A06521:45
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.
1Thou mayst find many which do here think thus, and are touched with such devotion as this: O, if I had been there then, with how great diligence would I have served this child and done for him? yea I would have washed even his swaddling clothes. O, if I had been so happy as the shepherds, that I also might have seen the Lord lying in a manger. Now in deed thou wouldest be ready to do those duties, when thou knowest Christ to be so high and noble. Surely thou wouldest have been as slack in thy duty at that time as the Citizens of Bethlehem were. Thou revolvest in thy mind childish and altogether foolish cogitations. Why dost thou not perform the like duties now? Behold Christ walking before thee in thy neighbour, do for him, & bestow benefits upon him, whatsoever thou shalt bestow upon thy neighbour which is needy and destitute of help, that thou shalt bestow upon Christ him self, as he shall say in the last day to the elect:2 Whatsoever ye have done to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me. Wherefore it is a vain and very foolish thing to admit such childish cogitations. Let us therefore at the last open our eyes, let us not hear examples of so great importance in vain, otherwise the time will come when we shall be grievously punished. But with what words did the Angel speak unto the shepherds? the Evangelist saith after this sort:
1Thou mayst finde many which doe here thinke thus, and are touched with such deuotion as this: O, if I had bene there then, with howe great diligence woulde I haue serued this childe and done for him? yea I woulde haue washed euen his swadling clothes. O, if I had bene so happy as the shepeheards, that I also might haue seene the Lord lying in a maunger. Nowe in deede thou wouldest be ready to doe those duties, when thou knowest Christ to be so high and noble. Surely thou wouldest haue bene as slacke in thy dutie at that time as the Citizens of Bethlehem were. Thou reuoluest in thy mind childish and altogether foolish cogitations. Why doost thou not performe the like duties nowe? Behold Christ walking before thee in thy neighbour, do for him, & bestowe benefits vpon him, whatsoeuer thou shalt bestow vpon thy neighbour which is needy and destitute of helpe, that thou shalt bestow vpon Christ him selfe, as he shall say in the last day to the elect:2