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.

A SERMON OF D. MAR∣TIN LVTHER, WHEREIN IS ENTREATED OF THE LAWE AND THE GOSPELL, AND OF THE DIF∣ference betwene them.

Luke 10.

Verse 23. AND he turned to his Disciples and sayd secretly, Blessed are the eyes, which see that ye see.

24. For I tel you that many Prophets and Kinges haue desired to see those thinges, which ye see, and haue not seene them: and to heare those thinges which ye heare, and haue not heard them.

25. Then behold, a certaine Lawyer stoode vp & tempted him, saying, Maister, what shall I doe to inherit eternall life?

26. And he sayd vnto him: What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27. And he aunswered and sayd, Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thine hart, and with all thy soule, & with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thy selfe.

28. Then he sayd vnto him: Thou hast aunswe∣red right: this doe, and thou shalt liue.

29. But he willing to iustifie him selfe, sayd vnto Iesus, Who is then my neighbour?

30. And Iesus aunswered & sayd: A certaine man went downe from Hierusalem to Ierico, & fell

amōg theeues, & they robbed hī of his raimēt, & woūded hī, & departed, leauing hī half dead.

31. Nowe so it fell out, that there came downe a certaine Priest that same way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32. And likewise also a Leuite when he was come neare to the place, went and looked on him, & passed by on the other side.

33. Thē a certain Samaritan, as he iornied, came neare vnto him, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.

34. And went to him, and bound vp his woundes, and poured in oyle and wine, and put him on his owne beast, and brought him to an Inne, & made prouision for him.

35. And on the morrowe when he departed, he tooke out two pence, & gaue them to the host, and said vnto him, Take care of him, and what∣soeuer thou spendest more, whē I come again, I will recompence thee.

36. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour vnto him that fel amōg the theues?

37. And he said, He that shewed mercy on hī, Thē sayd Iesus vnto him: Go, and do thou likewise.

I Hope well that ye doe nowe rightly vnderstande this Gospell, forasmuch as it is preached of euery yeare: notwithstanding because occasion is now a∣gaine offered, we must againe entreat and preach of it. First the Euangelist sayth, that Christ tooke his Disciples aside, and sayd vnto them secretly after this sort: Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see. For I tell you that ma∣ny Prophets and Kinges haue desired to see those thinges which ye see, and haue not seene them, and to heare those things which ye heare, and haue not heard them. To see and heare is to be vnderstoode here simply of the outward seeing and hearing, to

wit, that they sawe Christ come in the flesh, heard his ser∣mons, and were present at those miracles which he did among the Iewes. The Iewes sawe the same according to the flesh, yea and felt them also: yet did they not truely acknowledge him for Christ, as the Apostles did, and especially Peter in the name of all the rest did confes him, saying: Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God. We graunt in deede, that there were some a∣mong the Iewes, which acknowledged him, as the Apostles did, but the number of them was very small, wherefore he taketh his Apostles here seuerally vnto himselfe. Many Prophets and Kings haue seene Christ, howbeit in the spirit, as the Lord him∣selfe sayth to the Iewes of Abraham, Ioh. 8: Your father Abra∣ham reioyced to see my daye, and he saw it, and was glad. The Iewes thought then that he had spoken of the bodely seeing, but he spake of the spirituall seeing, whereby all Christian heartes did behold him, before he was borne. For if Abraham saw him, vndoutedly many other of the Prophets, in whom y^e holy Ghost was, saw him also. And although this seeing saued the holy Fa∣thers and Prophets, yet did they alwayes with most inward and heartie affection desire to see Christ in the flesh also, as is com∣monly shewed in the Prophets. Wherefore the Lord sayth here vnto his disciples, which sawe him both in the flesh, and in the spirit: Blessed are the eyes which see those thinges that ye see. As if he said: Now is the acceptable yeare and time of grace: The matter which is now in hand is so weightie and precious, that y^e eyes are worthely said to be blessed, which see it. For now was the Gospell preached openly and manifestly both by Christ himselfe, and also by his Apostles, whereupon he here calleth them all blessed, which see and heare such grace. Of which grace I haue preached much & a long time vnto you, I would to God ye did keepe that which I haue spoken thereof, fresh in memorie.

When the Lord spake these thinges, a certaine Lawyer start vp, shewing himselfe as though he had bin some thing, who temp∣ting the Lord sayth: Maister, what shall I do to inherit eternall life? This lawer was endued with wisedome, and not vnskilfull of the Scriptures, which euen his aunswere doth declare, yet in this place he is proued a foole, yea he is brought vnto shame and ignominie. For Christ taketh awaye all his glorying euen in one worde. He was of this mynde, that he had obserued the whole

Lawe, and that he was a certaine chiefe one in respect of other, as vndoutedly he was, and thought himselfe sufficient worthy by reason of his godlines and learning to be conuersaunt with the Lord. But what doth the Lord in this case? the text folowing declareth.

And he said vnto him, what is written in the Lawe? how readest thou? And he aunswered and said: Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thine heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mynde, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. Then he said vnto him, Thou hast aunswered right: do this, & thou shalt liue. Me thinkes that the Lord gaue this good mā a hard lesson: he dealeth verie straitly with him, it may seeme to some that he should haue spared him a litle, he putteth him to shame opēly before all: he proueth that he had done nothing, who notwithstanding thought that he had done all thinges. He asked what he should do: but I thinke he had enough and ouermuch to do, if he had bin able to do more then he was. If I had time, ma∣nie things might be spoken of these two commaundements. For they are the chiefe and greatest commaundements in Moses, on which the whole Lawe, and all the Prophets do hang, as Christ himselfe sayth in Matthew: Notwithstanding we will entreat somewhat of them. If we consider all the commaundements of Moses, they haue respect altogether vnto loue. For this com∣maundement: Thou shall haue none other gods in my sight, we can no otherwise declare or interpret, then, Thou shalt loue God alone, so Moses expoundeth it in Deuteronomie, where he sayth thus: Heare O Israell, the Lord our God is Lord onely. And thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soule, and with all thy might: from whence the Lawer tooke his aunswere. But the Iewes vnderstand this commaundement so, that they thinke it to extend no further, then that they should not set vp, nor worship idols. And if they can say and witnes in mouth, that they haue one God onely, and do worship none but him, they thinke they haue obserued this commaundement. After the same sort did this Lawer vnderstand it, but that was an euell and a wrong vnderstand thereof.

Howbeit we must otherwise consider & vnderstād this precept: Thou shalt haue none other gods in my sight. Thou, it sayth, with all that thou art, but especially it requireth all thine heart,

soule and strength. It speaketh not of the toung, not of the hand, not of the knees, but of the whole man, what soeuer thou art and hast. That no other God may be worshipped of me, it shalbe ne∣cessary that I haue the true and only God in myne heart, that is, I must loue him frō myne heart, so that I do alwayes depend on on him, trust in him, repose my hope in him, haue my pleasure, loue and ioy in him, and daily remember him. Euen as other∣wise, if we take pleasure of any thinge, we say, it doth me good inwardly at the heart. And if any speaketh or laugheth, and doth it not in good earnest, neither from his heart, we are wont to say: Thou laughest in deede, but it cōmeth not from thine heart. The loue of the heart in the Scriptures signifieth a vehement & spe∣ciall loue, which we ought to beare toward God. They which serue God with mouth, hands, and knees onely, are hypocrites, neither hath God any care of them. For God will not haue part, but the whole. The Iewes did outwardly abstaine from idola∣trie, and serued God alone in mouth, but their heart was farre re∣moued from him, being full of diffidence and vnbeleefe. Out∣ward they seemed to be verie earnest in seruing God, but within they were full of idolatrie. Whereupon the Lord said vnto them Matth. 23: VVoe be to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like vnto painted sepulchers, which appeare beauti∣full outward, but are within full of dead mens bones, and of all filthines. So are ye also: For outward ye appeare righteous vn∣to men, but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie.

These are those wicked ones, which glorie of the outward thinge, which go about to iustifie and make themselues good by their owne workes, after the maner of this Lawer. Consider how great the pride of this asse was, he commeth forth as though he could not be blamed or rebuked of the Lord, he thought, yea it seemed vnto him, that the Lord would here commend and praise his life before the people. He thought not to learne any thing of the Lord, but he sought onely his owne commendation, he would willingly haue had Christ to set forth his praise, toward whom the eyes of all were bent, and who was an admiration to all. So all hypocrites do, outwardly they pretend excellent, great and weightie workes: they say that they haue respect neither of glo∣rie nor praise, but within in their heart they are full of ambition, and wish that their holines were knowen to the whole world,

shewing a goodly signe of their religion, by the byting of their lippe, if they heare any speake thereof. But our Sauiour Christ sheweth here no kyndnes or gētlenes to this Lawyer, inasmuch as he putteth him to shame: that great holy man notwithstāding continueth still in the same mynde, and supposeth that he shall receiue great honour, & singular praise because of his precious life, thinking that he had fulfilled the commaundement, where∣upon also he looketh for a ioyfull aunswere, that the Lord should say: Good maister, your maistership hath done all thinges. But Christ aunswereth him: Do this. Which in deede is as much to say as: Thou art altogether a naughtie felowe, thou hast neuer in all thy life fulfilled so much as one letter thereof, so shewing vnto him how euell and naughtie he was.

Like vnto this Lawyer are all they which do most grieuously offend against the first commaundement, and thinke that God is to be loued no more then the wordes sound for, and that thereby it is fulfilled: the commaundement therefore remaineth in their mouth, and doth as it were flote aboue the heart, and pearseth it not: but I must go much farther then so, I must loue God so, that I can be content to forsake all creatures for his sake, and if it shall seeme good vnto him, my body and life, I must loue him a∣boue all things, for he is ielous, and can not suffer that any thing be loued aboue him, but vnder him he permitteth vs to loue any thinge. Euen as the husband can suffer, that his wife loue her maydes, the house, houshold thinges, cattel, and such like, how∣beit he suffereth her not to loue any with that loue wherewith she is bound vnto him, but himselfe, yea he will haue her leaue all such thinges for his sake. Againe the wife requireth the same of her husband. After the same sort God can suffer that we loue his creatures, yea therefore they are created, & are good. The sunne is a goodly creature, gold and siluer, and whatsoeuer by nature is faire, procureth vs to loue it, which maketh it deare vnto vs, neither is God offended thereat. But that I should cleaue vnto the creature, and loue it equally with him, that neither will he, neither can he suffer: yea he will haue me both to deny and for∣sake all these thinges, when he requireth it of me, and will haue me content, although I neuer see the sunne, money, riches, &c: The loue of creatures must be farre inferiour to the loue which we must beare toward him. As he is the soueraigne good, so

will he also be chiefly loued before all other good thinges, If he will not suffer that I shal loue any thing equally with him, much lesse will he suffer that I shall loue any thing aboue him.

Thou seest now as I thinke, what it is to loue God with all the heart, with all the soule, with all the mynde. To loue God with all the heart, is to loue God aboue all creatures, that is, although creatures be verie amiable and deare vnto me, and I take great delight in them, yet must I so loue them, that I do contemne and forsake them, when my God and Lord requireth that of me.

To loue God with all the soule, is to bestow our whole life & body at his pleasure, as if the loue of creatures, or any tentation assaile thee, or would ouercome thee, thou mayst say: I will ra∣ther part from all these then I will forsake my God, whether he cast me of, either kill me, either drowne me, or whatsoeuer through his permission shall come vnto me, I had rather leaue all thinges then him, I will depend on that my Lord, rather then vpon all creatures, or vpon any other thing whatsoeuer it be. Whatsoeuer I haue and am, I will bestow, but him will I not forsake. The soule in the Scriptures signifieth the life of the bo∣dy, & whatsoeuer is done by the fiue senses, as to eate, to drinke, to sleepe, to wake, to see, to heare, to smell, to taste, and whatso∣euer the soule worketh by the bodye. To loue God with all the strength, is for Gods cause to renounce all the members and limmes of the body, so that one will offer to perill whatsoeuer he is able in his flesh and body, before he will commit that which is against God. To loue God with all the minde, is to enterprise nothing but that which many please God, whereby he vnderstā∣deth the thought, which is in man, that that also be referred to God, and to all thinges that be acceptable vnto him. Thou per∣ceiuest now what this commaundement of God containeth in it. Thou shalt loue God, Thou, Thou sayth he, and that wholy, euen euerie part of thee, not thy handes, not thy mouth, not thy knees alone. They which do these thinges, as it is said, do truely fulfill it: but no man liueth in the earth which doth so, yea we do all otherwise. Wherefore the law doth here make vs all sinners, so that not so much as the least iote or point thereof is fulfilled of them that are most holy of all in the world. For no man doth so cleaue with all his heart vnto God, that he can leaue all thinges

for his sake. We (alas) are gone so farre, that we can not suffer so much as a litle word, nay we will not forgoe the value of a halpenie for Gods cause.

How can it be that we should loue God, when his will is not setled in our mynde? If I loue God, I can not but loue his will also. Now if God send sicknes, pouertie, shame, and ignominie, it is his will, whereat what do we? we murmur, we grudge, our mynde is caried hither and thither, we take it most vnpatiently, and yet is this the least. What would we do, if we should leaue our body and life for God & Christ his sake? then would we shew our selues after an other sort. But in the meane season we do like vnto this Pharise & Lawyer, we lead an honest life outwardly, we worship God, we serue him, we fast, we pray, and behaue our selues in outward appearaunce iustly and holily. But God doth not require that of vs, but that we should bend our selues to do his will with pleasure and loue, cheerefully & louingly. Where∣fore whatsoeuer the Lord sayth here to the Lawyer, he sayth it to all vs, to wit, that we haue yet done nothing, but that all thinges do yet remaine to be done. All men therefore are giltie of death and subiect to Satan: All men are lyers, vaine, filthie, and whatsoeuer they pretend, it is nothing worth. We are wise in our owne matters, that we may scrape togither money and goods, and we can speake most sweetely and fayrely before men, and cūningly propound or set forth our matter. What doth God care for these thinges? He requireth of vs that we loue him with our whole heart, which no mā liuing is able to performe, where∣upon of this place is inferred, that we are all synners, but espe∣cially they, whose life hath a goodly outward shew onely. This is the former part of this text, namely, the preaching of the law: Now followeth the other part, which is the preaching of the Gospell, which declareth how we may fulfill the lawe, and from whence that fulfilling is to be taken, which we shall learne of that Samaritane.

What doth the Lawyer moreouer, after that the Lord had thus delt with him? He, saith the Euangelist, willing to iustifie himselfe, spake vnto the Lord & asked him as followeth: Who is then my neighbour? He asketh not: Who is my God? As if he sayd: I owe nothing vnto God, neither do I want any thing before God, yea it seemeth vnto me, that I do neither owe any

thing to any man: neuertheles I would willingly know who is my neighbour. The Lord aunswering him, bringeth forth a most goodly similitude, whereby he declareth that we are all neigh∣bours one to an other, as well he that giueth a benefit, as he that receiueth and needeth one: although by the text it seemeth to ap∣peare, that he onely is a neighbour, which bestoweth a benefit vpon an other. But the Scripture maketh here no difference, sometime calling him our neighbour, which bestoweth a benefit, sometime him that receiueth a benefite. By this similitude the Lord inferreth in these wordes: Go and do thou likewise, so that that Lawyer had offended not onely against God, but also against man, and wanted not onely loue towardes God, but also loue towardes his neighbour, vnto whom he had not done that good which he ought. This wretched felow is brought into such a case that he is found wholy euell, euē from the head to the feete. How came it to passe that he being most skillfull of the Scrip∣ture could not beware of this? So fell it out: he led a pharisai∣call, hypocriticall, and counterfaite life, which had not regarde vnto his neigbour, and to succour and helpe others, but sought thereby onely glorie and honour before men, and so looked by ne∣gligent & dissolute liuing to come to heauen. But ye haue heard verie often, that a Christian life consisteth in this, that we deale with faith and the heart in thinges that pertaine vnto God, but vse our life and workes towards our neighbour, and that I must not looke while my neighbour seeketh a benefite, and requireth some thing of me, but according to my duty must preuent his as∣king, & of myne owne accord offer my liberalitie vnto him. Now we will see what the parable containeth in it.

The Samaritane in this place is without all doute our Lord Iesus Christ, who hath declared his loue toward God and men: Toward God, in that he descended from heauen, and was incar∣nate, and so fulfilled the will of his father: Toward men, for that by and by after baptisme, he beganne to preach, to worke mira∣cles, to heale the sicke, neither was there any worke that he did, which did concerne himselfe onely, but all his workes were di∣rected to his neighbour, being made our minister, when as not∣withstanding he is aboue all, and equall to God: but he did all these thinges, for that he knew that they did please God, and that it was the will of his father. When he had ascended to the

heighth of the commaundement, that he loued God with all his heart, he left and committed the life of his body, and whatsoeuer he had to the pleasure and will of his father saying: Father, be∣hold all thinges that I haue, my life and soule are readie at thy will: I leaue for thy sake the glorie and honour which I haue had among men, yea and all thinges how good soeuer they be, that the world may vnderstand how greatly I loue thee: My father let for thy sake my wisedome be contemned, that the worlde may count me for the foolishest of all: Now make I my selfe most cō∣temptible of all other, who was before praised of y^e whole world: Now am I as a most wicked theefe, who before was liberall, profitable, and beneficial to the whole world: My father, I make no account of all these thinges, that I may be found obedient to thy will. This is that Samaritane, who being desired by no prayers, came, & fulfilled the law with his whole heart, he alone hath fulfilled it, which praise none can take from him: he alone hath deserued it, and to him onely it appertaineth.

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, 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,

pilgrimages to saincts, which did alwayes make y^t state of Chri∣stianitie worse. This is the world which is painted forth in this wounded man, he being wholy laden with synnes, fainteth vnder so heauie a burden, and is not able to helpe him selfe.

But the Samaritane who hath fulfilled the Lawe, and is per∣fectly sound and whole, commeth, and doth more, then either the Priest or Leuite, he byndeth vp his woundes, poureth in oyle and wine, setteth him vpon his owne beast, bringeth him with him vnto an Inne, maketh prouision for him, and when he should depart, diligently commendeth him to the host, and leaueth with him sufficient for expenses, none of which either the Priest, or Leuite did. By the Priest the holy Fathers are signified, which flourished before Moses. The Leuite is a representation of the Priesthood of the old Testament. Now all these could do no∣thing by their workes, but passed by like vnto this Priest and Leuite. Wherefore although I had all the good workes of Noe, Abraham, yea and of all the faithfull Fathers, they would pro∣fit me nothing. The Priest and Leuite saw that miserable man lie wounded, but they could not helpe him any thinge: they saw him lie halfe dead, but what was that to the purpose? they could not giue him any remedy. The holy Fathers sawe men drow∣ned and plunged in synnes euen vp to the eares, they also felt the sting and anguish of synne, but what could they doe hereunto? they could make the case worse and not better. And those were the preachers of the Lawe, which shew what the world is, name∣ly that it is full of synne, and lieth halfe dead, and can not euen any whit helpe it selfe with his strength, reason, and free will. But Christ is that true Samaritane, who is touched with as great care of that miserable man as of himselfe. Neither doth the Samaritane call him vnto him, for he hath no merit, but en∣ioyeth the meere grace and mercy of Christ, who byndeth vp his woundes, and hauing great care of him, poureth in oyle and wine, that is, the whole Gospell. He poureth in oyle when grace is preached, when it is sayd: beholde O miserable man, this is thy incredulitie, this is thy condemnation, thus art thou wounded and sicke: but abyde, I will shew thee a remedy for all this: Behold, ioyne thy selfe to this Samaritane Christ the Sa∣uiour, he will best helpe and succour thee, and beside him no∣thing. The nature of oyle, as he know, is to make soft and mol∣lifie:

so the sweete and gentle preaching of the Gospell maketh my heart soft and tender toward God and my neighbour, so that I dare bestow my body and life, for Christ and his Gospell, if God and neede so require. Sharpe wine signifieth rhe holy crosse or affliction, which forwith followeth. Neither is there any cause that a Christian should looke farre about and seeke the crosse, for it sooner hangeth ouer his head then he is aware of, as Paul wit∣nesseth 2. Tim. 3: All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus, shall suffer persecutiō. This is the cognisance and badge of this king. He that is ashamed of this cognisance, pertaineth not vnto him. Moreouer that Samaritane putteth this wounded man vpon his owne beast: this is our Lord Iesus Christ, who beareth vs, we ly vpon his shoulders, vpō his necke & body. There is scarce a more amiable & comfortable historie in the whole Gospell, then where Christ compareth himselfe to a shepeheard, which carieth againe the lost sheepe vpon his shoulders vnto the flocke.

The Inne is the state of Christianitie in this world, wherein we must abide for a litle time. The host is the ministers & prea∣chers of the worde of God, and of the Gospell, whose charge is to haue care of vs. This therefore is the summe: The kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of mercy and grace, where is nothing els but alwayes to be borne and to beare. Christ beareth our de∣fects and infirmitie, he taketh our synnes vpon himselfe, and beareth our fall willingly, we daily lie vpon his necke, neither is he wearied with that bearing of vs. It is the dutie of the prea∣chers of this kingdome, to comfort consciences, to handle them gently, to feede them with the Gospell, to beare the weake, to heale the sicke: Moreouer they ought fitly to applie the worde according to the neede of euerie one. This is in deede is the dutie of a true Bishop and preacher, not to proceede by violence and iniurie, as it is the custome of our bishops at this daye, which vex, torment, and crie out: goe to, goe to, he that will not wil∣lingly, shalbe compelled to doe it against his will. We must in no wise doe so. But a Bishop or preacher ought to behaue him∣selfe as a healer of the sicke, who dealeth verie tenderly with them, vttereth verie louing words vnto them, talketh very gent∣ly with them, and bestoweth all his endeuour about them. The same must a Bishop, or minister of any particular parish do, and thinke no otherwise, but that his bishoprike or parish is as an

hospitall, wherein are such as are combred with diuerse and sun∣drie kyndes of diseases. If Christ be thus preached, then faith and loue come togither, which fulfill the commaundemēt of loue. Now forasmuch as the knowledge of the Lawe and the Gospel, and of the difference betweene them is verie necessarie, I will in∣treat of them somwhat more at large.

Of the Lawe and the Gospell.

I haue verie oftē admonished your brotherly charitie, that the whole Scripture deuideth it selfe into two parts: into the Lawe, and the Gospel. The Law is that which teacheth what we must do, what the will of God requireth of vs. The Gospell teacheth where that is to be receiued, which the Lawe cōmaundeth. Euen as if I seeke to take phisicke, it is one art to tell what the disease is, & an other to minister that which is good and wholesom to re∣medie it. So standeth the case here: The Lawe reuealeth the disease, the Gospell ministreth the medecine. Which is manifest euē by the text whereof we haue already intreated: The Lawyer commeth, and being verie desirous of eternall life, asketh what he must do. The Lawe declareth it vnto him, saying: Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soule, with all thy strength, and with all thy minde, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. He that readeth these workes after a bare and sclen∣der sort onely, as this Lawyer did, vnderstandeth them not. We must pearce into the Lawe, and euerie one behold his face and heart therein. God must be loued of me from the bottom of my heart: Againe, I must loue him with all my soule, that is, from the depth of my soule, so that I throughly feele in my selfe that I loue him. For to loue with the soule signifieth in the Scripture such loue as a yong man beareth toward a mayd, which he feeleth throughly in his minde, Moreouer, with all my strength, that is, with all my members. Also with all my mynde, that is, all my senses, cogitations & thoughts must be directed vnto God: Now I finde in my selfe that I do none of these. For if I must loue God with all my heart, soule, strength and minde, it is requisite, that myne eyes shew no angrie twinckling or motiō, y^t my toūg speak no angrie word, that my feete, handes, eares, &c. shew no signe of wrath, that my whole body euen from the crowne of the head to the soles of the feete, & all things belonging thereunto, do walke

in charitie, be as it were rauished with loue and pleasure toward God, & alwaies serue & worship him. Wherfore who is he which by the pleasure & loue of vertue is chast & righteous? there cā not be one such foūd in y^e earth. For we alwayes finde our selues rea∣dier to wrath, hatred, enuie, worldly pleasure &c: then to meeke∣nes & other vertues. I finde in me not onely a sparke, but euen a fierie fornace of wicked lust: for there is no loue in myne heart, no not in all my members. Wherefore here in the Lawe as it were in a certaine glasse I see whatsoeuer is in me, to be damnable and cursed. For not one iote of the Law must perish, but all must be fulfilled, as Christ saith: Truly I say vnto you, till heauē & earth passe, one iote or title of the Lawe shall not scape, till all be ful∣filled. Now thou fyndest not this in thee, that thou doest with all thy soule and heart, with cheerefulnes and pleasure, whatso∣euer the Law exacteth and requireth of thee. Hereupon thou art damned and vnder the dominion of Satan.

The Lawe therefore serueth vs thus farre, to teach vs, that we are condemned: for by it we fynde all wicked desyres in vs, and yet not so much as a sparke of them ought to be in vs. How∣beit our Scholemen not marking this, haue taught, that if one do according to his abilitie, God doeth giue his grace vnto him. They are blynde guides: They graunt themselues, that a man is caried with no pleasure or cheerefulnes to that which is good, and yet do they also teach, if one worketh, although it be with griefe, difficultie, and slouthfulnes, that it is well with him be∣fore God. But Christ hath taught otherwise in this place, that we should worke that which is good with pleasure and loue, rea∣dines and facilitie. Whom therefore shall we rather beleeue, Christ or the Scholemen: but I leaue that to your iudgement. Of such corrupt and euell vnderstanding of the Lawe, Mona∣steries afterwardes came, whereby entred in this opinion, that it was thought to be sufficient to saluation, to liue in a Monaste∣rie, and to follow the orders thereof, although that were done euen with griefe of mynde. So they taught: But Christ will haue vs to worke with pleasure and cheerefulnes, so that if any thinge be done with burden or griefe of conscience, it is synne: remoue thy selfe therefore quickly from such a worke. Where∣fore thus it might be said vnto them: Behold O man, thou mi∣serable creature oughtest to be caried with a certaine delight to

the doinge of the lawe of God, but thou commest with no plea∣sure or cheerefulnes hereunto, now see that thou shew thy plea∣sure and loue herein, otherwise thou shalt be the enemie of God, and the friend of Satan: thus men leauing their owne rashnes, might come to the knowledge of themselues, and might then say: Therefore, O God, am I condemned, and that not vniust∣ly. Hereupon it followeth, that we are all vnder Satan, as long as we feele in vs this difficultie and hardnes to doe that which is good. Wherefore if I should speake the trueth, I should say thus, I fynde in deede somethinge that is good in the lawe of God, but it is my death, and if it could be, I would wish that it were not. So are all men affected in their heart, as S. Paule plainly teacheth Rom. 7. If we should remaine in such condem∣nation, we must needes perish for euer.

There is therefore an other part, that is, the Gospell, which sheweth comfort and saluation, declaring where that is to be had, whereby the Lawe is fulfilled. When therefore I know by the Lawe that I am a condemned man, then ly I halfe dead among theeues, Satan hath spoiled my soule, and hath moreouer in A∣dam taken away all faith, all righteousnes, and hath left nothing but bodily life, which is also qulckly extinguished. Then come Leuites and Priestes, which teach this and that, but can helpe nothing, and so passe by. But when the Samaritane commeth, he helpeth: that is, when Christ commeth, he sheweth his mercy vnto vs, saying after this sort: Behold thou oughtest in deede to loue God with all thine heart, but thou doest it not, now beleeue onely in me, & thou shalt enioy my obedience as thine owne: this onely helpeth me: Then he putteth me on his owne beast, that is, on himselfe, and carieth me into the Inne, that is, into the Church of the faithfull, then he by and by poureth his grace into me, that is, oyle, that I may feele my selfe to be layd vpon his shoulder, that at the last maketh me to be of a good cheere, & qui∣et & well affected in conscience. Afterward he poureth in wine al∣so, which with his sharpnes may abate & tame the force of old A∣dam. And yet am I not so wholy restored vnto health, health is in deede poured in & begon, but not yet wholy finished: then Christ hath care of me, & by his grace poured into me, doth purifie me, that frō day to day I may become more chast, meeke, gētle, faith∣full, &c: vntill I wholy dy, for then I shalbe altogether made

perfect. So when we shall come to God the father, and be asked of him, whether we beleeued in God, whether we loued him, &c: the Samaritane Christ our Lord, who hath layed vs on his owne beast, will come forth and saye: Loe Father, although they haue not wholy fulfilled thy Lawe, yet haue I fulfilled it, suffer thou that to turne to the commoditie of them that beleeue in me. So is it needefull that all the Saincts albeit verie holy, be layed vpon the backe of Christ. If so be that the holiest of all, as the Priestes and Leuites could not satisfie the Lawe, how shall we go about with our fained workes, as with shauing, habit &c, to fulfill the same? O wretched & miserable calamitie. These things shall now suffize to haue bin spoken concerning this text: Let vs pray vnto God, that he will giue vs his grace. *** *

Notes

• How y^e faith∣ful saw Christ before his incarnation.
• Matth. 22.40.
• Deut. 6.4.5.
• How the first cōmaunde∣ment is to be vnderstood and obser∣ued.
• The qualitie of hypo∣crites.
• How God must be lo∣ued of vs.
• What it is to loue God with all the heart.
• What it is to loue God with all the soule.
• To loue God with all the strength.
• To loue God with all the mynde.
• We are farre of from lo∣uing God as we ought.
• A Christian life.
• The loue of Christ to∣ward God & men.
• The woun∣ded man, & the theeues that spoiled him.
• The Priest & Leuite which passed by y^e woūded mā
• Christ the true Samari∣tane which helpeth the wounded man. Oyle.
• Wine.
• The Inne whereunto y^e wounded mā is brought, & the host to whom he is committed.
• The wlole Scripture di∣uided into y^e Lawe & the Gospell.
• The office of the Lawe.
• Matth. 5 18.
• We must worke with pleasure and cheerefulnes, not w^t grud∣ging or griefe.
• The office of the Gospell.