A06521:559
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 6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, which crieth, Abba, Father.
Verse 6. And because ye are sonnes, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts, which cryeth, Abba, Father.
Here we see very plainly that the holy Ghost cometh unto the Saints by no works but by faith alone, for Paul saith: And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit, […] Sons believe, when servants only work: sons are free from the Law, servants are held under the Law, as appeareth plainly by those things that are before spoken. But how cometh it to pass that he saith: Because ye are sons; 1God hath sent forth the Spirit, &c. seeing it is before said: that by the coming of the ⟨p. 310⟩spirit we are changed from servants unto the state of sons, so that the spirit must be first sent unto us, before we are sons? But here as though we could be sons before the coming of the spirit,2 he saith: Because ye are sons, &c. To this question we must answer, that Paul speaketh here after the same sort that he spake before: Before the fullness of time came, we were in bondage under the rudiments of the world. All the elect, which are predestinate of the Lord that they shall become sons, are counted in that place of sons with God. Therefore he saith rightly: Because ye are sons, that is, because the state of sons is appointed unto you from everlasting, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son, to wit, that he might finish it in you, & make you such, as he hath long since of his goodness determined that he should make you. Moreover he calleth him the spirit of that Son of God, that he might continue in commending unto us this benefit of God, that he hath chosen us to be sons. For Christ is the Son of God, and that most beloved. Now if the father give unto us his spirit, he will make us like to his only begotten son, his true sons and heirs, that we may with certain confidence cry with Christ, Abba, Father, being his brethren, and fellow heirs with him. Wherein that Apostle surely hath notable set forth the goodness of God, which maketh us partakers with Christ, and causeth us to have all things common with him, so that we live, and are led by the same spirit. Moreover these words of the Apostle do show, both that the holy Ghost is an other from Christ, and yet doth proceed from him, when as he calleth him his spirit. The spirit in deed dwelleth in the godly, and no man will say that he is their spirit, as here Paul maketh him the holy spirit of Christ, saying: