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 writtē of the Apostles They departed as Luke sayth from the councell reioycing that they were coūted 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 whē 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 cōtaine him selfe but he must needes burst forth into those words which in this Hymne he vttereth not onely because of the
death sinne and Satan why and free from Satan Howe commeth this to passe After this sorte Your brotherly charitie hath oftentimes heard heretofore that God leaueth in vs an appearance and feeling of death and the deuill so that my sinne disquieteth me and troubleth my conscience and would driue me vnto desperation Moreouer the iudgement of God terrifieth me death assaileth me as if it would deuoure me Satan is at hande and seeketh to suppresse me God suffereth these to remaine taketh them not quite away For this appearance must continue that we may perceiue and feele that we are nothing else of our selues but sinners subiect to sinne and Satan And yet vnder this appearance lieth hid life innocencie and dominion and victorie ouer sinne Satan hell c as Christ him selfe sayth Matth. 16. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it he sayth not they shall not assaile it nor fight against it for these two remayne to sinne and death Nowe it is also expedient that I feele the biting of sinne the terrour of the wrath of God the horrour of death yea and death it selfe But all this is a certaine outward appearance before my sight and the sight of the world The cōfort of Christians against sinne death and Satan which knowe and iudge none otherwise but that sinne death and Satan are present Notwithstanding in the meane season vnder that assault and terrour the word and spirit are encouraging me preseruing me assuring me that God is not angry with me that my sinne is forgiuen me that I shall neither dye nor be forsaken Vpon this foundation hope my hart doth wholy rest And no man hauing such a confidēce in God remaineth vnder sinne neither is drowned in death but is made a conquerour of sinne and death This is not to preuaile or ouercome for that albeit Satan attempteth yet he doth not get the victorie We call the house of Dauid a mortal house sinnefull and subiect to the deuill according to the maner of all flesh and blood and yet notwithstanding the horne of saluation is raysed vp in the same The kingdom of faith that men of that kingdom may enioy saluation and felicitie Hereby ye see that this kingdom is the kingdom of faith which can not be touched nor outwardly perceiued of any which one can not shewe to an other but euery one must haue it in him self that when he shall draw neare vnto death shal feele sinne or euen see death before him he may then in faith lay hold on this kingdom beleue that his sinnes are forgiuen him For Christ therefore died that thou mightest be in this kingdom of faith Wherefore sinne shal encounter with thee in vaine death is taken away Christ is with thee who can hurt thee who can do any euill vnto thee Here life and death sinne and innocencie Christ and Satan doe fight one with an other but Christ life innocencie doe ouercome and conquer This is soone spoken but not so easily felt yea the contrary surely is rather felt Wherefore if thou wilt esteeme and consider this kingdom according to the iudgement of the world thou shalt vtterly erre and be deceiued The world calleth that a good peaceable kingdom where all thinges are quiet prosperous and goe well forward where is safetie peace and innocencie outwardly But here is the kingdom of saluation and grace although it alwayes appeare otherwise Wherefore all these thinges are to be vnderstood in spirit and faith not to be iudged according to the person or outward appearance Neither ought it to seeme straunge that this kingdom doth flourish in the middes of sinnes the force of Satan death wherof Zacharias here singeth euen from the bottom of his hart and knoweth well how it commeth to passe faith and the spirit reuealing it Concerning sinne I haue seene or knowen none in whom it is not Euen the most holy are not free from sinne Rom. 7.18 Whomsoeuer thou settest before thee sinne will by and by appeare Paule a most holy Apostle affirmeth of him selfe that he feeleth sinne in his members VVill sayth he is present with me but I find no meanes to performe that which is good For I doe not the good thing which I would but the euil which I would not that do I. He wished in deede to be free from sinnes but yet he could not but liue in them And I and such like are also desirous to be exempted from sinnes but that can by no meanes be brought to passe we doe onely represse and keepe them vnder when we haue fallen into sinne we rise againe But as long as we are clothed with this flesh and beare the burden thereof about with vs so long sinne is not extinguished nor can be wholy subdued We may well goe about and endeuour to subdue it notwithstanding old Adam will leade his life also vntill he shall dye and come vnto the graue What shall I neede to say any more The kingdom of Christ is a certaine speciall kingdom wherein euery one of the Sainctes is compelled to make this confession Almighty God vnto whose power all thinges acknowledge them selues subiect I confesse my self to be a miserable sinner reuenge not I beseech thee my old iniquities Al also must sing this song Our father c. forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Other righteous holy ones which knowe no measure or ende of their righteousnes and holines doe vnderstand nothing hereof and therefore this Gospell is not preached vnto them seeing that they thinke the kingdom of Christ to be such that there is no sinne at all in it but that all thinges in it are cleane pure they require such a Christian as is wholy cleane from all filth of sinne and without sinne as Christ him selfe such a one they shall neuer be able to finde Now he is a Christian who being a sinner confesseth him self a sinner who hateth the feeling of sinne striuing against it from his hart He is not a Christian which thinketh that he hath no sinne neither feeleth any But if thou knowest any such he is an Antichristian and not a true Christian The kingdom of Christ therefore consisteth among sinnes it is established there where he hath set it that is in the house of Dauid Yea set Dauid him selfe before your eyes and ye shal finde him to haue bene a sinner who notwithstanding is bold to glory that he is a seruant acceptable to his Lord. There is none of the faithfull which ought to be ashamed of this maner of praying vnto God or of any other not much vnlike vnto it Lorde forgiue vs our sinne is it therefore true that they haue sinne because they say so yea truely for if they should lye they should be the children of Satan But godly Christians are weary of this life greatly desiring the life
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 thē 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
vnto vs the couenant made to Abraham Thus he sayth to Abraham By my selfe haue I sworne sayth the Lorde that in blessing I will blesse thee And in thy seede c. Which words the Prophets diligently held marked hādled alwaies trusted vnto them for that he doth here solemnly sweare that he might wholy assure vs that he would poure forth his blessing vpon vs. And now the time is present the hower is come wherein he hath sworne that saluation should come vnto vs as it is declared Mar. 16. Goe ye into all the world preach the Gospell to euery creature he that shall beleue be baptised shall be saued but he that will not beleeue Abraham merited not the promise shall be damned Men surely haue not merited it no not Abraham him selfe who was not made partaker of the promise seeing that he died long before the fulfilling thereof In spirit in deede and faith he was partaker of it but he liued not so long til the Gospel was reuealed to the whole world The promise therfore was made vnto him although as I haue sayd he looked not for the fulfilling therof in this life That is his life was not prolonged vntill the preaching of the Gospell in the whole world although in faith he obtained the Gospell for him selfe Wherefore it can not be sayd that that promise was due to his merits otherwise he must haue liued in the earth vntill the fulfilling thereof and a due price or reward must haue bene payd vnto him But now the performing of the promise was after his death so that euery one must needes confesse that that promise was not made to Abraham because of his merits Againe it can not be sayd The Gentiles merited not the enioying of the promise that the Gentiles which enioy this promise haue obtained it by their merits which then were not God promiseth to the fathers and performeth not he performeth to the Gentiles to whom notwithstāding no promise was made who all at that time were not God will alwayes retayne to him self his honour and be the same God although the wicked world can not be so perswaded He chasteneth reproueth rebuketh prouoketh stirreth allureth doth whatsoeuer is to be done but the worldlings rob him of his honour and attribute it to them selues that is they will not acknowledge that whatsoeuer they possesse or haue it commeth vnto them by the only grace of God When therefore we glory of such good thinges acknowledge not God to be the author and giuer of them we make our selues as God and him as our seruaunt So he is dishonoured and the honour attributed vnto vs. But albeit we make marchandize of his honour yet he hath affirmed in the Scriptures that he will keepe his honour and glorye onely to him selfe that so he may be acknowledged to giue all things of his meere and only grace These thinges he that beleueth doth also receiue them he that doth not beleue shall at the lēgth receiue his due reward Zacharias sayth moreouer Verse 74. That we being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies might serue him without feare Verse 75. All the dayes of our life in holines and righteousnes before him He hath defined the nature and propertie of this kingdom that is the couenant made with Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed c. Which words of blessing thus sayth he I will interpret vnto you that being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies we may serue him without feare all our life long in holines and righteousnes before him Which to the world and our flesh sauoureth not well For the world thus murmureth here I had thought that he woulde haue giuen vs some pretious thing as a purse well stuffed with money a rich wife fayre and bewtifull children goodly houses and whatsoeuer the world is delighted in But now I perceiue it to be otherwise I heare that we must without feare serue him in holines righteousnes and so please him Wherefore it shall be meete that we apply hereunto spirituall eyes and eares that we may more rightly consider and vnderstand the wordes Whereas he sayth that he will deliuer vs from all our enemies it is againe thus to be vnderstood that this kingdom is placed in the middes of enemies and notwithstanding that it is not therefore destroyed but that alwayes all the enemies and aduersaries thereof are ouercome We must vnderstand also that the deliuerance from our enemies tendeth hereunto that we should alwayes obey him that deliuereth vs without any feare And this is a Christian thing an amiable kingdom that a Christian shall leade his life without feare Howbeit God hath bestowed this vpon vs that we should hereafter serue him alone The words without feare include in them that we shall quietly enioy the good thinges of this present world A Christian how he liueth without feare of the world to come For a Christian is sure and certaine of the forgiuenes of his sinnes although he as yet feeleth them as we haue sayd a litle before He is certaine that death hath no power in him that Satan doth not ouercome him that the worlde can not preuaile against him Such a hart is without all perill and feare plainly free from them Which doe not thou so vnderstand as though we do not feele sinne at all but that we are greatly grieued when sinnes trouble vs when the image or sight of death terrifieth vs when as being reproched and sclaundered of the world we stand as destitute and haue none in this earth to whom we may turne vs or resort for succour but God alone These thinges in deede are felt but they doe not preuaile nor ouercome vs for the hart notwithstanding remaineth safe and quiet in God So pouertie also is felt when thou art pinched with hunger hast not wherewithall to fill thy belly to maintaine thy wife and bringe vp thy children nor any certaine place where to dwell and abide but all these thinges shall not hurt thee thou must aske of God whatsoeuer thou needest serue him without feare as our present text declareth But herein we doe for the most part behaue our selues not as Christians we iudge after our owne affection and sense according as the world doth blame vs or report euill of vs. Also when our fieldes haue no corne no money is in our purse we thinke our selues vtterly destitute and forsaken But a true Christian with shut eyes and eares sayth with Paule speaking to the Galathians O flesh sinne death ye are dead vnto me Gal. 2. 6. and I againe am dead vnto you that Christ may liue in me The world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde That is the worlde hath no care or regard of me and my preaching and life is mocked and scorned of it But with the same measure that thou measurest vnto me I will measure to
sea and from al tempest For this is the chiefe vertue and cunning of faith that it seeth those thinges which are not seene or felt and seeth not those thinges which are felt yea which are now sore vpon vs and doe presse vrge vs. As on the contrary side diffidence seeth nothing but that which it feeleth neither can it rest vpon any other thing but that which it feeleth For this cause those thinges are of God layd vpon faith which the whole world is not able to beare as sinnes death the world and the deuil neither suffereth he it to be occupied with small matters For who flieth not death who is not terrified ouercome of it The force of faith whereby death the world Satan and sinne are ouercome Against this inuincible faith standeth yea it couragiously setteth vpon it which otherwise tameth all thinges and ouercommeth and swalloweth vp that vnsatiable deuourer of life So euen the whole world is not able to bring vnder and subdue the flesh but it rather bringeth vnder and maketh the world subiect vnto it beareth rule ouer it so that he liueth carnally whosoeuer is of the world But faith subdueth this subduer of all other holdeth it in subiection and teacheth it not onely to be ruled but also to obey Likewise who is able to beare the hatred and furie ignominie and persecution of the worlde who doth not yeelde vnto it and is oppressed with it But faith euen laugheth at all the iniquitie rage and furie thereof and maketh that vnto it selfe matter of spirituall ioy wherewith other are euen killed It doth no otherwise behaue it selfe against Satan also Who is able to ouercome him which practizeth so many craftes and wiles wherby he stayeth and hindereth the truth the worde of God faith and hope and soweth against them innumerable errours sects delusions heresies desperations superstitions and such kind of abominations without number All the worlde is to him as a sparke of fire to a fountaine of water it is wholy subdued vnto him in these euills as alas we both see and trie But it is faith which troubleth him for it is not onely not made subiect to his delusions but it also discouereth and confoundeth them that they be no more of any importance that they are able to doe nothing but doe vanish away as we haue experience at this day by the decaying and vanishing of the Papacie and indulgences Finally sinne hath that force that that which is euen the least can not be appeased or extinguished of any creature that it doth not gnawe and teare the conscience yea if all men should goe about togither to comfort the conscience wherein sinne hath begun to liue they should goe about it in vaine But faith is that noble Champion which ouercommeth and extinguisheth euery sinne yea if all the sinnes which the whole world hath committed from the beginning were layde vpon one heape it would extinguish and abolish them all togither Is not faith therefore most mightie and of incomparable strength which dareth encounter with so many and so mightie enemies and beareth away the certaine victorie Wherefore Iohn sayth in his first Epistle chap. 5 This is that victorie that hath ouercome this world euen our faith Howbeit this victorie commeth not with rest and quietnes Faith obtayneth not the victorie ouer the enemies of our soules without sore fight conflicts we must trie the fight not without blood and woundes that is we must needes feele sinne death the flesh the deuill and the world yea and that assayling vs so grieuously and with so great force that the hart of man doe thinke that he is past all hope that sinne hath ouercome and the deuill gotten the vpper hande and on the contrary side very litle feele the force of faith We see an example of this fight here in the Disciples for the waues did not onely strike the ship but did euen couer it that nothing could be now loked for but that it should be drowned especially Christ being asleepe and knowing not of this perill all hope was then past life seemed to be ouercome and death appeared to haue the victorie But as it fel out with the Disciples in this tentation so also doth it fall out and must fall out with all the godly in all kind of tentations which are of sinne the deuill and the world In the tentation of sinne we must needes feele the conscience thrall vnto sinnes the wrath of God and hellish paynes to hange ouer vs and all thinges to be in that case as though we were past all recouerie Likewise when we haue conflict with the deuill it must appeare as though truth shoulde giue place to errour and Satan shoulde driue the worde of God out of the whole worlde and he him selfe reigne for a God with his delusions deceits Neither standeth the case any otherwise when it commeth to passe that we are tryed of the world it must needes be that it should greatly rage and cruelly persecute vs so that it shall seeme that no man at all is able to stand that no man is able to obtayne safetie or profes his faith that Cain onely shall beare rule and suffer his brother in no place Albeit we be in daunger great distres yet must we not be discouraged but beleeue that we shall be deliuered But we must not iudge according to such feeling and outward appearance of things but according to faith The present example ought to stirre vs vp hereunto to be receiued of vs in steede of speciall comfort For we learne hereof that albeit sinnes doe vrge vs death disquiet vs the world rage against vs and the deuill lay snares for vs that is although the waues doe couer the ship yet we must not be discouraged For although thy conscience being wounded doth feele sinne and the wrath and indignation of God yet shalt thou not therefore be plunged in hell Neither shalt thou therefore die although euen the whole world hate and persecute thee and gape so wide to deuoure thee as the morning spreadeth forth it selfe They are onely waues which falling vpon thy ship doe terrifie thee and compell thee to crie out we perish Lord saue vs. Thou hast therefore in the former part of this text the nature of faith set forth how it is wont and ought to behaue it selfe in tentation also howe desperate a thinge diffidence is and nothing to be counted of The other part commendeth vnto vs loue in Christ whereby he was brought so farre that he brake of his sleepe arose and counted the daunger that his Disciples were in for his owne and helped them freely asking or looking for nothing of them therefore Euen as it is the nature of Christian loue to doe all things freely and of good will to the glorie of God and profit of our neighbours The nature of Christian loue seeking to it selfe nothing thereby For the exercising of which loue man adopted
this prayer he shewed his faith which faith being perceiued the Lorde could not but graunt his desire wherefore rising forthwith he went with him in this going this historie of the woman came to passe which had bene diseased of an issue of blood twelue yeares as we haue now hearde When therefore the Lorde was entred into the Rulers house he sawe the minstrells and the multitude making noyse which were there according to the lawe of Moses and did sounde the trumpet and pipes as in our cuntrie they ringe the bells to gather the people togither But he commaunded the multitude to go forth saying The child is not dead but sleepeth And they laught him to scorne and mocked him Which giueth vs to vnderstand The preaching of the Gospell is contemned and counted foolishnes of the world that when it is preached that Christ is he which saueth that our works preuaile nothing then the world can not conteine it selfe but that it scorneth mocketh for it can not be persuaded that Christ doth helpe and succour euen as this people without all dout sayd after this sort Beholde what an excellent Maister and a goodly Phisitian he is what could he haue holpen which knoweth not yet what it is to sleepe and what to be dead This title must needes remayne to the Gospell in the world that the preaching thereof is counted foolish and contemptible For Satan can not abide that honour should be giuen to this Gospel before the world for it bringeth but smal commoditie to his kingdom which forasmuch as he perceiueth full well he practizeth all craftes and wiles that he may either altogither hinder it or at the least make it to preuaile litle with them that be his whose hartes he hath wholy blinded and possessed that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them as S. Paule sayth 2. Cor. 4. Neither yet can it be that this preaching of Christ should not be frutefull forasmuch as it is not vttered in vaine for albeit it be receiued but of a few that doth not greatly skill When therefore Satan perceiueth any thing to be taken from him and that that preaching is ordained plainly against his kingdom Satan a most grieuous enemie to the preaching of the Gospell he doth without delay pursue it contemne it and assaile it on euery side that euen now he is fierce and rageth in the whole world For the Gospell of Christ ouerthroweth whatsoeuer the world and Satan delight in and whatsoeuer to the worlde seemeth most holy goodly For the worlde imagineth to it selfe such a God as hath regard to our good workes and will be pleased with the erecting of Masses and vigiles for them that are departed with Rosaries as they call them habit shauing and whatsoeuer other trifles are vsed in the Papacie Now if there come any which bringeth the Gospell and inueyeth against these vaine toyes of the Pope and sayth that they are nothing worth but are meere delusions inasmuch as they are repugnant to Christ and the Scripture he is counted a most wicked felow and therefore must be punished he is reproued as an heretike and a seducer of the people so that they burst forth into great wordes and say wilt thou gouerne all the whole world doost thou thinke thy selfe the wisest man that is and were our forefathers foolish and without all vnderstanding many holy men haue done these workes and haue preached of them and wilt thou come and turne them all to nothing thou shalt not doe it Then rage and furie beginneth yea persecution slaying and murdering and the Deuill will seeme to haue a iust cause howsoeuer the matter goeth Thus much shall suffize at this time concerning this text Now ye must take especial heede that out of the Gospells ye learne throughly how all things consist in the onely person whose name is Christ and lay vp this in the depth of your hart that a Christian hath his name of Christ For I know how much it auaileth both in tentation and in aduersitie to hold that fast Let vs now by prayer call for the grace of God that at the last we may with most earnest zeale and harty affection embrace true Christianitie Amen **** A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE GOSPELL ON SAINCT THOMAS DAY CONCERNING THE VVORKS VVHICH Christ hath wrough for vs wherin is contained a most sweete consolation against the Law Sinne Death and Satan Ioh. 20. Verse 24. THomas one of the twelue called Didimus was not with them whē Iesus came 25. The other Disciples therfore sayd vnto him we haue seene the Lord but he said vnto them Except I see in his hands the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put mine hand into his side I will not beleeue it 26. And eyght dayes after agayne his Disciples were within Thomas with them Thē came Iesus when the dores were shut and stoode in the middes and sayd Peace be vnto you 27. After sayd he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see myne handes put forth thyne hand and put it into my side and be not faithles but faithfull 28. Then Thomas aunswered and sayd vnto him Thou art my Lord and my God 29. Iesus sayd vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued The summe of this Gospell 1 THomas doth not beleeue that Christ is risen from the dead but when he seeth and feeleth him 2 The Disciples beleue not without manifest signes But blessed are they that haue not seene but doe beleeue the word onely 3 It is a great matter to know Christ God and man He which attaineth to this knowledg of Christ feareth neither sinne nor death neither the deuill nor hell briefly he is quiet from all anguish tentation For he hath a greater and mightier then he which is in the world as Iohn sayth in his first Epistle chap. 4. The exposition of this Gospell I Know nothing more certaine concerning S. Thomas then that which this Gospell mentioneth of him Other things which are written of him in the booke of Legends are most impudent lyes And albeit they were partly true yet haue they no authoritie neither make vs any thing the better Wherfore we will leaue them vntouched speake something of this Gospel which shal be more profitable necessary for vs then all those Legends The former part of this Gospell fell out about the euentyde of the Passeouer when two had returned from Emmaus shewed vnto the other Disciples that the Lorde was risen againe The latter part fell out the eight day after the Passeouer It is meruelous how comfortable this Gospell is shewing vnto you the frutes of faith namely peace and ioye as Paule sayth Rom. 5 being iustified therefore by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ But now we will entreat in few wordes
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
me That is ye beleeue that God loueth you and will glorifie you beleeue that he will do it after that sort that ye see me glorified and beleeue that this my death is life to the glorifying both of me and of my whole body that is of all Christians and that this death satisfieth for the synnes of the world as the Apostles afterward witnessed of him in their writinges 1. Iohn 2.2 Thus Iohn sayth Christ is the reconciliation for our synnes and not for ours onely but also for the synnes of the whole worlde Wherefore thou seest that Christ here will haue heartes confirmed by faith and by no other outward thinge He sayth moreouer In my Fathers house are many dwelling places These dwelling places haue bin prepared from euerlasting neither is there any neede that they should be prepared of him Why therefore doth he say I go to prepare a place for you This is nothinge els but that he goeth and is made Lord of all whereby he may prepare vs vnto such dwelling places For as long as we are not prepared neither are the dwelling places prepared for vs although they be ready by themselues Wherefore Christ meaneth thus much There are dwelling places but not yet prepared rightly and as they must be Howbeit then shal they be rightly prepared and appointed whē as I haue taken away the kingdome of death by my death and am now gone to reigne and that by the holy Ghost which by fayth shall prepare and wholy make ready you also vnto such dwelling places So that this is the simple and plaine meaning of these wordes There are dwelling places to wit where the Father glorifieth but those dwelling places are not yet prepared for that the kingdome of death is not yet taken away This Christ signifieth when he sayth If it were not so I would haue told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also In these wordes the Lord declareth how these dwelling places be prepared namely by the death of Christ as it is sayde by which he came vnto glorie and ruleth ouer all thinges which are in heauen and earth By which death he hath obtayned the holy Ghost for vs which as is before sayde may prepare vs vnto these dwelling places For through his operation and working in vs he maketh vs beleeue the Gospell by which beleeuing or faith we are prepared Which could not be done if Christ should not depart and dye and so possesse a kingdome ouer all This therefore is the summe of this text They are foreseene whome the Father will glorifie but they can not be glorified but by Christ who vnles he take away death and sinne all shall be in vaine Here thou seest that all tend vnto this that Christ is he which prepareth the dwelling places and that we can not be glorified but by Christ so that the whole drift of this text is that we are not iustified by mans strength nor by our owne merits but by Christ which the whole Epistle to the Romanes effectually declareth as also that which is written to the Galathians almost all that Paule doth in his Epistles tendeth to the same ende It followeth moreouer And whither I goe ye knowe and the way ye knowe For ye beleeue in me and haue shewed signes in my name whereby ye ought nowe to be certaine who I am and what I doe and wherefore I am come Ye haue also seene and heard the testimonie of the Father of me Wherefore ye may nowe knowe that the Father will glorifie me and beleeue that I and the Father are one it shoulde be therefore superfluous to speake more of these thinges But the Disciples albeit they were well instructed of the Lorde him selfe and had seene his miracles yea and they them selues also had preached the Gospell and wrought miracles were notwithstanding as yet somewhat grosse in vnderstanding neither did they perceiue whereof he here spake and what was that way and whither the Lorde did prepare to depart Wherefore Thomas bursteth forth into open wordes and confesseth freely that he is ignorant hereof and sayth thus vnto the Lord Lord we knowe not whither thou goest hovve can we then knovve the vvay Here ye heare and see that albeit there was faith in the Disciples notwithstanding they were not as yet persuaded that Christ shoulde be crucified and by his death shoulde enter into his kingdome and that the same kingdom should be spirituall which they did not vnderstand euen after the resurrection of the Lord Act. 1.6 Lorde say they wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israell Those good men were as yet persuaded that it should be a carnall worldly kingdom Such grosse things may here and there be found in the Gospels by meanes whereof the Disciples did sometime notably stumble and erre Comfort for them that be weake in faith and sometime through infirmitie fall All which were committed to writing for our comfort confirmation that we should not be by and by discouraged when we haue sometime stumbled in faith and can not at the first apply our selues to the workes and word of the Lorde If this happened to these great mē which afterward shoulde become pillers of Christianitie there is no cause truely that any should meruell if we also sometime faint in faith yea and let no man be afrayd although it falleth out that sometime through infirmitie he so doe It is the worke and matter of the Lorde he will amend these thinges when it seemeth good vnto him Now of the wordes we mind to entreate somewhat at large Not much before when Christ would confirme his Disciples in faith he promised them that they should be glorified Here he addeth and declareth how and by what meanes they must be glorified affirming that that must be by his departure that is by his death that by that meane he must obtaine his kingdome This he had often repeated vnto them so that now it did become them to know and vnderstand it Therefore he sayth VVhither I goe ye know and the way ye knowe but they did not yet throughly vnderstand it as the wordes of Thomas doe declare Now it is certaine that there was faith in the Disciples which the wordes of Peter proue who aunswered Christ in steede of the rest when he asked them whether they also would goe away Peter sayd Maister to whom shall we goe Ioh. 6.68 Thou hast the wordes of eternall life and we beleeue and knowe that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God This appeareth also by the wordes of the Lord which he had sayd to them a litle before at his supper Ye are cleane which he would not haue sayd if they had not beleued they knewe Christ therefore that he is the way to the Father So they knew the Father
of Bethlehem were Thou reuoluest in thy mind childish and altogether foolish cogitations Why doost thou not performe the like duties nowe Behold Christ walking before thee in thy neighbour do for him bestowe benefits vpon him whatsoeuer thou shalt bestow vpon thy neighbour which is needy and destitute of helpe that thou shalt bestow vpon Christ him selfe as he shall say in the last day to the elect Matth. 25.40 VVhatsoeuer ye haue done to one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me Wherfore it is a vaine and very foolish thing to admit such childish cogitations Let vs therefore at the last open our eyes let vs not heare examples of so great importance in vaine otherwise the time will come when we shall be grieuously punished But with what wordes did the Angell speake vnto the shepeheards the Euangelist sayth after this sort Then the Angell sayd vnto them Be not afraid for behold I bring you glad tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour vvhich is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a signe to you Ye shall find the babe svvadled and layd in a maunger Learne by these wordes of the Angell how to vse rightly the natiuitie of the Lord Christ neither let it suffice you to heare them onely A great treasure hidden in the earth or some other where is to no vse but if it be opened and occupied then is it profitable and precious Wherefore giue heede hereunto that thou mayst vse this natiuitie otherwise it shal be no commoditie and comfort vnto thee For whereas thou knowest the bare historie onely to witte what came to passe in his natiuitie and that he was borne needy and poore thou shalt take no greater commoditie hereby then if thou heare a historie written of the king of Fraunce or of some other puissant Prince whereby no commoditie or comfort should come vnto thee But how must we vse this natiuitie rightly and with frute What it is to vse the natiuitie of christ aright Our owne natiuitie of what sort it is Euen as I haue sayd if we be thus perswaded that he was borne for vs that his natiuitie is ours Our natiuitie is such that it altogether aboundeth with sinne as Dauid sayth Psal 51 Behold I was shapen in wickednes in sinne hath my mother conceiued me As if he would say here is nothing but sinne as well in the conception as in the birth whatsoeuer I bring with me from my mothers wombe it is wholly damnable it is due to death Satan hell Forasmuch then as our natiuitie skin heare are defiled what good can come therof This is our title which we haue receiued from Adam in this one thing we may glory and in nothing else at all namely that euery infant that is borne into this world is wholy in the power of sinne death Satan hel and eternall damnation our natiuitie is altogether miserable and on euery side to be lamented To deliuer vs from this natiuitie God sent an other natiuitie which it behoued to be pure without all spot that it might make this vncleane sinnefull natiuitie pure This is that natiuitie of the Lorde Christ his onely begotten sonne The natiuity of Christ Wherefore he woulde not haue him borne of flesh blood infected with synne but it behoued that he shoulde be borne of a pure Virgine He suffered no spot at all or sinne in his flesh but replenished it with the holy Ghost permitted nothing to sticke therein but those miseries which proceede of flesh and blood as hunger thirst aduersitie and death sinne excepted as the Epistle to the Heb. chap. 4. witnesseth that he was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne This is that most excellent thing which the Lord our God hath done for vs whereof none taketh any frute but he that beleeueth And none will easily beleeue this but he that feeleth of what sorte his owne natiuitie is He that hath no feeling of his owne miserie tasteth not of this natiuitie of Christ But if we feele our miserie it followeth forthwith that we cry with the Prophet Dauid and say Behold I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me for we feele our sinne and our euill natiuitie When death shall come vpon vs and our heart shal be touched with anguish grief thē at the last it may be that we would cast of this happy pure natiuitie and will excedingly thirst after it to enioy it But now when as we feele not our sinnes neither doe as yet tast of the bitternes of sinne it stideth coldly to the hart we heare it in deede but truely it doth not throughly enter vnto the hart For if a man did beleue that this natiuitie was for his commoditie he would feare neither sinne nor death Wherefore I haue sayd that a Christian must beleeue and dout nothing that the natiuitie of Christ is as well his as it is the Lord Christes And as he hath of the virgin pure blood and flesh so that he him selfe also is pure and that this virgin is his mother spiritually as she was the mother of Christ carnally Let the hart haue sure confidence in this perswasion otherwise it will be in an euil case This the Angell signifieth in these wordes when he sayth Vnto you he is borne Christ is borne vnto vs and is made wholy ours as if he sayd what soeuer he is and hath ye may chalenge it to your selues Also he is your Sauiour not that ye should onely looke vppon him but which is able to deliuer you from the tyrannie of sinne death Satan and all euell yea and how great soeuer he be he is borne vnto you and is yours with all that he hath Nowe forasmuch as he is myne and hath chaunged his natiuitie into myne his flesh blood also is myne he him selfe is myne with all wherewith he is endued so that I dare saye vnto his mother Beholde that child which thou hast brought forth is mine his flesh and blood are my flesh and blood yea and thou art my mother and I will be counted of thee for thy sonne for whatsoeuer Christ bringeth with him it must be myne euen as he himselfe is myne If so be that his natiuitie be myne being of a virgin and without synne replenished with the holy Ghost my natiuitie also must be of a virgin and pure from synne Here now Eue the first mother is no more my mother for it must needes be that that natiuitie doe vtterly die and perish that there may be no sinne remayning Here this mother Marie is to be set against that mother of whome I was borne in sinne And thus the Angel bringeth with him great ioy for it can not be but that the hart should be made glad when it enioyeth this Sauiour as his owne When
is called peaceable For Christ is truly called our king Salomō 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 mē 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
infant newly borne although euen this brought great ioy vnto him but also for that by the birth of this child he beholdeth a farre greater ioy forasmuch as he was a Messenger sent of God to preach his word to the world He reioyceth therefore because of such a word which he should heare and for that he should be as it were altered from an olde man to a yonge man and shoulde become a scholer of an infant now lying in the cradle whom he confesseth to be a Prophet better learned then him selfe Zacharias conceiued both natural and spiritual ioy at the birth of his sonne Iohn Manifest naturall ioy is here for that that infant was borne after a meruelous sort Moreouer here is ioy of the spirit inasmuch as that infant should become a Preacher of the word of God And I am of that mind that I thinke that there was neuer any father which conceiued so great ioy of his childe as this Zacharias did of his sonne being so meruelously borne by the power of God and for that especially in the time of olde age when he was nowe neare vnto death he is made a father of so great a Sainct which should be a maister and teacher of the world It is a delight and pleasure vnto vs if we beget a childe that is sound fayre and wel proportioned in body that I may say nothinge what ioy it woulde bring if our childe should be an Apostle and Preacher of the word of God to the world Whatsoeuer ignominie therefore and contempt he did suffer before when he was barren together with his wife Elisabet he is now most abundantly recompensed with plētifull honour and ioy so great blessings doth God bestowe if we patiently abide his leysure For if he at any time come he commeth very rich and plentifull in giftes and doth giue much more then we euer either wished or hoped for Verse 69. And hath raysed vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruaunt Dauid These wordes are not spoken of Iohn for that he is not an horne raysed vp in the house of Dauid for he was borne of the tribe of Leui but Christ our Lord is of the house and of the royall stocke and blood of Dauid Wherefore Zacharias doth not singe here in the house of Leui but that in the house of Dauid an horne is raysed and lifted vp and when Christ was not yet borne he neuertheles singeth so as if he were borne neither was the horne of saluation yet come notwithstanding he knew by the reuelatiō of the holy Ghost that it should forthwith come An horne what it signifieth among the Hebrewes An horne among the Hebrewes signifieth power confidence dominion and that whatsoeuer wherein any man may trust c. As we reade in Daniel chap. 7. where the Prophet first seeth kingdoms then beholdeth beasts some hauing one horne some two hornes And he afterward interpreting him self expoundeth them for kingdoms and Kinges and this is a phrase and maner of speaking peculiar to this language Nowe Zacharias signifieth that Christ is our head yea our God whose kingdom is his horne He addeth the horne of saluation or blessednes What difference there is betwene other kingdoms the kingdom of saluation which God hath raysed vp Some kingdoms are famous in name and power other are large abounding with plentie of greate treasures much people honours and all temporall thinges But this is called a kingdome of saluation grace life righteousnes truth and of euery thinge that pertayneth to saluation whereby it differeth from all other kingdoms For albeit they be large riche or mightie yet are they counted the kingdoms of death for they that gouerne them must at the last fall dye perish and leaue their power and riches behind them Neyther was there euer any worldely kingdome which might be called a kingdom of life wherein is life peace and saluation for onely the kingdome of Christ doth glory and triumph in this title inasmuch as God hath raysed it vppe that there may be nothing in it but saluation and felicitie Moreouer I finde nothing here spoken of maners and trades of life or of workes For this kingdome consisteth neyther in outward life nor workes but in the horne in Christ and his Gospell This kingdom is ours whereof ye haue heard that it is a kingdom of grace life righteousnes saluation and mercy so that whosoeuer is in it although he be inferior to Iohn in holines and farre vnlike Christ in perfection yet he liueth in a kingdom wherein is nothing but saluation and blessednes whereof also it hath and reserueth the name It is sayd moreouer that this kingdom is raysed vp in the house of Dauid but by what meanes was it raysed vp euen by the holy Ghost and by his worde He sayth in the house of Dauid for it must be a kingdome in the earth and yet a kingdome of saluation Nowe conferre these two one with an other The house of Dauid is the tribe and stocke of Dauid who was a man as the subiects of his kingdom So that thou canst not say that he doth here make mention of an heauenly kingdome amonge the Angells when as he doth nothing lesse but he speaketh of a certaine kingdome which is amonge men which liue clothed with flesh Dauid was a man the subiects of his kingdome also were men subiect to death For as the Scripture witnesseth man that is borne of a woman liueth but a small time he can not passe the boundes appoynted him Howe is it then that honour and dishonour come together in this kingdom What agreement and consent appeareth here where mortall men are deliuered from the power of death where they that are worthy of death enioy life the vnhappy are happy and they that are subiect to Satan become the sonnes of God In the reason hereof I hope that ye are sufficiently instructed yea I thinke that ye vnderstand it as well as I my selfe But because the text so requireth it must be eftsoones repeated A Christian is deliuered from death sinne Satan We haue affirmed therefore that a Christian which liueth in this kingdom shall neuer dye forasmuch as he can not dye For Christ hath therefore suffered deathe that he might ouercome death and deliuer vs from it He tooke our sinnes also vpon him selfe that we might not neede to beare them Moreouer he subdued and ouerthrew Satan that we might not be subiect vnto him Wherefore it is giuen to a Christian that he can neuer dye he can neuer be subiect to sinne and the deuill For that must needes be true which he sayth that he hath raysed vp an horne of blessednes or saluation And in whatsoeuer place that horne shall be there is no accesse neither for death neither for sinne nor the deuill And that in the house of Dauid Wherefore a Christian is both defiled and yet without sinne A Christian after a sort subiect to
should somtime come which should erect a kingdom that should continue for euer c. But all dyed not one remayned which did behold this being aliue But this Prophet doth liue euen at that tyme when the Lord him selfe commeth and by and by followeth him For the Gospell was begon to be preached Baptisme was begon to be ministred by the comming and ministery of Iohn who ceassing Christ began both almost in the same yeare Now what shall be his office This truely The office of Iohn to prepare a way for the Lord. Which preparation is nothing else but to bring people to the Lorde the Sauiour Christ is the grace gift King and horne of our saluation This Lorde and King no man receiueth vnles he be first humbled that he thinke nothing of him self For he can not otherwise attaine vnto Christ neither can stand together to receiue the grace of God by gift and also to merit the same Iohn therefore in this part teacheth men nothing else but that they are sinners and altogether nothing He now which acknowledgeth him selfe and feeleth him selfe a sinner before yea and to be nothing well vnderstandeth the voice of Iohn which is prepare ye a way for the Lorde Giue place to him He is at hande that followeth me who is greater then I him ye shall heare him ye shall obey The other office of Iohn which followeth is that he bringeth men to the knowledge of saluation and sheweth with his finger that pascall Lambe that taketh away our sinnes that he may fasten them to the crosse with him selfe and abolish them Whereof Zacharias now goeth on to speake Verse 77. To giue knowledge of saluatiō vnto his people by the remission of their sinnes That is thou shalt begin the office and ministery of the word whereby is taught and learned how one is saued Wherein blessednes consisteth Which saluation or blessednes consisteth in this not howe we may be famous through great aboundance of riches glory and power in earth as the Iewes haue hitherto vnderstoode it but that we may obtaine remission of sinnes and be made partakers of the grace of God Now where remission of sinnes is there is no merit no reward or satisfaction otherwise it could not be called remission of sinnes So that this knowledge is to vnderstand how God forgiueth vs our sinnes without workes and merits and saueth vs by meere grace and mercy as it followeth Verse 78. Through the tēder mercy of our God wherby the day springe from an high hath visited vs. Here it appeareth that they which teach and obserue lawes workes and merits doe striue against both the mercy of God knowledge of saluation Forgiuenes of sinnes cometh not by any merit or worke of ours but through the tender mercy of God For he sayth not that forgiuenes of sinnes hath come by the prayers or workes of the fathers or of any of the Sainctes but through the bottomles mercy of God which Luke calleth the tender mercy and such mercy as commeth from the most inward affection and bowells Notwithstanding this forgiuenes of sinne which commeth vnto vs by mercye is not without merit although it commeth to passe without our merit but a Mediatour commeth betwene who hath in our steede deserued it for vs which is Christ our Lorde For God would that satisfaction should be made vnto him for our sinnes and that his honour and lawe shoulde be performed here we were able to doe nothing But Christ alone both was able and satisfied for vs who of the infinit mercy of the father was sent for the same cause and that to vs that he might dispatche it Therefore he sayth Through which infinit bottomles mercy the day springe from an high hath visited vs. Without all dout it was no merit but only vnmeasurable mercy that Christ came to vs and merited and obtained for vs such remission of sinnes vnto eternall saluation Now he calleth him the day springe from an hie which signifieth vnto vs his diuinitie And this is his meaning on hie that is aboue all creatures where nothinge is hier but heighth alone there is Christ in his diuinitie as the morning or day springe For he proceedeth from the father as the beames doe from the sunne whereof we haue elsewhere spoken at large Verse 79. To giue light to them that sit in darkenes in the shadow of death to guide our feete into the way of peace Many of the fathers vnderstood this of Lymbus as they call it but Luke agreeth here with the saying of Esai where he sayth The people that walked in darkenes haue seene a great light Esai 9.1 How Christ is the light of the world c. His meaning therefore is this Christ therefore came that he might be the light of the world and by the Gospell might enlighten mens hartes and allure them to him selfe which were held captiue vnder Satan in the blindnes and darkenes of incredulitie that so he might guide our feete into the way of peace How Christ guideth our feete into the way of peace that is he might gouerne our conscience well quietly and cherefully in the kingdom of grace that we may be afraid neither of Satan neither of sinne death hell nor of any aduersitie who heretofore haue rested parte of vs in filthy vices parte in good workes notwithstanding we could on neither side enioy any quietnes or peace but were compelled to despeire vnder Satan and the feare of death neither did we knowe howe to finde that way which leadeth vnto peace according to the saying of the foureteenth Psalme The way of peace haue they not knowne c. Thus ye haue heard how Zacharias doth in most goodly and fit wordes most liuely paint out the Gospel and kingdom of Christ with all the frutes colours conditions thereof that it is a word and kingdom of grace of forgiuenes of sinnes also a kingdom of peace ioy quietnes saluation and all goodnes God graunt that we may throughly know and feele the same Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE MEDITATION OF CHRIST HIS PASSION FIrst some doe so thinke vpon the passion of Christ that they are incensed with anger against the Iewes and doe inueigh against wretched Iudas in songes and reprochfull wordes and thus they are content and thinke this to be sufficient euen as they are wont in lamenting the case of other to take pity on them and to accuse and condemne their aduersaries But that can not be called a remembring of the passion of Christ but rather of Iudas and Iudas his wickednes Secondly some haue noted in their mindes diuerse commodities and frutes proceeding of the meditation of Christes passion that saying which is ascribed to Albertus being commonly in their remembrance that it is better to thinke vpon the passion of Christ superficially or once then if one should fast the space of a whole yeare and daily in praying goe ouer the whole Psalter
the wolues but that good shepeheard can no where be found who flieth away euen at that time when the sheepe haue most neede of a defender and strengthner The same shall happen to vs in time to come when we shall once begin to be touched in deede Then the Preachers will shut their mouthes and prouide for their safetie by flying and the sheepe shall be miserably dispersed so that one shall be caried this way an other that way God graunt that some of them may stand valiantly in defense of the Gospell and spende their blood if the case so require in deliuering their sheepe Thus Christ hath painted forth the hirelings in their colours who thus sayth moreouer I am that good shepeheard and knowe mine and am knowne of mine These wordes doe containe much I shoulde spend ouer much time if I should handle them seuerally He speaketh here of the peculiar dutie that belongeth to him selfe I know my sheepe sayth he and they againe know me Nowe the summe is this Christ knoweth vs to be his sheepe we againe know him to be our shepeheard He knoweth vs to be such sheepe as are weake and diseased which he doth not cast of but hath a care of them and healeth them although they be so diseased that all the worlde thinketh that they are not his sheepe and this in deede is the knowledge of the world But Christ doth not so know them neither doth he greatly regard what maner of ones they be but considereth whether they be sheepe They therefore are the true shepeheards who following Christ doe so know their sheepe that they looke vnto the persons not to the disease My father knoweth me sayth Christ The world knoweth not Christ but the world knoweth me not When as therefore the howre shall come that I shal die an ignominious death vpon the crosse all with one voice will cry out was this the sonne of God he must needes be a condemned man and giuen vp vnto Satan both in soule and also in body So the world will consider and know me But my father will say in this sort this is my welbeloued sonne my king and Sauiour He beholdeth not my affliction my woundes my crosse death but he considereth my person that is me very selfe Wherefore if I were in the middest of hell or in the iawes of Satan yet I should come out againe for the father will not forsake me Likewise I know my sheepe and they knowe me They are certaine that I am a good shepeheard they know me therefore they come to me for succour and cleaue vnto me neither doth it any thinge feare them that they are subiect to manifold infirmities and diseases they knowe very well that I would haue such maner of sheepe to resort vnto me Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this folde them also must I bringe and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one shepefold one shepeheard Some haue so handled this place that they affirme it shall be fulfilled before the latter day when Antichrist Iohn and Helias shall come Which is flatly against the truth and forged of Satan that men might beleue that the whole world shall at the last become Christian Which Satan therefore did that he might darken the sound doctrine that we might neuer rightly vnderstand it Beware therefore of this delusion For by and by after the ascension of Christ this was done and fulfilled and is yet at this day fulfilled As soone as the Gospell was published it was preached to the Iewes and this people was the shepefold Now he sayth that he hath certaine other sheepe also which are not of this fold which also he must gather together whereby he sheweth that the Gospell must be preached to the Gentiles that they also may beleue in Christ that of the Iewes and Gentiles may be made one Church Which he performed afterward by the Apostles who preached the Gospell to the Gentiles and brought them to the faith So there is now one body one Church one faith one hope one loue one baptisme and so of the like which continueth at this day and shal so continue euen to the ende of the world Wherfore doe not so vnderstand it as though all men shall beleue in Christ for the crosse must alwayes be borne of vs forasmuch as the greatest parte is alwayes of that faction which persecuteth Christians The Gospell also must be continually preached that alwayes some may be brought to Christianitie And thus much for a compendious exposition of this text A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE LOST SHEPE Luke 15. Verse 1. THen resorted vnto him all the Publicans and sinners to heare him 2. Therefore the Pharises and Scribes murmured saying He receiueth sinners and eateth with them 3. Then spake he this parable to them saying 4. What man of you hauing an hundred sheepe if he lose one of them doth not leaue ninety and nine in the wildernes and go after that which is lost vntill he find it 5. And when he hath found it he layeth it on his shoulders with ioy 6. And when he commeth home he calleth togither his friendes and neighbours saying vnto them Reioyce with me for I haue found my sheepe which was lost 7. I say vnto you that likewise ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that repenteth more then for ninetie nine iust men which neede none amendement of life IN this text dearely beloued What kinde of doctrine this text cōtaineth euen that doctrine is contayned which we are perswaded and glory to be our chiefe doctrine and which by best right deserueth to be called christian doctrine to wit of grace and forgiuenes of sinnes set downe against the doctrine of the law and of workes But it is a very shamefull thinge that a sermon so excellent and replenished with so great comfort and ioy should be heard of a man that is wicked a contemner of the word of God This is much more miserable that all thinke they haue so soone throughly learned it to the knowledge whereof euery one will seeme to haue attained thinking that there is nothing in it which he doth not perfectly vnderstād and that there is no neede to spend any more studie in learning it Although it be not grieuous to God him selfe neither doth it yrke or wearie him euery yeare repeating it or rather euery day exercising it as though he knewe to preach nothing else being vnskilfull and ignorant of all other kind of doctrine And we miserable and wretched men doe so soone as we thinke attaine to the knowledge of the chiefest doctrine that forthwith it is wearisom and tedious vnto vs to repeat it whereby all pleasure and loue of the worde of God dieth and is extinguished in vs. But before I declare the article or chiefe point here taught I thinke it good that the beginning of this chapter be diligently considered which S. Luke setteth in steede
certaine that my hart is not pure and yet in the meane season I doe the works of a ruler so that the world can not complaine of me neither Cesar or the Lawyers can blame or finde fault with me by their lawes Euen as neither a seruant seruing onely for wages can be reprehended of the world whether he seeketh his owne thinges or not Surely the worde of God is not regarded in the office of a ruler that doth so but his owne idoll his owne glorie money and power c. But if this affection be in his hart How the hart of a godly Magistrate ought to be affected because I am occupied in this office wherein God hath placed me and the word commaundeth him that beareth rule to be carefull it is meete that I doe execute the same with all faithfulnes and diligence to the praise and glory of my God The execution of the office of such a ruler endued with such a mind commeth out of a pure and sincere hart wherewith both God and good men are delighted There is moreouer in him loue which doth not cleaue to the person or outward things but beginneth in the hart which the worde of God maketh manifest which forasmuch as it is pure cleane doth also purifie the hart And so his gouernment and works are the meere seruices of God most acceptable sacrifices vnto him seeing that they are done onely according to the word of God and for God his sake But our talkers can not teach this neither are able to iudge of it only crying out when they teach best of all that we must be honest They bring a certaine iuridiciall sermon out of the lawes of men as Cesar and his Clerkes teach But how the hart is purified they haue neuer so much as vnderstoode or thought any thing thereof or how loue is to be deriued to all states and conditions of men according to the word of God Thus must thou say moreouer euen in spiritual offices states also If I or any other shall preache to get some good benefice whereas otherwise I would easily ceasse from doing this office I may preache the Gospell but my hart is not pure but most plainly polluted Therefore although I doe longe and much affirme that it is a good worke and a weighty office yet doe I not performe it aright forasmuch as I doe it not from the hart How the hart of a true Preacher Minister ought to be affected But then onely it is rightly done when the hart hath this affection albeit I must get my liuing thereby yet this ought not to be the chiefe ende thereof but because God hath called me vnto it and hath committed it vnto me diligently to be done it remaineth that I doe with all diligence labour therein to the glory of God and saluation of soules which I doe otherwise also for the loue of the word willingly and from my hart Hereby I seeke neyther loue or friendship nor honours nor thankefulnes of men but my workes come from the hart which I first doe before I obtayne any honour glorie rewarde money or fauour although if those come and followe I may haue and receiue them without sinne Lo thus the word is the cause foundation ground fountayne and springe of loue comming out of the hart of all good works that please God which he can by no meanes away with God requireth the hart if the hart be not pure before for neither are workes acceptable to men which are done without the hart by dissimulation Nowe it Cesar and men require the hart although they can not see it of howe muche greater estimation is that hart before God which doeth all thinges for the wordes sake Therefore he also suffereth his word to be preached that we may order all our life according to the prescription thereof And let not vs suffer our selues to be hindered frayed from it or discouraged with the let or hinderance of any thinge although for it we shall suffer all kinde of losses vnthankefulnes contempt c but let vs breake and goe through all brunts with a boulde and manly courage and say thus we beganne nothinge for any mans sake neither will we leaue of any thinge because of any man but that we may doe that which is acceptable to God we will goe on stil howsoeuer thinges fall out with vs. They which doe thus become men excellent and most highly to be esteemed who are ready to doe all duties and serue God with all readines of minde and loue not feyned For the fountaine and springe is good not deriued and brought in from without These thinges I thought good briefly to speake of the first part howe the hart is purified by the worde alone and not as the Munkes haue dreamed by a fight taken vpon them against euill cogitations by feyning of good thoughts For what thoughts soeuer thou shalt feyne the hart shal remain vncleane if the word of God be not in it although it pretende a great shewe of a godly life as Paule witnesseth But this purenes wherof he speaketh doth extend farther then outward corporal purenes doth which the Iewes did vse eating drinking their hands being oftenwashed which our religious men also vse in their fasting diuersitie of apparel orders and rites c for this is called purenes of the spirit which we then haue when being instructed by the word of God we know thereby how he is to be serued in euery state calling and endeuour to frame our liues according thereunto The second part Nowe followeth the seconde parte concerning a good conscience whereof also we must intreate to wit that loue must come from such a hart as hath a ioyful quiet conscience both toward God A good and quiet conscience toward men and also toward men Toward men so as Paule glorieth of him selfe that he liued so that he offended no man troubled no man was an euill example and burden to no man but all that did see and heare him must needes witnes that he indifferently serued all helped all counselled all delt friendly and gently with all Such a conscience Moses also glorieth of against the seditious Numb 16 Thou knowest that I haue not taken so much as an asse from them neither haue I hurt any of them And Ieremie chap. 18 Remember O Lorde how that I stood before thee to speake good for them and to turne away thy wrath from them Likewise doth Samuel 1. King 12 I haue walked before you from my childhood vnto this day beholde here I am beare record of me before the Lord before his anointed whose oxe haue I taken or whose asse haue I taken whome haue I done wrong to whom haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any brybe and so forth as followeth in the same place Such boasting glory euery Christian must attaine vnto that he do so liue toward euery man and
therefore beleeued and we do also beleeue to wit the Fathers and we with a like and common faith in the same Christ although not after the same maner as it is saide And as by reason of this communion of faith which we haue a like in the same Christ we say we haue beleeued or we did beleeue when as not we but the Fathers haue beleeued or did beleeue so they againe did say that they should heare see and beleeue in Christ when as not they but we do liue in that time We read not in a few places of the Scriptures that they which were before the incarnation of Christ tooke vpon them the person of them which are after it and they which are after it of them which were before it because of the communion of faith and the same Christ which they haue in common and so there is as it were one companie of beleeuers Now whereas the Apostle saith How saluatiō is neerer vnto vs then it was to the beleuers before Christes incarnation that saluation is now neerer vnto vs then when we beleeued that is when our Fathers those auncient beleeuers did looke for it to come we must not vnderstād it of the neerenes of possession as though we now had it neerer and more certainly then they for the Fathers had altogither the same faith as it is said and the same Christ wherefore saluation was as neere vnto them as vnto vs. For Christ yesterday and to day the same also is for euer Heb. 13. Christ continueth the same from the beginning of the world euen vnto the end by whom all are saued alike But Paul speaketh of the neerenes of reuealing that what soeuer thinges were saide before concerning Christ they were now fulfilles death being ouercome the Lord did sitte at the right hand of the Father the Gospell was preached abroad in the world by which Christ did come vnto all in the whole world for this cause Paul sayth that our saluation is neerer then when it was hidden and knowne vnto few men because that Christ being not yet glorified it was not meete that the preaching of saluation should be made publike or common Whereas therefore the Apostle sayth here Our saluation is now neerer vs he sayth the same thing in the Epistle to Titus in other wordes The grace of God which bringeth saluation hath appeared that is hath sprong forth and is euerie where commonly preached although it was not hid before in any of the Saincts notwithstāding it was not yet commonly knowne vnto the world After the same sort the Scripture speaketh in many places when it sometime saith that Christ is to come sometime that he is come although he alwayes hath bin and is in all the elect Howbeit because he had not before his resurrection come to all by publike preaching the Scripture speaketh diuersly of his comming For because of this publike preaching he came in the flesh being made man for his incarnation had not bin profitable to any The cōming of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell if the Gospell had not thereupon bin preached by which he came into the whole world and whereby it is commonly knowne why he was made man whereby that blessing promised to Abraham is now published and made common to all which by the Gospell beleeue in Christ Hereupon Paul sayth verie well Rom. 1. that the Gospel was promised of God c. as though he would say although God hath promised euerie where in the writinges of the Prophets his sonne in the flesh yet forasmuch as all that should be done that the Gospell might be preached abroad in the world whereby he commeth spiritually to the myndes of the beleeuers which comming onely bringeth saluation and is farre to be preferred before that comming in the flesh inasmuch as it was done because of this I say rather that God promised by the Prophets in the Scriptures the Gospell concerning his sonne For God considered the Gospell and our faith in all these thinges for which he would also haue him to be made man that the Gospel might be preached of him that being made man he hath saued vs by his death and that the saluation which he hath wrought might go into the whole world and be made neere vnto all Some haue taught fower comminges of Christ according to the fower sundayes in Aduent as they call it but this comming of Christ by the Gospell which is most necessarie of all and of which all do depend of which Paul here speaketh this cōming I say they could not see inasmuch as they are ignoraunt both what the Gospell is and to what end it was giuen They babbie many things of the comming of Christ and neuertheles they driue him further from themselues thē heauen is distaunt from the earth For what can Christ profit any man which doth not possesse him by faith or how can any man possesse him by faith where the Gospell is not preached The night is passed and the day is at hand By the daye what is signified His meaning in effect is that saluation is at hand For by the day Paule vnderstandeth the Gospell namely that it is that daye whereby our hearts and mindes are enlightned therefore such a day being sprong our saluation is certainly at hand that is Christ and his grace promised in time past to Abraham hath shined forth by preaching in the whole world giueth light vnto all men raiseth all out of sleepe sheweth true and eternall good things wherein we may be hereafter occupied What is here ment by the night and may walke honestly in this day Contrariwise by the night all doctrine is to be vnderstood which is not the Gospell beside which none can bring saluation But if thou do a litle more exactly wey the wordes thou shalt see that Paule describeth that part of the daye which is most delectable of all and most full of all pleasauntnes namely the ioyfull and amiable morning and the rising of the sunne For it is the morning when the night is gone and ended and the daye is nowe come whereupon all thinges are meruelously cheered and recreated the birdes sing other lyuing creatures doe stirre vp with alacritie and ioyfulnes men being as it were made aliue againe doe goe forth to their labours all thinges the daye springing and the morning shining are so affected as though the world were renued and all thinges restored to life againe Wherefore in many places of the Scripture the ioyfull The preaching of the Gospell likened to the morning prosperous and quickning preaching of the Gospell is likened to the morning and the rising of the sunne as it is here of Paule who calleth the Gospell the day sprinking or arising Also Psal 110 In the daye of thy power shall the people offer thee free will offeringes of the wombe of the morning shall the dewe of thy children spring Here also the Gospell is plainly called the wombe of the
in daunger by too much honger and watching or the true puritie of life by ouermuch abstinence from matrimoniall companie but we must vse these thinges with knowledge that is with conuenient wisedome and discretion that they may not any whit hurt but alwayes edifie Whereupon Paule 1. Cor. 7. expressely admonisheth maried folkes that they abstaine not ouermuch from mutuall companie lest that they be tempted of Satan In all these therefore in fastings watchings labours chastitie c the Apostle would prescribe and appoint no rule lawe or measure which the councels of the Pope and Monkes do but the meane or measure to be obserued in them he left free to euerie mans knowledge and discretion that euerie one may consider with himselfe how much or long he must labour fast watch or abstaine to this ende that the flesh may be camed and made obedient to the spirit In long suffering in kindnes in the holy Spirit What the two former are the Apostle hath at large sufficiently declared Rom. 2. Gal. 5. But whereas he saith In the holy Spirit it may be vnderstood after two sorts either that he speaketh of the holy Ghost God himselfe or that he meaneth by the holy spirit the true force and maner of a spirituall life as though he would admonish in this maner Beware of an hypocriticall spirit which wil be counted for a holy spirit through a meruelous shew and craftie counterfaiting of spirituall thinges when it is in deede an vncleane prophane and an euell spirit and bringeth in nothing but sects and heresies A true spirituall life But liue ye in the true holy spirit which is giuen of God which giueth and maintaineth vnitie one mynde heart and affection whereof he speaketh also Eph. 4 Endeuour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace They therefore which perseuer in the same true faith mynde and sentence behaue themselues as the ministers of God in the holy spirit being truly spirituall and liuing a spirituall life For a syncere spirituall life which is led by the assistaunce of the holy spirit of God is also led in the vnitie of myndes the hearts by faith being affected after the same sort In loue vnfained in the word of truth As he set the holy spirit against heretikes and false Prophets so he setteth vnfained loue against slouthfull and sluggish Christians who albeit they haue the same meaning and mynde in the true spirituall life as concerning opinions of doctrine yet are they remisse colde and faint in loue So he setteth the word of truth against them which abuse the word of God and interpret it according to their owne affectiōs that thereby they may get them a name and profit For as false spirits do contemne the word of the Scripture and preferre themselues before it so these do in deede boast of the word and wil be counted maisters of the Scripture but by their interpretations do peruert the sense and meaning thereof Against these Peter speaketh If any man speake let him speake as the wordes of God that is let him take heede that he be certaine that those wordes which he speaketh be the wordes of God and not his owne vaine imagination Now Paule calleth that here the word of truth which that is syncere word of God The word of truth not which is vnsyncere fained which forasmuch as it is ours is falsly called the word of God For that which we call the true right word the Hebrewes call the word of truth In the power of God In spirituall functions matters of saluation we must do nothing but that which we are certain that God worketh by vs. Of this power Peter also speaketh 1. Pet. 1. If any man minister let him do it as of the abilitie which God ministreth And Paule Coloss 1 Whereunto I also labour and striue according to his working which worketh in me mightely Againe Rom. 15 I dare not speake of anything which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient c. Christians must be certaine that they are the kingdome of God and do nothing at all especially in spirituall functions and those thinges that pertaine to the saluation of soules whereof they are not certaine that it is not they which worke but God that worketh by them For in the kingdome of God it is meete that God alone do speake commaund do dispose and worke all thinges This Christ ment wen he said Matth. 5 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen as the author of them which doth them and not you By the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour c. This armour he describeth more at large in the Epistle to the Ephesians Thessalonians He rehearseth there the girdle of veritie The spiritual armour of a Christian the brest plate of righteousnes the shoes of preparation to preach the Gospell the shield of faith the helmet of saluation c. This armour of righteousnes he calleth in his Epistle to the Ephesians the armour of God both are to this ende that he may turne Christians from corporall and prophane armour and admonish them that they are a spirituall people and therefore must be furnished with spirituall armour wherewith they must alwayes fight a spirituall fight with spirituall enemies which here he rehearseth and sheweth that they do assaile vs both on the right hand and on the left The enemies of Christians which assaile them on the left hand On the left hand he setteth dishonour euell report and that we are counted as deceiuers vnknowen dying chastened sorrowing poore hauing nothing For all these thinges come vnto Christians they are openly defamed being reproched to their face and by infamie falsly accused and railed on counted as deceiuers and followers of most wicked trades They are as vnknowne although noble all refusing to be friends with them because of the perilous confession of the name of Christ yea it manie times commeth to passe that they that were their most familiar friends are ashamed of them for that they haue so euell a report and are verie ill spoken of among the chiefe richest wisest and mightiest of the world They are dying that is as sheepe appointed to the slaughter they looke for death euery moment by reason of the great hatred and enuie which the euell beare toward them being alwayes persecuted of the chiefe of the world They are chastened for it often times falleth out that they are striken and beaten and do by other discommodities trie how they are enuied of the world and how great indignation the mightie of the world beare against them They are as sorrowing for all outward thinges are against them and the whole world giueth many causes of griefes vnto them They are as poore for there is no man of the world which will giue them any
death the deuill and may chalenge to my selfe all his workes euen as if they were myne owne and I my selfe had done them so that I beleeue in Christ Otherwise his workes shall profitte me nothinge at all if they were not giuen vnto me These are the workes of an other which doe commende vs before God and saue vs. Our owne workes shall doe nothing we are weaker then that we can resist euen the least sinne so farre is it of that we are able to encounter with death How a Christian may notably comfort him self against the law sinne death Satan Satan and hell Wherefore when the Lawe shall come and accuse thee that thou doost not obserue it sende it vnto Christ and say There is that man which hath fulfilled the lawe to him I cleaue he hath fulfilled it for me and hath giuen his fullfilling vnto me when it heareth these thinges it will be quiet If sinne come and woulde haue thee by the throte sende it vnto Christ and saye As much as thou mayst doe agaynst him so much right shalt thou haue agaynst me for I am in him and he is in me If death creepe vppon thee and attempt to deuoure thee saye vnto it Good Maistres death doost thou knowe this man come and byte out his tooth hast thou forgotten howe litle thy byting preuayled with him once goe too if it be a pleasure vnto thee encounter with him agayne Thou hadst persuaded thy selfe that thou shouldest haue preuayled somewhat agaynst him when he did hange betwene two theeues dyed an ignominious death which was counted cursed both before God and the worlde But what didst thou gayne thereby Thou didst byte in deede but it turned worst to thy selfe I pertaine to this man I am his and he is myne and where he abydeth there also will I abyde Thou couldest hurte him nothinge wherefore also let me alone After the same sorte if the Deuill if hell come violently vppon thee and trouble thee sende them vnto Christ and thou shalt easily make them to cease And thus ye see what Christ is vnto vs The inestimable commoditie which the faithfull enioy through Christ namely such a man as is giuen vnto vs of God that he might extinguish sinnes vanquish death destroy hell ouercome the Deuill and all these for our commoditie If he had not done this nor giuen vnto vs these thinges we had bene for euer vnder the curse of the law vnder sinne vnder death vnder the deuill and vnder hell God hath deliuered vs from these by that Christ Wherefore S. Paul saith out of the Prophet Osee 1. Cor. 15 Death is swalowed vp into victorie O death where is thy stinge O hell where is thy victorie The stinge of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ We are iustified before God by no workes or merits of our owne but onely by the workes of Christ Hereof we may easily vnderstand what kinde of workes those be which doe make vs entire and righteous before God Surely they are the workes of an other and not our owne workes chosen of our selues Wherefore the whole Papacie falleth here with all the most precious and holy workes thereof which hath this drift onely that miserable wretched and blinded men may be persuaded that they obtayne heauen by their merits and their owne workes Hereuppon haue spronge so many orders that they can not almost be numbred of which one striued to be holier then an other according as they exercised harder greater and weightier workes But this their miserable labour anguish prayers fastinges chastising of the body and such like were vaine workes and of no value at all neither had they so much power that they were able to take away so much as euen the least sinne which they call veniall They were altogither vnmindfull of this saying Esay 29 which the Lord repeteth Matth. 15 This people dravveth nere vnto me vvith their mouth honoureth me vvith their lippes but their heart is farre of from me But in vaine they vvorshippe me teaching such doctrines as are nothing els but the precepts of men Hereupon now thou maist gather with thy selfe that all holy men although they be exceeding holy yet do obtaine saluation not by their owne holines merites or workes And not so much as Mary her selfe the mother of God was made righteous holy in respect of her virginitie or in that she was the mother of God but saluation hath come vnto all by Iesus Christ as by the workes of an other Wherfore this is diligently to be noted that our felicitie doth not consist in our owne workes but in the workes of an other namely of Christ Iesus our Sauiour which we obtaine through only faith in him This also the historie of this Gospell seemeth to signifie when as the Lorde sheweth to his disciples but specially to Thomas his handes feete By which deede he declareth that it was necessary that those handes and feete should do these things that no other works that is their owne not the workes of an other do pertaine vnto saluation Handes and feete what they commonly signifie in the Scripture For in the Scriptures by handes and feete workes conuersation are signified These hands and feete Christ doth as yet eftsoones shew to vs say Behold I am that onely man whose workes conuersation are of force with God thou shalt labour in vaine with thine owne workes thine owne righteousnes maketh nothing hereunto it hath an other end If thou be righteous it is profitable to thee among mē here in eart thou hast the glory praise thereof as Paul sayth Rom. 4. But before God this thy righteousnes is of no estimation thou must set in place thereof an other namely mine this God my father doth allow For I haue deliuered thee from sinnes death the deuell hell from all euell thou shouldest neuer haue escaped out of these by thine owne power but hadst lyen as yet most deepely drowned in them I haue appeased the wrath of God and of an angrie iudge haue made him a gentle mercifull and gracious father beleeue this and it goeth well with thee thou art then safe entire and righteous Beware that thou presume not to deale before God with thine owne works but if thou wilt do any thing with him creepe into me put on me and thou shalt obtaine of my Father whatsoeuer thou desirest and askest as he him selfe sayth vnto his Disciples Ioh. 16 Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Wherefore as from the beginning sinne which was an others hath bene deriued vnto vs from Adam for neither I nor thou haue eate of the apple so also by the righteousnes of an other we must be restored vnto righteousnes and integrity This other is Christ Iesus by whose righteousnes
and works we are all saued as I haue nowe sufficiently declared This S. Paule hath very pithily comprehended euen in one sentence where 1. Cor. 1. he sayth thus Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedom and righteousnes and sanctification redemption that according as it is written he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. And Rom. 4. he sayth Iesus Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification In these two litle sentences are briefly comprised and ioyned togither whatsoeuer thinges we must looke for from Christ Howbeit all these thinges are enioyed by faith for he that is without faith to him they are vnpossible to be comprehended The preaching of Christ is coūted foolishnes of the vnbeleeuers but of the faithfull the power and wisedom of God yea they are counted foolishnes to reason to the world as Paul sayth 1. Cor 1 Christ vnto the Iewes is euen a stumbling block and vnto the Grecians foolishnes that is when Christ is preached that he is our righteousnes that saluation commeth vnto vs by him and that by him we are made the children of euerlasting life without our owne workes and righteousnes then those holy men and iustifiers of them selues are offended no otherwise then the Iewes Moreouer to the prudent and wise men of this world it seemeth foolishnes and a certaine ridiculous thing that a man being fastned to the crosse and put to death doth performe these thinges Whatsoeuer therefore is counted righteous holy wise and prudent in the eyes of the world it is offended and stumbleth at this Christ But saith Paul moreouer Vnto thē which are called both of the Iewes Grecians we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedom of God He sayth also Rom. 1. The Gospell of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also to the Grecian For by it the righteousnes of God is reuealed from faith to faith as it is written Haba 2 The iust shall liue by faith Wherefore the Lord sayth very well to the Disciples of Iohn Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me So thou seest now plainly that this faith which we haue in Christ commeth by the preaching of the Gospell as Paule affirmeth Rom. 10 Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Here here I say doth all the force consist by the word of God not by the worde of man The word of God doth these thinges not when we publish indulgences or preach of workes as hitherto alas it hath bene done to our exceeding losse as well in the good thinges of the body as of the soule We made no account of goods which we bestowed plentifully vnles we had afflicted our body with fastings chastisement pilgrimages and such like trifles In deede these thinges had bene to be graunted and borne if they had not with a false confidence in such doing so miserably and lamentably led vs away seduced vs from a true faith confidence in God through Christ But praise be vnto God that we haue for the most parte perceiued such delusions For the world was so full of this miserie and preaching that it did almost ouerflow which surely came by the vengeance and wrath of God for that we contemned his word and followed mens fables yea our owne wittes and opinions Then we were in so great blindnes that we did almost without difference beleeue euery man what kind of worke soeuer he brought and gloriously set forth From these deceitfull follies our consciences are nowe deliuered and set free but no man doth so much as once giue thanks to God therefore If we shal be contempteously negligent a more grieuous miserie shall light vpon vs then this was Neither should that come vnto vs vndeseruedly forasmuch as we doe greatly procure these euills against our selues by our vnthankefulnes When as before we gaue with so great aboundance and plentye that by our liberalitie they were made almost Lordes of the world nowe hardly six or seuen poore men are maintained in a citie yea nowe the Minister of a Parish Church hath not sufficient wherewith to liue Howbeit doe not impute this peruerse kind of liuing to the Gospell as our aduersaries nowe impudently doe It is not meete that thou suffer thy poore neighbour by thee to neede Yea rather the whole Gospel doth specially vrge this that thou haue a care of thy neighbour and that thou be seruiceable toward him that thou help him both with thy counsell and substance euen as God hath holpen and instructed thee Such a one without dout he that is endued with true faith sheweth him selfe for he bursteth forth The faithful man exerciseth charitie toward his neighbour and behaueth him selfe so toward others as he hath tried God towardes him selfe and as he desireth to be done to him selfe if he were pressed with pouertie anguish and necessitie God needeth not our good workes our prayers fastings and buildings of temples founding of Masses doe displease him he requireth not our sacrifices but rather as Esay sayth hateth and abhorreth them He is content with this one thing that we acknowledge him for our God trust in him giue him thankes as he sayth Psal 50 Heare O my people I will speake I my selfe will testifie against thee O Israell for I am God euen thy God I will not reproue thee because of thy sacrifices or for thy burnt offerings because they were not alvvay before me I vvill take no bullocke out of thy house nor he goates out of thy foldes For all the beasts of the forest are mine and so are the cattels vpon a thousand hils I knovv all the soules vpon the mountaines and the vvild beasts of the field are in my sight If I be hungrie I vvill not tell thee for the vvhole vvorlde is myne and all that is therein Thinkest thou that I vvill eate bulles flesh and drinke the blood of goates Offer vnto God thankes giuing and pay thy vovves vnto the most highest And call vpon me in the time of trouble so vvill I deliuer thee and thou shalt prayse me But God sendeth vs douneward with out works to our neighbours to the miserable afflicted them that be voyde of comfort It is our partes to helpe them to comfort them to teach and instruct them And whatsoeuer benefit we shall bestow vpon them that we shall bestow vpon God his Christ as he shall say in the last day Matth. 25.40 VVhatsoeuer ye haue done vnto one of the least of these my brethren he haue done it vnto me Thus ye now haue heard that we are iustified and made righteous by the workes of an other namely by the workes of Christ which we enioy onely by faith the same faith charitie doth naturally accompany whereby we doe so to our neighbour as we acknowledge that God hath done vnto vs. Hereof ye haue elsewhere