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

When death shall come upon us, and our heart shall be touched with anguish & grief, then at the last it may be, that we would cast of this happy & pure nativity, and will exceedingly thirst after it to enjoy it. But now when as we feel not our sins, neither do as yet taste of the bitterness of sin, it stideth coldly to the hart, we hear it in deed, but truly it doth not throughly enter unto the hart. For if a man did believe, that this nativity was for his commodity, he would fear neither sin, nor death. Wherefore I have said that a Christian must believe, and doubt nothing, that the nativity of Christ is as well his, as it is the Lord Christs. And as he hath of the virgin pure blood and flesh, so that he him self also is pure, and that this virgin is his mother spiritually, as she was the mother of Christ carnally. Let the hart have sure confidence in this persuasion, otherwise it will be in an evil case. This the Angel signifieth in these words when he saith: Unto you he is borne,¹ as if he said, what soever he is and hath, ye may challenge it to your selves. Also he is your Saviour, not that ye should only look upon him, but which is able to deliver you from the tyranny of sin, death, Satan, and all evil: yea and how great soever he be, he is borne unto you, and is yours with all that he hath. Now forasmuch as he is mine, and hath changed his nativity into mine, his flesh & blood also is mine, he him self is mine with all wherewith he is endued, so that I dare say unto his mother: Behold, that child which thou hast brought forth, is mine, his flesh and blood are my flesh and blood, yea and thou art my mother, and I will be counted of thee for thy son, for whatsoever Christ bringeth with him, it must be mine, even as he himself is mine. If so be that his nativity be mine, being of a virgin, and without sin, replenished with the holy Ghost, my nativity also must be of a virgin, and pure from sin.

When death shall come vpon vs, and our heart shalbe touched with anguish & grief, thē at the last it may be, that we would cast of this happy & pure natiuitie, and will excedingly thirst after it to enioy it. But now when as we feele not our sinnes, neither doe as yet tast of the bitternes of sinne, it stideth coldly to the hart, we heare it in deede, but truely it doth not throughly enter vnto the hart. For if a man did beleue, that this natiuitie was for his commoditie, he would feare neither sinne, nor death. Wherefore I haue sayd that a Christian must beleeue, and dout nothing, that the natiuitie of Christ is as well his, as it is the Lord Christes. And as he hath of the virgin pure blood and flesh, so that he him selfe also is pure, and that this virgin is his mother spiritually, as she was the mother of Christ carnally. Let the hart haue sure confidence in this perswasion, otherwise it will be in an euil case. This the Angell signifieth in these wordes when he sayth: Vnto you he is borne,