I have preached these sermons in my house in the presence of my servants, so that I, as a householder, might also do my part to teach my servants to lead a Christian life. If God would have them all enter not only into the ears but also into the heart, I hope it would not have gone without fruit, as Isaiah says in 55, v. 11: "My word shall not return to me alone, but shall accomplish that for which I have sent it. But though some fall by the wayside, some on the stony ground, some among thorns, yet they find a good field where they bear fruit and do not come home alone. So also the German man says: A good word finds a good place. Not every place is good, but at least a good place, and not a vain evil place.
The patriarchs had such a way of preaching in their houses, with their servants; as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob were known to have built altars from time to time to call upon God the Lord, that is, to gather there with their servants, to preach, to pray and to praise God. In time, the neighbors and surrounding people and towns were also drawn to it. For it is not to be believed that a patriarch built an altar for himself alone, but his wife, children, servants and maids came there with him and did as they had seen the father of the house do. Then he did not have to be silent, but, as a priest and preacher, gave them
and they teach from the promises God has given them. And so the neighbors also joined in; thus the house sermon became a parish sermon etc. As we also see in the Acts of the Apostles and Matthew 10, Christ commands that the apostles' sermons also take place first in the houses, and so the neighbors were added, finally with whole cities and countries.
However, I did not know that these sermons of mine were collected and kept by M. Vito Dietrich, who was my table assistant at the time, much less that I thought that they would come to be printed among other people and strangers. It has been to my mind as if they were even forgotten. But to whom they please, I will gladly grant them, like the crumbs, chunks and lumps that are left. Because, praise God! the Biblia itself is in the day, with many learned people rich and useful books, in which a Christian man can well feast. For (as they say, the cow goes in the grass up to the belly) so we are now also abundantly provided in our time, truly with rich full pasture of divine word; God grant that we may gratefully use it, grow fat and strong from it, before the drought comes and punishment of our ingratitude, so that we do not have to eat stones and thorns again, as happened to us before under the papacy, but bear much fruit, and become disciples of the Lord, John 16. To Him be praise and glory forever, amen.