Collected Sermons, Passion
A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE MEDITATION OF CHRIST HIS PASSION.
FIrſt, ſome doe ſo thinke vponupon ye paſſion of Chriſt, that they are incenſed with anger againſt the Iewes, and doe inueigh againſt wretched Iudas in ſonges and reprochfull wordes: and thus they are content, and thinke this to be ſufficient, euen as they are wont in lamenting the caſe of other, to take pity on them, and to accuſe and condemne their aduerſaries. But that can not be called a remembring of the paſſion of Chriſt, but rather of Iudas and Iudas his wickednes.
Secondly, ſome hauehave noted in their mindes diuerſe commodities and frutes proceeding of the meditation of Chriſtes paſſion, that ſaying which is aſcribed to Albertus being commonly in their remembrance, that it is better to thinke vponupon the paſſion of Chriſt ſuperficially or once, then if one ſhould faſt the ſpace of a whole yeare, and daily in praying goe ouer the whole Pſalter, &c. That they follow hitherto, being blind and iuſtly ſtumbling, contrary to the true frute of the Lordes paſſion. Moreouer they ſeeke their owne thinges therein, and therefore they bringe with them images, bookes, letters and croſſes. Some alſo go ſo farre, that they thinke they ſhall make them ſelues ſafe from waters, terrors, fire, and from all daunger, as though the Lordes ſuffering ſhould be without ſuffering in them, contrary to the quality and nature thereof.
Thirdly, ſome hauehave compaſſion of Chriſt, lamenting & weeping for him as being an innocent man, like vntounto the women which followed Chriſt from Ieruſalem, who were reprehended and admoniſhed of him, that they ſhould weepe for them ſelues & for their children.
Fourthly, ſome ſo call to mind the paſſion of the Lord, and ſo conſider Chriſt, that inwardly they are ſore afraid, yea their reaſon alſo or vnderſtanding is turned into a certaine aſtoniednes or baſhfulnes.How the paſſion of Chriſt ought to terrifie vsus. Which feare notwithſtanding ought to proceede from hence eſpecially, in that we ſhould be put in mind thereby of the wrath and immutable ſeueritie of God prepared for ſinnes & ſinners, foraſmuch as he would not graunt to his onelyonly begotten and beloued ſonne that ſinners ſhould be abſolued and pardoned, vules he did make ſo great a ſatisfaction for them, as he ſpeaketh by Eſay chap. 53: For the transgreſſion of my people hauehave I ſmitten him. What ſhall come vntounto the ſinner, when a ſonne ſo exceedingly beloued is ſmitten? It muſt needes be that there is an vnſpeakeable and a moſt ſerious and earneſt matter, where ſo great and excellent a perſon doth deſcend to doe good vntounto him, & ſuffereth and dyeth for him.
Fiftly, reuolue deepely in thy minde, and dout not a whit, that thou art he which ſo tormented Chriſt, foraſmuch as thy ſinnes were moſt certainly the cauſe thereof. Thus S. Peter in the ſecond of the Actes, did ſtrike & terrifie the Iewes as it were with a certain lightning, when as he ſayd vntounto them generally: whom you hauehave crucified, ſo that the very ſame day three thowſand mē were greatly terrified, and being pricked in their hartes ſayd vntounto the Apoſtles: Men and brethren, what shall we doe? Wherfore when thou conſidereſt that his handes were pearſed with nayles, thinke that it was thy worke: when thou remembreſt his crowne of thornes, perſwade thy ſelfe that it was thy wicked cogitations, which cauſed it, &c.
Sixtly, thinke with thy ſelfe, that whereas one thorne pricked Chriſt, thou oughteſt worthely to be pricked with an hundred thowſand thornes, & that without intermiſſion, yea & much more grieuouſly: and that whereas one nayle pearſed the hands and feete of Chriſt, thou oughteſt to be grieued & moleſted with many moe and farre more ſharpe nayles continually, euen as it ſhall come at the laſt vntounto thoſe, in whome the paſſion of Chriſt hath not bene effectuall but fruſtrat. For Chriſt who is the truth it ſelfe, will lye to no man, will delude no man, and that which he attempteth muſt needes be a matter of exceeding great importance and wonderfull high.
Seuenthly, ſuch feare Bernard had conceiued hereof when he ſayd: I did play abroad in the ſtreete, and in the Kinges priuie chamber ſentence of death was giuen vponupon me. The Kinges onelyonly begotten ſonne hearing this, layd of his diademe & came forth, clothed in ſackcloth, his head ſprinkeled with aſhes, & bare foote, weeping and crying out that his ſeruaunt was condemned to death. I beholding him ſodenly comming forth, am amaſed at the ſtraungenes thereof, I aske and harken after the cauſe. What ſhall I doe? ſhall I play ſtill and delude his teares? Alas (ſayth he) it is no time now to play, it is no time to be ſecure, when ſo weightye a matter is in hande. So he bad the women that they ſhould not weepe for him, but for them ſelues and for their children, and he adioyneth the cauſe: For if they doe theſe thinges to a greene tree, what shal be done to the drie? as if he ſayd: learne what ye obtaine by my paſſion, and howſoeuer thinges fall out, yet this is true and knowne among you, that the whelpe is ſometime ſmitten, that the bandogge or maſtiue may be terrified. So alſo the Prophet hath ſpoken: All kinreds of the earth shall waile before him. He ſayd not, they ſhall bewaile him, but, they shal waile before him. Moreouer they were ſore afraid, of whom it is before ſpoken, ſo that they ſayde vntounto the Apoſtles Act. 2: Men and brethren, what shall we doe?
Eightly, that this affection may be wrought in vsus, the Lords paſſion is very diligently to be conſidered of and meditated vponupon,By conſideration of Chriſtes paſſion we ought to come to the knowledge of our ſelues foraſmuch as the moſt certaine profit thereof doth much conſiſt herein, that a man may come to the knowledge of him ſelfe, and tremble and be troubled before him ſelfe: whereunto he that doth not come, hath not yet attained vntounto the due profit of the Lordes paſſion. For the paſſion of Chriſt hath this proper and naturall vertue, to make a man like vntounto him, that euen as he was grieuouſly tormented both in body and mind for our ſinnes: ſo we alſo to imitat him muſt be afflicted in the knowledge of our ſinnes. Howbeit the matter is not here done in many words, but in depecogitation and earneſt weying of ſinnes.A ſimilitude. Take a ſimilitude: as thou haſt great cauſe to feare and tremble, if, when ſome malefactor is condemned, for that he hath killed the ſonne of the King or Prince, thou in the meane ſeaſon, ſinging and playing ſecurely as being innocent, art terribly apprehended and conuicted, that thou dideſt ſuborne the homicide: So thou oughteſt to become much more fearefull when thou doeſt reuolue in thy minde the paſſion of Chriſt. For albeit the wicked Iewes be now iudged of God and diſperſed, yet were they Miniſters of thy tranſgreſſions, and thou for a certainty art he, which with thy ſinnes haſt crucified and ſlayne the ſonne of God, as it hath bene ſayd.
Ninethly, he that feeleth him ſelfe ſo hardned and dull, that the paſſion of Chriſt doth not terrifie him, neither bring him vntounto the knowledge of him ſelfe, is in an ill and lamentable caſe: for Chriſtes paſſion is not effectuall in him. But nowe it is a harde thing for thee to be occupied in theſe thinges,What we muſt do that our meditation vponupon Chriſts paſſion may be frutefull. and earneſtly bent to the meditation of them: wherefore thou ſhalt pray God that he will mollifie thy hart, and giuegive thee grace profitably to meditate vponupon the paſſion of Chriſt, becauſe it can not in any wiſe be, that the paſſion of Chriſt ſhould be inwardly and rightly thought vponupon and conſidered of vsus, vnles God inſpire it into our hartes. Yea, neither this meditation nor any other doctrine is therefore ſet forth vntounto thee, that thou ſhouldeſt boldly ruſhe vponupon it of thy ſelfe to fulfill it, but that thou ſhouldeſt firſt aske and deſire the grace of God, that thou mayſt fulfil it, not by thine own ſtrength, but by Gods grace. For hereof it commeth, that they of whom it is before ſpoken, do not meditate on the paſſion of Chriſt aright, becauſe they deſire not helpe of God thereunto, but rather truſting vntounto their owne ſtrength, and following their owne inuention, meditate vponupon it altogether after the faſhion of men, and after a ſclender and vnfrutefull maner.
Tenthly, if one ſhould through ye grace of God meditate rightly vponupon the paſſion of Chriſt, by the ſpace of one day, or of one hower, yea or the ſpace of a quarter of an hower, we would faithfully pronounce of him, that he hath done better, then if he had pined him ſelfe with faſting the ſpace of a whole yeare, or had runne ouer the Pſalter eueryevery day. For this maner of meditation doth as it were chaunge a man, and almoſt regenerate him a new like vntounto baptiſme. Then in deede the Lordes paſſion doth his naturall, due and noble office, it killeth the old Adam, it driueth away all pleaſure, ioy and confidence, which may be had of creatures, euen as Chriſt was forſaken of all, yea euen of his father.
Eleuenthly,We muſt not deſpeire or ceaſe, though at the firſt we obtayne not that we pray for. ſeeing that ſuch a thing is not in our owne power, it commeth to paſſe that we doe often times aske it, and yet do not by and by obtaine it, notwithſtanding we muſt not therefore diſpeire or ceaſe. For that is ſometimes giuen for which we hauehave not prayed, and that ſometimes is not graunted for which we hauehave prayed, euen as it is the pleaſure of God, and as he knoweth to be beſt for vsus, for God will hauehave this gift to be free & without conſtraint.
Twelfthly, when as a man thus knowing his ſinne doth wholy tremble in him ſelfe, he muſt eſpecially endeuour, that ſinnes doe not ſtill remaine in his conſcience, otherwiſe meere deſperation will come thereupon, but he muſt ſhake them of and caſt them vponupon Chriſt, and ſo vnburden his conſcience. Therefore ſee againe and againe that thou doe not that which peruerſe men do, which within the ſecrets of their hart do vexe & diſquiet them ſelues becauſe of their ſinnes, & ſtriue with them, that by good workes or ſatisfactions, by farre going on pilgrimage, or elſe by pardons they may become ſafe, and may be made free from ſinnes, which can not be. And (alas) ſuch a falſe confidence in ſatisfactions and pardons hath preuailed very farre.
Moreouer, then thou doeſt caſt thy ſinnes from thee vppon Chriſt,What it is to caſt our ſinns vponupon Chriſt. when thou firmely beleueſt that he ſuffered & was wounded for thy ſinnes, and that he hath payd the ful ranſom and ſatiſfaction for thē, as Eſaias ſayth chap. 53. The Lord hath thrown vponupon him all our ſinnes. 1. Pet. 2.24. 2. Cor. 5.21.And S. Peter ſayth: who his owne ſelf bare our ſinnes in his body on the tree. S. Paule ſayth: He hath made him to be ſinne for vsus, which knewe no ſinne, that we should be made the righteouſnes of God in him. In theſe and ſuch like authorities thou muſt repoſe thy hope with all boldnes, and that ſo much the more, as thy conſcience doth more grieuouſly vexe and trouble thee. But if thou ſhalt not doe this, but preſumeſt that thou ſhalt be quiet by thy contrition and ſatisfaction, then thou ſhalt neuer come vntounto quietnes, but at the laſt ſhalt fall euen into deſperation. For our ſinnes kept and medled with within our conſcience, and ſette before the eyes of our hart, are farre ſtronger then we, and doe liue immortally. But when as we ſee them layd vponupon Chriſt, and to be victoriouſly conquered of him by his reſurrection, and doe confidently beleeue this, then they are dead and brought vntounto nothing. And yet being layd vponupon Chriſt, they muſt not remayne ſo: for they are ſwallowed vppe in the triumphe of his reſurrection. Soe ſayeth Sainct Paule: Chriſt was deliuered to deathe for our ſinnes, and is riſen agayne for our iuſtification, that is, he hath taken vppon him our ſinnes in his paſſion, and hath thereby payed the raunſome for them, but by his reſurrection he iuſtifieth vsus, and maketh vsus free from all ſinne, if ſo be that we doe beleeue this.
If thou canſt not attaine vntounto this faith, thou muſt as it is a litle before ſayd,What we muſt doe when we can not attaine vntounto this faith, to beleue that Chriſt died for our ſinns and roſe again for our iuſtification. reſort vntounto God by prayer, foraſmuch as this gift is in the hand of God only, who beſtoweth it when & vponupon whom it pleaſeth him. Thou maiſt alſo ſtirre vppe thy ſelfe hereunto: firſt, not now conſidering the paſſion of Chriſt outwardly, (for that hath nowe fulfilled his function and hath terrified thee) but rather by pearſing inwardly and contemplating his moſt louing hart, with how great louelove towards thee it is repleniſhed, which brought him hereunto, that he did beare thy conſcience together with thy ſinnes with ſo great and painefull difficultie. So thy hart ſhall waxe ſweete towards him, and the ſtrength & boldnes of thy faith ſhall be increaſed. Then hauing entred vntounto the hart of Chriſt, aſcend higher euen vntounto the hart of God, and conſider that the louelove of Chriſt could not hauehave bene ſhewed vntounto thee, except the will of God by his eternall louelove had ſo appointed, wherunto Chriſt by his louelove toward thee did obey. There thou ſhalt find a diuine hart, a good hart, a fatherly hart, and (as Chriſt ſayth) thou ſhalt be drawne vntounto ye father by Chriſt. There thou ſhalt vnderſtand this ſaying of Chriſt:Iohn. 3.16. So God loued the world that he gaue his onelyonly begotten Sonne, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but hauehave euerlaſting life. For this is to know God aright, when he is vnderſtood of vsus, not vnderunder the name of power or wiſedom (which is a terrour vntounto vsus) but vnderunder the name of goodnes & louelove. Then faith & confidence may ſtand conſtantly, & man him ſelfe is as it were regenerate a new in God.
When thy hart is thus eſtabliſhed in Chriſt, ſo that thou art now become an enemy of ſinne, and that by louelove and not through feare of puniſhment, then afterward the paſſion of Chriſt ought to be an example vntounto thee in thy whole life, and is now to be conſidered of in thy mind after a farre other maner then before. For hitherto we hauehave conſidered it as an outward thing which ſhould worke in vsus, but now we will wey it ſo, that ſomething is to be done of vsus alſo. For examples ſake:In the meditation of Chriſtes paſſion we may finde remedy againſt griefe, pride, luſt, anger, enuy, ſorrow, trouble, &c. when griefe or infirmity doth moleſt thee, thinke howe light theſe are being compared to the crowne of thornes and the nayles of Chriſt. When thou muſt either do or leaue of that which is grieuous vntounto thee to do or leaue of, thinke how Chriſt was taken and bound, and led vp & downe. When pride tempteth thee, conſider with thy ſelf how thy Lord was mocked, and reputed among theeues. When luſt & pleaſure pricke thee, thinke with how great ſharpenes the tender fleſh of Chriſt was torne with whippes, and pearſed through. When anger, enuye, deſire of reuenge moue thee, thinke with how great teares and cryes Chriſt did praye euen for his enemies, toward whom he might more iuſtly hauehave ſhewed him ſelfe ſharpe and rigorous. When ſadnes or any aduerſitie whatſoeuer either corporall or ſpirituall troubleth thee, ſtrengthen thy hart, & ſay: well, why ſhould not I alſo ſuffer a litle ſorrowfulnes, when as my Lorde did ſweat blood in the garden for anguiſh & heauines. Surely he were a ſluggiſh and an ignominious ſeruaunt, who, his maiſter lying at the poynt of death, would be held from him with a ſoft and eaſie bed.
Lo, thus a man may find ſtrength & remedie in Chriſt againſt all crimes and offences. This is truely in deede to meditate vponupon the paſſion of Chriſt: theſe are the frutes of the Lordes paſſion, in which he that doth after this ſort exerciſe him ſelfe, doth ſurely without compariſon better then if he heard all paſſions or all ſuperſtitious Maſſes. Such alſo are called true Chriſtians, which doe ſo repreſent the life and name of Chriſt in their life, as S. Paule ſayth:Gal. 5.24. They that are Chriſtes, hauehave crucified the flesh with the affections and luſtes with Chriſt. For the paſſion of Chriſt is not to be handled in wordes and outward ſhewe, but in deede and veritie.Heb. 12.3. So S. Paule admoniſheth vsus: Conſider him that endured ſuch ſpeaking againſt of ſinners, leaſt ye should be wearied and fainte in your mindes. And S. Peter ſayth:1. Pet. 4.1. Foraſmuch then as Chriſt hath ſuffered for vsus in the flesh, arme yourſelues likewiſe with the ſame minde. But ſuch meditation is now growen out of vſe and begon to waxe rare, wherewith notwithſtanding the Epiſtles of Peter and Paule are moſt aboundantly repleniſhed.