A06521:108
Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…
Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and preachings for the necessary instruction and edification of such, as hunger and seek after the perfect knowledge and inestimable glory which is in Christ Jesus, to the comfort and salvation of their souls. Englished by VV.G.Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and preachings for the necessary instruction and edification of such, as hunger and seeke after the perfect knowledge and inestimable glorie which is in Christ Iesu, to the comfort and saluation of their soules. Englished by VV.G.
London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier, 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.
In the time of David God made the coming of the Messiah to be more manifestly declared, that it might be certainly known of what stock he should come: namely, of the stock of David, as when God said unto David:1 When thy days be fulfilled, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy body, and will stablish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I vvill stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. And yet more plainly in the Psalm: The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David, 2and he shall not shrink from it: Of the fruit of thy body shall I set upon thy seat. Here Christ is described, that he shall be a king, and an eternal king,3 as it is mentioned of him in an other Psalm: Thy throne, O Lord endureth for ever, the sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 4Howbeit he is a spiritual king, which ruleth the world by his word: and whosoever receiveth his word, pertaineth to his kingdom. But he that is not under this sceptre, neither heareth his word, is not of God, neither pertaineth to his kingdom, but is subject to the kingdom of Satan, ⟨p. 39⟩under whose tyranny we all are, until the Lord doth deliver us from it, & defend us with his sceptre, which is then done when we believe in him. Forasmuch therefore as our salvation doth come merely by the promise of God, let every one assuredly persuade him self, that he shall never obtain salvation without this promise: although he should do the works of all Saints, yet they should profit him nothing hereunto. Contrariwise, if we lay hold on the sceptre of this king, that is, of the promise of God, we shall not perish, although the sins of the whole world should lye upon us, they shall be all swallowed up in him, albeit no good work be done of us. As we see in the thief, which hung by the Lord on the cross, who laid hold on the word of God, & believed in Christ, and therefore he obtained the promised Paradise. Here is no doubt left, let us only believe that it is so, and it is so in deed, all things which men teach, or which we have done or can do, being set aside. Here all things must give place, at the coming of this new king, that he alone may rule & reign in us.