A06521:458
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.
Wherefore it is no less necessary, to preach to them that have received the doctrine of faith, whereby they may be provoked and stirred up to go on in the good life which they have embraced, and that they suffer not themselves to be overcome by the assaults of the raging flesh, the crafty world, and most subtle Satan, then it is meet that the doctrine of faith be preached to them that be as yet ignorant of Christ.
Wherefore it is no lesse necessarie, to preach to them that haue receiued the doctrine of faith, whereby they maye be prouoked and stirred vp to go on in the good life which they haue embraced, and that they suffer not themselues to be ouercome by the assaults of the raging flesh, the craftie world, and most suttle Satan, then it is meete that the doctrine of faith be preached to them that be as yet ignorant of Christ.
Not in gluttony and drunkenness, neither in chambering and wantonness, nor in strife and envying. Here he rehearseth the works of darkness by name, one of which he named also before, to wit, sleep, according to that saying 1. Thessal. 5: Let us not sleep as do other, but let us watch and be sober. Not that he forbiddeth natural sleep, but spiritual, which is infidelity, whereof those works of the flesh proceed: howbeit natural sleep also is a work of darkness, if it be used for pleasure, and through immoderate filling of the belly,1 so that it is a hinderance to the light, that is, faith, and to the armour thereof. Moreover these six works of darkness which he here rehearseth, do comprehend all the rest. For Gal. 5. and Coloss. 3. he reckoneth up ⟨p. 247⟩moe of them. But we will divide those, which he here rehearseth, into two sides, the right and the left. On the right side these four fight with the spirit, gluttony, drunkenness, chambering and wantonness: on the left side (forasmuch as the left side in the Scriptures signifieth adversity) those things which proceed from thence do fight, as are wrath, contention and such like: but the right side signifieth prosperity, and those things which ensue thereof, as delights, gluttony, drunkenness, and overmuch sleep, &c. Now it is sufficiently manifest, that Paul under two works of darkness here rehearsed, namely, contention and envying, doth comprehend the rest also of that sort, among which are bitterness, anger, wrath, crying, and evil speaking.