A06521:169
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.
Sixthly, think with thy self, that whereas one thorn pricked Christ, thou oughtest worthily to be pricked with an hundred thousand thorns, & that without intermission, yea & much more grievously: and that whereas one nail pierced the hands and feet of Christ, thou oughtest to be grieved & molested with many moe and far more sharp nails continually, even as it shall come at the last unto those, in whom the passion of Christ hath not been effectual but frustrate. For Christ who is the truth it self, will lye to no man, will delude no man, and that which he attempteth must needs be a matter of exceeding great importance and wonderful high.
Sixtly, thinke with thy selfe, that whereas one thorne pricked Christ, thou oughtest worthely to be pricked with an hundred thowsand thornes, & that without intermission, yea & much more grieuously: and that whereas one nayle pearsed the hands and feete of Christ, thou oughtest to be grieued & molested with many moe and farre more sharpe nayles continually, euen as it shall come at the last vnto those, in whome the passion of Christ hath not bene effectuall but frustrat. For Christ who is the truth it selfe, will lye to no man, will delude no man, and that which he attempteth must needes be a matter of exceeding great importance and wonderfull high.
Seventhly, such fear Bernard had conceived hereof when he said: I did play abroad in the street, and in the Kings privy chamber sentence of death was given upon me. The Kings only begotten son hearing this, laid of his diadem & came forth, clothed in sackcloth, his head sprinkled with ashes, & bare foot, weeping and crying out that his servant was condemned to death. I beholding him suddenly coming forth, am amazed at the strangeness thereof, I ask and hearken after the cause. What shall I do? shall I play still and delude his tears? Alas (saith he) it is no time now to play, it is no time to be secure, when so weighty a matter is in hand. So he bad the women that they should not weep for him, but for them selves and for their children, and he adjoineth the cause: For if they do these things to a green tree, what shall be done to the dry? as if he said: learn what ye obtain by my passion, and howsoever things fall out, yet this is true and known among you, that the whelp is sometime smitten, that the bandog or mastiff may be terrified. So also the Prophet hath spoken: All kindreds of the earth shall