A06521:791
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
Sermon St Thomas › The exposition of this Gospel.Sermon St Thomas › The exposition of this Gospell.
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.
And thus ye see what Christ is unto us,1 namely such a man as is given unto us of God, that he might extinguish sins, vanquish death, destroy hell, overcome the Devil, and all these for our commodity. If he had not done this, nor given unto us these things, we had been for ever under the curse of the law, under sin, under death, under the devil, and under hell. God hath delivered us from these by that Christ. Wherefore S. Paul saith out of the Prophet Hosea 1. Cor. 15: Death is swallowed up into victory. O death where is thy sting? O hell where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God, which hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Hereof we may easily understand, what kind of works those be, which do make us entire and righteous before God. Surely they are the works of an other, and not our own works chosen of our selves. Wherefore the whole Papacy falleth here, with all the most precious and holy works thereof, which hath this drift only, that miserable, wretched, and blinded men may be persuaded, that they obtain heaven by their merits, and their own works. Hereupon have sprung so many orders, that they can not almost be numbered, of which one strived to be holier then an other, according as they exercised harder, greater, and weightier works. But this their miserable labour, anguish, prayers, fastings, chastising of the body, and such like, were vain works, and of no value at all, neither had they so much power, that they were able ⟨p. 452⟩to take away so much as even the least sin, which they call venial. They were altogether unmindful of this saying Isaiah 29, which the Lord repeateth Matth. 15: This people draweth near unto me with their mouth, & honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far of from me. But in vain they worship me, teaching such doctrines, as are nothing else but the precepts of men. Hereupon now thou mayest gather with thy self, that all holy men, although they be exceeding holy, yet do obtain salvation, not by their own holiness, merits or works. And not so much as Mary her self the mother of God, was made righteous & holy in respect of her virginity, or in that she was the mother of God, but salvation hath come unto all by Jesus Christ, as by the works of an other.