Sermon Concerning the Coming of our Savior, Title page – Scripture
¶ A very Comfortable, and necessary Sermon in these our dayes, made by the right reuerend father, and faithfull seruaunt of Iesus Christ Martin Luther, concerning the comming of our Sauior Christ to iudgement, and the signes that go before the last day. Which Sermon is an exposition of the Gospell appointed to be red in the Church on the second Sonday in Aduent, and is now newly translated out of Latin into English, and something augmented and enlarged by the translator, with certaine notes in the margent.
Act. 17. 30. ¶ Now God admonisheth all men eueryevery where to repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes, by that man whom he hath appointed: whereof he hath geuen an assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
2. Pet. 3. 3.
THis first vnderstand, that there shall come in the last daies, mockers, which will walke after their lustes, and say: where is the promisse of his commyng? for since the fathers dyed, all thynges continue a like from the begynning of the creation. For this they willingly know not, that the heauens were of olde, and the earth that was of the water and by the water, through the word of God. Wherfore the world that then was, perished, ouerflowed with the water: But the heauens and earth, which are now, are kept by the same word in store, and reserued vntounto fire agaynst the day of iudgement, and of the destructiō of vngodly men. Dearely beloued, be not ignorant of this one thyng, that one day is with the Lord, as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeare, as one day. The Lord is not slacke concernyng hys promes (as some men count slackenes) but is pacient toward vsus, & would hauehave no man to perish, but would all men to come to repētaunce. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse, and the elementes shal melt with heate, and the earth with the workes that are therein, shalbe burnt vp. Seyng therfore that all these thynges must be dissolued, what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlynes: Lookyng for, and hastyng vntounto the commyng of the day of God, by the which the heauens beyng on fire, shalbe dissolued, and the elementes shall meltEsay. 65. 17. and. 66. 22. with heate? But we looke for new heauens, and a new earth, accordyng to hys promes, wherein dwelleth righteousnes. Wherefore, beloued, seyng that ye looke for such thynges, be diligent that ye may be founde of him in peace, without spot, and blameles.
¶ To all the inhabitauntes of England, and other els where that vnderstand the English toung, the translator whisheth true knowledge of God, contained in his word, which is lyfe euerlastyng.
BEfore tyme, not many yeares since (dearely beloued brethren & countreymen) the Disciples of Antichrist, and Apostles of Sathan, for the establishyng of their Lordes kyngdome (knowyng that the cōtinuance therof, was the increase of their owne estimatiō, wealth and pleasure in this world) hauehave deuised many politicke practises, so wicked and so deuilish, that whosoeuer beholdeth them well, shall soone perceaue they were not inuented without the counsayle of their Lord and master. Wherof this was the first and chief, and (as I may say) the ground of the residue to keepe all men, both Princes and their subiectes, in ignoraunce of God, & hys word, that they not knowyng the truth, might the more casely be brought into all kynd of deuilish heresies: that they not vnderstanding vice, should not be able to reprehēd the horrible wickednes of Antichrist and hys ministers. To this end they hauehave restrayned all the laity throughout Christendome, from readyng the Scriptures, and hauehave forbydden them to be Printed in their vulgare tounges, an din stede thereof, hauehave geuen them to occupie theyr braynes withall, fables of Robin Hood, of Gie of Warrike, of Geuis of Hampton, of the Knightes of the round table, of the iiij. sonnes of Amō, filthy tales, Chaucer, the Court of Uenus, most horrible & blasphemous lyes out of Saintes Legendes, and such lyke. Wherby men beyng drowned in ignoraūce, and detestable heresies, hauehave bene cast downe headlong into the most miserable pit of hell. But now it hath pleased almighty God, towardes the commyng of our Sauiour to Iudgement, by the preachyng of hys word, through the workyng of hys holy spirite, to oppresse the power of Sathan, to cut the hornes of Antichrist, to reueale2. Thes. 2. 3 the man of sinne: Which sittyng in the Temple of God, boasteth hym selfe as God. Now it hath pleased our Sauiour Christ to diminish the kyngdome of Antichrist, & to aduaunce his owne kyngdome, to deface y• Disciples of Antichrist, and to glorifie hys owne Disciples. He hath driuen out the filthy swyne and wylde bores, that hauehave spoyled hys vineyarde, andMat. 20. 1. hath hyred laborers to husband it agayne, that it may yeld hym frute now at haruest tyme, whē he commeth to receiue the same into hys euerlastyng kyngdome: at which tyme hys faythfull seruaūtes shall receiue for their hyre, a peece of money that neuer shall fayle, and shall eate and drinke the frutes of their labours with hym, world without end. Therfore it is conuenient and necessary for all Gods labourers, that is to say, Princes and their Magistrates, Prelates, and all Ecclesiastical Ministers, to labour diligētly in the Lords vineyard, to kepe out these swyne, which Antichrist hath sent to deuoure it: not onelyonly to yoke them, but also to set dogges on thē, which wil both barcke and plucke of their …ares, if they enterprise to breake through the hedge, and to route vp y• vines with theyr deuilishe bookes, altogether voyde of Gods word and of reason, to eueryevery man that hath any vnderstandyng, and knowledge of God. To this end by the authority of our soueraigne Lady the Queenes Maiestie in our Realme, and other Princes in other Realmes, a great number of godly men hauehave preached diligently, other hauehave written very profitable bookes of Diuinitie, both in Latin, and in theyr own vulgare toung, and diuers hauehave translated good bookes out of straunge tounges into their owne language, husbanding therby the Lordes vineyard, and keepyng out the swyne that endeuer to destroy it. Amongest whom I beyng one more ready to shew my good will, then able to do any great seruice, hauehave chosen this short Sermon of Martin Luther, the faythfull seruant of God, Grādcapitaine vnderunder our Sauiour Christ, and chief hunter of these wyld bores, vntounto theyr father the deuill, from whēce they were sent to destroy the sincere & true worshyp of God. This mans Sermon (I say) concernyng the commyng of our Sauiour to Iudgemēt, and the signes that go before the last day I hauehave chosen to translate into our English toung, as that which I thought a most cōuenient labour in this last houre of the day, to preserue inMat. 20. 6. the Lordes vineyard the ripe grapes from rottyng and from wild beastes, and to hast those that are vnrype agaynst the Lordes commyng, that is to say: to comfort the faythful, to confirme the weake, and to instruct the ignoraunt, in diuers necessary pointes of doctrine, or at the least to geue them a watchword of our Lordes commyng, that they may now at the lengthMath. 24. 49. Mat. 25. 4 cease from sinityng theyr felow seruants, and from eatyng and drynkyng with the drunken, and may make them selues ready with oyle in their lampes to receiue hym: that when the trumpet bloweth, and the bridgrome commeth, we may all folow hym into hys euerlastyng tabernacle, therein to lyue with God the father, the sonne and the holy ghost, in euerlastyng ioy. To whom be all prayse, honor, and glory world without ende.
Amen.
Anno 1569. March 22. T. B.
THe places of Scripture, that appertayneth to this Sermon folowyng, are noted in the margent, to the end that the Readers, accordyng to the example of those men, mentioned in the Actes ofActes. 17. …1. the Apostles, may examine the Scriptures, and try whether it bée so or no, as the author hereof sayth: and readyng them they may finde many moe Sentences besides for the comfort and confirmation of their fayth.
¶ The Gospell for the second Sonday in Aduent.
THere shalbe signes in the Sunne, in the Moone, and in the Starres, and in the earth: the people shalbe at theyr wittes end thorow dispayre. The Sea and the water shall rore, and mēs harts shall fayle them for feare, and for lookyng after those thynges which shall come on the earth. For the powers of heauen shall moue, and then shall they see the sonne of man come in a cloude with power, and great glory. When these thynges begyn to come to passe, then looke vp, and lift vp your heades, for your redemption draweth nere. And he shewed them a similitude saying: behold the figge tree, and al other trees. When they shoote forth theyr buds, ye see and know of your selues that sommer is then nigh at hand. So lykewyse ye also, When you see these thinges come to passe▪ be sure that the kyngdome of God is nigh. Verely I say vntounto you, this generation shall not passe, vntill all be fulfilled: heauen and earth shall passe, but my word shall not passe.