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

¹For with a man that hath lost this shepherd, and heareth him not, the case standeth as with the lost sheep, which being estranged from his shepherd, strayeth more and more from him. And although it be called by the voices of others, and runneth unto them, thinking that it shall find his own shepherd, yet failing of his purpose it findeth him not, but alway runneth from corner to corner, straying up and down, and still wandereth farther out of the way. Neither it is succoured with any comfort or help, before it hear the voice of the true shepherd sounding again in his ears: even as we learn the same to be true by daily experience, and every man trieth it in his own ⟨p. 111⟩heart. For the Gospel of Christ being taken away or not exercised, here some false master, or author of some sect, in an other place some fanatical fellow thrusteth in himself, one perverteth the Supper of the Lord, the other baptism, one teacheth this, the other that, of a singular holiness of life, both which allureth to himself the miserable and straying sheep, and showeth himself so, as though he were he true shepherd. But by the means of these the sheep is entangled only with greater errors, until it wandereth quite and altogether out of the way. To these cometh the devil also with his cogitations, which he craftily putteth into the heart: Alas, if thou hadst done this or that, or hadst not done, &c. with all which he practiseth nothing else, but that he may make it fall into greater errors, that it may not know where to abide. And this truly falleth out, Christ being removed out of sight, and the article of him being extinguished. Whatsoever moreover shall be taught, counselled, & showed, by what means soever, all things nevertheless become worse and draw near unto destruction, unless the true shepherd come with his voice, and call back and bring again the straying sheep.

¹For with a man that hath lost this shepeheard, and heareth him not, the case standeth as with the lost sheepe, which being estraunged from his shepeheard, strayeth more and more from him. And although it be called by the voices of others, and runneth vnto them, thinking that it shal fynde his owne shepeheard, yet failing of his purpose it findeth him not, but alway runneth from corner to corner, straying vp and downe, and stil wandreth farther out of the way. Neither it is succoured with any comfort or helpe, before it heare the voice of the true shepeheard sounding againe in his eares: euen as we learne the same to be true by daily experience, and euerie man trieth it in his owne