A06516:78
A right comfortable treatise containing fourteen points of consolation for them that labour and…A right comfortable treatise containing fourteene pointes of consolation for them that labor and…
A right comfortable treatise containing fourteen points of consolation for them that labour and are laden: Written by D. Martin Luther to Prince Frederick Duke of Saxony, he being sore sick, thereby to comfort him in the time of his great distress. Englished by W. Gace.A right comfortable treatise containing fourteene pointes of consolation for them that labor and are laden: VVritten by D. Martin Luther to Prince Friderik Duke of Saxonie, he being sore sicke, thereby to comfort him in the time of his great distresse. Englished by W. Gace.
London: printed by Thomas Vautrollier, 1578
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is a great matter that death which to others is exceeding evil, should be made to us exceeding good and commodious. And if Christ had not brought this to pass for us, what thing should he have done worthy of so great a price as he payed? It is a very divine work which he did, and therefore it should be no marvel to ⟨p. 51⟩any, that he made the evil of death exceeding good.
It is a great matter that death which to others is exceeding euill, shoulde be made to vs exceeding good and cōmodious. And if Christ had not brought this to passe for vs, what thinge should he haue done worthy of so great a price as he payed? It is a very diuine worke which he did, and therefore it should be no maruel to ⟨p. 51⟩any, that he made the euill of death exceeding good.
Wherefore death is now dead to the faithful, and hath nothing terrible but only a certain semblance and appearance. 1No otherwise then a serpent that is slain, in outward form and appearance he is cerrible as before, but in very deed it is only a seeming or appearance of evil, the evil it self is now dead and harmless. Yea as in the 21. chapter of Numb. God commanded a brazen serpent to be set up, by the sight whereof the living serpents did perish: so also our death by faithful and steadfast beholding of the death of Christ, doth perish, and only appeareth terrible, but can not hurt us in very deed. So doth the mercy of God aforehand exercise us that are weak, with these goodly figures or semblances, that forasmuch as death can not be taken away, he may at the least make the force thereof to be nothing but in outward show and appearance only, for which cause also death in the Scriptures is called sleep rather then death.
Wherefore death is nowe deade to the faithful, and hath nothing terrible but onely a certaine semblance and appearance.