A06521:709
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.
Of the Law and the Gospel.
Of the Lawe and the Gospell.
I have very often admonished your brotherly charity,1 that the whole Scripture divideth it self into two parts: into the Law, and the Gospel. The Law is that which teacheth what we must do, what the will of God requireth of us. The Gospel teacheth where that is to be received, which the Law commandeth. Even as if I seek to take physic, it is one art to tell what the disease is, & an other to minister that which is good and wholesome to remedy it. So standeth the case here: The Law revealeth the disease, the Gospel ministereth the medicine. Which is manifest even by the text whereof we have already entreated: The Lawyer cometh, and being very desirous of eternal life, asketh what he must do. The Law declareth it unto him, saying:2 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thy self. He that readeth these works after a bare and slender sort only, as this Lawyer did, understandeth them not. We must pierce into the Law, and every one behold his face and heart therein. God must be loved of me from the bottom of my heart: Again, I must love him with all my soul, that is, from the depth of my soul, so that I throughly feel in my self that I love him. For to love with the soul signifieth in the Scripture such love as a young man beareth toward a maid, which he feeleth throughly in his mind, Moreover, with all my strength, that is, with all my members. Also with all my mind, that is, all my senses, cogitations & thoughts must be directed unto God: Now I find in my self that I do none of these. For if I must love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind, it is requisite, that mine eyes show no angry twinkling or motion, that my tongue speak no angry word, that my feet, hands, ears, &c. show no sign of wrath, that my whole body even from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, & all things belonging thereunto, do walk