be renewed they shall remaine vncleane as they were here and as they were borne of Adam Therefore that he might speake rightly of Baptisme he calleth it the washing of the new birth whereby they that are borne againe are also renewed Of this new birth many things are to be found here and there in the Scripture because of which also God calleth his word and Gospell a wombe and matrix as Esai 46 Hearken all ye that remaine of the house of Israell whom I haue borne in my wombe as mothers are wont to speake of their children He therefore that beleeueth the Gospell is as it were conceiued in the wombe of God from thence borne a new man and like vnto God Whereof we will in an other place speake more Now it shal be sufficient to haue learned by these words how our workes are nothing in fulfilling the coÌmaundements of God and that it is a mad thinge to attribute here neuer so litle to our owne strength seeing that it is fayth alone whereby man is at once borne againe renewed Wherefore vnderstand this that good workes must folow a new creature but to attaine vnto righteousnes that new creature they are able to helpe nothing at all No otherwise is the grace of God wont to renew man How the grace of God reneweth man then as if God should turne some drie and withered blocke into a new greene and florishing tree which may afterward bringe forth frute plentifully For the grace of God is a great strong verie mightie and meruelous effectual thing it lyeth not in the minde The grace of God exceeding effectual and mighty in operation as the Schoolemen dreamed it sleepeth not or is borne as a painted table beareth a picture it selfe beareth guideth vrgeth draweth chaungeth and worketh all thinges in men so that euerie one may feele and haue experience of it It selfe in deede is hyd but the workes of it can not be hyd but do witnes of it as the leaues and frutes do of the tree of what nature it is Wherefore the Scholemen Thomas and Scotus do vngodlily detract from it who attribute no more vnto it then that it doth adorne the workes of nature and is a helpe that they be brought to perfection For it doth not adorne or helpe onely but it alone worketh those thinges that be good neither doth it worke them onely but doth rather chaunge and renew the person For it exhibiteth the washing of the new birth and of renewing not of workes onely but much rather of the whole man He that shall preach these things of grace shall truly and fully commend it Which Paul endeuoured to do when he said He hath saued vs by the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost Nothing can be done here by ioyning of workes togither the nature must needes be chaunged whereupon it coÌmeth to passe that they that truely beleeue must suffer many thinges for grace worketh in them declareth it selfe present Hereunto pertaineth that saying of the 111. Psal The workes of the Lord are great sought out of all them that haue pleasure therein What are these workes We are they by grace in Baptisme made the great new and regenerate workes of God Is it not a great thinge for a man by and by to be saued and deliuered from synnes death and hell therefore he sayth sought out of all them that haue pleasure therein For by this new birth God hath found out and done what soeuer men can desire For what els do men couet and desire but to obtaine saluation to be deliuered from synne death and hell Of the holy Ghost Lastly that he may the more expresse the greatnes and vertue of grace he attributeth this washing of the new birth and renewing to the holy Ghost For this washing is so great and of so weightie importaunce that no creature but the holy Ghost alone is able to perfourme it But how much most excellent Paul doost thou condemne free will the great good workes of the proud holy ones that is the merits of hypocrites In how hie a place doest thou set our saluation and again how doest thou bring it downe to vs and placeâ it neere vs yea euen within vs Onely the washing of the newe birth renewing how purely syncerely doest thou set forth grace in these wordes Wherefore worke what soeuer and how much soeuer thou wilt it is vnpossible for a man to be renewed and the person chaunged without which no workes acceptable to God can be done but by the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost That we may plainly see in those hypocriticall counterfaitours of workes For thou shalt fynde none harder none prouder none so rash and hastie spirits For they are broken and not renewed indurate obstinate confirmed by continuance couering in deede and some what adorning that old Adam by those their counterfaite good workes but in the meane season there doth not any whit appeare any chaunge of nature in them they continue still in the oldnes of their corrupt flesh O what a pestilent people is this and in how great indignation of God are they when as in the meane tyme they thinke that they sit in Gods lappe Washing of the new birth and renewing attributed to the holy Ghost Nowe whereas the Apostle attributeth this washing of the newe birth and renewing to the holy Ghost he sayth the same which Christ doth Iohn 3 where he sayth Except a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God For that which Christ signified by water the Apostle calleth the washing so both made mention of newe birth and of the holy Ghost And we must marke that that which is spoken here of the holy Ghost both by Christ and the Apostle must not be referred to that Papisticall confirmation as they call it for both of them referred to Baptisme that which is here mentioned concerning the holy Ghost who when the body is washed with water doth himselfe worke the newe birth and renewing by faith which Christ called to be borne againe of the spirit We read in the Actes of the Apostles that the Apostles did eftsoones lay their handes on them that were baptised and that so the holy Ghost came vpon them by a visible signe which the Papistes also snatch to their confirmation But as that was done that the beleeuers might by a visible signe be endued with the holy Ghost to preach the Gospell in diuers languages so it continued onely the time thereof vntill the doctrine of the Gospell was commended to the worlde by sufficient signes wherefore it is nowe long since worne out of vse but that a certaine ceremonie hath come from thence euen vnto vs of laying handes on them which are ordained Ministers or Preachers which is nowe brought into an vngodly and pernitious vse but of these thinges in an other place VVhich he
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 notwithstaÌding 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 theÌ 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 veÌgeance 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 vpoÌ 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
SPECIAL AND CHOSEN SERMONS OF D. MARTIN LVTHER COLLECTED OVT OF HIS writings and preachings for the necessary instruction and edification of such as hunger and seeke after the perfect knowledge and inestimable glorie which is in Christ Iesu to the comfort and saluation of their soules Englished by VV. G. Philip. 3.8.9 I thinke all thinges but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all thinges losse and doe iudge them but vile that I may winne Christ and be found in him not hauing myne owne righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blacke Friers by Ludgate CVM PRIVILEGIO 1578. A CATALOGVE OR REHEARsall of the Sermons conteined in this booke 1 A Sermon of the natiuitie of Christ pag. 1. 2 A Sermon of the Epiphanie or Appearing of Christ 19. 3 A Sermon of the Genealogie or Pedegre of Christ 35. 4 A Sermon of the Hymne of Zacharias commoÌly called Benedictus 45. 5 A Sermon of the Meditation of Christes passion 67. 6 A Sermon of the frute and vertue of Christ his resurrection 74. 7 A Sermon of the good shepeheard 79. 8 A Sermon of the lost shepe 92. 9 A Sermon of the woman of Canaan 122. 10 A Sermon of saluation freely by grace without the workes and merits of men 129. 11 A Sermon of the kingdom of God 153. 12 A Sermon of Prayer 161. 13 A Sermon concerning the bidding of Guests to the great supper 164. 14 A Sermon of the workes of charitie 170. 15 A Sermon of the summe of Christian life 182. 16 A Sermon of the question of the Pharisees and aunswer of Christ concerning giuing tribute to Cesar 213. 17 A Sermon of saluation by Christ alone 225. 18 A Sermon of good workes the frutes of faith 234. 19 A Sermon of ioy in God and a patient mind toward men 254. 20 A Sermon of them that be vnder the lawe and them that be vnder grace 274. 21 A Sermon of faith and diffidence in daunger trouble 316. 22 A Sermon of the life of a Christian 324. 23 A Sermon of tentation 336. 24 A Sermon of the leading of a godly life 351. 25 A Sermon of Gods prouidence and care for his children 463. 26 A Sermon of truste in God in penurie and distresse 371. 27 A Sermon against the contempt of Gods word 379. 28 A Sermon of the Law and the Gospel 391. 29 A Sermon of the exercise and increasing of faith 406. 30 A Sermon of remission of sinnes to the contrite and broken in hart terrible iudgement to the indurate and obstinate 418. 31 A Sermon of trust and hope in Christ that by him we shall obtaine all good thinges 431. 32 A Sermon of the workes which Christ hathe wrought for vs wherin is contained a most sweet consolation against the Lawe Sinne Death and Satan 446. 33 A Sermon vpon the Gospell on S. Matthias day 456. 34 A Sermon vpon the Gospell on the feaste of S. Philip and Iames. 469. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SYR THOMAS HENNEAGE KNIGHT TREASVRER OF HER MAiesties priuie chamber VV. GACE wisheth peace and saluation in Christ COnsydering right VVorshipfull that saying of Dauid alleaged by the Apostle Paul that there is none that vnderstandeth none that seeketh after God that all are gone out of the vvay and become vnprofitable me thinkes it doth liuely set forth the blindnesse of mans vnderstanding the vvickednesse of his vvill and his peruersnes and vnhabilitie vnto that vvhich is good VVhereof if vve had not many testimonies of Scripture yet common experience vvere able to confirme the same vvhen vve daily see men so carefull to liue and so carelesse to liue vvell Hovvbeit this is no meruell for as a tree vvhose roote is rotten and infected vvith venimous sappe bringeth forth none but corrupt and naughty frute so from mans hart vvhich is corrupt and infected vvith the venim of sinne can proceede nothing that is good Novv mans vnderstanding being blinde he is not able of him selfe to attaine to the knovvledge of God and consequently vvithout some other meanes or helpe can not be saued for this as our Sauiour in the Gospell sayth is life euerlasting to knovv one onely true God and him vvhom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Againe mans vvill being corrupt he is not able to serue God as his dutie requireth as to honour him as his Lord to obey him as his father to trust in him as his Protector and preseruer to be thankefull to him for his infinite benefites c. VVherefore leste man being ignorant of God should be excluded from saluation or lest through the vvickednes of his vvill and inclination to euill he should dishonour so high a Lord disobey so good a father distrust so carefull a preseruer and be vnthankefull to so gracious a giuer vvho doth not see hovv requisite and needefull it is that he should by good instructions be brought to the knovvledge of the Lorde God and by godly exhortations and admonitions be reclaimed from his vvicked vvayes to the performance of his dutie Novv forasmuch as God hath in his vvord reuealed so much of him selfe as is expedient for man to knovv hath therein also prescribed that maner of seruing him vvhereof be accepteth man must out of it learne the true knovvledge and right seruice of God and therefore most necessary it is that this vvord be preached taught that therby man may learne to knovv God and truely to vvorship serue him being knovvne So shall his minde be enlightened vvith diuine knovvledge and his vvill reformed according to Gods vvil so shall this vvord be a lanterne vnto his feete and a light vnto his paths vvhereby he may be directed in al his vvayes But alas this is a thing to be lamented that the haruest is great but the labourers are fevv For among them vvhich supply the places of labourers in the Lordes haruest some there be vvho doe vvith diligence discharge their dutie many moe there are vvho albeit they be able yet doe eyther quite neglect it or very scleÌderly execute it but greatest is the number of them vvho for lacke of skil knovvledge are not able at all to performe it VVherefore there is great neede to pray the Lord of the haruest that he vvill send forth labourers into his haruest vvhereby many moe then doe may receiue the Gospell of Christ Iesus euen to the saluation of their soules The premisses vvell vveyed I thinke right VVorshipfull there may a sufficient reason be gathered vvhy I did purpose the publishing of these Sermons of D. Martin Luther in our vulgar tongue and vvhy at the last I haue by some labour and paynes brought the sayd purposed publishing to passe I vvas in deede at the first procured thereunto by a learned Father of this lande vvhose
is called peaceable For Christ is truly called our king SalomoÌ that is peaceable which hath restored peace vnto vs inwardly with God through faith in him and outwardly with our neighbours through loue whereby we liue friendly with all men and so by him we haue peace euery where both inwardly and outwardly in the earth Good will The third is good will of men Not that good will whereby we worke good workes but whereby we take in good part all thinges that happen whether they be good or euill sweete or sower and do receiue them with a quiet hart The Angells knew that the peace which they did sing of should be only among Christians which in all thinges doe depend vpon Christ and vsurpe nothing to them selues as their owne But in the meane season the world and Satan which doe exceedingly enuie them doe on euery side procure trouble vnto them and persecute them euen vnto the death so that they may looke for no peace or quietnes at all of these for Christ sayth Ioh. 16. In me ye shall haue peace but in the world ye shall haue affliction Therefore it was not enough for the Angells to haue soong peace in earth but it was to be added and good will towardes men that when they as much as they are able haue peace with all men and neuertheles are continually hated of all men and doe suffer persecution they may alwaies keepe a good wil wherby they may take all things in good parte and giue thankes to God Christians must beare persecution and trouble patiently howesoeuer he dealeth with them or suffereth them to be dealt with they may not murmure but resigne and commit them selues wholy to the will of God yea forasmuch as they knowe that God doth dispose gouerne all thinges whom they are sure that they haue a mercifull and most fauorable father vnto them through Christ they may euen reioyce be glad in persecutions according to that saying of Paule in the Epistle to the Romanes VVe reioyce in afflictions and persecutions For inasmuch as they haue a ioyfull conscience and a sure trust of the fauour of God they can not but count all thinges for the best whatsoeuer happen Behold what kinde of good will it is in all thinges whether they be prosperous or vnprosperous which the Angells doe here wish vnto men sing to be propper to the beleuers Where good will is not there peace can not continue Where such good will is wanting there peace can not long be Men take all thinges in the worse part they take nothing in good part but do alwayes increase and double the euil Hereupon howsoeuer God dealeth with them they like it not but require that they may be dealt otherwise with and so it falleth out as it is in Psal 18. with the pure thou shalt be pure and with the froward thou shalt be froward that is with him that counteth all thinges pure to him selfe and hath that good will in all thinges whereof we haue spoken thou also doost well agree inasmuch as he pleaseth thee and all good men But he that is froward so that neither thou nor those thinges that are thine doe like him can not but displease both thee and all good men Of this well pleasing one an other Paule speaketh 1. Cor. 10. Endeuour to please all men euen as I please all By what meanes shall this be done If thou take all thinges in good part and suffer others to please thee thou also againe shalt please others The matter may be comprehended in one word If thou wilt be liked of none nothing shall be liked of thee If thou wilt be liked of all How farre we may please men and submit our selues vnto them suffer that all thinges may be also liked of thee but so that thou doe not neglect the worde of the Lord. For that ought to be preferred before all without any regard had of all meÌ what pleaseth them or what displeaseth them But whatsoeuer may be done without transgressing the word of God giue place to all submit thy iudgement to the iudgement of others that thou mayst take euery thing in good part which shall chaunce vnto thee so thou shalt haue the good wil whereof the Angells did sing By this song it may be vnderstood what nature the Angells haue I omit those thinges which the Philosophers haue dreamed hereof here is so described what the Angells are that it can not be more fully done their hart and cogitations being declared The first thing to be considered in the Angells First with great ioy they sing prayses to God acknowledging all thinges to be due vnto him and therefore doe with an ardent mind and singing glorifie him As therefore thou wouldest thinke of a right lowly pure and obedient hart praysing God and alwayes enioying perpetuall gladnes in him so thinke also of the Angells and thou hast now the nature of Angells as much as they haue to doe with God The second thing which we ought to marke in the Angells The second thing to be considered in them is their loue towardes vs. Thinke that they are most louing toward vs which desire that it may goe as well with vs as with them selues they doe no lesse reioyce for our safetie then for their owne euen in this hymne full of loue to vs ward they declare them selues so affected toward vs that surely we may thinke and reioyce of them as of most louing friends This is to knowe the Angells truely not according to their essence whereof the Philosophers doe foolishly without frute babble many thinges but according to their hart and mind so that albeit I know not what their nature is in it selfe yet I know what is their chiefe desire and their continuall worke Thus much shall suffice at this tyme concerning the song of the Angells and the frute of the natiuitie of the child Iesus Christ God graunt vs his grace that we may print these thinges in our hart according vnto them also amend our life Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE EPIPHANIE OR APPEARING OF CHRIST Matth. 2. Verse 1. WHen Iesus then was borne at Bethlehem in Iudea in the dayes of Herod the Kinge beholde there came wise men from the East to Ierusalem 2. Saying where is that king of the Iewes that is borne for we haue seene his starre in the East and are come to worship him 3. When kinge Herod hearde this he was troubled and all Ierusalem with him 4. And gathering together all the chiefe Priestes and Scribes of the people he asked of them where Christ should be borne 5. And they sayde vnto him at Bethlehem in Iudea for so it is written by the Prophet 6. And thou Bethlehem in the lande of Iuda art not the least amonge the Princes of Iuda For out of thee shall come the gouernour that shal feede that my people Israell 7. Then Herod priuily
doe not exact any thinge of it or reprehend it in any thing but it is compelled to be captiue therein as in a perpetuall prison and the longer it striueth and fighteth with the lawe into so much worse case doth it alwayes come vntill at the last it be wholy subdued What therfore must I do What a Christian must do when the law vrgeth his conscience the law assailing vrging my conscience especially when I perceiue my selfe not to do that which it requireth I aunswere euen that which Christ doth here who admitteth or acknowledgeth no law although brought out of the law of God So learne thou also to doe that thou mayest boldely say to the lawe leaue of lawe to dispute with me I haue nothing to doe with thee And for that very same cause for which thou commest to dispute with me and to enquire of me how good and righteous I am I will not heare thee For it here maketh no matter what I am or what I ought to doe and what not to doe but what Christ him selfe is ought to doe and doeth For nowe we are in the bridechamber where onely the bridegrome and the bride must haue to doe and it behoueth not thee to come thither nor to intermeddle any thing there But neuertheles it now and then knocketh and sayth in the meane season notwithstanding good workes must be done of thee the commaundements of God must be kept How we must auÌswere the law wheÌ it is instant vpon vs. if thou wilt obtaine saluation Aunswere againe but thou hearest that it is not nowe tyme to speake of them for now I haue obtayned my righteousnes and the summe of all my saluation without my workes in Christ my Lorde and am already saued before thou camest therefore I haue no neede of thy presence For as I haue sayd where workes preuayle nothing neyther is the law there of any importance or weight and where there is no law neither is there any sinne The bride therefore alone all the rest beinge excluded must reigne in the bridechamber with Christ in whom shee hath all thinges at once neyther needeth shee any thinge more which is necessary to saluation Wherefore the lawe must be excluded and vtterly reiected yea and cast of as often as it will inuade and set vpon the conscience For surely it ought not to medle therewith neither commeth it in tyme when it will haue muche to doe there where it ought to haue nothing to doe and whither it ought in no wise to come For the conscience resteth in this article of our Christian faith I beleue in Iesus Christ my Lord which suffered died was buried for me c. vnto whom both Moses law Cesars diuine lawes ought to giue place All that therfore is boldly to be chased from me whatsoeuer will dispute with me of sinnes righteousnes and such like thinges Beholde Christ would in this place resemble this libertie vnto vs that as Christians we suffer no maister in our conscience trusting most constantly to this one thinge that we are baptised and called vnto Christ and by him iustified and sanctified whereupon we may say He is my righteousnes my treasure my worke and in a summe what not against sinne and vnrighteousnes whereof the lawe indeuoureth to accuse me If it please you to haue other righteousnes workes lawe c. then may ye take them from whence ye will surely ye shall finde no place for them in me Thus may a man defend him self and stande against the suggestions and tentations of the Deuill and of sinnes either past or present Wherefore Moses and Christ are farre to be separated asunder as also workes and faith the conscience and the outward life so that if the lawe will sette vpon me and make my hart afrayde then is it tyme to sende it away and if it will not giue place to thrust it out by force and to say I will willingly doe good workes and will goe forward as much as I am able for that time that I liue amonge men but here I wil know nothing at al of them in my coÌscience therefore let me alone prate nothing of them For here I will vouchsafe to heare neither Moses nor the Pharisees but Christ alone doth obtaine place to reigne here I will like vnto Marie sit at his feete to heare his worde but let Martha cary abroade and busie her selfe in the kitchin and about the houshold affayres And in a summe I will not trouble the quietnes of my conscience But what shall I say An obiection whereas in the meane season I doe daily sinne which surely is euill I aunswere in deede it is true The aunswer I am a sinner and I do vniustly but I must not therefore despeire as though I were subiect to condemnation yea or tremble because of the rigour of the lawe For by faith I apprehend him which hath apprehended me and apply my selfe vnto him which hath embraced me in baptisme and hath put me in his bosom and by the preaching of the Gospell hath called me to the communion of all his good thinges bidding me to beleeue in him Nowe when as I haue apprehended him by faith then may I be bold to bid the Pharisees and Moses with his tables all Lawyers with their bookes all men with their workes holde their peace and giue place No law hath then any power to conuince or accuse me for in this Christ I haue all thinges aboundantly whatsoeuer can be required in me This I say is the doctrine and arte of Christians the scope and ende whereof is this euen to reigne with Christ But blockish men doe not vnderstand it taking hereupon occasion to liue more freely as they list saying what neede is there that I should do good works forasmuch as Christ hath abrogated the law c. Albeit we be free from the law we must neuertheles doe good workes after the example of Christ There foolish babbling is in no wise to be borne for Christ is on the other part also to be considered of thee and thou must marke what he doth more For here he him selfe sayth that he is that man which seeketh the miserable and lost sheepe which also he witnesseth by his present deede by receiuing sinners and Publicanes and by preaching vnto them Whereby thou seest that he doth fulfill much more then the law commaundeth to be done and teacheth thee to doe the same by his example He is of such an heroicall stomacke that he will not be vnder the lawe yet doth he of his owne accorde moe thinges then the law requireth Doe thou so also neither looke when thou shalt be forced and driuen on by the lawe but without the lawe and of thine owne accorde doe that which is needefull to be done as Peter 1. Pet. 2 admonisheth saying as free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloke of malitiousnes but as the seruaunts of God And
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 wheÌ 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 theÌ 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 couÌteth 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
mercie and truth alone not by our strength and industrie forasmuch as our wayes being ordered hereby are nothing but vanitie before God and do deserue his wrath According to that which the Lord sayth Esai 55 As farre as the heauen is higher then the earth so farre do my waies exceede yours As if he should say Your righteousnes is earthly and of no value wherefore ye must bid it farewell and walke in myne if ye hope for saluation But according to his mercie he saued vs. It is maruell how the credit of these wordes can stand wherein the Apostle affirmeth that we are alreadie saued although liuing yet in earth and therefore in continuall miserie But he did so speake that he might more fully expresse the power of the diuine grace and the nature of faith against hypocrites who as though saluatioÌ were yet farre of do in vaine endeuour to get and obtaine it by their workes We are already saued by Christ For Christ hath already saued vs he hath perfourmed all things which are required hereunto that we may be saued he hath ouercome and subdued synne death hell c. so that he hath left nothing for any man to care for he hath also giuen all these things vnto vs in Baptisme that who soeuer beleueth in Christ that he hath perfourmed them hath them togither in the same moment so that he hath neede of nothing more vnto saluation but faith alone that he may firmely beleeue that these things are so perfourmed But marke how incoÌparable riches of his grace God hath poured vpon vs in Baptisme who hath deliuered vs euen from those workes whereby those foolish holy ones go about to merit heauen and to be saued For we must haue heauen and be saued before we can do any good workes for that workes can not merit heauen but heauen being before giuen of meere grace causeth vs to do good workes and that for no hope of merit or reward but onely to the commoditie of our neighbours and the glorie of God vntill this bodie also be deliuered from sinne and death What the life of a ChristiaÌ is after baptisme Wherefore all the life of a Christian after Baptisme is nothing els but an expectation of saluation and felicity to be reuealed which they that beleeue in Christ do now possesse although hidden They haue all thinges nowe certainly but they are yet hid in faith which when as it is chaunged knowledge being reuealed all things as they now haue them shall appeare which shall come to passe when pleasaunt and wished death commeth 1. Ioh. 3.2 according to that saying of Iohn Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what we shall be But we know that when he shall appeare we shal be like him And euerie man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure Wherefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued and to be seduced from this truth by those hypocrites which contemning faith do falsely affirme that saluation is farre from thee and teach thee to endeuour in vaine to attaine vnto it by thy workes It is in thy selfe if thou beleeue that all things are perfourmed by Christ euen as he himselfe witnesseth The kingdome of God is within you Luke 17. So that all our life after Baptisme ought to be nothing els but an expectation that that should be reuealed which is already in vs and that we may comprehend as we are comprehended as Paul sayth Philip. 3. I follow if that I may comprehend that for whose sake also I am comprehended of Christ that is that I may at length see those things which are giuen me being as yet in the shut closet of faith He coueteth and burneth with desire to see the treasure which by faith he receiued both giuen and sealed in Baptisme Whereupon he addeth in the same place Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall chaunge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Herewith also agreeth that which he saith Gal. 4 Ye know God and by and by he doth as it were correct that which he had sayd Yea sayth he rather are ye knowen both which are true although not after the like sort We are now knowen of God so that he comprehendeth vs and we in deede know God but we do not yet comprehend for that our knowledge is as yet hidden and closed vp in fayth He sayth moreouer Rom. 8 We are saued by hope that is we are saued although we yet see it not for that which one seeth he hopeth not for but if we hope for those thinges which we see not we do with patience abide for them Christ confirmeth this Luke 12 Let your loines be gird about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto men that wait for their maister when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly In which words he onely biddeth them that be his to be ready to looke for him the bridegrome as which are already saued being admitted into the number of his ministers Hereunto also pertaineth that which the Apostle sayth Tit. 2 Let vs liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ In these and such like places whereof thou maist reade many here and there in the holy Scriptures he witnesseth that we are already saued and that it doth not behoue that a Christian man should first seeke to attaine to saluation by his workes This opinion and deuelish doctrine blyndeth the eyes of ChristiaÌs extinguisheth the knowledge of faith and carieth men from the waye of truth and saluation We must cleaue vnto that which the Apostle here saith He hath saued vs according to his mercie and that which he addeth in the ende of this text that we are heires according to the hope of eternall life We are now heires but that is hidden in fayth Why God will haue vs to looke for the reuelatioÌ of our inheritaunce a certain time but we looke with a certaine hope that hereafter it shal be reuealed And God will haue vs so to looke for the reuelation of this inheritance and to liue a certaine time after Baptisme that he may chastise our body by our ministery and declare the power of his grace in fight against the flesh the world and the deuil but especially for this cause that by vs he may helpe our neighbours and both by doctrine and also by our life which he liueth in vs may bring them to the communion of fayth And albeit he can do this by Angels yet it pleaseth him rather that it should be done by vs men that both the maner of fayth may be the better knowen and that all things may be done sweetely and louingly For if
Angels should alwayes haue to do with vs there should not be so much fayth neither should it be so pleasaunt as when we are taught and guided by them that are partakers of our nature whom we do better know and with whom we do more familiarly associat our selues And so that there may be some by whom other also may be conuerted both by doctrine and good examples it is not meete that we should by and by after Baptisme be taken into heauen wherein notwithstanding we are already admitted citizens A practize of Satan Antichrist to delude meÌ with Purgatory Hereupon if one weye all things rightly it can not be douted that it is a practize and miracle of Satan and Antichrist that so much is spent for Purgatories sake such faith as this being put quite out of mens myndes For men are taught by their workes to saue themselues from Purgatorie or at the least to deliuer themselues out from thence as though saluation were not yet giuen vs and it were necessarie to come vnto it by other meanes then by faith alone which howe it disagreeth with the Scripture and a Christian life there is no man that doth not see but he that seeth nothing in the Scripture For thus the holy Scriptures do teach euerie where that who soeuer doth not receiue saluation by meere grace through fayth before all workes he shall neuer be partaker thereof And that who soeuer referre their good workes not to the profite of their neighbours but to their owne commoditie being more carefull of their owne saluation then of their neighbours haue no good workes at all All the workes of these are voide of fayth and infected with pernitious errour It had bin greatly to be wished that Purgatorie had neuer bin inuented and neuer mention made thereof in the pulpit for it hath bin cause of such hinderance to Christian veritie and syncere truth as can not be recouered For we see it now brought to passe by the meanes of Satan that almost al prayers are directed to onely Purgatorie with this vngodly and pestilent opinion whereby miserable men thinke that they shal be redeemed from thence and obtaine saluation by the workes of men Whereby the riches of Baptisme and fayth are had in no reputatioÌ and they at the last of Christians become Heathen O most pernitious abomination Christians should be taught as Christ and Paul teach them that after Baptisme and absolution from synnes they should so liue that they should be ready euery houre to receiue death with desire looking for the reuelation of saluation already receiued Now by the opinion of Purgatorie they are made secure and slothfull so that they differre the study of godlines euen to their death and thinke by contrition and confession they shall amend all things as though there were some synnes remaining for which they must go into Purgatorie they hope that by Masses for the departed and other bequests that they are persuaded to make in their testameÌts or last willes they shal be redeemed out of purgatorie but these miserable men are in these things vtterly deceiued and shall at length trie them to be farre otherwise By the washing of the new birth He setteth forth the grace of God giuen to vs in Baptisme with wordes verie full of praise and commendation He calleth Baptisme a washing whereby not the feete and handes but the whole man is at once washed purified and saued so that to the summe and inheritaunce of saluation there is neede of nothing but onely fayth in this grace of God that it may remaine and be acknowledged the worke of grace alone that we are saued without all our workes and merits and so also there may remaine in vs pure loue praise giuing of thankes and glorie of the diuine mercie without all glorie and pleasing of our selues in our owne strength and endeuour as it hath bin already sayd often and at large Humane righteousnes is also a washing but not whereby the whole man is so washed but that Pharisaicall washing whereby onely the apparell and vessells which are outward are made cleane whereof it is spoken Matth. 23. Whereby it commeth to passe that men seeme vnto themselues pure but inwardly neuertheles they remaine ful of filthines Baptisme what maner of washing it is Therefore he called Baptisme not a corporall or outward washing but the washing of regeneration or new birth by which not those thinges that are outward are washed and onely the outward man made cleane but the whole nature of man is altered and changed into an other nature that is the carnall natiuitie is thereby destroyed with all the inheritaunce of synnes and perdition Saluation coÌmeth not by workes Whereby he againe witnesseth that our saluation is giuen vs at once so that it is not to be gotten by workes For not one or two members are wont to be borne as the handes or feete but the whole man which can not worke this that he may be borne a man but is first borne that he may worke Likewise our workes do not purifie or saue vs but when as before we are pure iustified and saued we worke freely those things which may be profit to our neighbour and honour to God And this is the simple and pure knowledge of the diuine grace whereby a man learneth to know both God and himselfe to praise God alone to humble and cast downe himselfe to trust in God to despeire of himselfe This doctrine of saluation they maruelously hinder which vrge men with lawes precepts and workes and teach them to seeke thereby to be saued He that is truely baptized is become a new creature And the renewing That this washing and new birth may be more fully vnderstood he hath added the renewing that thou maiest vnderstand that he that is truly baptized is become a new man and a new creature endued with a new disposition which now is farre otherwise affected loueth liueth speaketh and doth farre otherwise theÌ he was wont or could before So the Apostle sayth Gal. 6 In Christ neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision that is no workes of the Lawe are of any value or importaunce but a new creature As if he should say SaluatioÌ can not be perfected by ioyning togither certaine good workes but the whole man must be at once renewed and his nature chauÌged whereupon true good workes will follow of themselues not by peecemeale but togither with great plentie Of this new birth whereby the whole man is renewed Christ speaketh Ioh. 3 He that is not borne againe can not see the kingdome of God Here againe it manifestly appeareth that nothing is here done by our workes but that it behoueth that man how great soeuer he be must die and be chaunged into an other which is done in Baptisme if we beleeue The coÌdemned shal be borne again but not renewed The condemned also shal be borne againe in the last day but they shal not
shed on vs aboundantly See how notably the Apostle setteth forth grace He sayth not that the holy Ghost was giuen but shed and not that onely but shed aboundantly For he can not sufficiently extoll and magnifie grace and the worke thereof and we alas count it so vile in respect of our workes The workes of the diuine grace sufficieÌt for our saluation without any addition of our owne workes It were a dishonour to God and to his holy Spirit if when he hath plentifully shed it vpon vs there should as yet be some thing wanting necessarie to righteousnes and saluation which we are able to perfourme as though the workes of so incomparable grace could not be sufficient And Paul surely might be reproued of lying which had not spoken all thinges whereby we must be iustified and saued when he affirmeth that he doth it But as he writeth so it is no man can attribute so great thinges to this washing and regeneration no man can so much presume of them but greater thinges may be attributed vnto them and thou oughtest to promise to thy selfe moe thinges of them no man shall beleeue so great thinges but he shall receiue greater Forasmuch as those good thinges which God hath giuen are so great and so vnspeakeable he would haue them here come vnto vs being included and hyd in his words and fayth For the nature of our present life can not beare them being manifest and therefore it must perish when they beginne to be reuealed that man maye by these inestimable riches which he nowe possesseth by fayth be as it were swallowed vp and vanish awaye We are already aboundantly iustified by fayth without all our owne merit therefore Christ sayth Ioh. 3 God so loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten Sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Behold they that beleeue haue already euerlasting life and therefore vndoutedly are iustified and holy without all their owne labour or meanes that thou maiest see that nothing but grace and mercie is plentifully powred vpon vs and that our workes could auaile nothing hereunto Thou wilt perhaps say Thou canst not preach sufficiently that the grace and mercie of God doth worke all things in vs An obiectioÌ and that no respect is to be had of our workes to the attaining of saluation but how commeth it to passe then that the Scripture so ofteÌ witnesseth that they shal be saued which haue wrought good workes As Iohn 5 They shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euell vnto the resurrection of condemnation And Rom. 2 Honour and glorie to them that do well wrath and indignation to them that do ill We read many sentences here and there in the Scripture like vnto these I aunswere The answere As the wordes sound so take them without all glosse for it is euen so they that do well shal be saued they which do otherwise shal be condemned But herein many erre from the truth of the Scripture in that they iudge workes according the outward appearance Works must not be iudged good according to the outward appearance contrarie to the Scripture which teacheth that no man can do good whoe is not himselfe good before and by workes no man can become good but workes take their goodnes of the worker and he becommeth good by the washing of the new birth and by nothing els This Christ meant Matth. 7. sayng A corrupt tree can not bring forth good frute neither a good tree euell frute Wherefore make the tree either good or euell and it will bring forth like frutes Hypocrites oftentimes do workes like to the workes of the Godly yea sometime hauing a goodlier shewe for they diligently praye fast giue almes and pretend a meruelous holines but Christ calleth these sheepes clothing wherewith most hurtfull wolues are clothed and hidden For none of them is of a true humble meeke and bountifull heart which they chiefely declare when they are rebuked when their holines is reproued for then bring they forth their naturall frutes whereby they are knowen Those are rashe iudgementes impatiencie stubburnnes obstinacie sclaundering and such like It is true therefore he that doth well shal be saued that is his saluation shal be manifest but he can doe no good at all if he be not before regenerate by the washing of the newe birth For what good workes can one worke in the oldenes of the fleshe and by the strength proceeded from Adam they are the good workes which Paule here condemneth saying Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done They are in deede good workes done in righteousnes but not before God who first hath respect to the person then to the workes as we read Gen. 4. that he had respect first to Abel then to his sacrifice as he first turneth himselfe from Cain and then from his sacrifice although according to the outward appearaunce it was as good a sacrifice and worke as the sacrifice of Abel Through Iesus Christ our Sauiour This he added that he may keepe vs vnder the winges of Christ as chickens are wont to be preserued vnder the winges of the hen for thus Christ sayth Matth. 23 Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children togither as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her winges and ye would not And hereby the nature of a true and right faith is taught For it is nothing which some say I beleeue in God almightie as the Iewes and many other are wont and do therefore receiue corporall benefites of God It is a true and liuely faith What a true liuely faith beleeueth whereby thou beleeuest in God howbeit by Iesus Christ First that thou dout not that God is become a merciful father vnto thee which hath pardoned all thy sinnes in Baptisme hath adopted thee for his sonne and heire that thou maiest certainly know that thou art saued Againe thou must also knowe this that that was not done freely neither without satisfaction made to the diuine iustice For there can be no place in thee for the diuine grace and mercy to worke saluation and to giue thee eternall good thinges vnlesse the iustice of God be before most fully satisfied For Christ witnesseth Matth. 5 One iote or one title of the Lawe shall not scape till all thinges be fulfilled That which is spoken of the grace and goodnes of God can not come but to them which do most purely and exactly obserue his commaundements according to that saying Mich. 2 When as the Iewes did presume of the goodnes of God toward them and did alwayes promise vnto them selues peace saying How can God be alwayes angrie is the spirit of the Lord shortened It is aunswered them Are not my wordes good vnto him that walketh vprightly Wherefore it shal be lawfull for none to attaine vnto the aboundance of grace vnles
which he sayth moreouer to the seruaunt Goe out into the hie wayes and hedges and compell them to come in that myne house may be filled This is to be vnderstood of desperat and weake consciences which also pertaine vnto this supper and are compelled vnto it What it is to compell to come in but this compulsion is not outward but inward and spirituall and is done after this sort When the law is preached sinne is set before our eyes and reuealed that a man may come to knowledge of him selfe so that to compel to enter or come in doth rightly signifie to driue sinne into the conscience wherby a man may know that he is nothing that all his workes are sinnes and subiect to damnation and so sodainly his conscience may become desperate and his hart faint and terrified that all that confidence and opinion of helpe may depart and man him selfe be able no where to comfort him selfe in any thinge and at the last be driuen to despeire of him selfe If so be that one be once after this sort compelled then doe not long delay to let him come in but deliuer the man out of desperation That commeth to passe when thou comfortest him by the Gospell and declarest that he is deliuered from his sinnes saying Beleeue in Christ that he hath made thee free from thy sinnes then shalt thou be deliuered and free from sinne And this is the meaning of that which he sayth Compell them to come in It is not to be vnderstoode of outwarde compulsion as some interprete it that wicked and vngodly ones shoulde be violently driuen to the supper for this preuayleth nothing neyther is it so meant in this place Wherefore it is to be referred onely to the conscience and is inwarde and spirituall Nowe he goeth on to speake to the seruaunte and the rest For I say vnto you that none of those men which were bidden shall tast of my supper This is the conclusion that they which thinke themselues most certaine that they shall come to the supper and tast of it shall not tast of it The reason ye haue heard Now briefly the guests that are bidden and do not come are they which thinke that they shall obtaine the supper by their owne workes verie much wearying themselues thinking assuredly that they shall tast of it Why they that were bidden shall not tast of the supper But the Lord mightely concludeth and sayth Not one of these men shall tast of my supper Wherefore most gentle Lord They haue coÌmitted no wicked thinge neither haue bin occupied about vniust matters Behold this is the reason for that they haue forsaken fayth and haue not confessed it freely before euerie one neither haue preferred that rich and sumptuous supper before all creatures For seeing it is sumptuous it requireth those men that do iudge it to be so and do put any thinge in daunger what soeuer it be that they may be partakers of it Thus ye haue the compendious meaning of this text which I haue onely briefly runne ouer if any will expound it more at large I am well content he so do A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE WORKES OF CHARITIE Luke 6. Verse 36. IEsus said vnto his disciples Be ye mercifull as your father also is mercifull 37. Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged condemne not and ye shall not be condemned forgiue and ye shal be forgiuen 38. Giue it shal be giuen vnto you a good measure pressed downe shaken togither and running ouer shall men giue into your bosom for with what measure ye meat with the same shall men meat to you again 39. And he spake a parable vnto them Can the blynde lead the blynde shall they not both fall into the ditch 40. The disciple is not aboue his maister but whosoeuer wil be a perfect disciple shal be as his maister 41. And why seest thou a mote in thy brothers eye and considerest not the beame that is in thine owne eye 42. Either how canst thou say to thy brother Brother let me pull 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 out of thine owne eye first and then shalt thou see perfectly to pull out the mote that is in thy brothers eye THE workes of charitie which we must do to our neighbours in temporall thinges and in corporall necessitie are discribed vnto vs in this text which the Lorde then declared when he sayde a litle before in the same chapter that we must do well vnto our enemies and bestow benefits vpon them which hate vs that we must blesse them that curse vs that we must pray for them which persecute vs if any man smite vs on the one cheeke we must offer vnto him also the other and if any man take away our cloke we must not forbid him to take away our coate also c. All which he comprehending in a briefe summe sayth Be ye mercifull as your Father also is mercifull Here ye see all good workes summarily described which we must exercise among our selues as our heauenly father hath exercised them toward vs. Ye haue oftentimes heard that it is not needefull to do good workes toward God but toward our neighbour onely God can be made neither stronger nor richer by our workes but man may be strengthened and enriched by them vnto whom also they are necessarie vnto whom onely they are to be directed and not vnto God which ye haue very often heard and which is now in your eares but would to God it would at the last burst forth both into your handes and workes We must deale with God by faith and with our neighbours by good workes Marke therefore how peruerse an order it is when any deale with God by workes with whom notwithstanding they must deale by onely faith and when faith is directed vnto man whereas it is to be placed in God alone Turne these contrariwise and they shal be right after this sort let vs first repose faith in God alone and let vs then giue our selues to serue our neighbours and to direct all our workes so that they may turne to their commoditie We must deale before God by no other thing but by faith alone because none is able to helpe vs but God onely whatsoeuer we possesse either in mind or body that commeth wholy to vs from God alone in whom we ought to trust vpon whom we ought to set our hart Nowe some vse suche a preposterous order that they repose faithe which ought to haue respect vnto God onely in them selues and others they rest vpon their traditions and whatsoeuer their great maisters haue inuented in that they put their trust Of such God sayth in Ieremie Ier. 2. My people hath done two euills one for that they haue forsaken me the well of the water of life and digged them pitts yea vile and broken pitts that can
we must deale before God with our workes and by them deserue the mercy of God when as notwithstanding ye haue very often heard that faith alone doth all and both Paul and the whole Scripture do commonly say and affirme that we must beleeue in God alone and deale by onely mere faith before him The answer It is requisite here to vnderstand that good workes are onely a setting forth and commendation of faith so that if I beleeue I must be mercifull I must not iudge nor condemne my neighbour I must forgiue and giue vnto my neighbour Whereof set an example before your selues What did Abraham being commaunded to offer his sonne Gen. 22. he obeyed the commaundement and drew forth the sword to kill his sonne what ensued therevpon the Angell of the Lord stayed him saying lay not thy hand vpon the child neither do any thing vnto him for now I know that thou fearest God forasmuch as for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Howbeit this is here to be knowen and marked of vs We must receiue mercy before we shew mercy that we must first receiue before we giue before we shew mercy we must receiue mercy of God we do not lay the first stone neither doth the shepe seeke the shepeheard but the shepeheard the shepe Wherefore so bestow thy workes in euerie respect that thou looke for nothing at Gods hand because of them We obtaine all good thinges of god through his meere mercy for we obtaine euen euerie thing of God without merit or desert so God sayth Esay 65 I am found of them that seeke not for me I haue appeared to them that aske not for me And in the ende of the same chapter The time shall come sayth God that or euer they call I will aunswere them and while they are yet but thinking how to speake I will heare them For in deede before we seeke him he fyndeth vs before we aske him he heareth vs. Likewise S. Paul sayth Rom. 3 There is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a recoÌciliatioÌ through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes in that he forgiueth the synnes that are past through the patience of God to shew at this time his righteousnes that he might be iust and a iustifier of him which is of the faith of Iesus And in the chapter folowing he sayeth Now to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by dette but to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is couÌted for righteousnes For if it be of Grace it is no more of works or els were grace no more grace as he saith afterward in the eleuenth chapter Our good workes must be signes and testimonies of our sincere faith Againe I must bestow my workes so that they maye be a certaine signe and as it were a seale grauen with letters whereby I may be assured that my faith is syncere For if I feele in my heart that my worke proceedeth from loue I am sure concerning the integritie and soundnes of my faith If I forgiue the same forgiuenes doth assure me concerning the sinceritie of my faith doth declare my faith and certifie me that God hath also pardoned my synne and doth daily more and more pardon me So it fell out with Abraham his worke made his faith knowne vnto him God in deede knew that he did beleeue but it behoued that Abraham also should know and shew forth his faith Wherefore workes folowing onely freely as fruites of faith are declarations of such a faith For what should it profit me if I had euen a strong faith but vnknowen vnto me euen as if I should haue a chest full of gold yet I being ignoraunt thereof should take no commoditie thereby But if any would shew it vnto me he should do me as great a pleasure as if he gaue it me So if I haue faith and yet be ignoraunt thereof it is no profit vnto me Wherefore it must burst forth and be shewed by the workes that ensue which are both signes and seales of the present faith 2. Pet. 1.18.19 Soe Sainct Peter meaneth when speaking of the workes of charitie and the vertues of faith he concludeth thus âââââfore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling and election sure which if ye do ye shall not fall For by this meanes an entering shal be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ He sayeth not do good workes that by them ye may be called but that ye may more assure your selues of your calling Accustome your selues therefore well vnto the phrases and maner of speakinges vsed in the Scripture that ye rush not vpon them like blinde moules and confirme workes in such places as this for herein workes are reiected if we thinke that we are iustified by them but herein they are extolled and commended in that they are profitable to our neighbour and frutes and signes of faith Behold it was meete that I should make this digression least I should coÌfirme the meaning of the Papists Now if it should be demaunded why God oftentimes setteth downe such contrarie sentences Why God wil haue sentences in the Scriptures which seeme contrarie and disagreeing one with an other as it seemeth to vs our reason I aunswere that he may exercise vs in reading and that we should not thinke that we vnderstand the whole Scripture when we scarce vnderstand one place Some sayinges do guide the spirit how we ought to behaue our selues toward God onely by faith as this Rom. 3.24 VVe are iustified freely Againe lest the body should be sluggish outwardly there are sentences also set forth vnto vs which do guide and exercise the body as these which we haue heard here rehearsed Forgiue and ye shal be forgiuen also where as Christ affirmeth that he will require workes in the last day and will say after this sort vnto the condemned Matthew 25 I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat I thirsted ye gaue me no drinke I was astraunger and ye tooke me not in vnto you I was naked and ye clothed me not c. Which sentences whiles ignoraunt and light spirits labour to wrest and applie to workes they see not how great euell they commit But spirituall men referre them to the very body onely they them selues standing naked before God in spirit which is both iust and necessarie For there are two thinges in man the Spirit and the Flesh Hereupon there are some places which do guide onely faith in the spirit some which do direct onely workes in the body for one place can not direct both the body and the spirite togither We must so do with our substance that we be willing
be that he will suffer them to be bestowed on him and pray vnto God for him so I may enioy peace and haue no trouble or contention with any man and perhaps I may so profit him that he wil change his life vnto the better and amend Otherwise surely loue being diuided or separated I haue more bitternes and sorrow by them whom I hate then I haue ioy and profit by them whom I loue and keepe companie with And this is sayd to trouble the fountaine or water from whence pure loue can not flowe As it is certaine that the Iewes also did against whom Paule speaketh in this place for they loued them onely of whom they were loued whereby they defiled the synceritie of loue with mans affections and therefore their hart could not be pure But whereby is the hart purified I aunswere Wherby the hart is purified it can not be purified by any other thing better then by that soueraine puritie which is the word of God Receiue that into thy mind and order thy life according to the rule thereof and thy hart is purified As in this place see thou set the word before thee Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe follow that which it commaundeth and by and by thou shalt see whether it purgeth clenseth whatsoeuer desire there is in thee of thyne owne profit or whatsoeuer loue of thy selfe For commaunding thee to loue thy neighbour it maketh exception of none either friend or foe Albeit some man be euill and hath bene oftentimes iniurious vnto thee notwithstanding he doth not therefore lose this name that he is not to be called thy neighbour but neuertheles remaineth thy fleshe and blood and is comprehended in these wordes thou shalt loue thy neighbour c. Therefore I say if thou shalt consider him and so behaue thy self toward him as the word teacheth thee then is thy hart made pure and loue sincere so that thou makest no false difference of persons neither otherwise considerest him then an other which is good and one of thy familiars In deede we can not deny this to be true that an honest man is more worthy to be loued vnto whome also euery one doth more willingly applye him selfe by nature then vnto the conuersation of wicked men whose familiaritie there is no good man that doth not abhorre howbeit flesh and blood is the cause that true and Christian loue is not among vs. For a Christian must not deriue his loue from the person as the world doth as some yong man seeing a maide is in loue with her because of her fayrenes and beautie and a couetous man taketh his loue and desire of his money a Lorde or Prince of honour and power c. For all such loue is sayd to be feyned and proceeding not from whence it ought cleauing to the good thinges wherewith he seeth the person adorned neither doth it continue any longer then that which he loueth continueth and as long as he may enioy it True loue But true loue ought to be such as floweth out of a continuall fountaine and proceedeth from the bottom of the hart as a fresh and continuall water alwayes springing forth which can not be stopped and is neuer dryed vp This loue sayth after this sort I loue thee not for thy honestie or dishonestie for I doe not deriue my loue from thy honestie as from a strange fountaine but out of myne owne fountaine that is out of the word of God which is planted in my hart which commaundeth me to loue my neighbour From hence loue plentifully floweth open to al which haue neede thereof watering all both friendes and foes yea chiefly prepared and ready for foes inasmuch as they haue more neede that they may by my meanes be brought to amendement I praying for them and doing according to my abilitie that which I am able that they also leauing their euill wayes may be deliuered from sinnes and the snares of the Deuill And this is sayd to be loue flowing from the hart and not deriued from without for he that is endued with such loue findeth no such thinge in him whom he loueth from whence he should deriue it But because he is a Christian because he layeth hold on the word which is altogither pure by it selfe by the power of it his hart also is made pure and replenished with true loue Whereupon he poureth forâh the treasures of his loue toward euery man neyther is he moued or turned awaye with the person of any whether he be good or euill Behold thus should they preach which will rightly teach loue required of the lawe whereof our bablers knowe nothing neither haue any regard thereof albeit they talke many thinges of the lawe and dispute much of loue They doe not see no they doe not so much as once thinke that loue must be such that it flow out of the hart that the fountaine must be first pure and cleare This neuer descendeth into their hart although they heare read and teach many things of it They are occupied with very vncertayne and vnprofitable cogitations yea rather with dead dreames Wherefore whatsoeuer is preached of workes and of a good life True good workes that onely is well done which proceedeth from the worde of God a pure hart and a true faith This thou mayst see in all states how euery one ought in his calling to doe the office inioyned him and exercise the workes of loue A seruaunt labouring thinking no more then thus My Lorde or Maister payeth me my wages for which onely I serue him otherwise I would not vouchsafe to looke vpon him c hath not a pure hart for he doth not serue but for a peece of bread or for his hyre which being taken away his seruice also ceasseth How a good seruaunt ought to be affected But if he were a right true Christian he would rather be thus affected I will not therefore serue because my Maister payeth me wages because he is honest or vnhonest c but therefore Ephes 6.5 because the word of God doth thus speake vnto me Seruaunts be obedient vnto your Maisters as vnto Christ c. This seruice proceedeth of it owne accord out of the hart which layeth hold on the word and greatly esteemeth it saying I wil serue my Maister and take my wages but this shal be the chiefest thing for which I do this seruice that I may serue my God and Lord Iesus Christ who hath layd the condition and state of a seruaunt vpon me which I knowe doth please him in me c. Here thou seest a true worke proceeding out of a pure hart So also let a Lord or Prince and they which haue the charge of gouerning the common weale thinke thus God hath committed vnto me the office of a Magistrate that I should be a ruler now if I will haue regard vnto this onely that I may enioy my dignitie riches and power it is
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 iudgemeÌt 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 vnderstaÌd 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 staÌd 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 vnlââs 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 iudgemeÌt 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 iudgemeÌt 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 careleânes 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 coÌmitted 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 coÌfort 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
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 heaueÌly 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 diââdâd 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 coÌpared togither Now let vs see what likenes there is betweene naturall and spirituall sleepe
to Abel being thy selfe acceptable shalt offer acceptable giftes to the Lord. This faith as it is preached vnto thee for no merit of thine owne so is it giuen vnto thee for no deseruing of thine but of meere grace And this faith iustifieth thee thou being endued herewith the Lord remitteth all thy synnes and that by the contemplation of Christ his sonne in whom this faith beleeueth and trusteth Moreouer he giueth vnto such a faith his spirit which doth throughly chaunge a man and make him new so that now he hath other reason and an other will then before namely that which is ready vnto good Such a one worketh nothing but good workes neither can it be but good which he being good before shall do whereof I haue spoken somewhat before Wherefore nothing els is required vnto iustificatioÌ What is required to iustification then to heare Iesus Christ our Sauiour and to beleeue in him howbeit neither of these is the worke of nature but both of onely grace He therefore that goeth about to attaine hereunto by workes shutteth the way to the Gospell to faith grace Christ God and all thinges that helpe vnto saluation Againe vnto good workes there is neede onely of iustification which he that hath attained doth worke onely good workes and beside such a one none Hereof it sufficieÌtly appeareth that the beginning the thinges following and the order of mans saluation are after this sort First of all is required that thou heare the word of God next that thou beleeue then that thou do worke so at the last become saued and happie He which chaungeth this order without doute is not of God Paul also describeth this order Rom. 10 saying VVhosoeuer shall call vpon the Name of the Lord shal be saued But how shal they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher and how shal they preach except they be sent Therefore Christ teacheth vs to pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest that is syncere preachers WheÌ we heare these preach the true word of God we may beleeue which faith iustifieth a man and maketh him godly in deede that he now calleth vpon God in the spirit of the sonnes and worketh nothing but that which is good and thus becoÌmeth a man saued Which is no other thing then if I say He that beleeueth shal be saued Againe he that worketh without faith is condemned as Christ saith He that doth not beleeue shal be condemned from which no workes shall deliuer him Confer now herewith those things which are wont commonly to be spoken of honestie and righteousnes Are they not wont thus to say I will endeuour that I may yet become honest It is meete surely that we study to lead an honest life and to do good workes Well admit this to be so But if one theÌ aske them how we may applie our selues vnto honestie and by what meanes we may attaine vnto it they aunswere that we must fast praie frequent temples auoide synnes c. Hypocriticall counterfet holines Hereupon one becommeth a Charterhouse Monke an other choseth some other order of monkes an other is consecrated a Priest some tormeÌt their flesh by wearing heare cloth other scourge their bodies with whipps other afflict themselues after other sorts But these are euen of Cains broode their workes are no whit better then the workes of Cain For the man himselfe continueth the same that he was before vngodly and without all iustification there is a certaine chaunge made only of outward workes of apparell of places c. Neither are these any other theÌ very apes of saincts for they do preposterously imitate the maners workes of saincts when as they themselues are nothing lesse theÌ saincts They scarce thinke of faith they presume onely of such workes as seeme good vnto theÌselues thinking by theÌ to come vnto heauen Of whom Christ said Enter in at the straight gate for I say vnto you many seeke to enter in at it can not Why is this because they know not what this narrow gate is For it is faith which doth altogither annihilate or make a man nothing in his owne eyes requireth that he put no trust in any of his owne works but that he leane only to the grace of God be prepared for it to leaue suffer all things But those holy ones of Cains broode thinke their good workes to be the narrow gate are not therefore extenuated or made lesse whereby they might enter they do not leaue confidence in their workes but gathering them togither in great coules they hang them about them and so go about to enter in being burdened and as it were swollen bigge which is as possible for them as for a camell with his bounched backe to go through the eye of a needle WheÌ thou shalt begin to preach vnto these of faith they laugh and hisse at thee Doest thou count vs say they for Turkes and Heathen whom it behoueth now first to learne faith Is there such a companie of Priests Monkes and Nunnes is not faith knowne Who knoweth not what he ought to beleeue euen manifest synners know that And being after this sort animated and stirred vp they thinke that they be abouÌdantly endued with faith and that the rest is now to be finished made perfect by workes Whereupon they make too small sclender account of faith as I haue said because they are ignorant both what faith is that it alone doth iustifie They call it faith when they beleeue those things which they haue heard of Christ which kynde of faith the Deuels also haue yet are nothing therefore iustified but this deserueth to be called rather an opinion of men then fayth For as we do oftentimes admonish it is not sufficient that thou maiest worthely be called a Christian to beleeue those things to be true which are preached of Christ which kinde of faith they of Cains broode also haue A true faith but thou must also nothing doute that thou art of the number of them vnto whom all those benefits of Christ are giuen exhibited Which he that beleeueth must plainly confes that he is holy godly righteous the sonne of God and certaine of saluation that by no merit of his owne but by the only mercy of God poured forth vpon him for Christes sake Which he beleeeueth to be so rich and plentifull as it is in deede that although he be as it were drowned in synnes he is notwithstaÌding thereby made holy the sonne of God Whereof if he should any thing dout he should procure exceeding ignominie reproch to baptisme which he hath receiued to the Lords supper also reproue the word grace of God of falshood Wherefore take heede that thou nothing dout that thou
art the sonne of God therefore righteous by his grace let all feare care be here awaye Howbeit thou must feare tremble that thou maist perseuer such a one vnto the end Thou must not being in this case be careful that thou maist become righteous saued but that thou maist perseuer and coÌtinue Neither must thou do this as though it coÌsisted in thine own streÌgth for all thy righteousnes saluation is of only grace whereunto only thou must trust But wheÌ thou knowest that it is of grace alone that they faith also is the gift of God thou shalt for good cause liue in feare care lest that any teÌtatioÌ do violeÌtly moue thee froÌ this faith Hereunto pertaineth that which is written in the 9. chap. of Ecclesiastes The righteous wise yea and their seruaunts also are in the haÌd of God there is no man that knoweth either loue or hate but all things are before theÌ It happeneth vnto one as vnto an other c. For the present time euery one by faith is certaine of his saluation but constantly to stand and perseuer as it is the gift of the Lord and not in our owne strength so ought we alwayes to haue a care and feare thereof WheÌ they of Cains broode heare faith to be entreated of after this sort they can not sufficiently maruell at our madnes as it seemes vnto them God turne this away from me say they that I should affirme my selfe holy and godly farre be this arrogancie and rashnes from me I am many wayes a miserable sinner I should be mad if I should arrogate holines vnto my selfe And thus they mocke at true faith and count such doctrine as this for execrable errour and goe about with might and mayne to extinguish the Gospell These are they that deny the faith of Christ Denyers of the faith of Christ persecute it in the whole world of whom Paule speaketh 1. Tim. 4 In the latter times many shall depart from the faith c. For we see it brought to passe by the meanes of these that true faith lyeth euery where oppressed is not onely not preached but also commonly disallowed and condemned with all them that either teach or profes it The Pope Bishops Colleges Monasteries and Vniuersities haue now aboue fiue hundred yeares persecuted it with one mind and consent yea and that maruelous stiffely and obstinately and haue done no other thing vnto the world but euery where as much as they were able driuen many vnto hell Which truely both hath bene and is that last and most hurtfull persecution of Antichrist The Lord at the last bring it to an end If any obiect against the admiration or rather mad senslesnes of these men that we doe nothing but that that is meete if we count our selues euen holy trusting to the goodnes of God iustifying vs seeing that Dauid prayed thus Preserue thou me Psal 86.2 Rom. 8.16 O Lord for I am holy And for that Paule sayth ⪠The Spirit of God beareth witnes vvith our Spirit that we are the children of God They aunswer that the Prophet and Apostle would not teach vs in these wordes or giue vs an example which we should follow but that they being peculiarly and speciall enlightened receiued such reuelatioÌ of them selues that they were holy And after this sort they misinterpret and wrest whatsoeuer place of the Scriptures affirmeth that we are holy saying that such doctrines are not written for vs but that they are rather peculiar miracles and prerogatiues as they call them which doe not belonge to all Which forged imagination we account of as hauing come from their sick braine who when as they be them selues void of faith and sauour nothing of the spirit thinke and contend that there be none which haue sounde faith and the spirit whereby surely they beleeue them selues to be thornes and thistles not Christians but rather enemies and destroyers of Christians and persecutours of the Christian faith Againe they are of this beleefe that they shall be righteous holy by their owne workes and that because of them God will giue vnto them saluation and eternal blessednes The Papistes attribute more to their owne workes then to God his grace But here see the madnes of men in their opinion and iudgement it is a Christian thinge to thinke that we shall be righteous and saued because of our workes and to beleeue that these thinges are giuen by the grace of God they condemne as hereticall They attribute that to their owne workes which they attribute not to the grace of God they affirme that they doe saue vs and not this they trust to works they can not trust to Gods grace which blindnes worthely commeth vnto them inasmuch as they will not build vpon the rocke let them build vpon the sand so be drowned by their owne meanes that by their owne workes and satisfactions they may torment them selues euen vnto death gratifying Satan herein for that they will not rest vpon the grace of God serue the Lord with a gentle and sweete seruice They that are endued with a true faith are both ioyfull in God and dutifull toward their neighbours For they that are endued with true faith and doe rest vpon the grace of the Lord it is meruelous how they are in God by his goodnes of most quiet mindes and greatly reioycing with holy ioy whereupon they doe also with pleasure apply them selues to good workes not to such as these of Cains broode doe as to fayned prayers fasting base filthy apparell such like trifles but to true right good workes whereby their neighbour is profited and from whence no small commoditie redoundeth vnto men Moreouer they are of most ready mindes to suffer whatsoeuer thinges inasmuch as they are certaine that God doth fauour them and hath a care of them These are right honest and profitable men of whom both God is glorified men much profited When as those of Cains broode serue to no vse either before God or before men no they doe not so much as profit them selues but are onely an vnprofitable lumpe of earth yea not onely vnprofitable but exceeding pernicious and hurtfull also both to them selues and to others For inasmuch as they are destitute of true faith they can not giue vnto God his due glory Where true faith is wanting there neither God can be duly glorified not true good workes done nor doe those good workes which may truly profit their neighbour For those workes that they apply them selues vnto are their owne inuentions consisting in gestures apparell places times meates and such like trifles whereby their neighbour can be holpen neither in body nor minde nor in any thinge els For what can it profit me that thy crowne is shauen very broad that thou wearest a gray coule what profit bringeth it that thou fastest to day and keepest holy day to morrow that thou abstainest from
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 spokeÌ 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
they are void of faith whereby it moueth them to seeke helpe some other where and not to presume of their owne strength to satisfie it For it requireth a ready will and hartes of sonnes which alone can satisfie it it vtterly refuseth seruaunts and them that be vnwilling But these of Cains broode doe not onely of their owne accord confesse that they want this faith which maketh the sonnes of God but also they persecute it they feele and know also ful wel how vnwillingly they beare the lawe and had rather to be free from it neuertheles they thinke that they shal become righteous by these their vnwilling and constrained workes They will continue seruaunts will not be chaunged into sonnes and yet they would enioy the goods of a straunge father They do all thinges cleane out of order wheras by the law they ought to learne that they are seruaunts and vnwilling to doe that which is good and therefore should by faith aspire to the state of sonnes notwithstanding they goe so farre that they seeke to satisfie and fulfill it by their owne works onely And thereby they doe altogither hinder the ende of the law and striue against faith and grace whereunto if they were not blind the law would direct and driue them And so they continue alwayes a blinde blockish and miserable people These thinges Paule teacheth Rom. 3. and 7. and doth freely pronounce that no man is iustified before God by the works of the lawe No man is iustified by the lawe adding no other cause hereof then this for that the knowledge of sinne only commeth by the law If thou wilt know howe this commeth to passe consider well some one of Cains brood and thou shalt by and by see it verified First he worketh his workes according to the lawe with great griefe and labour and yet he therewith confesseth that he is vncertaine whether he be the sonne of God and holy Yea he condemneth and curseth this faith as the most pernitious arrogancie and errour of all other and will continue in his douting vntil he be made certaine by his workes Here thou seest plainly that such a man is not good or righteous seeing that he wanteth this faith and beleefe that he is counted acceptable before God and his sonne yea he is an enemie of this faith and therefore of righteousnes also Wherefore neither can his workes be counted good although they pretend a faire shew of fulfilling the lawe And thus is it easie to vnderstand that which Paule sayth that no man is iustified before God by the workes of the lawe For the worker must be iustified before God before he worketh any good thing although before men which esteeme a man by outward thinges and not by the mind they are counted righteous which apply them selues to the doing of good workes For men iudge the worker by the works God iudgeth the workes by the worker Nowe the first precept requireth that we acknowledge worship one God that is that we trust and rest in him alone which in deede is the true faith whereby we become the sonnes of God But how easie is it by this precept to know that sinne is both in him of Cains brood in thy selfe inasmuch as both of you want such a faith euen by your owne nature which thou couldest not know but by meanes of this law And this is that which Paul meaneth when he sayth That by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3.20 Now thou canst be deliuered from this euill of infidelitie neither by thyne owne power nor by the power of the lawe wherefore all thy workes whereby thou goest about to satisfie the lawe can be nothing but workes of the lawe of farre lesse importance then that they are able to iustifie thee before God who counteth them only righteous which truly beleeue in him for they onely acknowledge him the true God are his sonnes and doe truely fulfill the law But if thou shouldest euen kill thy selfe with workes yet is it so farre of that thy hart can obtaine this faith thereby that thy workes are euen a hinderance that thou canst not knowe it yea they are a cause that thou doost persecute it Hereupon it is that he that studieth to fulfill the law without faith is afflicted for the deuils sake and not for Gods sake and continueth a persecutour both of faith and of the lawe vntill he come to him selfe and doth plainly ceasse to trust in him selfe and in his owne workes doth giue this glory vnto God who iustifieth the vngodly acknowledgeth him selfe to be nothing and figheth for God his grace whereof he doth now know being taught by the law that he hath neede Then faith and grace come and fil him being emptie satisfie him being hungry by and by follow good workes which are truely good Neither are they now the workes of the law but of the spirit of faith and grace and they are called in the Scriptures the workes of God which he worketh in vs. For whatsoeuer we do of our owne power strength All that we doe of our selues being not assisted by the grace of God is euill and is not wrought in vs by his grace without dout it is a worke of the law and auaileth nothing to iustification but is both euill and hated of God because of the infidelitie wherein it is done Againe whatsoeuer he of Cains brood worketh he doth nothing from his hart nothing freely and with a willing mind except he be as it were hyred with some reward or be commaunded to doe some such thinge whereunto he ought otherwise to be ready of him selfe Euen as an euill and vnthriftie seruaunt suffereth him selfe to be brought to no worke vnles he be hyred with a reward or commaunded whereunto he ought otherwise to be willing of himselfe Nowe how vnpleasaunt is it to a man to haue such seruaunts But they of Cains brood be plainly such they would do no good worke at all if they were not either compelled by the feare of hell or allured by the hope of present good thinges Whereby againe thou seest that these haue no mind to the law they gape only for gaine or are moued with feare whereby they bewray them selues that they doe rather hate the law from their hart and had leuer that there were no law at all Wherefore it is plainly manifest that they are not good and consequently that neither their workes be good for how should euill men worke good workes Moreouer those their workes which in apparance shew seeme to be good are either wrested from them by feare or are bought with promises An euill hart can doe nothing that is good But this naughtines of the hart vnwillingnes to doe good the lawe bewrayeth when it teacheth that God doth not greatly esteeme what the hand doth but what the hart doth which seeing it hateth the law that is good who wil deny it to be most euill Surely it
is a sinne to be against the lawe which is very good Thus therefore sinne is knowne by the lawe according as Paule teacheth forasmuch as we learne thereby howe our affection is not set on that which is good What the knowledge of sinne which commeth by the law ought to worke in vs. which ought to terrifie vs and driue vs to ceasse to trust in our selues and to long after the grace of God whereby this naughtines of the hart may be taken away and our mind may become such as is of it selfe ready to good things and loueth the lawe which voluntarily not for any feare of punishment or respect of reward but because it doth of it owne accord like well of the law and loue righteousnes worketh those things which are truely good By this meanes onely one is made of a seruaunt a sonne of a slaue an heire Which mind and spirit thou shalt receiue by no other meanes then by faith in Christ as it is before spoken at large Now let vs come to entreat of the text of Paule Verse 1. The heire as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a seruant though he be Lord of all He propoundeth a similitude taken of the custom of men For we see that the children vnto whom their parents haue left some substance be brought vp no otherwise then if they were seruants They are fedde and clothed with their goods but they are not permitted to doe with them nor to vse them according to their owne minde but are ruled with feare discipline of maners that so euen in their owne inheritance they liue no otherwise then as seruaunts After the same sort is it also in spirituall things The similitude of Paul applyed God made vnto the elect a couenant when he promised that it shoulde come to passe that in the seede of Abraham that is in Christ all nations shoulde be blessed Gen. 22. That couenant was afterward confirmed by the death of Christ and reuealed and published abroad by the preaching of the Gospell What the Gospell is For the Gospell is no other thinge then an open and generall preaching of this grace that in Christ blessing and grace is layde vp for all men which so many onely shall receiue as shall beleeue Nowe before that this couenant is truly opened and made manifest to men the sonnes of God liue after the maner of seruaunts vnder the lawe and are exercised with the workes of the law although they can not be iustified by them inasmuch as they are seruile and doe nothinge auaile to iustification as it is sayde before Notwithstanding because they are euen then predestinate to life when they are after the maner of seruaunts helde vnder the lawe they are true heires of heauenly good thinges that is of this blessing and grace of this couenant albeit they as yet doe not know or enioy it but are wearied with workes no otherwise then other that are voyde of fayth So at this daye thou mayest finde not a fewe which nowe hauing faith as they are the sonnes of God so doe they also enioye the grace of God in the libertie of the sonnes when as a litle before being drowned in workes they knewe nothinge at all of faith being in all thinges like vnto other hypocrites Neuertheles because they were before the foundation of the worlde appoynted of God vnto this fayth and state of sonnes they were euen then the sonnes of God before when they were as yet altogither ignorant of faith There are some also which being as yet as it were drowned in workes are like to seruaunts and those of Cains brood who notwithstanding before God are sonnes and heires which shall be brought vnto the faith of sonnes leauing the state of seruaunts and shall embrace the libertie and right of sonnes shall ceasse from the works of the law and come vnto the inheritance of iustification that being iustified by grace they may worke freely those things that be good to the glory of God and commoditie of their neighbours being farre from all feare or hope as well of iustification as of all other good things For they shall then haue and possesse it by the couenant of the Father confirmed by Christ reuealed published and as it were deliuered into their handes by the Gospell through the onely grace and mercy of the Father The faithful before Christes coÌming had the same couenant which we haue This couenant both Abraham and all the fathers which were endued with true faith had no otherwise then we haue although before Christ was glorified this grace was not openly published and preached They liued in like faith and therefore they obtayned also like good things They had the same grace blessing and couenant with vs for there is one Father and the same God of all Thou seest therefore that Paul as almost in all other places so here also doth entreat much of faith that we are not iustified by our works but by faith alone whereby not certaine good things by peecemeale but all good thinges at once doe come vnto vs. For there is no good thing which this couenant of God doth not contayne in it it giueth and bringeth righteousnes saluation and God him selfe Workes can not be done at once but by faith the whole inheritance of God is togither receiued From thence also good workes doe come howbeit not meritorious whereby thou mayst seeke saluation but which with a minde already possessing righteousnes thou must doe with great pleasure to the profit of thy neighbours For thou shalt nowe haue neede of nothing being endued with faith which bringeth all thinges yea surely moe thinges then one dare wish much lesse can deserue wherefore it is no meruell if such worke all thinges freely and so do vnto their neighbour as they both beleeue and reioyce that God of his goodnes by the merit of Christ hath done vnto them What rewarde shoulde they hope for which already haue all things the shadow whereof those most miserable ones of Cains brood seeke by their workes but they shall neuer find it they follow it but they shall neuer come vnto it Verse 2. But is vnder Tuters and Gouerners vntill the time appoynted of the father Tuters and Gouerners are they which doe bringe vppe the heire and so rule him and order his goods that neither he wast his inheritance by riotous liuing neyther his goods otherwise perish or be consumed They permit him not to vse his goods at his owne will or pleasure but suffer him to enioye them as they shall be needefull and profitable vnto him First whereas they keepe him at home and informe him with good maners what doe they else but prepare and instruct him whereby he may moste commodiously and longe enioye his inheritance Agayne the more straitely and seuerely they bringe him vppe so muche greater desire they stirre vppe and enflame in him to come to and enioye his inheritance For as soone as
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 rudimeÌts 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 rudimeÌts 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 coÌsisting 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
wherefore he hath humbled himselfe to vs and taken vpon him that nature which is best knowne and most familiar vnto vs to wit euen our owne Here he looketh for vs here he will receiue vs he that will seeke him here shall fynde he that will aske here shall be heard here is the throne of grace and the true mercy seate from which none is driuen or thrust which with true faith resorteth vnto it They which do here neglect him as though he were made man for nought and in the meane season do without a mediatour praie vnto God who hath created heauen and earth they shall pray in deede but none shall helpe them they shall crie but none shall heare them The third thing which is here set forth vnto vs to beleeue is that Marie the mother of Iesus is a virgine The mother of Iesus a Virgine This Paule affirmeth when he sayth that he was made of a woman not of a man as other are wont This is that one man which was borne onely of a woman He would not say of a virgine Why Paule rather saide that Christ was made of a woman theÌ of a virgine for that a virgine is not a name of nature but a woman signifieth a sex and certein condition whereunto it belongeth to be with childe and to bring forth that is to do the partes of a mother Seeing therefore that Marie was a mother in deede she is rightly called a womaÌ For she brought forth fruite vnto vs which belongeth to a mother and not to a virgin although she brought it forth alone without the meanes of man wherein she was declared both a singular virgin and woman But because it is of greater importaunce to the Apostle and vnto all vs that Marie is a woman and thereby the mother of Christ then that she is a virgine for that this is onely an ornament vnto her but in that she was a woman she brought forth him which is saluation vnto all for this cause I say the Apostle calleth her rather a woman then a virgine Neither was it considered in choosing her that she was a virgine but that she was a woman for that she being a virgine became a mother Why it behoued that the mother of Christ should be a virgine the cause was for that it behoued that Christ should be borne without synne and therefore without the commixtion of man For of the seede of a sinfull man nothing could be borne but that which is defiled with synne but it behoued that Christ should be that blessed seede whose blessing should be poured forth vpon all as the maner of the diuine couenant required Whereupon it is gathered that Christ could not be borne of the seede of man for that all men are by nature vnder the curse For how should blessing be promised to come vnto all by Christ if all were not subiect to the curse Forasmuch then as the couenant of God promised to Abraham did require these two thinges both that Christ should be the true sonne of Abraham that is his seede his true flesh and blood that also he should be borne pure from synne this meane was inuented that he should of Marie being verie woman and the daughter of Abraham be borne verie man and the right ofspring of Abraham and also that he should be borne without the commixtion of man a virgine being conceiued with child by the onely meanes of the holy Ghost that being full of blessing he might deriue the same vnto all beleeuers So was the couenant of God fulfilled on either side and it came to passe that Christ became both the true seede of Abraham and yet free from all contagion of Adam and is also the author of eternall blessing to theÌ that beleeue Wherefore although Marie be holily to be reuerenced by the name of virgine yet by no comparison greater reuerence is due vnto her then by the name of woman for that her most holy members inasmuch as she was a woman were aduauÌced vnto this dignitie that they were as meanes toward the fulfilling of the holy couenant of God and by them he was brought forth which was to put awaye all curse from them that beleeue in him that so he might be both the blessed seede of Abraham and the blessed frute of the wombe of Marie Vnto which benefite the onely virginitie had not bin sufficient yea it had bin euen vnprofitable The fourth thing whereof the present place of the Apostle doth admonish vs is that Christ hath satisfied the Lawe for vs. Which he also witnesseth of himselfe Matth. 5 I am not come to destroye the Lawe but to fulfill it It was needful that christ should fulfill the Lawe for vs. This also the reason of the couenant requireth for if by this seede of Abraham all men must be deliuered from the curse it is necessarie that by it the Lawe be fulfilled For as men are by nature the children of wrath and subiect to the curse so it must needes be accursed whatsoeuer they doe for it is before proued at large that he which is euell himselfe can worke nothing that is good likewise that we can do nothing that God will approue vnles we our selues be approued of him before and seeing that the Lawe requireth the heart which can not be performed of them which are not as yet regenerate by the spirit it must needes be that all the sonnes of Adam are giltie of transgressing the Lawe and vnles whereas they themselues are not able an other to wit Christ should performe that which the Lawe requireth and so satisfie the Law for them they should altogither perish by the curse of the Law But when as Christ going about to shewe that the heart is required of the Lawe did condemne the workes which proceeded not from a heart that is godly and consenting vnto the Lawe he was accused of the Pharisees that he was come to destroie the Lawe Because therefore he would take awaye this false opinion of himselfe he sayd Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Lawe for I am not come to destroie but to fulfill the Lawe yea and I will giue a spirit vnto them that be mine which shal iustifie their heart by faith and incline it vnto true good workes The same is vsuall with Paul also who Rom. 3 when he had reiected the workes of the Lawe and extolled faith aunswering such an obiection saith Do we then make the Lawe of none effect God forbid yea we establish the Lawe For we teach that the true fulfilling of the Lawe is by Christ The like also is wont to be obiected to vs as though we did forbid good workes when we disallow monasteries with their workes teach that they must first by faith become good and approued of God whereby they may afterward do true good workes by which both their flesh may be chastised and their neighbours edified Here we must note moreouer that the Lawe
sayth proueth If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire For it is sayd before that we become the sonnes of God by faith without any workes therefore heires also as this place witnesseth for by nature they that are sonnes the same also are heires But if this inheritance of the Father be nowe thyne by fayth surely thou art riche in all good things before thou hast wrought any thinge For howe should it be that by faith thou art the heire of God wtout any works through onely grace and that thou mayst againe first merit it by works Wherefore the case standeth as I often times say To a man that is baptized and beleueth in Christ the heauenly inheritance of the Father is already giuen at once that is all good thinges they are only hid as yet by faith for that the maner of the present life can not suffer that he shoulde enioye them being reuealed Whereupon Paule sayth Rom. 8 Ye are saued but by hope for ye doe not as yet see it but doe yet waite when the possession of your good thinges shall be reuealed And 1. Pet. 1. it is sayd Your saluation is reserued in heauen and prepared for you to be shewed in the last time VVhereunto the workes of a Christian ought to be referred Wherefore the workes of a Christian ought not to haue regard of merit which is the maner of seruaunts but onely of the vse and commoditie of his neighbours that he doe not liue and worke to him selfe but to his neighbour whereby he may truely liue to the glory of God For by faith he is rich in all good thinges and truely blessed Nowe the Apostle addeth through Christ lest that any thinke that so great inheritance commeth vnto vs freely Although we are saued frely with out all merit in respect of our selues yet Christ hath merited and with a deare price purchased saluation for vs. and without al cost For although it be giuen vnto vs without our cost and without all our merit yet it cost Christ a deare price who that he might purchase it for vs was made vnder the lawe and satisfied it for vs both by life also by death So those benefits which of loue we bestowe vpon our neighbour doe come vnto him freely and without any charges or labour vnto him notwithstanding they cost vs some thing inasmuch as we bestow vpon him although freely and of meere goodnes yet those thinges that are our owne whether it be labour or part of our substance euen as Christ hath bestowed those thinges that be his vpon vs. And thus hath Paule called backe his Galathians from the teachers of workes which preached nothing but the law peruerting the Gospell of Christ All which thinges are very necessary to be marked of vs also For the Pope with his Prelats and Monks hath now too long a time with intruding and vrging his lawes which are foolish and most pernitious inasmuch as they doe euery where disagree with the word of God seduced almost the whole world from the Gospell of Christ plainly extinguished the faith of sonnes according as the Scripture hath in diuers places very manifestly prophesied of his kingdom Wherefore let euery one that desireth to obtaine saluation most diligently take heede of him and all his Apostles no otherwise then of Satan him selfe and his chiefe and most pernitious Apostles A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING FAITH AND DIFFIDENCE IN daunger and trouble Matth. 8. Verse 23. WHen Iesus was entered into the ship his Disciples followed him 24. And behold there arose a great tempest in the sea so that the ship was couered with waues but he was asleepe 25. Then his Disciples came and awoke him saying Maister saue vs we perish 26. And he sayd vnto them Why are ye feareful O ye of litle faith Then he arose and rebuked the windes and the sea so there was a great calme 27. And the men merueiled saying What man is this that both the windes the sea obey him ACcording to the historie this text setteth before vs an example of faith and diffidence wherof we may learne both what a stronge and inuincible thinge faith is and that it must be exercised tryed euen in great matters and full of perill and also howe desperate a thing on the other side diffidence is and howe full of feare and trembling which can neuer doe any thinge rightly or wel This doth experience most liuely set forth in the Disciples How desperate fearefull a thinge diffidence is it appeareth by the example of Christes Disciples They when they entered into the ship with Christ and whilest there was calmnes in the lake were nothing disquieted in mind neither felt any feare Then if one should haue asked them whether they beleeued they would haue aunswered without dout that they did beleeue For they did not know that their hart did trust in that quietnes for that all troubles were absent and therefore did rest vpon a thinge visible and not vpon the inuisible grace of God Which then was made manifest as soone as the tempest was risen and the waues did couer the ship for by and by all their trust and confidence ceassed for that the quietnes and calmnes whereunto they trusted was taken away and diffidence which before when al things were prosperous did lurke in their minds did then appeare For this is the nature of diffidence that it beleeueth or knoweth no more then it feeleth Forasmuch therefore as it had possessed the brestes of the Apostles they felt nothing now but the fearefull tempest and the waues couering the ship they saw the sea swelling and greatly raging to threaten nothing but death These thinges onely did they thinke vpon these onely did they consider and therefore could there be no measure or ende of feare and trembling in their mindes the more they weyed in their mind the perill so much more were they terrified and seemed euen now to sticke in the very iawes of death hoping for no life or deliuerance And as they could not so much as thinke any thing els because of their vnbeliefe so all comfort also was farre from them For diffidence or vnbeliefe hath nothing whereunto it may trust or flee wherfore when outward aduersitie commeth it admitteth nothing into the mind but it and therefore it can neuer feele any peace or quietnes while this remaineth So in hell where diffidence exerciseth full tyrannie there can neuer be any intermission of desperation trembling and terrour What faith doth in trouble daunger But if the Disciples had bene then endued with a sound faith and if it had ruled in this daunger it would haue remoued from the mind the wind and all this tempest in steede of these would wholy haue thought vpon the power of God and his grace promised whereunto it would no otherwise haue trusted then if it had sate vpon a most stronge rocke farre from the
not refuse to receiue it Hereupon it moreouer foloweth If soe be that a Christian doeth good workes whereby he sheweth loue to his neighbour he is not therefore made a Christian or righteous but he must needes be a Christian and righteous before He doeth good workes in deede but they doe not make him a Christian The tree bringeth forth and giueth fruite and not the fruite the tree Soe none is made a Christian by workes but by Christ Hereof now ye may vnderstand what kynde of people Christians be namely that they be a company which cleaue vnto Christ Christians what they are and are of one spirit and gifte with him Hereupon it is that all Christians are alike neither hath one more of Christ then an other S. Peter is not better then the Theefe on the crosse Marie the mother of God doth not excell Marie Magdalen the synnefull woman There is in deede a difference in outward thinges and doinges so the worke of the holy virgin Marie was greater then the worke of Marie Magdalen Peter had a greater worke then the Theefe if thou consider the works but we are not therefore Christians The holy virgine Marie is not a Christian because of her great worke for that she did beare Christ so vnspeakeable a treasure in her wombe as Christ himselfe said to the woman which cried vnto him from among the people Luke 11 Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes which thou hast sucked yea rather sayth he blessed are they that heare the worde of God and keepe it In which place thou seest that he preferreth the faithfull euen aboue his mother For Christians do therefore beare their name because they beleeue in Christ A virgine and a mother are two notable names howbeit they are nothinge being compared to the true name of the faithfull Wherefore we are all alike in Christ through faith albeit S. Peter haue a stronger faith then I yet myne is as well fayth in Christ as his For the same Christ is offered of God the father vnto all companies and people whom he that hath obtained hath him whole whether he be strong or weake for that skilleth not The woman mentioned in our text which was troubled so many yeares with her disease dothe receiue and apprehend Christ as well as the virgine Marie his mother Wherefore there is one Christian spirite one excelleth with an other in the noblenes of byrth S. Peter is enforced to call me his brother and I againe deare be bolde to call him my brother Yea Christ himselfe is touched with care of vs and counteth vs for his brethren as he saide after his resurrection to Marie Magdalen Ioh. 20 I ascende vnto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God And S. Paule calleth Christ the first borne among many brethren Whereof also he writeth excellently in the first Epistle to the Corinthians where entreating of false brethren he speaketh thus 1. Cor. 8.9 Take heede lest by any meanes this power of yours be an occasion of falling to them that are weake For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sitte at table in the idols temple shall not the conscience of him which is weake be boldened to eate those thinges which are sacrificed to idols and so through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish for whom Christ died Now when ye sinne so against your brethren and wounde their weake conscience ye sinne against Christ Here thou seest if a Christian be offended or euell be done vnto him the same is done vnto Christ This therefore is the summe of the whole Gospell The summe of the Gospell that we maye learne so to knowe Christ that the name onely doe not remaynâ but that we maye knowe that all that we haue we haue it from him If we be Christians we haue all thinges then God is our father and we are Lordes of all both heauenly and earthly thinges which is gotten of vs by no worke be it neuer soe great Thou seest nowe how farre they be from the name of Christ which be vnder the kingdom of the Pope They that will preach the Gospell must preach nothing els besyde the onely person which is Christ not Marie so farre must they be from preaching the Pope or any worke albeit precious they must preach offer Christ onely vnto vs none besyde him When now he is preached vnto thee as a iudge as he shall come in the last day and how that good workes are to be done of thee for which thou mayst be rewarded of him thou shalt so receiue it surely without all dout he shal be vnto thee a iudge and not a sauiour And if he be so set forth vnto thee as he was wont to be painted that his mother sheweth him her pappes that is properly to preach Satan and not Christ who giueth onely and receiueth not This is certaine when thou shalt haue receiued of him theÌ good workes do flow forth of their owne accord being not compelled as is set forth in this dayes Gospell wherein moreouer is declared that Christ preacheth the Gospell to the people now it is not a common worke to preach For it is a great benefit vnto vs that he is become our maister and instructer that he teacheth vs by what meanes we may come to the knowledge of him this is a parte of his great goodnes and grace For as long as he was here in the earth he cessed not to teach that we might altogether receiue him for the Messias and Sauiour and by his workes also did helpe and relieue euerie one when the case so required The exceeding gentlenes and bouÌtifulnes of Christ Thou fyndest no man in the Gospell to whom helpe was denied or which at any time asked any thinge of the Lord which was not giuen him For how many soeuer went vnto him that were blynde deafe lame sicke of the palsey had the dropsie he receiued all and helped them all according to their desire and healed them of all kindes of diseases Luke 6.19 as Luke sayth All the whole multitude sought to touch him for there went vertue out of him and healed them all So doeth he also to this woman The woman heareth him preaching and perceiueth him to be a bountifull and gracious man which sheweth himselfe gentle to the whole world whereupon she hath an affection both to loue him and to cleaue vnto him For she maketh accompt forasmuch as he putteth awaye none from him that he would not denie her his goodnes wherefore leauing all the Apostles she casteth both her hearte and confidence vpon Christ alone and thinketh thus with her selfe If I may touch but the hemme of his garment I shal be whole She thought no other thinge in her heart but certainly he will helpe me if so be that I shall touch his garment with myne hand yet hath she not so good a corage that she dare come before his face
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 couÌted 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 theÌ 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
we come to hand strokes that is when we feele our miserie and calamitie there remayneth no comfort or helpe then my hart can not lift it selfe aboue the heauy burden wherewith it is pressed downe but it must needes faint and be discouraged But if I conceiue a trust and doute nothing that Christs natiuitie is mine that my sinnes be taken away by him I become exceding ioyfull am confirmed with comfort whereby all heauines and sorrow is shaken of True comfort and ioy This onely is that comfort and no other which maketh a good conscience which feareth neither death nor hell for it alwayes resteth vpon the word of God which giueth Christ vnto vs. Wherefore it is a thinge altogether miserable and lamentable if such a good conscience be sought in any other thinges then here Thou shalt find no ioy no peace of conscience neither in heauen nor in earth but in this Christ be thou certaine and sure thereof Wherefore let all other thinges passe and cleaue vnto him onely if thou desire to be bold and couragious against sinne death the deuill hell all thinges that are against thee He is the Lorde Sauiour Ye vnderstand I trust this right wel forasmuch as ye haue now heard it so ofteÌ But I doe with so great earnestnes as it were beate it into your mindes that ye may see that there is but one thing taught in the whole Scripture which I would haue to sticke firmely and vndoutedly in you this is that which I haue sayd that the vse of this natiuitie be knowne They which seeke any other thing and vse not this natiuitie are in a desperat case as ye haue heard Which ye haue very wel expressed in this songe the author whereof whosoeuer he was did nothing erre from the purpose to witte that the onely childe Christ is our comfort Which wordes surely are of very great importance and deserue most diligently to be weyed For ye did sing after this sort A child highly to be praysed is borne vnto vs this day of a chast virgin to the comfort of vs wretches If that child had not bin borne we had perished all Is it not sayd here that there is no comfort beside only Christ which in deed is most true Without dout the holy Ghost taught him that made this song to singe after this sort If the case stand thus it followeth that Monkes Nunnes Sacrificing Priestes and all which leaue this child and seeke to come to heauen by other wayes and works be coÌdemned For such say that they neede not this child otherwise they woulde confesse that their owne workes be nothing worth These therefore do nothing but deceiue and seduce of whom mens harts are procured to depart from Christ and are led away vnto Satan In the aforesayd song is contayned moreouer He is the saluation of vs all oh sweete Iesu Christ forasmuch as thou art borne man defende vs from hell I greatly desire that ye did well vnderstand this It is soong abroade euery where but there is none that throughly beleueth it Whereupon it commeth that some doe oppugne these things especially they which know sing and babble very much of them that truely I feare that Christ is neuer more blasphemed then at this feast of his natiuitie and at other great feastes that it should be no maruel if when he is so blasphemed he should suffer the whole world to be swallowed vp but the last day is at hand Wherefore endeuour that ye may sound this excellent song in your hart and as ye sing it in mouth so ye may also beleue it If the case stande thus that all thinges without this child are vaine No meanes but by Christ to come vnto heauen what neede is there then of much busines why doost thou runne this way that way and endeuorest to do workes whereby thou mayst prepare thee a seate in heauen which they especially doe that murmure vp many Rosaries and doe continually extoll the mother of God in mouth onely but in hart thinke more euil of her then of all others not onely of her but of Christ him selfe also the Lord and Sauiour Wherefore commit this so to memorie that ye may be certainly perswaded that whatsoeuer dependeth of any other then of that child it is all damnable otherwise the Angell had lyed This must be compted for most certaine without any addition neither are these trifles to be weied to witte that this sufficeth not that thou doost beleeue moe thinges are to be added Forasmuch then as the Angell sayth that this child doth all and that he is the Sauiour and if he be not that all labour is lost tell me how can it follow that some thing is to be done of thee when it is already done before Doost thou goe about to doe any thinge that thou mayst obtaine him That child suffereth not him selfe to be apprehended and obtayned by workes for albeit thou heape together workes notwithstanding thou doost not yet enioy the child Moreouer thy works be vncleane by which such a great treasure can not be gotten no though they were euen holy But he is to be appreheÌded in hart so that thou beleeue and say to the Angel I beleeue that it is true which thou sayest and nothing at all douting I count this childe for a Sauiour borne vnto me And this part wherof we haue now spoken pertaineth to faith Now we haue here also an other part pertayning to Christian life namely charitie that workes may not be reiected If thou wilt doe workes doe them not in that respect that thou perswade thy selfe that thou doost obtayne any thing of God by them A most excellent example to be followed of all Christians in doing of good workes But follow this example such a one as Christ hath shewed him selfe to thee be thou also towarde thy neighbour If thou doe more nearely consider the example of Christ thou shalt finde nothing but meere loue Whereas he humbleth him selfe and is borne in so great pouertie that declareth nothing but loue toward thee which moued him to become a seruaunt for thy sake as Paule Philip. 2. sayth who knew that he might remayne in diuine glory Now this he did for thy commoditie he bowed his eies to thy miserie and calamitie which art so miserable a man wholy damnable abounding with sinne thy natiuitie is vncleane thy misery is on euery side most great thou hast deserued nothing but the wrath of God eternall damnation If thou hadst bene a Carthusian Monke a thowsand yeares thou couldest not deliuer thy self from this miserye and damnation But Christ is able to helpe thee he is rich and hath strength sufficient seeing therefore he can doe such thinges he doth them willingly and with pleasure Loue enforceth him so farre that he employeth all thinges for thy sake and bestoweth whatsoeuer he hath for thee Forasmuch then as Christ sheweth so great loue toward thee and giueth vnto
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 âeeke 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 writteÌ 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 HereupoÌ 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
on the crosse leapt at one leap two and forty degrees and came sodainely to Christ So did many Martyrs also and other holy men Notwithstanding none can goe so great a iorney with small griefe vnlesse he be caried with a great winde that is by the holy Ghost We must goe fayre and softly from Abraham to Isaac from Isaac to Iacob and so forth But we must begin at Abraham that we may be found endued with like faith as he was and obtaine the blessing promised vnto him then we shall more easily and cheerefully goe from one Patriarch to an other That is we shal passe ouer one affliction after an other vntill we be called out of this trauell and iorney vnto our rest Why the godly must suffer afflictions in this world For a man must be so long exercised with afflictions and so oft renounce his owne will vntill at the last he be brought vnder and his flesh by this meanes be subdued that it may obey the spirit and walke ioyfully in the will and obedience of God Wherefore let no man purpose with him selfe to come vnto heauen by leading a quiet life Luk. 18.25 and following pleasure thus Christ sayth in Luke It is easier for a camell to goe through a needles eye Act. 14.22 then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God And in the Actes of the Apostles Paule teacheth that we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God Againe Luk. 16.25 in Luke Abraham sayd to the rich glutton Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines nowe therefore he is comforted and thou art tormented So it behoued Christ also to suffer by the crosse to enter into his glorie 2. Tim. 3.12 And S. Paule sayth All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Hereupon we may learne that all that is poyson which is according to the lust of the flesh Rom. 8.13 Wherfore Paule sayth to the Rom. If ye liue after the flesh ye shal die but if ye mortifie the deedes of the bodye by the spirite ye shall liue The flesh striueth against the spirit The spirit which is of God is ready to suffer but the flesh resisteth This Iesus signified by his aunswer vnto Peter when he shewed vnto his Disciples that he must goe vnto Ierusalem Matth. 16.21 and suffer many thinges of the Iewes and be slayne also Peter tooke him aside and sayd vnto him Maister pitie thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee But Christ turned him backe and sayd vnto Peter Get thee behind me Satan for thou sauerest not the thinges that are of God but the thinges that are of men Here it is manifest that the reason of man doth flatly striue against the will of God God will haue vs enter into glory by the crosse and persecution but the flesh resisteth and is troubled in afflictions Moreouer they that are endued with the spirit of God doe reioyce if they be afflicted for God his sake Act. 5.41 as it is writteÌ of the Apostles They departed as Luke sayth from the councell reioycing that they were couÌted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name Iam. 1.2 Wherefore Iames sayth in his Epistle My brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuerse tentations knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience And let patience haue her perfect worke that ye may be perfect and entier lacking nothing O how necessary is patience for a Christian man that we may possesse our soules by patience Luk. 21.19 as Christ sayth in Luke otherwise we shall lose them Wherefore we must enter into a new kinde of life and if at any time calamitie commeth we must not by and by burst forth into euill speeches take it vnpatiently but we must alwayes lift vp our hart to God and beare his will with a patient minde he will well deliuer vs in his time when it seemeth good to him God euen when he chasteneth and correcteth vs doth loue vs and care for vs. Heb. 12.5 and we must alwayes thinke that he beareth a fatherly affection toward vs euen when he sendeth persecutions anguishes afflictions and aduersities as the Epistle to the Hebrewes sayth Ye haue forgotten the exhortation which speaketh vnto you as vnto children My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint wheÌ thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth If ye endure chastening God offereth him selfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for vvhat sonne is it vvhom the father chasteneth not If therefore ye be vvithout correction vvhereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes God giue vs his diuine grace that we may courageously passe these two and forty degrees with the Lord Christ be regenerate into a new life Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE HYMNE OF ZACHARIAS COMMONLY CALLED BENEDICTVS Luke 1. Verse 68. BLessed be the Lord God of Israell because he hath visited and redeemed his people THat godly man Zacharias speaketh here of things as already done when he sayth he hath visited and redeemed his people c. For he was certaine of them now the childe Iohn was come being about to begin to preach of our redemption as the Angell had foretold of him that he should goe before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the hartes of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedom of the iust men to make ready a people prepared for the Lorde this promise he knew should assuredly come to passe Wherin this redemption consisteth I thinke it is already sufficiently knowne vnto you namely in this that God visiteth and deliuereth vs. Which visitation and deliuerance is accomplished neither by sworde nor violence but by the worde alone wherein consisteth more then in the blood and death on the crosse * That the word promises of God might be accomplished and fulfilled For because of the worde Christ shed his blood on the crosse It was the word that Iohn preached when he shewed the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde that is when he declared our visitation and redemption which Christ hath purchased with his blood This Iohn was the first Messenger which preached the Gospel Wherefore to vs to whom the Gospel was not before preached it is as if Iohn him selfe did nowe preach it for now is first set forth vnto vs redemption sweete consolation deliuerance from sinnes death hell and all euill To visit is nothing else then to come vnto vs to bring and declare vnto vs the word of saluation by which we are saued Zacharias conceiued so great ioy and pleasure in his hart that he could not coÌtaine him selfe but he must needes burst forth into those words which in this Hymne he vttereth not onely because of the
to come Now it is not giuen vnto them in this earth to goe so farre that they may say We are subiect to no vices we are cleane from all sinne if they shall goe so farre it is Satan that deceiueth them Notwithstanding they are sorie for their sinnes and doe lament them yea it grieueth them to the hart that they must beare the miserable burden of this flesh and they crie out together with S. Paule Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death This shrite crie all the faithfull doe giue for that feeling sinne they doe most earnestly desire to be deliuered from it And in this feeling knowledge of sinne the kingdom of Christ consisteth so that euen in sinne there is no sinne That is albeit I doe both acknowledge and feele sinne Though the godly haue sinne in theÌ and feele the grieuousnes thereof yet it doth not hurt them yet saluation and the kingdom doe so firmely abide in my conscience that God sayth vnto me I will forgiue thee thy sinne for that thou hast faith and beleeuest in Christ my especially beloued sonne who was deliuered to death for thee neither shall thy sinnes hurt thee Others which feele not their sinnes but trust in their workes and complaine nothing of their faultes and offences thinking them selues cleane such are giuen to Satan not receiued or admitted into the kingdom of Christ for they which are partakers of this kingdom can not be without conflicts and tribulation Death Satan and the world doe somewhat trouble the godly but the godly at the last ouercome them Psal 118.18 And that I may speake more plainly recken I pray thee any of the Sainctes whom death doth not trouble yea I know thou shalt not finde one which is not afraid and trembleth not at the horrible sight of death But the conscience taketh comfort here by the Prophet Dauid who sayth The Lorde hath chastened and corrected me but he hath not giuen me ouer vnto death it fighteth against vs in deede but it preuaileth not Thus a Christian wrapped in sinnes is both vnder sinnes and aboue sinnes at the last notwithstanding obtaineth the victorie After the same sort also must he haue to doe with Satan with whom he must wrastle all his life and at the last ouercome him So in the world also he must suffer many conflicts and troubles and yet at length become victor For although it be a kingdom of saluation which hath neither rest nor quietnes but suffreth the force of hel death the deuill sinne and all maner of aduersitie and tribulation yet they which be in it doe with an inuincible courage endure and at length ouercome all euills But God therefore permitteth these thinges that our faith may be exercised and shew forth it selfe Moreouer that is a pleasure to the conscience and bringeth vnto it comfort and ioye that it hath such a kingdom that it may say Blessed be the Lord God who hath visited and redeemed vs and hath raised vp a kingdom in the house of Dauid That is for that he visiteth vs by his word deliuereth vs from sinnes and maketh vs conquerours ouer death and Satan Thus he haue heard both that a kingdom is raysed vp in the house of Dauid and also that a Christian is both dead and yet aliue is innocent in the middes of sinnes and although he be subiect to Satan yet notwithstanding hath dominion ouer Satan For both are true for that sinne death hell doe assaile the flesh but doe not ouercome forasmuch as this kingdom of saluation triumpheth ouer them all Wherefore as it were with a certaine great boldnes or confidence he calleth it a horne that is a stronge and puissant kingdom Which hath no rest or truce but being assailed of many and stronge enemies is alwayes diligently occupied in defence of it selfe and doth notably repell the force of the enemie So a Christian laying hold on this horne ouerthroweth sinne death and Satan Neither consisteth this horne in our strength neither are we makers thereof for God hath made and raysed it vp by the ministerie of his word whereby we are saued Wherefore Zacharias so singeth that his songe hath respect not to his own sonne but to Christ Yea he celebrateth this kingdom as pertaining to the Iewes onely and declareth that it shall be glorious and maketh no mention of the Gentiles how they also should come vnto it as beside others Simeon in his song the beginning whereof is Lorde nowe lettest thou c. did prophecie that we Gentiles also are chosen into that kingdom But here he foretelleth of a kingdom raysed vp of God to the Iewes euen a kingdom of saluation and blessednes and that in the house of his seruaunt Dauid Wherefore he sayth moreouer Verse 70. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue bene since the world began Therefore he hath raised vp this kingdom that he might confirme his promise whereby he had foretold that he would sometime rayse vp a kingdom c. And now that time is come wherein he will fulfill that his promise So Zacharias reduceth the horne of saluation the kingdom of Christ to the olde Testament that out of it he may bring witnesses of so strong and puissant a kingdom The Prophets foretold of the kingdom that should be raysed vp in the house of Dauid For the Prophets from the time of Dauid did all prophesie that the seede of Dauid should haue a kingdom in the earth yet a spirituall kingdom and aboue the rest Esai and Ieremie foretold that it should be such a kingdom that the gouernment thereof should consist in the spirit worde to these especially Zacharias hath here respect The other as Osee Micheas and the rest doe speake of the same kingdom but not so manifestly Verse 71. That he would deliuer vs from our enemies and from the handes of all that hate vs. The Euangelist hath hitherto generally rehearsed what that kingdom of Christ is whereof the Prophets prophesied Wherein this kingdom of saluation consisteth Nowe he speaketh of it also but particularly declaring wherein it consisteth First in this that he deliuereth vs from the handes of our enemies yea and from all them that hate vs. Ye see here and vnderstand most dearely beloued that this verse doth witnes most plainely declare that we which are his people and kingdom doe liue amongst enemies and that no other is to be looked for of vs but to be hated of them That also the force qualitie and nature of this kingdom consisteth in this that it deliuereth vs out of the handes of all them that hate vs as the Prophet Dauid sayth Psal 110. The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion be thou ruler in the middes of thine enemies And Psal 45. Thine arrowes are very sharpe euen in the middes of the Kings enemies It is a delight vnto Christ
thee againe if thou despisest me I also will despise thee if thou makest no account of me I againe will make small account of thee What care I if the world hate me when as I displease not him that dwelleth in heauen if this hatred continue euen dayly if sinne rage and the worlde talke and prate many thinges what then let it do so vntill it be weary I wil passe ouer these things as if I heard them not This is in deede to forsake the world and to die vnto it to liue without feare to be occupied about no other thing but that which is according to Gods will to speake nothing at all but that which shall please him and which I shall know to be agreeable to his worde that I may liue so and doe those workes which I knowe certainly are acceptable before him that in my whole life whatsoeuer I doe either outwardly or inwardely I may be certaine that I seeke his glorye and endeuour to fulfill his will So I am separated from the world and notwithstanding doe still liue in the worlde No man is lesse in the world then a sincere Christian and againe no man is more occupied and hath to doe with the world then an entire Christian That is the worlde doth more intentiuely looke vnto him and Satan more often and vehemently assaileth him then him that is ignorant of Christ of grace and of faith Christ and Paule had experience hereof they had combats conflicts with the world they were troubled and molested yea the whole world was against them Againe a true Christian is not in the worlde albeit the world rage fret cruelly against him for he alwayes trusteth in God and sayth Lord I am thine thou shalt deale wel with me graunt thou that my matters may goe forward according to thy will onely be thou on my side and I shall be in safety All the dayes of our life All our life long that is continually without ceasing In holines and righteousnes before him Here S. Luke diuideth righteousnes and holines into two sortes of which one is acceptable before God the other before him is of no value wherby we haue to vnderstand that both the righteousnes holines of God are in no estimation before the world euen as the worlde is wont nothing to esteeme God and againe God litle to esteeme the world For that which God calleth iust the world calleth vniust and that which it calleth right God calleth crooked and so these two Champions are continually at variance betwene them selues That which God calleth holy seemeth to the world deuilish and vnrighteous Wherefore he comforteth vs here declaring that there be two sortes of righteousnes and holines One which we ought to obserue diligently An other which we ought to auoide Hypocritical holines and righteousnes Hitherto it hath bene the chiefe holines and righteousnes of all which could be inuented to runne into Monasteries to put on monkish apparel to be shauen to weare a hempten girdle to giue him selfe to fasting and prayer to be clothed with heare cloth to lye in wollen garments to obserue an austere maner of liuing and in a summe to take vpon him monkish holines and religion And thus sticking in a colourable shew of good works we knewe none other but that we were holy from top to toe hauing regarde onely to workes and the body and not to the hart where we were full of hatred feare incredulitie troubled with an euil conscience knowing almost nothing rightly of God TheÌ the world cried openly O that holy man O holy and chast woman which haue included them selues within the walls of Monasteries which day night kneeling vpon their knees say many rosaries as they call them O what holines is there where euen God him selfe dwelleth where the holy Ghost the comforter abideth present These thinges the world boasteth of and greatly esteemeth But beside these they doe not marke how they pray with no earnestnes of hart howe they teach and instruct no man howe they giue nothing to any but catch vnto them selues both the blood and sweat of the poore and leaue true sincere workes vndone This righteousnes holines the world extolleth which notwithstanding stincketh and is wholy vncleane before God which he will haue euen to be vnknowne vnto vs yet the worlde refuseth to admit any other But there is an other maner of righteousnes then this whereof God esteemeth accepteth which also we must consider The righteousnes wherof God accepteth of what sort it is now it is of this sorte It consisteth not in a graye garment not in a blacke or white coule but in a pure conscience To wit when I beleeue that Christ is my saluation and that my workes can preuaile nothing hereunto but that he doth all thinges which God hath regarde vnto Then I say no more a gray garment is holy a red garment is prophane forasmuch as I know that not in a gray or any other garment but in Christ all thinges consist For no man can attaine to this that a gray garment may clense his hart from fâlth or that a monasterie may purifie it for it is necessary that God onely purifie the hart by faith and the holy Ghost as Peter witnesseth Act. 15. When the hart is now pure the house is vnto it as the fielde and the fielde as the house The market is as much esteemed of it as the Monasterie and contrariwise Neither remaineth there vnto me any worke place or garment which I count prophane for all thinges are alike vnto me after that holines hath fully possessed my hart That euen God sayth vnto me Thou art godly I am thy father thou art my sonne And herein we ought to persist that we be holy and without feare doe obey and serue him Here the title and badges of a Christian are seene this is his cognisance to wit that being holy he is the Minister of God without feare But what sinner is there which dareth challenge to him selfe this title Let one come forth which dareth auouch him selfe to be godly righteous holy and the seruaunt of God destitute of no good thinges either of mind or body Now he that caÌ not glory of these things is not a Christian For of these thinges must a sincere Christian be partaker But what letteth that one dareth not challenge to him selfe this title Euen a timorous conscience for we alwaies feele sinne and our life is euer fraile I see nothing but an honest life although God require this also of vs yet he will not be content therwith but there is neede that there be yet a certain higher thinge that I dare be bolde to say Lorde God maker of the whole worde I am certaine that I am holy before thee and am thy seruaunt not for myne owne sake who do as yet feele sinnes in my selfe but through Christ who hath taken away my sinne and made satisfaction for me These
S. Paule hath gathered very briefly and as it were into one short summe when he sayth Rom. 4 Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification Whereof thus much at this time shall suffize A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE GOOD SHEPEHEARD Iohn 10. Verse 11. IEsus sayde vnto the Iewes I am that good shepeheard that good shepeheard giueth his life for his sheepe 12. But an hyreling he which is not the shepeheard neither the sheepe are his owne seeth the woulfe comming and leaueth the sheepe and fleeth and the woulfe catcheth them and scattereth the sheepe 13. So the hyerling fleeth because he is an hyerling and careth not for the sheepe 14. I am that good shepeheard and know myne and am knowne of myne 15. As the Father knoweth me so know I the Father and I lay downe my life for my sheepe 16. Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this folde them also must I bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one sheepefold and one shepeheard THis text is full of consolation which in a goodly parable setteth forth Christ our Lord teacheth what maner of person he is what be his workes and of what affection he is toward men Neuertheles it can not be vnderstood but by comparing togither light and darkenes day and night that is a good and an euill shepeheard as the Lord also doth in this place Ye haue nowe oftentimes heard that God hath instituted and ordeined in the worlde two maner of preachings The preaching of the law One is when the word of God is preached which sayth Exod. 20 Thou shalt haue none other gods before me Also Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale doth also threaten that he which doth not keepe those precepts shall dye But that preaching doth iustifie no man For although a man be thereby compelled to shew him selfe godly outwardly before men notwithstanding inwardly his hart is offended at the law The preaching of the Gospell and had leuer there were no lawe The other ministerie of the word is the Gospell which sheweth where that is to be receiued which the lawe requireth it neither vrgeth nor threatneth but allureth men gentlely it sayth not doe this or that but it sayth thus Goe too I will shew where thou mayst receiue and take whereby thou mayst become righteous Behold here is Iesus Christ he will giue it thee Wherfore these two disagree one with an other as much as to receiue and giue to exact and reward And this difference is to be well vnderstood and marked To hardened and vntractable men To whom the law must be preached which feele not the Gospell the lawe is to be preached and they are so long to be vrged till they begin to be mollified and humbled and doe acknowledge their disease which when it is done there is then place to begin to preach the Gospell These two sortes of preachinges were instituted and ordayned of God besides these there are other which were not ordayned of God but are traditions inuented by men ordained of the Pope and his Prelats wherewith they haue peruerted the Gospell These are not worthy to be called either shepeherds or hirelings but they are those which Christ calleth theeues robbers and wolues For if we will rule and guide men rightly and well that must needes be done by the worde of God whereby if it be not done we surely labour in vaine Furthermore Christ entreateth here of that second ministerie of the word and describeth of what sorte it is he maketh him selfe the chiefe yea the onely shepeheard for that which he doth not feede doth surely remayne vnfed Ye haue heard that our Lorde Iesus Christ after his passion and death was raysed from the dead is entred into and placed in immortalitie not that he might sit idle in heauen and reioyce with him selfe but that he might receiue a kingdom might execute the function of a gouernour and king of whom all the Prophets yea the whole Scripture doe speake very much Wherfore he is to be acknowledged to be vnto vs continually a present gouernour and ruler neither must we thinke that he is idle in heauen but that he doth from aboue both fill and gouerne all thinges as Paule sayth Ephes 4. who hath an especiall care of his kingdome which is the Christian faith hereupon it must needes be that his kingdom doe florish amonge vs here in earth Of this kingdom we haue elsewhere sayd that it is so ordeyned The kingdoÌ of Christ increaseth not by force and power but by preaching of the Gospell that we all encrease euery day and become purer and that it is not gouerned at all by any force or power but by outward preaching alone that is by the Gospell And this Gospell commeth not from man but Iesus Christ him selfe brought it and afterward put it into the hartes of the Apostles and their successors that they might comprehend it and into their mouthes that they might speake and publish it Hereby is his kingdom gouerned wherein he so reigneth that all the power thereof consisteth in the word of God Now whosoeuer shall heare beleeue this The force efficacie of the word of God doe pertaine to this kingdome Moreouer this worde is afterward made so effectuall that it giueth all thinges which are necessary to man bringeth a certain abundance of all good things which may be had For it is the power of God which is able to saue euery one that beleeueth as Paul witnesseth Rom. 1 When thou beleuest that Christ died for thee to deliuer thee from all euill so cleauest vnto the worde it is sure and certaine that no creature is able to ouerthrow thee For as none is able to ouerthrow the word so none is able to hurt thee when thou stickest vnto it By the word therefore thou doost ouercome sinne death Satan hell and thither thou must resort and flie where the word is that is to eternall peace ioy and life and briefly thou shalt be made partaker of all such good things as are promised in the word Wherfore the gouernment of this kingdom is maruelous the word is published preached through the whole world but the power thereof is very secret neither doth any man marke that it is so effectual that it so much profiteth them that beleue howbeit it must be felt and tasted in the hart We therfore of the ministerie are able to performe no more then that we are the mouth of our Lorde Christ and the instrument whereby he openly preacheth the word For he suffereth the word to be published abroad that euery one may heare it But faith maketh that it is felt inwardly in the hart yea and it is the secret worke of Christ whensoeuer any knoweth that it is his duety and is also willing to doe according to his diuine will
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 heaueÌ 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 kingdoÌ 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 kingdoÌ 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
quietnes comfort and peace of the hart or attaine vnto the kingdom of God by any law And they which prescribe many lawes doe withdraw men from the kingdom of God to the kingdom of sinne wherein is nothing els but vnquietnes anguish affliction aduersitie and all kind of euills tormenting the conscience Like as on the contrary in the kingdom and knowledge of God there is meere ioy peace and consolation of harts How Christ reigneth in the kingdoÌ of God Secondly In this kingdom of God the Lord Christ reigneth no otherwise then as a Maister of an Hospitall among the sicke poore and diseased For vnto this kingdome none pertaine but sinnefull and miserable men vnto whome their sinnes are forgiuen Hereupon Christ sayth in the Gospell Luke 6 VVo be to you that are riche which haue receiued your consolation But contrariwise the poore miserable and succourles receiue comfort and ioy by the Gospel for Christ came to call sinners onely and not the righteous that all glory may be referred to God alone Christ putteth away sinne after two sortes for that he forgiueth sinnes of his grace and meere mercy Such abolishing or putting away of sinne wherein Christ reigneth as King of the kingdome of God is done of him after two sortes first thus in that he remitteth pardoneth and couereth sinnes so that God will not regard remember or reuenge them although they be in a man As it is in the 32 Psalme Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord wil not impute sinne in whose spirit there is no guile And in Esay cap. 43 God sayth I am euen I am he that for myne owne selfs sake do away thine offences and forget thy sinnes so that I vvill neuer thinke vpon them Secondely thus in that he purgeth or rather scoureth sinnes by diuers crosses and afflictions For they are two things to remit sinnes and to weaken the body of sinne that it may not reigne in vs. If a man beleeue and is baptized then all his sinnes are forgiuen him But afterwarde sinne must be scoured or abated by manifold affliction and mortification as long as he shall liue Sinne sticketh in vs as long as the mortal body remaineth but for Christes sake it is not imputed in the wrath of God but freely remitted True Christians reioyce in affliction and the force thereof diminished by his fatherly chastisement In such chastisement for their amendement true Christians haue had great comfort peace and ioye as Paule sayth Rom. 5 Then being iustified by faith vve haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ by vvhoÌ also through faith vve haue had this accesse into this grace wherin we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Neither that onely but also vve reioyce in tribulations knovving that tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience experience hope And hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our harts by the holy Ghost vvhich is giuen vnto vs. So thou hast two thinges to be considered The first that in this kingdom of God we are iustified The seconde that by tribulation and affliction we are glorified without which we can not attaine vnto glory Thirdly good Christians are not knowen by this when any suffer manifold tribulation chastisement that the body of sinne may be weakened and they brought to amendement For herein they doe altogither differ amonge them selues one suffereth this an other that one is chastised thus an other otherwise so that euen they very Apostles did not loue and suffer alike But they are knowen in forgiuenes of sinnes or iustification by faith wherein God turneth his anger from them receiueth them vnto grace and counteth them for his deare children and imputeth no sinne to them vnto condemnation Herein are all alike euen as all liue vnder one heauen Wherefore they doe most grossely erre stumble which measure Christians by maners workes and the outwarde maner of liuing euen as the Pharisees were wont to doe and did therefore finde fault with Christ for that he did not obserue their ceremonies but was a frend of Publicanes and sinners As that Pharise sayd within him selfe Luke 7 If this man were a Prophet he would surely haue knowne who and vvhat maner of vvoman this is vvhich toucheth him for she is a sinner A similitude Heare nowe an example of those thinges which are before sayd A Phisitian which goeth about to cure the sicke doth first promise him health by the assistance and helpe of God whereby he putteth him in great hope and comfort Afterward he beginneth to purge to clense and strengthen and such like thinges which make to the recouering of health So God also when he hath remitted sinnes and receiued man into the bosom of grace doth lay on him all kind of afflictions and doth scoure him and renue him from day to day in the knowledge and loue of God vntil he become safe pure and renued which then at the last commeth to passe when this mortall body dyeth Fourthly in these two partitions of the kingdom of God two sortes of men are founde Two sortes of men abuse the kingdom of grace which abuse the same kingdome of the grace of God and the Gospell Some become sluggish and slothfull saying Well if sinnes be pardoned freely of meere grace and be washed away in baptisme there is no neede that I should adde any thinge of mine owne Other thinke contrariwise that they shal put away their sinnes by works and so trusting to their owne merits they are proud and arrogant and in respect of them selues contemne other which doe not so The first of these contemne Gods grace the other oppugne it as not sufficient and so they represent swine and dogges Now all this appeareth by the Gospell by which Christ reigneth in the kingdom of God For some abuse it vnto carnall libertie other contrariwise are perswaded that it is not sufficient to saluation but that their workes also doe helpe somewhat and by this they deny and contemne the grace of God Hereof thou mayst read more in the Epistle to the Romanes wherein these two sortes of men are plainly set forth Fiftly this kingdom of God or remission of sinnes hath no bounde or measure Matth. 18.21.22 as that place of the Gospell doth very well shew where Peter asketh the Lord Lord how oft shal my brother sinne against me and I shall forgiue him vnto seuen times Iesus sayd vnto him I say not to thee vnto seuen times but vnto seuenty times seuen times that is as often as shall be needefull After this followeth a parable We must forgiue our neighbour if we will haue God to forgiue vs. which the Lorde there putteth forth wherein he most seuerely admonisheth vs if we will not fal out of the fauour of God that we forgiue our neighbour his offences without all
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 coÌtend 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 obiectioÌ 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 heaueÌly 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 coÌmeth 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 commaundemeÌt of God as that the innoceÌt 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 meÌtion 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 theÌ 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 iudgemeÌt of God Hereof it commeth that thou which iudgest an other are made worse theÌ 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 maÌ 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 coÌceale 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 coÌtrarie 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 wheÌ 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 theÌ 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 wheÌ notwithstaÌding thou thy selfe art blind Thou iudgest him a synner thy selfe an honest iust man What other thing is this theÌ for thy heart to be so affected that thou count thy selfe better Which is nothing els then that thou wilt lead
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 heaueÌ 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 amoÌg 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
morning and the daye of the power of Christ wherein we are conceiued and borne the children of God as deaw to wit without the labour of men by the onely grace of the holy Ghost from heauen The most pleasaunt and comfortable sunne Iesus Christ maketh this daye whom the Scripture hereupon calleth the sunne of righteousnes Christ the sunne of righteousnes God sayth Mala. 4 To you that feare my name shall that sunne of righteousnes arise and helth shal be vnder this winges For as many as beleeue in Christ do receiue of him the beames of his grace and righteousnes and doe obtaine saluation vnder his winges Whereupon it is saide Psal 118 This is the daye which the Lord hath made we will reioyce and be glad in it as though he saide This corporall sunne maketh the corporall daye but God himselfe maketh this daye euen he is that sunne from whence those beames and that daye come wherewith the whole world is enlightned Finally hereupon he calleth himselfe the light of the world Ioh. 9. And Psal 19 The heauens declare the glorie of God that is euen as these bodily heauens do bring the sunne and the day and the sunne is caried in them so the Apostles haue in themselues and bring by preaching the true sunne which is Christ c Whereupon it followeth In the heauens he hath set a tabernacle for the sunne which commeth forth as a bridegrome out of his chamber and reioiceth as a giant to runne his course His setting forth is from the vtmost part of heauen and his circuit vnto the vtmost part thereof and there is nothing hid from his heat All this is said of the exceeding pleasaunt beginning or rising of this day that is of the Gospel which the Scripture euery where meruelously setteth forth For it is a word which quickneth maketh glad willing cheerefull and ready to do good workes and finally it bringeth with it all good thinges Wherefore it is called the Gospell or glad tydinges for that it is a pleasaunt and prosperous message of the grace of God and of all good thinges The Gospell reuealeth vnto vs all thinges that are needfull for vs to know But who is able to rehearse all those thinges which this day reuealeth maketh manifest vnto vs For it teacheth all things what God is what we are whatsoeuer is past and to come of heauen hell the earth Angels and Deuels By this lampe is shewed vnto vs how we ought to behaue our selues in all these thinges and toward all from whence we are and whither we go Yet neuertheles Satan hath deceiued vs miserable creatures that neglecting such a day whereby all thinges might be cleere and manifest vnto vs we seeke the truth of Philosophers and heathen men who haue not so much as by a dreame knowne any whit of these thinges and so we haue suffered our selues to be blynded with mens traditions and to be thrust backe againe into the night For it is not light whatsoeuer is not this day otherwise Paul and the whole Scripture should in vaine extoll this day alone and call all other beside it the night Surely the burden of Gods displeasure must needes be most grieuous for that contrarie to so plaine and manifest places of Scripture we haue sought an other light although the Lord himselfe calleth himselfe the light and sunne of the worlde And if other proofes were wantinge this one is sufficient that vniuersities doe so impudently both set vp and glorie of Aristotle as a light vnto them in whom they exercise themselues much more then in Christ yea nothing in Christ but altogither in Aristotle Let vs therefore cast awaye the workes of darkenes and let vs put on the armour of light As Christ is the sunne By light is here signified and ment faith and the Gospell the daye so fayth is the light whereby to see and watch in this daye For it would not profit albeit the sunne did shine and make the day if the eyes did not perceiue the light Wherefore although the Gospell be begon and preached in the whole world yet none are lightened but they that receiue it and by fayth being made capable of the light doe arise out of sleepe But to them that as yet sleepe this sunne and daye bring no profite of which they receiue no light no more then if no sunne or daye had shined And this is that season and hower whereof he speaketh VVelbeloued brethren forasmuch as we know this that it is now time that vve should arise out of sleepe c. It is a spirituall time and season although begun in this outward time as it doth daily also come wherein we ought to arise out of sleepe and lay aside the workes of darkenes Whereby Paule sheweth that he doth not speake to them which are yet voide of fayth for as it is saide he teacheth not faith here but the workes and frutes of fayth when as he saith We know that the time is come and that the night being passed the daye is at hand they which beleeue not can not know these thinges Now if thou obiect and saye what reason or cause is there that he should write these thinges to the faithfull inasmuch as they know that it is time c. Thou must call to mynde that in the beginning of the exposition of this text of the Apostle we haue saide that the office of preaching is of two sortes one of teaching We haue neede of coÌtinuall exhortation an other of exhorting and mouing Now a man can not attaine vnto that knowledge that it should not be needefull that he be alwayes moued and kept in a continuall and fresh meditation of those thinges which he hath learned least the deuell the world and the fleshe which are enemies that neuer graunt truce neither slacke their assault doe make him wearie and slouthfull that he maye at the last sleepe and become altogither negligent in good thinges For the deuell sayth Peter is such an enemie as goeth about continually like a roring Lion seeking whom he maye deuoure Wherefore he sayth VVatch and be sober Paule also will haue vs doe the same thinge here For seeinge that the Deuell the fleshe and the worlde keepe no meane nor make no ende of fightinge against vs neither must there be any meane kept or ende made of exhortinge prouokinge and mouinge vs to watche and worke Hereupon the holie Ghost is called an exhorter inasmuch as he inuiteth and moueth vs vnto good Paule calleth the workes of light armour and why For the same cause Paul also vseth here chosen wordes the workes of darkenes he calleth not armour but the workes of light he calleth armour not workes vndoutedly that he might shewe that there is a fight that labour and trauell is required and that it can not be obtained without perill to watche and liue well forasmuch as so mightie enemies the deuell the flesh and the world do without ceassing
fight against vs wherefore Iob sayth chapter 7 The life of man vpon earth is a fight and tentation Nowe it is not a small matter to stand all our life long in the battaill wherefore there is neede of verie shrill trumpets and warlike drummes that is of earnest admonitions and exhortations whereby we maye be stirred vp and encouraged to perseuer valliauntly in the fight Hereupon nowe it appeareth why he calleth good workes armour or weapons and calleth not the workes of darkenes so which notwithstanding if we consent vnto them are also weapons Rom. 6 Giue not your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes Againe it is before saide that by light is here signified faith which from the daye of the Gospell by the sunne Christ The armour of light what it is shineth into our heartes and enlightneth them therefore the armour or weapons of light are nothing else but the workes of this fayth Contrariwise darkenes is infidelitie or vnbeleefe which is by reason of the absence of the Gospell as of the daye and of Christ as of the sunne This darkenes the deuell doth rule which commeth from the doctrine of men and the iudgement of mans owne reason wherefore the workes of darkenes The workes of darkenes what they are are the workes of infidelitie For as Christ is the Lord and gouerner of the light which we saide to be fayth so Paule Ephes 6. calleth Satan the prince of darkenes that is of them which are without faith and refuse to be obedient to God as the same Apostle witnesseth 2. Corinth 4 If our Gospell be then hyd it is hyd to them that are lost in whom the god of this world namely the deuell hath blynded the myndes that is of the infidels that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should not shine vnto them But what both this armour or weapons of light and workes of darkenes are it is now taught of the Apostle Let vs walke honestly as in the day No man worketh those things in the day which he is wont to worke in darkenes euerie one feareth an other and endeuoureth himselfe to liue honestly It is commonly sayd The night is void of shame which is true and therefore men doe those thinges in the night which they would be ashamed to do in the daye but the daye is notwithout shame and requireth an honest conuersation After the same sort ought a Christian life to be The life of a Christian a Christian ought to commit nothing whereof he may be ashamed although the whole world should see his workes doinges For he that liueth and worketh so that he is vnwilling that all his workes and doinges should be seene and heard of all men and his whole life be manifestly knowne vnto all liueth a liue vnworthie of Christ according to that which our Sauiour himselfe sayth Ioh. 3 Euerie man that doth euell hateth the light neither commeth to light least his deedes should be reproued But he that doth truth commeth to the light that his deedes might be made manifest that they are wrought according to God Hereby it appeareth how necessarie it is that we should be prouoked and exhorted to watch and to put on the armour of light For what one is there at this day among Christians which can abide that all his workes should be published openly in the light Now what a Christian life is this how hypocritically do we liue when as we can not suffer our life so much as to be disclosed before men which now is disclosed before God and all his Angels and in the last day shal be disclosed before all creatures Wherefore it behoueth a Christian to liue so as he desireth to appeare in the last day and before all Eph. 5.8.9 Hereupon Paul saith Walke as the children of light the frute of the Spirit is goodnes and righteousnes and truth And Rom. 12 Procure thinges honest not onely in the sight of God but also in the sight of all men And 2. Cor. 1 Our reioicing is this the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purches and not in fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world Howbeit such a life shall nothing at all appeare where faith is not but where a liuely a cheerefull and a strong faith is there such a life can not be wanting forasmuch as such a faith is not wearied with well doing Preaching exhortation necessary for them that do already beleeue neither sleepeth Wherefore it is no lesse necessarie to preach to them that haue receiued the doctrine of faith whereby they maye be prouoked and stirred vp to go on in the good life which they haue embraced and that they suffer not themselues to be ouercome by the assaults of the raging flesh the craftie world and most suttle Satan then it is meete that the doctrine of faith be preached to them that be as yet ignorant of Christ Not in gluttonie and drunkennes neither in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and enuying Here he rehearseth the workes of darkenes by name one of which he named also before to wit sleepe according to that saying 1. Thessal 5 Let vs not sleepe as do other but let vs watch and be sober Not that he forbiddeth naturall sleepe but spirituall which is infidelitie whereof those workes of the flesh proceede howbeit naturall sleepe also is a worke of darkenes if it be vsed for pleasure and through immoderate filling of the belly Paule by six workes of darkenes coÌprehendeth all the rest so that it is a hinderance to the light that is faith and to the armour thereof Moreouer these six workes of darkenes which he here rehearseth do comprehend all the rest For Gal. 5. and Coloss 3. he reckneth vp moe of them But we wil diuide those which he here rehearseth into two sides the right and the left On the right side these fower fight with the spirit gluttonie drunkennes chambering and wantonnes on the left syde forasmuch as the left syde in the Scriptures signifieth aduersitie those thinges which proceede from thence do fight as are wrath contention and such like but the right syde signifieth prosperitie and those thinges which ensue thereof as delightes gluttonie drunkennes and ouermuch sleepe c. Now it is sufficiently manifest that Paul vnder two workes of darkenes here rehearsed namely contention and enuying doth comprehend the rest also of that sort among which are bitternes anger wrath crying and euell speaking Ephe. 4. And those which he rehearseth in the Epistle to the Galathians Hatred debate emulations seditions heresies murthers c. In a summe hereunto pertaine whatsoeuer come of euell anger either in wordes or deedes all which can not be numbred After the same sort vnder those fower gluttonie drunkennes chambering and wantonnes he comprehendeth the vices of lust which are wont to be committed as well in wordes as workes which also no man is
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 vnderstaÌd 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 theÌ 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 theÌ 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 disagreemeÌt 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 coÌtrarie 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 theÌ 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 theÌ 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
that be his and the iudgement which we haue deserued he taketh vpon himselfe he suffered the punishment due vnto vs willingly making himselfe subiect to death and the curse that is to eternall damnation no otherwise then if he had transgressed the whole Lawe and had more then all deserued the sentence thereof against transgressours when as he did not onely not breake the Lawe but himselfe alone fulfilled it yea and fulfilled it when as he ought nothing to it so that he suffered otherwise then he deserued in two respects both for that he had ought nothing to the Lawe if he had not obserued it and also for that moreouer he most diligently obserued it so that if the Law had had especiall dominion ouer him yet had he come in no daunger thereof But on the other side whereas we suffer we suffer by double right both for that by the transgression of the Lawe we haue deserued all the punishment thereof also for that if we had deserued nothing yet being creatures we ought to be obedient to the will of our Creator Hereof it now plainly appeareth what this meaneth that Christ was made vnder the Lawe Why Christ was made vnder the Law that he might redeeme them which liue vnder the lawe for our sakes for our sakes I say and not for his owne he performed that and that of no necessitie but of his great loue toward vs and thereby he hath declared his vnspeakeable both goodnes and mercy toward vs being made accursed for vs that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the lawe He willingly made himselfe subiect to the iudgement of the lawe did himselfe beare the senteÌce pronounced against vs that as many of vs as do beleeue in him might be free for euer Whereby marke what an incomparable treasure faith bringeth vnto thee By fayth we enioy an incomparable treasure whereby thou enioyest Christ and all his workes that thou mayst trust vnto them no otherwise then if thou thy selfe hadst done them For Christ did them not for himselfe whom surely they could profit nothinge he hauing no neede of any thinge but by them he layd vp the treasure of saluation for vs whereunto we should trust and being made blessed might enioye it With which fayth also the spirit of the sonnes commeth which beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the sonnes and heires of God What should God nowe adde vnto these How can a mynde hearing these thinges containe it selfe that it should not loue God againe with a most ardent affection and be most sweetely delighted in him What in any wise maye come to be done or suffered which thou wouldest not willingly take vpon thee with exceeding ioye and most high prayse of God with a reioycing and triumphing mynde Which mynde if thou wantest it is a certaine argument of a faint or surely a dead fayth for the greater thy fayth is so much more ready also and willinge is thy mynde to those thinges which God either sendeth or commaundeth This in deede is the true deliueraunce from the Lawe and the damnation of the Lawe that is from synne and death which deliueraunce commeth to vs by Christ Yet not so that there is nowe no lawe or death but that they do not now trouble the beleeuers any thinge that is they are as though they were not For the Lawe can not conuince them of synne neither can death confound them but by fayth they most happily passe from synne and death to righteousnes and life Here Munkes Nunnes c were to be exhorted if there were as yet left any place with them for counsell and admonition that they would obserue their ordinaunces How mens ordinances ceremonies c. are to be obserued ceremonies prayers apparell and such like as Christ obserued the lawe by which meanes surely they should bring vnto them no damnation That is that they would set the faith of Christ in the first place and commit the rule of their heart vnto him acknowledgeing that by that fayth onely they do obtaine righteousnes and saluation and that all their ordinaunces workes do auaile nothing hereunto Againe that they would make themselues subiect to them of their owne accord in no other respect then that by them they might serue their neighbours and subdue the arrogancie of the flesh But now seing they are occupied in them with this double erroneous opinion as though they were necessarie to saluation and righteousnes and if they did not obserue them they should grieuously synne they are vnto them a most certaine destruction nothing but delusion and synne whereby with their great affliction they draw vnto hell where they shall fully suffer the vexations and torments vnder the Abbat the deuell which being miserable and foolish men they haue here begon For all their life doth vtterly disagree with the fayth of the sonnes and that which belongeth onely to fayth to wit to iustifie and saue vs they attribute to their workes Wherefore these men can not both thus sticke vnto their ordinances and therewithall haue faith which suffereth it selfe to be addicted to no certaine workes but what thinges soeuer the Lord either sendeth or commaundeth or the necessitie and neede of our neighbour requireth it suffreth and doth them with great willingnes ioy These he that is endued with faith counteth his workes hauing in the meane season no regard of Masses or fasting which some appoint to certaine dayes of choise of apparell of meates of persons of places and such like yea he greatly disalloweth of these inasmuch as they trouble Christian libertie These thinges shall suffize to haue bin spoken concerning the exposition of this place of Paul where about the matter it selfe required to spend so many wordes forasmuch as the nature of faith is so vnknowen For vnles thou do well vnderstand the nature of faith thou shalt perceiue nothing or very litle in the writinges of Paul Verse 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Here we see verie plainly that the holy Ghost commeth vnto the Saincts by no workes but by faith alone for Paul saith And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit ãâã SoÌnes beleeue when seruaunts onely worke sonnÌes are free from the Lawe seruaunts are held vnder the Lawe as appeareth plainly by those thinges that are before spoken But how commeth it to passe that he saith Because ye are sonnes A question God hath sent forth the Spirit c. seeing it is before said that by the comming of the spirit we are chaunged from seruaunts vnto the state of sonnes so that the spirit must be first sent vnto vs before we are sonnes But here as though we could be sonnes before the comming of the spirit The answer he sayth Because ye are sonnes c. To this question we must aunswere that Paul speaketh here after the same sort that he
in an euell case And yet do not desire that thou maist feele nothing but this crie of the spirit thou must feele also an other terrible crie made whereby thou mayst be prouoked and vrged to this crie of the spirit which happeneth to all the saincts That is the crie of synnes which call most strongly and instantly vnto desperation but this crie must be ouercome of the spirit of Christ by godly calling vpoÌ the Father and crying for his grace that the trust and confidence of grace may become greater then desperation The crie of the spirit Wherefore this crie of the spirit is nothing els but to be with all our heart touched with a very strong firme and vnmoueable trust of most deare sonnes toward God as our most tender and fauourable Father Hereby we may see howe farre a Christian life exceedeth nature which can doe nothing lesse then trust so in God A Christian life farre exceedeth nature The crie of them which trust in their owne works and not in Christ and call vpon him as a Father but is alwayes afraide and vttereth a voyce which is a witnes of exceeding feare Wo is me how cruell and vntolerable a Iudge art thou O God howe heauy is thy iudgement vnto me As Cain sayd Gen. 4 My iniquitie is more then that it may be forgiuen Thou hast cast me out this day from the vpper face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid yea it shal come to passe that euery one that findeth me shall slay me c. This is a terrible and dreadfull crye which is necessarily heard of all such as be of Cains brood forasmuch as they trust to them selues and their owne workes and put not their trust in the sonne of God neither were and consider that he was sent of the Father made of a woman made vnder the lawe much lesse that all these thinges were done for their saluation They are continually tormented in their owne works the miserable men doe in vaine goe about by them to helpe them selues and to obtaine the grace of God And while their vngodlines is not herewith content it beginneth to persecute euen the sonnes of God as it is alwayes wont to doe yea at the last they growe vnto such crueltie that after the example of their father Cain they can not rest vntil they slay their righteous brother Abell in whome they doe also kill vnto them selues Christ Then the bloode of righteous Abel crieth vnto heauen against vnrighteous Cain neither ceasseth it to cry vntill the Lord hath reuenged it He asketh those Cains of their brother Abel yea of Christ but they deny all knowledge of Christ which labour not to become the sonnes of God and heires by Christ but to become righteous by their owne workes In the meane season the bloode of Christ continually crieth out against them euen nothing but punishment and vengeance when as for the elect it crieth by the spirit of Christ for nothing but grace reconciliation The Apostle vseth here a Sirian and a Greeke word saying Abba Pater For this word Abba in the Syrian tongue signifieth a Father by which name at this day the chiefe of Monasteries are wont to be called and by the same name Heremites in time past being holy men did call their Presidents at the last by vse it was also made a Latin word Wherefore that which Paul sayth is as much as Father Father or if thou hadst rather as My father Why the Apostle doubled the word Father But what is the cause why the Apostle doth double the word Father that is the crie of the spirit I will by your leaue bringe forth my iudgement and opinion hereof First I thinke that he would hereby shewe the force and straining of this holy cry For when as we cal any with great affection through no small necessitie we are wont eftsoones to double his name Nowe because that sinne and Cain doe alwayes goe about with desperation to stoppe this crie of the spirit for the grace of the father it is neede surely to crie most strongly and with a voice both doubled and exceedingly strained forth that is the trust of the grace of the Father ought to be most stronge and not able to be ouercome Againe such is the maner of the Scripture to witnes the certaintie of a thing sometime to double or iterate the words as Ioseph did to Pharao Gen. 41. So here also the spirit twise calleth vpon the Father whereby it may shewe the certaintie of his fatherly fauour and grace For the trust hereof ought to be no lesse certaine then great and vnmoueable Finally it is meete also to perseuer which againe this doubling of the name of father doth note vnto vs. For as soone as we begin to call God Father Satan with all his band moueth warre against vs and omitteth no meanes to wrest from vs this trust of sonnes toward God our Father wherefore thother Father must be diligently doubled that is our trust and confidence must be confirmed neither must we euer ceasse from calling vpon this Father but must most earnestly continue in this crie of the spirit whereby we may obtaine a certen sure experience of his fatherly goodnes by which our trust in him may be made most certaine and safe And perhaps Paul had respect hereunto when he first set downe Abba which is a word straunge to them to whom he wrote after adding Pater that is Father a familiar word and of their owne language meaning to signifie hereby that the beginning of so great trust in God is vnaccustomed and euen straunge vnto men but that when the mind hath a while exercised it and continued in it although assayled with tentations it becommeth euen familiar and almost naturall that we now enioy God as a domesticall Father and doe in euery thing most confidently call vpon him Verse 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 Nowe sayth he that is after the comming of the spirit of the sonnes after the knowledge of Christ thou art not a seruaunt For as it is sayd a sonne and a seruaunt are so contrary one to an other that the same man can not be both a sonne and a seruaunt A sonne and a seruaunt doe greatly differ We can not obtaine saluation by workes A sonne is free and willing a seruaunt is compelled and vnwilling a sonne liueth and resteth in faith a seruaunt in works And so by this place also it appeareth that we can obtaine no saluation of God by workes but before thou workest that which is acceptable vnto him it is necessary that thou haue receiued of him and possesse saluation and all things that thereupon works may freely flow forth to the honour of so gratious a father and to the profit of thy neighbours without any feare of punishment or loking for reward This that which Paule
9. this offence commeth because of our faith and can not be auoided of vs and therefore the blame thereof ought not to be layde vpon vs. Howbeit there is an other offence which proceedeth hereof for that our loue is not sufficient dutifull this commeth through vs inasmuch as our workes are the cause thereof because they do not so shine by faith that they wâiâh are conuersaunt with vs may thereby be prouoked to serue God as it is meete This offence is giuen through our fault whom it be commeth so to liue that the Iewes Heathen Princes of the world might haue no occasion to say Beholde how light and naughtie these men are yea and verie wicked wretches the doctrine of life which they follow must needes be euell and pestilent So our infamie and crimes are occasion of offence to others and of hatred and detestation of the most holy word of God For whereas we ought so to know preach and folow it that thereby both our neighbours might be brought vnto God and to the leading of a godly life and also the glorie of God set forth we by our naughty and slouthfull life bring to passe that it doth not onely bring no profit and commodity to our neighbours but is brought into hatred and made detestable through our meanes bearing our ignominie and reproche Now it is a most horrible synne and wickednes by our naughtines to make the word of God which is most holy and bringeth saluation to make it I say so odious and to repell and driue men from it to our owne and their most certaine destruction But in all thinges let vs behaue our selues as the ministers of God in much patience in afflictions c. Here he describeth in order the signes proper tokens of a Christian life wherewith it ought to be adorned in outward conuersation Not meaning that one is made a Christian and godly hereby but as he sayth that by these as by proper frutes and signes of Christianitie we should shew our selues to be both and behaue our selues as the ministers of God that is as Christians godly men And marke well that he sayth as the ministers of God It may seeme very straunge that the ministerie of God consisteth in these in many afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumults in watchings in fastings c. Among these he numbreth not Masses and prayers for the dead or other trifles of fained worship of God He rehearseth those things that pertaine to the true and right seruice of God whereby the body is chastised and the flesh tamed Which is well to be noted lest that any neglect fastings watchings and labour and make us count of them for that they do not iustifie They bring not righteousnes in deede yet are they frutes of righteousnes being obtained wherein thou mayst be exercised and whereby thou mayst keepe thy flesh in subiection and enforce it to do his dutie In tumults He rehearseth tumults or seditions among the rest not that it becommeth vs to teach or moue them who ought to obey Magistrates and with quietnes to liue obedient vnto all in that which is good as Paule teacheth Rom. 13 and Christ Matth. 22 Giue vnto Cesar those thinges that are Cesars but that we must beare tumultes of others as also necessities distresses stripes and imprisonments which we must cause or procure vnto none but suffer being procured and layde vpon vs by others Wherefore in the first place he setteth much patience which surely moueth no sedition or tumult but rather suffreth it and appeaseth it if it can But in the meane season it singularly comforteth vs at this time Christians commonly accused to raise sedition and tumults wheÌ they suffer the same being raised of other when as tumults are commonly imputed vnto vs for that this is incident to a Christian life that for the preaching of the Gospell it is accused to raise sedition which it rather suffereth being raised of other against the word of God For as in time past Achab accused the most holy Prophet Elias of sedition affirming that it was he that troubled Israell when as he himselfe in deede did trouble it so is it neither a shamefull nor new thinge for vs to be accused of the same when we preach the same word Let vs thinke when the enemies of God lay this reproche and sclaunder vpon vs that not onely Elias not onely the Apostles but Christ himselfe was counted of the Iewes a seditious felow crucified a title being writteÌ in three languages and put on the crosse that he should of all be counted as a seditious king of the Iewes which would haue moued that people against Cesar and adioined them to himselfe who in deede by word and example of his life taught nothing more themsubmissioÌ and obedience and liued so that he was ready to profit and minister vnto all As for the rest whereof the Apostle here maketh mention as patience affliction necessitie distres stripes prisons labour watchinges fasting puritie it is easie to vnderstand how they pertaine to the ministerie of God who truely disdaineth to haue slouthfull idle gluttonous and drowsie ministers and such as can not abide aduersitie and trouble ⪠But he specially reproueth our delicate ones which quietly enioy reuenues and rents and take their delight and pleasure thinking that it is an vnworthie thinge that they should labour for they are shauen weare long gownes and crie out in temples c. Howbeit these shall not be able to approue themselues before God God will haue none to be idle but also labour and so eate their owne bread who will haue all to labour and eate their owne and not other mens bread as it is written by Paule to the Thessalonians Who therefore teacheth here also that God is serued by labour and not that onely but that we also are thereby proued and commended to be the ministers of God In knowledge Paule taketh knowledge here for that which we call prudence or wisedom wherby we vse things with reason behauing our selues with discretion and comelines Of which knowledge the saying also of Paul Rom. 10. is vnderstood They haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge that is they beare a zeale to the lawe not prudently not weying and coÌsidering all things well that they might do no vndecent thing Wherefore whereas he here expressely requireth knowledge in the ministerie of God Christians must frame their life prudently and with sufficieÌt discretion he thereby admonisheth vs that we frame our life with reason and order it prudently in all things keeping a meane and hauing an aduised rehard of our neighbours lest that in any thing we offende the weaker sort with vnseasonable vse of Christian libertie and that we do all thinges to the edifying of all So we must labour fast watch and applie our selues to chastitie and such other thinges not aboue measure that either the body may be
But this tentation doth not easily happen in these outward thinges as are bread apparell houses c. Thou mayst finde in deed some rash heads which for no cause do put their life goods good name in great daunger as they doe which goe on warfare of their owne accord which leape rashly into most deepe waters or goe voluntarily into other no small daungers Of whom Iesus the sonne of Syrach sayth Eccle. 3.27 He that loueth perill shall perish in it Whereof the Germanes haue a prouerbe Selfe do self haue what euery one followeth that he commeth vnto So is it almost vsuall that none are oftner drowned then they that are most exercised in swimming and none fal more perilously then they which vse to attempt hie matters We are seldoÌ brought to teÌpt God by not taking the vse of outward things which he hath giuen vs. But he shall be hardly founde which hauing a false and ouermuch confidence in God attempteth any such thing or vseth not the thinges present as bread apparell house and such like loking with perill while God prouide otherwise for him by miracle We read of a certaine Heremite who because he had vowed to take bread of no men brought him selfe into perill by hunger and so perished and vndoutedly went strait vnto hell because of that false faith and tempting of God which he learned no other where but of that deuill so that his madnes was altogither like that whereunto Satan here persuadeth Christ to wit that he shoulde cast him selfe downe from a pinnacle of the temple Howbeit thou shalt finde very few which doe follow this Heremite and doe differre to enioy corporall thinges present for that they hope that God will giue them other from heauen But in spirituall things which concerne the nourishment We are easily and often by the tentation of Satan brought to refuse the true spiritual foode of our soules and to seeke other contrary to the will and word of God not of the body but of the soule this tentation is wont to be both mighty and often In these God hath appoynted a certayne maner wherby the soule may be fedde nourished and strengthened both most commodiously and also most blessedly so that no good thing at all can be wanting vnto it This nourishment this strength this saluation is Christ our Sauiour in whom the Father hath most abundantly offered and giuen all good thinges But there are very few which desire him the moste parte seeke some other where whereby their soules may liue obtaine saluation Such are all they which seeke saluation by their works These are they whom Satan hauing sette on a pinnacle of the temple biddeth them cast them selues downe and they obey him They descende where as is no way that is they beleeue and trust in God yet so as they trust also in their owne works in which is no place at all for faith and trust no way or path vnto God wherefore throwing them selues downe headlong they breake their necke falling into vtter desperation Now Satan persuadeth miserable men vnto this madnes as also he persuaded Christ to cast him selfe downe from a pinnacle of the temple by places of Scripture peruerted and misapplied wherein workes are commaunded whereby he maketh them beleeue that the Angells shall keepe them that is that they shall be approued of God when as in deede they can by nothing so offend him as by that madde trust and confidence in workes For they acknowledge not that the Scripture doth no where require works without faith or that it doth euery where require a sound liuely faith from which works proceede We haue at large declared who are such namely incredulous hypocrites which are giuen to workes without faith which falsely boast of the name of Christians chalenging to them selues to be chiefe in the flock of Christ For this tentation must be in the holy citie Now these two tentations and the causes of them doe greatly differ In the former the cause why men doe not beleeue is neede and hunger for they are thereby moued to distrust God and despeire of his goodnes In the latter the cause why they doe not beleeue is ouermuch abundance for that miserable men are full of most plentifull and abundant treasure so that they loath it coueting to haue some other speciall thinge whereby they may procure the saluation of their soules So our case standeth ill in both respects If we haue nothinge we despeire and distrust God If we haue plentie of thinges we loath them and require other being then also voyde of faith Concerning the first we flie and hate scarsitie and seeke plentie concerning the latter we seeke scarsitie and flie plentie Howsoeuer God dealeth with vs we are not content our incredulitie is a bottomles pit of malice and vngodlines Againe the deuil tooke him vp into an exceeding high mouÌtaine Tentation by vaine glory pleasures and delights of the world Here he tempteth with vaine glorie power of the world as by the wordes of the deuil doth plainly appeare who shewing Christ the kingdoms of the world offered them to him if he would worship him By this tentation they are ouercome which reuolt from faith that they may enioy glorie and power here or at least doe so temper their faith that they lose not these thinges In the number of these are all heretikes and troublers of the Church which do therfore either leaue or oppugne the sinceritie of faith that being exempted out of the common number they may be extolled on hie So we may place this tentation on the right hand as the first assaileth vs on the left For as the first tentation is of aduersitie whereby we are moued to indignation impatiencie diffidence so this third tentation is of prosperitie whereby we are prouoked to delights glory pleasures and whatsoeuer is excellent and delectable in the world The second tentation is altogither spirituall whereby Satan by deceit and meruelous secret suttlery goeth about to withdraw man from faith For whom he can not ouercome with pouertie scarsitie necessitie misery them he teÌpteth with riches fauour glorie delights power c so he assayleth vs on either side yea when he preuaileth by neither way he goeth about as Peter saith atteÌpteth all meanes that whom he can ouercome neither by aduersitie that is by the first tentation nor by prosperitie that is by the thirde tentation he may ouercome either by errour blindnes or false vnderstanding of the Scripture that is by the second tentation which is spirituall and therefore most hurtfull By which if he preuaile against any they are also ouercome both on the left side and on the right For whether they suffer such pouertie or enioy plenty of thinges whether they contend or yeelde vnto all thinges both is nothing while they are in errour either patience in aduersitie or constancie in prosperitie can be of no importance For in both euen heretikes
Idle wordes Now I call them idle words which make neither to the edifying of faith nor to the vse of our corporall life For there be things enow both profitable and pleasaunt which when it pleaseth vs to speake we may talke of in the short time of this life as of Christ of loue and other things either necessary or profitable Whereof Paule admonisheth when he sayth but rather giuing of thankes For our daily speech ought to be the praise of God and giuing of thankes to him as well priuatly as publikely in sermons for such infinite good thinges as he hath giuen vnto vs in Christ euen vnspeakeable But such is the maner of our reason nature that necessary and profitable thinges are neglected and foolish friuolous things are chiefly regarded Now marke here if Paul doth not suffer in Christians speeches that be onely pleasant and tending to mirth what thinkest thou would he say of that pestileÌt backebyting and sclaundering which reigneth now in all companies of men euen them that be priuate when two oftentimes doe talke togither Yea what would he say of them which openly in sermons do as it were bite and rent one an other with reprochful wordes and maliciously accuse and speake euill one of an other For this ye know that no whoremonger neither vncleane person nor couetous person which is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God In these wordes he doth very plainly pronounce against them which are infected with such vices that they are heathen vnder the name of Christians how many soeuer do not bring forth the frutes of faith This is a briefe and a certaine sentence A fornicator an vncleane person and a couetous person haue denied the faith 1. Tim. 5.8 He that is a fornicator hath denied the faith an vncleane person hath denied the faith a couetous person hath denied the faith all such are Apostataes periured traitours towards God as Paul writeth also vnto Timothe of him the neglecteth them that be of his familie If there be any sayth he that prouideth not for his owne namely for them of his houshold he denieth the faith and is worse then an Infidell How could he more seuerely and terribly fraie vs from vices For he sayth For this ye know as if he sayd Do not so much as dout count it not for a play neither let it be a sport vnto you neither comfort your selues with vaine hope of a Christian name and for that ye are counted Christians these thinges shall profit you no more then it profited the Iewes that they were the children of Abraham and Disciples of Moses It was spoken to all which Christ sayth Matth. 7 Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen Two very forcible meanes to stirre vs vp vnto godlines there is neede of doing and our faith must be proued by workes Whom therefore that great force of heauenly fire shall not enflame vnto godlines that is the admonition of the incomparable loue of God toward vs which he set in the first place him let these horrible threatnings of hell fire moue to wit whereas he witnesseth that as many as wil not follow God and walke in loue and shew forth their faith by their workes are neither the sonnes of God nor heires of his kingdome whereupon it followeth that they are vndoutedly heires with Satan of hell fire Whom therefore these two so mightie prouokements shall not stirre vp to the feare of God godlines with all diligence to doe the dutie of a Christian he is plainly a blocke and a stone hauing a hart harder then the anuill as Iob sayth He particularly reproueth a couetous person The couetous man an idolater and pronounceth him an Idolater or worshipper of images whereby surely he declareth how greatly he is displeased with them that are infected with this vice and in the third chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians he sayth also the same thing of him The cause hereof I thinke to be this other sinners vse onely that thinge wherein they offend and make it serue their lust and desire so the fornicator and vncleane person vse their body to pleasure the proud person vseth riches learning the fauour of men and such like vnto glory onely this miserable Idolater is a slaue to his money and riches and his sinne is that he spareth his money and goods keepeth and hourdeth them vp dareth not apply them neither to his owne vse nor to the vse of other but doth plainly serue and worship them as his god and so much esteemeth them that he would sooner lose and suffer to perish the kingdome of God then he would spende his money or giue the value of a rush toward the maintaining either of a preacher or an instructer of youth wherby the word of God and his kingdom might be furthered Forasmuch therefore as all the trust and hope of such a man is reposed in money and not in God alone who giueth him aboundantly whereby to liue money is worthely called his god and he him selfe said to be an Idolater and hath no inheritance in the kingdom of heauen What can be inuented more filthy and pestilent then this disease Wo vnto thee incredulitie howe an abominable and hurtfull euill art thou We must take heede we be not deceiued with vaine wordes Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes These are the vaine wordes of them which extenuate and make light of fornication and such like sinnes as though they were not greatly euill or did so much offend God There were not wanting Philosophers and Poets among the Heathen which counted all vse of lecherie beside onely adulterie lawfull as a thing naturall as is to vse meate and drinke So sayth Terence It is not a wickednes beleeue me for a yong man to follow harlots c. But this is to be ignorant of God and to liue according to the sore of concupiscence as the Gentiles were wont to doe Moreouer such vaine words are those which albeit they haue some likelihood of truth yet in deede are trifling and shall not excuse any So couetousnes doth not want a cloke and pretence for it selfe for him that seeketh his owne with the discommoditie of others they call a good husband industrious one that looketh to his busines although in the meane while the poore perish with hunger or are otherwise afflicted aboue their strength Wherefore such speeches are prophane and heathnish by which loue is extinguished they which giue eare to them beleeue them are deluded with a vaine hope For for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience This is an other light which we ought to follow leauing the obscure light of reason which doth not greatly condemne fornication The wrath veÌgeance of God hangeth ouer fornicators
fayth And this is the cause why Christ is of all the Euangelistes set forth to be so louing and gentle for although the doings and workes described of them doe oftentimes varie neuertheles the simplicitie of fayth remayneth alwayes alike Moreouer this text doeth so liuely set forth Christ vnto vs in his colours that it may be manifest and well knowen vnto euerie one of vs what we ought to promise our selues concerning him to wit that he is mercifull bountifull gentle who succoureth all that flie vnto him for helpe And such ought to be the image of fayth By the Lawe we are terrified and cast downe but by the Gospell we are comforted raised vp For the Scripture setteth before vs a double image one of feare which representeth to our eyes the horrible wrath of God before which no man is able to stand but rather we are all enforced to be cast downe in minde when we see it vnles we be strengthned by fayth Howbeit against this is sette the other image namely of grace which fayth doeth attentiuely behold and taketh from hence principles of comfort and conceiueth trust and confidence in the fauour of God hauing this hope that man can not promise to him selfe from God so manye good thinges but that he hath infinite moe treasures in a readines for him Ye haue now ofteÌtimes heard The temporall and outwarde blessings of God ought to be as meanes to make vs hope and trust in him that he will also bestow vpon vs spirituall and eternal good thinges that there are two sorts of good thinges spirituall and corporall The Gospell by these temporall and corporall good thinges teacheth vs the faith of children and they are vnto the weake as a certaine meane or helpe whereby they may learne the goodnes of God how bountifull he is in bestowing his riches vpon vs and that we ought in spirituall thinges also to place all our hope and trust in him For if we be now instructed by the Gospell that God will giue foode to our bellie we may thereupon account with our selues that he will nourish cloath our soules with spirituall good thinges If I can not commit my body vnto him that he may feede it much lesse can I commit my soule vnto him that he may alwayes preserue it Or if I can not be brought to beleeue that a crowne of golde shal be giuen vnto me of him how I pray you shall I hope for tenne of crownes of golde of him from whom I dare not promise to my selfe so much as a peece of bread truly much lesse shall I be perswaded to beleeue that he will giue a fearme vnto me or his whole inheritaunce Now he that is not able to atteine vnto this tender and as it were as yet sucking faith to him surely it is verie hard to beleeue that God will pardon his synnes or preserue his soule for euer Forasmuch as we are perswaded that the soule is by infinite degrees to be preferred before the bellie toward which notwithstanding he is touched with compassion as this our present text teacheth Wherefore Saint Peter hath righly admonished 1. Pet. 2. Beloued brethren as new borne babes desire that sincere milke of the word that ye may grovv thereby For it is not enough that the infant being put to the teate doe sucke but he must also wax greater and gather strength that he may accustome himselfe to feede on breade and stronger meate Now to eate milke is to tast of the fauour and grace of God which is then tasted of when a triall thereof is had in our life For although I should preach an hundred yeares of the bountifulnes fauour liberalitie and gentlenes of God toward vs it would profit me nothing vnlesse I haue a triall and taste of those commodities neither could I learne rightly to trust in God thereby Hereof also thou mayst coniecture how rare a Christian man is There are many which say that they commit their bellie to God but that sticketh onely in the tounge and lippes when as rather it ought to perce to the heart Let vs nowe consider an example teaching vs the qualitie and nature of faith The qualitie and nature of faith The Apostle Heb. 11. hath written thus Faith is the ground of thinges which are hoped for and the euidence of thinges which are not seene which is thus much in effect faith is the foundation whereby I looke for that good thinge which is neither seene with the eyes nor heard with the eares but which I must onely hope for Euen as in our present text it plainly appeareth wherein we reade that there were about foure thousand men who togither with their wiues and children had now suffred hunger three dayes was not this a notable kynde of fasting yet were not famished with hunger being farre from their houses and destitute of those necessaries whereby the bodie is susteined Now Paule sayth that faith is a thinge whereby a man hopeth for those thinges which appeare not to the eyes Such a fayth had this multitude which although they see no meate neuertheles they trust in God that he will feede them What doeth Christ here he is moued with compassion he demaundeth of the disciples with what vittailes or with what thinge their hunger may be taken away To whom his disciples aunswere whence can a man satisfie such a multitude here in the wildernes Here ye see how mans reason and fayth agree togither that the wiser reason is so much lesse can it submit it selfe to the workes of God For this cause therefore did he aske his disciples that euerie one of them might trie their owne reason and learne how much the capacitie of man and faith do differ one from an other Here it appeareth vnto vs how reason is blynde and how Reason must giue place to faith when faith commeth it ought to giue place Whereof let this be as an example If I were a maried man hauing a wife and a companie of children and had nothing wherewith to nourish them neither would any man giue me any thinge yet should it be my dutie to beleeue and hope that God will prouide for me But when as I see my hope to be in vaine and that I am not succoured by and by with nourishment and cloathing then if I be faithles I yeeld vnto desperation and goe and purpose an other thinge with my selfe I applie my mynde to vnhonest trades that I may get somewhat thereby as theft deceit and other such practizes and by all meanes that I am able I passe through the stormes of aduersitie See what filthie incredulitie bringeth vnto man But if I be endued with faith I shut mine eyes and say Most gentle father I am thy creature and thy worke it can not be denied but thou hast created me I will put all my trust in thee which hast greater care of my welfare then I my selfe Thou wilt well nourish feede cloath and
this place is inferred that we are all synners but especially they whose life hath a goodly outward shew onely This is the former part of this text namely the preaching of the law Now followeth the other part which is the preaching of the Gospell which declareth how we may fulfill the lawe and from whence that fulfilling is to be taken which we shall learne of that Samaritane What doth the Lawyer moreouer after that the Lord had thus delt with him He saith the Euangelist willing to iustifie himselfe spake vnto the Lord asked him as followeth Who is then my neighbour He asketh not Who is my God As if he sayd I owe nothing vnto God neither do I want any thing before God yea it seemeth vnto me that I do neither owe any thing to any man neuertheles I would willingly know who is my neighbour The Lord aunswering him bringeth forth a most goodly similitude whereby he declareth that we are all neighbours one to an other as well he that giueth a benefit as he that receiueth and needeth one although by the text it seemeth to appeare that he onely is a neighbour which bestoweth a benefit vpon an other But the Scripture maketh here no difference sometime calling him our neighbour which bestoweth a benefit sometime him that receiueth a benefite By this similitude the Lord inferreth in these wordes Go and do thou likewise so that that Lawyer had offended not onely against God but also against man and wanted not onely loue towardes God but also loue towardes his neighbour vnto whom he had not done that good which he ought This wretched felow is brought into such a case that he is found wholy euell eueÌ from the head to the feete How came it to passe that he being most skillfull of the Scripture could not beware of this So fell it out he led a pharisaicall hypocriticall and counterfaite life which had not regarde vnto his neigbour and to succour and helpe others but sought thereby onely glorie and honour before men and so looked by negligent dissolute liuing to come to heauen But ye haue heard verie often that a Christian life consisteth in this A Christian life that we deale with faith and the heart in thinges that pertaine vnto God but vse our life and workes towards our neighbour and that I must not looke while my neighbour seeketh a benefite and requireth some thing of me but according to my duty must preuent his asking of myne owne accord offer my liberalitie vnto him Now we will see what the parable containeth in it The Samaritane in this place is without all doute our Lord Iesus Christ who hath declared his loue toward God and men The loue of Christ toward God men Toward God in that he descended from heauen and was incarnate and so fulfilled the will of his father Toward men for that by and by after baptisme he beganne to preach to worke miracles to heale the sicke neither was there any worke that he did which did concerne himselfe onely but all his workes were directed to his neighbour being made our minister when as notwithstanding he is aboue all and equall to God but he did all these thinges for that he knew that they did please God and that it was the will of his father When he had ascended to the heighth of the commaundement that he loued God with all his heart he left and committed the life of his body and whatsoeuer he had to the pleasure and will of his father saying Father behold all thinges that I haue my life and soule are readie at thy will I leaue for thy sake the glorie and honour which I haue had among men yea and all thinges how good soeuer they be that the world may vnderstand how greatly I loue thee My father let for thy sake my wisedome be contemned that the worlde may count me for the foolishest of all Now make I my selfe most coÌtemptible of all other who was before praised of the whole world Now am I as a most wicked theefe who before was liberall profitable and beneficial to the whole world My father I make no account of all these thinges that I may be found obedient to thy will This is that Samaritane who being desired by no prayers came fulfilled the law with his whole heart he alone hath fulfilled it which praise none can take from him he alone hath deserued it and to him onely it appertaineth But whereas he is touched with care of the wouÌded man hath compassion on him byndeth vp his woundes bringeth him with him into an Inne The wounded man the theeues that spoiled him prouideth for him that pertaineth vnto vs. The man which lieth half dead wounded beaten spoiled is Adam yea and all we The theeues which spoiled vs wounded vs and left vs halfe dead as yet a litle paÌting are the Deuels The horse and his sitter do here fall downe we are not able to helpe our selues and if we should be left lying so we should die through great anguish and distres our woundes would become festred and our affliction miserable and exceeding great This excellent parable is set before our eyes liuely painting forth vnto vs what we are what is the strength of our reason and free will If that wretched man had gone about to helpe himselfe his case would haue bene made worse he would haue hurt himselfe he would haue opened his woundes with rubbing so would haue fallen into greater calamitie Againe if he had bin left lying it had bin all one So it commeth to passe when we are left to our selues our studies and endeuour surely are nothing howsoeuer we set vpon the matter Hitherto sundrie waies diuers meanes haue bin inuented whereby we might come vnto heauen and amend our life this man found out this an other that whereupon haue increased innumerable sortes of Orders letters of indulgences pilgrimages to saincts which did alwayes make that state of Christianitie worse This is the world which is painted forth in this wounded man he being wholy laden with synnes fainteth vnder so heauie a burden and is not able to helpe him selfe But the Samaritane who hath fulfilled the Lawe and is perfectly sound and whole commeth and doth more then either the Priest or Leuite he byndeth vp his woundes poureth in oyle and wine setteth him vpon his owne beast bringeth him with him vnto an Inne maketh prouision for him and when he should depart diligently commendeth him to the host and leaueth with him sufficient for expenses none of which either the Priest or Leuite did By the Priest the holy Fathers are signified The Priest Leuite which passed by the wouÌded maÌ which flourished before Moses The Leuite is a representation of the Priesthood of the old Testament Now all these could do nothing by their workes but passed by like vnto this Priest and Leuite Wherefore although I had all the good workes of
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 HereupoÌ 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 theÌ for a maÌ 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 coÌmended 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
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 caÌ 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
his grace and fauour We haue obtained grace not by workes but by mercy now if thou must liue thou must haue what to doe and wherewith to occupie thy selfe and it is meete that all this be referred to thy neighbour The seruaunt went out as Christ sayth and found his fellow seruaunt whome he taketh by the throte and dealeth rigorously with him and will be wholy payd of him shewing him no mercy or fauour at all I haue said elswhere that Christians must burst forth by workes by their deedes before men witnes that they haue a syncere faith God needeth no workes but faith suffizeth him howbeit he therefore requireth them to be done of thee that by them thou mayst shew thy faith both before thy selfe and also before the whole world for he knoweth thy faith verie well but thou thy selfe and men do not yet throughly see it Thou therefore must direct such workes so that they may profit thy neighbour Now whereas this seruaunt should thus haue done what doth he euen the same that we doe who seeme vnto our selues to beleeue and partly haue faith and are glad that we haue heard the Gospell whereof we can dispute and talke many thinges Busie talkers slow walkers but no man goeth about to expresse it in his life We haue brought the matter so farre that the doctrine and trifles of Satan are some what abated and layde asyde that we do now see and know what is iust and what vniust that we must haue to do with God by onely faith and by workes with our neighbour But we can not bring it to this passe that loue may beginne and doe that to an other which God hath done vnto vs as we our selues complaine that many of vs are become worse then they were before As therefore this seruaunt refused to remit his neighbour the dette and delt extremely with him so also doe we saying It is not meete that I should giue that that is myne to an other neglecting myne owne right If this man hath prouoked me to anger it is his dutie to pacifie me to labour by intreatie to put away myne anger Truly thus the world teacheth and doth for it affirmeth it to be iust and right Neither will any Prince or magistrate enforce thee to giue that which is thine to an other but wil suffer thee to do what pleaseth thee with thine owne goods The magistrate in deede restrayneth thee from doinge what thou list with the good of an other but he constraineth thee not to giue thine owne substaunce to an other for that is against the Lawe of nations which euen reason pronouncing it giueth to euerie one that which is his owne wherefore he doth not vnequally or vniustly which vseth his owne thinges at his will taketh not away wrongfully the goods of an other But what doeth the Gospell saye If God also had held his owne right and sayd I do well in that I punish offenders and take that which is myne owne who shall let me what I pray you should become of all vs We must be mercifull to our brethren as God is mercifull to vs. We should be thrust downe to Satan Wherefore whereas he hath left his right toward thee he will haue thee do the same toward other and therefore thou abrogating thyne owne right thinke thus with thy selfe If God hath forgiuen me tenne thousand talents why should not I forgiue my neighbour an hundred pence God might haue exacted his owne right neuerthelesse he dothe not soe but becommeth a fauourable Lorde vnto thee taketh pittie vpon thee and forgiueth thee why therefore shouldest not thou doe likewise to thy neighbour Wherefore if thou wilt haue to doe in his kingdome thou must doe as he doeth but if thou haddest rather remaine in the kingdome of the world thou shalt neuer enter into his kingdome Hereunto pertaineth that sentence which Christ in the last daye shall pronounce vpon the vnbeleeuers Matth. 25. I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke c. But if thou contend here against NotwithstaÌding ye say that God will not haue respect vnto workes neither will saue any because of them I saye he will haue them done frankely and freely not that we may merit any thing thereby but that we may doe them to the profite of our neighbours and witnes our syncere fayth by them For what hast thou that thou mayst giue him and whereby thou mayst deserue that he should pardon whatsoeuer thou hast committed against him Or what doth he get thereby nothing truely but that thou giuest vnto him praise and thanks And this is the other part of a Christian life the name whereof is loue They therefore that shew not their faith by the works of loue are such seruaunts as will haue themselues forgiuen when as they notwithstanding doe not forgiue their neighbour neither yeeld of their owne right They that will shew no mercy shall themselues finde none with whom it shall likewise fall out as it did with this seruaunt For when the other seruaunts that is the ministers and preachers of the Gospell shall see it that God hath forgiuen them all and yet they will not forgiue any they are troubled that they are compelled to see such thinges and it grieueth them verie sore that men doe so vndiscreetly apply themselues to the Gospell and not rightly receiue it What doe they then They can do no other but come to their Lord and complaine vnto him of such thinges and say Lord thus it is thou forgiuest them both the fault and the punishment yea pardonest them all thinges and yet we can not bring them so farre as to deale so with others as thou hast delt with them This is the complaint the Lord therefore will cause them to come before him in the last iudgement and will lay these thinges against them saying when thou wast afflicted with hunger thirst miserie c I did helpe thee when thou didst ly drowned in synnes I hauing mercy vpon thee did forgiue thee Hast thou done the same to thy neighbour Then he shall pronounce this sentence on him Thou wicked one I was touched with mercy toward thee yea I yeelded of myne owne right but thou wouldest not take pittie on others nor forgiue them their offence wherefore thou shalt now pay thy dette Here is no grace and mercy but most grieuous wrath and eternall condemnation then no prayers do helpe wherefore he is compelled to holde his peace and is throwne hedlong into paine vntill he pay the vttermost farthinge This is that which Sainct Peter hath spoken of them 2. Pet. 2.21 which after they haue heard the Gospell notwithstanding goe backe that it had bin better for them if they had neuer acknowledged the waye of righteousnes then after they haue acknowledged it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them Why had it bin better Because while they goe
she iudged her selfe more vnworthie then that she might either talke with him or looke vpon him for she knew that she had deserued nothing and that she had bestowed no good thinge vpon the Lord hereupon it is that she so behaueth her selfe she coÌmeth behynde his backe she falleth downe at his feete and toucheth onely the hemme of his garment In a summe here is nothing but meere bashfulnes and want of merit here is no preparation here is no worke and yet the miserable woman promiseth her selfe much goodnes from the Lord namely that he would heale her She had bin diseased with an issue of blood twelue whole yeares what could she merite thereby how could she therefore be worthy of any thinge Neuerthelesse being vnworthie and hauing merited nothing she notwithstanding looketh for helpe of Christ feeling her selfe to haue great neede thereof And this is a true preparation both to the grace and goodnes of Christ when I feele my selfe to stand in neede thereof and then doth it verie well fall out when these two come togither the rich and the poore Christ and the synner But it is no small matter for men to be perswaded that they are poore and stand in neede of grace For that commeth to passe verie hardly Satan also doth not suffer it but alwayes draweth men backe to workes that they may not come so farre as to thinke that they haue neede either of the grace or mercy of Christ The text affirmeth that the woman was diseased with an issue of blood twelue whole yeares The woman diseased with an issue of blood and had spent all her substaunce vpoÌ phisitians and that the more medicines she tooke the worse alwayes she was Luke and Marke do not a litle exaggerate and amplifie it whereby they both signifie that the more workes be preached so much the worse is it with vs and that there commeth nothing vnto vs thereby but a continuall multiplying of our euell Our conscience can not be quieted with workes for albeit some synne be driuen out of the conscience forthwith there is an other yea the remedy and work oftentimes do make synne in vs where there is no synne vntill suche time as we come to Christ eueÌ as it was with this woman which had bin sick so long neither had she bin euer helped if she had not come to Christ of whom she obtaineth helth without any workes giuing him nothing but receiueth onely of him Continuall preaching of the word of God verie necessarie and suffreth to be giuen vnto her Nowe here is also declared how the worde of God is dayly to be handled and without ceassing to be vrged for there are as yet alwayes found such men as haue verie troubled and afflicted consciences For this woman is a type or figure of all men which are diseased with an issue that is which feele there synnes the issue whereof doeth alwayes runne neither can it be stayed for flesh and blood doeth no otherwise then it is caried with it owne lust and desire Nowe if that feeling of synne be great those wretches come forth and endeuour to helpe themselues then one taketh this worke in hand an other that and yet preuaile they nothing from hence so many orders so many monasteries haue sprong hereupon so many and so great works haue bin inuented that they are almost without number What was the cause of all these surely euen the synnefull conscience For we haue thought to saue our soules by these and to be deliuered wholy from all synnes But Christ was not there present for we would giue and not receiue Wherefore our case became alwayes worse as it fell out also with this woman who if she had tried the helpe of all Phisitians neither yet so could she fynde whereby she might be holpen So we also beleeued all Phisitians for whatsoeuer euerie one brought that we by and by receiued And was it any meruell for we desired to be healed and to haue a glad conscience The Phisitians are the preachers of the Lawe nowe if any desired to be deliuered from synnes what did they vnto him they gaue him whereby he became onely weaker and feebler which surely we haue seene and felt to our great euell namely how they would haue men to be iustified by workes by them to be deliuered from synnes But it profited nothinge for we were alwayes made more weake against synne and death so that there is neuer found in the earth a more desperate sorte of people then Sacrifycing Priestes Monkes and Vestall virgines and they whatsoeuer they by that trust in workes if there did but a litle byle arise vpon them byandby they must runne to the Poticarie then is suche tryinge of medecine suche running and hast as though they had nowe breathed their last Neither is any so afrayd of the last iudgement as this people Which then they verie well shew when they so deale with workes that they rest onely vpon them neither doe perseruer constant in any worke and the more workes they doe so much worse is their case so much more are they cast downe in mynde and become more desperate so that it falleth out with them as with this woman It is a verie goodly similitude which may most fitly be applied to vs for we do not onely bestow temporall thinges but our body also by fasting chastising and bearing other hard and intolerable burdens so that some haue thereby become mad and destitute of all strength yea at the last lost their life And I my selfe haue bene such a one and haue without dout more resorted to medicines then many other I could not atteine so farre as to leaue the Popes law It seemed a hard and a sore matter vnto me to eate flesh on the friday O good God A hard thing to forsake papistrie being once entangled therewith how hard a thing was it to me before I durst attempt to doe that Wherefore if any will be deliuered from such thinges and contemne the traditions of the Pope truely he must haue a stronge foundation of faith which if he shall not haue let him looke about him againe and againe before he attempt it For if faith be wanting it will fal out with vs as with this woman who had spent all her substance vpon Phisitians amending nothing but rather waxing worse and worse In like maner all our workes labours endeuours shall be lost all our obedience with all orders or religions and whatsoeuer we haue bestowed therein shall be in vaine Howbeit if we haue faith we shall at the last see the decrees of the Pope and popish Bishops to be nothing because of which before we trembled and were troubled all which did helpe vs so much as the Phisitians did that good woman which had bestowed all her substance and riches yea and her body also that she might be healed How many kindes of medicines and syrrups thinkest thou did that woman vse how weake
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 theâe 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 ãâã 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 traditioÌs 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 ⪠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 âeede 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 stroÌg 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
what this is that the Lord sheweth to his Disciples his handes and his feete whereby is declared vnto vs what commoditie we haue by Christ whereunto he profiteth vs and what we must loke for of him It is engraffed in the harts of all men as it were by nature to haue a certen wil to be honest godly euery one thinketh how he may come to saluation wherby it hath come to passe that one hath inuented this thing an other that being verily persuaded that thereby he should make God fauourable vnto him and obtaine heauen but none such at any time hath stoode in the right way forasmuch as all haue had this drift that they might procure Gods fauour by deedes and good workes Notable Doctors also and holy fathers haue written taught many things how we might attaine vnto godlines About this they haue miserably troubled them selues but as we see and to our notable losse haue felt they haue done litle Wherefore it is exceeding necessary that some sound knowledge be had hereof wherby we must endeuour to true godlines forasmuch as it is a thing of no small importance For he that is deceiued here lozeth the summe and chiefe point of all Christianitie hereof therefore we must nowe speake somewhat True righteousnes is obtained not by our owne workes but by the works which Christ hath wrought for vs. True sound righteousnes consisteth not in our owne works but in the works of an other Take an example hereof One buildeth temples an other for religions sake goeth to S. Iames to Aquisgrane to Rome to the holy sepulcher the third pineth him selfe with fastings prayeth weareth a cowle goeth bare foote or worketh some other such worke whatsoeuer it be these are our owne workes God hath not commaunded them but men and hypocrites iustifiers of them selues haue inuented them and haue thought that they are precious good workes and greatly esteemed of God sweetely persuading them selues that they are by them deliuered from sinnes and that God is pacified towards them But these workes chosen of their owne proper will are nothing worth at all neither can stand forasmuch as they proceede not of faith yea they are sinnes as Sainct Paule saith Rom. 14 VVhatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne These our works therefore are defiled and vncleane in the sight of God yea he doth abhorre and loathe them Wherefore if we will haue to doe with God we must not ascend trusting to our owne workes but to the workes of an other But which are those workes of an other that are allowed of God Truely the workes of our Lorde Iesus Christ whom God the father sent downe from heauen that by his death and passion he might satisfie for our sinnes This satisfaction fel out vpon this occasion We were subiect to great daunger The miserable case wherein man was before he was deliuered by Christ grieuous tyrannes had power ouer vs which day and night without ceasing did vexe vs. The law which God gaue vnto man did vrge vs and required many thinges of vs which we were not able to performe and therefore it condemned vs. Sinne also did lye vpon vs as a heauy burden which the lawe did oft times make greater greater Death went about to deuour vs inasmuch as it is the wages of sinne Satan also endeuoured to throw vs downe headlong to hell inasmuch as he would punish vs for our sinnes committed all thinges were full of trembling and anguish God taking pitie vpon this so great calamity sent his only begotten sonne and that of his mere grace goodnes without our desert that he might deliuer vs out of so great tyrannie which he mightely did after this sorte He satisfied the law Christ hath fulfilled the law preuailed against sinne ouercome death and vanquished Satan and fulfilled it perfectly For he loued God with all his heart and with all his soule with all his strength he loued his neighbour also as him selfe in these the whole law and the Prophetes do consist Nowe whatsoeuer Christ did it consisted in these two He loued God inasmuch as he obeyed his will he tooke vpon him the nature of man and performed in all obedience those thinges that were enioyned him of the father as Paul saith Phil. 2 He became obedient to the father vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Secondly he loued his neighbour for all the workes which he did in the earth tended vnto this end that he might therby profit his neighbour and therefore he so loued his neighbour that he euen died for him as he saith himselfe to his disciples Ioh. 15 Greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life for his frends S. Paul doth more set forth this saying for his enemies when he writeth thus Rom. 5 But God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Forasmuch then as Christ hath so fulfilled the law it could not accuse him neither was sinne of any force with him He set vpon it and did preuaile ouer it and swallowed it vp it was enforced to be extinguished of him no otherwise then a sparke of fire in the most wide sea For in him was nothing but mere righteousnes Death also came and went about to deuour him it deuoured him in deede but it could not digest him it was enforced to yeeld him vp againe yea and this deuouring was an vtter discommoditie to death for the case being quite altered Christ deuoured death it selfe For it had set vpon him against whome it had no right forasmuch as not a whit of sinne did appeare in him Where sinne is not there death hath nothing to doe as Sainct Paule sayth 1. Cor. 15 The stinge of death is sinne with this it killeth otherwise it should be dull and haue no strength Satan also made a triall of his strength in him but in vaine and to his owne griefe for he layde handes on him with whome he had nothing to doe The wretch was ouercome in this conflict and went away with shame as Christ sayth Ioh. 14 The Prince of this world commeth and hath nought in me Hell also did open his mouth and would haue deuoured Christ but contrariwise it was deuoured of him And so in this conflict the Law Sinne Death Satan and hell were vanquished ouer all which he triumphed gloried with great pompe as Paule sayth Col. 2. The beleeuers by faith enioy the workes of Christ as their owne All these thinges were not onely done for our commoditie but also if we beleeue in this Lorde Christ they are giuen vnto vs. For whatsoeuer he hath it serueth for vs yea he him selfe is ours as Paule sayth Rom. 8. God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all thinges also So that I may boldly glorie of all victorie which he obtained ouer the law sinne
death the deuill and may chalenge to my selfe all his workes euen as if they were myne owne and I my selfe had done them so that I beleeue in Christ Otherwise his workes shall profitte me nothinge at all if they were not giuen vnto me These are the workes of an other which doe commende vs before God and saue vs. Our owne workes shall doe nothing we are weaker then that we can resist euen the least sinne so farre is it of that we are able to encounter with death How a Christian may notably comfort him self against the law sinne death Satan Satan and hell Wherefore when the Lawe shall come and accuse thee that thou doost not obserue it sende it vnto Christ and say There is that man which hath fulfilled the lawe to him I cleaue he hath fulfilled it for me and hath giuen his fullfilling vnto me when it heareth these thinges it will be quiet If sinne come and woulde haue thee by the throte sende it vnto Christ and saye As much as thou mayst doe agaynst him so much right shalt thou haue agaynst me for I am in him and he is in me If death creepe vppon thee and attempt to deuoure thee saye vnto it Good Maistres death doost thou knowe this man come and byte out his tooth hast thou forgotten howe litle thy byting preuayled with him once goe too if it be a pleasure vnto thee encounter with him agayne Thou hadst persuaded thy selfe that thou shouldest haue preuayled somewhat agaynst him when he did hange betwene two theeues dyed an ignominious death which was counted cursed both before God and the worlde But what didst thou gayne thereby Thou didst byte in deede but it turned worst to thy selfe I pertaine to this man I am his and he is myne and where he abydeth there also will I abyde Thou couldest hurte him nothinge wherefore also let me alone After the same sorte if the Deuill if hell come violently vppon thee and trouble thee sende them vnto Christ and thou shalt easily make them to cease And thus ye see what Christ is vnto vs The inestimable commoditie which the faithfull enioy through Christ namely such a man as is giuen vnto vs of God that he might extinguish sinnes vanquish death destroy hell ouercome the Deuill and all these for our commoditie If he had not done this nor giuen vnto vs these thinges we had bene for euer vnder the curse of the law vnder sinne vnder death vnder the deuill and vnder hell God hath deliuered vs from these by that Christ Wherefore S. Paul saith out of the Prophet Osee 1. Cor. 15 Death is swalowed vp into victorie O death where is thy stinge O hell where is thy victorie The stinge of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ We are iustified before God by no workes or merits of our owne but onely by the workes of Christ Hereof we may easily vnderstand what kinde of workes those be which doe make vs entire and righteous before God Surely they are the workes of an other and not our owne workes chosen of our selues Wherefore the whole Papacie falleth here with all the most precious and holy workes thereof which hath this drift onely that miserable wretched and blinded men may be persuaded that they obtayne heauen by their merits and their owne workes Hereuppon haue spronge so many orders that they can not almost be numbred of which one striued to be holier then an other according as they exercised harder greater and weightier workes But this their miserable labour anguish prayers fastinges chastising of the body and such like were vaine workes and of no value at all neither had they so much power that they were able to take away so much as euen the least sinne which they call veniall They were altogither vnmindfull of this saying Esay 29 which the Lord repeteth Matth. 15 This people dravveth nere vnto me vvith their mouth honoureth me vvith their lippes but their heart is farre of from me But in vaine they vvorshippe me teaching such doctrines as are nothing els but the precepts of men Hereupon now thou maist gather with thy selfe that all holy men although they be exceeding holy yet do obtaine saluation not by their owne holines merites or workes And not so much as Mary her selfe the mother of God was made righteous holy in respect of her virginitie or in that she was the mother of God but saluation hath come vnto all by Iesus Christ as by the workes of an other Wherfore this is diligently to be noted that our felicitie doth not consist in our owne workes but in the workes of an other namely of Christ Iesus our Sauiour which we obtaine through only faith in him This also the historie of this Gospell seemeth to signifie when as the Lorde sheweth to his disciples but specially to Thomas his handes feete By which deede he declareth that it was necessary that those handes and feete should do these things that no other works that is their owne not the workes of an other do pertaine vnto saluation Handes and feete what they commonly signifie in the Scripture For in the Scriptures by handes and feete workes conuersation are signified These hands and feete Christ doth as yet eftsoones shew to vs say Behold I am that onely man whose workes conuersation are of force with God thou shalt labour in vaine with thine owne workes thine owne righteousnes maketh nothing hereunto it hath an other end If thou be righteous it is profitable to thee among meÌ here in eart thou hast the glory praise thereof as Paul sayth Rom. 4. But before God this thy righteousnes is of no estimation thou must set in place thereof an other namely mine this God my father doth allow For I haue deliuered thee from sinnes death the deuell hell from all euell thou shouldest neuer haue escaped out of these by thine owne power but hadst lyen as yet most deepely drowned in them I haue appeased the wrath of God and of an angrie iudge haue made him a gentle mercifull and gracious father beleeue this and it goeth well with thee thou art then safe entire and righteous Beware that thou presume not to deale before God with thine owne works but if thou wilt do any thing with him creepe into me put on me and thou shalt obtaine of my Father whatsoeuer thou desirest and askest as he him selfe sayth vnto his Disciples Ioh. 16 Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Wherefore as from the beginning sinne which was an others hath bene deriued vnto vs from Adam for neither I nor thou haue eate of the apple so also by the righteousnes of an other we must be restored vnto righteousnes and integrity This other is Christ Iesus by whose righteousnes
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 compainoÌ you two will easily beare the burden although one alone were not of streÌgh sufficieÌt 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 froÌ euerlasting of God the Father which notwithstanding can not come vnto glorie without Christ 3 The Disciples beleeued in Christ yet did they not vnderstaÌd 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 theÌ 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 wheÌ 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 meÌ 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 wheÌ 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
can be fulfilled of no man but of him which being free from the Lawe is no more vnder it We must accustome our selues also to the maner of Paules speeche that we may know assuredly who is vnder the Lawe Who be vnder the Law and who is not vnder the Lawe As many therefore as worke good workes because the Lawe hath so commaunded being brought thereunto either with feare of punishmeÌt or hope of reward are vnder the Lawe and are compelled to do good thinges and to be honest being not brought hereunto of their owne voluntarie will Wherefore the Lawe hath dominion ouer them whose seruaunts and captiues they are Now such are all men that are not yet regenerate by Christ which euerie one may easily learne with himselfe by experience euerie mans own conscience shewing it vnto him We all finde our selues so affected that if no Lawe did vrge vs both the feare of punishment and hope of reward were awaye and it were plainly free for vs to do what we list we would do altogether those thinges that are euell and omit the thinges that are good especially either tentation mouing vs or occasion prouoking vs. But now forasmuch as the Law stayeth vs with the threatninges and promises thereof we do oftentimes abstaine from euell thinges and do those thinges that be good howbeit we do them not for the loue of goodnes and hatred of euel but onely for feare of punishment and respect of reward wherefore being left wholy to our selues we are seruaunts of the Lawe neither do we heare it any otherwise then seruaunts do their hard and cruell maister They which are not vnder the Lawe described of what sort they be But they that are not vnder the Lawe that is are not so against their wills in subiection vnder the dominion thereof they of their owne accord do good workes and abstaine from euell being neither terrified with the threatninges of the Law nor allured with the promises thereof but euen for that they do of their voluntarie will beare a loue to honestie and hate that which is dishonest and are also from their heart delighted with the Lawe of God so that if there were no Lawe made notwithstanding they would desire to liue no otherwise then the Lawe commaundeth as to shun those thinges that be euell and applie themselues to honest studies and exercises They that are such are sonnes whom not nature but that onely blessed seede of Abraham that is Christ could make such renuing by his grace and spirit the heartes of them that beleeue in him What it is not to be vnder the Law Wherefore not to be vnder the Lawe is not to be free from the Lawe that they may do those things that are contrarie thereunto and omit those thinges that are good but it is to do good thinges and abstaine from wicked thinges not through compulsion or necessitie of the Lawe but by free loue and with pleasure euen as if no Law commaunded them and their owne nature brought them hereunto as in deede it doth howbeit the new nature of the spirit A similitude not that olde nature of the flesh For as there is neede of no Lawe for the body which may compell it to eate to drinke to digest A similitude to sleepe to go to stand to sit and to do the other workes of nature for that it is ready to do them of it owne nature when the case so requireth and when it is meete without all respect either of reward or punishment and may not vnfitly be said as concerning these thinges not to be vnder a law notwithstanding thereupon nothing lesse foloweth then that it doth therefore abstaine from such workes vnto which in deede it so much more applieth if selfe as they are lesse commaunded and are more naturall vnto it After the same sort altogither doth the godly man behaue himselfe concerning the workes of godlines he is caried to the doing of them by that his new nature of the spirit albeit there were no lawe at all and all both hope of reward and feare of punishment were awaye This onely is the true libertie of a Christian man and the deliueraunce of him from the lawe whereof Paul speaketh 1. Tim. 1 The Lawe is not giuen vnto a righteous man Which is as much as if he had said A righteous man of his owne accord doth good thinges and abstaineth from euell hauing no regard either of reward or of punishment The same thing also he meaneth by that saying Rom. 6 Ye are not vnder the Lawe but vnder Grace that is ye are sonnes not seruaunts Ye liue holily being compelled or enforced with nothing but of your free and of it selfe ready will To the same effect pertaineth that saying also Rom. 8 Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption of the sonnes The Lawe maketh a fearfull that is a right seruile and cainish spirit but Grace giueth the free spirit of sonnes like vnto Abels by Christ the blessed seede of Abraham Whereof the 51. Psalme speaketh Stablish me with thy free spirit Whereupon in the 118. Psalme Christian people are said to be of a free will Moreouer Christ hath so fulfilled the Lawe that he onely of all mankynde hath of his owne accord satisfied it being with no thing compelled or enforced thereunto neither is any other able to do the same vnles he receiue it of him and by him And therefore Paul saith here He was made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe The fifte thing therefore that Paul here commendeth vnto vs to be beleeued Why Christ was made vnder the Law is that Christ for our sake was made vnder the Lawe that he might deliuer vs from the bondage of the Law and of vnwilling seruaunts make vs free sonnes whereupon he saith That he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe that is might deliuer them from the Law ⪠Now he deliuereth from the Lawe by the meanes aforesaid not by destroying or vtterly abolishing the Lawe How Christ deliuereth froÌ the Law but by fulfilling it and giuing a free spirit which shall do all thinges willingly without any respect either of the threatninges or the promises of the Lawe no otherwise then if there were no lawe at all giuen and is caried thereunto of his owne nature After which sort Adam and Eue were effected before they had synned How the spirit of libertie is obtained But by what meanes is this spirit giuen libertie gotten No otherwise then by faith For he that truly beleeueth that Christ came for this cause that he might deliuer vs from the Lawe and that he hath deliuered him already he I say hath in deede receiued the spirit of libertie and doth verily obtaine that which he beleeueth for both faith and this spirit of sonnes come togither Whereupon Paul sayth here that Christ hath deliuered
thou fynde comfort in thy conscience and say with Micheas VVho is such a God as thou Mich. 7. that pardonest wickednes castest all our synnes into the bottome of the sea Whosoeuer take not away synnes they are no Gods but idols whereupon he sayeth rightly that none is like vnto our God For other gods will fynde and not bring godlines but the Almightie God doth not finde it but bring it wherefore thou must not forthwith despeire if thy conscieÌce trembleth and feeleth synne For the more defiled that thou art so much the sooner doeth the Lord poure in his grace if so be thou be repentant and thirstest after it A great part goe so farre that they saye they merit grace whiles they dispose them selues thereunto which is as they interpret whiles they do that which lyeth in them and also that they doe satisfie for their synnes But it is not so The Scripture teacheth vs that it is God that taketh away synne and casteth it into the bottome of the sea We shall not put away synnes by our workes neither shall we be iustified of our selues God himselfe and none but he shall do the thinge of his meere grace as Esay sayth I am euen I am he onely Esa 43.25 that for myne owne selfes sake doe take awaye thine offences and forget thy synnes so that I will neuer thinke vpon them more And so must thou beleeue otherwise thou shalt neuer obtaine a ioyfull conscience Wherefore when as Peter sayd I am a synner he saide right It is true in deede there were causes why he might be afrayde of himselfe and humble himselfe but he ought not to refuse God but most willingly receiue him Wherfore when thou shalt feele thy synne like as Peter did and shalt perceiue that thou wouldest now flie from God then is it neede that thou do forthwith turne thy selfe and come more and more vnto him For if God should goe away and would not take away thy synne would not come vnto thee nor seeke thee yet the more thou perceiuest thy selfe a synner the more hast thou oughtest to make vnto him which see thou marke well and lay it vp in a myndefull memorie For as Sainct Peter doeth here so all consciences do which are terrified of synnes and would flie from God seeke an other god do not thou leaue so but come boldly and ioyne thy selfe neerer vnto God Otherwise if one goe away to seeke workes and helpe of an other god he is then found like the foolish Virgines which while they goe to get themselues oyle are in the meane season shut out But what doeth Christ when Peter so humbleth himselfe and by reason of his great feare and terrour desireth the Lord to depart from him did he leaue him in such desperation of himselfe No truly but he comforteth him saying thus Feare not from heÌce forth thou shalt catch meÌ This is a ioyfull word God susteyneth the faithfull both in body spirit whereby weake heartes receiue comfort Now therefore that God hath a care for vs yea euen in those thinges that pertaine to the body ye see by this that he giueth Peter so many fishes he maketh him also so full and rich in spirit that he ought to bestow some of his plenty vpon others He maketh him a fisher both in body and in spirit in body for that he taketh many fishes which he may sell but in spirit he is a fisher of men For he hath the Gospel whereby other men must be brought to God by him and the kingdome of Christ be increased Loe it commeth to passe that where men beleeue the Lord giueth so much as succoureth and helpeth all men The faithfull man outwardly helpeth the needy with his substaunce and goods And from within he breaketh forth teacheth other and enricheth them also inwardly For such a man can not hold his peace but is enforced to shew and declare to others how he is delt with as it is in the 51. Psal Make me a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O giue me the comfort of thy helpe againe and stablish me with thy free Spirit Then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and synners shal be conuerted vnto thee And in an other Psalme also Dauid sayeth I beleeued Psal 116.10 and therefore will I speake Which is thus much in effect when I beleeue I knowe God and tast of his goodnes then I consider the case of other men and go and declare such knowledge and goodnes of God vnto them We see therefore in this text howe carefull God is for them that be his and that he doth susteine them both in body and in spirit But if he doth sometime differre any thinge without all doute it is through the fault of our incredulitie or because we haue now new begon to beleeue For where faith is new and litle there is sometime small and sclender helpe that we may learne to know the Lord and to trust in him But when we haue gone so farre that we trust strongly in God then nothing can be wanting to vs then God poureth vpon vs both corporall and spirituall good thinges and so aboundant treasures that we may be able to helpe others This in deede is to enrich the poore and to fill the hungrie Thus much shall suffize concerning this text A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING TRVST IN GOD IN PENVRIE AND DISTRESSE Marc. 8. Verse 1. IN those dayes when there was a verie great multitude and had nothing to eate Iesus called his disciples to him and said vnto them 2. I haue compassion on the multitude because they haue now coÌtinued with me three dayes and haue nothing to eate 3. And if I send them awaye fasting to their own houses they would faint by the waye for ome of them came from farre 4. Then his disciples aunswered him whence can a man satisfie these with bread here in the wildernes 5. And he asked them how many loaues haue ye and they said seuen 6. Then he commaunded the multitude to sit downe on the ground and he tooke the seuen loaues and gaue thankes brake them and gaue to his disciples to set before them they did set them before the people 7. They had also a few small fishes and when he had giuen thankes he commaunded them also to be set before them 8. So they did eate and were suffised and they tooke vp of the broken meate that was left seuen baskets full 9. And they that had eateÌ were about 4. thousand so he sent them awaye I Hope dearely beloued that ye doe well vnderstand the meaning of this text For your vnderstanding is sufficiently well grounded in these mysteries so that ye doe easily perceiue what good is to be looked for in the Gospell and what is prescribed vnto vs therein namely the true nature and qualitie of