A06521:441
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.
1THE Apostle in this text teacheth, not of faith, but of works the fruits of faith, showing how the life of a Christian ought to be ordered and framed according to the flesh outwardly among men. For how we must live in the spirit and before God, faith doth teach, whereof Paul a little before this place hath at large and even apostolically entreated. Yea if we consider this text well, it doth not so much teach, as provoke, exhort, move, and stir up them which are already taught, what they must do.2 For Paul divideth the office of preaching into two parts, into doctrine and exhortation, Rom. 12. Doctrine is, when one teacheth that which was not known before, whereby men ⟨p. 235⟩are instructed & come to understanding. Exhortation is, when the preacher moveth & provoketh unto that which is already known. Either is necessary to be done of him, who will christianly perform the duty of preaching, wherefore Paul doth very earnestly apply himself to both, and that his exhortation may be more effectual, & may more acceptably enter into the minds of them whom he hath purposed to exhort, he useth certain elegant and figurative speeches, and doth with an adorned manner of speaking allure their minds unto him. For the words, sleep, darkness, light, waking, armour, works, the day, the night, which he here useth, are all spoken figuratively, by which other things are signified, then their nature and propriety do bear: for he speaketh not of the natural night, day, darkness, armour, waking, sleep, &c: but he resembleth by these natural things a certain likeness to our mind, whereby he may more forcibly provoke and bring us to those spiritual things. As if he said, ye see how men to get the riches of the present time, which do soon perish, rise early, and laying aside the works of darkness, apply themselves to the works of the day, after the night is passed, and the day is come: with how much greater diligence ought we, shaking of our sleep, to rise early, and casting away the works which we did while it was yet dark, to apply our selves now to those works which are agreeable to our light, forasmuch as the night is now passed, and the day of our salvation hath appeared?