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

¹Secondly, the Apostle admonisheth of the danger of losing the light of the Gospel, when he saith: that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. Whereby he giveth us to understand that the preaching of the Gospel is not a perpetual, continuing & permanent doctrine, but rather that it is like rain that suddenly cometh & soon passeth away when as the Sun and heat come by and by and take away all the moisture that is left thereof, and afterward scorch and hurt things nevertheless. This very experience proveth, for no man shall be able to bring forth even one place in the world, where the Gospel hath remained pure and sincere above the age of one man, but continued and increased while those lived by whose ministry it began, they departing hence that also almost wholly departed, and by and by after followed heretics and false teachers, with their delusions and false doctrine perverting and corrupting all things. So Moses foretold his Israelites, that by and by after his death it should come to pass, that they should depart from the way of the Lord, and corrupt their own ways, which the book of Judges witnesseth to have come to pass. Moreover the same book saith, that as often as any judge which had called again the word of the Lord did die, they fell again forthwith to their ungodliness, & made all things worse and worse. So Joas the king continued in his duty so long as Jehoiada the Priest lived, who being dead, he began by and by to be a King unlike him self,² & left the office of a good and godly King. Neither fell it out otherwise after Christ had received his Apostles to him self almost the whole world was filled with heresies and false doctrine. Which Paul pronounced before: I know this, saythes, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you▪ not sparing the flock, &c. So standeth the case at this day also, the pure and sincere Gospel hath shined unto us, the ⟨p. 327⟩day of grace and salvation, and the acceptable time are present, but they shall shortly be ended if the world stand.

¹Secondly, the Apostle admonisheth of the daunger of losing ye light of the Gospel, when he sayth: that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine. Wherby he giueth vs to vnderstand that ye preaching of the Gospel is not a perpetual, continuing & permanent doctrine, but rather that it is like raine that sodainly commeth & soone passeth away when as the Sunne and heat come by and by and take away al the moisture that is left thereof, and afterward scorch and hurt thinges neuertheles. This very experience proueth, for no man shall be able to bringe forth euen one place in the world, where the Gospell hath remained pure and sincere aboue the age of one man, but continued and increased while those liued by whose ministerie it began, they departing hence that also almost wholy departed, and by and by after followed heretikes and false teachers, with their delusions and false doctrine peruerting and corrupting all thinges. So Moses foretold his Israelites, that by and by after his death it should come to passe, that they should depart from the way of the Lorde, and corrupt their owne wayes, which the booke of Iudges witnesseth to haue come to passe. Moreouer the same booke sayth, that as often as any iudge which had called againe the word of the Lord did die, they fell againe forthwith to their vngodlines, & made all things worse and worse. So Ioas the king continued in his dutie so long as Iehoiada the Priest liued, who being dead, he began by and by to be a King vnlike him selfe,