A06521:666
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.
Ye have now oftentimes heard,1 that there are two sorts of good things, spiritual and corporal. The Gospel by these temporal and corporal good things teacheth us the faith of children, and they are unto the weak as a certain mean or help, whereby they may learn the goodness of God, how bountiful he is in bestowing his riches upon us, and that we ought in spiritual things also to place all our hope and trust in him. For if we be now instructed by the Gospel, that God will give food to our belly, we may thereupon account with our selves, that he will nourish & clothe our souls with spiritual good things. If I can not commit my body unto him that he may feed it, much less can I commit my soul unto him that he may always preserve it. Or if I can not be brought to believe, that a crown of gold shall be given unto me of him, how I pray you, shall I hope for ten of crowns of gold of him? from whom I dare not promise to my self so much as a piece of bread, truly much less shall I be persuaded to believe, that he will give a farm unto me, or his whole inheritance. Now he that is not able to attain unto this tender, and as it were as yet sucking faith, to him surely it is very hard to believe, that God will pardon his since, or preserve his soul for ever. Forasmuch as we are persuaded, that the soul is by infinite degrees to be preferred before the belly, toward which notwithstanding he is touched ⟨p. 374⟩with compassion as this our present text teacheth. Wherefore Saint Peter hath rightly admonished:2 Beloved brethren, as new borne babes desire that sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. For it is not enough that the infant being put to the teat do suck, but he must also wax greater, and gather strength, that he may accustom himself to feed on bread, and stronger meat. Now to eat milk is to taste of the favour and grace of God, which is then tasted of, when a trial thereof is had in our life. For although I should preach an hundred years of the bountifulness, favour, liberality and gentleness of God toward us, it would profit me nothing unless I have a trial and taste of those commodities, neither could I learn rightly to trust in God thereby. Hereof also thou mayst conjecture how rare a Christian man is.
Ye haue now oftētimes heard,