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

¹Secondly: In this kingdom of God the Lord Christ reigneth no otherwise, then as a Master of an Hospital among the sick, poor, and diseased. For unto this kingdom none pertain, but sinful and miserable men, unto whom their sins are forgiven. Hereupon Christ saith in the Gospel Luke 6: Woe be to you that are rich, which have received your consolation. But contrariwise, the poor, miserable, and succourless receive comfort and joy by the Gospel: for Christ came to call sinners only, and not the righteous, that all glory may be referred to God alone,² for that he forgiveth sins of his grace and mere mercy. Such abolishing or putting away of sin, wherein Christ reigneth as King of the kingdom of God, is done of him after two sorts: first thus, in that he remitteth, pardoneth and covereth sins, so that God will not regard, remember or revenge them ⟨p. 155⟩although they be in a man. As it is in the 32 Psalm: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, in whose spirit there is no guile. And in Isaiah cap. 43 God saith: I am, even I am he, that for mine own selves sake do away thine offences, and forget thy sins, so that I vvill never think upon them. Secondly thus, in that he purgeth or rather scoureth sins by divers crosses and afflictions. For they are two things, to remit sins, and to weaken the body of sin that it may not reign in us. If a man believe, and is baptized, then all his sins are forgiven him. But afterward sin must be scoured or abated by manifold affliction and mortification, as long as he shall live. Sin sticketh in us, as long as the mortal body remaineth, but for Christs sake it is not imputed in the wrath of God, but freely remitted,³ and the force thereof diminished by his fatherly chastisement. In such chastisement for their amendment, true Christians have had great comfort, peace, and joy, as Paul saith Rom. 5: Then being justified by faith, we have peace toward God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also through faith, we have had this access into this grace, wherein we stand, and rejoice under the hope of the glory of God. Neither that only, but also we rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience, and patience experience, & experience hope.