A06521:299
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.
Through Jesus Christ our Saviour. This he added that he may keep us under the wings of Christ, as chickens are wont to be preserved under the wings of the hen: for thus Christ saith Matth. 23: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not? And hereby the nature of a true and right faith is taught. For it is nothing which some say: I believe in God almighty, as the Jews and many other are wont, and do therefore receive corporal benefits of God. It is a true and lively faith,1 whereby thou believest in God, howbeit by Jesus Christ. First that thou doubt not that God is become a merciful father unto thee, which hath pardoned all thy sins, & in Baptism hath adopted thee for his son and heir, that thou mayest certainly know that thou art saved. Again, thou must also know this, that that was not done freely, neither without satisfaction made to the divine justice. For there can be no place in thee for the divine grace and mercy to work salvation, and to give thee eternal good things, unless the justice of God be before most fully satisfied. For Christ witnesseth Matth. 5: One jot, or one title of the Law shall not scape, till all things be fulfilled. That which is spoken of the grace and goodness of God, can not come but to them which do most purely and exactly observe his commandments, according to that saying Mich. 2: When as the Jews did presume of the goodness of God toward them, and did always promise unto them selves peace, saying: How can God be always angry, is the spirit of the Lord shortened? It is answered them: Are not my words good unto him that walketh uprightly? Wherefore it shall be lawful for none to attain unto the abundance of grace, unless he hath before most exactly satisfied the commandments of God.2 Now it hath bin spoken at large, that our works are nothing before God, whereby we can not fulfil so much as the least commandment of God, how much less shall we be able so to satisfy the justice of God, that we may become worthy of his grace?
Through Iesus Christ our Sauiour. This he added that he may keepe vs vnder the winges of Christ, as chickens are wont to be preserued vnder the winges of the hen: for thus Christ sayth