A06521:110
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.
But let us now come to our present text, which not with words only, but also with a certain force pierceth the hart, and poureth into it love, pleasure, joy, gladness, &c. As if an Angel should now come from heaven, and say unto us miserable and condemned wretches, after this sort: Behold O man, thou hast sinned, wherefore thou hast deserved to be condemned for ever. (This being heard the hart must needs tremble.) Now although all this be true, yet nevertheless God of his grace hath mercy upon thee, & sendeth to thee a Saviour, as he promised to Abraham and his seed. Be of a good cheer, and give thanks to God. Lo, here is the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, who is the son of ⟨p. 40⟩David, the son of Abraham, so that this is not only done, but also written, that thou mayst be certain thereof: Neither will he, neither can he deceive: believe only, and thou shalt have all things. Now it is to be noted that Matthew setteth David before Abraham, although the promise was first made to Abraham, and came afterward to David, which promise made to David the Prophets did afterward publish more abroad, and did by it comfort the people. As in the 11. chapter of Isaiah, where the Prophet saith thus: There shall come a rod forth of the stock of Jesse, and a graft shall grow out of his root. Jeremiah likewise saith thus chap. 23. Behold the time cometh, saith the Lord, that I will raise up the righteous branch of David, which king shall bear rule, and he shall prosper with wisdom, and shall set up equity & righteousness again in the earth. And many other such prophecies there are to be found in the writings of the Prophets, which they foretold of David, that his kingdom should be raised up, as yt Angel also declared unto Mary, when he said:1 The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, 2& he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom shall be none end. Wherefore Matthew thought good here to set David first as the better known, & next unto him, Abraham, unto whom the promise was first made, as Mary in her song saith: He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, as he promised to our fathers, Abraham & his seed for ever. And that promise is now performed, and in this our text described, as we shall see hereafter. S.