similitude neither is it therefore made worse for that a harlot weareth it about her neck or if one should put out myne eye with it should I finde fault in the chayne therefore In like maner the power of the Prince must be borne for if he abuse his office he is not to be counted of me as noe Prince neither belongeth it vnto me to reuenge or punish it in him I must obey him for God his cause only for he representeth the place of God How grieuous thinges soeuer therefore Magistrates shall exact I must for God his cause beare them all and obey them so farre as they be not contrary to Gods commaundements If they doe iustly or vniustly it shall in due time appeare Wherefore if thy substance life and body and whatsoeuer thou hast should be taken from thee by the Magistrates thou mayst say thus I willingly yeeld them vnto you and acknowledge you for Rulers ouer me I will obey you but whether ye vse your power and authoritie well or ill see you to that Moreouer whereas Christ sayth Giue vnto Cesar the things that are Cesars and vnto God those thinges that are Gods We must vnderstand that vnto God pertaineth honour What things must be giuen vnto God what vnto Cesar we must acknowledge him for the liuing omnipotent and wise God and ascribe vnto him what good thing soeuer can be named And albeit we doe not giue him this honour he notwithstanding easily keepeth it for nothing is either added to or taken from him by our honouring Howbeit in vs he is true omnipotent and wise when as we count him so and beleeue that he is such a one as he suffereth him selfe to be sayd to be Nowe vnto Cesar and the Magistrate feare custome tribute obedience c are due God requireth especially the hart the Magistrate the body and goods ouer which he executeth his office in the place of God which S. Paule doth most notably in plaine
desireth to be done vnto himselfe And all this proceedeth from hence for that the bountifullnes and goodnes of Christ hath replenished his heart with sweetnes and loue that it is a pleasure and ioy vnto him to do good to his neighbour yea and he is grieued if there be none toward whom he may be seruiceable And beside all this he is tractable and lowly towardes all men he doth not esteeme the temporall pleasure and pride of life he iudgeth no man he defameeh no man he interpreteth all thinges in the better part WheÌ„ as he seeth that the matter goeth not well with his neighbour as that he fainteth in faith waxeth colde in loue and that his life is not on euerie side approueable he prayeth for him and is sore grieued if any commit any thinge against God and his neighbour In a summe the roote and sappe are sound for they are in a flourishing vine to wit Christ and therefore such frutes come forth But if any be voide of faith and not taught of God such a one doth not feede on this heaueÌ„ly bread neither bringeth forth these frutes For where a right faith is not there such frutes are alwayes wanting And therefore S. Peter teacheth vs to make our calling vnto saluation sure by good workes where he speaketh properly of the workes of loue namely that we do good to our neighbour and be affected toward him as toward our owne flesh and blood Thus much shall suffize concerning this text Let vs call to God for his grace A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING GOOD WORKES THE FRVTES OF FAITH Rom. 13. Verse 11. THis also we know the season how that it is time that we should now arise from sleepe for now is our saluation nerer then when we beleeued 12. The night is past and the day is at hand let vs therefore cast awaye the workes of darkenes and let vs put on the armour of light 13. Let vs walke honestly as in the daye not in gluttonie and dronkennes neither in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and enuiyng 14. But put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfil the lustes of it Whereof the present text intreateth THE Apostle in this text teacheth not of faith but of workes the frutes of faith shewing how the life of a Christian ought to be ordered and framed according to the flesh outwardly among men For how we must liue in the spirit and before God faith doth teach whereof Paul a litle before this place hath at large and euen apostolikely entreated Yea if we consider this text well it doth not so much teach as prouoke exhort moue and stirre vp them which are already taught what they must do The office of preaching diâ—â—dâ—d into partes For Paul diuideth the office of preaching into two parts into doctrine and exhortation Rom. 12. Doctrine is wheÌ„ one teacheth that which was not knowne before whereby men are instructed come to vnderstanding Exhortation is when the preacher moueth prouoketh vnto that which is already knowne Either is necessarie to be done of him who will christianly perfourme the duty of preaching wherefore Paul doth verie earnestly apply himselfe to both and that his exhortation may be more effectuall may more acceptably enter into the mindes of them whom he hath purposed to exhort he vseth certaine elegant and figuratiue speches and doth with an adorned maner of speaking allure their mindes vnto him For the wordes sleepe darknes light waking armour workes the day the night which he here vseth are all spoken figuratiuely by which other thinges are signified then their nature and proprietie doe beare for he speaketh not of the naturall night daye darkenes armour waking sleepe c but he resembleth by these naturall thinges a certaine likenes to our mynde whereby he may more forcibly prouoke and bring vs to those spirituall thinges As if he saide ye see how men to get the riches of the present time which do soone perish rise early and laying asyde the workes of darkenes applie themselues to the workes of the day after the night is passed and the day is come with how much greater diligence ought we shaking of our sleepe to rise early and casting awaye the workes which we did while it was yet darke to applie our selues now to those workes which are agreable to our light forasmuch as the night is now passed and the daye of our saluation hath appeared By sleepe he signifieth euel workes which are voide of faith What the Apostle meaneth by the words slepe to rise c. for sleepe is a worke properly meete for the night and that he meaneth thus he sufficiently declareth when he by and by after addeth Let vs cast awaye the workes of darkenes So contrariwise to wake and to rise signifie good workes which come of faith For as sleepe pertaineth properly to the night so to rise is properly agreable to the morning and daye Whereupon it is sayd 1. Thess 5 Beloued brethren ye are not in darkenes but ye are all the children of light and of the daye we are not of the night neither of darkenes wherefore let vs not sleepe as do other but let vs watch and be sober For they that sleepe sleepe in the night and they that be dronken are dronken in the night But let vs which are of the day be sober putting on the brest plate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet For God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ which died for vs that whether we wake or sleepe we should liue togither with him It is sufficiently manifest that the Apostle doth not in these wordes forbid vs the sleepe of nature neuertheles he draweth a similitude from naturall sleepe and waking to spirituall that is to a good and euell life And to be briefe to rise out of sleepe is here the very same thing that the Apostle writeth Tit. 2 That grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlynes worldly lustes and that we should 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 For that which he calleth in these wordes to deny vngodlines and worldly lustes he calleth in the text which we haue in hand to arise from sleepe and that which he termeth to liue soberly and righteously and godly that he calleth in our present text to watch and to put on the armour of light and whereas he sayth the grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared that he calleth here the day and light of which we wil hereafter speake more at large Naturall and spiritual slepe coÌ„pared togither Now let vs see what likenes there is betweene naturall and spirituall sleepe
He that sleepeth naturally neither seeth nor feeleth any of those good thinges that are in the world but lieth among those thinges which are euen next adioyning vnto him as it were dead seruing to no vse neither regarding any thing at all For albeit he liue in himselfe yet is he as dead to all other Againe in stede of true thinges he is in dreames wholy occupied with vaine images and formes of thinges which appeare true and is so foolish that he embraceth those vaine formes and thinketh them to be true thinges But when he waketh those images do togither vanish awaye and the man beginneth to be occupied with true thinges After the same maner almost it is when one is as it were swallowed vp of vngodlines for he sleepeth and is like a dead man before God neither seeth he neither feeleth any of the good thinges which are good thinges in deede namely those spirituall good thinges which are promised offered him by the Gospell albeit they be iust by him For those thinges are seene and felt by faith alone otherwise they are remoued from all sight and feeling Wherefore as long as by reason of the sleep of his vnbeleefe he can haue neither any regard or sense of true good thinges which are verie neere him through the Gospell he busieth himselfe with the false good thinges of this world as riches promotions and pleasures which being compared vnto eternall life vnto heauenly ioy and that perfect saluation which commeth to the godly are altogither as dreames and as those vaine visions compared to naturall thinges whereof they are onely representations But when man awaketh and hath receiued faith all regard and desire of those false good thinges of this present life vanisheth awaye and he acknowledgeth that they are nothing els but meere vanitie and falshood euen as those visions do quite fade away as soone as a man awaketh out of naturall sleepe Hereof the 76. Psalme speaketh They haue slept their sleepe and they whose handes were mightie haue found nothing And Psal 73 Like as a dreame when one awaketh so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the citie And Esay 29 As whē a hungrie mā dreameth that he is eating yet whē he awaketh his soule is emptie or as when a thirstie man dreameth that he is drinking and when he awaketh he is yet faint and his soule hath appetite euen so shall the multitude of all nations be that fighteth against mount Sion See how contemptuously and disdainfully the Prophet speaketh of the chiefe power riches pleasures and promotions of the world and likeneth them to dreames and most vaine visions wherewith they which are asleepe are deluded What other durst say that the good thinges riches and power of these Kings Princes and rich men are nothing els but dreames when as for them men mingle earth with heauen fyer with water raging without measure and ende in the world But the cause hereof is for that they yet sleepe therefore they do yet see nothing hereof as they want fayth so also are they destitute of this light For now is our saluation neerer then whē we beleued What meane these wordes did we beleeue before The promise of God concerning saluation by his Sonne and do we not beleeue now Here we must call to minde that which Paul writeth Rom. 1 that God promised the Gospell by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures cōcerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord that all should by him be saued according to that which was said vnto Abraham Gen. 22 In thy seede shal all the nations of the earth be blessed This blessing promised to Abraham in his seede is nothing els but grace and saluation in Christ offered to the whole world by the Gospell which Paule so interpreteth Rom. 4. and Gal. 3. For Christ is that seede of Abraham that is as he is man his flesh and blood by whom and in whom shal be blessed as many as beleeue in him and call vpon him This promise was afterward by the Prophets continually more and more declared and preached for they did all write of the comming of Christ of the grace which he should bring and of the Gospell which Peter also witnesseth Act. 4. This promise of God all the faithfull beleeued which died before Christ was borne who by this faith were saued and obtained saluation in Christ and through Christ Hereunto Paul now had respect when he said Our saluation is now neerer then when we beleeued For that which he saith is thus much in effect We beleeued in time past that the promise made vnto Abraham should be fulfilled now is it fulfilled and those thinges that we beleeued should come to passe are now present Christ is come the Gospell is reuealed and published and the blessing which we looked for is spred ouer the world all thinges which we taried for and beleeued being promised are come And hereby the Apostle signified the spirituall daye whereof he speaketh afterward which is properly the beginning and manifestation of the Gospell whereof we will hereafter speake Now by this that those thinges which we beleeued should be fulfilled are now fulfilled our faith is not any whit made voide or frustrate but much more sound and perfect For as they of the olde time before Christes incarnation beleeued the promise of God which should be fulfilled so do we beleeue that the same is fulfilled The faith of them which liued before Christes incarnation theirs which liue after it all one in it selfe and the faith is altogether the same in it selfe but that our faith followed theirs as the fulfilling followeth also the promise For either faith trusteth in the seede of Abraham that is in Christ theirs before his incarnation ours after it Wherefore he that should at this day beleeue with the Iewes that Christ is to come should make God a lyer as though he had not yet fulfilled his promise which he hath fulfilled and being fulfilled would haue it published and preached So also should saluation be yet farre from the beleeuers which we should looke for being as yet to come in the time that shall hereafter follow Of this double faith Paul speaketh Rom. 1 By the Gospell righteousnes which God giueth is reuealed from faith to faith What meaneth this from faith to faith nothing els but that albeit the faith of the Fathers and our faith is the same whereby it is beleeued in Christ either to come or which hath already appeared yet the Gospell doth lead from their faith to ours so that it is now necessarie not onely to beleeue the promise that was to be fulfilled but also that it is fulfilled which it did not behoue Abraham and the other Fathers to beleeue although they had the same Christ which we haue For there is one faith one spirit one Christ one communion of all Saincts this difference onely there is betweene vs that they went before Christ we follow him We haue
other of litle and therefore is it meete that euery one haue regard of him selfe and gouerne his owne body according to the present doctrine of Paule whereas he sayth Take no thought for the flesh to fulfil the lustes thereof that is obey the wisedom therof so farre that ye deny not the necessary things which it requireth but graunt it not those things which it requireth to the fulfilling of the lustes thereof more then necessitie to pleasure onely If a better rule of moderation could haue bene giuen beside this Paule would not haue concealed it Hereby thou seest that the popish ordinaunces Popish ordinaunces forbidding the eating of flesh contrary to the Gospell which forbid the eating of flesh and certaine meates are quite contrary to the Gospell Which Paule hath plainly foretolde 1. Tim. 4 The Spirit sayth he speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith shall giue heede vnto spirits of errour doctrines of deuils which speake lyes through hypocrisie forbidding to mary and commaunding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing thankes No man surely can deny that these wordes doe briefly reproue the orders of Monkes and sacrificing Priestes so cleare and manifest are both these wordes and also their preposterous religion Moreouer thou seest here also godly Reader that Paul doth not teach that dotage womanly holines of certaine which choose vnto them selues certaine dayes wherein to fast to certaine Sainctes one to this an other to that all which are blinde proceedings and builded vpon their owne workes True religion is without choyce of meates and dayes all the life long to vse modestie and sobrietie For seeing that these must be the armour of light and it is requisite that all our life be vndefiled and chast it behoueth vs surely neuer to put of this armour but we must be found alwayes sober temperate watching labouring and praying But those doting holy ones one day tast nothing but bread water afterward three whole moneths they daily be drunken and eate excessiuely euen vntill they be not well in their wits Others fast so that at the euening they eate no meate but in the meane season they make them selues drunke with drinking Who is able to rehearse all their dotages and all their works of darkenes all which proceede from hence for that foolish men consider regard the worke not the vse of the worke they make of armour a glasse they are altogither ignorant whereunto it is profitable to fast and abstaine they are like vnto him which caried a sword to this ende that he might looke vpon it and knew not how to vse it when he was beaten These thinges may suffize to haue bene spoken for the exposition of this text A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER WHEREIN IS TAVGHT HOW THE FAITHFVLL ought to reioyce in God let their patient mind be knovvne vnto men Philip. 4. Verse 4. REioyce in the Lord alway againe I say reioyce 5. Let your patient mind be knowne vnto all men The Lord is at hād 6. Be nothinge carefull but in all thinges let your requests be shewed vnto God in praier supplication with giuing of thanks 7. And the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your harts minds in Christ Iesus THis text in deede is but short neuertheles it doth most plentifully abound with right Christian doctrine instructing first howe we ought to behaue our selues toward God secondly how toward our neighbours saying first Reioyce in the Lorde alway Ioy in the Lord a frute of faith without which there is no true ioy but sadnes feare This ioy is a frute of faith most certainly following it as Paule witnesseth Gal. 5 where he sayth The frute of the Spirit is loue ioy peace longe suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperancie c. Neither can it be that that hart should reioyce in the Lorde which hath not yet beleeued in him Whereupon it commeth to passe that where no faith is there can be nothing but feare trembling horrour and sadnes as often as such either remember God or heare him named yea hatred and enmitie of God remaineth in such harts the cause whereof is for that the hart voyd of faith findeth it selfe defiled with sinnes wherby it douteth not but that it hath deserued the vengeance of God that sinnes can not but be hated of God which is iust so when it doth not beleeue that God will be mercifull and fauourable vnto it how can it not but detest all memorie of him so farre is it of that it can reioyce in the Lord the reuenger of sinnes These two things the knowledge of sinne and of the vengeance of God prepared for sinnes are in the hart of the vnbeleeuer which hart as it is vnbeleeuing so hath it no hope of pardon and therefore what other thing can these thinges worke in it but cause it to be troubled cast downe and alwayes fearefull and greatly terrified and to thinke that the vengeance of God doth euery moment hang ouer it that so that may be verified which Salomon sayth Pro. 28.1 The vngodly fleeth when no man pursueth him And that which is sayd Deut. 28 The Lord shall giue thee a fearefull hart and thy life shall hang in dout before thee If a man will much perswade such a hart to haue ioy in the Lord he shall doe euen as if he perswaded the water that it should burne like vnto the fire for it can cast none of this ioy it alwayes feeleth in conscience that the reuenging hande of God is heauie vpon it Whereupon the Prophet sayth Psal 32. Be glad O ye righteous and reioyce in the Lorde and be ioyfull all ye that are true of hart for this ioy in the Lorde can not be but in the righteous and them that are vpright in hart And therefore it is manifest that this part of Scripture was writtē not to sinners but to the righteous Saincts Sinners must first be shewed how they may be deliuered from sinnes and may obtaine God to be fauorable vnto them which when they haue learned and so obtained it followeth that they do of their owne accord reioyce in the Lorde being deliuered from remorse of conscience But if any demaund how one may be deliuered from remorse of conscience and haue God mercifull vnto him that is declared before at large and shall hereafter be copiously spoken of How a man may be deliuered from remorse of conscience and be assured of Gods fauour He which seeketh to haue a free and glad conscience and God gentle and fauourable let him not begin at his owne workes as the deceitfull Papists teach onely tormenting consciences and increasing the wrath of God but let him despeire of him selfe and of all his owne workes let him embrace God in Christ hauing a sure faith in the Gospell that he shall receiue whatsoeuer it promiseth But the
prayer consisteth the Psalmes and other prayers of the Scripture For commonly in the Scripture vessels signifie wordes for that our meaninges are contained in wordes as in a vessel and by wordes are vttered and receiued as out of a vessell as wine water burning coles and such like are contained in vessels and taken out of vessels So by the cuppe of Babylon Apoc. 17. the doctrine of men is vnderstood and by the cuppe wherein the blood of Christ is dronke the Gospell Furthermore burning coles What is signified by the burning coles whereon the incēse was layde whereupon the frankincense was layde signifie giuing of thankes and rehearsing of benefites in prayer which we are wont to do in making supplication For that by fierie coles benefites are signified it is manifest euen out of the 12. to the Rom. where the Apostle reciteth the saying of Salomon Prouerb 25 If thine enemie hunger feede him if he thirst giue him drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape coles of fire on his head And benefits may be rightly called coles of fire forasmuch as they inflame the heart with loue although it be cold In the Lawe it was prohibited to laye the frankincense vpon any other coles but them that were of the altar of the Lord which signifieth that we must not rehearse our own good deedes in prayer as that Pharise did Luc. 15 but onely the benefits of God bestowed vpon vs in Christ He is our altar We must giue thankes to God by Christ by him we must offer for the benefits receiued by him we must giue thākes and make mention of them in prayer for the increasing of our faith This Paule teacheth Coloss 3. where he sayth Do all thinges in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God the Father by him For God can not suffer that thou shouldest glorie of any thing els in his sight which he declared in a type or figure Leuit. 10 where we read that Nadah and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron were taken and consumed of the flame from the altar of God because they burned incense taking other fire then of the altar of the Lord. The workes of Christ only are acceptable to God wherefore for these onely we must both giue thankes and reioyce in prayer The petitiōs made in prayer signified by the incēse layd on the burning coles The incense signifieth the petitions made in prayer For petitions are whereof prayer consisteth and which ascend vnto God according as Paul sayth Let your petitions be shewed vnto God wherein he seemeth to haue considered and interpreted them as a sauour ascending from the censer As though he had said when ye will burne incense sweete and acceptable vnto the Lord make that your petitions be shewed vnto God with supplication and giuing of thankes this incense and this sauour as it is most sweete vnto God so doth it ascend straight vnto heauen like vapoures of smoke and entreth euen vnto the throne of God And as burning coles do giue a strong sauour and make it ascend vpward so the memorie of the benefites of God which we rehearse by giuing of thankes and whereof we do as it were aduertize God and our selues doth make prayer stedfast and bold which cheerefully and gladly ascendeth into heauen without which truly prayer fainteth is cold and of no force Wherefore whosoeuer thou art before thou pray with faith and effectually they heart must be inflamed with the memorie of the benefits which God hath bestowed vpon vs in Christ But perhaps some man will demaund how our petitions be shewed or become manifest vnto God seeing that they be not onely knowne vnto him before we praye but he also doth send vs that which we aske Whereunto I aunswere the Apostle adioyned this that he might teach of what sort true prayer ought to be We must not praye at aduenture but be certainly perswaded that we shal be heard of God to wit assured and hauing confidence and trust in God which passeth not away into the winde neither is made at aduenture as their prayer is which pray and haue no regard whether God heareth or not yea rather beleeue that he doth not heare which vndoutedly is not to praye or to aske of God but to tempt and mocke God For if any man did desire money of me whom I certainly knew not to perswade himselfe that he should receiue it I could not suffer such an asker of whom I might assure my selfe to be mocked how much more is God offended at our much crying out and babbling when we do continually babble much crie out do not thinke at all whether he heareth vs. Learne therefore here How our petitions are shewed vnto God that they petitions must be shewed vnto God that is that thou must so aske that thou dout not that they petitions be knowne and accepted of God and beleeue certainly that thou shalt obtaine what soeuer thou doest aske with which faith if thou be endued it shall so come vnto thee in deede For as we belteue so it commeth vnto vs. Wherefore as the smoke carieth the sauour vpward from the censer so faith carieth the petitions of the beleeuers into the sight of God whereby we assuredly beleeue that our petitions shall come vnto God and that we shall vndoutedly obteine those thinges that we aske Paul by these wordes be shewed did vndoutedly meane that which is eftsoones in the Psalmes God hath heard my petition Giue eare Lord vnto my prayer and such like Hereof Christ speaketh Matth 21 and Mar. 11. Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in prayer if ye beleeue ye shall receiue it And Iames saith chap. 1 Aske in faith and wauer not for he that wauereth shall receiue nothing of the Lord. Who may not now hereof perceiue that that much babbling and crying out which is made commonly through the world in monasteries is a mocking and deluding of God The prayers of these if they may be called prayers are aboundantly shewed before men for they crie out and babble too much but there is no regard of them with God they are not knowne of him neither come they vnto his eares that is he doth by no meanes heare them for that they do not beleeue or are assured that their crying out or much babbling is heard of God wherefore as they beleeue so do they receiue It was time therefore long since that those mockinges and blasphemies of God should be abolished But if we praye as we are here taught there shal be nothing surely which we may not obtaine Why we oftētimes praie and receiue not Now we praye for many things continually and receiue nothing neither is it any meruell seeing we praye so that our petitions be not shewed vnto God for that we do not beleeue that they be manifest vnto him Wo to our diffidence and incredulitie And the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your hearts and myndes in Christ Iesus In
differeth nothing from a seruaunt though he be Lord of all 2. But is vnder tuters and gouerners vntill the time appointed of the father 3. Euen so we when we were children were in bondage vnder the rudiments of the world 4. But when the fulnes of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe 5. That he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father 7. Wherefore now thou art not a seruaunt but a sonne if thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God through Christ THis text toucheth the very pith of Paules chiefe doctrine the cause why it is well vnderstood of so few is not for that it is so obscure and hard but because there is almost no knowledge of faith left in the world without which it can not be that one should rightly vnderstand Paule who euerie where intreateth of faith with such force of the spirit as he is able I must therefore speake somewhat that this text may be made plaine and that I may more conueniently bring light vnto it in expounding it I will speake a few wordes in maner of a preface First therefore we must vnderstād that that treatise wherein is intreated of good workes doth farre differ from that wherein is intreated of iustification as there is verie great difference betweene the substance and the working betweene a man his worke Now iustification is of man and not of workes for man is either iustified and saued or iudged and condemned and not workes Neither is it in controuersie among the godly that man is iustified by no worke but righteousnes must come vnto him from some other where then from his owne workes For Moses writeth of Abel after this sort The Lord had respect vnto Abel and to his oblation God first regardeth the man and thē the worke First he had respect to Abel himselfe then to his oblation because that Abel was first counted righteous entire and acceptable vnto God and then for his sake his oblation also was alowed and not he because of his oblation Againe God had no respect to Cain and therefore neither to his oblation where againe thou seest that regard is had first of the worker thē of the worke Of this place it is verie plainly gathered that no worke can be allowed of God whereas he which worketh that worke was not first acceptable to him and againe that no worke is disalowed of him vnles the authour thereof be disallowed before I thinke that these thinges wil be sufficient concerning this matter in this place of which it is easie to vnderstand that there are two sortes of workes some going before iustification and some following it and that these last are good workes in deede but that those other do onely appeare to be good Hereof commeth such disagreemēt betweene God and those counterfect holy ones for this cause nature and reason rise and rage against the holy Ghost this is that whereof almost all the whole Scripture intreateth The Lord in his word defineth that all workes that goe before iustification are euell and of no importaunce and requireth that man himselfe before all thinges be iustified Againe Man before he is regenerate can doe nothing that is good he pronounceth all men which are not yet regenerate and haue not chaunged that nature which they receiued of their parentes with the newe creature of Christ to be vnrighteous and wicked according to that saying Psal 116 All men are lyars that is vnable to performe their dutie and to doe those thinges which by right they ought And Gen. 6 The heart of man is alwayes ready vnto euell whereby vndoutedly it commeth to passe that he is able to do nothing that is good which hath the fountaine of actions that is his heart corrupted And if he do many workes which in outward shew seeme good God hath regard first to the worker then to the worke reason doth quite cōtrarie affirming that by his workes the worker is iustified they are no better then the oblation of Cain Here against commeth forth reason our reuerend maistres seeming to her selfe meruelous wise yet in deede is vnwise and blynde and is not ashamed to gainsay her God to reproue him of lying she being furnished with her follies and verie strawie armour to wit the light of nature free will the strength of nature also with the bookes of the heathen and with the doctrines of men She dareth with her euell sounding stringes make a noyce against God that the workes of a man euen not yet iustified are good workes and not workes like vnto Cains which God pronounceth yea and so good that he that worketh them is iustified by them For so Aristotle hath taught that he that worketh well is made good Vnto this saying she leaueth and sticketh vnmoueably and wresteth the Scripture cleane contrarie contending that God will haue respect first to the workes thē to the worker Such verie deuelish doctrine beareth the sway now euerie where in scholes colledges monasteries wherein no other saincts then Cain was haue rule and authoritie Now of this errour an other immediatly springeth They which attribute so much to workes do not accordingly esteeme the worker and sound iustification go so farre that they ascribe all merit and soueraigne righteousnes to workes done before iustification making almost no account of faith alleaging that which Iames saith that without workes it is dead Which sentence of the Apostle when they litle vnderstand they attribute almost nothing to faith they alwayes sticke to workes whereby they thinke they do merit exceedingly of God and are perswaded that for their workes sake they shall obtaine the fauour of God and by this meanes do they continually disagree with God shewing themselues to be the right posteritie of Cain God hath respect vnto man these to the workes of man God aloweth the workes for his sake that worketh these require that for the workes sake the worker may be crowned Now God goeth not from his sentence as it is meete and iust and these will seeme nothing lesse thē to erre in any respect They will not haue their good workes contemned reason to be nothing esteemed free will to be counted vneffectuall or surely if thou doest here striue against them they beginne to be angrie with God and count it a small matter to kill their brother Abel But here perhaps thou wilt say what is needfull to be done by what meanes shall I first of all become righteous and acceptable to God How shall I attaine to this perfect iustification The Gospell aunswereth preaching that it is necessarie that thou heare Christ and repose thy selfe wholy in him denying thy selfe distrusting all thine owne strength By this meanes thou shalt be chaunged from Cain
this knowledge of them selues which he lawe bringeth brought euen vnto nothing in their owne eyes Then by and by commeth the Gospel and lifteth them vp being humbled whereby the Lord giueth his grace vnto them thus casting downe them selues and endueth them with faith Hereby they receiue that couenant of the eternall blessing and the holy Ghost which renueth their hart that nowe it is delighted with the lawe hateth sinne and is willing and ready to doe those thinges that are good ▪ And here nowe thou maist see not the workes but the hart of the law And this is the very time appointed to the heire of the Father when he must be no lenger a seruaunt but a sonne and doth now begin to be led by a free spirit being no more kept in subiection vnder Tuters and Gouerners after the maner of a seruaunt Which is euen that that Paul teacheth in the wordes following Verse 3. Euen so we when we were children were in bondage vnder the rudiments of the world What is to be vnderstood by this word rudiments By the worde rudiments thou mayst vnderstand here the first principles or lawe written which are as it were the first exercises and instructions of holy erudition whereof it is spoken also Heb. 5 As concerning the time ye ought to be teachers yet haue ye neede againe that we teach you what are the first principles or rudiments of the word of God And Colos 2 Beware least there be any that spoyle you through philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world Again Gal. 4. How turne ye againe vnto impotent beggerly rudiments whereunto as from the beginning ye wil be in bondage againe ye obserue dayes moneths c. Here as it were in contempt he calleth the lawe rudiments he addeth also The law called beggerly rudiments and why impotent beggerly both because it is not able to perform that righteousnes which it requireth and also for that it maketh men in deede poore impotent For whereas it earnestly requireth a hart and mind giuen to godlines and nature is not able to satisfie it herein it plainly maketh man to feele his pouertie and to acknowledge his infirmitie that that is by right required of him which he not only hath not but also is not able to haue ▪ Hereunto pertaineth that which Paul hath left written 2. Cor. 3 The letter killeth but the spirit giueth life Moreouer Paule calleth them the rudiments of the world The rudiments of the world why so called for that all that obseruing of the lawe which men not yet renued by the spirit doe performe doth consist in worldly thinges to wit in places times apparell persons vessells and such like But faith resteth in no worldly thinge but in the onely grace worde and mercy of God neither doth it make a man righteous and safe by any outward thing but onely by the inuisible and eternall grace of God Wherefore it counteth a like dayes meates persons apparell and all thinges of this worlde For none of these by it selfe doth eyther further or hinder godlines saluation as it doth the righteousnes of those of Cains brood which is as it were tyed to these outward thinges Faith therefore deserueth nothing lesse then to be called the rudiments of the worlde by which we obtayne the fulnes of heauenly good thinges and albeit it be occupied also in outward thinges yet is it addicted to no outward thinge but doth freely in all thinges that which it seeth may be done to the glorie of God and profit of our neighbours alwayes continuing free and the same and yet is made all thinges to all men that so the conuersation thereof may want all peculiar respecte and difference With those of Cains brood it agreeth neyther in name nor in any thinge one of them eateth flesh an other abstayneth from it one weareth blacke apparell an other white one keepeth this day holy an other that euery one hath his rudiments vnder which he is in bondage all of them are addicted to the thinges of the world which are frayle and perish in an houre Wherefore they are no other but seruaunts of the rudiments of the worlde which they call holy orders godly ordinaunces and wayes to goe to heauen Against these Paule speaketh Colos 2 VVherefore if ye be deade with Christ from the rudiments of the worlde why as though ye liued in the worlde are ye burdened with traditions As Touch not Tast not Handle not which all perish with the vsing and are after the commaundements and doctrines of men VVhich thinges haue in deede a shewe of godlines when as they are meere superstition whereby the mind is in vayne pressed downe to these outward thinges c. By this and other places aboue mentioned it is playne that all Monasteries and Colleges whereby we measure the state of spirituall men as we call them doe plainly disagree with the Gospel and Christian libertie and that therefore it is much more daungerous to liue in these kindes of life then among most prophane men For all their things are nothing but rudiments ordinaunces of the world consisting in the difference and vse of apparell places times and other present thinges whereunto seeing they are so addicted that they hope by them to attaine righteousnes saluation faith is made no account of amongest them neither are they Christians but in name wherefore all their life and holines is meere sinne and most detestable hypocrisie They that are vnder the rudimēts of the world ought most diligently to looke to them selues It is needeful therefore that they that are occupied in such ordinaunces should aboue all other men most diligently looke vnto them selues that they trust not to these ordinaunces that they be not too much addicted vnto them but that they doe perseuer in a free faith which is tyed to none of those outward thinges but resteth in the onely grace of God For the fayre shewe of life fayned holines which is in those ordinaunces doth with a meruelous and secret force withdraw from faith more then those manifest and grosse sinnes wherof open sinners are gilty and doth easily make men such as Paule here speaketh of VVhen we were children ▪ we were in bondage vnder the rudimēts of the world that is when we were as yet ignorant of faith and were exercised onely with the workes of the law we did those outward works of the law cōsisting in worldly things but with an vnwilling mind and with no faith hoping that by these rudiments of the worlde we should obtaine saluation wherfore we were no other then seruaunts Nowe this false and seruile opinion faith alone taketh away and teacheth vs to trust vnto and rest vpon the onely grace of God whereby at once is giuen freely that which is needefull to worke all thinges For these workes of the lawe if that false opinion were away were not ill
pure and sincere word of God whereby the grace of God is preached and offered and notwithstanding to embrace it with no diligence neither to be chaunged or altered in life By this vnthankfull slothfulnes we deserue to haue it taken away againe as being vnworthy of it For we making so light of the Gospell are vndoutedly they which are bidden and called to the mariage but whiles being busied about other matters we despise this grace the good man of the house is angrie with vs sweareth that we shall neuer tast of his supper The same doth Paule now here admonish of that we take heede to our selues least that we receiue the Gospell vnthankfully without frute Yea Christ also admonished vs of the same VValke while ye haue the light Ioh. 12.35 least the darkenes come vpon you It ought surely to make vs more warie and heedefull euen for that we suffered so grieuous and pernitious darkenes vnder the Pope But we haue now forgotten all such thinges no thankfulnes no amendement is found among vs which how greatly to our owne hurt we neglect we shall shortly feele For he sayth I haue heard thee in a tyme accepted and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee beholde nowe the accepted tyme. He describeth here the merueilous felicitie which is there where the Gospell flourisheth there is no wrath no reuengement all thinges are replenished with grace and saluation yea it is vnspeakeable howe great felicitie these wordes doe speake of Whereas he first sayth a tyme accepted A time accepted it is spoken by an Hebrewe figure and is as much as if thou say a gratious tyme and replenished with the fauour of God wherein God turneth away his anger and declareth nothing but loue toward vs and a ready will to helpe vs. Our sinnes are blotted out not onely those that be past but those also which as yet sticke in our flesh and that I may speake in a word the kingdom of mercie is present wherein nothing but forgiuenes of sinnes and restoring of grace is shewed heauen standeth open the right yeare of Iubile is come wherein all dettes are remitted and no grace is denied Whereupon he sayth In a time accepted haue I heard thee that is now I fauour thee am mercifull vnto thee whatsoeuer thou wilt haue pray for it and thou shalt obtayne it and certainly receiue it Onely let not the fault be in thy selfe pray while this time endureth The day of saluation Beholde nowe the day of saluation He calleth this the time and day of saluation that is of helpe and felicitie For we are not onely certayne hereof that God is mercifull and fauourable vnto vs and we acceptable vnto him but also as we beleeue and by faith are sure of his goodnes toward vs so he declareth in deede heareth them that crie vnto him helpeth and saueth them yea and maketh them plainly blessed We therefore worthely acknowledge and confesse this tyme to be the wished prosperous happie and very day of saluation For it behoueth that both be togither both that God fauour vs and also that he declare his fauour towards vs by worke or deede That he fauoureth vs the accepted tyme which is nowe present doth witnes that he doth also helpe vs and finish our saluation this other witnesseth to wit the day of saluation the day of helpe But as the state of the life of Christians is if thou wilt iudge according to the outward man thou wilt iudge it rather a tyme of affliction wrath and indignation wherein the Gospell is preached and wherein they liue then a time of grace and saluation Wherefore the wordes of the spirit must be spiritually vnderstood so shall we easily see perceiue that these noble and most pleasaunt names doe most rightly and properly belong to the tyme wherein the Gospell flourisheth that it is a tyme accepted that is full of grace and a time of saluation whereby surely all the riches and felicitie of Christes kingdom are notably commended and set forth vnto vs. Let vs giue no occasion of offence in any thinge Forasmuch therefore as there is so acceptable and gratious a tyme let vs sayth he vse it worthely and not receiue it in vayne First endeuouring to giue no occasion of offence to any man least that our office of preachinge Christ be reprehended No offence must be giuen whereby the Gospell may be reprehended Double occasion of offence may be giuen whereby the Gospel is reprehended whereby he sufficiently declareth what offence he meaneth namely that the doctrine of the Gospell may not be stumbled at as though he taught that which is not perfect and sound Nowe there may be giuen a double occasion of offence whereby the Gospell is reprehended one wherby the Heathen are offended when as some vnder a pretence of the Gospel seeke the libertie of the flesh wil not be obedient to magistrates turning the libertie of the spirit into fleshly licētiousnes These do meruelously offend the discreeter wiser sort of the Heathen and make that they hate the Gospell without a cause which they thinke doth teach this licentiousnes and so as it were with a certaine force they do by this their insolencie repell and driue them from the faith of Christ for they measuring all Christians by these do detest them as light men and troublers of the common wealth and therefore not to be suffered This offence therefore and this reprehension or rather hatred and persecution of the Gospel we acknowledge to come through these preposterous Christians An other offence is whereby euē Christians amōg themselues are sometime offended through the vnseasonable vse of Christian libertie in meates and other indifferent thinges whereat the weaker sort in faith do sometime stumble Whereof the Apostle hath giuen many preceptes 1. Cor. 8. Rom. 14. He exhorteth therefore here vnto that whereof he admonisheth in other wordes 1. Cor. 10 So behaue your selues that ye giue none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God euen as I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they might be saued The same he teacheth also Philip. 2. that euerie man looke not on his owne things but on the things of other men for so all offence should be easily taken away nay none at all should be giuen That our ministerie be not reprehended Though we cā not bring to passe that the word of God be not at all reprehended yet must we endeuour that it be not reprehended through our fault Who can bring to passe that our ministerie shall not be reprehended seeing that the Gospell is necessarily subiect to persecution no lesse then Christ himselfe In deede it is not in vs to make that the worde of God be not reprehended and persecuted of them which are ignoraunt of God and do not beleeue for it is a rocke of offence Esai 8. Rom.
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
thing euerie man is ready to hurt and endamage them Neither do they possesse any thinge for although all thinges be not taken from them at once yet are they in that state that they daily looke for it Against these aduersities as enemies assailing vs on the left hād it is needfull that we be fortified fensed with the armour of God lest that we either despeire or faint The armour of God Now this armour is a sure and inuincible faith continuall consolation and exhortation of the word of God and a liuely hope and vndouted expectation of the helpe of God When being furnished with these we suffer all thinges patiently standing stedfast in our dutie we declare our selues the syncere ministers of God which the false Apostles and hypocrites can neuer do although they faine that they serue God On the right hand he setteth glorie praises Where against Christiās must be defēded with spirituall armour on the right hand that we are counted true knowne do liue are not killed do reioyce enriching many possessing all thinges For it alwayes falleth out that there be some which make account of Christians and reuerence them among whom they are well reported of and counted true in doctrine wherefore some are not wanting which ioyne themselues vnto them and do openly pretend friendship with them freely pronouncing them to be the ministers of God Neither do they die so oft as they are brought into daunger and being chastened are not alwayes killed Finally it commeth to passe by the consolation of the spirit that they do then most of all reioyce when they are in greatest affliction For their heart reioyceth in God which ioy bursteth forth and vttereth it selfe in wordes workes and gestures And albeit they be poore in corporall substaunce yet are they neuer famished with hunger but with the word of God do enrich verie many in spirit stand not in neede of any thing although they haue nothing for all thinges are in their handes for that all creatures must serue the beleeuers as Christ sayth To him that beleeueth all thinges are possible These things albeit they be the excellent giftes of God notwithstanding if the feare of God should be absent euen they should be turned into enemies vnto vs and therefore is it needefull that we be strongly fensed against them with the armour of God lest that they make vs waxe proud or insolently puffe vs vp A Christian man therefore is meruelously free and addicted to nothing but to God alone he setteth God onely before his eyes he endeuoureth to come straight vnto him by the midle and hie waye betweene those thinges which assaile on the right hand and on the left so that he is neither throwen downe by aduersitie nor puffed vp by prosperity but vseth both most rightly both to the glorie of God and profit of his neighbours We must sayth the Apostle liue such a life while it is the time of grace and of the liuely light of the Gospell lest that while this daye shineth we worke not and that shall haue shined vnto vs in vaine This is the true ministerie of God which onely he alloweth wherein he graunt that we may serue him and that most dutifully Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING TENTATION Matth. 4. Verse 1. THen was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernes to be tempted of the Deuell 2. And whē he had fasted forty daies and fortie nights he was afterward hungrie 3. Then came to him the tempter said if thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread 4. But he aunswering said it is written Man shall not liue by bread only but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God 5. Then the Deuell tooke him vp into the holy Citie and set him on a pinacle of the temple 6. And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy self down for it is written that he will giue his Angels charge ouer thee with their hāds they shal lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foote against a stone 7. Iesus said vnto him it is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 8. Again the Deuell tooke him vp into an exceeding hie mountain shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them 9. And said to him All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me 10. Thē said Iesus vnto him Auoid Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 11. Then the Deuel left him and behold the Angels came and ministred vnto him THis text hath therefore bin appointed to be redde in the beginning of the solemne fast which hath hitherto bin commaunded for fortie dayes that the example of Christ being commēded to Christians they might thereby be prouoked to keepe that fast so much more religiously which surely was nothing but a vaine trifle First for that no mā is able to follow the example of Christ who liued without any meat fortie dayes and so many nights Christ rather followed the example of Moses herein then gaue vnto vs any example to follow Moses receiuing the Lawe was fortie dayes fortie nights in the mount Sinai without meat so lōg time would Christ also fast cōming to bring publish a new law Againe this fasting is a peruerse thing inasmuch as it was ordained of men For albeit Christ fasted fortie dayes yet haue we no word of his whereby he hath commaunded vs also to do the same He did many other thinges beside notwithstanding he will not haue vs also to do them those thinges that he hath commaunded vs to do those thinges I say we must endeuour to do that thereby we may obey his wil. A most wicked abuse of fasting But the most pestilent thing of all herein was that we tooke vpon vs and vsed fasting as a good and meritorious worke not to tame the flesh thereby but to satisfie for synnes and to procure the fauour of God vnto our selues Which wicked opiniō made our fasting so foule filthie and abominable before God that no feastings bankets gluttonie and dronkennes are so filthie and detestable before him it were better to drinke and bibbe daye night then so to fast And although this vngodly wicked intent had not defiled our fasting but that it had bin ordained for chastising that body Fasting must be left free neuertheles forasmuch as it was not left free that euerie one might haue taken it vpon him of his owne accord but was enforced by the lawes of man so that most which fasted fasted against their willes and with a grudging mynde it could not be but vaine and vnacceptable to God I speake not what other hurt it did in women with child in yong children in the weake and aged Wherefore we will more rightly consider this text and see what maner
for the bellie This tentation is verie common An vsuall thinge to be tēpted with care for the belly euen among men that are of the most perfect sort but they especially feele it which when they are poore haue notwithstanding a wife and children to nourish and maintaine and therewithall an emptie house Hereupon Paule calleth couetousnes the roote of all euels for that it is the right ofspring of diffidence And what thinge els but this diffidence and care of the bellie is the cause that many are so loath to marie what els doth hold so many thousand men in whoredom vnchast liuing and detaineth them from matrimonie but this immoderate care of the bellie and vngodly feare lest they should be pined and perich with hunger But the present deede and example of Christ should be thought vpon who although he had bin without meate fortie dayes and so many nights yet was he not quite forsaken and left destitute but the Angels at the last came and ministred all thinges necessarie vnto him Thirdly we may see here how Christ meeteth with this tentation of the bellie and ouercometh it He seeth nothing in deede but stones and that which can not be eaten therefore from those thinges that were before his eyes he remoueth his minde to the worde of God thereby both strengthening himselfe and ouerthrowing the Deuell On which word Christians How Christians when they are tempted with pouerty and neede must comfort thēselues and ouercome the tentation especially when pouertie presseth them and all thinges seeme to be turned into stones and the minde doth now tremble for feare of hunger ought with a strong faith to lay hold and aunswere the tentation that would quite discourage thē What if the whole world were full of bread yet doth not man liue by bread alone there is neede of an other thinge that is of the word of God Now forasmuch as these wordes are of meruelous force and efficacie we must a litle stand vpon them and endeuour to declare them not lightly passe them ouer These wordes therefore Christ tooke out of the first booke of Moses chap. 8. where Moses speaketh thus vnto the Israelites Deut. 8.3 The Lord thy God humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna which neither thou nor thy fathers knew of to make thee know that a man doth not liue by bread onely but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord. Which is as much as if he had said Whereas he suffered thee to hunger and yet thou didst not perish thou mayst thereby easily know that it is God which sustaineth thee by his word euen without bread For if we did liue and were nourished by bread alone it were necessarie that we should be alwayes filled with bread But it is the word of God that nourisheth vs which he will haue preached that we may knowe that he is our God and that he will shew himselfe bountifull and gracious vnto vs. He that beleueth in the word of God shall both be sustained in the time of hunger and at the last assuredly haue foode sufficient We are taught therefore by this aunswere of Christ and testimonie of Moses that he which beleeueth in the word of God shall vndoutedly haue experience of two thinges First that when meate is wanting and he is pinched with hunger he is as well sustained and strengthened by this word that he die not or perish with hunger as if he might aboundantly enioye meate this word of God which he obtaineth in heart nourishing and strengthening him without meat and drinke And if he haue but a litle meat he shall perceiue that litle although it were but euen one peece of breade to feede and nourish him no lesse then if he did enioy princely fare For not by bread but by the word of God the body is nourished and preserued like as by it it was made as also all other thinges like as by the word they were created so also by it are they preserued The other thing which we are here taught that the beleeuer shall haue experience of is that at the length he shall assuredly receiue bread from whence so euer it come yea although it should raine downe from heauen as Manna did to the Israelites in a place where no other breade could be gotten Let a Christian quietly promise to himselfe and looke for these two thinges his hope can not be frustrate either he shall haue in hunger somewhat to eate from whence soeuer it be giuen him or his hunger shal be made so tolerable vnto him that he shal be no lesse fedde then if he were fedde with breade the power of the word of God nourishing and sustaining him Those thinges that I haue said of bread that is of meat are also to be vnderstood of drinke apparell house and all thinges necessarie vnto this life It may be in deede that a godly man do neede apparell Singular comfort against pouertie and neede or an house c. but at length he shall haue them The leaues falling from the trees shall sooner be turned into coats and clokes then we can be left naked or surely those garments which we haue shall not wax olde which the Israelites tried whose clothes and shoes in the desert were not torne as also a most wide wildernes was vnto them in steede of houses places vnpassable passable vnwaterie waterie finally the stonie rockes fountaines of water For the Word of God standeth sure and vnmoueable The Lord is carefull for vs. And Paule sayth 1. Pet. 5.7 1. Tim. 6.17 God giueth vs aboundantly all thinges to enioye Also Christ sayth Matth. 6 Seeke first the kingdome of God and all thinges shal be ministred vnto you onely be carefull for nothing Such wordes and promises of God must needes remaine true for euer and therefore no good thinge can be wanting to them that beleeue This euen daily experience may teach vs. We see commonly poore folkes and their children to be better liking thē many rich folkes and their children for that the vse of their small sustenaunce is by the blessing of God encreased and doth much more feede and nourish them then all that most aboundant substaunce doth feede and nourich the rich Now whereas the wicked do sometime suffer neede or in the time of famine some do euen die through hunger that is the speciall vengeance of God as is also the pestilence warre and such like Otherwise it plainly appeareth that not meat but God doth feede and sustaine vs. Howbeit whereas God feedeth the world with bread and not with his word alone without bread he therefore doth it It pleaseth God to work by ordinarie meanes yet of no necessitie that he may so hide his worke and exercise our faith So he commaunded the Israelites that they should prepare themselues to battaile and yet he would not haue the victorie to be gotten by their sword and
often tymes doe notably excell and it is a practize of the deuill eftsoones to fayne him selfe ouercome in the first and third tentation that he may reigne victour by the second He can be content that they that be his doe often tymes suffer pouertie patiently and doe also contemne the world although they do neither of both with a simple hart and sincere faith Euery one therfore of these three tentations is grieuous and very hard but the middle one is most perilous of all for it assayleth the doctrine of faith and is spirituall and wont to deceiue in spirituall thinges The other two also doe assayle faith howebeit in these outward thinges as aduersitie prosperitie although they doe also vrge vs very sore For it can not be a litle grieuous to suffer pouerty to want bread and such other thinges necessary Agayne it is no lesse grieuous to neglect wholy to denye fauour glory riches friendes companions and other commodities which we haue But an entire and sound faith in the worde of God can performe both notably and if it be a strong faith An entire sound faith can both patiently beare aduersitie contemne the vaine glory delights of the world they seeme very easie and delectable vnto it We can not certainly know the order of these tentations which happened to Christ for that the Euangelists haue not described them after one order For Luke hath set that last which Matthew hath set in the middes that which Matthew hath set last Luke hath placed in the middes But there doth not so much consist in the order Notwithstanding when any wil teach the people concerning these tentations it were better to follow the order of Luke For he may fitly say and thus rehearse that Satan doth first tempt vs with pouertie and aduersitie wherby if he preuaile not that he tempteth vs with prosperity and glory which if he do in vaine that he assaileth vs with all his might and tempteth vs with errour lyes delusion and other spiritual suttleties Yet neither is this order alwayes obserued of Satan but he tempteth Christians sometime with the first sometime with the third tentation as he hath and seeth occasion Matthew was not careful to rehearse them in that order which they haue almost by their own nature and which may be commodious for him that shall teach of them Yea it may be that they happened not vnto Christ by any certain order but that he was assailed of Satan one day with this an other day with that during the space of those forty daies as Satan thought it most conuenient and meete for his purpose And behold the Angells came ministred vnto him This I thinke was done corporally that they hauing taken bodies appeared and ministred vnto him meate and drinke as his seruiters at the table and Ministers of all other thinges necessary for his life Yea and I thinke that the deuill also appeared vnto him in a corporall forme perhaps as an Angell For in that he tooke Christ and set him on a pinnacle of the temple also wheras in a moment he shewed him all the kingdoms of the world he sufficiently declared that he was more then a man such a one surely he shewed him selfe openly when he offered that he would giue vnto him those kingdoms and required that he would worship him And vndoutedly he did not appeare like a deuill when he did these thinges for he loueth to appeare after a fayre sort especially when he will lie and deceiue 1. Cor. 11.14 for then he transformeth him selfe into an Angell of light as Paule witnesseth Now this is written chiefly for our consolation In the time of tentation we must nothing dout of Gods help and deliuerance that we may not dout that many Angells shall minister vnto vs when one deuill tempteth vs if we fight valiantly For if we stand fast in faith it is so farre of that God will suffer vs to be troubled and pinched with pouertie more then is meete that he will sooner send his Angells to minister vnto vs to be our Butlers our Cookes and to helpe vs with their ministerie in all necessitie Neither are these thinges written for Christes cause whome they can not profit but they are written for vs that we may learne to beleeue that if the Angells ministred vnto him they shall also when the case so requireth minister vnto vs his brethren and members The Lord giue vs faith to beleeue this A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING THE LEADING OF A GODLY LIFE Ephes 5. Verse 1. BE ye therfore followers of God as deare children 2. And walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen him selfe for vs to be an offering a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God 3. But fornication all vncleannes or couetousnes let it not be once named among you as it becommeth Sainctes 4. Neither filthines neither foolish talking neither iesting which are things not comely but rather giuing of thankes 5. For this ye know that no whoremonger neyther vncleane person nor couetous person which is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God 6. Let no man deceiue you with vaine words for for such thinges commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience 7. Be not therefore companions with them 8. For ye were once darkenes but are now light in the Lord walke as children of light 9. For the frute of the Spirit is in all goodnes and righteousnes and truth THis text is exhortatorie wherein Paule according to his maner and accustomed care for the brethren exhorteth Christians not to leaue or slack the study and care of godlines and giue them selues to slothfulnes but to declare by their worke the word that they haue learned of him that is to shew it forth by the frutes of faith and make it plausible and honorable to the edifying of the Heathen lest that by the vices of them which professe the doctrine of the Gospell they take occasion to hate that doctrine and so be offended by them whom it did behoue to winne them vnto Christ Be ye therfore followers of God as deare children First therfore he exhorteth vs forasmuch as we are by Christ made the sonnes of God to imitate such a father as deare children Meruelous gently alluringly he speaketh vnto vs calling vs deare children that by the loue of God our father toward vs he may prouoke vs to loue him again and them whom he commaundeth vs to loue The loue of God toward vs. euen as he hath loued vs first But howe hath he loued vs Surely not after that common sort alone wherby in this life he nourisheth and sustaineth vs being vnworthy togither with al the vngodly making his sunne to arise on the good and on the euil and sending rayne on the iust and vniust wherof Christ speaketh Matth. 5 Be ye perfect as your Father is perfect
Christians were nowe without fight victorie due triumph ouer sinne being obtained whē as rather it is a warfare and a continuall fight Where as therefore they do now sight and are in the campe it is no meruell if some flie away if some be wounded if some fal yea be euen slaine outright Warre is not made without perill and hurt if it be earnest warre As it becommeth Saincts This he addeth to his exhortation Christians are Saincts therefore must be pure not defiled with vncleannes couetousnes c. as a reason cause shewing why it lieth vpon Christians to take heede that they be not diffamed by these names For they are Saincts now it becommeth such to be chast bountiful ready to giue to teach and doe the same Thou seest here that Paul calleth Christians Saincts while they remain yet in this life are pressed with flesh blood from which nothing cōmeth but sinne which he doth vndoutedly not for their good workes but because of the sanctifying bloode of Christ as he witnesseth 1. Cor 6 But ye are washed but ye are sāctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit of our God Forasmuch therefore as we are Saincts it is meete that we should shew the same in our workes albeit we be as yet weake neuertheles we must daily endeuour to liue purely farre frō couetousnes to the praise glory of God the edifying of our neighbours euen that Heathen Neither filthines Al vnchast lewd words of bauderie Lewd vncleane and bawdy talke forbidden vncleannes lecherous matters he calleth filthines of which wordes aboundance is wont to be poured forth in Innes victailing houses in the time of eating drinking playing These the Grecians vsed very freely and accustomably more then others as their owne Poets other writers do sufficiently witnes But he especially reproueth here those lewde and wanton wordes which are spoken openly without shame which stirre vp wicked and vnchast thoughts and are cause of many offences especially being spoken amonge youth according to that saying 1. Cor. 15.33 Euill speakings corrupt good manners as the Apostle writeth to the Corinthians And if any Christians should be so careles of their tongue that such wordes should come from them such must be chastised of the Church and if they doe not amend they must not be suffered lest because of them the whole Church be ill reported of as though these things were either taught among Christiās or suffered to be vnpunished as it is wont to be among the Heathen Foolish talking prohibited Neither foolish talking Fables and other trifling speeches iests are called foolish talking which the Grecians also were wont to vse more then other nations being very witty to inuent such vaine speeches Of this sort are those tales which our women maidens are wont to tell spinning at the distaffe also the termes and verses of iuglers and such like fellowes and many common songes which are partly euen filthy partly containe other trifling and vaine things But especially it is vnseemely and vnconuenient for Christians to vse such foolish and trifling talke when they come togither to heare the word of God or to read and serch the Scriptures and yet notwithstanding almost euen such folly hapneth among them whē many come togither For albeit they begin with serious matters neuertheles they are meruelous easily brought vnto trifles from earnest and holy matters to ridiculous and vaine speeches wherewith both the time is spent in vaine and better things are neglected So haue they bene wont certaine yeares hitherto at euery feast of Easter in the tyme of preaching to tel some ridiculous tale to stirre vp the people from sleepe They did not vnlike at the feast of the natiuitie of Christ vsing songes or carrolls wherein they sayd they made discourses of the birth and infancie of Iesus howbeit ridiculous meeter and wordes mouing rather laughter then deuotion as they called it Also they soong many fained fables of the wise men whom they made 3. Kings of the passion of the Lord of the punishmēt of Dorothea many other all which were nothing but foolish talking vain inuētions altogither vnworthy of Christians To the nūber of these I might well adde those histories of Saincts which they call the legends and that flood of lies of miracles and pilgrimages to images and moniments of Saincts Masses and worshippings of Saincts indulgences and innumerable other not so much foolish as vngodly inuentions which in the assemblies of the Church were wont to be chiefly extolled in the pulpit which were so contrary to godlines that they deserue much rather to be called the wicked inuētions of Satan then foolish imaginations of mē For they did not as ridiculous lies are wont to do corrupt good maners onely of which Paule speaketh especially here but they did wholy ouerthrow faith and put out of place the word of God so that they did not only not beseme Saincts but did plainly abolish all Sainctes Those former therefore were fables and tales of men which are not beleeued neither esteemed any thing of but rather laught at although in the mean season they corrupt good maners withdraw Christians from serious matters and make them slack and slothful But these latter are deuilish fables which are beleeued for a truth and counted for serious yea and heauenly matters when as notwithstanding they be nothing els but fained deuises of Satan whereby he with his angells deludeth and mocketh vs. Neither iesting Hereby he vnderstandeth all pleasaunt speeches which they whom they call iesters are wont to vse to make men mery which by pleasaunt discourses and mery tearmes doe moue laughter stirre vp mens minds to mirth cheerefulnes which is wont to be vsuall in ciuill bankers and when ciuill companions meete togither This iesting the Heathen counted for a vertue especially Aristotle Iesting neither allowed nor vsed among Christians But Paul among Christians giueth it place among vices For Christians haue other speeches wherby they may recreat and cheere them selues in Christ which also do bring some profit with them although it easily hapneth that many Christians do offend oftentimes herein But they that are true Christians doe neuer praise it neither doe suffer that any should giue him selfe to this iesting and study to exceede therein but they reproue and prohibit him especially in the Church in the time of preaching and teaching For Christ hath witnessed Matth. 12.36 that we shall in the last day giue an account of euery idle worde It is meete in deede that Christians be an elegant amiable people but therewithall graue that there may be seene in them a seuere gentlenes and a gentle seueritie as the life of Christ is described vnto vs in the Gospells Things which are not comely but rather giuing of thankes This comprehendeth all idle words which want a proper name
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
helpe where and when thou shalt know best So faith is a sure foundation whereunto I trusting No maner of thing that is good shal be wanting to the faithfull doe looke for those thinges which I see not and that I may speake at once it shall not want those thinges that be necessarie Surely the Angels themselues should come downe from heauen giue bread digged euen out of the earth vnto such a faithfull man that he might be nourished rather then he should be pined with hunger yea heauen and earth shall passe before God will suffer a man endued with such faith to want either clothing or any other necessarie thinge This singular trust and confidence in God the comfortable and effectuall worde of the diuine promise doeth require Whereof Dauid glorieth Psal 37 I haue been young and nowe am olde and yet sawe I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread And againe God knoweth the dayes of the righteous their inheritaunce shall continue for euer They shall not be confounded in the perilous time and in the dayes of dearth they shall haue enough But if we shall aske counsell of reason it will forthwith say as the disciples did before this thinge is vnpossible for it looketh for nothing it trusteth to nothing when nothing is present Of like diffidence were the disciples who thought thus with thēselues how can it be that such a great multitude of men should be here refreshed with meate truly it exceedeth our capacitie If they had seene an heape of money store of breade and shambles full of flesh they could then haue easily relieued this present necessitie they could haue put all in a good hope and fitly haue disposed all thinges according to the capacitie of their reason And thus much shall suffize to be spoken concerning the faith of temporall good things now we will entreat of spirituall good thinges which shall come vnto vs when we shall die Then shall we see death set before our eyes when as notwithstanding we would willingly liue then shall hell appeare vnto vs when we rather desire for heauen then shall we behold the iudgement of God notwithstanding his grace would be much more acceptable vnto vs. In a summe whatsoeuer we would desire to see shal be taken out of our sight yea and no creature shall helpe vs against death Faith ceasseth not to truste in God euen in greatest extremitie and distresse hell and the iudgement of God But if I beleeue I saye thus vnto my selfe well faith is a sure foundation herewith I being stayed vp shall attaine vnto those thinges which are verie farre out of my sight albeit those thinges be horrible which be in my sight yet shall they not hurt him that beleeueth Although therefore I doe presently see nothinge but death hell and the iudgement of God yet must I consider none of these but rather my mynde is to be confirmed with an vndouted trust that God by the vertue of his promise not in respect of my merites or workes will giue vnto me life blessednes and grace This in deede is to cleaue vnto God by syncere fayth which is here verie well painted forth in this grosse and bodily image of foure thousand men who cleauing to God onely by faith did not doute that they should be refreshed of him If they had iudged according to the capacitie of their reason they would haue murmured and said after this sort surely we are a verie great multitude we are here in the wide wildernes we haue emptie and hungrie stomackes here is nothing that is able to fill thē Howbeit they murmured of none of these things but conceiuing a sure confidence reasoning nothing against God after the affection of men they commende them selues wholy to the good will of God and commit vnto him this vrging necessitie of hunger they them selues being quiet from all care Then God before this care commeth vpon them and before they begin to aske of him is present being more carefull for them then they are for them selues sayth on this sort I am moued with compassion toward the multitude if I send them away fasting it is a daunger lest they faint by the way Behold how gentle bountifull we haue God toward vs who hath euen a care to feede the vncleane belly Here now our hope is erected and the wordes of Christ are comfortable to a man when he sayth They haue now continued with me three dayes it now behoueth me to giue sufficient vnto them to eate Here we may see that all that doe sticke diligently to the word of God are fed of God him selfe Wherefore let vs dearly beloued at the last begin to beleeue Incredulitie the mother of sinne for onely diffidence and incredulitie is the mother of all sinnes vices which at this day reigne in all sorts of men How commeth it to passe that euery where whethersoeuer we turne vs there are so many harlots and baudes such plenty of deluders and deceiuers so many theeues pillers vserers robbers Simonists as they call them and sellers of benefices All these diffidence toward God bringeth forth vnto vs. For such kind of men do iudge onely according to humane reason and reason looketh vnto that which is present but that which it seeth not it is not able to comprehend wherefore while it doth not repose her trust by faith in God it is enforced to despeire which desperation afterward causeth such naughtie and wicked men Behold thus it goeth out of frame with vs when we cōmit our selues to be ruled not to faith but to our owne reason Moreouer as ye haue now learned faith so must ye also learne loue For Christ is sette forth vnto vs in a double forme in one of faith that we should not be ouer carefull in an other of loue Christ an example of loue that we may learne that as he hath care of vs giuing vs meate drink apparel that of meere bountiful loue not for his owne commodities sake or because of our merits so also we ought to doe well to our neighbour and that freely onely loue mouing vs thereunto that as Christ is to vs so we may be to our neighbour Hereupon now we may perceiue that all works of Monks and Nunnes are vaine and to be vtterly disallowed when they are not directed to that end that they may serue their neighbour but are ordeined onely vnto this ende that they may merit much at Gods handes by them For the true workes of Christians which they desire to be accepted of God must be done so that they tend to the profit of our neighbour and not to this ende that we shoulde thinke that we shall merit many thinges of God by them they must be cheerefully and freely bestowed vpon all euen as Christ hath done who hath spred abroad and freely bestowed his goodnes vpon all These thinges haue I briefly spoken concerning this text that ye may thereby learne that
did Iesus againe after he was come out of Iudea into Galile AN excellent example of faith is set forth in this text of what sort it is of what nature and qualitie namely that it is not a resting or idle thinge but liuely and voyd of idlenes A true fayth is not idle but increaseth more and more which goeth not backe but proceedeth on and still more and more increaseth Which if it be not done it is no faith but onely a dead opinion of God in the heart For a true and syncere faith which the holy Ghost poureth into the heart can not be idle which I say for this cause that no man be therefore secure albeit he hath obtained faith neither that he stay there It is nothing to beginne vnlesse we increase by continual going forward and come to greater knowledge of God For on the contrarie side it is the nature and qualitie of our aduersarie Satan not to be idle as S. Peter sayth Satan sleepeth not but goeth about as a roring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure If so be that the Deuell is neither idle neither sleepe commeth vpon him neither shall it be meete for a Christian to be idle or put his handes in his bosom forasmuch as he hath the Deuell his enemie who is stronger then himselfe for he is called the prince of the world as it is mentioned in the Epistle appointed to be read in the Church on this day Ephes 6.12 VVe wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in hie places This prince gouerneth the world furiously and fiercely rageth and can not suffer the prosperous succes of a Christian Neither is it for his profit to be suffered of him for an entrie being made hereby his kingdome is burst into and his net torne in peeces out of which as much as he is able he suffereth no Christian to escape Moreouer when the fire of faith is kindled and the flame fostered and Satan trieth and marketh that by and by he practizeth deceit against it for he knoweth how much hinderaunce his kingdome shall take thereby wherefore as earnestly as he can euen with all his power he defendeth his kingdome laboureth to keepe all in obedience to him True Christians are not free from tētatiō for the deuel bēdeth his force especially against them Wherefore it is most certaine that when a Christian hath begon to beleeue by and by tentation and persecution will assaile him Which if it come not to passe it is a signe that his faith is not yet sound and that he hath not as yet truly receiued the Gospell For wicked Satan hath a verie sharpe sight he by and by spieth out where is a true Christian wherefore he applieth himselfe wholy vnto this that he may enforce him to fall and may besiege him and assaile him on euerie side for he can not suffer that any should reuolt from his kingdome It is perilous therefore for a man to beleeue for the Deuill is ready that he may set vpon him and ouerthrowe him which sometime chaunceth euen to verie holy men which vnderstand the word of God well The Saincts of God doe sometimes fall euē grieuously when they stand vpright and thinke themselues safe that priuie wicked fende commeth vpon them by litle and litle and wrastleth with them so longe till he ouerthrow them and cast them to the earth Set before thine eyes Moses and Aaron who were guides of the Iewes they had an excellent fayth when they brought the people out of Egypt and all the people in fayth passed through the redde sea death the wide wildernes and many other meruelous thinges whereby they shewed their fayth but at the last they fall grieuously they feare that they shall perish with hunger Is it not a thinge most miserable that by so great signes they shew their faith they goe into death and through death wrastle with it and ouercome it and yet while they thinke them selues surest they fal and suffer themselues to be ouercome of the belly murmure against God and are so grieuously tempted that they fall all togither Wherefore it is not certaine and sure if one begin to beleue and doth not alwayes more and more increase in faith Yea that godly man Moses who had so great and so strong a faith did fall also when as he should bring water out of the rocke with a staffe he douted and talked thus to the people Come let vs see whether we can bring water out of the rocke That good Moses which had shewed so many and so great signes falleth into reason and carnall vnderstanding fearing lest the incredulitie of the people would hinder so great a miracle signe But it had behoued him to cleaue fast to the word of God and to thinke it higher greater stronger and mightier then the vnbeleefe of the people that great man was tempted he stumbled and was ouerthrowne We haue like examples in the newe Testament Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede lest he fall Peter was hardie and firme in faith when he beheld Christ vpon the water he sayd vnto him with a strong faith Lord suffer me to come vnto thee committing him selfe to the water euen as to the ship he thought assuredly that the water would beare him Then was there an excellent faith in Peter and great courage which durst commit him selfe wholy vnto death in the middest of the sea reposing his hope freely boldly in Christ But when he thought him self most safe a storme and tempest ariseth he forgetting the word suffereth his faith to faile and he him selfe also falleth suffering Satan to plucke faith out of his hart Faith truely is a subtill and delicate thing a small thing maketh vs to stumble and fall Satan is alwaies watchfull and circumspect and doth by by obtaine his purpose if we doe not diligently watch How earnestly did the common people followe Christ they thought that he was a Prophet and did so cleaue vnto him and so defend him that the Princes of the people were made astonied neither durst they so much as lay hand on him But when they apprehend him proceede against him fasten him to the crosse the people forsake him all that they may and come no more at him A Prophet is present and no man any more assisteth him but they rather crie out against him crucifie him crucifie him and that which is most detestable of all his owne Disciples reuolt from him What is become now both of their faith and holines So is it at this day in our time at the first when the Gospell began to shine the preaching thereof was acceptable and pleasant then many seemed willing to embrace it but when Munkes sacrificing Priests Nunnes c. began to be spoken against and the Masse to be confuted all a meruelous
falleth out with many other men also that they haue their children sicke but that which he sayth afterward is to be marked VVhen he heard that Iesus was come out of Iudea into Galile he went vnto him and besought him that he woulde goe downe and heale his sonne for he was euen ready to dye Here faith beginneth and trusteth in Christ Nowe that he had faith the Gospell declareth for he heard of Christ how he healed the sicke thereupon his hart was set vpon him and he resorteth vnto him thinking thus If he helpeth all men he will also helpe me and will heale my sonne He counteth Christ for such a man as is able to helpe men and hopeth and promiseth to him selfe all goodnes from him and that in deede is a true Christian hart which cleaueth fast vnto God If that this ruler had stoode in a place or way hauing two pathes douting with him selfe he had not gone vnto Christ but his hart would haue bene thus affected He helpeth others in deede but who can tell whether he will help me also Howbeit he doth not thus dout of Christ but riseth and maketh hast vnto him This is the beginning of faith now ye shal see how Christ meeteth him on the other side and aunswereth otherwise then he thought for that his faith might be tried and thus he sayth vnto him Except ye see signes and wonders ye will not beleeue Christ sayd also to S. Peter Matth. 14 VVhy doost thou dout O thou of litle faith Peter vndoutedly had faith did beleue in Christ whereupon he committed him selfe to the water but when he saw the winde he was afraide and beganne to be drowned so in this place that good man heareth a good report of Christ that he helpeth euery man which he beleeueth and therefore resorteth vnto him But when he heareth that Christ denieth to come he stumbleth and his faith faileth fearing that Christ would not come vnto him This is as it were an assault sore blowe here his new begun faith beginneth to be tempted It was a hard saying except ye see signes and wonders ye will not beleeue which saying doth so tempt him and bring him into dout that he almost falleth Satan standing at his backe sayth vnto him get thee home and looke to thy busines for he will not helpe thee Notwithstanding the ruler did not by and by leaue of but prayed the Lorde moreouer Lorde come downe before my sonne dye Here his faith began to be in daunger to faile but God doth not forsake him but lifteth him vp againe and sayth vnto him Goe thy way thy sonne liueth If the ruler had not had faith he woulde not haue requested Christ to come to his sonne What therefore doth he want euen this he beleeued if Christ came to his house he coulde then helpe his sonne if he did not come he could not helpe him Neither did his faith extende so farre as to beleeue that Christ euen being absent could heale the sicke but it behoued that he should haue a higher faith Wherfore Christ lifteth him vp and setteth him in a higher state and sayth vnto him Goe thy way thy sonne liueth Here he first ascendeth from his former faith whereby he beleeued that Christ could heale being present and commeth to a higher faith so that now he beleeueth the word For if he had not beleeued the word he would not haue left Christ neither would haue departed from him vntill he had come with him to his house But hauing layd holde on the word he cleaueth vnto it by faith for his sonne is at home and Christ is with his father Wherefore the Father receiueth this word in his hart and thinketh with him selfe after this sort My sonne is sicke but I shall find him whole which faith was contrary both to reason experience Reason would haue thought thus When I came from my sonne he was sicke True faith leaueth all wisedom and reason and trusteth to the onely word of God as I did leaue him so shall I find him But faith sayth otherwise it resteth onely in the word trusteth wholy vnto it neither douteth it that any thing will fall out otherwise then the word speaketh Goe thy way thy sonne liueth This is a right and a stronge faith when as man leaueth sense wisedome reason and trusteth wholy to the worde of God Christ sayth thy sonne liueth And he sayth with him selfe without dout it is true I shall so find it So faith remaineth not idle nor resteth but increaseth and goeth forward Thus Christ dealeth with vs also he suffereth vs to be tempted that we may increase in faith if in the ende of our life when we must dye we shall haue but a sparke of such faith we shall be in a good case as Christ sayth vnto his Disciples Matth. 17 If ye haue faith as much as is a graine of musterd seede ye shal say vnto this mountaine Remoue hence to yonder place it shall be remoued and nothing shal be vnpossible vnto you A graine of musterd seede is but a small thing but he that hath faith agreeable to the smalnes of this graine shall be saued Neither must we so much cōsider this that our faith is litle but we must looke vnto this we must haue regard vnto this that the graine of musterd seede do remaine and be not eaten vp of the birdes that Satan plucke not faith out of our hartes We must not looke how litle the faith is but we must regarde and take heede that faith be not taken away Peter had faith vpon the sea and therefore was he caried of the water that he should not be drowned if he had so perseuered in faith he might well haue walked an hundred miles vpon the sea but when he fayled in faith he began to be drowned So Moses had a stronge faith but he fell from it It consisteth not in the strength or slendernes of faith that we doe stand but in perseuering and remaining faithfull It may be that he shall perseuer in faith which hath but a slender faith and he that hath a strong faith shall fall and dout Moses and Peter had an excellent faith so that Moses by faith did leade the people through the middest of the sea and death and Peter without douting went downe out of the ship into the sea but they fall from their faith howbeit God raiseth them vp quickly again But the Theefe on the crosse hauing once layd hold of faith continued constant Nowe God therefore suffereth it to be thus that he may bring down rash arrogancie that we doe not gloriously extol our selues but alwaies remaine in feare awe For when tentation commeth vpon vs we doe forthwith fal into errour if God do not assist strengthen vs of which thinge we may see a very goodly similitude in a tree A proper apt similitude which in the spring time buddeth and openeth it selfe so that it
And when consciences were vrged in confession they would not sticke to say Whatsoeuer was enioined vs we haue omitted nothing of it yea we haue giuen more then we were commaunded Miserable men reioyced that by this meanes they might prouide for them selues and therefore they pyned and afflicted them selues that they might be vnburdened of their sinnes yet did it preuaile them nothing For the conscience remained in dout as before that it knewe not how it stoode before God But if it were secure and quiet it fell into that which is worse to thinke that God hath respect vnto workes neither can reason doe any other but depend of works The Lord therfore is touched with affection of mercy toward that misery wherew t the seruaunt so entangled snared with sinnes is holden taking pitie vpon him doth forgiue and dimisse him Here is now set forth vnto vs what is the special office qualitie of the gospel how God dealeth with vs. When thou art so drowned in sinnes weariest thy self that thou mayst deliuer thy selfe from them the Gospell commeth to thee The preaching of the Gospell sayth Doe not so deare brother it preuaileth nothing although thou afflict and torment thy selfe euen til thou be mad thy works do not profit but the mercy of God shall deliuer thee who is touched with thy miserie for he seeth thee wrapped in calamitie wearying thy self that thou mayst deliuer thy selfe out of the myre yet art not able he I say hath regard vnto this that thou art not able to pay wherupon he forgiueth thee all and that of his meere mercie For he doth not forgiue thee the dette eyther for thy workes or merits but for that he taketh pittie vppon thy crie complainte and mourning and thy falling downe before his knees that is God hath respect to an humbled hart as the Prophet sayth Psal 51 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken contrite hart O God shalt thou not despise Such a hart he saith as is broken and humbled which is not able to helpe it selfe but craueth the helpe of God and reioyceth in it such a heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God and he that hath it is in the right way to heauen Now God hauing shewed this mercy vnto him and taken pitie on his miserie ceasseth to followe his right and abrogateth it and sayth no more Sell whatsoeuer thou hast and pay the dette although he might go forward and say Thou must paye for this my lawe requireth which I will not haue abrogated for thy sake yet will he not deale with him by the lawe but chaungeth the lawe into grace and fauour taketh pittie on him and dimisseth him with his wife children and all his substance and doth also forgiue him the dette This is that which God suffereth to be preached by the Gospell vnto him that beleeueth is remitted not onely the fault but also the punishment and that of meere mercy not for any works sake For he that preacheth that by workes the fault and the punishment may be put awaie hath euen then denied the Gospell Mercy and merit cā not agree togither forasmuch as these two can not agree togither that God hath mercy on thee and yet that thou doest merit some thinge For if it be grace it is not merit but if it be merit then shall it not be grace but dette for if thou pay thy dette he sheweth thee no mercy but if he sheweth thee mercy thou doest not make payment Wherefore we must needes acknowledge his mercie toward vs we must receiue of him and beleeue in him which the Gospel here requireth After therefore that this seruaunt is thus humbled with the knowledge of his synne the word is exceeding comfortable vnto him wherein the Lord pronounceth him free and forgiueth him both the fault and the punishment Whom the preaching of the Gospell profiteth Whereby is also declared that it toucheth not sluggish hearts that feele no synne neither those that are caried with rashnes but onely such afflicted consciences as are pressed with the heauie burden of their synnes which do greatly desire to be deliuered from them of them God hath mercy and forgiueth them all Wherefore it behoued this seruaunt to receiue the word for vnles he had receiued it forgiuenes had profited nothing nay there had bene no forgiuenes at all It is not therefore enough that God suffereth remission of synnes and a golden yeare full of grace to be preached vnto vs but it is necessarie that we receiue and beleeue it in heart If thou beleeue thou art free from synnes This is the first part of a Christian life which both this place and diuers other in the Gospels do teach vs which consisteth properly in faith which alone hath to do before God whereby also is shewed that the Gospell can not be receiued but of a troubled and miserable conscience Herupon now may be inferred that they are plaine delusions whatsoeuer thinges are any otherwise taught concerning our workes and free will to wit that they put away sinnes and obtaine grace For the diuine maiestie alone beholding our miserie hath pittie vpon vs for the text sheweth manifestly that God pardoneth and forgiueth them that haue nothing and concludeth that we haue nothing left wherewith we may pay God Howsoeuer therefore thou hast free will in temporall matters yet thou hearest here that it is nothing before God Wherefore if thou desire to be deliuered from thy synnes thou must ceasse to trust in any of thy workes and must plainly despeire concerning them and flie vnto Christ pray vnto God for grace finally receiue the Gospell by faith Now followeth the other part wherein the felow seruaunt also is delt with This seruaunt now hath enough he saueth his body goods wife children c. and hath his Lord fauourable vnto him Wherfore he should surely be very foolish if he should now depart and do what he is able for the reconciliation of his Lord for his Lord might worthely say that he is mocked of him He hath neede therefore of no worke but that he receiue such grace fauour as is offered him so may he be of a good cheere giuing thankes to his Lord and dealing so with others as his Lord hath delt with him After the same sort is it with vs for when we beleeue we haue God fauourable mercifull vnto vs neither do we neede any thing more We must endeuour by our workes to profit our neighbour not seeke to obtaine Gods fauour but now it were time that we should forthwith die Notwithstanding if we must as yet liue still in the earth our life ought to be ordered so that we seeke not to obtaine the fauour of God by workes For he that doth this doth mocke dishonour God as it hath bin hitherto taught that God is to be sollicited so song by good workes prayers fastings such like vntill we obtaine
which being neglected we ought to haue cleaued onely to Christ Hereupon S. Paule sayth that the Gospell was promised of God by the Prophetes concerning his sonne He reduceth and bringeth it into such a streight that in the Gospell nothing is of any importaunce which concerneth not Iesus Christ He that knoweth this let him giue thankes to God that he knoweth where he may seeke for consolation and helpe and in whom he may repose his trust Christ in this dayes Gospell is set forth vnto vs that he is conuersaunt in the myddest of the people and draweth all the world vnto himselfe with his gentlenes and sweete doctrine that they maye cleaue vnto him in their heart that they maye commit themselues to his goodnes and hope that they shall obtaine of him both spirituall and corporall good thinges Neither dothe he receiue any thinge of them vpon whom he bestoweth benefites nay he obtaineth nothing of them but ignominie and scorning as is declared in this text A benefite proceedeth from him for which he receiueth a mocke and reproch Why the Gospell is preached Nowe the Gospell is preached and offered to the whole world that we may learne to know this man well and how we must be made Christians and not how we must be made good Other treatises besyde the Gospell teach of those thinges whereby men may be made good as the writinges of the Philosophers and the rules of the ciuill lawe The liues also of the Saincts haue especiall respecte vnto this that men may imitate them It belongeth not to the Gospell to make good men but to make Christian men For it is farre more excellent to be a Christian then an honest and good man A Christian can say nothing of his owne goodnes or righteousnes for he fyndeth in himselfe nothinge either good or righteous but he must flie to the righteousnes which is an others and which commeth vnto him from an other Hereupon Christ is sette forth vnto vs as a continuall fountaine which alwayes ouerfloweth with meere goodnes and grace for which he receiueth nothinge of vs but that the godly do acknowledge so great goodnes and grace doe giue him thankes for the same doe prayse and loue him others in the meane season mocking him such a reward he receiueth of them A Christian whereof so called Wherefore one is not therefore called a Christian for that he worketh much for there is an other thinge which is cause hereof namely for that he receiueth and draweth from Christ If one receiueth nothing any more of Christ neither is he any more a Christian so that the name of a Christian commeth onely by receiuing and not by giuing or doing If thou thinke that because of thy workes and deedes thou art a Christian thou hast euen then lost the name of Christ Good workes in deede are to be done counsell thereunto is to be giuen and receiued but no man is therefore called a Christian neither is any therefore a Christian Wherefore if any will more inwardly weye this name in this respect onely a Christian is to be acknowledged inasmuch as he receiueth of Christ alone Euen as one is called white of the whitenes that is in him blacke of the blacknes great of his stature so a Christian is called of Christ whom he hath in himselfe and of whom he receiueth that which is good Now if one be named a Christian of Christ he taketh not that name of his owne workes whereupon it plainly also foloweth that no man is made a Christian by workes Which if it be true as it is true and certaine it shall folow that Orders and Sects doe nothinge pertaine to the name of Christ neither doe make a Christian Wherefore they which preach or teach in the Church and ordaine preceptes workes and decrees are deceiuers who albeit they pretend a Christian name yet profite they nothinge for vnder the colour of that name they endeuour to burden and oppres vs with commaundements and workes Of workes giuing thy selfe to fasting and prayers thou mayest be called abstinent and temperat but by no meanes a Christian For although thou didest laye all thy workes togither yea and ioynedst the works of all other to thine yet neither so hast thou Christ neither art thou therefore called a Christian Christ is a certaine other more excellent thinge then either the lawe or mans tradition He is the sonne of God who is ready to giue onely not to receiue when as I am such a one that I do receiue of him I haue him also whom if I haue I am by good right called a Christian Moreouer the Gospel preacheth Christ also to be the greatest and most highly exalted person in the world not that he doth terrifie men but that he poureth forth all earthly and heauenly good thinges so that all men must trust in him must haue their hope reposed in him and alwayes receiue onely of him If any synne terrifie me in my conscience and the preachers of the lawe endeuour to helpe me with their workes they shall preuaile nothinge with me For then Christ alone can helpe and none besyde him yea others make the case worse whether it be Peter or Paule or the blessed virgine Marie her selfe the mother of God For Christ onely perfourmeth all thinges who in his word declareth that if I beleeue my synne is forgiuen me freely without all both worke and merit by pure grace through fayth in Christ Which word when I shall receiue I receiue also comfort that my synnes be forgiuen me as well before God as before men and I therefore giue thankes to God through Christ which giueth the holy Ghost and his grace vnto me that sinne may not hurt me neither here nor in the last iudgement If I feare death and would not die willingly in this Christ I shall finde comfort and remedie that I shall not greatly passe for death If because of the wrath of God I be afraid he is my Mediator And to be briefe he that hath not this Christ the wrath of God alwaies remaineth ouer him and in that state he standeth Wherefore he that desireth to haue a glad conscience A glad conscience how it is obtained which is not afraid of sinne death hell and the wrath of God must take heede that he repose his trust in this Mediator Christ For he is a fountaine abounding with grace which giueth both temporall and eternall life Endeuour thou to thinke and feele him euen in thy hart to be such a one then shalt thou obtaine all thinges for he aboundeth and ouerfloweth neither can he but giue flowe and abound if that thou canst beleeue Then also shalt thou be a right Christian howbeit by receiuing onely of Christ and not by giuing It is a verie rich and precious word which Paule prayseth so greatly neither can he euer prayse it sufficiently whereby God so gently offereth his sonne that he maye poure forthe his grace vpon all which doe
this prayer he shewed his faith which faith being perceiued the Lorde could not but graunt his desire wherefore rising forthwith he went with him in this going this historie of the woman came to passe which had bene diseased of an issue of blood twelue yeares as we haue now hearde When therefore the Lorde was entred into the Rulers house he sawe the minstrells and the multitude making noyse which were there according to the lawe of Moses and did sounde the trumpet and pipes as in our cuntrie they ringe the bells to gather the people togither But he commaunded the multitude to go forth saying The child is not dead but sleepeth And they laught him to scorne and mocked him Which giueth vs to vnderstand The preaching of the Gospell is contemned and counted foolishnes of the world that when it is preached that Christ is he which saueth that our works preuaile nothing then the world can not conteine it selfe but that it scorneth mocketh for it can not be persuaded that Christ doth helpe and succour euen as this people without all dout sayd after this sort Beholde what an excellent Maister and a goodly Phisitian he is what could he haue holpen which knoweth not yet what it is to sleepe and what to be dead This title must needes remayne to the Gospell in the world that the preaching thereof is counted foolish and contemptible For Satan can not abide that honour should be giuen to this Gospel before the world for it bringeth but smal commoditie to his kingdom which forasmuch as he perceiueth full well he practizeth all craftes and wiles that he may either altogither hinder it or at the least make it to preuaile litle with them that be his whose hartes he hath wholy blinded and possessed that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them as S. Paule sayth 2. Cor. 4. Neither yet can it be that this preaching of Christ should not be frutefull forasmuch as it is not vttered in vaine for albeit it be receiued but of a few that doth not greatly skill When therefore Satan perceiueth any thing to be taken from him and that that preaching is ordained plainly against his kingdom Satan a most grieuous enemie to the preaching of the Gospell he doth without delay pursue it contemne it and assaile it on euery side that euen now he is fierce and rageth in the whole world For the Gospell of Christ ouerthroweth whatsoeuer the world and Satan delight in and whatsoeuer to the worlde seemeth most holy goodly For the worlde imagineth to it selfe such a God as hath regard to our good workes and will be pleased with the erecting of Masses and vigiles for them that are departed with Rosaries as they call them habit shauing and whatsoeuer other trifles are vsed in the Papacie Now if there come any which bringeth the Gospell and inueyeth against these vaine toyes of the Pope and sayth that they are nothing worth but are meere delusions inasmuch as they are repugnant to Christ and the Scripture he is counted a most wicked felow and therefore must be punished he is reproued as an heretike and a seducer of the people so that they burst forth into great wordes and say wilt thou gouerne all the whole world doost thou thinke thy selfe the wisest man that is and were our forefathers foolish and without all vnderstanding many holy men haue done these workes and haue preached of them and wilt thou come and turne them all to nothing thou shalt not doe it Then rage and furie beginneth yea persecution slaying and murdering and the Deuill will seeme to haue a iust cause howsoeuer the matter goeth Thus much shall suffize at this time concerning this text Now ye must take especial heede that out of the Gospells ye learne throughly how all things consist in the onely person whose name is Christ and lay vp this in the depth of your hart that a Christian hath his name of Christ For I know how much it auaileth both in tentation and in aduersitie to hold that fast Let vs now by prayer call for the grace of God that at the last we may with most earnest zeale and harty affection embrace true Christianitie Amen **** A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE GOSPELL ON SAINCT THOMAS DAY CONCERNING THE VVORKS VVHICH Christ hath wrough for vs wherin is contained a most sweete consolation against the Law Sinne Death and Satan Ioh. 20. Verse 24. THomas one of the twelue called Didimus was not with them whē Iesus came 25. The other Disciples therfore sayd vnto him we haue seene the Lord but he said vnto them Except I see in his hands the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put mine hand into his side I will not beleeue it 26. And eyght dayes after agayne his Disciples were within Thomas with them Thē came Iesus when the dores were shut and stoode in the middes and sayd Peace be vnto you 27. After sayd he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see myne handes put forth thyne hand and put it into my side and be not faithles but faithfull 28. Then Thomas aunswered and sayd vnto him Thou art my Lord and my God 29. Iesus sayd vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued The summe of this Gospell 1 THomas doth not beleeue that Christ is risen from the dead but when he seeth and feeleth him 2 The Disciples beleue not without manifest signes But blessed are they that haue not seene but doe beleeue the word onely 3 It is a great matter to know Christ God and man He which attaineth to this knowledg of Christ feareth neither sinne nor death neither the deuill nor hell briefly he is quiet from all anguish tentation For he hath a greater and mightier then he which is in the world as Iohn sayth in his first Epistle chap. 4. The exposition of this Gospell I Know nothing more certaine concerning S. Thomas then that which this Gospell mentioneth of him Other things which are written of him in the booke of Legends are most impudent lyes And albeit they were partly true yet haue they no authoritie neither make vs any thing the better Wherfore we will leaue them vntouched speake something of this Gospel which shal be more profitable necessary for vs then all those Legends The former part of this Gospell fell out about the euentyde of the Passeouer when two had returned from Emmaus shewed vnto the other Disciples that the Lorde was risen againe The latter part fell out the eight day after the Passeouer It is meruelous how comfortable this Gospell is shewing vnto you the frutes of faith namely peace and ioye as Paule sayth Rom. 5 being iustified therefore by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ But now we will entreat in few wordes
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
me That is ye beleeue that God loueth you and will glorifie you beleeue that he will do it after that sort that ye see me glorified and beleeue that this my death is life to the glorifying both of me and of my whole body that is of all Christians and that this death satisfieth for the synnes of the world as the Apostles afterward witnessed of him in their writinges 1. Iohn 2.2 Thus Iohn sayth Christ is the reconciliation for our synnes and not for ours onely but also for the synnes of the whole worlde Wherefore thou seest that Christ here will haue heartes confirmed by faith and by no other outward thinge He sayth moreouer In my Fathers house are many dwelling places These dwelling places haue bin prepared from euerlasting neither is there any neede that they should be prepared of him Why therefore doth he say I go to prepare a place for you This is nothinge els but that he goeth and is made Lord of all whereby he may prepare vs vnto such dwelling places For as long as we are not prepared neither are the dwelling places prepared for vs although they be ready by themselues Wherefore Christ meaneth thus much There are dwelling places but not yet prepared rightly and as they must be Howbeit then shal they be rightly prepared and appointed whē as I haue taken away the kingdome of death by my death and am now gone to reigne and that by the holy Ghost which by fayth shall prepare and wholy make ready you also vnto such dwelling places So that this is the simple and plaine meaning of these wordes There are dwelling places to wit where the Father glorifieth but those dwelling places are not yet prepared for that the kingdome of death is not yet taken away This Christ signifieth when he sayth If it were not so I would haue told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also In these wordes the Lord declareth how these dwelling places be prepared namely by the death of Christ as it is sayde by which he came vnto glorie and ruleth ouer all thinges which are in heauen and earth By which death he hath obtayned the holy Ghost for vs which as is before sayde may prepare vs vnto these dwelling places For through his operation and working in vs he maketh vs beleeue the Gospell by which beleeuing or faith we are prepared Which could not be done if Christ should not depart and dye and so possesse a kingdome ouer all This therefore is the summe of this text They are foreseene whome the Father will glorifie but they can not be glorified but by Christ who vnles he take away death and sinne all shall be in vaine Here thou seest that all tend vnto this that Christ is he which prepareth the dwelling places and that we can not be glorified but by Christ so that the whole drift of this text is that we are not iustified by mans strength nor by our owne merits but by Christ which the whole Epistle to the Romanes effectually declareth as also that which is written to the Galathians almost all that Paule doth in his Epistles tendeth to the same ende It followeth moreouer And whither I goe ye knowe and the way ye knowe For ye beleeue in me and haue shewed signes in my name whereby ye ought nowe to be certaine who I am and what I doe and wherefore I am come Ye haue also seene and heard the testimonie of the Father of me Wherefore ye may nowe knowe that the Father will glorifie me and beleeue that I and the Father are one it shoulde be therefore superfluous to speake more of these thinges But the Disciples albeit they were well instructed of the Lorde him selfe and had seene his miracles yea and they them selues also had preached the Gospell and wrought miracles were notwithstanding as yet somewhat grosse in vnderstanding neither did they perceiue whereof he here spake and what was that way and whither the Lorde did prepare to depart Wherefore Thomas bursteth forth into open wordes and confesseth freely that he is ignorant hereof and sayth thus vnto the Lord Lord we knowe not whither thou goest hovve can we then knovve the vvay Here ye heare and see that albeit there was faith in the Disciples notwithstanding they were not as yet persuaded that Christ shoulde be crucified and by his death shoulde enter into his kingdome and that the same kingdom should be spirituall which they did not vnderstand euen after the resurrection of the Lord Act. 1.6 Lorde say they wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israell Those good men were as yet persuaded that it should be a carnall worldly kingdom Such grosse things may here and there be found in the Gospels by meanes whereof the Disciples did sometime notably stumble and erre Comfort for them that be weake in faith and sometime through infirmitie fall All which were committed to writing for our comfort confirmation that we should not be by and by discouraged when we haue sometime stumbled in faith and can not at the first apply our selues to the workes and word of the Lorde If this happened to these great mē which afterward shoulde become pillers of Christianitie there is no cause truely that any should meruell if we also sometime faint in faith yea and let no man be afrayd although it falleth out that sometime through infirmitie he so doe It is the worke and matter of the Lorde he will amend these thinges when it seemeth good vnto him Now of the wordes we mind to entreate somewhat at large Not much before when Christ would confirme his Disciples in faith he promised them that they should be glorified Here he addeth and declareth how and by what meanes they must be glorified affirming that that must be by his departure that is by his death that by that meane he must obtaine his kingdome This he had often repeated vnto them so that now it did become them to know and vnderstand it Therefore he sayth VVhither I goe ye know and the way ye knowe but they did not yet throughly vnderstand it as the wordes of Thomas doe declare Now it is certaine that there was faith in the Disciples which the wordes of Peter proue who aunswered Christ in steede of the rest when he asked them whether they also would goe away Peter sayd Maister to whom shall we goe Ioh. 6.68 Thou hast the wordes of eternall life and we beleeue and knowe that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God This appeareth also by the wordes of the Lord which he had sayd to them a litle before at his supper Ye are cleane which he would not haue sayd if they had not beleued they knewe Christ therefore that he is the way to the Father So they knew the Father
Father is knowne in the Sonne there doth yet happen a grosser thing in Philip who bursteth forth and will not be content with faith but will knowe the thinge assuredly by feeling and seeing Wherefore he sayth vnto the Lord Lord shew vs thy Father and it sufficeth vs. As though he would say if thou wilt also shew vnto vs a signe then will we beleeue Philip counteth it not sufficient to beleeue the worde but goeth about to come to the knowledge of the Father by an other meanes then by the word For seing that reason can not beleeue he requesteth to be certified by an other meanes and way By the interrogation therfore of Christ that followeth it is shewed that the conscience is made certaine and quiet by no other thing then by faith for that we must cleaue to the bare worde and looke for no other signe But Philip thought here that he should be much more certified if he did see the Father then if he beleeued the simple and bare word This incredulitie Christ reproueth somewhat sharpely and sayth Haue I bene so long time with you hast thou not knowne me As though he should say I teach and preach and yet thou knowest me not Doost thou not knowe that the Father will be knowne by me that my word is the worde and power of the Father by which alone he will be knowne and by nothing els For thou hast heard the voice of the Father from heauen after this sort This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Doost thou not yet vnderstande howe the Father is knowne The Father is not seene with carnall eyes as Iohn in his first chapter sayth Ioh. 1.18 No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Wherefore the Lord sayth to Philip Philip he that hath seene me hath seene the Father This saying is like vnto that former when he sayth If ye had knowne me ye should haue knowne my Father also That is forasmuch as the Father will be knowne by me seeke no other way to knowe him but beleue my word that I am he which sheweth vnto you the Father and will make you to know him in me Beleeue that by me thou hast accesse to the Father by this meanes thou shalt knowe the Father by faith thou shalt vnderstande the power and mercie of the Father and shalt feele him to be comfortable and gracious The Father will haue my word to be beleeued and them that beleeue it to be saued and obtaine eternall life Seeing therefore that these thinges be thus that we can not know the Father but in the Sonne and when we know the Sonne we know also the Father the Lord sayth moreouer vnto Philip How then sayest thou Shewe vs thy Father Beleeuest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father is in me As if he would say Forasmuch as there is no other way to know the Father but that which I haue shewed why I pray thee doost thou not beleeue my wordes seeing that I haue taught that I am the way the truth and the life Doost thou not beleeue that I am in the Father and the Father in me Beleeuest thou not that my diuinitie and the diuinitie of the Father is one and that the Father will be knowne by me But why is the Father knowne by the knowledge of the Sonne euen therefore for that the Sonne is in the Father and the Father in the Sonne For the word by which the Sonne is knowne is the power of the Sonne and of the Father Wherefore seing the Sonne is knowne by his word it necessarily followeth that the father also is knowne thereby Beleeue me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me at the least beleeue me for the very works sake Here he doth as it were appeale to workes that they may giue testimonie of the word As if he should say Seeing that ye can not be content to beleeue the word at the least beleeue the signes which beare witnes of the word and whereby the Father hath giuen testimonie of me For the works and signes are testimonies of the word By these words Christ meaneth nothing els but to confirme the consciences of his Disciples and of all vs against the offence of the crosse For consciences wil know and not beleeue the bare words of God but doe alwayes dout and say What if God careth not for thee and haue such like cogitations Holy godly men seeme for the most part to be neglected as abiects and most contemptible men inasmuch as the world according to the will lust thereof rageth and practizeth tyrannie against them and doth almost what it list Hereupon they are in anguish in daunger of faith desire to know the will of God toward them These Christ comforteth that they may seeke no other comfort but in him and in his death and beleue that he is life that he beareth rule and maketh aliue them that be dead And that they should nothing dout hereof he maketh them yet more certaine and sayth Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleeueth in me the vvorkes that I doe he shall doe also and greater then these shall he doe As if he should say Dout not any thing but that ye shall know the Father by me and that my word is the power of God that by my word ye shal be sustained although I be euen crucified Ye shall haue triall hereof in your selues for if ye beleeue in me ye shall not onely worke such workes and shew such signes as I doe but euen greater Which came to passe after the ascention of Christ when the Apostles wrought greater miracles as well among the Iewes as Gentiles then Christ him selfe But what is the cause hereof The Lord him selfe addeth it saying For I goe vnto my Father That is I will begin a kingdom where I will fulfill all thinges Here the Lord annexeth the conclusion of all the questions and consolations going before For a litle before Christ had taught that the Father is known by him and that is because he is in the Father he therefore is shewed by that worde by which the Father is shewed But that he might confirme this to wit that his worde is the power of the Father he added and sayd He that beleeueth in me the works that I do he shall doe also That is by faith in me ye also shall doe those works and know that my word is the vertue and power of God But why doth he say I goe to the Father I aunswere Because Christ is in the Father therefore doth he the workes of the Father but we doe them not also therefore but for that Christ who is in the Father is now in vs. For to goe to the Father is to fulfill all thinges as Paule according to the saying of the Psalme declareth to giue giftes vnto men to lighten and to sanctifie For this is the kingdom of Christ whereby he reigneth in earth in the hartes of the beleeuers and sitteth vpon the throne of his Father Dauid The Lord also speaketh these wordes I goe to the Father to comfort his Disciples For as he did before beginne to confirme them that they should not be troubled and offended although he should dye but courageously cleaue to him and beleue in him So here he promiseth them that they shall be glorified for he goeth to the Father who shall deliuer all thinges into his handes that he may mightely obtaine a kingdom ouer all things that are in heauen and earth Wherefore they ought nothing at all to feare He yet comforteth them more and sayth And whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I doe As if he should say As soone as I come to the Father there is no cause why ye should be carefull For those thinges that ye haue neede of and aske ye shall obtaine I wil doe this for you because I obtaine a kingdom And he peculiarly addeth in my Name whereby he excludeth all our merits For by Christ we are heard as also in Christ we are loued by whom also we are Priestes as Peter sayth to offer vp spirituall sacrifices and acceptable to God All these thinges sayth Christ I will doe for this cause That the Father may be glorified in the Sonne The Father is then glorified when glorie is giuen and ascribed vnto him not vnto vs. That is whē we acknowledge the we are saued not by our owne merits not by our owne wisedom and righteousnes but do put our trust in his mercie For he hath giuen his Sonne for our sinnes and whatsoeuer we purpose to aske we must aske it by this Sonne and we shall obtaine it Wherfore he repeateth these wordes and sayth If ye shall aske any thing in my Name I will doe it These wordes tend to this ende that he may make vs certainely beleue his wordes and cleaue vnto him This therefore is the summe of this conclusion He biddeth his Disciples and vs therefore beleeue for that he goeth to reigne Before he affirmeth that he wil shew forth a signe and testimonie of his kingdom so reigne that he will declare a notable token of his gouernment that we may feele and perceiue it to wit that he will doe so great works by vs as he him selfe hath done yea and greater also Also that he will heare vs when we pray and whatsoeuer we pray for vnto the Father in his name By these promises the hart must be confirmed made courageous against the gates of hell For Christ reigneth by his word wherefore it is needefull that we exactly know the vertue of the word for the kingdom of Christ is the power vertue of God These things I thought good to entreat of concerning this Gospell Let vs call vpon God for the ayde of his grace that we may be able to vnderstand them by them to strengthen our weake faith **** FINIS