A06521:459
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.
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. Ephe. 4. And those which he rehearseth in the Epistle to the Galatians: Hatred, debate, emulations, seditions, heresies, murders, &c. In a sum, hereunto pertain whatsoever come of evil anger, either in words or deeds, all which can not be numbered. After the same sort under those four, gluttony, drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, he comprehendeth the vices of lust, which are wont to be committed as well in words as works, which also no man is able to number. And so the present words of the Apostle do show, neither needeth it any further declaration, that by these six works all things are to be understood, whereby they that are void of faith, and are yet in darkness, do live unpurely as concerning themselves, and unjustly toward their neighbours, whose whole life is disordered and out course both toward themselves and toward other.