A06521:632
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.
Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. First therefore he exhorteth us, forasmuch as we are by Christ made the sons of God, to imitate such a father, as dear children. Marvellous gently & alluringly he speaketh unto us, calling us dear children, that by the love of God our father toward us, he may provoke us to love him again, and them whom he commandeth us to love,1 even as he hath loved us first. But how hath he loved us? Surely not after that common sort alone, whereby in this life he nourisheth and sustaineth us being unworthy, together with all the ungodly, making his sun to arise on the good, and on the evil, and sending rain on the just and unjust: whereof Christ speaketh Matth. 5: Be ye perfect as your Father is perfect. But he loveth us also after an other special manner, in that he hath given his son for us. Joh. 3. For he hath abundantly bestowed upon us all temporal and also eternal good things, yea his own self, and hath as it were poured him self, with all that he is, hath, and can, into us who were sinners, unworthy, enemies, and servants of Satan, so that he could not do and give unto us more & greater things. Now he, whom this divine fire of love, which filleth heaven and earth, and yet is not comprehended, doth not kindle & inflame to love likewise his neighbour, whosoever he be, friend, or enemy, he I say, will neither by law, precepts, doctrine, threatenings and force be ever moved to godliness & love. Walk, saith the Apostle, in love, whereby he signifieth that our life should be nothing else,2 but mere love. Howbeit he will not have us walk in the love of the world, which in love seeketh those things which are his own, and loveth so long as there is any thing, whereby it looketh for commodity and lucre. Therefore he saith: Even as Christ hath loved us, who neither sought nor could look for any ⟨p. 353⟩profit or commodity of us, and yet he loved us so greatly that he gave him self for us, and not only his other good things which he giveth us daily, and he so gave him self for us, that he might be an oblation and sacrifice, to obtain the good will and favour of the father toward us, and to bring to pass, that we might now have God a merciful and favourable father, being become his true children and heirs, &c.