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

But whereas he is touched with care of the wounded man, hath compassion on him, bindeth up his wounds, bringeth him with him into an Inn,¹ provideth for him, that pertaineth unto us. The man which lieth half dead, wounded, beaten, & spoiled, is Adam, yea and all we. The thieves which spoiled us, wounded us, and left us half dead, as yet a little panting, are the Devils. The horse and his sitter do here fall down, we are not able to help our selves, and if we should be left lying so, we should die, through great anguish and distress, our wounds would become festered, and our affliction miserable and exceeding great. This excellent parable is set before our eyes, lively painting forth unto us, what we are, what is the strength of our reason and free will. If that wretched man had gone about to help himself, his case would have been made worse, he would have hurt himself, he would have opened his wounds with rubbing, & so would have fallen into greater calamity. Again if he had bin left lying, it had bin all one. So it cometh to pass when we are left to our selves: our studies and endeavour surely are nothing, howsoever we set upon the matter. Hitherto sundry ways & divers means have bin invented, whereby we might come unto heaven, and amend our life, this man found out this, an other that, whereupon have increased innumerable sorts of Orders, letters of indulgences, ⟨p. 401⟩pilgrimages to saints, which did always make yt state of Christianity worse. This is the world which is painted forth in this wounded man, he being wholly laden with since, fainteth under so heavy a burden, and is not able to help him self.

But whereas he is touched with care of the woūded man, hath compassion on him, byndeth vp his woundes, bringeth him with him into an Inne,¹ prouideth for him, that pertaineth vnto vs. The man which lieth half dead, wounded, beaten, & spoiled, is Adam, yea and all we. The theeues which spoiled vs, wounded vs, and left vs halfe dead, as yet a litle pāting, are the Deuels. The horse and his sitter do here fall downe, we are not able to helpe our selues, and if we should be left lying so, we should die, through great anguish and distres, our woundes would become festred, and our affliction miserable and exceeding great. This excellent parable is set before our eyes, liuely painting forth vnto vs, what we are, what is the strength of our reason and free will. If that wretched man had gone about to helpe himselfe, his case would haue bene made worse, he would haue hurt himselfe, he would haue opened his woundes with rubbing, & so would haue fallen into greater calamitie. Againe if he had bin left lying, it had bin all one. So it commeth to passe when we are left to our selues: our studies and endeuour surely are nothing, howsoeuer we set vpon the matter. Hitherto sundrie waies & diuers meanes haue bin inuented, whereby we might come vnto heauen, and amend our life, this man found out this, an other that, whereupon haue increased innumerable sortes of Orders, letters of indulgences,