A06521:526
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.
Verse 1. The heir as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all.
Verse 1. The heire as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a seruant, though he be Lord of all.
He propoundeth a similitude taken of the custom of men. For we see that the children, unto whom their parents have left some substance, be brought up no otherwise then if they were servants. They are fed and clothed with their goods, but they are not permitted to do with them, nor to use them according to their own mind, but are ruled with fear & discipline of manners, that so even in their own inheritance they live no otherwise then as servants. After the same sort is it also in spiritual things.1 God made unto the elect a covenant, when he promised that it should come to pass that in the seed of Abraham, that is in Christ, all nations should be blessed, Gen. 22. That covenant was afterward confirmed by the death of Christ, and revealed and published abroad by the preaching of the Gospel.2 For the Gospel is no other thing, then an open and general preaching of this grace, that in Christ blessing and grace is laid up for all men, which so many only shall receive as shall believe. Now before that this covenant is truly opened and made manifest to men, the sons of God live after the manner of servants under the law, and are exercised with the works of the law, although they can not be justified by them, inasmuch as they are servile, and do nothing avail to justification as it is said before: Notwithstanding, because they are even then predestinate to life, when they are after the manner of servants held under the law, they are true heirs of heavenly good things, that is, of this blessing and grace of this covenant: albeit they as yet do not know, or enjoy it, but are wearied with works no otherwise then other that are void of faith. So at this day thou mayest find not a few, which now having faith, as they are the sons of God, so do they also enjoy the grace of God in the liberty of the sons, when as a little before being drowned in works, they knew nothing at all of faith, being in all things like unto other hypocrites. Nevertheless, because they were before the foundation of the world appointed of God unto this faith and state of sons, they were even then the sons of God before, when they were as yet altogether ignorant of faith.