delay or grudging Forasmuch as God alwayes forgiueth vs innumerable sinnes Our dette whereby we are bound vnto God is ten thousand talents that is so vnmeasurable and great that we are not able to pay it with all our substance all our strength and workes For we can put away no one sinne although it be euen very litle Seeing therefore that God doth remit so many sinnes of his grace in his kingdome it is meete that we should forgiue our neighbour a few offences Of this kingdom of God wherein sinnes are forgiuen the Scripture euery where maketh mention and sayth that the kingdom dominion of Christ doth extend from one ende of the lande to the other So sayth Dauid Psal 72 His dominion shall be from the one sea to the other and from the fludde vnto the ende of the earth And a litle after he sayth All nations shall serue him This also the Angell Gabriell declared to the Virgine Marie Luke 1. where he sayth thus of Christ The Lord shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdom shall be no end These and such like places do shew that the forgiuenes of sinnes wherin the kingdom of God doth especially consist hath no measure or bound Sixtly hereof we may see how vnchristianly they doe An vnchristian thinge to prescribe a measure to forgiuenes of sinnes which bringe forgiuenes of sinnes to a certaine measure as they doe which measure out their indulgences for prescribed yeares with forgiuenes of the third fourth or halfe part For hereby they bringe the kingdom of God into a narrow and straite roome and are iniurious to his mercy forasmuch as there is no ende of his kingdom nor measure of his mercy But whosoeuer shal in faith call vpon the name of God shall be saued as often as he doth it Moreouer when the sinner shall be sory for his sinnes the Lorde will no more remember them as it is in the Prophecie of Ezechiel chap. 18. Seuenthly as this kingdome of God hath no measure or limits of forgiuenes of sinnes so also it hath no ende but endureth continually without ceassing albeit the subiects of this kingdom doe not abide in it continually firmely and faithfully but do often times forsake it So the fauour and grace of God were continually with Peter although he denied the Lorde and reuolted from him To the same effect tendeth the parable in the Gospell whereof we haue now spoken For the seruaunt which would not haue pitie of his felow seruaunt did make him selfe vnworthy of the mercy of God did depriue him selfe of the kingdom of God which consisteth in pardoning of offences as it is aboue mentioned Here Vniuersitie Diuines of a pregnant wit as they seeme vnto them selues and puffed vp with knowledge haue disputed whether and how forgiuenes of sinnes doth come againe when man iterateth or renueth his sinne not knowing what they say But follow thou the plaine and simple wordes of the Gospell to wit that thy sinnes are so often forgiuen thee as thou doost forgiue thy brother whom thou must so often forgiue as he shall offend against thee We must forgiue our brethren when they offend against vs. Wherefore in this parable whereof I haue euen now made mention Christ doth admonish vs all that we pardon and forgiue all them that haue offended vs. As if he would say As in mans affayres he which is beneficial to an other hath other also beneficiall vnto him againe so sayth Christ in the kingdom of heauen which consisteth specially in forgiuenes of sinnes that is in Christianity or among Christians he which pardoneth an other his offences I also will pardon him his And on the contrary he that is not mercifull toward an other to him I also will deny grace I am ouer you as Lord and King and ye are felow seruaunts and companions one with an other Seeing therefore that I your Lorde doe readily forgiue you you also ought more readily to forgiue one an other After the same sort also he hath commaunded vs to pray in the Lords prayer Matth. 6 Forgiue vs our dettes which he would not haue done if he did not promise and would not mercifully forgiue vs. But neuertheles he added a condition or signe to this promise when he sayth If ye forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you The first is a signe the other a promise Marke that it is here enioyned vs to forgiue one an other his sinnes and offences so that we must be mercifull and bountifull towarde our neighbours if we will haue the heauenly father gentle and appeased toward vs. And let vs be most certainly perswaded hereof when we shall interpret at the best and excuse as much as equitie doth suffer the offences and trespasses of other although they be euen great and grieuous that we also shall haue a bountifull and mercifull father toward vs in heauen A most vnchristian thing not to forgiue our brethren but to beare malice in our hart seeke to be reuenged Wherefore it is a thinge most abhorring from Christianitie and euen blasphemous when it is sayd I can not neither will I forgiue him that which he hath committed against me I wil be reuenged c. Surely those blind meÌ„ are ignorant that they doe take from God his glory to whom alone vengeance belongeth and chalenge it to them selues and so they giue vp to the deuill their owne soules which they haue receiued of God ought to render them vnto him againe whereunto they are perhaps prouoked euen with some small or trifleling matter Such kind of men as these ought to sette before the eyes of their hart these wordes of the Gospell Matth. 18 O euill seruant I forgaue thee all that dette because thou prayedst me oughtest not thou also to haue had pitie on thy fellow seruant euen as I had pitie on thee So his Lord was wrath deliuered him to the tormentors til he should pay all that was due to him So likevvise shall mine heauenly Father doe vnto you except ye forgiue from your haâ—â— eche one to his brother their trespasses Neither is it sufficient if in gestures signes mouth or tongue thou shew thy selfe a frend vnto him and forgiue him but thou must doe it from thy hart otherwise God will not forgiue thee yea thou shalt be driuen out of the kingdom of grace Wherfore if at any tyme we haue tryed the mercy of God towarde vs we must also readily pardon our felow brethren which haue offended vs. For in that respect the mercifull Father forgiueth vs our sinnes that we also should forgiue our brethren shew mercy toward them euen as he is merciful toward vs and remitteth sinne death the fault and the punishment When we shal do this then are we receiued into the kingdom of God For the goodnes of God liueth in our hartes and
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
These things are written for the instruction and comfort of all vs whereby we ought to learne howe deepely sometime Christ hideth his grace from vs and how we must not iudge of God according to our owne sense and opinion but onely according to his wordes For we see here that albeit Christ shewed him selfe very hard to this woman yet he did not plainely deny to helpe her but whatsoeuer he aunswered howsoeuer it seemed to pretend a deniall yet was it not a deniall but did hange in dout and left an entraunce for faith although but small For he sayd not at her first petition I will not heare her but he held his peace neither promising nor denying helpe So to the second petition which the Apostles made he sayth not she is not of the house of Israel I can not therefore performe that which she desireth but he onely sayth I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell leauing all thinges in doute and in the middest betweene a plaine graunt and a deniall So when she had the third time desired him he sayth not thou art a dogge get thee hence the bread of the children is not due vnto thee but he sayth It is not good to take the childrens bread c. againe leauing in dout whether she was a dogge or no. Neuertheles all these sayinges doe pretende outwardly rather a deniall of helpe then prouoke her to hope but in very deede they did containe in them rather a promise and hope then a deniall Yea there was nothing but a promise and a certaine expectation of helpe howbeit most deepely hid and altogither secret vnder that silence and aunswers although they were hard and a deniall onely sounded outwardly By these it is shewed how our hart is wont to be affected in tentation For according as that feeleth in tentation so Christ here behaueth him selfe It feeleth all thinges to be denied when as it is farre otherwise Wherefore it is requisite that leauing it owne feeling by a sure faith in the word of God it conceiue and hold fast the promise of helpe deepely hidden vnder the deniall and yeeld vnto the sentence of God toward vs as this woman did so shall we ouercome and take the Lord in his wordes that he can not but helpe vs. So that if we feele in our conscience at any time God rebuking vs pronouncing vs sinners and vnworthy of the kingdom of heauen then we feele as it were hell and it seemeth vnto vs that we are past all hope and recouerie for euer When God pronounceth vs sinners we ought to acknowledge and confesse our sinnes pray former eye which God hath promised to them that be penitent for their sinnes then if any had the skill of this woman that he could take the Lord in his owne iudgement and say yea Lord I am a sinner and altogither vnworthy of thy grace but thou hast promised forgiuenes to sinners neither didst thou come to call the righteous but as Paule sayth to saue sinners he truely shoulde bringe to passe that the Lorde should be enforced euen by his owne iudgement to haue mercy vpon him So did Manasses when being penitēt he prayed for pardon as we read in his prayer He yeelded to the iudgement of God acknowledging him selfe a most grieuous sinner and so he bound God with his promise which had promised forgiuenes of sinne to sinners not to the righteous The same also did Dauid obserue Psal 51. Against thee onely sayth he haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying and found pure when thou art iudged For that doth purchase vnto vs all displeasure that we disdayne to suffer the iudgement of the Lord and doe against our wills yeeld vnto his sentence when he pronounceth vs sinners Such a great thing is it to acknowledge sinnes and to embrace the iudgement of God We all confesse our selues sinners in words but as soone as the Lorde speaketh that in our hart and pronounceth vs sinners we doe not abide by that which before we confessed we had leuer be counted righteous and free from that iudgement But it must needes be if God must be iust in his wordes that thou be a sinner then also maist thou vse the right of sinners which God him selfe hath giuen vnto them namely to pray with a sure expectation of forgiuenes of sinnes Then is it not permitted vnto thee onely to feede vnder the table of crummes after the maner of dogges but being a child of the houshold thou shalt sit at the very table hauing God nowe howe great soeuer he be giuen vnto thee according to thy desire Hereof also we haue an historicall exposition of this text according to the allegories For as it chaunceth to this woman her daughter being sicke for whom through faith she obtayned health by a miracle so also falleth it out with vs when we are deliuered from the spirituall sicknes to wit sinnes which truely are a most grieuous and troublesom Deuill vnto vs. For as she acknowledged her selfe a dogge so must we acknowledge our selues sinners and iudged vnto hell the Lord pronouncing it which if we can doe as she coulde we shall be safe We haue already spoken elsewhere of other thinges whereof there might be occasion to speake out of this text as howe one may obtaine grace and safetie by the faith of an other as here it fell out to the daughter of this woman Christ the Disciples the woman in this place are examples of loue This thinge also that Christ his Disciples and the woman are here examples of loue forasmuch as none of them pray for seeke or doe those thinges that are their owne but euery one that which is an others is very manifest by it selfe and easily acknowledged of euery one especially seing that we haue so largely entreated hereof in an other place A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER WHEREIN IS TAVGHT THAT WE ARE SAVED freely by grace without the workes and merits of men Tit. 3. Verse 4. WHen that bountifulnes that loue of God our Sauiour towarde men appeared 5. Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and the renuing of the holy Ghost 6. Which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour 7. That we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life PAVLE hauing willed before that all shoulde be put in mind to be obedient to such as be in authoritie and ready to euery good worke to speake euill of no man to be no fighters but gentle shewing all meekenes vnto all men c these fewe wordes being put betweene that we our selues were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing diuers lustes and voluptuousnes c he added those wordes which we haue already mentioned as if he should say
thee from them out of this life into the eternal blessed life In the meane season thou must suffer all these things with a patient mind and take them in good part losing none of the spiritual ioy which thou hast of Christ in thy God for thy part shewing to thy persecutors all kindnes and loue being alwayes mindful that thou a litle before wast not much vnlike them before God All which thinges thou shalt doe through faith loue albeit they exceede the strength of nature And this in deede is a true Christian life wherein thou doost endeuour to doe so to other as God hath done to thee Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done In these words the Apostle signifieth that which we haue now sayd and proueth it as it were by rendring a reason We must do well vnto men yea euen though they haue not so deserued of vs. For if the bountifulnes and loue of God to manward hath appeared he hath saued vs of his mercie and not because of our owne righteousnes yea we being by all meanes vnworthy and subiect to innumerable sinnes it is meete that we also do good to them that haue not deserued so much of vs are vnworthy therof For we which are become the sonnes of God must resemble God our father and bestow benefits according to our abilitie as well vpon our enemies and persecutours as vpon our friendes and them that do good vnto vs. Wherof Christ also hath admonished vs Matth. 5 Loue your enemies that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heauen who maketh his sunne to shine vppon the good euill sendeth raine on the iust vniust For if ye loue them which loue you vvhat revvard shal ye haue vvhen as euen the heathen Publicans doe the same Nowe the Apostle doth not onely expressely condemne vs for euill works but sayth Not by the vvorks of righteousnes or which vve haue done in righteousnes Where he also reiecteth those workes which we counted righteous and were thought both of vs others to haue bin done in righteousnes whē as they were so farre from being righteous that they made vs more vnworthy of the grace of God and more vnfit to receiue it for they are deceitfull workes whereunto we adde this sinne that we thinke them righteous and trust in them whereby God is prouoked to anger more then can be said euen as our enemies are wont to moue vs to anger when as they will auouch those thinges to be iust We ought to be beneficiall to others of meere loue hauing no respect to good or euill deserts wherein they sinne and doe vniustly But euen as God when we being vnwise by errour moued him to anger counting our sinnes workes of righteousnes did not therefore reiect vs but of his mercie deliuered vs from this errour and sinnes so we neglecting the foolishnes and dotage of our aduersaries whereby they contend that sinnes are to be counted for righteousnes ought neuertheles of meere loue hauing no respect of euill or good deserts to be beneficiall vnto them and endeuour to doe them good in all thinges looking for frute of our benefits not of thē but of God alone Let these things suffize to haue bene spoken for a compendious and generall exposition of this text Nowe let vs also briefly wey the wordes wherein he setteth forth and commendeth the grace of God First he so greatly extolleth it The good workes and righteousnes of men how they are esteemed of that in respect of it he condemneth all our good workes and righteousnes neither doth he condemne a small thing when he condemneth our righteousnes or righteous workes the most excellent thinge that man can haue in earth For if all men with all their might should labour and endeuour to attayne to most exact prudence wisedom and libertie of minde and will which we reade that some Philosophers and Princes haue done as Socrates Traianus and many other whose same the whole world hath long since spred abroade both by wordes and writinges neuertheles all such wisedome and all suche vertues are nothinge but sinnes before God forasmuch as they be not done in and by the grace of God Doers of such vertues are ignoraunt of God and therefore they can not honour him by their studies and endeuours they thinke they haue all thinkes of them selues when as no man can haue any good thinge at all but of this grace alone which the Gospell preacheth So Paule glorieth that he before he knewe Christ liued a blamelesse life and was more zealous towarde the lawe then those of his age that he also thought that he did a thing acceptable to God by persecuting the Christians which condemned that blameles life which he ledde but afterwarde when he had learned Christ he sayth that he coūteth that righteousnes to be but dounge that he might be found not in such righteousnes but in Christ by faith Philip. 3. The same thing he witnesseth and entreateth of at large in the Epistles to the Galathians and Colossians Here therefore is condemned all boasting of free will mans strength righteousnes and good workes and it is concluded that they are all nothing but sinnes and certaine destruction although they haue a fayre shew that we are saued by the onely grace of God as many of vs as beleeue and call for it with acknowledging of our owne vanitie and perdition Now we must accustome our selues to the Scripture Tow sortes of righteousnes which maketh mention of two sorts of rigteousnes one humane which Paul here and in many other places hath mentioned the other diuine euen that grace of saluation which iustifieth vs by faith Diuine righteousnes whereby we are iustified whereof he speaketh in the ende of this text That being iustified by grace we should be heires of eternall life Here thou seest plainly that the grace of God is our true righteousnes whereby we are iustified which is therfore called the righteousnes of God for that it is giuen vnto vs of God and is made ours when we are made partakers thereof by faith Of this he speaketh also Rom. 1 In the Gospell is reuealed the righteousnes of God from faith to faith as it is written The iust shall liue by faith And Gen. 15 Abraham beleeued and it was counted to him for righteousnes Whereupon the Scripture concludeth that no man is counted righteous before God but he that beleeueth as the Apostle testifieth where he reciteth that saying of Abacuc The iust shal liue by faith So it appeareth that faith grace mercye truth righteousnes that all these are that same which God worketh in vs by Christ and the Gospell Whereupon it is said Psal 25 All the wayes of the Lord are mercie and truth For those are the wayes of the Lord in which we obseruing his commaundements do walke and he againe in vs now those wayes must be directed by his
finde fault with nothinge faith must moreouer come and such a faith which is not fayned and defiled with confidence of a mans owne holines For wheresoeuer this is not there the hart is neuer purified before God neither shall the conscience be able to stande if they be examined by seuere iudgement and exact censure Men in deede shall not iustly blame me albeit I glory that I haue serued them by preaching helping gouerning and by doing the dutie of an ouerseer or ruler c with all faithfulnes And if I haue done any thing more or lesse then I ought I am sorie at my hart for I would very willingly haue done all thinges that I ought Wherefore I am quiet already excused neither haue they any more which they may rightly require of me but are enforced to acquite and discharge me But here I must attayne vnto this also that my hart be so pure and my conscience so good before God that he may not by any meanes accuse and condemne me Howbeit we finde not this in ourselues We can not of our selues attaine to a pure hart a good conscience before God although we may glorie somewhat thereof before the world I must therefore obtayne some other thing whereunto I may trust if I shall come into perill and within the throwing of the dart as it is commonly sayd and I must say to my feareful and terrified conscience I haue done that which I haue bene able and who knoweth how often I haue done lesse then I ought for I coulde not see and marke all thinges as Dauid also sayth Psal 19 VVho can vnderstand his faltes Therefore I can lay no foundation of trust vpon my owne holines and purenes Wel I haue the word so liue loue and haue a good conscience which is pure and holy But this I want that I can not conclude that that is in my hart neither doe I finde so good a conscience in me as the lawe requireth of me For there is no man liuing in the earth which can say this truely I knowe that I haue done all thinges and that I doe owe nothinge before God But the most holy ones must say thus I haue done surely according to my abilitie that which I haue bene able but I haue offended muche oftner then I knowe Wherefore our owne conscience doth witnes against vs accusing and conuincing vs although before the worlde we are most free from reprehension or blame For it must followe the worde which sayth this thou shouldest haue done this thou shouldest haue left vndone It can not auoyde the iudgement of this nor aunswere to the accusation thereof but is at the least wise enforced to stande in an vncertaintie being wholy wrapped in douting But if it dout then is it by and by conuinced for it standeth not before God but flieth and trembleth By what meanes we attaine to such purenes and a good conscience as can stand before God Wherefore the principal part of our doctrine must here helpe vs to wit that our Lord Iesus Christ being sent of the father did come into the world and hath suffered and died for vs. Whereby he hath reconciled the good will and fauour of the father to vs his wrath being appeased and doth nowe sitte at the right hande of the father hauing regarde of vs as our Sauiour and as a continuall Mediatour and Intercessour for vs making intercession for vs as for them which can not haue and obtayne of them selues such purenes and a good conscience Therefore by his helpe and benefite we may saye before God although I am not pure neyther haue a good conscience yet I cleaue to him by faith which hath perfect purenes and a good conscience which he gageth for me or rather which he giueth vnto me For he alone is he of whome we reade written as Peter and Esaie chapt 53 saye vvho did no sinne neyther vvas there guile founde in his mouthe And this prayse belongeth onely vnto him neyther hath he any neede to praye forgiue vs our dettes neither of that article of the Creede I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes c but he is free and quiet in perpetuall pure and perfect righteousnes and purenes vnto whose charge none can lay any thing nor accuse his conscience of any crime not man not the deuell no not God himselfe for he himselfe is God who himselfe can not accuse himselfe And this is called faith neither coloured nor fained which the conscience striuing and trembling dareth come forth in the sight of God and say Almightie God I am innocent before the world and quiet in minde so that noe man can lay any thing to my charge or fynde fault with me For albeit I haue not done all things yet I aske pardoÌ„ of euerie one that he will forgiue me for God his sake eueÌ„ as I againe forgiue all By this meanes I haue cut of the complaints of all who haue no more which they may rightly lay against me But before thee I must lay aside this trust and confidence and must wholy acknowledge the guiltines of innumerable synnes and say as Dauid sayd Psal 143 Lord enter not into iudgemeÌ„t with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Wherefore I can not contend with thee if thou requirest an account of my life We must appeale froÌ„ the iudgement seat to the mercy seat But I appeale from the iudgemeÌ„t seat to the mercy seat I do easily suffer that I be dealt with according to law right before the iudgemeÌ„t seat of the world and I will willingly aunswere and will do what I am able Howbeit before thee I will not come into iudgement but I desire grace which I take holde of on euerie side The iudgement seat For thus the Scripture teacheth me that God hath set two seates before men the one a iudgement seat for them which are yet secure and vntractable acknowledge not their sinnes neither wil confesse and acknowledge them the other a mercy seate The mercy seat for miserable fearfull consciences which feele their sinnes dread the iudgement of God and do earnestly make request for grace And this mercy seat is Christ himselfe as Paul witnesseth Rom. 3. whom God hath set forth vnto vs that we might haue refuge vnto him being not able to stand before God by our owne power Vnto him I wil applie my selfe if I haue done or do lesse theÌ„ is meete and how great purenes and goodnes soeuer my heart and conscience haue before men I will haue it here to be altogither nothing and hidden and couered as it were with a â—ant yea with a fayre heauen which may mightely defend it which is called grace and remissioÌ„ of synnes Vnder the defence thereof my heart and conscience must creepe and remayne safe and quiet For so he commaunded his Apostles to preach publish that through his name all that beleeue in him shal receiue remisson of
then these two thinges Christ and my workes must be rightly discerned and seuered one from the other For this is plaine euen to him that is blinde that Christ and his workes are not my life and my workes but are separated from the Law and from the workes of all men yea and that by a greater distaunce then man is vnlike or differeth from man For neither can I say that I and Cesar or the Bishop of Rome are the same thing yet I am much neerer and liker vnto either of them then a mortall man and a sinner is vnto Christ the Lord whoe is not onely a pure and holy man free from all spot and blot but is moreouer God also Therefore let the Lawe and the purenes of thy heart yea and thy good conscience auaile in earth onely toward men But where the mercy seat is to wit at the right hand of the father and the Mediatour betweene thee God thither no mans workes merits ought to haue accesse much lesse be they there of any force or value Wherefore Christ is purely to be separated from all my life deedes and workes and we must without exception conclude that he is an other thing then our life led before men with a pure heart and a good conscience albeit it be led euen perfectly and without blame For it being presented before God and by the lawe brought to the iudgement seat I am condemned and lost But Christ is the mercy seat and all that cleaue vnto him by faith can not be condemned and iudged So the iudgement seat togither with the lawe and all my life goe into one part but my faith must flie and lep farre vnto an other part and ioyne it selfe vnto him which is pure and hath no synne of whom the Scripture speaketh he that beleeueth in him shal not be confounded Because he is present in the sight of the father and maketh intercession for me Moreouer he giueth me his owne purenes and holines that being clothed and adorned therewith I may be able to stand before God and all wrath and displeasure may be taken away in steede whereof I may enioy meere loue and fauour Loe thus faith remaineth pure and free from counterfecting for it resteth not vpon my workes that because of them it should behoue God to be gentle and fauourable vnto me as a false and fained faith doth which mingleth togither mans merits and the grace of God and although it hold the words of Christ yet hath it the confidence and trust of the heart reposed in it selfe so A fained faith is no sure foundation but faileth theÌ„ that trust vnto it that it is certaine that it is onely a colour which can not long continue For the matter commeth at the last to this point that beleeuing that God is fauourable vnto thee because of thy life led without fault or blame thou must despeire and say who knoweth what I haue done whereby am I certaine that I haue neglected nothing through careleâ—nes or that nothing is wanting in me In this doutfulnes of minde the foundation faileth slideing away vnder thee like vnto sand moued or stirred and so faith is of no force or value at all Wherefore it is not vnfitly called fained and painted faith through which one seeth as it were through a lattis or painted glasse through which the thinge that is seene representeth the colour of the glasse and yet is not in deede of that colour So they also beleeue that that affection is in God that he vouchsaueth to regard our workes and merits Which they paint forth according to their owne opinion and dreames which are vtterly false rash and vnaduised And so iudgeing God all things according to them they see only as it were through a lattis or painted glasse But so onely thou shalt behold him with pure and cleere eyes if thou do wel separate the iudgement seat and the mercy seat one from the other that heauen with the starres thereof may remaine pure to grace remission of synnes obtained by the Mediatour where Christ reigneth with his workes and the earth also with her trees and herbes whither we must be referred with our workes The matter I say must be brought of vs to that passe if we will stand with a right and an vnfained faith before God that we do purely distinguish and seuer our selues our life and Christ or the mercy seat and he that will not do this but presenteth himselfe before the iudgement seat with a bold courage shall feele the reward of his rashnes I my selfe haue bin in that daunger and as it were a mouse hauing tasted pitch haue runne away reioysing greatly that libertie was giuen me to attaine to the mercy seat and now I am enforced to say that albeit I haue liued very well before men yet all things coÌ„mitted of me contrariwise do remaine beneath vnder the iudgement seat to be punished according to the sentence and iudgement of God Only Christ is our coÌ„fort and meanes whereby we attaine saluation Now I haue no other comfort nor no other helpe and counsell of my saluation then that Christ is my mercy seat who hath neuer offended hath defiled himselfe with no synne who died and rose againe for me and sitteth now at the right hand of the father defendeth me vnder his shadow and protection that I neede not doute that I am by his benefite and intercession safe before God from all wrath and terrour of iudgement Thus faith remaineth in all thinges pure setting no other thing before it selfe whereunto it may boldly trust but Christ alone Now he that knew this well should be a man of a resolute minde For all other haue to do with a fained faith boasting many thinges of faith but mingling all thinges together like as vintners mixe wine with water by this that they say if thou liue thus God wil be fauourable vnto thee and they make the iudgement seat of the mercy seat and the mercy seat of the iudgement seat which by no meanes can be for the iudgement seat shall remaine c. Wherefore separate these two one from the other as farre as thou shalt be able that they come not togither namely thy life and holines togither with the iudgement seat into one place which may driue enforce thee to haue a good conscience and to lead an vpright life before men But offer thy synnes to the mercy seate to be transferred into an other place where God louingly receiuing thee will embrace thee as a beloued sonne and will neuer remember more any wrath or synnes If such doctrine of faith were set forth vnto men then should it be excellently well done and all other thinges should follow of their owne accord as purenes of heart and goodnes of conscience through right and perfect loue For who soeuer is by faith quiet in his heart and assured that he hath God fauourable vnto him who is not angry with
can take him from thee if thou thy selfe doost not cast him of There is no cause therefore that we should be carefull seing that he is our father and prouideth for vs which hath all thinges in his own hand euen those which seeme to take away those things that be ours from vs and to endamage and hurt vs wherein soeuer they are able But we haue exceeding great cause alwayes to reioyce in the Lord when we are of a patient mynde toward all men forasmuch as we are certaine if so be that we beleeue that it can by no meanes come to passe that good thinges should be wanting vnto vs hauing Almightie God our fauourable and carefull father whom they that haue not let vs suffer them to be troubled with carke and care It ought to be our onely care how we may be voyde of care and be found alwayes ioyfull in God and meeke and of a patient mynde toward men So without dout we shall trie that which Dauid tried saying I haue been young now am olde Psal 37.25 and yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread And that which he sayth Psal 40 The Lord careth for me But in all thinges let your requestes be shewed vnto God in prayer supplication with giuing of thankes In these wordes the Apostle teacheth how our care is to be cast vpon God and the meaning of that which he sayth is this How the godly must cast their care vpon God Onely be not carefull but if any thing chaunce which may make you carefull as in deede innumerable such are wont to come vnto those that liue in the world so behaue your selues that ye attempt nothing at all with your care what soeuer that shal be which chaunceth vnto you but casting of care turne your selues with prayer and supplication vnto God and desire him that he will bring to passe and finish that which your selues otherwise should in vaine haue attempted with your care to accomplish Howbeit desire this with giuing of thankes forasmuch as ye haue such a God as hath care of you and vnto whom ye may safely commit all carke and care for you But he that will not so behaue himselfe when any thing happeneth but will first weye all thinges by his owne reason and order them according to his owne iudgement and so take to himselfe the care of his thinges he shall wrap himselfe in innumerable discommodities he shall loze all ioy and quietnes thereby and yet shall preuaile nothing but labour in vaine plunge himselfe so much more in troubles and miseries that he shall not be able to escape out of them againe which we learne daily both by our owne and by other mens experience Now that which Paule here admonisheth concerning prayer tendeth vnto this end lest that any man should neglect all thinges commit them to God and he himselfe sleepe and do nothing at all no not so much as once pray for them for he that should vse this slouthfulnes albeit he were now quiet shall easily be wrapped in cares whereof he shall not be able to ridde himselfe we must do our endeuour and not sleepe and therefore it is that many thinges be incident which are wont to bring carefulnes whereby we might be as it were compelled to pray vnto God Wherefore Paule hath not in vaine ioyned togither these two Be nothing carefull and In all thinges let your requestes be shewed vnto God in prayer and supplication with giuing of thankes Nothing and All do in deede greatly differ howbeit the Apostle therefore put them togither that he might signifie that it can not be but that many and innumerable thinges be incident which are wont to bring carke and care but that in all them we ought to admit no carefulnes but alwayes flie vnto prayer and commit them all vnto God desire of him those thinges whereof we haue neede Now we must here see how our prayer must be framed and what is the true maner of praying The Apostle setteth downe foure thinges prayer supplication giuing of thinkes and requests or petitions Prayer Prayer is those wordes or speche wherein as sometimes some thing is desired so also other thinges are declared as is the Lords Prayer and the Psalmes Supplicatiō Supplication is when the petition is vrged or made more earnest by some thing as when one prayeth for his father or for some other thinge which is deare and excellent vnto him as when we praye vnto God by his mercy by his sonne by his promise by his name c. As Salomon Psal 132 Lord remember Dauid and all his trouble And Paule Rom. 12 I beseech you by the mercies of God And 2. Cor. 10 I beseech you by the mekenes and gentlenes of Christ A petition or request c. A petition or request is when we name that which is desired and for which prayer and supplication is made as in the Lordes Prayer all that composition of wordes is called prayer but those seuen thinges for which we pray as halowed be thy name thy kingdome come c. are petitions According to that saying Matth. 7 Aske and it shal be giuen you seeke and ye shall fynde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you For whosoeuer asketh receiueth and he that seeketh fyndeth and to him that knocketh it shal be opened Giuing of thankes is when the benefites of God are rehearsed Giuing of thankes whereby faith in God is strengthened and stirred vp so much more confidently to looke for that which is desired for which we do praie Wherefore prayer vrgeth or earnestly asketh by supplication but is strengthened and made sweete acceptable by giuing of thankes and so by this strength and sweetnes it preuaileth and obtaineth what soeuer it asketh This maner of prayer we read to haue bin vsed in the Church and among the holy fathers of the old Testament which were wont alwayes in their prayers to aske with supplication and giuing of thankes The same also we see in the Lordes Prayer which beginneth with giuing of thankes and with prayse when as euen in the beginning thereof we confes God a father vnto whom the godly mynde hath accesse by his fatherly loue and by the loue of his sonne vnto which supplication nothing may be compared wherefore it is both the best and most excellent prayer of all which may be had Moreouer in these wordes Paule hath verie well expressed the mysterie of the golden censer of the old Testament The mystery of the golden censer declared whereof we read many thinges in the bookes of Moses It was lawfull for the Priestes only to burne incense now all we which beleeue in Christ are Priestes wherefore it is lawfull for all vs and for vs onely to burne the incense of prayers The censer that golden vessel is the wordes which we vtter in prayer surely golden and precious as those are whereof the Lordes
And when consciences were vrged in confession they would not sticke to say Whatsoeuer was enioined vs we haue omitted nothing of it yea we haue giuen more then we were commaunded Miserable men reioyced that by this meanes they might prouide for them selues and therefore they pyned and afflicted them selues that they might be vnburdened of their sinnes yet did it preuaile them nothing For the conscience remained in dout as before that it knewe not how it stoode before God But if it were secure and quiet it fell into that which is worse to thinke that God hath respect vnto workes neither can reason doe any other but depend of works The Lord therfore is touched with affection of mercy toward that misery wherew t the seruaunt so entangled snared with sinnes is holden taking pitie vpon him doth forgiue and dimisse him Here is now set forth vnto vs what is the special office qualitie of the gospel how God dealeth with vs. When thou art so drowned in sinnes weariest thy self that thou mayst deliuer thy selfe from them the Gospell commeth to thee The preaching of the Gospell sayth Doe not so deare brother it preuaileth nothing although thou afflict and torment thy selfe euen til thou be mad thy works do not profit but the mercy of God shall deliuer thee who is touched with thy miserie for he seeth thee wrapped in calamitie wearying thy self that thou mayst deliuer thy selfe out of the myre yet art not able he I say hath regard vnto this that thou art not able to pay wherupon he forgiueth thee all and that of his meere mercie For he doth not forgiue thee the dette eyther for thy workes or merits but for that he taketh pittie vppon thy crie complainte and mourning and thy falling downe before his knees that is God hath respect to an humbled hart as the Prophet sayth Psal 51 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken contrite hart O God shalt thou not despise Such a hart he saith as is broken and humbled which is not able to helpe it selfe but craueth the helpe of God and reioyceth in it such a heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God and he that hath it is in the right way to heauen Now God hauing shewed this mercy vnto him and taken pitie on his miserie ceasseth to followe his right and abrogateth it and sayth no more Sell whatsoeuer thou hast and pay the dette although he might go forward and say Thou must paye for this my lawe requireth which I will not haue abrogated for thy sake yet will he not deale with him by the lawe but chaungeth the lawe into grace and fauour taketh pittie on him and dimisseth him with his wife children and all his substance and doth also forgiue him the dette This is that which God suffereth to be preached by the Gospell vnto him that beleeueth is remitted not onely the fault but also the punishment and that of meere mercy not for any works sake For he that preacheth that by workes the fault and the punishment may be put awaie hath euen then denied the Gospell Mercy and merit cā not agree togither forasmuch as these two can not agree togither that God hath mercy on thee and yet that thou doest merit some thinge For if it be grace it is not merit but if it be merit then shall it not be grace but dette for if thou pay thy dette he sheweth thee no mercy but if he sheweth thee mercy thou doest not make payment Wherefore we must needes acknowledge his mercie toward vs we must receiue of him and beleeue in him which the Gospel here requireth After therefore that this seruaunt is thus humbled with the knowledge of his synne the word is exceeding comfortable vnto him wherein the Lord pronounceth him free and forgiueth him both the fault and the punishment Whom the preaching of the Gospell profiteth Whereby is also declared that it toucheth not sluggish hearts that feele no synne neither those that are caried with rashnes but onely such afflicted consciences as are pressed with the heauie burden of their synnes which do greatly desire to be deliuered from them of them God hath mercy and forgiueth them all Wherefore it behoued this seruaunt to receiue the word for vnles he had receiued it forgiuenes had profited nothing nay there had bene no forgiuenes at all It is not therefore enough that God suffereth remission of synnes and a golden yeare full of grace to be preached vnto vs but it is necessarie that we receiue and beleeue it in heart If thou beleeue thou art free from synnes This is the first part of a Christian life which both this place and diuers other in the Gospels do teach vs which consisteth properly in faith which alone hath to do before God whereby also is shewed that the Gospell can not be receiued but of a troubled and miserable conscience Herupon now may be inferred that they are plaine delusions whatsoeuer thinges are any otherwise taught concerning our workes and free will to wit that they put away sinnes and obtaine grace For the diuine maiestie alone beholding our miserie hath pittie vpon vs for the text sheweth manifestly that God pardoneth and forgiueth them that haue nothing and concludeth that we haue nothing left wherewith we may pay God Howsoeuer therefore thou hast free will in temporall matters yet thou hearest here that it is nothing before God Wherefore if thou desire to be deliuered from thy synnes thou must ceasse to trust in any of thy workes and must plainly despeire concerning them and flie vnto Christ pray vnto God for grace finally receiue the Gospell by faith Now followeth the other part wherein the felow seruaunt also is delt with This seruaunt now hath enough he saueth his body goods wife children c. and hath his Lord fauourable vnto him Wherfore he should surely be very foolish if he should now depart and do what he is able for the reconciliation of his Lord for his Lord might worthely say that he is mocked of him He hath neede therefore of no worke but that he receiue such grace fauour as is offered him so may he be of a good cheere giuing thankes to his Lord and dealing so with others as his Lord hath delt with him After the same sort is it with vs for when we beleeue we haue God fauourable mercifull vnto vs neither do we neede any thing more We must endeuour by our workes to profit our neighbour not seeke to obtaine Gods fauour but now it were time that we should forthwith die Notwithstanding if we must as yet liue still in the earth our life ought to be ordered so that we seeke not to obtaine the fauour of God by workes For he that doth this doth mocke dishonour God as it hath bin hitherto taught that God is to be sollicited so song by good workes prayers fastings such like vntill we obtaine
feeble sicke was she oftentimes made with them yea if she might haue bene healed it may seeme she would haue taken any medicine howbeit it profited her nothing she was afflicted with her disease the space of twelue yeares How therefore is this miserable woman at the last helped When she did light vpon a man whose name is Christ and put her hope and trust in him she was healed But who led her to that man without dout not the Phisitians For if our Preachers should preach Christ the marchandize of the Pope togither with his decrees would be nothing set by but rather she heard it of some that was also restored to health who told her without douting that theâ—e was a certaine man whom his parents had named Iesus which is a gentle and good man which helpeth euery one and sendeth away none from him whom he helpeth not and therfore is without dout sent of God that he may helpe all Which the woman hauing heard she leaueth the Phisitians and maketh hast vnto Christ So also at this day it falleth 〈◊〉 Not Christ but workes only are preached doe this or that neuertheles it is spred among the people what Christ is what we must looke for of him that he alone must do all things without our workes or merits The true preaching of Christ calleth from the traditioÌ„s of men to faith trust in him alone This report being heard we follow him and lay vp these words in the depth of our hart we leaue the phisitians nothing regarding the Preachers of the law and works or their commaundements and traditions but runne with all desire of hart to this man which is Christ saying to the Pope if I must receiue onely of Christ how vnwisely haue I delt that I haue turned so much vnto thee farewel therfore O Pope farewell ye beloued Bishops I neede no more your medicine workes and merits precepts and lawes ye haue grieued me long enough with them I haue gotten one which bestoweth vpon me freely whatsoeuer I payed full deare for vnto you before he giueth that vnto me without workes and merits for which I was faine before to bestow my body strength and helth and yet could not obtaine it Fare ye well I minde to come no more to you hereafter Christians therefore are made not by the decrees of the Pope not by workes not by the ordinances of men but by the grace and goodnes of Christ We must flie vnto Christ in our distresse Wherefore if thou hast a disquieted and a troubled minde and conscience so that thou art afraid of sinne dreadest death or hast some defect otherwise get thee to that man confesse what thou wantest call vpon him then surely he will helpe thee poure out thy hart before him as the 62. Psalme sayth and say thus vnto him beholde here is an emptie vessell which greatly needeth wherwith it may be filled I beseech thee O my Lord vouchsafe to fill it I am weake in faith I pray thee to strengthen me I am cold in charitie do thou make me whot and feruent that my loue may extende vnto my neighbour I haue no firme faith neither can I sometime trust in God O Lord helpe me and encrease my faith and confidence in thee haue I reposed the treasure of all good thinges I am poore thou art rich and therefore didst thou come that thou mightest haue mercie on the poore â–ª I am a sinner thou art righteous yea I haue aboundance of sinnes but in thee is all fulnes and grace When thou shalt once haue learned this the Popes ordinaunces shall not snare thee by which thou gettest nothing but consumest all that thou hast like as this woman did Then wilt thou say I will choose to my selfe him of whom I may receiue vnto whom I â—eede not giue any thing The other Euangelists write concerning this woman that after she was healed Christ perceiued vertue to haue gone out of him and turned him about in the prease and asked who had touched him and that his Disciples made aunswere that the multitude did throng thrust him but that the Lord would not be content with that aunswere but sayd some one hath touched me for I perceiue the vertue is gone out of me I know that some one hath receiued some thing from me All which the Lorde therefore did that the faith of the woman might be thankefull vnto him which he would therefore haue made manifest before all the people for that nothing is more acceptable vnto him then that we beleeue and trust in him also that the Lorde might by this miracle confirme the faith of the Ruler Wherefore Marke sayth that when the woman vnderstood that the Lord knew of her she feared and trembled and came and fell downe before him and tolde him the whole truth how it fell out with her whereupon the Lord doth deliuer her and sayth Goe in peace be whole of thy disease Were not these louing wordes what great ioy did the woman take here when as Christ had delt so bountifully with her The frute of true hope in Christ This ioy and peace all they obtaine which repose their whole hope and trust in Christ Iesus Where this ioy shall be forthwith workes must needes follow which may shewe forth this ioy as also the faith of this woman must needes come to light For as soone as she had receiued of the Lord she confessed before all the people neither was she ashamed to declare that she had receiued something of him for which notwithstanding she had giuen nothing Now God requireth of vs these works this giuing of thanks to wit that we confes declare before all men such good things grace and benefites that others also may be brought vnto him suffer a benefite to be bestowed vpon them as it was here done Wherefore Christian life enforceth me to doe good vnto others also euen as God through Christ hath done good vnto me but thereby am I not made a Christian as the woman here is not healed by her confession for she was healed before any work and confession but after she had recouered her health she confesseth Christ and prayseth him euen to the commoditie and conuerting of others We also inasmuch as we are Christians doe so liue that one helpeth and pleasureth an other in what thing soeuer he is at any time able And as this woman was healed before all works so we must be made Christians before we doe any worke As the Gospell is set before our eyes in this woman so is it also set forth in the Daughter of this Ruler This chiefe ruler of the Sinagogue whom Marke calleth Iairus had a stroÌ„g faith and confidence that Christ would raise vp his Daughter For vnles he had bene of that minde concerning Christ he had not come vnto him neither had desired such a thing of him which exceeded the power strength of nature Wherefore by
Father is knowne in the Sonne there doth yet happen a grosser thing in Philip who bursteth forth and will not be content with faith but will knowe the thinge assuredly by feeling and seeing Wherefore he sayth vnto the Lord Lord shew vs thy Father and it sufficeth vs. As though he would say if thou wilt also shew vnto vs a signe then will we beleeue Philip counteth it not sufficient to beleeue the worde but goeth about to come to the knowledge of the Father by an other meanes then by the word For seing that reason can not beleeue he requesteth to be certified by an other meanes and way By the interrogation therfore of Christ that followeth it is shewed that the conscience is made certaine and quiet by no other thing then by faith for that we must cleaue to the bare worde and looke for no other signe But Philip thought here that he should be much more certified if he did see the Father then if he beleeued the simple and bare word This incredulitie Christ reproueth somewhat sharpely and sayth Haue I bene so long time with you hast thou not knowne me As though he should say I teach and preach and yet thou knowest me not Doost thou not knowe that the Father will be knowne by me that my word is the worde and power of the Father by which alone he will be knowne and by nothing els For thou hast heard the voice of the Father from heauen after this sort This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Doost thou not yet vnderstande howe the Father is knowne The Father is not seene with carnall eyes as Iohn in his first chapter sayth Ioh. 1.18 No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Wherefore the Lord sayth to Philip Philip he that hath seene me hath seene the Father This saying is like vnto that former when he sayth If ye had knowne me ye should haue knowne my Father also That is forasmuch as the Father will be knowne by me seeke no other way to knowe him but beleue my word that I am he which sheweth vnto you the Father and will make you to know him in me Beleeue that by me thou hast accesse to the Father by this meanes thou shalt knowe the Father by faith thou shalt vnderstande the power and mercie of the Father and shalt feele him to be comfortable and gracious The Father will haue my word to be beleeued and them that beleeue it to be saued and obtaine eternall life Seeing therefore that these thinges be thus that we can not know the Father but in the Sonne and when we know the Sonne we know also the Father the Lord sayth moreouer vnto Philip How then sayest thou Shewe vs thy Father Beleeuest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father is in me As if he would say Forasmuch as there is no other way to know the Father but that which I haue shewed why I pray thee doost thou not beleeue my wordes seeing that I haue taught that I am the way the truth and the life Doost thou not beleeue that I am in the Father and the Father in me Beleeuest thou not that my diuinitie and the diuinitie of the Father is one and that the Father will be knowne by me But why is the Father knowne by the knowledge of the Sonne euen therefore for that the Sonne is in the Father and the Father in the Sonne For the word by which the Sonne is knowne is the power of the Sonne and of the Father Wherefore seing the Sonne is knowne by his word it necessarily followeth that the father also is knowne thereby Beleeue me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me at the least beleeue me for the very works sake Here he doth as it were appeale to workes that they may giue testimonie of the word As if he should say Seeing that ye can not be content to beleeue the word at the least beleeue the signes which beare witnes of the word and whereby the Father hath giuen testimonie of me For the works and signes are testimonies of the word By these words Christ meaneth nothing els but to confirme the consciences of his Disciples and of all vs against the offence of the crosse For consciences wil know and not beleeue the bare words of God but doe alwayes dout and say What if God careth not for thee and haue such like cogitations Holy godly men seeme for the most part to be neglected as abiects and most contemptible men inasmuch as the world according to the will lust thereof rageth and practizeth tyrannie against them and doth almost what it list Hereupon they are in anguish in daunger of faith desire to know the will of God toward them These Christ comforteth that they may seeke no other comfort but in him and in his death and beleue that he is life that he beareth rule and maketh aliue them that be dead And that they should nothing dout hereof he maketh them yet more certaine and sayth Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleeueth in me the vvorkes that I doe he shall doe also and greater then these shall he doe As if he should say Dout not any thing but that ye shall know the Father by me and that my word is the power of God that by my word ye shal be sustained although I be euen crucified Ye shall haue triall hereof in your selues for if ye beleeue in me ye shall not onely worke such workes and shew such signes as I doe but euen greater Which came to passe after the ascention of Christ when the Apostles wrought greater miracles as well among the Iewes as Gentiles then Christ him selfe But what is the cause hereof The Lord him selfe addeth it saying For I goe vnto my Father That is I will begin a kingdom where I will fulfill all thinges Here the Lord annexeth the conclusion of all the questions and consolations going before For a litle before Christ had taught that the Father is known by him and that is because he is in the Father he therefore is shewed by that worde by which the Father is shewed But that he might confirme this to wit that his worde is the power of the Father he added and sayd He that beleeueth in me the works that I do he shall doe also That is by faith in me ye also shall doe those works and know that my word is the vertue and power of God But why doth he say I goe to the Father I aunswere Because Christ is in the Father therefore doth he the workes of the Father but we doe them not also therefore but for that Christ who is in the Father is now in vs. For to goe to the Father is to fulfill all thinges as Paule according to the saying of the Psalme declareth to giue giftes vnto men to lighten and to sanctifie For this is the kingdom of Christ whereby he reigneth in earth in the hartes of the beleeuers and sitteth vpon the throne of his Father Dauid The Lord also speaketh these wordes I goe to the Father to comfort his Disciples For as he did before beginne to confirme them that they should not be troubled and offended although he should dye but courageously cleaue to him and beleue in him So here he promiseth them that they shall be glorified for he goeth to the Father who shall deliuer all thinges into his handes that he may mightely obtaine a kingdom ouer all things that are in heauen and earth Wherefore they ought nothing at all to feare He yet comforteth them more and sayth And whatsoeuer ye aske in my name that will I doe As if he should say As soone as I come to the Father there is no cause why ye should be carefull For those thinges that ye haue neede of and aske ye shall obtaine I wil doe this for you because I obtaine a kingdom And he peculiarly addeth in my Name whereby he excludeth all our merits For by Christ we are heard as also in Christ we are loued by whom also we are Priestes as Peter sayth to offer vp spirituall sacrifices and acceptable to God All these thinges sayth Christ I will doe for this cause That the Father may be glorified in the Sonne The Father is then glorified when glorie is giuen and ascribed vnto him not vnto vs. That is whē we acknowledge the we are saued not by our owne merits not by our owne wisedom and righteousnes but do put our trust in his mercie For he hath giuen his Sonne for our sinnes and whatsoeuer we purpose to aske we must aske it by this Sonne and we shall obtaine it Wherfore he repeateth these wordes and sayth If ye shall aske any thing in my Name I will doe it These wordes tend to this ende that he may make vs certainely beleue his wordes and cleaue vnto him This therefore is the summe of this conclusion He biddeth his Disciples and vs therefore beleeue for that he goeth to reigne Before he affirmeth that he wil shew forth a signe and testimonie of his kingdom so reigne that he will declare a notable token of his gouernment that we may feele and perceiue it to wit that he will doe so great works by vs as he him selfe hath done yea and greater also Also that he will heare vs when we pray and whatsoeuer we pray for vnto the Father in his name By these promises the hart must be confirmed made courageous against the gates of hell For Christ reigneth by his word wherefore it is needefull that we exactly know the vertue of the word for the kingdom of Christ is the power vertue of God These things I thought good to entreat of concerning this Gospell Let vs call vpon God for the ayde of his grace that we may be able to vnderstand them by them to strengthen our weake faith **** FINIS
that his kingdom is set in the middes of the fight yea and in the middes of the haters thereof These things are written for our comfort that we which mind to serue vnder the Prince of this kingdom be so instructed that we looke for no other then is here prescribed and set forth vnto vs The godly must looke for no peace or quietnes in the world that we seeke not here to get vnto vs the fauour of the world neither that we serue the world and labour to haue no enemies therein For the words of Zacharias declare that it is the quality of this kingdom to deliuer from enemies Now if it deliuereth vs from enemies and as it were draweth vs out of the hands of them that hate vs surely it can not be a kingdom of peace but such a kingdom as is subiect to the hatred and malice of the world As ye see at this daye that our enemies beare a deadly hatred vnto the light which hath a litle shined forth thankes be to Christ therefore No man is any where so hated as a Christian Both the Pope and the furious Bishops with their false Apostles also the raging Princes moreouer the holy learned and wise of the world all at this day doe most bitterly hate Christians Neither are they content that they be killed slaine but they would haue them extinguished and vtterly rooted out that there may be no memorie of them as they thinke left among men And this is the state these are the badges and cognisances of Christians that when Satan by his ministers persecuteth vs he thinketh quite to roote vs out This verse also giueth vs to vnderstand that Christ is our King that he may saue and deliuer vs out of the handes of our enemies which he notably performeth and sheweth his power in the middes of the worlde in the middes of the force of flesh and Satan when as peace and quietnes is no where left to a Christian but in his Christ alone This also we must marke that there is not one but many which assayle persecute Christians but yet that we shall not therefore be destroyed forasmuch as we haue one which is stronger both then the world and the Prince thereof as Iohn sayth Nowe whereas he promiseth vs we know certainly that he both will and is able to performe we shall in deede feele the assault but he will not suffer vs to be destroyed or ouercome so that we hope and trust in him It followeth moreouer Verse 72. That he might shewe mercy towards our fathers and remember his holy couenant Verse 73. That is the oth which he sware to our father Abraham that he would giue vs. He will deliuer vs not onely from all euill both of body and especially of soule but also from our enemies Satan and men as a Christian must be as it were ouerwhelmed with all euills together so also he shal be againe wholy deliuered from all euils And he sheweth that this grace and blessing was promised to their fathers Such is the maner of the Apostles also that they often times haue recourse to the old Testament as I haue sayd before that God spake and promised by the mouth of the Prophets c. euen as Zacharias doth in this place An obiectiō Some man may now say They are dead how therefore will he shew mercy vnto them Againe what neede is there to rehearse that he woulde shew mercy to the fathers when as it is declared in the Prophets But this is therefore done The aūswer that the truth of God may be shewed forth and may be also approued vnto vs that we shoulde not be ignorant that those thinges are not due to our merits In the first booke of Moses is mentioned how God promised to Abraham Gen. 22.18 that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed That is that by Christ should come peace grace and blessing to all nations Which promise was differred so long a time that it appeared that it was in vaine and abolished So vnwise as it seemeth to the worlde doth God shewe him selfe in his matters as though all thinges went backward Notwithstanding howsoeuer it was delayed and seemed yet it is fulfilled and performed whatsoeuer was promised to Abraham and God hath not onely deliuered him from his enemies but hath bestowed vpon him all good thinges yea hath giuen him selfe vnto him and all that he hath And all this is therefore done for that as Zacharias here sayth this mercy and goodnes was before promised and confirmed by an oth vnto them which are long since dead when as we yet were not He is mercifull therefore and fauourable not because of our merits as though he did owe it vnto our righteousnes but of his onely grace fauour and mercy God both promised fulfilled his promise not moued through any workes or merits of men but of his meere grace and mercy These are horrible thundrings against our merits workes that we can not glory that we haue deliuered our selues from sinnes or that we haue deserued his goodnes and the preaching of the Gospell No it is not so Here is no place for boasting but this text sayth that thou O Lorde didst promise certaine thowsands of yeares before I was borne that thou wouldest doe it Who did then desire him that he would giue vs those thinges when he had determined with him selfe to giue them And vpon this promise the Prophets are bold and doe stay them selues for by it we attaine vnto true goodnes that the mouth of euery one may be stopped that he that wil glory may glory in the Lord. For thus the Lord may say that thou liuest in my kingdom that thou enioyest my goodnes grace it is not to be imputed to thee but vnto me I promised and determined with my selfe to fulfill my promises thou being ignorant thereof And here the mouth of euery one is stopped So at this day also none of vs vnto whom thankes be to God the Gospel hath shined can glory that we obtained it by our owne meanes labour endeuour or good conuersation For those which were counted the best workes and the most excellent studies are disallowed and ouerthrowne as to celebrate Masse to ioyne him selfe to this or that hypocriticall sect which they call an order c. These the Gospell condemneth and reiecteth and how can I attaine to the Gospell by that which it reiecteth Wherefore this standeth sure and certaine that all that we haue is of the meere grace and goodnes of God so that with his honour and praise we may confesse that we haue deserued farre otherwise namely hell fire if besides this he bestoweth any thing vpon vs it is the gift of his grace and goodnes And this is that which Zacharias sayth that is was foretold by the Prophets and both promised and confirmed by an oth to the fathers Gen. 22.16 that he would performe
thinke how Christ was taken and bound and led vp downe When pride tempteth thee consider with thy self how thy Lord was mocked and reputed among theeues When lust pleasure pricke thee thinke with how great sharpenes the tender flesh of Christ was torne with whippes and pearsed through When anger enuye desire of reuenge moue thee thinke with how great teares and cryes Christ did praye euen for his enemies toward whom he might more iustly haue shewed him selfe sharpe and rigorous When sadnes or any aduersitie whatsoeuer either corporall or spirituall troubleth thee strengthen thy hart say well why should not I also suffer a litle sorrowfulnes when as my Lorde did sweat blood in the garden for anguish heauines Surely he were a sluggish and an ignominious seruaunt who his maister lying at the poynt of death would be held from him with a soft and easie bed Lo thus a man may find strength remedie in Christ against all crimes and offences This is truely in deede to meditate vpon the passion of Christ these are the frutes of the Lordes passion in which he that doth after this sort exercise him selfe doth surely without comparison better then if he heard all passions or all superstitious Masses Such also are called true Christians which doe so represent the life and name of Christ in their life as S. Paule sayth Gal. 5.24 They that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes with Christ For the passion of Christ is not to be handled in wordes and outward shewe but in deede and veritie Heb. 12.3 So S. Paule admonisheth vs Consider him that endured such speaking against of sinners least ye should be wearied and fainte in your mindes And S. Peter sayth 1. Pet. 4.1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh arme yourselues likewise with the same minde But such meditation is now growen out of vse and begon to waxe rare wherewith notwithstanding the Epistles of Peter and Paule are most aboundantly replenished A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE FRVTE AND VERTVE OF CHRIST HIS RESVRRECTION WE haue heard in the treatise of the Lordes passion It is not enough to know the historie of Christes passion and resurrection but the vse and frute of them must be preached and knowen that it is not sufficient to know onely the bare historie thereof After the same maner it is not enough here to know how and when Christ rose againe but both the vse and the profit as well of his passion as of his resurrection must be preached and knowne to wit what Christ obtained for vs by them For where the onely deede of the historie is preached it is a friuolous preaching and without all frute which both Satan and the wicked doe as well know reade and vnderstand as we doe But when as the vse of them is preached and whereunto they profit that in deede is a frutefull and wholsom Sermon and full of sweete consolation Wherefore Christ him selfe hath declared the vse and profit of his passion and resurrection when he thus talked with the women Matth. 28 Be not afraid Goe and tell my brethren that they goe into Galile and there shal they see me And this is the first word which they heare of Christ after his resurrection from the dead whereby he confirmeth all his sayinges also all his benefits shewed vnto them before to wit that they should come vnto vs also that should beleue in him and pertaine onely to the beleuers for that here he calleth not onely the Apostles his brethren but also all them which beleue in him although they doe not see him visibly as the Apostles did He doth not differre vntill we pray vnto him and call vppon him that we may be made his brethren Let any of vs now come forth and boast of his merit or of the strength whereby he is able to merit any thing The Apostles merited nothing at all that Christ should call them his brethren What had the Apostles merited Peter denied Christ thrise All the rest of the Disciples did flie away from him they did perseuer and stand by him euen as the hare tarieth with her yong ones he might haue called them runawayes and forsakers of their standing in the middest of their conflict yea traitors and wicked men rather then brethren Wherefore of meere grace and mercy this worde was brought vnto them of the Matrones which the Apostles themselues did then well perceiue and we also doe throughly feele when we are set in the middes of sinnes and are ouercome of damnation This word therefore is ful of all consolation and comfort that Christ careth for such wretched men as we are yea and that he doth call vs his brethren If so be that Christ be our brother surely I would fayne know what good thing we shall want As therfore the case standeth among carnall brethren so doth it stand here They that are germane brethren by consanguinitie do vse goods common among them selues hauing the same father the same inheritance otherwise they were not brethren So we also possesse common good thinges with Christ enioying the same father the same inheritance which inheritance is not diminished by parting it as worldly inheritances are but is alwayes made more aboundant for it is a spirituall inheritance A corporall inheritance when it is distributed into diuers parts is made smaller but in this portion of the spirit the case is such that he that hath gotten part thereof hath obtained the whole The inheritance of Christ What is therfore the inheritance of Christ In his power are life and death sinne and grace and whatsoeuer is contained in heauen and in earth his are eternall veritie strength wisedom righteousnes All power is giuen vnto him he hath rule ouer all thinges ouer hunger and thirst prosperitie and aduersitie c. he reigneth ouer all thinges that can be thought whether they be in heauen or in earth spirituall or corporall and that I may speake at once all thinges are in his power as well eternall thinges as temporall Now if I shall cleaue vnto him by faith What they enioy that cleaue to Christ by faith I shall be made partaker of all his good thinges and shall not obtayne a part of the inheritance onely but I shall possesse euen with him euerlasting wisedom eternall strength My belly shall not be grieued with hunger sinnes shall not oppresse me neither shall I be afraid of the face of death neither shall I dread the sight of Satan neither shall I want the plenty of any thing that is good euen as he wanteth it not Hereby now we may easily vnderstand the sayinges vttered commonly in the Prophets especially in the Psalmes as where Dauid sayth Psal 34 The Lions doe lacke and suffer hunger but they that feare the Lorde shall want no maner of thing that is good and where he sayth in an other place The
A most weighty cause to moue vs to doe good to our neighbours Wherfore should it grieue vs to deserue so well of all men when as God hath before dealt so bountifully kindely and gently with vs with whom without comparison we are lesse and haue lesse of him deserued then any being compared to vs can be or can deserue of vs As therefore God hath with exceeding bountifulnes and kindenes most gently behaued him selfe toward vs of his mercy graunting and giuing vnto vs all thinges so ought we to doe all thinges with all charitie and good will toward our neighbours albeit they haue otherwise deserued forasmuch as we were like vnto them subiect to all sinnes and euill desires Here we see how the Apostle will haue vs to be affected toward men How we must behaue our selues toward men He will haue vs subiect to them that be in authoritie kinde vnto others and readie to doe well vnto them with all gentlenes although they be euill blinde and in errour that we grudge not to beare these thinges and as much as lyeth in vs endeuour to doe them good taking all things in good part considering that God hath so dealt with vs when we were euill and wicked like vnto them This word appeared we haue elsewhere declared to signifie the reuelation of the Gospell whereby Christ appeared in the world Albeit the vnskilfulnes of Ministers hath wrested it to the carnall natiuitie of Christ He vseth not here the word grace which he vsed before Tit. 2.11 but hath set in steed therof two other words of maruelous comfort bountifulnes and loue toward men which he attributeth to our God The first is called of the Grecians Chrestotes Bountifulnes and is that kindnes gentlenes and sweetenes of conditions wherewith they that be endued with them all of vs are with pleasure conuersant maruelously delighted with their companie so that they doe with this their gentlenes and kindnes allure greatly prouoke all men to loue them For such can suffer all without griefe they contemne no man they repell or put none from them with bitter hard and disordered conditions accesse vnto them is not hard but they are so open and ready for al that euery one dare resort vnto them and desire their helpe And to conclude they are such men as the Gospells describe Christ vnto vs whom they declare to be gentle to all a despiser of none which denieth no benefit to any pliant prepared and ready to do good to all So God also by the Gospell is preached and offered vnto vs wholy good bountifull and sweete open to all reiecting none bearing all our sinnes and offences repelling no man from him with excessiue seueritie For we read and heare nothing to be declared in the Gospell but meere grace and meere goodnes whereby he doth most mercifully beare vs most gently handle vs and not any man according to his deserts This is the time of grace wherein it is graunted to all to goe with great boldnes vnto the throne of grace as it is written Heb. 4. and Psal 34 Come vnto him and be enlightened and your faces shall not be ashamed that is he will not suffer you to pray and come in vaine neither to returne with confusion being frustrate The other word is Philanthropia loue of men Loue toward men as couetousnes may be called loue of money as Dauid 2. Sam. 1. calleth the desire of women the loue of women And the Philosophers cal certaine liuing creatures Philanthropa that is louing toward men as are horses dogges dolphins For these creatures are by nature delighted with man they desire his company do willingly serue him as though they were moued with some reason sense of humanity This name such loue the Apostle here attributeth to our God which Moses also did before him Deut. 33 where he speaketh thus of God The Lord appeared hauing in his right hand a law of fire and he loued the people The meaning therefore of the Apostle is this Our God hath in the Gospell shewed him selfe vnto vs not onely bountifull kinde gentle and sweete which can beare and will receiue all but also he so loueth vs that of his owne accord he adioyneth him self vnto vs seeketh to haue to doe with vs voluntarily sheweth and offereth his grace and bountifulnes vnto vs and most gently embraceth as many as only doe not refuse his grace and loue and desire to drawe nie vnto him What should he doe more Who can not see hereby why we count the Gospell a preaching ioyfull and full of all consolation of God in Christ For what can be spoken more louingly and sweetely to a sinnefull and afflicted conscience then these wordes O lamentable case how miserably hath Satan by the lawes of his Pope oppressed and obscured this souereigne synceritie of the word of God Now let no man restraine these two wordes bountifulnes loue toward men to the persons No respect of persons with God for God is plainly without respect of persons bountifull to all and a louer of all otherwise if we shoulde here make a difference betweene men we shoulde acknowledge that some thing is receiued through our merits and not all thinges through his mercy Where it must be well marked that God is sayd to be a louer of men not of this or that nature onely not held with loue of the person and therefore these two bountifulnes and loue toward men must be taken after a generall sort that in all thinges the chiefe praise may be attributed to his mercy that no man trust in his owne merits neither be terrified with sinnes but that all togither doe trust to his grace which he voluntarily offereth vnto vs with so great kindnes and loue toward vs. For if any respect of person might be had here it should surely be had of them which are rich in the works of righteousnes but Paul expressely reiecteth these saying Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done Howe much lesse then shall this bountifulnes and loue of our God toward men appeare because of any mans wisedome power nobilitie riches or any such thing when as no respect is had of works of righteousnes Great is the grace of God toward vs which appeareth in the Gospell yea and nothing but grace which admitteth no merit at all of ours vtterly taketh away all boasting and glorying and setteth forth the glory of God alone who freely giueth it vnto vs being vnworthy So in this text these two faith and loue are taught to receiue benefits of God and bestow them on our neighbours which the Scripture doth very often repeate so that euen the doctrine of saluation consisteth wholy in them The doctrin of our saluation consisteth in faith and loue neither can one be separated from the other For he that doth not firmely trust in the diuine grace can not but be remisse and slow to doe well to his
quietnes comfort and peace of the hart or attaine vnto the kingdom of God by any law And they which prescribe many lawes doe withdraw men from the kingdom of God to the kingdom of sinne wherein is nothing els but vnquietnes anguish affliction aduersitie and all kind of euills tormenting the conscience Like as on the contrary in the kingdom and knowledge of God there is meere ioy peace and consolation of harts How Christ reigneth in the kingdō of God Secondly In this kingdom of God the Lord Christ reigneth no otherwise then as a Maister of an Hospitall among the sicke poore and diseased For vnto this kingdome none pertaine but sinnefull and miserable men vnto whome their sinnes are forgiuen Hereupon Christ sayth in the Gospell Luke 6 VVo be to you that are riche which haue receiued your consolation But contrariwise the poore miserable and succourles receiue comfort and ioy by the Gospel for Christ came to call sinners onely and not the righteous that all glory may be referred to God alone Christ putteth away sinne after two sortes for that he forgiueth sinnes of his grace and meere mercy Such abolishing or putting away of sinne wherein Christ reigneth as King of the kingdome of God is done of him after two sortes first thus in that he remitteth pardoneth and couereth sinnes so that God will not regard remember or reuenge them although they be in a man As it is in the 32 Psalme Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord wil not impute sinne in whose spirit there is no guile And in Esay cap. 43 God sayth I am euen I am he that for myne owne selfs sake do away thine offences and forget thy sinnes so that I vvill neuer thinke vpon them Secondely thus in that he purgeth or rather scoureth sinnes by diuers crosses and afflictions For they are two things to remit sinnes and to weaken the body of sinne that it may not reigne in vs. If a man beleeue and is baptized then all his sinnes are forgiuen him But afterwarde sinne must be scoured or abated by manifold affliction and mortification as long as he shall liue Sinne sticketh in vs as long as the mortal body remaineth but for Christes sake it is not imputed in the wrath of God but freely remitted True Christians reioyce in affliction and the force thereof diminished by his fatherly chastisement In such chastisement for their amendement true Christians haue had great comfort peace and ioye as Paule sayth Rom. 5 Then being iustified by faith vve haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ by vvhō also through faith vve haue had this accesse into this grace wherin we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Neither that onely but also vve reioyce in tribulations knovving that tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience experience hope And hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our harts by the holy Ghost vvhich is giuen vnto vs. So thou hast two thinges to be considered The first that in this kingdom of God we are iustified The seconde that by tribulation and affliction we are glorified without which we can not attaine vnto glory Thirdly good Christians are not knowen by this when any suffer manifold tribulation chastisement that the body of sinne may be weakened and they brought to amendement For herein they doe altogither differ amonge them selues one suffereth this an other that one is chastised thus an other otherwise so that euen they very Apostles did not loue and suffer alike But they are knowen in forgiuenes of sinnes or iustification by faith wherein God turneth his anger from them receiueth them vnto grace and counteth them for his deare children and imputeth no sinne to them vnto condemnation Herein are all alike euen as all liue vnder one heauen Wherefore they doe most grossely erre stumble which measure Christians by maners workes and the outwarde maner of liuing euen as the Pharisees were wont to doe and did therefore finde fault with Christ for that he did not obserue their ceremonies but was a frend of Publicanes and sinners As that Pharise sayd within him selfe Luke 7 If this man were a Prophet he would surely haue knowne who and vvhat maner of vvoman this is vvhich toucheth him for she is a sinner A similitude Heare nowe an example of those thinges which are before sayd A Phisitian which goeth about to cure the sicke doth first promise him health by the assistance and helpe of God whereby he putteth him in great hope and comfort Afterward he beginneth to purge to clense and strengthen and such like thinges which make to the recouering of health So God also when he hath remitted sinnes and receiued man into the bosom of grace doth lay on him all kind of afflictions and doth scoure him and renue him from day to day in the knowledge and loue of God vntil he become safe pure and renued which then at the last commeth to passe when this mortall body dyeth Fourthly in these two partitions of the kingdom of God two sortes of men are founde Two sortes of men abuse the kingdom of grace which abuse the same kingdome of the grace of God and the Gospell Some become sluggish and slothfull saying Well if sinnes be pardoned freely of meere grace and be washed away in baptisme there is no neede that I should adde any thinge of mine owne Other thinke contrariwise that they shal put away their sinnes by works and so trusting to their owne merits they are proud and arrogant and in respect of them selues contemne other which doe not so The first of these contemne Gods grace the other oppugne it as not sufficient and so they represent swine and dogges Now all this appeareth by the Gospell by which Christ reigneth in the kingdom of God For some abuse it vnto carnall libertie other contrariwise are perswaded that it is not sufficient to saluation but that their workes also doe helpe somewhat and by this they deny and contemne the grace of God Hereof thou mayst read more in the Epistle to the Romanes wherein these two sortes of men are plainly set forth Fiftly this kingdom of God or remission of sinnes hath no bounde or measure Matth. 18.21.22 as that place of the Gospell doth very well shew where Peter asketh the Lord Lord how oft shal my brother sinne against me and I shall forgiue him vnto seuen times Iesus sayd vnto him I say not to thee vnto seuen times but vnto seuenty times seuen times that is as often as shall be needefull After this followeth a parable We must forgiue our neighbour if we will haue God to forgiue vs. which the Lorde there putteth forth wherein he most seuerely admonisheth vs if we will not fal out of the fauour of God that we forgiue our neighbour his offences without all
nothing but dropps of blood For therefore we pray because we are vnworthy to pray and hereby surely we are made worthy to pray and fit to be heard inasmuch as we thinke that we are vnworthy How we are made worthy to be heard in prayer and doe boldly and cheerefully trust to the faithfulnes and truth of God Although thou be vnworthy yet haue regard hereunto and marke most diligently that a thousand times more consisteth in this that thou honour the truth of God and not with thy doutfulnes accuse his faithfull promise of falshood For thy owne worthines doth not further thee neither thy vnworthines hinder thee but infidelitie doth condemne thee trust and confidence maketh thee worthy preserueth thee Wherefore so behaue thy selfe all thy life long that thou doe not at any time esteeme thy selfe either worthy or fit to pray or receiue vnles thou finde thy selfe to be such a one as dareth enterprise the matter freely trusting to the true and certaine promise of thy mercifull God which will so shewe both his mercy and goodnes vnto thee that as he promised to heare thee being vnworthy and hauing not deserued it of his meere grace moued with no prayers so he will heare thee being an vnworthy asker of his onely grace to the honour of his truth and promise that so thou mayst giue thankes not to thy owne worthines but to his truth wherby he hath fulfilled his promise and to his mercy whereby he hath made and set forth his promise And this the 25 Psalme confirmeth where Dauid sayth Gracious and righteous is the Lord therefore vvill he teach sinners in the vvay He vvill guide the meeke in iudgement and teach the humble his vvay All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth vnto such as keepe his couenaunt and his testimonies Grace and mercy are in his promise faithfulnes or truth in fulfilling and hearing And in the 85 Psalme he sayth Mercy and truth are met togither righteousnes and peace haue kissed ech other that is they come togither in euery worke and gift which we obtaine of the Lord by praying In this trust and confidence thou must so behaue thy selfe We must not appoint vnto God how when or where he shall heare our prayers that thou doe not limit to the Lorde any bound or ende day or place neither appoynt any maner or measure of hearing but that thou do commit all those things to his diuine wil wisedom and omnipotencie that thou boldly and cheerefully looke to be heard and yet not desire to know how and where how soone and how long and by what meanes For his diuine wisedom shall finde a better maner and measure time and place then we can thinke euen although that should be done by miracles Euen as in the olde Testament Exod. 14 when the children of Israell trusted that God would deliuer them and yet no possible meanes were before their eyes or in all their thoughts then the red sea opened it selfe and gaue them passage drowning all their enemies at once The holy woman Iudith when she heard that the Citizens of Bethulia would after the space of fiue dayes giue vp the citie if God in the meane time did not helpe them rebuked them saying VVhat are ye that ye tempt the Lorde these are not deuises and purposes whereby we obtayne mercy of God but rather whereby we prouoke him vnto wrath and displeasure VVill ye set the mercy of the Lorde a time and appoint him a day after your will Hereupon God did helpe her after a meruelous sort that at the last she fiue Holofernes and put the enemies to flight Iudith 13 So S. Paule also sayth Ephes 3 that the power of God is such and so great that it doth farre greater and better thinges then we eyther aske or thinke Wherfore we ought to thinke our selues more vile then that we may name appoynt or prescribe the time place maner measure and other circumstances of that which we aske of God but we must leaue all thinges wholy vnto him constantly and boldly beleeuing that he will heare vs. A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING THE BIDDING OF GVESTS TO THE great supper Luke 14. Verse 16. A Certaine man made a great supper and bad many 17. And sent his seruaunt at supper time to say to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready 18. But they all with one mind began to make excuse The first sayd vnto him I haue bought a farme and I must needes goe out and see it I pray thee haue me excused 19. And an other sayd I haue bought fiue yoke of oxen and I go to proue them I pray thee haue me excused 20. And an other sayd I haue maried a wife and therefore I can not come 21. So that seruaunt returned shewed his maister these things Then was the good man of the house angry and sayd to his seruaunt Go out quickly into the streetes lanes of the city and bring in hither the poore the maymed and the halt and the blinde 22. And the seruaunt sayd Lord it is done as thou hast commaunded and yet there is roome 23. Then the maister sayd to the seruaunt Go out into the hie wayes hedges compel them to come in that mine house may be filled 24. For I saye vnto you that none of those men which were bidden shall tast of my supper AS in the whole Scripture so in this text also we must endeuour that according to our abilitie as ye haue often tymes hearde heretofore we may vnderstande the true and simple meaninge and thereupon settle our harte and conscience For he that shall encounter with Satan must not wauer and stagger this way and that way but must be certayne of his cause and instructed with manifest places of Scripture otherwise when the Deuill shall by an vncertaine place of Scripture drawe him to his forke he will tosse him this way and that way as the wynde dothe a drye leafe Wherefore out of this text we must gather a certayne meaning wherby we may persist and stand sure Howbeit it is not to be vnderstood of the reuerend Eucharistie or the bread of the Lordes table although our Papistes haue miserably wrested it as they haue done many other authorities of Scripture The summe of the text But this is the scope this is the summe of this text that the Gospell is preached and published through the whole world but few receiue and embrace it And it is therefore here called a supper for that the Gospel must be the last word which shall continue to the ende of the world Wherfore the supper here is nothing els but a very rich sumptuous feast which God hath made through Christ by the Gospell which setteth before vs great good things and rich treasures And he sent his seruaunt to byd men to this sumptuous supper That is The Apostles were altogither sent with one word into the whole
we must deale before God with our workes and by them deserue the mercy of God when as notwithstanding ye haue very often heard that faith alone doth all and both Paul and the whole Scripture do commonly say and affirme that we must beleeue in God alone and deale by onely mere faith before him The answer It is requisite here to vnderstand that good workes are onely a setting forth and commendation of faith so that if I beleeue I must be mercifull I must not iudge nor condemne my neighbour I must forgiue and giue vnto my neighbour Whereof set an example before your selues What did Abraham being commaunded to offer his sonne Gen. 22. he obeyed the commaundement and drew forth the sword to kill his sonne what ensued therevpon the Angell of the Lord stayed him saying lay not thy hand vpon the child neither do any thing vnto him for now I know that thou fearest God forasmuch as for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Howbeit this is here to be knowen and marked of vs We must receiue mercy before we shew mercy that we must first receiue before we giue before we shew mercy we must receiue mercy of God we do not lay the first stone neither doth the shepe seeke the shepeheard but the shepeheard the shepe Wherefore so bestow thy workes in euerie respect that thou looke for nothing at Gods hand because of them We obtaine all good thinges of god through his meere mercy for we obtaine euen euerie thing of God without merit or desert so God sayth Esay 65 I am found of them that seeke not for me I haue appeared to them that aske not for me And in the ende of the same chapter The time shall come sayth God that or euer they call I will aunswere them and while they are yet but thinking how to speake I will heare them For in deede before we seeke him he fyndeth vs before we aske him he heareth vs. Likewise S. Paul sayth Rom. 3 There is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes in that he forgiueth the synnes that are past through the patience of God to shew at this time his righteousnes that he might be iust and a iustifier of him which is of the faith of Iesus And in the chapter folowing he sayeth Now to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by dette but to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is couÌ„ted for righteousnes For if it be of Grace it is no more of works or els were grace no more grace as he saith afterward in the eleuenth chapter Our good workes must be signes and testimonies of our sincere faith Againe I must bestow my workes so that they maye be a certaine signe and as it were a seale grauen with letters whereby I may be assured that my faith is syncere For if I feele in my heart that my worke proceedeth from loue I am sure concerning the integritie and soundnes of my faith If I forgiue the same forgiuenes doth assure me concerning the sinceritie of my faith doth declare my faith and certifie me that God hath also pardoned my synne and doth daily more and more pardon me So it fell out with Abraham his worke made his faith knowne vnto him God in deede knew that he did beleeue but it behoued that Abraham also should know and shew forth his faith Wherefore workes folowing onely freely as fruites of faith are declarations of such a faith For what should it profit me if I had euen a strong faith but vnknowen vnto me euen as if I should haue a chest full of gold yet I being ignoraunt thereof should take no commoditie thereby But if any would shew it vnto me he should do me as great a pleasure as if he gaue it me So if I haue faith and yet be ignoraunt thereof it is no profit vnto me Wherefore it must burst forth and be shewed by the workes that ensue which are both signes and seales of the present faith 2. Pet. 1.18.19 Soe Sainct Peter meaneth when speaking of the workes of charitie and the vertues of faith he concludeth thus â—â—â—â—â—fore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling and election sure which if ye do ye shall not fall For by this meanes an entering shal be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ He sayeth not do good workes that by them ye may be called but that ye may more assure your selues of your calling Accustome your selues therefore well vnto the phrases and maner of speakinges vsed in the Scripture that ye rush not vpon them like blinde moules and confirme workes in such places as this for herein workes are reiected if we thinke that we are iustified by them but herein they are extolled and commended in that they are profitable to our neighbour and frutes and signes of faith Behold it was meete that I should make this digression least I should coÌ„firme the meaning of the Papists Now if it should be demaunded why God oftentimes setteth downe such contrarie sentences Why God wil haue sentences in the Scriptures which seeme contrarie and disagreeing one with an other as it seemeth to vs our reason I aunswere that he may exercise vs in reading and that we should not thinke that we vnderstand the whole Scripture when we scarce vnderstand one place Some sayinges do guide the spirit how we ought to behaue our selues toward God onely by faith as this Rom. 3.24 VVe are iustified freely Againe lest the body should be sluggish outwardly there are sentences also set forth vnto vs which do guide and exercise the body as these which we haue heard here rehearsed Forgiue and ye shal be forgiuen also where as Christ affirmeth that he will require workes in the last day and will say after this sort vnto the condemned Matthew 25 I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meat I thirsted ye gaue me no drinke I was astraunger and ye tooke me not in vnto you I was naked and ye clothed me not c. Which sentences whiles ignoraunt and light spirits labour to wrest and applie to workes they see not how great euell they commit But spirituall men referre them to the very body onely they them selues standing naked before God in spirit which is both iust and necessarie For there are two thinges in man the Spirit and the Flesh Hereupon there are some places which do guide onely faith in the spirit some which do direct onely workes in the body for one place can not direct both the body and the spirite togither We must so do with our substance that we be willing
to part from it to lend and to giue to our neighbour when it shal be requisite And if we see any not to haue wherewith to make restitution we must release him and forgiue the dette according to the example of Nehemias as we read in Esdras 1. Esd 5. For God hath giuen many things vnto vs who is able to giue vs moe thinges also if we beleeue And thus we heare that if we will be Christians we ought to lend giue and to be willing to part from that which we haue otherwise we shall not shew the frutes of a liuely faith Wherefore lay vp this text inwardly in your mindes that ye deale by no other thing before God but by onely faith and referre and bestow your workes to the only seruice and profit of your neighbour Thus much shall suffice to haue bin spoken concerning the former part Now what is to be sayd moreouer of this text or what doth follow we will afterward consider In the wordes following the Lord interpreteth himselfe what kinde of mercy he vnderstandeth saying after this sort Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged condemne not and ye shall not be condemned forgiue and ye shal be forgiuen Giue and it shal be giuen vnto you In this place the Lord diuideth mercy into three partes Three parts of mercy that we maye not be ignoraunt what maner of mercy that ought to be which it behoueth vs to shew to our neighbours First iudgement and condemnation is taken from vs. Then thou must forgiue thy neighbour if he hath committed any thing against thee Lastly thou must helpe the needy These thinges this word Mercie signifieth where soeuer it cōmeth in the Scriptures And all these must proceede from a syncere heart all colouring and flatterie being taken away that there be no respect had of the person For if thou desirest to will well and to wish well to them which will well to thee or to do well to them which do well to thee or to hurt them which hurt thee thou art vtterly deceiued But thou must do so as Christ saith a litle before Imitate thy heauenly father loue thine enemie do wel to him which doth euel to thee forgiue him that hurteth thee The first part of mercy not to iudge or condemne an other lend to the needy and so of the rest That therefore we may speake of the former part that we must not iudge or condemne we must marke that God hath ordained the sword of the magistrate to the punishing of publike offences so that it be prouided that it be not done against the precept and commaundemēt of God as that the innocēt be not executed for whereas the iudge dealeth vniustly he is as well an homicide as an other of which iudgement Christ saith nothing here Els where he maketh mētion thereof when as he said to him which desired that he would byd his brother diuide the inheritance with him Luk. 12.14 Who made me a iudge or a diuider ouer you For the care gouerning of outward thinges do not belong to the kingdome of Christ Of what iudgement Christ speaketh in this place But Christ speaketh here of an other iudgement namely of that whereby one reputeth and compteth an other good or euell when as notwithstanding he seeth no good or euell to be done of him Which iudgement belongeth only vnto God For it may be that thou see thy brother offend to day whom notwithstanding to morow God doth receiue thē may he both be and also seeme vnto thee to be good neither must thou remember his synnes for that Christ hath forbidden For there can not be either any loue or concord where this iudgement and condemnation is vsuall amongst men To iudge condemne an other is nothing els then to haue a beame in his owne eye which all hypocrites do without dout beare in their eyes For they that iudge themselues good are offended at their brother what soeuer others do it displeaseth them forasmuch as they will not acknowledge their owne synne But it commeth to passe that when thou seest many sinnes in others thou seest not the beame that is in thine owne eye and so fallest into the iudgemēt of God Hereof it commeth that thou which iudgest an other are made worse thē that most wicked baude or the most vnchast harlot before God who alone knoweth who is to be saued and who to be condemned Iudgers of other Such hypocrites are of that nature that it is a pleasure vnto them and they take no smal delight thereof if they reason and talke either of the adulterie or fault of an other man yea they increase a small thing or trifle in their neighbour and what soeuer others do they interpret it at the worst so that no mā is able to do that which pleaseth or liketh them And although they themselues do not such things yet they willingly here that other men do them whereas a godly man helpeth as much as he is able that these thinges may be couered and amended But it many times falleth out that they are most filthie adulterers euen according to the flesh which do so iudge and condemne others howbeit they do not iudge man onely but euen God himselfe Wherefore if thy brother be a sinner cōceale his synne and pray for him to the Lord if thou reueale his sinne and reioyce thereat surely thou art not the child of the mercifull father for if thou were thou wouldest be mercifull according as he is This is a thing most certaine that we are not able to shew so great mercy to our neighbour as God both hath doth shew to vs. But that is the practize of Satan that we do those things which are quite cōtrarie vnto mercy which is an vndouted signe that there is no mercy at all in vs. Of these iudgers of other Christ speaketh in the Gospell whē he sayth Can the blinde lead the blinde Luke 6.39 shall they not both fall into the ditch The disciple is not aboue his maister but who soeuer wil be a perfect disciple shal be as his maister And why seest thou a mote in thy brothers eye and considerest not the beame that is in thine owne eye either how canst thou say to thy brother Brother let me pul out the mote that is in thine eye when thou seest not the beame that is in thine owne eye Hypocrite cast out the beame that is in thine own eye first thē shalt thou see perfectly to pul out the mote that is in thy brothers eie As if he said thou thinkest that thy brother is blinde and in thy minde doest fynde fault with an other that is thou wilt guide an other whē notwithstāding thou thy selfe art blind Thou iudgest him a synner thy selfe an honest iust man What other thing is this thē for thy heart to be so affected that thou count thy selfe better Which is nothing els then that thou wilt lead
guide other whē thou thy selfe art blinder thē a moule so that he which foloweth thee doth fall with thee into the ditch Of such as iudge themselues to excell others thinke themselues to be followed more thē the word of God S. Paul speaketh Rom. 2 Behold saith he thou art called a Iew restest in the law gloriest in God knowest his will and triest the thinges that dissent from it in that thou art instructed by the law perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blinde a light of them which are in darknes an instructer of them which lacke discretiō a teacher of the vnlearned which hast the forme of knowledge of the truth in the law Thou therefore which teachest an other teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest A mā should not steale doest thou steale thou that sayest A man should not cōmit adulterie doest thou cōmit adulterie thou that abhorrest idols cōmittest thou sacrilege thou that gloriest in the law through breaking the law dishonourest thou God Whereupō he also sayth in the beginning of the same chapter to hypocrites Therefore thou art inexcusable O man who soeuer thou art that cōdemnest for in that that thou condemnest an other thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that condemnest doest the same thinges But we know that the iudgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things And thinkest thou this O thou man that cōdemnest thē which do such things doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgement of God Loe this is to speake the truth to hypocrites who go about to shew the way to other which they themselues know not leading so other mē into the ditch with thē Therfore the Lord saith The disciple is not aboue his maister but who soeuer wil be a perfect disciple shal be as his maister This is a common prouerbe I can learne no more of my maister then he knoweth himselfe Wherefore doth the Lord speake this prouerbe because of two sortes of maisters the one is blynde whom if I shall follow I also my selfe shall become blynde he himselfe falleth into the ditch and I follow The other maister is the mercifull father of whom we must learne mercy whom if we follow we also do become mercifull like as he is if we were mercifull daily we should also become perfect as he is perfect but that commeth not to passe as long as we are in this life The second part of mercy is The second part of mercy to forgiue that we forgiue them which haue endamaged vs or hurt vs by any meanes A Christian can neuer be so hurt but he ought to forgiue not onely seuen times but seuenty times seuen times as the Lord sayd vnto Peter Matth. 18. Wherefore God forgiueth a Christian his synne or infirmitie that he also may forgiue other their infirmitie which Christ setteth forth els where in a most goodly parable which he cōcludeth in these wordes Matth. 18.35 So likewise shall mine heauenly Father do vnto you except ye forgiue from your hearts ech one to his brother their trespasses And so we praye daily in the Lords prayer with an addition saying forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Is this a hard matter if I a wretched synner do forgiue my neighbour his trespasses and his infirmitie whereas the Lord will forgiue me my synnes and my infirmities If one had killed my father what were this being compared to my synne wherewith I haue offended God and prouoked him to anger The third part of mercy is The third part of mercy to giue to the poore needy that we giue to them that be in miserie and neede and that we helpe them Whereof Iohn speaketh thus 1. Iohn 3 VVhosoeuer hath this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him For where the loue of God is it is moued to shew it selfe euē in outward works Hereunto also pertaineth the saying of Christ Matth. 5 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Wherefore the Lord addeth a promise in the Gospell saying Giue and it shal be giuen vnto you a good measure pressed downe shaken togither running ouer shall men giue into your bosome And continuing on his speech he sayth For with what measure ye meat with the same shall men meat to you againe Thus much shall suffice concerning the partes of mercy which we ought to shew to our neighbours Matth. 7.12 Vnto which the speciall wordes of Christ ought to exhort vs who when in the Gospell of Matthew he had spoken much of a Christian life and of loue to be shewed to our brethren thus concludeth saying VVhat soeuer ye would that men should do to you euen so do ye to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Now euerie one is so affected that being cast downe and in distres he would wish all the world to helpe him If I be a miserable sinner drowned in sinnes bearing a burdened and troubled conscience I would that the whole world should comfort me should helpe and succour me should couer my sinne and shame So I also ought to behaue my selfe toward my neighbour not to iudge him not to condemne him but to forgiue him his offences to helpe him to prouide for him to lend vnto him giue him euen as I would wish to be done vnto my selfe if I were driuen into distres necessitie exile or pouerty And herein truly Christians are knowne if they loue one an other if one do such workes of mercy vnto an other as Christ sayd vnto his disciples at his last Supper I giue you a new commaundement that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you By this shal all men know that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other Thus ye haue the meaning of this text it remaineth that we call vpon God for grace A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE SVMME OF CHRISTIAN LIFE 1. Tim. 1. Verse 5. THE ende of the commaundement is loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith vnfeined 6. From the which thinges some haue erred and haue turned vnto vaine iangling 7. They would be doctours of the Lawe and yet vnderstand not what they speake neither whereof they affirme IT is well knowne vnto you dearely beloued brethren Gods worde must be heard and learned with how great seueritie God hath commaunded his worde to be heard and learned For he most highly esteemeth it and hath bestowed much labour in defending it and publishing it to the world He hath suffred all the Prophets to come into perils and daungers at the last also he sent his owne sonne because of his worde whom he suffered to die euen the death of the crosse And what persecutions haue not the Apostles themselues abode for the wordes sake what afflictions haue
synnes Againe He that shall beleeue and be baptized shal be saued And Ioh. 3. he saith God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Therefore God hath set forth the mercy seat vnto vs whereunto he leadeth vs from the iudgement seat Let vs leaue other before the iudgemeÌ„t seat namely those proud holy ones contemners and persecuters of the word of God where they shall heare sentence according to their deedes We will suffer these to abyde in their circle vntill they haue humbled themselues but we will not abyde in this circle but will depart from it as farre as we shal be able into the circle of the mercy feat vnto which we do appeale Neither haue we inuented this of our owne braine but it is the word of God himselfe which threatneth horrible iudgement to them which come with their owne holines and trusting thereunto do hope that they shal be able to stand before God the iudge neglecting the mercy seat of Christ For the sentence standeth that they shal be set before the iudgement seat as Christ sayth Ioh. 3 He that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he hath not beleeued in the name of that onely begotten Sonne of God He that beleeueth in him is not condemned that is shall not come to the iudgement seat but to the mercy seat where there is no wrath or rigour but grace forgiuenes of synnes all thinges being remitted which be not pure yea being blotted out and so consumed as a droppe of water is consumed of the heat of the sunne For where the mercy seat reigneth there is nothing els but meere forgeuenes and remission of synnes This therefore being knowne we must exactly vnderstaÌ„d the difference betweene the Lawe and the Gospel whereof we often teach The office of the Lawe The lawe draweth vs to the iudgement seat requiring of vs integritie of life loue out of a pure heart a good conscience it maketh vs also to exercise our selues therein and must goe no further But when it shall come and accuse thee and will reason with thee and haue those things to be performed which it requireth then shalt thou be greatly troubled For albeit thou hast done them yet art thou not able to staÌ„d before God before whose iudgement seat many thinges are yet found wanting in thee which should haue bin done of thee and thou hast left them vndone neither are they knowne vnto thy selfe The Law wil driue vs vnto desperation vnlâ—â—s we can appeale froÌ„ the iudgement seate to the mercy seate Whither then wilt thou turne thee Here the Lawe vrgeth thee by all meanes and thine owne conscience being witnes accuseth thee requiring the sentence of the iudge against thee Then must thou despeire there is no counsell or helpe to be had except thou knowest to flie from the iudgemeÌ„t seat to the mercy seat as for example Admit some Bishop die in his owne holines who while he liued was as it seemed of a good life and acknowledged Christ no otherwise then a cruell iudge as it hath bin hitherto preached of him neither hath he bin otherwise set forth as he is also wont to be vnto such not of his owne nature for in deede he is most gracious and comfortable but because they esteeme him for no other in their heart behold this man is a hinderaunce vnto himselfe that he can not obtaine any grace For he knoweth no difference of the iudgement seat and the mercy seat yea he is altogether ignoraunt whether there be a mercy seat from which he so erreth and must be bound to the iudgement seate But we teach thus How Christ must be learned and considered of that Christ is so to be learned and considered that we be most certainly perswaded that he sitteth before miserable and trembling consciences that beleeue in him not as an angrie iudge which commaundeth forthwith to carie violently them that be giltie vnto punishment but as a gentle louing and comfortable Mediatour betweene my fearefull conscience and God which sayth vnto me If thou be a sinner and astonied and the deuell laboureth to drawe thee to the iudgement seat then see that thou flie vnto me and feare no wrath or anger Wherefore Euen because I sit here that if thou beleeue in me I may make intercession for thee to my father that no anger and seueritie may hurt thee for all anger and punishment shal be sooner layde vpon me then be borne of thee Howbeit that can not be for he is the onely beloued sonne in whom all grace and fauour dwelleth whom as often as the father doth behold he can not but replenish both heauen and earth with grace and fauour and forget all wrath and displeasure And what soeuer he shall aske of his father that he shall forthwith obtaine with out all repulse or deniall So by faith we are made wholy blessed and safe subiect no more to any damnation yet not for our owne holines and purenes but for Christes sake to whom we cleaue by faith as to our mercy seate being assuredly perswaded that with him there remaineth no anger but meere loue and pardon and forgiuenes of synnes Thus the heart is purified before God and the conscience made good and quiet not in respect had of mine owne purenes of life led before the world but by trust and confidence of that excellent treasure which my heart apprehendeth which is vnto me in steede of a pledge and fulnes when as before God I am not able to paye We must especially take heede that our faith be not false or feyned But herein the whole force of the matter consisteth that we do againe and againe take heede that our faith be not false or as Paul speaketh fained For if this erre and deceiue vs all things deceiue vs. For there haue bin many in all ages as there be also at this day which can speake many thinges of faith and wil be maisters not onely of the law but euen of the Gospell also Who say the same that we do that faith performeth doth all things but that the Law and good workes are also to be ioyned vnto it and that otherwise if these be not added faith auaileth nothing In which words they mixe mingle togither our life workes and Christ But this is not purely and syncerely to haue taught faith but to haue coloured defiled and corrupted faith so that it can no more be called faith but a feined colour counterfecting of faith the trust and confidence of the heart standing not purely toward Christ as the onely mercy seate but being grounded vpon our one holines as being able to stand before the iudgemeÌ„t seat Wherefore doing thus we are most rightly cast of before God and condemned vnto destruction whereof we are most worthie For if faith must be pure and voyd of all counterfecting and faining
able to number And so the present wordes of the Apostle doe shewe neither needeth it any further declaration that by these six workes all thinges are to be vnderstood whereby they that are voyd of fayth and are yet in darkenes doe liue vnpurely as concerning themselues and vniustly toward their neighbours whose whole life is disordered and out course both toward themselues and toward other For there is no man that knoweth not what it is to be gluttonous and dronken that is either to eate or drinke aboue a measure necessarie for the body it is as well knowne what it is to sleepe in chambers and to be wanton that is to follow the pleasure of the body both with sleeping aboue measure and with other lewd and vnchast gestures and workes which are wont to be committed in chambers of full fedde well tipled idle and slouthfull bellies as well in the daye as in the night as well when they are alone as in the resort and companie of others All which thinges do require euen naturall darkenes and secret places and are signified of Paule by chambering and wantonnes But put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ In these wordes as it were in a summe he sheweth all the armour of light when as he exhorteth vs to put on Christ Christ is put on two maner of wayes Now Christ is put on of vs after two sortes first when we are clothed with his righteousnes which is done by fayth wherewith he that is endued beleeueth that Christ for him died and fulfilled all thinges For not ours but Christes righteousnes hath reconciled vs to the Father and deliuered vs from synnes And so to put on Christ pertaineth to the doctrine of faith which teacheth that Christ was giuen vnto vs and is vnto vs in stede of a pledge Whereof Paule speaketh Galat. 3 All ye that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ The other maner of putting on Christ is when we wey and consider that he is giuen vnto vs also in steede of an example that we should shewe our selues seruiceable toward our neighbours being endued with the same vertues with which we by fayth acknowledge that he being adorned did serue vs that so we may resemble him in all points and of this maner of putting on Christ Paule speaketh here The same also he willeth vs to doe 1. Corinth 15. when he saith As we haue borne the image of the earthly so let vs now beare the image of the heauenly And Ephes 4 Cast ye of concerning the conuersation in time past that olde man which is corrupt through the deceiuable lustes and be renewed in the spirit of your mynde and put on the new man which after God is created vnto righteousnes and true holines Now in Christ we see nothing but the armour of light no gluttonie no drunkennes but fasting temperancie keeping vnder of the flesh by diuers labours traueling preaching praying and doing well to all men in him was no place for slouthfulnes or superfluous sleepe much lesse for wantonnes but a meruelous chastitie and puritie he accustomed himselfe to watche to rise early to lye on the ground in the field hauing neither house neither chamber nor bedde in him was noe wrath contention or brauling but altogether goodnes sweetnes meekenes charitie mercy patience c. Wherefore where as Paule sayth here briefly Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ it is as much as that we should set him before vs as an example to follow Colos 3.12 He teacheth the Colossians the same thing in somewhat more wordes after this sort Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on the bowells of mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meekenes long suffering forbearing one an other forgiuing one an other if any man haue a quarrell to an other euen as Christ forgaue euen so doe ye And aboue all these thinges put on loue which is the bond of perfectnes and let the peace of God rule in your harts to the which ye are called in one body and be ye thankefull And Philip. 2 after that he had exhorted them to loue one an other and that euery man shoulde esteeme other better then him selfe and seeke to pleasure do for other he also setteth Christ before them as an example who shewed him selfe to vs our seruaunt sayth Let the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God But he made him selfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruaunt and was made like vnto men was found in shape as a man The summe therefore is this The armour of light the armour or weapons of light are good workes contrary to those workes of darkenes gluttonie drunkennes chambering wantonnes contention and enuying such workes are to fast to watch to pray to labour to suffer hunger thirst colde heat to be chast to vse modestie temperancie goodnes and that I doe not thrust in too many of myne owne wordes let vs heare Paule him selfe rehearsing them in order Gal. 5 The frute of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperancie But he rehearseth them farre more at large 2. Cor. 6 saying VVe beseech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine for he sayth I haue heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee behold nowe the accepted time behold now the day of saluation as if he sayd Our saluation is now nearer vnto vs then when we beleeued to wit that it would come to passe that these dayes of saluation in which the Gospell is preached abroad to the whole worlde shoulde appeare It is time therefore to arise out of sleepe Let vs giue no occasion of offence in any thinge that our ministerie be not reprehended But in all thinges let vs approue our selues as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumults in labours by watchings by fastings by puritie by knowledge by long suffering by kindnes by the holy Ghost by loue vnfeyned By the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left By honour and dishonour by euill report and good report as deceiuers and yet true as vnknowne and yet knowne as dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alway reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all thinges See what a plentifull and very golden streame floweth out of the mouth of Paule Hereof I think we most plainely perceiue what is the armour of light wherewith we must be fenced and fortified both on the right hand and on the left A most excellent and perfect example for all Christians to follow Now this most fitly agreeth with the matter whereas
to Abel being thy selfe acceptable shalt offer acceptable giftes to the Lord. This faith as it is preached vnto thee for no merit of thine owne so is it giuen vnto thee for no deseruing of thine but of meere grace And this faith iustifieth thee thou being endued herewith the Lord remitteth all thy synnes and that by the contemplation of Christ his sonne in whom this faith beleeueth and trusteth Moreouer he giueth vnto such a faith his spirit which doth throughly chaunge a man and make him new so that now he hath other reason and an other will then before namely that which is ready vnto good Such a one worketh nothing but good workes neither can it be but good which he being good before shall do whereof I haue spoken somewhat before Wherefore nothing els is required vnto iustificatiō What is required to iustification then to heare Iesus Christ our Sauiour and to beleeue in him howbeit neither of these is the worke of nature but both of onely grace He therefore that goeth about to attaine hereunto by workes shutteth the way to the Gospell to faith grace Christ God and all thinges that helpe vnto saluation Againe vnto good workes there is neede onely of iustification which he that hath attained doth worke onely good workes and beside such a one none Hereof it sufficiētly appeareth that the beginning the thinges following and the order of mans saluation are after this sort First of all is required that thou heare the word of God next that thou beleeue then that thou do worke so at the last become saued and happie He which chaungeth this order without doute is not of God Paul also describeth this order Rom. 10 saying VVhosoeuer shall call vpon the Name of the Lord shal be saued But how shal they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher and how shal they preach except they be sent Therefore Christ teacheth vs to pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest that is syncere preachers Whē we heare these preach the true word of God we may beleeue which faith iustifieth a man and maketh him godly in deede that he now calleth vpon God in the spirit of the sonnes and worketh nothing but that which is good and thus becōmeth a man saued Which is no other thing then if I say He that beleeueth shal be saued Againe he that worketh without faith is condemned as Christ saith He that doth not beleeue shal be condemned from which no workes shall deliuer him Confer now herewith those things which are wont commonly to be spoken of honestie and righteousnes Are they not wont thus to say I will endeuour that I may yet become honest It is meete surely that we study to lead an honest life and to do good workes Well admit this to be so But if one thē aske them how we may applie our selues vnto honestie and by what meanes we may attaine vnto it they aunswere that we must fast praie frequent temples auoide synnes c. Hypocriticall counterfet holines Hereupon one becommeth a Charterhouse Monke an other choseth some other order of monkes an other is consecrated a Priest some tormēt their flesh by wearing heare cloth other scourge their bodies with whipps other afflict themselues after other sorts But these are euen of Cains broode their workes are no whit better then the workes of Cain For the man himselfe continueth the same that he was before vngodly and without all iustification there is a certaine chaunge made only of outward workes of apparell of places c. Neither are these any other thē very apes of saincts for they do preposterously imitate the maners workes of saincts when as they themselues are nothing lesse thē saincts They scarce thinke of faith they presume onely of such workes as seeme good vnto thēselues thinking by thē to come vnto heauen Of whom Christ said Enter in at the straight gate for I say vnto you many seeke to enter in at it can not Why is this because they know not what this narrow gate is For it is faith which doth altogither annihilate or make a man nothing in his owne eyes requireth that he put no trust in any of his owne works but that he leane only to the grace of God be prepared for it to leaue suffer all things But those holy ones of Cains broode thinke their good workes to be the narrow gate are not therefore extenuated or made lesse whereby they might enter they do not leaue confidence in their workes but gathering them togither in great coules they hang them about them and so go about to enter in being burdened and as it were swollen bigge which is as possible for them as for a camell with his bounched backe to go through the eye of a needle Whē thou shalt begin to preach vnto these of faith they laugh and hisse at thee Doest thou count vs say they for Turkes and Heathen whom it behoueth now first to learne faith Is there such a companie of Priests Monkes and Nunnes is not faith knowne Who knoweth not what he ought to beleeue euen manifest synners know that And being after this sort animated and stirred vp they thinke that they be aboūdantly endued with faith and that the rest is now to be finished made perfect by workes Whereupon they make too small sclender account of faith as I haue said because they are ignorant both what faith is that it alone doth iustifie They call it faith when they beleeue those things which they haue heard of Christ which kynde of faith the Deuels also haue yet are nothing therefore iustified but this deserueth to be called rather an opinion of men then fayth For as we do oftentimes admonish it is not sufficient that thou maiest worthely be called a Christian to beleeue those things to be true which are preached of Christ which kinde of faith they of Cains broode also haue A true faith but thou must also nothing doute that thou art of the number of them vnto whom all those benefits of Christ are giuen exhibited Which he that beleeueth must plainly confes that he is holy godly righteous the sonne of God and certaine of saluation that by no merit of his owne but by the only mercy of God poured forth vpon him for Christes sake Which he beleeeueth to be so rich and plentifull as it is in deede that although he be as it were drowned in synnes he is notwithstāding thereby made holy the sonne of God Whereof if he should any thing dout he should procure exceeding ignominie reproch to baptisme which he hath receiued to the Lords supper also reproue the word grace of God of falshood Wherefore take heede that thou nothing dout that thou
pure and sincere word of God whereby the grace of God is preached and offered and notwithstanding to embrace it with no diligence neither to be chaunged or altered in life By this vnthankfull slothfulnes we deserue to haue it taken away againe as being vnworthy of it For we making so light of the Gospell are vndoutedly they which are bidden and called to the mariage but whiles being busied about other matters we despise this grace the good man of the house is angrie with vs sweareth that we shall neuer tast of his supper The same doth Paule now here admonish of that we take heede to our selues least that we receiue the Gospell vnthankfully without frute Yea Christ also admonished vs of the same VValke while ye haue the light Ioh. 12.35 least the darkenes come vpon you It ought surely to make vs more warie and heedefull euen for that we suffered so grieuous and pernitious darkenes vnder the Pope But we haue now forgotten all such thinges no thankfulnes no amendement is found among vs which how greatly to our owne hurt we neglect we shall shortly feele For he sayth I haue heard thee in a tyme accepted and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee beholde nowe the accepted tyme. He describeth here the merueilous felicitie which is there where the Gospell flourisheth there is no wrath no reuengement all thinges are replenished with grace and saluation yea it is vnspeakeable howe great felicitie these wordes doe speake of Whereas he first sayth a tyme accepted A time accepted it is spoken by an Hebrewe figure and is as much as if thou say a gratious tyme and replenished with the fauour of God wherein God turneth away his anger and declareth nothing but loue toward vs and a ready will to helpe vs. Our sinnes are blotted out not onely those that be past but those also which as yet sticke in our flesh and that I may speake in a word the kingdom of mercie is present wherein nothing but forgiuenes of sinnes and restoring of grace is shewed heauen standeth open the right yeare of Iubile is come wherein all dettes are remitted and no grace is denied Whereupon he sayth In a time accepted haue I heard thee that is now I fauour thee am mercifull vnto thee whatsoeuer thou wilt haue pray for it and thou shalt obtayne it and certainly receiue it Onely let not the fault be in thy selfe pray while this time endureth The day of saluation Beholde nowe the day of saluation He calleth this the time and day of saluation that is of helpe and felicitie For we are not onely certayne hereof that God is mercifull and fauourable vnto vs and we acceptable vnto him but also as we beleeue and by faith are sure of his goodnes toward vs so he declareth in deede heareth them that crie vnto him helpeth and saueth them yea and maketh them plainly blessed We therefore worthely acknowledge and confesse this tyme to be the wished prosperous happie and very day of saluation For it behoueth that both be togither both that God fauour vs and also that he declare his fauour towards vs by worke or deede That he fauoureth vs the accepted tyme which is nowe present doth witnes that he doth also helpe vs and finish our saluation this other witnesseth to wit the day of saluation the day of helpe But as the state of the life of Christians is if thou wilt iudge according to the outward man thou wilt iudge it rather a tyme of affliction wrath and indignation wherein the Gospell is preached and wherein they liue then a time of grace and saluation Wherefore the wordes of the spirit must be spiritually vnderstood so shall we easily see perceiue that these noble and most pleasaunt names doe most rightly and properly belong to the tyme wherein the Gospell flourisheth that it is a tyme accepted that is full of grace and a time of saluation whereby surely all the riches and felicitie of Christes kingdom are notably commended and set forth vnto vs. Let vs giue no occasion of offence in any thinge Forasmuch therefore as there is so acceptable and gratious a tyme let vs sayth he vse it worthely and not receiue it in vayne First endeuouring to giue no occasion of offence to any man least that our office of preachinge Christ be reprehended No offence must be giuen whereby the Gospell may be reprehended Double occasion of offence may be giuen whereby the Gospel is reprehended whereby he sufficiently declareth what offence he meaneth namely that the doctrine of the Gospell may not be stumbled at as though he taught that which is not perfect and sound Nowe there may be giuen a double occasion of offence whereby the Gospell is reprehended one wherby the Heathen are offended when as some vnder a pretence of the Gospel seeke the libertie of the flesh wil not be obedient to magistrates turning the libertie of the spirit into fleshly licētiousnes These do meruelously offend the discreeter wiser sort of the Heathen and make that they hate the Gospell without a cause which they thinke doth teach this licentiousnes and so as it were with a certaine force they do by this their insolencie repell and driue them from the faith of Christ for they measuring all Christians by these do detest them as light men and troublers of the common wealth and therefore not to be suffered This offence therefore and this reprehension or rather hatred and persecution of the Gospel we acknowledge to come through these preposterous Christians An other offence is whereby euē Christians amōg themselues are sometime offended through the vnseasonable vse of Christian libertie in meates and other indifferent thinges whereat the weaker sort in faith do sometime stumble Whereof the Apostle hath giuen many preceptes 1. Cor. 8. Rom. 14. He exhorteth therefore here vnto that whereof he admonisheth in other wordes 1. Cor. 10 So behaue your selues that ye giue none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God euen as I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they might be saued The same he teacheth also Philip. 2. that euerie man looke not on his owne things but on the things of other men for so all offence should be easily taken away nay none at all should be giuen That our ministerie be not reprehended Though we cā not bring to passe that the word of God be not at all reprehended yet must we endeuour that it be not reprehended through our fault Who can bring to passe that our ministerie shall not be reprehended seeing that the Gospell is necessarily subiect to persecution no lesse then Christ himselfe In deede it is not in vs to make that the worde of God be not reprehended and persecuted of them which are ignoraunt of God and do not beleeue for it is a rocke of offence Esai 8. Rom.
Noe Abraham yea and of all the faithfull Fathers they would profit me nothing The Priest and Leuite saw that miserable man lie wounded but they could not helpe him any thinge they saw him lie halfe dead but what was that to the purpose they could not giue him any remedy The holy Fathers sawe men drowned and plunged in synnes euen vp to the eares they also felt the sting and anguish of synne but what could they doe hereunto they could make the case worse and not better And those were the preachers of the Lawe which shew what the world is namely that it is full of synne and lieth halfe dead and can not euen any whit helpe it selfe with his strength reason and free will But Christ is that true Samaritane Christ the true Samaritane which helpeth the wounded man Oyle who is touched with as great care of that miserable man as of himselfe Neither doth the Samaritane call him vnto him for he hath no merit but enioyeth the meere grace and mercy of Christ who byndeth vp his woundes and hauing great care of him poureth in oyle and wine that is the whole Gospell He poureth in oyle when grace is preached when it is sayd beholde O miserable man this is thy incredulitie this is thy condemnation thus art thou wounded and sicke but abyde I will shew thee a remedy for all this Behold ioyne thy selfe to this Samaritane Christ the Sauiour he will best helpe and succour thee and beside him nothing The nature of oyle as he know is to make soft and mollifie so the sweete and gentle preaching of the Gospell maketh my heart soft and tender toward God and my neighbour so that I dare bestow my body and life for Christ and his Gospell if God and neede so require Wine Sharpe wine signifieth rhe holy crosse or affliction which forwith followeth Neither is there any cause that a Christian should looke farre about and seeke the crosse for it sooner hangeth ouer his head then he is aware of as Paul witnesseth 2. Tim. 3 All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecutiō This is the cognisance and badge of this king He that is ashamed of this cognisance pertaineth not vnto him Moreouer that Samaritane putteth this wounded man vpon his owne beast this is our Lord Iesus Christ who beareth vs we ly vpon his shoulders vpō his necke body There is scarce a more amiable comfortable historie in the whole Gospell then where Christ compareth himselfe to a shepeheard which carieth againe the lost sheepe vpon his shoulders vnto the flocke The Inne whereunto the wounded mā is brought the host to whom he is committed The Inne is the state of Christianitie in this world wherein we must abide for a litle time The host is the ministers preachers of the worde of God and of the Gospell whose charge is to haue care of vs. This therefore is the summe The kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of mercy and grace where is nothing els but alwayes to be borne and to beare Christ beareth our defects and infirmitie he taketh our synnes vpon himselfe and beareth our fall willingly we daily lie vpon his necke neither is he wearied with that bearing of vs. It is the dutie of the preachers of this kingdome to comfort consciences to handle them gently to feede them with the Gospell to beare the weake to heale the sicke Moreouer they ought fitly to applie the worde according to the neede of euerie one This is in deede is the dutie of a true Bishop and preacher not to proceede by violence and iniurie as it is the custome of our bishops at this daye which vex torment and crie out goe to goe to he that will not willingly shal be compelled to doe it against his will We must in no wise doe so But a Bishop or preacher ought to behaue himselfe as a healer of the sicke who dealeth verie tenderly with them vttereth verie louing words vnto them talketh very gently with them and bestoweth all his endeuour about them The same must a Bishop or minister of any particular parish do and thinke no otherwise but that his bishoprike or parish is as an hospitall wherein are such as are combred with diuerse and sundrie kyndes of diseases If Christ be thus preached then faith and loue come togither which fulfill the commaundemēt of loue Now forasmuch as the knowledge of the Lawe and the Gospel and of the difference betweene them is verie necessarie I will intreat of them somwhat more at large Of the Lawe and the Gospell I haue verie oftē admonished your brotherly charitie The wlole Scripture diuided into the Lawe the Gospell that the whole Scripture deuideth it selfe into two parts into the Lawe and the Gospel The Law is that which teacheth what we must do what the will of God requireth of vs. The Gospell teacheth where that is to be receiued which the Lawe cōmaundeth Euen as if I seeke to take phisicke it is one art to tell what the disease is an other to minister that which is good and wholesom to remedie it So standeth the case here The Lawe reuealeth the disease the Gospell ministreth the medecine Which is manifest euē by the text whereof we haue already intreated The Lawyer commeth and being verie desirous of eternall life asketh what he must do The Lawe declareth it vnto him saying The office of the Lawe Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy minde and thy neighbour as thy selfe He that readeth these workes after a bare and sclender sort onely as this Lawyer did vnderstandeth them not We must pearce into the Lawe and euerie one behold his face and heart therein God must be loued of me from the bottom of my heart Againe I must loue him with all my soule that is from the depth of my soule so that I throughly feele in my selfe that I loue him For to loue with the soule signifieth in the Scripture such loue as a yong man beareth toward a mayd which he feeleth throughly in his minde Moreouer with all my strength that is with all my members Also with all my mynde that is all my senses cogitations thoughts must be directed vnto God Now I finde in my selfe that I do none of these For if I must loue God with all my heart soule strength and minde it is requisite that myne eyes shew no angrie twinckling or motiō that my toūg speak no angrie word that my feete handes eares c. shew no signe of wrath that my whole body euen from the crowne of the head to the soles of the feete all things belonging thereunto do walke in charitie be as it were rauished with loue and pleasure toward God alwaies serue worship him Wherfore who is he which by the pleasure loue of vertue is chast righteous there cā not
hast grace restored Howbeit he requireth this of thee that thou also forgiue thy neighbour all things which he hath cōmitted against thee otherwise thou shalt not be in this kingdō of grace neither shalt becōe partaker of that which the Gospell preacheth that thy sinnes may be forgiuen thee This briefly is the summe meaning of this text Moreouer we must not here omit to declare who they be that receiue the Gospell and vnto whom it is acceptable For surely that kingdom and gouernment wherin God reigneth and ruleth by the Gospell is most excellent and gentle forasmuch as in it meere forgiuenes of sinnes is preached howebeit it pearseth not into the hart of euery one neither is it considered or esteemed of all For thou mayst finde many light and vnconstant men Abuse of the Gospell who abuse the Gospel and leade their life dissolutely and loosely doing what they list who thinke that they should be rebuked of none seeing that the Gospel teacheth nothing but forgiuenes of sinnes The Gospell is not preached to these who do so vilely esteeme of a precious treasure and deale lightly with it Wherefore neither doe they pertaine to this kingdom but to worldly gouernment that they may be stopped let from doing whatsoeuer they like and list To whom the Gospel is preached To whom then is it preached to them which throughly feele such miserie as this seruaunt did here Wherefore consider what happeneth vnto him The Lord taketh pitie of his miserie forgiueth him more then he durst desire But before this is done the text sayth the Lord first tooke account of his seruaunts and when he began to recken one was brought vnto him which owed him ten thousand talents and because he had nothing to pay his Lord commaunded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that he had and the dette to be payed Which truely were no pleasant wordes but euen exceeding seueritie and most terrible iudgement then is he brought into so great perplexitie and distresse that he falleth downe on the ground and asketh mercie and promiseth more then he hath or is able to pay saying Lord refraine thyne anger toward me and I will pay thee all Here is set forth vnto vs who they be vnto whom the Gospell is acceptable For so commeth it to passe betwene God and vs. When God will take an account of vs he sendeth forth the preaching of his law The preaching of the law whereby we learne to know what we ought to doe as when God sayth to the conscience Thou shalt worship no other God but shalt acknowledge me alone for God shalt loue me with all thine hart and repose thy trust and hope in me onely This is the booke of accounts wherein is written what we owe which he taking into his hands readeth before vs and sayth Lo this thou oughtest to haue done thou oughtest to feare loue and worship me alone thou oughtest to trust in me alone and from me to promise to thy selfe all good thinges Howbeit thou doost otherwise thou art mine aduersarie thou beleeuest not in me but reposest thy trust in other things and in a summe thou feest here that thou doost not obserue so much as the least point of the lawe When the conscience hath heard these thinges and the law hath touched one well he seeth then what he ought to doe and what he hath not done and findeth that he hath not kept so much as a letter of the law and is compelled to confesse that he hath not performed that obedience and dutie which God iustly requireth of him What doth the Lord now When the conscience is thus touched and feeleth it selfe condemned and is distressed with exceeding great miserie he sayth Sell him and whatsoeuer he hath and let him pay the det This is the iudgement which forthwith followeth when the law hath reuealed sinne and sayd This thou must doe that thou oughtest to haue done and thou hast done nothing thereof for to sinne is required punishment that man may be compelled to pay For God hath not so made his lawe that he doth not punish them that transgresse it It is not sweete pleasant but bringeth bitter and horrible paine with it it deliuereth vs to Satan it casteth vs downe to hell and leaueth vs wrapped in tentation vntill we haue payed the vtmost farthing This S. Paule hath notably well declared Rom. 4 where he sayth The law worketh nothing but wrath That is when it reuealeth vnto vs that we haue done vniustly it setteth nothing before vs but wrath indignation For when the conscienee seeth that it hath committed euill it feeleth that it hath deserued eternall death after which followeth punishment whereupon it is compelled to despeire This is that that the Lorde commaundeth this seruaunt togither with all his substance to be solde forasmuch as he is not able to pay But what doth the seruaunt say the foolish fellow thinketh yet that he shall pay the dette he falleth downe and prayeth that he wil haue patience with him This is the wound and crosse of all consciences that when sinne biteth them so that they feele in how euill case they are before God there is no rest in them but they runne hither and thither seeking about that they may be deliuered from sinnes rashly take vpon them as yet to do so great thinges as wherewith they shall pay God Superstitious meanes inuented by men to be deliuered from sinne and to purchase Gods fauour as we hitherto haue bene instructed whereupon came so many pilgrimages collegiate houses Monasteries Masses other trifles We pyned our selues with fasting we scourged our selues with whippes we were made Monkes and Nunnes therefore onely for that we went about to leade such a life and to do such and so many works as whereunto God might haue respect and thereby be pacified thinking so to appease and make quiet our consciences so we committed the same thinges that this foolish fellow did Such a hart as is touched with the lawe throughly feeleth it owne miserie and calamitie is humbled truely and in deede Whereupon it falleth downe before the Lord and craueth mercy Howbeit it is yet defiled with this vice that it striueth to helpe it selfe which thinge can not be taken away from nature When as the conscience feeleth such miserie it dareth presume to promise more then all the Angells in heauen are able to performe Then is it an easie matter to persuade it to apply it selfe to doe whatsoeuer can be required of it For it findeth it selfe alwayes in such a case that it hopeth that it is able by workes to satisfie for sinnes Consider those thinges which haue bene hitherto of longe time done in the world then shalt thou find these thinges to be so For thus was it preached Giue somewhat to the building of a Church Get to be admitted into an holy Monasterie institute Masses and thy sinnes shall be forgiuen thee
his grace and fauour We haue obtained grace not by workes but by mercy now if thou must liue thou must haue what to doe and wherewith to occupie thy selfe and it is meete that all this be referred to thy neighbour The seruaunt went out as Christ sayth and found his fellow seruaunt whome he taketh by the throte and dealeth rigorously with him and will be wholy payd of him shewing him no mercy or fauour at all I haue said elswhere that Christians must burst forth by workes by their deedes before men witnes that they haue a syncere faith God needeth no workes but faith suffizeth him howbeit he therefore requireth them to be done of thee that by them thou mayst shew thy faith both before thy selfe and also before the whole world for he knoweth thy faith verie well but thou thy selfe and men do not yet throughly see it Thou therefore must direct such workes so that they may profit thy neighbour Now whereas this seruaunt should thus haue done what doth he euen the same that we doe who seeme vnto our selues to beleeue and partly haue faith and are glad that we haue heard the Gospell whereof we can dispute and talke many thinges Busie talkers slow walkers but no man goeth about to expresse it in his life We haue brought the matter so farre that the doctrine and trifles of Satan are some what abated and layde asyde that we do now see and know what is iust and what vniust that we must haue to do with God by onely faith and by workes with our neighbour But we can not bring it to this passe that loue may beginne and doe that to an other which God hath done vnto vs as we our selues complaine that many of vs are become worse then they were before As therefore this seruaunt refused to remit his neighbour the dette and delt extremely with him so also doe we saying It is not meete that I should giue that that is myne to an other neglecting myne owne right If this man hath prouoked me to anger it is his dutie to pacifie me to labour by intreatie to put away myne anger Truly thus the world teacheth and doth for it affirmeth it to be iust and right Neither will any Prince or magistrate enforce thee to giue that which is thine to an other but wil suffer thee to do what pleaseth thee with thine owne goods The magistrate in deede restrayneth thee from doinge what thou list with the good of an other but he constraineth thee not to giue thine owne substaunce to an other for that is against the Lawe of nations which euen reason pronouncing it giueth to euerie one that which is his owne wherefore he doth not vnequally or vniustly which vseth his owne thinges at his will taketh not away wrongfully the goods of an other But what doeth the Gospell saye If God also had held his owne right and sayd I do well in that I punish offenders and take that which is myne owne who shall let me what I pray you should become of all vs We must be mercifull to our brethren as God is mercifull to vs. We should be thrust downe to Satan Wherefore whereas he hath left his right toward thee he will haue thee do the same toward other and therefore thou abrogating thyne owne right thinke thus with thy selfe If God hath forgiuen me tenne thousand talents why should not I forgiue my neighbour an hundred pence God might haue exacted his owne right neuerthelesse he dothe not soe but becommeth a fauourable Lorde vnto thee taketh pittie vpon thee and forgiueth thee why therefore shouldest not thou doe likewise to thy neighbour Wherefore if thou wilt haue to doe in his kingdome thou must doe as he doeth but if thou haddest rather remaine in the kingdome of the world thou shalt neuer enter into his kingdome Hereunto pertaineth that sentence which Christ in the last daye shall pronounce vpon the vnbeleeuers Matth. 25. I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke c. But if thou contend here against Notwithstāding ye say that God will not haue respect vnto workes neither will saue any because of them I saye he will haue them done frankely and freely not that we may merit any thing thereby but that we may doe them to the profite of our neighbours and witnes our syncere fayth by them For what hast thou that thou mayst giue him and whereby thou mayst deserue that he should pardon whatsoeuer thou hast committed against him Or what doth he get thereby nothing truely but that thou giuest vnto him praise and thanks And this is the other part of a Christian life the name whereof is loue They therefore that shew not their faith by the works of loue are such seruaunts as will haue themselues forgiuen when as they notwithstanding doe not forgiue their neighbour neither yeeld of their owne right They that will shew no mercy shall themselues finde none with whom it shall likewise fall out as it did with this seruaunt For when the other seruaunts that is the ministers and preachers of the Gospell shall see it that God hath forgiuen them all and yet they will not forgiue any they are troubled that they are compelled to see such thinges and it grieueth them verie sore that men doe so vndiscreetly apply themselues to the Gospell and not rightly receiue it What doe they then They can do no other but come to their Lord and complaine vnto him of such thinges and say Lord thus it is thou forgiuest them both the fault and the punishment yea pardonest them all thinges and yet we can not bring them so farre as to deale so with others as thou hast delt with them This is the complaint the Lord therefore will cause them to come before him in the last iudgement and will lay these thinges against them saying when thou wast afflicted with hunger thirst miserie c I did helpe thee when thou didst ly drowned in synnes I hauing mercy vpon thee did forgiue thee Hast thou done the same to thy neighbour Then he shall pronounce this sentence on him Thou wicked one I was touched with mercy toward thee yea I yeelded of myne owne right but thou wouldest not take pittie on others nor forgiue them their offence wherefore thou shalt now pay thy dette Here is no grace and mercy but most grieuous wrath and eternall condemnation then no prayers do helpe wherefore he is compelled to holde his peace and is throwne hedlong into paine vntill he pay the vttermost farthinge This is that which Sainct Peter hath spoken of them 2. Pet. 2.21 which after they haue heard the Gospell notwithstanding goe backe that it had bin better for them if they had neuer acknowledged the waye of righteousnes then after they haue acknowledged it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them Why had it bin better Because while they goe
backe it becōmeth worse with them then it was before thy heard the Gospell as Christ sayth of the vncleane spirit Matth. 12 which taketh vnto himselfe seuen other spirits worse them himselfe with which he commeth and dwelleth in that man out of whom he before had gone and so the end of that man is worse then the beginning After the same maner commeth it to passe with vs and shal hereafter also be vsuall so also hath it fallen out with Rome In the time of the Martyrs she was in her best flower but afterward she fell and abhomination was there erected that Antichrist might reigne there yea she became such a one that worse she can not be The grace of God which is reuealed and preached by the Gospel was hiddē that men might not attaine vnto it wherefore it could not be but a great and grieuous scourge and plague should follow So we also shall trie that great vengeance will come vpō vs for that we do not beleeue nor obey the Gospell which we haue and know For as often as God would send an horrible scourge and plague he hath first set vp a great light As when he would send the Iewes out of their owne countrie into captiuitie in Babylon God vseth lenity before he executeth seueritie first warneth before he harmeth he first raised vp the godly King Hosia who should again restore the law that the people might amend their life but when they did againe reuolt God punished them according to their desert So when he mynded to destroy the Egyptians he made a light to be set vp and preached vnto them by Moses and Aaron Moreouer when he would drowne all the world by the flood he sent the Patriarch Noe but when men did not amende but became worse and worse such a sore and grieuous plague did follow Likewise the fiue cities Sodome and Gomorra togither with the rest were destroyed for that they would not heare Lot who feared God Wherefore as sharpe vengeance shall light vpon them also which heare the Gospell but do not receiue it euen as the seruaunt here in the Gospell is deliuered to the tormentours till he should pay all the dette which is as much in effect as that he is compelled to suffer punishment for his fault and is neuer saued For vnto synne is required death and when he dieth he dieth alwayes neither is there any helpe or deliuerance remaining Wherefore let vs receiue these thinges for our owne admonition as for them that will not heare being hardened and indurate let them beware of the euell that hangeth ouer them This is a verie comfortable text and sweete to troubled consciences inasmuch as it containeth in it meere forgeuenes of sinnes Againe it setteth forth terrible iudgement to the vnmercifull hard hearted especially seeing that this seruaunt is not an Heathen but had heard the Gospell in that he had faith inasmuch as the Lord tooke pittie on him and forgaue him his offences without doute he was a Christian Wherefore this is not the punishment of Gentiles nor of the common sort that heare not the Gospell but of them that with their eares heare the Gospell and with their toung talke of it but will not expresse it in their life We haue therefore the summe of this text Whereas the Scholemen dispute here whether synne commeth againe which was before remitted I let it passe for they are ignorant what remission of synnes is they thinke it is a thing that cleaueth to the hart and lyeth quietly when as notwithstanding it is plainly the kingdome of Christ which endureth for euer without ceassing For as the sunne neuertheles shineth although I shut myne eyes so this mercy seat or forgiuenes of synne standeth alwayes albeit I fall And as I againe behold the sunne when I open myne eyes so I againe haue forgiuenes of synnes if I ryse againe and returne vnto Christ Wherefore let no man bring forgiuenes into such a straite as these made mē dreame of A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER TEACHING THAT WE MVST CLEAVE WHOLY to Christ and looke to obtaine all good thinges through him Matth. 9. Verse 18. WHile Iesus spake vnto the people behold there came a certaine ruler and worshipped him saying My daughter is now deceased but come and lay thine hand on her and she shall liue 19. And Iesus arose and folowed him with his disciples 20. And behold a womā which was diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeares came behinde him and touched the hemme of his garment 21. For she said in her selfe if I may touch but his garment onely I shal be whole 22. Then Iesus turned him about and seeing her did say Daughter be of good comfort thy fayth hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole in that same moment 23. Now when Iesus came into the rulers house and saw the minstrels and the multitude making noyse 24. He sayd vnto them Get you hence for the mayde is not dead but sleepeth And they laughed hin to scorne 25. And when the multitude were put forth he went in and tooke her by the hand and the mayde arose 26. And this bruit went throughout all that land DEarely beloued ye know that the Gospell is nothing els but a treatise of the onely person whose name is Christ And albeit there be extant many bookes sundrie treatises cōcerning diuers men as well of the Gentiles as Christians yea and of the mother of God S. Peter the Angels and of many other Saincts besyde yet be they not Gospels but that onely is the syncere Gospell which setteth forth Christ vnto vs and what good we must hope for frō him Sometime in the Gospell there is mention made of Iohn the Baptist Marie and the Apostles howbeit this is not properly the Gospell but therefore is it written of them that it might be more perfectly declared frō whēce Christ should come and what is his office So Luke describeth the historie of Iohn the Baptist euen from the beginning what was done both in his conception and in his natiuitie he writeth also of the virgine Marie All which thinges were committed to writing not because of their person but because of Christes person onely In the Epistles of S. Paule there is nothing committed to memorie of the Saincts but all thinges sound plainly of Christ For God hath so ordained that all men must depend on that one man Christ must hope in him All that will be saued must depend on Christ put their hope and trust in him must repose their trust in him if they desire to be saued for he alone is set forth of God to be a reconciliation for vs as Paule sayth Rom. 3. Hitherto one hath cleaued to this sainct an other to that one chose to himselfe S. Marie an other S. Barbarie and diuers sectes and sortes of religion did flourish But Christ was in no price for his name onely remained We had many intercessours all
mercie and truth alone not by our strength and industrie forasmuch as our wayes being ordered hereby are nothing but vanitie before God and do deserue his wrath According to that which the Lord sayth Esai 55 As farre as the heauen is higher then the earth so farre do my waies exceede yours As if he should say Your righteousnes is earthly and of no value wherefore ye must bid it farewell and walke in myne if ye hope for saluation But according to his mercie he saued vs. It is maruell how the credit of these wordes can stand wherein the Apostle affirmeth that we are alreadie saued although liuing yet in earth and therefore in continuall miserie But he did so speake that he might more fully expresse the power of the diuine grace and the nature of faith against hypocrites who as though saluatiō were yet farre of do in vaine endeuour to get and obtaine it by their workes We are already saued by Christ For Christ hath already saued vs he hath perfourmed all things which are required hereunto that we may be saued he hath ouercome and subdued synne death hell c. so that he hath left nothing for any man to care for he hath also giuen all these things vnto vs in Baptisme that who soeuer beleueth in Christ that he hath perfourmed them hath them togither in the same moment so that he hath neede of nothing more vnto saluation but faith alone that he may firmely beleeue that these things are so perfourmed But marke how incōparable riches of his grace God hath poured vpon vs in Baptisme who hath deliuered vs euen from those workes whereby those foolish holy ones go about to merit heauen and to be saued For we must haue heauen and be saued before we can do any good workes for that workes can not merit heauen but heauen being before giuen of meere grace causeth vs to do good workes and that for no hope of merit or reward but onely to the commoditie of our neighbours and the glorie of God vntill this bodie also be deliuered from sinne and death What the life of a Christiā is after baptisme Wherefore all the life of a Christian after Baptisme is nothing els but an expectation of saluation and felicity to be reuealed which they that beleeue in Christ do now possesse although hidden They haue all thinges nowe certainly but they are yet hid in faith which when as it is chaunged knowledge being reuealed all things as they now haue them shall appeare which shall come to passe when pleasaunt and wished death commeth 1. Ioh. 3.2 according to that saying of Iohn Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what we shall be But we know that when he shall appeare we shal be like him And euerie man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure Wherefore suffer not thy selfe to be deceiued and to be seduced from this truth by those hypocrites which contemning faith do falsely affirme that saluation is farre from thee and teach thee to endeuour in vaine to attaine vnto it by thy workes It is in thy selfe if thou beleeue that all things are perfourmed by Christ euen as he himselfe witnesseth The kingdome of God is within you Luke 17. So that all our life after Baptisme ought to be nothing els but an expectation that that should be reuealed which is already in vs and that we may comprehend as we are comprehended as Paul sayth Philip. 3. I follow if that I may comprehend that for whose sake also I am comprehended of Christ that is that I may at length see those things which are giuen me being as yet in the shut closet of faith He coueteth and burneth with desire to see the treasure which by faith he receiued both giuen and sealed in Baptisme Whereupon he addeth in the same place Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall chaunge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Herewith also agreeth that which he saith Gal. 4 Ye know God and by and by he doth as it were correct that which he had sayd Yea sayth he rather are ye knowen both which are true although not after the like sort We are now knowen of God so that he comprehendeth vs and we in deede know God but we do not yet comprehend for that our knowledge is as yet hidden and closed vp in fayth He sayth moreouer Rom. 8 We are saued by hope that is we are saued although we yet see it not for that which one seeth he hopeth not for but if we hope for those thinges which we see not we do with patience abide for them Christ confirmeth this Luke 12 Let your loines be gird about and your lights burning and ye your selues like vnto men that wait for their maister when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediatly In which words he onely biddeth them that be his to be ready to looke for him the bridegrome as which are already saued being admitted into the number of his ministers Hereunto also pertaineth that which the Apostle sayth Tit. 2 Let vs liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ In these and such like places whereof thou maist reade many here and there in the holy Scriptures he witnesseth that we are already saued and that it doth not behoue that a Christian man should first seeke to attaine to saluation by his workes This opinion and deuelish doctrine blyndeth the eyes of Christiās extinguisheth the knowledge of faith and carieth men from the waye of truth and saluation We must cleaue vnto that which the Apostle here saith He hath saued vs according to his mercie and that which he addeth in the ende of this text that we are heires according to the hope of eternall life We are now heires but that is hidden in fayth Why God will haue vs to looke for the reuelatiō of our inheritaunce a certain time but we looke with a certaine hope that hereafter it shal be reuealed And God will haue vs so to looke for the reuelation of this inheritance and to liue a certaine time after Baptisme that he may chastise our body by our ministery and declare the power of his grace in fight against the flesh the world and the deuil but especially for this cause that by vs he may helpe our neighbours and both by doctrine and also by our life which he liueth in vs may bring them to the communion of fayth And albeit he can do this by Angels yet it pleaseth him rather that it should be done by vs men that both the maner of fayth may be the better knowen and that all things may be done sweetely and louingly For if