Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

I also, saith he, have an hundred sheep, that is, that little flock of all Christiandom, of which number one is lost, and fallen from the communion of Christians. Now therefore doest thou desire to know the affection of my mind? then must thou bestow thy diligence, to paint out well and cunningly both the shepherd and the lost sheep. For that shepherd, which is but a man, and guideth the flock, which is created to be slain, hath great regard to preserve it in safety, and is not a little careful, how he may find the sheep when it is lost, and bring it home again,¹ and with no less desire the sheep longeth after the shepherd. Whom if it understand to be his own shepherd (as by nature it doth understand) it feareth him not, but runneth unto him with great confidence, and being full of good hope, goeth before him, Yea as soon as ever it heareth his voice, it answereth by bleating.² On the other side also the shepherd hath great care and desire to find again the lost sheep, which hath strayed from him. Both he himself seeketh, & sendeth forth servants to seek there, whithersoever he thinketh it is strayed, neither doth he leave seeking, until having found it, he hath brought it home. For he is not ignorant how miserable a living creature a solitary sheep is, whose life consisteth only in the help and safe keeping of the shepherd, inasmuch as it can nothing at all help it self, but being destitute of a shepherd, is constrained to perish. Moreover, it is also fearful and ready to go stray, and as soon as it hath wandered out of the way, and from the shepherd, forthwith cometh into peril of life, & can not tarry, although being brought, it cometh to an other flock, and a strange shepherd calleth it, nevertheless it goeth on through thorny and sedgy places, through waters and fens, until it come in danger ⟨p. 110⟩of the wolf, or wasted by some other mischief utterly perisheth. And although it be brought into by ways and deserts, and is now thought to be lost, notwithstanding it hath this hope, as much as nature hath put into it, that if it might hear his shepherd, it should forthwith exceedingly rejoice being delivered from all evil.

I also, sayth he, haue an hundred sheepe, that is, that litle flock of all Christiandom, of which number one is lost, and fallen from the communion of Christians. Now therefore doest thou desire to know the affection of my minde? then must thou bestow thy diligence, to paint out well and cunningly both the shepeheard and the lost sheepe. For that shepeheard, which is but a man, and guideth the flocke, which is created to be slaine, hath great regard to preserue it in safetie, and is not a litle carefull, how he may finde the sheepe when it is lost, and bring it home againe,