Collected Sermons, God's care
A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER, WHEREIN IS DECLARED HOW GOD CARETH and prouideth for them that be his.
Luke 5.
Verſe 1. THen it came to paſſe, as the people preaſed vpō him to heare the word of God, that he ſtood by the lake of Genneſaret.
2. And ſaw two ſhips ſtand by the lake ſide, but the fiſhermen were gone out of them, & were waſhing their nettes.
3. And he entered into one of the ſhips which was Simons, and required him that he would thruſt of a litle from the land: & he ſate down, and taught the people out of the ſhip.
4. Now when he had left ſpeaking, he ſaid vntounto Simon: lanche out into the deepe, & let downe your nettes to make a draught.
5. Then Simon aunſwered and ſayd vntounto him: Maiſter, we hauehave trauailed ſore all night, and hauehave taken nothing, neuertheles at thy word I will let downe the net.
6. And when they had ſo done, they incloſed a great multitude of fiſhes, ſo that their net brake.
7. And they beckened to their partners which were in the other ſhip, that they ſhould come and helpe them, who came thē and filled both the ſhips, that they did ſinke.
8. Now when Simon Peter ſaw it, he fell downe at Ieſus knees ſaying: Lord go from me, for I am a ſynfull man.
9. For he was vtterly aſtonied and all that were with him, for the draught of fiſhes which they tooke.
10. And ſo was alſo Iames and Iohn the ſonnes of Zebedeus, which were companions with Simon. Then Ieſus ſaid vntounto Simon: feare not: from hence forth thou ſhalt catch men.
11. And when they had brought the ſhips to lād, they forſooke all and folowed him.
TO them that beleeue this text is moſt eaſie to be vnderſtood, which ſetteth forth two thinges vntounto vsus, namely faith, and temporall good thinges, & faith, and eternall good thinges.The faithful ſhall wāt nothing that is neceſſary for the ſuſtentation of this life. Firſt it declareth vntounto them that beleeue in Chriſt, that they ſhal hauehave ſufficient wherewith to ſuſteine themſelues euen in this life: which Chriſt ſheweth by this, when he giueth ſo many fiſhes to Peter and his companions, as they durſt not ſo much as deſire. So that Chriſt is carefull euen how to feede the bellie, if that curſed incredulitie be not na hinderance thereunto. For beholde S. Peter, and conſider his heart aright in your minde, then ſhall ye fynde, that he did not ſo much as thinke, that he ſhould take ſo many fiſhes. God therefore is preſent, and cauſeth fiſhes to come into the nette, euen moe then they would hauehave wiſhed. By which example we are admoniſhed that they ſhall hauehave ſufficiēt of thoſe thinges that are neceſſary for the ſuſtentation of this life, which do beleeue, but they that do not beleeue can neuer be ſatiſfied, whereby they fall into all kinde of vices. Hereunto pertaineth that which S. Paule ſayth 1. Tim. 6: Godlines is great gaine, if a man be content with that he hath. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certaine, that we may cary nothing out, therefore when we hauehave foode and rayment, let vsus therewith be content. For they that wilbe rich, fall into tentation and ſnares, and into many foolish and noyſome luſtes, which drowne men in perdition & deſtruction. For the deſire of money is the roote of all euell, which while ſome luſted after, they erred from the faith, & perced themſelues through with many ſorrowes. This place of S. Paul plainly declareth what foloweth our vnbeliefe,Frutes of incredulity. to wit, that it traueleth to get ſubſtance, and laboureth to be rich, and falleth into the tentation and ſnares of the Deuell. But we can not ſee that, foraſmuch as it is ſpirituall. If we could as well ſee the hurt, which it bringeth to ſpirituall thinges, as we can ſee that which it bringeth to corporall and outward thinges, then were it an eaſie matter to preach vntounto vsus. For wee ſee plainely in outward thinges, how he that is giuen to the deſire of money, ſcrapeth and gathereth togither, doth iniurie to all men, that he alone may gather togither and heape vp many thinges, whereunto he may truſt and ſay: Well, nowe hauehave I goodes enough. Whereby we may gather how vnkinde & vnmerciful a couetous man is: for he doeth good to no man, he ſheweth himſelfe gentle and kynde to no man, he giueth nothing to any man, but looketh vntounto his owne lucre and commoditie.
Now this is a curſed thing, that we can not ſo much as truſt vntounto the Lord, that he will feede our belly, thinking alwayes that we ſhall periſh with hunger, when as notwithſtanding we ſhall hauehave thinges neceſſarie and that which is ſufficient for vsus, as Chriſt ſayth Matth. 6: I ſay vntounto you, be not carefull for your life, what ye shall eate, or what ye shall drinke: nor yet for your bodie, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more worth then meate? and the bodie then rayment? Behold the foules of the ayre: for they ſow not, neither reape, nor carie into the barnes: yet your heauenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better then they? Which of you by taking care, is able to adde one cubit vntounto his ſtature? And why care ye for rayment? Learne how the lillies of the field do grow: they are not weried, neither ſpinne: yet I ſay vntounto you, that even Salomon in all his glorie, was not arayed like one of theſe. VVherefore if God ſo clothe the graſſe of the field, which though it ſtād to day, is to morow caſt into the ouen, shall he not do much more vntounto you, O ye of litle faith? Therefore take no thought, ſaying what shall we eat? or what shall we drinke? or wherewith shall we be clothed? (For after all theſe thinges ſeeke the Gentiles:) For your heauenly Father knoweth that ye hauehave neede of all theſe thinges. But ſeeke ye firſt the kingdome of God and his righteouſnes, and all theſe thinges shalbe miniſtred vntounto you. Care not then for the morow: for the morow shall care for it ſelfe: the daye hath enough with his owne griefe. Ye ſee in this place, how God hath a care for the foules and flowers, & doth adorne them after a moſt goodly ſort: how much more will God giuegive vntounto vsus thoſe thinges that be neceſſarie? and yet we can not put our truſt in him,Where truſt in God is not there charitie ceaſſeth. ſo hath the Deuell entangled vsus in his ſnares. When one commeth ſo farre, that he is not content with that he hath, neither truſteth in God, then charitie muſt needes ſodenly ceaſſe, ſo that he doth good to no man, but onelyonly prouideth that his owne heape be encreaſed. Hereupon came the ſpirituall ſtate of ſacrificing Prieſts and Monkes, that they might onelyonly helpe themſelues, feede their belly, auoide labour, enter into Monaſteries, that thereof did riſe a true prouerbe: Deſperation maketh a Monke, yea not only a Monk, but ſacrificing Prieſts, Biſhops & Popes: for they truſt not in God, that he is able to feede them, but they ſtudie vponupon this onelyonly, that they may be deliuered from all miſerie and infirmitie, which is altogether to liue in incredulitie: they neuer truſted in God, that he is able to giuegive them nouriſhment and thinges neceſſarie, if any of them ſhould mary a wife and remaine without that ſtate of Antichriſt.
Moreouer, here is an example ſet forth vntounto vsus, which prouoketh and allureth vsus to confidence, and firſt that we commit our bellie to God: for he hath a care of vsus, euen in temporall things. Which ſufficiently appeareth in Peter, whereas he tooke ſuch a great multitude of fiſhes, which ranne by great companies into his nettes. Whereby is plainly ſignified that God will forſake no man, but that euerie one ſhall hauehave enough, if that we ſhall onelyonly truſt in him, as the 37. Pſal. affirmeth: I hauehave bin yong, and now am olde, and yet ſaw I neuer the righteous forſaken, nor his ſeede begging bread. Things neceſſarie ſhal not be wanting vntounto vsus, if faith be not wanting: for before we ſhould want, the very Angels ſhould come, & miniſter vntounto vsus foode. Whereas therefore men are commonly oppreſſed with ſo great miſerie, onelyonly vnbeliefe is the cauſe thereof.VVe muſt labour, & not be carefull, but commit the ſucceſſe vntounto God. And albeit God be with vsus, notwithſtanding he requireth yet of vsus, worke or labour, and hope, if he at any time differre ſomewhat to helpe vsus. He commaundeth Peter here, that for the taking of fiſhes, he ſhould caſt forth his nettes: Lanche out into the deepe, ſayth he, and let dovvne your nets to make a draught, as if the Lord ſaid: Do thou that which belongeth to a fiſher caſt thy net into the deepe, and commit the ſucceſſe vntounto me, leaue the care vntounto me. God leaueth not the care vntounto thee, but the worke and labour: howbeit we after a cleane contrarie order, ſtudy to commit the care to our ſelues and the labour to him. Whereby it commeth to paſſe, that euerie one for himſelfe applieth his mynde earneſtly to gaine, and to gather money vntounto himſelfe, that he may not be enforced by any meanes to take paines and labour. But if thou wilt liue a Chriſtian life, leaue vntounto thy God to care howe the fiſhes ſhall come into the nets, and goe thou, and take vponupon thee the ſtate wherein thou mayſt labour. Howbeit for the moſt part, we wiſh ſuch ſtates of life, as in which there is no neede of labour, which is altogether a deueliſh thing. And therefore hauehave we bin conſecrated Monkes and ſacrificing Prieſts, that we might liue onelyonly like gentlemen, without labour. And for the ſame cauſe parents hauehave ſet their children to ſchole, that at ye laſt they might liue merie dayes, and ſo ſerue God, as they thought. Whereby it came to that paſſe that they did not know, what a good life was: foraſmuch as God eſpecially commendeth that, and that in deed is acceptable vntounto him, which is gotten with the ſweat of the browes, as he commaunded Adam. Gen. 3. In the ſvveat of thy face shalt thou eate breade. And the deeper thou art occupied in this lawe, in ſo much better caſe thy thinges are, wherefore follow thy worke, labour, and truſt in God, all carefulnes being caſt of.
Now ſome murmur, and ſay, if faith be preached, that we muſt truſt in God, and leaue the care vntounto him, I might long enough, ſay they, beleeue or truſt, before I ſhould hauehave wherewithall to be fed and ſuſteined, if I ſhould not labour. Yea it is plaine enough that thou muſt labour,We muſt ſtill labour and hope, though God differreth his help for a time, for he will at the laſt aſſuredly helpe vsus. foraſmuch as labour is cō maunded thee: Howbeit ſuffer God to care for thee, beleeue thou, and labour, then ſhalt thou aſſuredly hauehave thoſe thinges that be neceſſarie for the ſuſtentation of thy life. And this is an other thing, that we muſt hope notwithſtanding, though God differreth for a time. Therefore he ſuffreth them to labour all the night, and to take nothing, and ſheweth himſelfe to be ſuch a one, as will ſuffer them to periſh with hunger. Which might hauehave come into the minde of Peter, when he had fiſhed ſo long and taken nothing, ſo that he might hauehave ſaid: now God will ſuffer my belly to periſh with pining and famine. Howbeit he doth not ſo, but goeth on ſtill in his labour, he plieth his worke, & hopeth that God at the laſt will giuegive him fiſhes, albeit he differreth a time. God therefore is preſent, and giueth him ſo many fiſhes in one day, as he could ſcarce take in ye ſpace of eight daies. Wherefore theſe thinges are to be learned well of thee, that thou labour and hope, although God differreth his bleſſing a litle. For albeit he differreth a while, and ſuffreth thee to labour ſore, ſo that thou now thinke thy labour to be loſt, yet muſt thou not therefore deſpeire, but repoſe thy hope in him, truſting aſſuredly that he will at ye laſt giuegive thee proſperous ſucceſſe. For he wil certainly come & giuegive more then thou didſt neede, as he did here vntounto S. Peter. Wherefore if God delayeth with thee a litle, thinke with thy ſelfe, he delayed alſo with S. Peter, & yet afterward gaue vntounto him aboundantly. Commit thy matter therefore to his good will and pleaſure, and leaue not of thy worke, but hope ſtill, and then ſhall not thy hope be fruſtrate. Thus much concerning the former part of the text, now let vsus here the latter. After therefore that they had taken fiſhes, and taſted the frute of faith, their faith is increaſed and augmented. We therefore muſt go ſo farre, that we may commit our bellie to God: for he that can not commit ſo much as his bellie to him, will neuer commit his ſoule vntounto him. Howbeit that is onelyonly a childiſh faith: Here we learne firſt to go by benches and ſettles: here we do feede on milke as yet: but we muſt likewiſe learne by theſe to commit our ſoule alſo to God. The Euangeliſt ſo meaneth when he ſayth:
Now when Simon Peter ſaw it, he fell downe at Ieſus knees, ſaying: Lord goe from me, for I am a ſinnefull man. For he was vtterly aſtonied, and all that vvere with him, for the draught of fishes vvhichwhich they tooke. Let Peter here be a type or figure of them which beleeue eternal good thinges, and counte him as one verily looking for & ſeeing the good things to come. A ſinful conſcience is of that nature,The nature of a ſynnefull conſcience. that it ſo behaueth it ſelfe, as Peter here did, whereas he flieth his Sauiour, and thinketh: Lord I am more vnworthy, then that I ſhould be ſaued, and ſit among thy Sainctes and Angels: for that good is moſt exceeding high. Here a ſtraight conſcience is not able to comprehend ſuch great good thinges, but it thus thinketh: If I were as Peter & Paul, I could eaſily beleeue: Which is altogether a fooliſh and vaine thinge. For if thou wouldeſt place thy ſelfe according to thine owne holines, thou ſhouldeſt build vponupon the ſande. Thou muſt not do ſo, but behaue thy ſelfe like vntounto Peter, for in that he eſteemed himſelfe vile, and iudged himſelfe vnworthy of ſo great grace, he rightly became worthy. And therefore,Though we feele ye burdē of our ſinnes we muſt not deſpeire, but truſt in God that he will remit thē & receiue vsus vntounto grace. whereas thou art a ſynner, thou muſt truſt in God, and dilate and open wide thy conſcience and heart, that grace may enter in. After thou haſt now knowne God, thou muſt reiect none of his giftes, that is, when as thou ſeeſt the great good things, thou muſt not deſpeire. It is good that we know our ſelues, & the deeper we know our ſelues, ſo much the better. But that grace is not to be refuſed becauſe of thy ſynnes. For when thou ſhalt fynde thy conſcience to tremble, ſo that it would driue away ſynnes, then art thou moſt ready and moſt fitte to receiue grace, then ſhalt thou fynde comfort in thy conſcience and ſay with Micheas: VVho is ſuch a God as thou, Mich. 7.that pardoneſt wickednes, & caſteſt all our ſynnes into the bottome of the ſea? Whoſoeuer take not away ſynnes, they are no Gods, but idols: whereupon he ſayeth rightly, that none is like vntounto our God. For other gods will fynde and not bring godlines, but the Almightie God doth not finde it, but bring it: wherefore thou muſt not forthwith deſpeire, if thy conſciēce trembleth and feeleth ſynne. For the more defiled that thou art, ſo much the ſooner doeth the Lord poure in his grace, if ſo be thou be repentant and thirſteſt after it. A great part goe ſo farre that they ſaye they merit grace, whiles they diſpoſe them ſelues thereunto, which is, as they interpret, whiles they do that which lyeth in them, and alſo that they doe ſatiſfie for their ſynnes. But it is not ſo. The Scripture teacheth vsus that it is God that taketh away ſynne, and caſteth it into the bottome of the ſea. We ſhall not put away ſynnes by our workes, neither ſhall we be iuſtified of our ſelues. God himſelfe, and none but he ſhall do the thinge, of his meere grace as Eſay ſayth: I am, euen I am he onelyonly, Eſa. 43.25.that for myne owne ſelfes ſake doe take awaye thine offences, and forget thy ſynnes, ſo that I will neuer thinke vponupon them more. And ſo muſt thou beleeue, otherwiſe thou ſhalt neuer obtaine a ioyfull conſcience. Wherefore, when as Peter ſayd, I am a ſynner, he ſaide right. It is true in deede, there were cauſes, why he might be afrayde of himſelfe, and humble himſelfe, but he ought not to refuſe God, but moſt willingly receiue him. Wherfore when thou ſhalt feele thy ſynne, like as Peter did, and ſhalt perceiue that thou wouldeſt now flie from God, then is it neede that thou do forthwith turne thy ſelfe, and come more and more vntounto him. For if God ſhould goe away, and would not take away thy ſynne, would not come vntounto thee, nor ſeeke thee, yet the more thou perceiueſt thy ſelfe a ſynner, the more haſt thou oughteſt to make vntounto him, which ſee thou marke well, and lay it vp in a myndefull memorie. For as Sainct Peter doeth here, ſo all conſciences do, which are terrified of ſynnes, and would flie from God, & ſeeke an other god, do not thou leaue ſo, but come boldly, and ioyne thy ſelfe neerer vntounto God. Otherwiſe if one goe away to ſeeke workes, and helpe of an other god, he is then found like the fooliſh Virgines, which while they goe to get themſelues oyle, are in the meane ſeaſon ſhut out. But what doeth Chriſt, when Peter ſo humbleth himſelfe? and by reaſon of his great feare and terrour, deſireth the Lord to depart from him? did he leaue him in ſuch deſperation of himſelfe? No truly, but he comforteth him, ſaying thus:
Feare not, from hēce forth thou shalt catch mē. This is a ioyfull word,God ſuſteyneth ye faithfull both in body & ſpirit. whereby weake heartes receiue comfort. Now therefore, that God hath a care for vsus, yea euen in thoſe thinges that pertaine to the body, ye ſee by this, that he giueth Peter ſo many fiſhes: he maketh him alſo ſo full and rich in ſpirit, that he ought to beſtow ſome of his plenty vponupon others. He maketh him a fiſher both in body and in ſpirit: in body, for that he taketh many fiſhes which he may ſell: but in ſpirit he is a fiſher of men. For he hath the Goſpel, whereby other men muſt be brought to God by him, and the kingdome of Chriſt be increaſed. Loe, it commeth to paſſe, that where men beleeue, the Lord giueth ſo much, as ſuccoureth and helpeth all men. The faithfull man outwardly helpeth the needy with his ſubſtaunce and goods: And from within he breaketh forth, teacheth other, and enricheth them alſo inwardly. For ſuch a man can not hold his peace, but is enforced to ſhew and declare to others, how he is delt with, as it is in the 51. Pſal. Make me a cleane heart, O God, and renue a right ſpirit within me. Caſt me not away from thy preſence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. O giuegive me the comfort of thy helpe againe, and ſtablish me with thy free Spirit. Then shall I teach thy wayes vntounto the wicked, and ſynners shalbe conuerted vntounto thee. And in an other Pſalme alſo Dauid ſayeth: I beleeued, Pſal. 116.10.and therefore will I ſpeake. Which is thus much in effect: when I beleeue, I knowe God, and taſt of his goodnes, then I conſider the caſe of other men, and go and declare ſuch knowledge and goodnes of God vntounto them. We ſee therefore in this text, howe carefull God is for them that be his, and that he doth ſuſteine them both in body and in ſpirit. But if he doth ſometime differre any thinge, without all doute it is through the fault of our incredulitie, or becauſe we hauehave now new begon to beleeue. For where faith is new and litle, there is ſometime ſmall and ſclender helpe, that we may learne to know the Lord, and to truſt in him. But when we hauehave gone ſo farre that we truſt ſtrongly in God, then nothing can be wanting to vsus, then God poureth vponupon vsus both corporall and ſpirituall good thinges, and ſo aboundant treaſures that we may be able to helpe others. This in deede is to enrich the poore and to fill the hungrie. Thus much ſhall ſuffize concerning this text.