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

THE works of charity which we must do to our neighbours in temporal things and in corporal necessity, are described unto us in this text: which the Lord then declared, when he said a little before in the same chapter, that we must do well unto our enemies, and bestow benefits upon them which hate us: that we must bless them that curse us: that we must pray for them which persecute us: if any man smite us on the one cheek, we must offer unto him also the other: and if any man take away our cloak, we must not forbid him to take away our coat also. &c. All which he comprehending in a brief sum, saith: Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Here ye see all good works summarily described which we must exercise among our selves, as our heavenly father hath exercised them toward us. Ye have oftentimes heard, that it is not needful to do good works toward God, but toward our neighbour only. God can be made neither stronger nor richer by our works: but man may be strengthened and enriched by them, unto whom also they are necessary, unto whom only they are to be directed, and not unto God, which ye have very often heard, and which is now in your ears: but would to God it would at the last burst forth both into your hands and works.¹ Mark therefore how perverse an order it is, when any deal with God by works, with whom notwithstanding they must deal by only faith, and when faith is directed unto man, whereas it is to be placed in God alone. Turn these contrariwise, and they shall be right, after this sort: let us first repose faith in God alone, and let us then give our ⟨p. 172⟩selves to serve our neighbours, and to direct all our works so, that they may turn to their commodity. We must deal before God by no other thing but by faith alone, because none is able to help us but God only, & whatsoever we possess either in mind or body, that cometh wholly to us from God alone, in whom we ought to trust, upon whom we ought to set our hart. Now some use such a preposterous order, that they repose faith, which ought to have respect unto God only, in them selves and others, they rest upon their traditions, and whatsoever their great masters have invented, in that they put their trust. Of such God saith in Jeremiah?² My people hath done two evils:

THE workes of charitie which we must do to our neighbours in temporall thinges and in corporall necessitie, are discribed vnto vs in this text: which the Lorde then declared, when he sayde a litle before in the same chapter, that we must do well vnto our enemies, and bestow benefits vpon them which hate vs: that we must blesse them that curse vs: that we must pray for them which persecute vs: if any man smite vs on the one cheeke, we must offer vnto him also the other: and if any man take away our cloke, we must not forbid him to take away our coate also. &c. All which he comprehending in a briefe summe, sayth: Be ye mercifull, as your Father also is mercifull. Here ye see all good workes summarily described which we must exercise among our selues, as our heauenly father hath exercised them toward vs. Ye haue oftentimes heard, that it is not needefull to do good workes toward God, but toward our neighbour onely. God can be made neither stronger nor richer by our workes: but man may be strengthened and enriched by them, vnto whom also they are necessarie, vnto whom onely they are to be directed, and not vnto God, which ye haue very often heard, and which is now in your eares: but would to God it would at the last burst forth both into your handes and workes.