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

¹Behold now the day of salvation. He calleth this the time and day of salvation, that is of help and felicity. For we are not only certain hereof, that God is merciful and favourable unto us, and we acceptable unto him, but also as we believe, and by faith are sure of his goodness toward us, so he declareth in deed, heareth them that cry unto him, helpeth and saveth them, yea and maketh them plainly blessed. We therefore worthily acknowledge and confess this time to be the wished, prosperous, happy, and very day of salvation. For it behoveth that both be together, both that God favour us, and also that he declare his favour towards us by work or deed. That he favoureth us, the accepted time which is now present doth witness: that he doth also help us and finish our salvation, this other witnesseth, to wit the day of salvation, the day of help. But as the state of the life of Christians is, if thou wilt judge according to the outward man, thou wilt judge it rather a time of affliction, wrath and indignation, wherein the Gospel is preached, and wherein they live, then a time of grace and salvation. Wherefore the words of the spirit must be spiritually understood, so shall we easily see & perceive that these noble and most pleasant names do most rightly and properly belong to the time wherein the Gospel flourisheth, that it is a time accepted, that is, full of grace, and a time of salvation, whereby surely all the riches and felicity of Christs kingdom are notably commended and set forth unto us.

¹Beholde nowe the day of saluation. He calleth this the time and day of saluation, that is of helpe and felicitie. For we are not onely certayne hereof, that God is mercifull and fauourable vnto vs, and we acceptable vnto him, but also as we beleeue, and by faith are sure of his goodnes toward vs, so he declareth in deede, heareth them that crie vnto him, helpeth and saueth them, yea and maketh them plainly blessed. We therefore worthely acknowledge and confesse this tyme to be the wished, prosperous, happie, and very day of saluation. For it behoueth that both be togither, both that God fauour vs, and also that he declare his fauour towards vs by worke or deede. That he fauoureth vs, the accepted tyme which is nowe present doth witnes: that he doth also helpe vs and finish our saluation, this other witnesseth, to wit the day of saluation, the day of helpe. But as the state of the life of Christians is, if thou wilt iudge according to the outward man, thou wilt iudge it rather a tyme of affliction, wrath and indignation, wherein the Gospell is preached, and wherein they liue, then a time of grace and saluation. Wherefore the wordes of the spirit must be spiritually vnderstood, so shall we easily see & perceiue that these noble and most pleasaunt names doe most rightly and properly belong to the tyme wherein the Gospell flourisheth, that it is a tyme accepted, that is, full of grace, and a time of saluation, whereby surely all the riches and felicitie of Christes kingdom are notably commended and set forth vnto vs.