IIMsllliJ

DIVINITY SCHOOL
TROWBRIDGE LIBRARY

GIFT OF
Dean Luther A. Weigle

LUTHER

AS

SPIRITUAL ADVISER.

AUGUST NEBE.
DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY, PROFESSOR, PASTOR.

TRANSLATED BY
CHARLES A. HAY, D. D.,
CHARLES E. HAY, A. M.

PHILADELPHIA :
LUTHERAN PUBLICATION Si^rgTY.,

G-Tt

Copyright, iS

THE LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY.

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

TT is hoped that the following presentation of the
-^ I,eader of the Reformation as an untitled pastor,
with all Germany for his parish, may not only
serve to bring out into clearer view the wonderful
versatility of the great man, and furnish a needed
correction in the prevailing estimate of his char
acter, but may also indicate to some a much-
neglected field of Christian activity in our own
age, an age in "which temptations are varied in
form and multiplied in power, and in which the
occupants of pulpit and pew too often plead the
pressure of official duties, absolutely trifling com
pared with those of Tuther, as exempting from the
primary obligations of Christian brotherhood.
The translation from the original has been,
upon the part of the undersigned, a labor of
filial love, the first pages having been prepared
for the press by an honored father, Professor
Charles A. Hay, D. D., of Gettysburg, Pa., but a
few days before his summons to heavenly rest.
(iii)

iv Translator' s Preface.
Thankful for the privilege of carrying out the
design of one who himself exemplified in no small
measure the true pastoral instinct, we commend
this touching picture of the past to the contempla
tion of the present, imploring upon it the blessing
of the great Shepherd of Souls.
Charles E. Hay.
Allentown, Pa., July 2, 1894.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

/\ NOTHER small contribution to the quadri-
¦**¦ centennial birthday banquet of Tuther ; we
hope not an undesirable or superfluous one. That
side of the Reformer's character which we try to
present here dare not be merely glanced at, but
deserves to be attentively considered. Here we
may look down most deeply into his heart, for here
the soul of his grand work reveals itself to us.
Constant reference has been made to the sources,
and, where it was necessary, the L,atin has been
translated into German, as this little book is meant
to be intelligible to everybody. August Nebe.
Rossleben, September, 1883. (v)

" 38ear pe one anotljec'e imrBens, ana so fttlfil tlje lata of
C&rtst."— Gal. vi. 2.

CONTENTS.
PAGE
Translator's Preface  3
Author's Preface  5
CHAPTER I.
How Luther Cared for his own Soul  9
CHAPTER II.
How Luther Ministered to the Sick  31
CHAPTER III.
How Luther Interested Himself in the Forlorn. 57
CHAPTER IV.
How Luther Admonished the Erring  103
CHAPTER V.
How Luther Comforted the Mourning  137
(vii)

viii Contents. PAGE
CHAPTER VI.
How Luther Strengthened the Tempted  175
CHAPTER VII.
How Luther Dealt with the Dying  222

A

CHAPTER I.
HOW LUTHER CARED FOR HIS OWN SOUL.
N old proverb says: "Physician, heal thyself""
(L/k. iv. 23). We know very well that not
every proverb is a true word ; that, even if it con
tains a truth, still it does not hit the point in every
case. Would the Lord have acted worthily of
himself and in a manner well-pleasing to God, if
he, despite his finding no faith among those of his
own family, had done miracles in Nazareth, or if,
in view of the scoffing assertion: "He helped
others, let him help himself, if he be Christ, the
chosen one of God" (Lk. xxiii. 35), he had torn
out the nails from his hands and feet and had come
down from the cross? But this old proverb is and
remains ever true in regard to the pastoral care.
No one can properly advise and care for another,
unless he has before-hand advised and cared for
himself. He who wishes to help others as a physi
cian of souls, must himself first of all have con
scientiously used the true remedy. Therefore
Luther, as a Spiritual Adviser, had first to care for
his own soul.
(9)

io Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
There has been only One upon earth who never
needed any outside help, who found in the depths
of his own pure, devout heart everything that he
needed for the true life: and yet this One, our
Redeemer, in the darkest hour of his life said to
his three chosen apostles : "Remain here and watch
with me!" (Matt. xxvi. 38). However high, too,
the Reformer stands, he yet often received great
benefit from the counsel of others. As long as he
lived, he remembered with the heartiest gratitude
especially two men, who comforted his poor soul
when, in the monastery at Erfurt, it was torturing
itself with sins for the most part imaginary, and
despairing of the grace of God, and who led it to
him who so kindly invites to himself the weary
and heavy-laden.
An old, pious fellow-monk, whose name is un
fortunately lost, to whom he told his agonies of
conscience, pointed him to that principal article of
faith, in which it is said: "I believe in a forgive
ness of sins." He explained to him this article as
meaning that we are not only in general to believe
that some receive pardon, as even the devils be
lieve that David and Peter were forgiven, but that
God's command is that every o'ne of us individually
is to believe that his sins are forgiven.* "Son,
* Melanchthon's Vita Lutheri.

Luther and his own Soul. ii
what are you doing?" said the venerable teacher
to his pupil, who with many tears was deploring
his temptations, "do you not know that the Lord
has commanded us to hope ?" "By this one word,
'commanded,'" confesses Luther in his commen
tary on Ps. li. 9,* "I was so strengthened that I
knew that the absolution was to be believed. I
had indeed often before heard the absolution, but,
hindered by foolish thoughts, had supposed I dared
not believe it, but heard it as if it did not avail for
me." The general vicar of the Augustinian monks,
into whose order Luther had entered, the exper
ienced Dr. Johann Staupitz, gave further aid.
This pious, practical mystic had looked deeply
into the heart of Holy Scripture, as well as into the
human heart. "There is a great mountain. 'You
must cross it' — the law says; 'I will cross it' —
says presumption; 'You cannot' — says conscience;
' Then I won't attempt it ' — says despair. ' ' f That
was a word from him that Luther could never for
get. Staupitz assured him that " Christ does not
alarm, but comforts." "Why do you torment
yourself with these speculations?", Staupitz once
called to him. % " Look at the wounds of Christ and
*Op., ex. ed. Erlangen, 19, 100.
t Tischreden. Aurifaber, 149, b. Forstemann, 2, 48.
J Op. ex., 6, 296, on Gen. xxvi.

12 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
at his blood shed for you; from these predestina*
tion will shine forth." A casual remark of his,
that only that repentance is genuine which begins
with love to righteousness and to God,* remained,
as Luther himself expresses it, sticking like the
sharp arrow of a warrior in his soul, and he found
the Scriptures to be in perfect harmony with it.
Through his Staupitz, as he afterwards liked to
call him, he was liberated from the morbid con
sciousness of sin by the statement: "You want to
be an imaginary sinner and to regard Christ as an
imaginary Saviour. You must accustom yourself
to think that Christ is a real Saviour and that you
are a real sinner. God does nothing for fun nor for
show, and he is not joking when he sends his Son
and delivers him up for us."f Often, when he
came with his self-condemnatory complaints, he
was dismissed with the answer: " Magister Martin,
that I do not understand." J "To Doctor Stau
pitz," thus Luther relates in his Tischreden,§ "I
have often confessed, not about women, but real
knotty questions, when he would reply: 'I don't
understand it.' That was giving comfort rightly.
*Briefe. De Wette, i, 116.
flbid., 5, 680.
% Tischreden, Aurif., 314, b. Forst., 3, 119.
gAurif., 320, a. Forst., 3, 135.

Luther and his own Soul. 13
At last Dr. Staupitz began with me as we were eat
ing, and I was so sad and dejected, saying: ' Why
are you so sad, brother Martin?' Then I said:
'O, what shall I do?' Said he: 'Ah, you do not
know that this trial is good and necessary for you,
else nothing good would ever come of you.' That
he did not himself understand, for he thought I
was learned, and if I had no temptations I should
become proud and haughty. But I made the appli
cation in accordance with the saying of Paul: 'A
thorn in the flesh was given to me, lest I should be
exalted above measure.' Therefore I accepted it
as a word uttered by the voice of the Holy Spirit."
Though Luther, already in the monastery, had
made the experience that those of whom he hoped
that they might understand his spiritual anxieties
and sufferings could frequently not advise nor help
him, this experience still did not prevent him from
afterwards looking about for brotherly encourage
ment. He never regarded himself as all-sufficient,
nor as highly lifted up above all others ; humbly
and urgently he besought help in hours of trial.
"On Saturday Visitationis Mariae (July 9th,
1527)," reports Luther's most intimate friend in
Wittenberg, the excellent Dr. JohannBugenhagen,*
"Dr. Martinus Lutherus, our dear father, had a
* Luther's Werke, Jena, 3, 403, b.

14 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
severe temptation, like those we are often told of
in the Psalms. He had indeed previously endured
several such temptations, but never any so severe
as upon this occasion, as he confessed next day to
Dr. Jonas, Dr. Christianus and myself, saying that
it was much more severe and dangerous than the
physical weakness which attacked him the same
Saturday evening at five o'clock; although he
afterwards asserted that even this bodily weak
ness had not been natural, but was perhaps the
same sort of suffering that Paul had endured from
Satan, who had buffeted him (2 Cor. xii. 7). When
now this spiritual temptation on Saturday morn
ing had passed away, the pious Job was concerned
lest, if the hand of God should rest so heavily
upon him again, he might not endure it. He
had perhaps also an additional apprehension that
our Lord Jesus Christ was about to call him home.
He therefore sent his servant, Wolf, to me at eight
o'clock in the morning, telling me to come to him
in haste. As he said, 'in haste,' I was somewhat
startled, but found the Doctor in his usual condi
tion, standing by the side of his wife, as he was
then able to commit and commend everything to
God with a calm and collected mind. He is not
accustomed to spread his affairs before men who
cannot help him and whom he cannot benefit by

Luther and his own Soul. 15
his complaints ; but he usually exhibits himself to
people just as those wish to find him who come to
him for comfort. If he is sometimes too merry at
table, he does not himself enjoy it, and this cannot
displease, much less scandalize, any really devout
person; for he is an affable man, and utterly op
posed to all sorts of dissimulation and hypocrisy.
But, to proceed, I asked the Doctor why he had
sent for me. He replied : 'Not for any bad pur
pose.' When now we had gone up and retired to
a private apartment, he commended himself and
all that he had with great earnestness to God, be
gan to confess and to acknowledge his sin, the
master desiring from his pupil comfort from the
Word of God, as also an absolution and release
from all his sins, exhorting me, too, to pray for
him diligently, which I also asked him to do for
me. Further, he desired that I would allow him
on the following Sunday to receive the holy sacra
ment of the body and blood of Christ, for he hoped
to be able on that Sunday to preach. He did not
seem, so far as I could perceive, to anticipate the
attack that befell him in the afternoon, and yet he
added : If the Lord means to call me now, his will
be done."
When, in the same year, 1527, the plague broke
out in Wittenberg, and in the parsonage the wife

1 6 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
of the chaplain, George Rorer, became a victim of
it, Luther took Dr. Pommer into his house, "not
so much " (as he himself writes to Nicholas Haus-
mann)* "on his account as on my own, that he
may be a comfort to me in my loneliness." He
joyfully acknowledges what consolation he experi-
.eneedviu the wonderful counsel of God through his
:guest at that time. "When, in the year 1535, the
! university of Wittenberg," he reports in the
Tischreden,t "was transferred to Jena, on account
• of the frequent deaths, and I was deeply perplexed
. and sad about a certain matter, Dr. Pommer said
to me : ' Our Lord God in Heaven no doubt is
thinking : What more shall I do with this man?
I have given him so many splendid great gifts,
and yet he persists in doubting my grace.' These
words were to me a grand, great comfort, and re
mained fixed in my heart, as if an angel from
Heaven had spoken them to me, although at that
time Dr. Pommer did not think that he was giv
ing me a consolation with his words."
The Reformer desired not only the assistance of
such prominent evangelical men as Bugenhagen
and Jonas ; he was glad, too, of the aid of the lowly
brother. When, during the Diet of Augsburg in
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 219.
, f Aurif., 328 a. Forst , 3, 159.

Luther and his own Soul. 17
1530, he was sojourning in the castle at Coburg,
he received every two weeks at the hands of
the pastor residing there, Rev. Johann Grosche,
the absolution and the holy sacrament. He ex
tolled so highly to his pupil and associate, Veit
Dietrich, the consoling instruction of this plain
pastor, that the former begged Rev. Grosche to
make a collection of the passages of Scripture that
he generally used in absolution for the consoling
of consciences. Grosche did this, and Luther,
who afterwards saw the collection, was so much
pleased with it, that he had it transcribed for his
own use. For, in one's daily temptations, he de
clared, he had more than once learned in his own
experience, how even the well-known passages .
often slip the memory and do not occur to one. *
That he cares'* best for his own soul who is com- -
pletely immersed in the quickening and saving
fountain of the Word of God, no one better knew
than our Luther. We know what drove him into
the monastery ; he wanted to find rest for his soul.
What did he first seek for there? "When I went
into the monastery," he himself relates, t "I asked-
for a Bible and the brethren gave me one. It was
bound in red leather. I made myself so tlior-
* Porta, Pastorale Lutheri — Ausgabe von 1842, \ 392.
f Ericeus, Sylvula. 174 b.

1 8 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
oughly familiar with it, that I knew on which
page and at what place upon the page each passage
stood. Had I kept it, I should have become a
splendid localis biblicus. No other study pleased
me like that of the Holy Scripture. I read in it
diligently and imprinted it upon my memory.
Often a single passage of weighty import occupied
my thoughts the whole day. The significant
words of the prophets, too, which I still very well
remember, kept me thinking and thinking, al
though I could not comprehend, them, e. g., as we
read in Ezekiel : " I have no pleasure in the death
of the wicked," etc.
The Reformer used the Scriptures for edification
as long as he lived. God's Word was his daily
food, and his unfailing weapon of offence and de
fence. Temptations often assailed him, not un
frequently taking the form of self-reproach for hav
ing published a doctrine of which the Catholic
Church for a long while had no longer known any
thing, and of which in his day it would not admit
an iota. Luther did not advance upon the track
of a reformer with a flippant heart ; he was too
faithful a son of the Church that ejected him. "If
the devil finds me idle," he says,* "and I am not
mindful of the Word of God, he causes me con-
*Tischreden. Aurif., 12 a. Forst, 1, 36.

Luther and his own Soul. 19
scientious scruples, just as if I had not taught
rightly, and had injured and distracted those in
authority, and had been the occasion of so much
scandal and disturbance by my doctrine. But if I
lay hold of the Word of God, I am victorious, and
can shield myself against the devil, saying : I know
and am sure from the Word of God, that will not
lie to me, that this doctrine is not mine, but that it
is the doctrine of the Son of God. Then I defend
myself further, by considering : What does God
care for the whole world, if it were ever so great?
He has established his Son as king ; if the world
will not acknowledge him, he has yet established
him firmly enough in his kingdom, so that they
will not unseat him, but must let him safely abide.
But if the world undertakes to dethrone him, he
will overwhelm them and reduce them to ashes.
For God himself says : 'This my Son ye shall
hear ;' and in the second Psalm he says : ' Be wise
now therefore, O ye kings : be instructed, ye
judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be
angry, and ye perish from the way, for his wrath
will soon be kindled.' "
God's Word afforded him perfect satisfaction.
He declares:* " I want only the Word of God and
*Tischreden. Aurif., 11 b. Forst., 1, 36.

20 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
do not ask for any miracle, nor desire any vision,
nor will I believe an angel that teaches me any
thing different from the Word of God: I believe
only the Word and works of God, for God's Word
was sure from the beginning of the world, and has
never missed, and I see in fact that things are
going just as God's Word says."
That a perplexed mind does not find much coun
sel or comfort from the church fathers, he learned
already in the monastery. Only Gerson, among
the ecclesiastical writers, he praises, and even him
only conditionally. "Gerson alone," he says,*
"wrote hitherto about spiritual temptations; all
the others felt only physical or carnal temptations:
therefore also he alone can comfort and strengthen
consciences, for he has learned it through experi
ence. Yet he has not gone so far as to be able to
give counsel to consciences in Christ through the
Gospel; but he has made the pressing need or
temptation tolerable and endurable by mitigating
the law, saying: 'Ah, sin and death are after all
not so very bad.' "
One good piece of advice from Gerson, however,
he heeded, namely: "that one cannot in any way
better avoid and drive away the temptations of the
devil, and the thoughts that he inspires, than by
* Tischreden. Aurif., 310 a. Forst., 3, 106.

Luther and his own Soul. 21
just heartily despising him." * With all his heart
the Reformer despised Satan, who tried to tempt
him with all sorts of grievous and wicked thoughts.
If he perceives that he is coming, he plays him, as
he was fond of saying, f a merry trick. He begins
to play ou his lute and accompany it with a song.
"One of the most beautiful and glorious gifts of
God is music," says he. J "Satan is very hostile to
it. With this one drives off many temptations and
evil thoughts. The devil can' t endure it. " Or, he
opens the window and looks at the birds. We
know in what straits the Church was lying during
the Diet at Augsburg, and with what serious
thoughts of dying Luther was battling at Coburg,
having even selected the place where he was to be
buried. But how he threw out of the window
everything that burdened his soul, and drew new
inspiration and fresh courage from God's free crea
tion! He comforts himself with what he sees, and
is so consoled that he rouses up his friends in
Augsburg || and Wittenberg with his exquisite
mirth. " Grace and Peace in Christ, my dear Friends!"
* Tischreden. Aurif., 322 b. Forst., 3, 142.
flbid. Aurif., 311 a. Forst, 3, 109.
% Ibid. Aurif., 577 b. Forst, 4, 563.
|| Briefe. De Wette, 4, 12 ff.

22 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
he writes to those at his home. * "I have received
all your letters, and noted how matters are going
with you. That you may know how we are get
ting along here, I inform you that we, namely,
Magister Veit and Cyriacus and I, do not go to
the diet at Augsburg; but we have been attending
nevertheless another diet. There is a cluster of
bushes just under our window, like a small forest.
The rooks and crows have there assembled a diet,
and there is such a coming and going, such a
screaming day and night without ceasing, as if
they were all drunk, roaring drunk: they are
frolicking together, young and old, so that I some
times wonder that their voice and breath hold out
as they do. I would like to know whether there
are any of these stylish fellows and restless trash
still with you; seems to me they have gathered
here from all over the world. I have not yet seen
their emperor, but the dignified chaps and the
lordly fellows are constantly hovering and bobbing
up and down before our eyes; not very splendidly
dressed, but all of one color, all alike black and all
alike gray-eyed. They all sing the same song,
yet with a charming variety of tones, of the young
and old, the small and great. They don't care,
either, for great palaces and halls; for their hall is
*Briefe. De Wette, 4, 7 ff.

Luther and his oivn Soul. 23
arched over by the beautiful broad sky, their floor
is nothing but field, checkered with pretty green
shrubs, and the walls are as wide as the ends of
the world. They do not concern themselves for
horses and harness; they have feathered wheels,
by which they can escape the rifles and get out of
the way of danger. They are great, mighty lords;
but what their conclusions are, I still do not know.
But this much, however, I have learned from an
interpreter — they are planning a powerful cam
paign and attack upon wheat, barley, oats, malt
and all sorts of grain and corn, and many a one
will here become a knight and perform great deeds.
So we sit here in the diet, and listen and look on
with great satisfaction, as the princes and lords,
together with other estates of the empire, so cheer
fully sing and enjoy themselves. But it affords us
special pleasure to see how bravely they swing
their tails, wipe their bills, break down the hedges,
and prepare to gain a glorious victory over grain
and malt. We wish them success in their pilfer
ing — and would like to see them all together em
paled upon a hedge-pole! But I think it is just
like the Sophists and Papists, with their preaching
and writing. These I must have all in a crowd
before me, so that I may hear their agreeable voices -
and sermons, and see how very useful a people

24 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
they are, to devour everything upon earth, and in
return display their impudence by way of pastime.
To-day we heard the first nightingale, for it dis
trusted the early part of April. We have had
charming weather hitherto; it has not yet rained,
except a little yesterday. Perhaps it is otherwise
with you. God bless you. Be careful house
keepers.
"Martinus Luther, D."
From the Diet of the Malt-turks, April 28th, fj;jo.
But a look out of the window did not always
suffice. Then in some other way a game had to
be played upon the devil, who ever tries to make
sad and desponding.*
"Dr. Martin Luther was at one time," we learn
from the Tischreden,f "low-spirited and depressed,
whereupon he was taken out for a carriage-ride
through woods and across meadows. As his com
panions sang spiritual songs and were full of good
cheer, he said : ' Our singing mortifies the devil
*The senior translator's work ends abruptly at this point,
which happens to be the bottom of a page in the original. He
here laid down his pen before retiring on the evening of Satur
day, June 24th, 1893, and on the following Monday morning,
after writing a few personal letters, he was gently called away
. from scenes of labor to his eternal rest.
fAurif., 493 b. Forst 4, 252.

Luther and his own Soul. 25
and gives him pain. But when he sees us grow
impatient and hears us moaning, he laughs in his
sleeve, for he delights to plague us, especially if
we preach and confess Christ. And, since he is a
prince of the world and our sworn enemy, and we
must travel through his territory, he exacts tribute
from us by thus vexing us with all manner of
bodily sickness and complaints.' "
But, with all this, the devil cannot always be
kept at a distance. He crowds upon one and be
gins to dispute. Then is just the time to play the
wicked enemy a merry trick. "When the devil
comes to me at night," says Luther in the Tisch-
reden,* "to plague me, I give him this answer :
' Devil, I must sleep now, for it is God's command
ment and appointment that we work by day and
sleep at night. ' If he now further persists, presses
upon me and charges me as a sinner, then I ridi
cule him and say : ' Holy Satan, pray for me !
Dear Devil, pray for me, for you have never done
anything wrong. You alone are holy. Go before
God, and gain grace for yourself. If you want to
make me pious, I say to you : ' Physician, heal
thyself.'" The best weapon to employ against all trials and
temptations is prayer; but Luther, great man of
* Aurif., 313 b. Forst. 3, 116.

26 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
prayer that he was, experienced more than once to
his sorrow that the spirit of prayer may forsake the
believer. He understood, however, how to awaken
it again and kindle it to a clear flame. "I am
sometimes," he confesses,* "so cold and languid
that I cannot pray; then I close my ears and say:
'I know that God is not far from me; therefore I
must cry and call upon Him.' I recall, 011 the
other hand, the ingratitude and the ungodly ways
of the opposers, the Pope with his cankers and
vermin, etc., until I grow warm and burn with
wrath and hatred, and then I say: 'O Lord, hal
lowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be
done.' Thus my prayer grows warm and becomes
fervent." By means of prayer he triumphed over all the
sorrows of life and the terrors of death. In pray
ing he attained resignation to the divine will,
the blessed peace of trust in God. When, in
1527, that spiritual temptation and bodily weak
ness came upon him, from which he only very
slowly recovered, he prayed, as Jonas relates, f as
soon as he had regained consciousness after the
swoon: "'My dearest God, if Thou wilt have it
that this be the hour which Thou hast ordained
*Tischreden. Aurif., 315 a. Forst., 3, 120.
f Luther's Werke. Jena 3, 404 a.

Luther and his own Soul. 27
for me, thy gracious will be done!' He further
prayed with great fervency of heart the Lord's
Prayer and the entire sixth Psalm. When he was
finally placed in bed, he began immediately again
to pray, and said: 'Lord, my dearest God, O how
gladly, as Thou knowest, would I have shed my
blood for the sake of thy Word! But I am perhaps
not worthy of such honor. Thy will be done! If
Thou wilt have it so, I will gladly die; let but thy
holy name be praised and glorified, whether by my
life or by my death. But if it were possible, O
God, I would gladly yet live, for the sake of thy
pious and elect ones. Yet, if my hour is come,
do as pi ease th Thee; Thou art a Lord over life and
death! My dearest God, Thou hast thyself en
listed me in this cause. Thou knowest that it is
thy Word and the truth. Exalt not thine enemies,
and let them not rejoice and boastfully cry:
' ' Where is now their God ? ' ' but glorify thy holy
name to the dismay of the enemies of thy blessed,
saving Word ! My dearest Lord Jesus Christ, Thou
hast graciously granted me the knowledge of thy
holy name; Thou knowest that I believe on Thee
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one true
God, and console myself that Thou art our Medi
ator and Saviour, who hast shed thy precious blood
for us sinners. Support me in this hour, and com
fort me with thy Holy Spirit!'"

28 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
The God of grace comforted him so richly in
answer to his prayer, that he was able with cheer
ful confidence to bid farewell to wife and child.
"My dearest Katie," said he,* "should our God
at this time take me to himself, I beg you to be
resigned to his gracious will. You are my lawful
wife ; be very sure of that, and have no doubt
whatever about it. Let the blind, ungodly world
say against this what it will ; be guided by God's
Word and hold fast to it, and you will have a sure,
abiding consolation against the devil and all his
slandering hosts."
Presently he began again to prayrf" "O, my dear
Lord Jesus Christ, who hast said: 'Ask, and ye
shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you,' according to this thy
promise, give, Lord, to me asking, not gold nor
silver, but a strong, firm faith; seeking, let me find,
not worldly pleasure and joy, but comfort and re
freshment through thy blessed, saving Word ;
knocking, open unto me. I desire nothing that
the world counts great and high, for by such
things I have not been made better by a hand-
breadth before Thee; but give me thy Holy Spirit,
to enlighten my heart, to strengthen and comfort
* Luther's Werke. Jena, 3, 404 b.
f Ibid. Jena, 3, 405 a.

Luther and his own Soul. 29
me in my distress and need, to keep me in true
faith and trust upon thy grace until my end!
Amen." He then inquired for his little son: "But
where is my dearest little Hans?" When the
child was brought, it smiled upon him. This
did not break the father's heart, but, filled with
the spirit of willing submission, with the most
cheerful confidence in God, he said: "O you good
poor little child! I now commend my dearest
Katie and thee, poor little orphan, to my dear,
good God. You have nothing; but God, who is a
father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows,
will well provide and care for you."
The Lord at that time heard the prayers of his
servant and of anxious friends, and restored him to
health. When, at Eisleben, the dying-hour had
really come, and he felt the cold death-dew upon
his brow, he commended his spirit in prayer into
the hands of God.* "O my Heavenly Father, the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou
God of all comfort, I thank Thee, that Thou hast
revealed to me thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, on whom
I believe, whom I have preached and confessed,
whom I have loved and praised, whom the miser
able Pope and all the ungodly dishonor, persecute,
* Luther's Werke. Jena, 8, 385 b.

30 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
and blaspheme. I beseech Thee, my Lord Jesus
Christ, let my soul be commended to Thee ! O,
Heavenly Father, although I must leave this body,
and be snatched away from this life, yet I know
assuredly, that I shall abide forever with Thee,
and that no one shall snatch me out of thy hands."
In the days of health the Reformer had com
posed the noble Hymn of Simeon :
" In peace and joy I now depart
At God's will,
Within are cheerful mind and heart,
Placid and still :
As God hath promise given,
Death is but sleep to me."
Unremittingly, faithfully, had he cared for his
own soul until the end, and the Lord, his God,
therefore permitted him, when his hour was come,
to depart in peace.

A

CHAPTER II.
HOW LUTHER MINISTERED TO THE SICK.
MAN who has himself passed through severe
attacks of sickness and temptation and has in
this school of suffering experienced in his own
heart the comfort of the divine Word and the
power of prayer possesses every requisite which is
of prime importance in ministering to the sick, and
the only question is, whether he is also willing to
do that for which the grace of God has qualified
him. In this willingness the Reformer was never
found wanting. He recognized fully and deeply
the duty of the Christian man to minister to his
brethren, to be the servant of all men in the power
of love. That which he had in the very beginning
of the Reformation set forth in bold outlines in the
excellent pamphlet, "Of the Liberty of the Chris
tian Man," he practically exemplified year by year
in his intercourse with his fellow-men, and in times
of need developed more fully and impressed with
power upon the hearts of others.
When, in 1527, the pestilence not only broke out
in Wittenberg, but spread, with devastating power,
(30

32 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
throughout all Germany, all who were at all able
to escape fled from the infected regions, without
stopping to think of their poor neighbors. Then
Luther grasped his pen, and, at the request of the
excellent Breslau pastor, Dr. Johann Hess, gave
reply to the question: "Whether one may flee
from death." This question he answers at large
and in general in the negative, maintaining that
only he can in God's name take refuge in flight,
. who is perfectly free and under no obligation, who
has no special duties of any kind to perform toward
his neighbor, and who is convinced that the general
duty of care for the sick and the dead will be dis
charged by others. "For in this way," writes
he,* "we must and are in duty bound to deal with
our neighbor in all times of need and danger what
soever. If his house is burning, love bids me run
thither and help to put out the fire ; if there are
enough other people there to put it out, I may re
turn home or remain there, as I please. If my
neighbor falls into the water or into a pit, I must
not go away, but must run up and help him all
that I can; if there are others there helping him,
then I am free. If I see him hungry or thirsty, I
\ must not leave him, but give him food and drink,
\ and not look upon the danger that I may thereby
* Werke. Jena, 3, 394 a. Compare Briefe. De Wette, 1, 347.

Luther and the Sick. 33
be made poor or less respectable. He who will not
help and assist another until he can do it without
danger or injury to his own person or property,
will never help his neighbor, for that will always
appear to him to involve a loss, danger, injury or
neglect of his own interests. It is well understood
that no one can live in the neighborhood of an
other without danger to his person, property, wife
and child ; for he must run the risk of a fire or
other calamity reaching him from his neighbor's
house, and ruining him with his body, property,
wife, child and all that he has. If any one would
not thus treat another, but would suffer his neigh
bor to lie in bodily distress and flee from him, he
is before God a murderer, as St. John says in his
epistle : ' He who loveth not his brother is a mur-1
derer;' and again: 'Whoso hath this world's
goods and seeth his brother have need, how doth
the love of God abide in him ? ' This is one of the
very sins that God charges upon the city of Sodom, ,
when he says through the prophet Ezekiel : ' Be
hold, this was the sin of thy sister Sodom, idleness, ,
fullness and sufficiency, and no reaching out of the
hand to the poor.' Therefore will Christ alsoat'
the last day condemn them as murderers, when-he
shall say: 'I was sick, and ye visited me not.''
But if they shall be thus judged, who do npt,go to

34 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
the poor and sick and offer them help, how will it
go with those who yet further take from the poor
what they have and lay all manner of inflictions
upon them?"
No reproach could have rested upon the Re
former if he had removed with the university from
Wittenberg to Jena. He held no office in the con
gregation, but was a member only of the academic
body, and its chief member at that. The univer-
versity besought him to remain attached to it.
The reigning prince, the Elector John, urged him
in a special letter on the ioth of August,* to settle
with his wife and child in Jena, as he could not be
spared at the university there in view of what was
daily occurring in matters of the divine Word and
sacraments. But he remained inexorable, regard
ing it as his sacred duty to stay in Wittenberg and
assist Bugenhagen in the sorely afflicted congrega
tion, a decision which is the more highly to be ap
plauded, as the first cases of death from pestilence
— eighteen in number — all occurred in his imme-j
diate neighborhood, near the Elster gate.f
What did Luther then do during the pestilence ?
He himself tells us in the writing above referred to:
"Whether one may flee from death." J "I deem
*Burckhardt, Luther's Briefwechsel, s. 119.
t Briefe. De Wette, 3, 191.
% Werke. Jena, 3, 397 b.

Luther and the Sick. 35
it proper, therefore, to present at the same time
some brief instruction as to how one should minis
ter to the spiritual wants of the people in the midst
of such frequent deaths, just as we have also done
and daily do the same by word of mouth from the
pulpit, in order that we, who are called to have
the care of souls, may fulfil our office. In the first
place, one should exhort thejpeople to go_to church
and listen to the preaching, in order that they may
learn the WordofGod, which teaches how they
ought to live and die. It should be kept in mind
that those who are so rude and reckless as to de
spise God's Word when they are in health, should
likewise be left to themselves in their sickness,
unless they manifest sorrow and penitence with
great earnestness, with tears and laments. For if
any one chooses to live like a heathen or a dog,
and shows no public sorrow for it, to him will we
also not administer the sacrament, nor accept him
as among the number of Christians ; let him die as
he has lived, and take heed to himself, for we are
not to cast our pearls before swine, nor to give that
which is holy unto the dogs. In the second place,
the people should be exhorted that each one lay
hold in time and prepare himself for death by con
fessing and receiving the sacrament once in every
week or fortnight, that he become reconciled to his

36 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
neighbor, and make his will, in order that, should
the Lord call for him, and he be suddenly over
taken, before the pastor or chaplain can reach him,
he may nevertheless have provided for his soul and
not have neglected it, but commended it to God.
In the third place, should any one desire to see the
chaplain or pastor, the latter should be summoned
or notified in time and at the beginning of the at
tack, before the disease has gained control, and
while sense and teason still remain."
This instruction from the pulpit did not, of
course, satisfy the godly man. When the pesti
lence then for the first time, and afterwards in
1535 and 1539, appeared and claimed its victims,
he went out among the plague-stricken upon the
streets and in the houses. He concerned himself
most faithfully in their behalf, and did not hesi
tate to touch them, and to take them when dying
in his arms that the last struggle might be less
severe. Luther at one time spoke at table * of the
death of Dr. Sebald and his wife, whom he had
inspected, visited, lifted and handled in their sick
ness, and said that they both died more from
anxiety than from the pestilence. To his beloved
* Aurif., 493 b. Forst, 4, 251. Sebald Miinsterer died in the
night between the 25th and the 26th of October, 1539. Com
pare Briefe. De Wette, 5, 218.

Luther and the Sick. 37
Spalatin he writes on the 19th of August, 1527:*
"To-day we buried the wife of Tilo Dene (the
burgomaster of Wittenberg), who yesterday died
almost in my arms, and this was the first death in
the central part of the city." He took the four
orphaned children of Sebald into his own house,
whereupon "some criticised him as tempting God.
'Yes,' said he, 'I had fine masters, who taught
what it is to tempt God.' "f
But Luther was very far from tempting God :
he does not disdain, indeed, in his little writing :
"Whether one may flee from death," to recom
mend all kinds of measures against contagion.
"Not so, my friend," cries he to him who says :
" If God wishes to protect the city, He will surely
do it without waiting for us to pour water on the
fire, "J "that is poor reasoning ; but use medicine,
employ all means that can help you, fumigate
house, 3'ard and alleys, avoid also infected persons
and places, when your neighbor does not need you
or has recovered, and conduct yourself like one
who would gladly help to put out a common fire.
*Briefe. De Wette, 3, 191. Compare Tischreden, Aurif.,
276 a. Forst, 2, 441.
t Tischreden. Aurif., 493 b. Forst., 4, 251. Briefe, De
Wette, 5, 219.
X Werke. Jena., 3, 396 b.

38 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
For what else is the pestilence but a fire, which
devours not wood and straw, but the body and the
life? This is the way you should reason : 'Well,
the enemy has by God's decree sent in among
us poison and deadly spawn. I will, therefore,
implore God to be gracious to us and protect us.
Afterwards, I will also fumigate, help to purify the
air, give and take medicine, avoid infected places
and persons where I am not needed, in order that
I may not suffer harm myself, and, besides, poison
and infect through my person many others and
thus through my neglect be the occasion of their
death.' "
Luther's own house did not entirely escape in
1527. On November 1st of that year he reports to
his friend Amsdorf:* "It begins to look like a
hospital at our house. Hannah, the wife of Augus-
tinus (Schurf, a physician, whom Luther had taken
into his home) had a touch of the prevailing dis
ease, but is up again. Margaret Mochin (a woman
from Mochau, who also lived with him) alarmed
us with a suspicious boil and other symptoms, but
she is recovering. I feel very much concerned
about my Katie, who is in a delicate condition, for
my little sou has also been sick for three days, eats
nothing and feels badly; they say it came from
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 217.

Luther and the Sick. 39
teething." But God held a protecting hand over
Luther and his family. That which he had written
on the 19th of August to Spalatin:* "Only Pom
mer and I are therefore here with the chaplains;
but Christ is here, so that we are not alone, and he
will triumph in us over that old Serpent, the mur
derer of men, however sorely the latter may bruise
his heel," was really experienced. "Thus we
have," writes he in the letter to Amsdorf,t "fight
ings without and terrors within, and very severe at
that ; Christ is afflicting us. The only consolation
that we have, with which to oppose the raging
Satan, is this, that we at least have God's Word,
to save the souls of believers, even if the devil
does devour their bodies."
But not only in such very peculiarly trying
times did the Reformer actively engage in extend
ing temporal and spiritual aid to the sick. He
always had a heart to feel for the sick, and through
his whole life cheerfully ministered to their wants.
He regarded the visits of the spiritual adviser just
as much to be desired and as necessary as the visits
of the physician, for he was thoroughly convinced
that very many bodily diseases have their origin in
a morbid spiritual condition. Upon one occasion,
*Briefe. De Wette, 3, 192.
flbid., 3, 217.

40 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
when he was informed of the weakness of a certain
noted man, he said:* "That is a result of sorrow,
which is often a cause of such disorders; for when
the heart is troubled and sorrowful, then follows
also weakness of the body. The diseases of the
heart are the real diseases, such as sorrow, tempta
tions, etc. I am a real Lazarus, thoroughly tried
by sickness."
That no other spiritual condition can be created
¦by the use of medicines, but that God's Word is
the only means of help and healing, he also knew
full well. "The physiciaus," said he once at ta-
ble,f "consider in diseases only the causas natur-
ales, whence and from what natural causes a dis
ease comes, and try to give help with their medi
cine, and they do right ; but they do not see that
the devil often hurls a disease upon a person, when
there are no causas naturales. There must there
fore be a higher kind of medicine here, to ward off
the devil's pestilence, namely, faith and prayer, and
the seeking of spiritual remedies in God's Word.
For this purpose, the 31st Psalm is, for example,
•very suitable, in which David says: ' My time is in
'thy hands.' This passage I have now in my sick-
iiess learned to understand, and will improve it in
* Tischreden. Aurif., 492 a. Forst., 4, 246.
•flbid. Aurif., 494 a. Forst., 4, 253.

Luther and the Sick. 41
future editions of the Psalter. In the first transla
tion I have applied it only to the hour of death;
but I will make it read: 'My time is in thy hands
—my whole life, all my days, all the hours and
moments of my life; my health, my happiness,
life and accident, sickness, death, sorrow — this is
all in thy hand. ' ' '
One of his household thus describes to us the
method which Luther employed in his visits to
the sick :* " When Dr.. Martin Luther approached
any sick person, whom he visited in time of bodily
weakness, he conversed with him in a very
friendly way, bent down over him and inquired in
the first place about his sickness, what his ail
ment was, how long he had been weak, what
physician he had employed, and what kind of
medicine had been given him. Afterwards, he
began to inquire whether in this bodily weakness
he had been patient before God. When he had
now learned, how the sick man had borne himself
in his weakness, and what was his disposition
towards God, if it appeared that he was determined
to bear his sickness patiently, because it had been
sent upon him by the gracious and fatherly will
of God, and that he acknowledged himself to have
well deserved this affliction by his sins, and was
*Tischreden. Aurif., 494 a. Forst, 4, 254.

42 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
prepared to die willingly, if it should so please
God; thereupon the Doctor began highly to praise
such Christian resolution and purpose as a work
wrought by the Holy Spirit, and declared with
exultation that it is a great mercy of God when
one attains in this life to the true knowledge
of God and believes on Jesus Christ, our only
Saviour, and can submit his will to the will of
God. He then exhorted the sick to continue
steadfast in such faith by the help of the Holy
Spirit, and offered to pray diligently to God in his
behalf. If upon this the sick began to thank the
Doctor and to declare that they had not deserved to
be visited by him, he was accustomed to reply
that that was his office and his duty, and that
they had no need to thank him for it. As he bade
them farewell he kindly counseled them to fear
nothing, reminding them that God was their gra
cious God and father, in confirmation of which he
had given them good testimonials and seals in his
Word and sacraments, and that, in order that we
poor sinners might be delivered from the devil and
from hell, the Son of God had willingly given Him
self to death for us and reconciled us to God."
We are enabled, further, to follow Luther to
several separate beds of sickness, and we do so
gladly, because only thus will his method and

Luther and the Sick. 43
manner become clearly perceptible. To the widow
Felicitas, of Selmenitz, who had for his sake moved
to Wittenberg and was there lying sick, he thus
offered consolation.* "We have waited far too
long, if we only now, in the last hour of need,
would learn to know Christ. He has come to us
in our baptism, and has been with us, and has
kindly made a bridge__for us, upon which we may
cross from this life through death to the life be
yond. This you must most firmly believe."
"At Torgau," we read in theT~ischredeu,t "he
visited a chancery-clerk, a pious, industrious man,
who lay sick with dropsy, comforted him, and
counseled him not to let himself be troubled on
account of this his sickness, nor to afflict himself
yet further with sadness, but to follow the in
structions of his physicians, iii order that the bless
ing of God might not be hindered by anxiety and
grief — for, as a common proverb has it, 'Good
cheexjs half the body,' i. e., if the heart is cheer
ful, the body will not suffer — and to follow the
advice of St. Peter, and commend his soul to the
faithful Creator. 'We ought to be glad to die,'
said he, 'for we have had enough of Hfe for our
selves; only we must live yet a while for the sake
of others!' "
* Tischreden. Aurif., 331 a. Forst, 3, 169.
t Aurif., 325 b. Forst, 3, 152.

44 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"Doctor Martin Luther," we learn again,* "vis
ited and administered comfort to a woman, who
had had a great longing to see him, but who suf
fered from a very grievous complaint and had
passed through horrible paroxysms. No physician
could give her counsel or help, for it was a pure
work of the devil, an unnatural thing caused by
terror at an apparition of the devil, who had as
sailed her in the form of a calf until she fainted
away in a dead swoon. Several days afterward
great terror and trembling came upon her, and she
had four paroxysms, each lasting three or four
hours, iii which she fell prostrate upon the earth
and fainted away, so that it was necessary to arouse
her with cordials and cooling applications, and she
became so very sick in consequence that she could
hardly draw her breath. She would clasp her
hands together, gaze steadily up towards heaven
and sigh. Her hands and feet were so bowed by
the cramp that they looked like horns, and were
quite cold. Her tongue was parched and dry.
Her whole body was even lifted quite up into the
air and cast down again. In the midst of this ter
rible attack, she lifted up her eyes, which appeared
as though heavy with sleep, and said: 'O, what a
load I have had to bear! Take off this heavy
*Tischreden. Aurif., 322 b. f. Forst, 3, 142 f.

Luther and the Sick. 45
stone!' As she was thus speaking, she saw Dr.
Martin Luther standing before her bed. At this
she was greatly rejoiced, sat up, welcomed him,
and said: 'Ah! my dear Father in Christ, pray to
God for me!' and fell back again upon the bed,
saying: 'I am still so full of sleep.' Then said
Dr. Martin Luther: ' Devil, may God command
thee to let alone this, the creature and creation of
his own divine hand,' and, turning to those who
had come with him, he said: 'She is vexed in
body by the devil, but her soul is blessed and will
be preserved; therefore let us thank God and pray
for her.' He then prayed aloud the Lord's Prayer,
concluding finally with these words: 'Lord God,
Heavenly Father, who hast commanded us and
those who are sick to pray, we beseech Thee
through Jesus Christ, thy dear Son, to deliver this
thy handmaiden from her sickness and from the
bonds of the devil! Wilt Thou not, in fatherly
compassion, dear God, spare her soul, which Thou
hast, together with her body, by the shedding of
the blood of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, purchased
and saved from sin, death and the power of the
devil?' To this the sick woman responded, 'Amen,'
and then said to Dr. Luther: 'O, dear Father,
pray to God for me, that I may continue in union
with the Lord Christ, whom thon hast so faith-

4-6 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
fully preached to me, and who is my only comfort
and my life; although he scourges now, he does it
that I may become humble, but not that I may
thereby be lost. But O, dear Lord Christ, give me
patience and the knowledge of my sins!' Then
Dr. Martin Luther comforted her with the Word
of God, and said that she ought to acknowledge
this paternal will of God and commend herself to
him, for our Lord God is accustomed to scourge
his dear children, in order that their spirits may be
saved. The woman then made a noble confession
of her faith, uttered a beautiful prayer of thanks
giving, and said: ' I have been proud and haughty;
I have devoted more attention to the adornment of
my body than to the hearing of God's Word; the
preaching to which I have listened went in at one
ear and out again at the other. But now I am in
the right school, and God is preaching to me;
therefore, dear Lord God, help for the sake of thy
Son!' She gave utterance to many more such
noble words, and said that when lying in the
paroxysms she felt nothing and heard nothing, but
only rested as though in a deep sleep and as though
she were bearing a heavy burden, and that when
consciousness returned she felt very tired in all her
members. Upon the night following the visit of
Dr. Martin Luther, she enjoyed a quiet rest.

Luther and the Sick. 47
Afterwards, however, the infirmity returned again,
but she was at length graciously delivered from it."
The peculiar skill of the Reformer in minister
ing to the sick was known far and wide, and he
was in consequence very frequently requested by
such, if he could not visit them in person, at least
to send to them counsel and consolation in writ
ing. We present the three following, as speci
mens of the letters written in response to such
requests. To his old friend, the Mansfeld councilor,
Johann Riihel, he writes :* "Grace and Peace in
Christ, and with these, as ever, Life and Comfort.
My dear and honored Doctor, my dear kind
Sponsor and Relative. Your affliction occasions
me the most heartfelt sorrow, especially as I have
learned from the letter of your son Justus, that you
find it so hard to bear. But surely you are, as
well as we, a friend, member and confessor of that
Man who says to us all through St. Paul (2 Cor.
xii. 9): 'My strength is powerful iii the weak.'
It ought surely to make you much happier, to
have been called by such a Man, endowed in
addition with knowledge, desire and love for his
Word, and, yet further, sealed with his baptism
and sacrament. What more can he do, who has
*Briefe. De Wette, 4, 545 f.

48 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
given you within a heart thus disposed toward
himself, and without such seals, together with the
confession and testimony of his grace. O, dear
Doctor, consider what blessings you have received
from him, and look not upon your sufferings; for
there is no comparison between the two. He can
very easily, too, make you well again, if you will
let him take his time : although we are his in
every hour, as St. Paul says (Rom. xiv. 8) : ' Liv
ing or dying, we are the Lord's (Domini sumus).'
'Yes,' truly 'Domini,' both in the possessive and
in the nominative case: in the possessive case, 'the
Lord's,' because we are his house, yes, his very
members; in the nominative case, 'Lords,' be
cause we rule over all things through faith, which,
thanks be to God, is our victory, and tread upon
the lions and dragons. Finally, remember that he
has said (John xvi. 33): 'Be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world.' Take courage, therefore,
my dear and honored Doctor, and let the voices of
your brethren reach your heart, through whom
even beyond and above his daily works, God
himself says to you: 'Where I am, there shall ye
also be!' I shall treat your sons just as though they
were my own. You are not a false friend to me, as
I have had abundant reason to know: therefore will
I also not be false to you nor to any of yours while

Luther and the Sick. 49
God grants me breath. Amen. Magister Philip
will see you shortly, if God will, and will have
more to say. I send greeting to all your family.
Dr. Martin Luther."
Given this Day of Peter and Paul (June 2pth), in.
the year 1534.
To the honorable and prudent Caspar Miller,.
chancellor at Mansfeld, his patron and sponsor,-
the Reformer sends this letter of comfort:* " Grace -
and Peace in Christ. My dear Sir and Sponsor,
Honored Chancellor — to address you as is fitting,
although some of those about you would have it
otherwise — I have received your letter and the
frills, which please me very well, and I thank you
kindly. It grieves me, that sickness should again
be laid upon you by God: for I know very well,
since you are by the grace of God one of the very
few (rare birds), who are heartily in earnest ini
their devotion to the Word of God and the King
dom of Christ, that your good health and ability
may be very useful and comforting to us all,
especially in the midst of the strange perils that
are now overhanging us. But if God indeedl
wishes that you should thus be sick, his will will'
most certainly be better than all our wills, just as ;
it was needful that even the very best and innocent
* Briefe. De Wette. , 4, 563 ff.

50 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
will of his dear Son should be subject to the
higher and supremely good will of the dear Father.
His will be done also in us with joy, or at least
with patience. Amen. In the Word of God we
read: 'Be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world ! ' How can we do otherwise, than glorify
and bear in our body the Conqueror of the world,
the devil, sin, death, the flesh, diseases and all
evils. His yoke, we know, is easy, and his bur
den is sweet. But our yoke and burden, which
he bore for us, was the devil, yea, and the wrath
of God. From that may God preserve us! Yea,
he has already delivered us from it, and we bear
instead his dear load and his sweet burden. Ah !
that we have yet to undertake, and joyfully to
accept the change. It is a kind merchant and a
gracious dealer, who sells us life for death, right
eousness for sin, and demands for interest only a
sickness or two, enduring for a moment, as evi
dence that he gives more cheaply and lends more
kindly than brokers and dealers on the earth.
Yea, truly ! the Lord Jesus' Christ is the Man, and
the true Man, who struggles and conquers and
triumphs in us. He must and shall still live, and
we with him and in him. There can be no
other issue of the strife, however the gates of hell
may rage. Therefore, as you desire a message of

Luther and the Sick. 51
comfort from me, I offer this as my comfort in
Christ: that you may be joyously thankful to the
Father of all grace, who has called you to his
light and to the confession of his Son, and given
to you abundantly at least thist grace, that you do
not favor the enemies of his Son, nor advance
their plans, which you could not indeed do unless
Cochleus, Vicelius, and Albert of Halle pleased
you better than St. Paul or Isaac, or just as well,
which I trust they do not. What does it matter,
then, that God lays you upon your bed and sends
sickness upon you, since he grants you such
abundant grace and has separated and chosen you
out of such diabolic darkness and such a hellish
rabble? Thank him, and render the interest due
like an honest man, and pay your vows, as the
116th Psalm says (v. 10) : 'I believe, and therefore
am I thus afflicted: but how can I repay what God
has done for me? I will drink the cup of joy, and
praise and thank the name of my Lord,' i. e., I
will bear misfortune and sufferings with joyfulness
and sing out above them hallelujah. Do this and
you shall live. Christ, our Lord, who has begun
in you his work, will carry it on to a blessed end, as
with us all, although we are poor sinners. He him
self knows our weakness, and his Spirit intercedes
for us. To him do I now earnestly commend you.

52 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Just see now, have I not afflicted my patient far
enough ? My Lord, Katie, sends greeting, and hopes
that you may soon be well and come to see us.
"Martinus Luther, D."
Wittenberg, Tuesday Vigilia? Catharince (Nov.
24th), in the year 1534.
To Frederick Myconius, Superintendent at
Gotha, who lay dying of consumption, he addressed
the following heroic epistle: "Grace and Peace.
I have, dear Frederick, received your letter, in
which you inform me that you are lying sick unto
death, or, as you rightly and in a true Christian
spirit explain, 'sick unto life.' Now, although it
gives me a peculiar joy, that you are so unterrified
in view of death, which is for all the pious but an
ordinary sleep; yea, so full of desire to depart and
be with Christ, as we should all be, not only when
on beds of languishing, but even in the fullest
vigor of life, at every time, at every place, under
all circumstances, as becomes us Christians, who
have already been with Christ awakened, made
alive, and admitted to heavenly enjoyments, who
are even judges of the angels, so that nothing
remains to be done, but that the veil and the dark
word be removed — although, I say, it has afforded
me a peculiar joy to learn this of you, yet I beseech

Luther and the Sick. 53
and implore the Lord Jesus, our Life, our Salva
tion and our Health, that he may not permit yet
this evil to fall upon me, that I should survive and
see you and others of our friends break through
the veil and enter into rest, leaving me behind,
out among the devils, to be vexed yet longer after
your escape. I have surely been vexed enough
through so many years, and might be accounted
worthy and deserving to go before you. I pray,
therefore, that the Lord may let me become sick in
your stead, and give me commandment to lay
aside this my robe of flesh, that is no longer good
for anything, that has served its time and is worn
out. I recognize plainly enough that I am no
longer good for anything. Hence I beseech you
also to pray with us to the Lord, that he may pre
serve you longer for service in his church and to the
mockery of the devil. For you surely see, and he
who is our Life also sees, what talents and persons
are necessary for his church. Farewell, my Fred
erick, and may the Lord grant that I may never
while I live hear of your departure, but may he
ordain that you survive me. This I pray, this I
desire, and may my will be done, Amen; for this
my will seeks the honor of God's name, and not
my own pleasure or honor. Again, farewell. We
are praying most earnestly for you. My Katie

54 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
sends greeting, as do all the others, who are deeply
affected by your sickness.
"Your Martin Luther."*
Sunday after Epiphany, 1341.
We can understand why the Elector, John Fred
erick, when, in June, 1540, Melanchthon lay dying
at Weimar, would hear of no other course than to
bring Luther, traveling day and night, from Wit
tenberg. "When the latter arrived," reports
Ratzeberger,f "he found Melanchthon really in
such condition as had beeii reported to him. His
eyes had already become dim, reason had entirely
vanished, the power of speech was lost, hearing
was gone, and his countenance and temples were
sunken. It was, indeed, as Luther said, the Hypo-
cratic face. He recognized no one, ate and drank
nothing. When Luther first looked upon him, he
was shocked beyond measure, and said to his com
panions: 'God forbid! how has the devil marred
this instrument!' and, turning immediately to the
window, he prayed earnestly to God. ' Then and
there,' Luther afterwards said, ' was our LprdGod^
*Myconius, always sickly from the year 1541, did in fact not
die until after Luther's death, i. e., on April 7th, 1546, and was
accustomed to acknowledge that this letter of Luther had given
him a new lease of life.
t Luther und seine Zeit. Published by Neudecker, p. 103 f.

Luther and the Sick. 55
obliged to listen to me, for I cast my burden before
his door, and besieged his ear with all the promises
to answer prayer that I could repeat from the Holy
Scriptures, so that he was obliged to hear me, if I
was at all to trust his promises.' He then took
Philip by the hand, and said: ' Be of good courage,
Philip, you will not die. Although God has
reason enough to take away your life, yet he does
not desire the death of the sinner, but that he may
turn from his ways and live. He has pleasure in
life and not in death. If God called and received
again to his favor the very greatest sinners that
ever lived on earth, Adam and Eve, much less will
he cast you out, my Philip, or suffer you to perish
in sin and sorrow. Therefore do not give way to
despondency, and thus become your own murderer,
but trust in the Lord, who is able to kill and make
alive again.' For Luther well understood the
troubles of his friend's heart and conscience. As
he was thus holding and addressing him, Philip
began to breathe again, but was still for a long
time not able to talk. He then turned his face
directly toward Luther, and began to entreat him
for God's sake not to detain him any longer, say
ing that he was upon a good journey and that he
should allow him to go on, as nothing better could
happen to him. 'By 110 means, Philip,' said Lu-

56 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
ther, 'you must serve our Lord_God yet further^
here.' Thus Philip became more and more ani
mated, and Luther, ordering some food to be
quickly prepared, took it to him himself. But
Philip refused to eat of it. Luther, however, com
pelled him with threats, and said : ' Do you hear,
Philip ? Quick ! You inust_eat now, or I will ex-
cominunicate you ! ' By this language he was
prevailed upon to eat a little, and thus gradually
regained strength. ' '
The Electress Elizabeth, of Brandenburg, who
had fled for protection to her uncle, John the
Steadfast, because her husband, as was commonly
reported, intended to imprison her for secretly re
ceiving the holy communion in both elements at
Easter, 1528,* and to whom the castle at Lichten-
burg had been assigned as a residence, acted not
unwisely when, in 1537, she secured admission to
Luther's, house, in order that both her temporal
-and her spiritual wants might there be ministered
: to during her great bodily weakness, f His Katie
-sat upon the bed by her side and soothed her, and
rhe himself gave her every possible attention.! She
was there restored again to health. ||
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 296.
¦flbid., 6, 445.
4 Ibid., 6, 188.
1 1| Ibid., 5, 596 f.

CHAPTER III.
HOW LUTHER INTERESTED HIMSELF IN THE
FORLORN.
THE first among the many destitute and forlorn
in whose behalf Luther was called upon to
interest himself were those who, for the sake of
the Gospel which he had restored to them, had,
with cheerful trust in God, forsaken the monaster
ies in which they had been incarcerated, or the
positions which they had held in the Roman
Catholic church. To Wittenberg they came, not
only from the various provinces of Germany, but
also from the Netherlands,* France t and other
lands. They looked to the Man whose word had
awakened their consciences and illuminated their
hearts, not only for further instruction, but also,
since they had forsaken all for the faith, for food
and shelter, in fact for their entire support. The
Reformer recognized his duty, and, despite his
many other engagements, applied himself with the
greatest diligence to its discharge. His first con-
* Briefe. De Wette, 2, 182.
•f Ibid., 2, 302 ; 3, 102 (Two superiors at once).
(57)

58 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
cern was to secure for the refugees admission into
respectable and suitable homes. He then notified
their nearest relatives, and inquired what these
were willing to do.* As was to be expected, the
majority refused to assume any responsibility for
their escaped friends. Not only were the mon
asteries very commonly regarded as institutions
for the support of poor relations, but very many
yet cluug so tenaciously to the old church, that
they condemned the forsaking of these spiritual
houses as a horrible and heaven-offending crime.
It now became necessary so to locate those who
were forsaken by their friends, that they might
earn their own living.
The priests who had been compelled to flee on
account of their faith could be easily provided for,
for the most of the old pastors in the territory of
the Elector of Saxony were entirely incapable, if
not altogether unworthy men. Luther was con
stantly sending to his friend, the very influential
Spalatin, for the good of the Church, such confes
sors of the faith, tried in the fires of affliction. If
he knew of no appropriate position for his man in
the territory of his own ruler, having intimate
relations with many princes and cities throughout
Germany, he sought at a distance what he could
* Briefe. De Wette, 2, 319 ; 3 33.

Luther and the Forlorn. 59
not find near at hand. He thus sent to Count
Philip of Nassau-Weilburg, in 1538, Johann Beyer
of Steinach, an able preacher, who had withdrawn
from the ungodly monastery at Halle, together
with his wife and child.*
It was much more difficult to make secure provi
sion for the future of the escaped monks. Scarcely
any of these had received sufficient spiritual train
ing and culture to make them available as preachers
of the Gospel. But whenever Luther discovered a
competent man, he spoke a good word for him.
He thus, for example, secured from Spalatin for
the brother Moritz, who had left the monastery
at Altenburg, the pastorate of Schonewalde, near
Herzberg,f and very earnestly recommended the
brother of his own order, Gabriel Zwilling, to the
council of Altenburg as a suitable man to be called
as their minister.! In most cases, it was neces
sary to advise the learning of an honorable trade,
and to point out the proper steps and furnish the
means to this end. Luther here displayed keen
penetration and great practical ability. He thus
recommended to his friend, Hans of Dolzig, as a
good gardener, Ern Heinrich, who, unlike the
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 344 ; 6, 204.
flbid., 2, 361.
X Ibid., 2, 183.

60 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
others who left the monastery, had received a hun
dred guldens.* "As Wittenberg," however,
"swarmed with escaped monks, and others were
daily arriving," as Luther himself writes, f it was
necessary for him to call his distant friends to his
aid. Nicholas Hausmann, at that time pastor at
Zwickau, where cloth-making and linen-weaving
were extensively carried on,! rendered him faith
ful assistance. A short letter of the Reformer, in
which he recommends to him such a former monk,
has been preserved. § Since, however, the fac
tories would receive no one as an apprentice with
out evidence of legitimate birth, and as the
appropriate testimonials were very commonly re
fused to former inmates of the monasteries in order
to compel them to re-enter the hated walls, Luther
frequently found himself called upon to testify
that the applicant, according to his best knowl
edge and conscientious belief, was "born and
descended from reputable and irreproachable par
ents" and had conducted himself reputably and
honorably, and that no one could accuse him of
anything to the contrary. With such a testi
monial, for example, he dismisses Gregory Mor-
genstern of Dresden, a former Augustinian, who,
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 164. flbid., 2, 241.
Jlbid., 2, 251. glbid., 2, 241.

Luther and the Forlorn. 61
"according to Christian doctrine and the counsel
of truth, desires to be transferred forthwith from
his perilous condition to a blessed condition, since
he wishes, in all honor before God, by the help of
pious people, to support himself, like all the sons
of Adam, by the sweat of his face."*
But it was the most difficult task of all, to give
proper counsel and care to the escaped nuns.
Luther could not, of course, as long as he was un
married, receive any destitute nun into the mon
astery. He often did so afterwards, and one of
these, "Aunt Lene," an aunt of his wife, whose
full name was Magdelene von Bora, for whom he
had warm rooms specially prepared, remained
with him until her happy death, f The Duchess
Ursula of Miinsterberg, who had almost miracu
lously escaped from the convent at Freiberg, found
with him a refuge of righteousness. "She is now
staying at my house," writes he to Spalatin on the
20th of October, 1528,! "with two young women,
one of whom, Margaretha Volkmar, is the daughter
of a citizen of Leipzig, and the other, Dorothea,
the daughter of a Freiberg citizen, who took
with her into the convent 1400 guldens inherited
* Briefe. De Wette, 2, 413.
t Ibid., 6, 327.
t Ibid., 3, 390 f.

62 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
from her father, and has left this behind her, in
poverty to follow the poor Christ with Madam
Ursula. The whole party have brought not a sin
gle penny with them. ' ' For very many of these es
caped nuns suitable places were found, as for Aunt
Lene, in various homes, as assistants in housekeep
ing and the care of children. Others were so
fortunate as to secure good husbands, and preside
over their own households. Even here Luther
very often smoothed the way, as, for example, he
had at first designed his own future wife for
Jerome Baumgartner, the son of a Nuremberg
patrician,* and, when this failed, for Caspar Glatz,
vicar of the pastorate of Orlamund.f
Many young women of the convents asked his
counsel as to whether and under what circum
stances it was allowable to forsake a convent, as,
for example, those to whom he replied on the 6th
of August, 1524.! Many an escaped nun, likewise,
sought his counsel in regard to her contemplated
marriage. He was always accommodating, but
cautious as well. "Grace and Peace. Decorous
and dear Maiden, Hannah," he writes under such
circumstances on the 14th day of December, 1523, §
* Briefe. De Wette, 2, 553.
fBeste, Kath. von Bora, p. 23.
% Briefe. De Wette, 2, 534 ff.
?Ibid., 2,445.

Luther and the Forlorn. 63
"I have received your letter, and, as you desire,
will do my best, both with Mr. S. von K., and
with any others who may ask my opinion, to help
on your proposed or promised marriage, that it
may move along right smoothly. God knows
that, so far as in me lies, I would most willingly
help every one along in much smaller matters than
this, if I were able. I am not at all displeased to
hear that you are thinking of marriage. But in
such matters I cannot at such a distance pass
judgment either one way or the other. More than
one person is here concerned, and we are forbidden
by God to pass judgment upon petition of but one
of the parties in any matter. In this I, just like
yourself, make no distinction on account of rank.
One human being is worthy of another, if they
only delight in and love one another, so that the
enemy may not deceive them. You need therefore
have no doubt, but that I shall be present, when it
comes to the time, or, if asked about the matter,
will speak most favorably, and in every way help
to make' it move along smoothly. For, since I
observe that you are well pleased with it, it shall,
so far as I am concerned, provided no one else is
injured by it, be undisturbed and unhindered.
But do not forget to seek God's blessing also, that
not merely natural affection, but also the favor of

64 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
his grace, may be yours. May he be gracious to
you and to your dear lover. Amen."
Now and then Luther was enabled to make use
of a former nun, although not as a deaconess in
the church (it is remarkable, that it occurred to
no one to thus appropriate the very prevalent term,
"the maid-servants of Christ," although for very
many no employment whatever could be found!),
yet for service in schools for girls, in the establish
ment of which he was greatly interested.
"Grace and Peace in Christ Jesus," thus he
addresses,* on Thursday after Agapetus (August,
18), 1527, the young woman, Else of Kanitz, one
of the eight nuns who had escaped with Catharine
von Bora from the convent of Nimbsch, near
Grimma,t "Decorous, virtuous Maiden, Else. I
have by letter requested your dear Aunt Hannah,
of Plausig, ! to send you to me for a while; for I
have had it in mind to make use of you, in setting
you to teach young girls, and to begin with you
such work as an example for others. You are to
make your home .with me, and eat at my table, so
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 170.
t Ibid., 2, 319.
X Seidemann's supposition is probably correct, that this
Hannah of Plausig is one and the same person with the above-
mentioned nun, Hannah. Briefe. De Wette, 6, 688.

Luther and the Forlorn. 65
that you will be in no danger and have no care; I
beg of you therefore not to refuse me this favor. I
hear also that the wicked enemy is assailing you
with grievous thoughts. O, my dear Maiden, do
not be terrified by that, for whoever endures the
devil here will not have to suffer in the other world.
It is a good sign. Christ also suffered all such
things, as did many holy prophets and apostles, as
you know the Psalter teaches us. Therefore be of
good cheer, and endure willingly such chastise
ment from the Father, who will also in his own
time help you to escape from it. When you come,
I will say more to you about this. Herewith I
commend you to God. Amen. ' '
Among the Forlorn we mention also those who
on account of their profession of faith in the Gos
pel were forsaken of men, endured grievous perse
cutions, or were even cast into prison. With the
utmost fidelity did Luther exert himself in behalf
of such. Two examples will furnish sufficient
evidence of this. The above-mentioned Felicitas
of Selmenitz, who was comforted in her sickness
by the noble man of God at Wittenberg, had al
ready passed through many trying experiences...
Her husband, Wolf, of Selmenitz, formerly owner
of the Vitzenburg Castle on the Unstrut and warden ¦
at Allstedt, had been foully assassinated before- the
5

66 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
inn of Moritz Knebel, known as "The Golden
Ring," at Halle, on the 9th of January, 1519.*
She had remained living there and had fouud her
comfort in the Word of God. She became heartily
attached to the Gospel doctrine, and boldly took
the holy communion in both elements. In 1527
she moved with her son to Wittenberg, but the
pestilence drove her back within a few weeks to
Halle. She was then required by the Elector of
Mentz, Cardinal Albrecht, who, as the Archbishop
of Magdeburg, had control also of Halle, either to
surrender her faith or to leave Halle. The forlorn
woman applied to Luther, the faithful counselor
and provider of all the forlorn. She very soon re
ceived from him the desired advice, f
"Grace and Peace in Christ, our Lord and
Saviour. Discreet, virtuous Madam. I have re
ceived and considered your appeal. Christ will be
with you and will not forsake you. As to your
question, whether you should flee or remain, it is
my opinion that you are at perfect liberty to flee
and can do so with a good conscience, since you
have received permission from those in authority;
but still I would rather see you remain for a while
yet, until you receive more positive information as
* Kreysig, Beitrage zur Historie der Sachs. Lande, 2, 101.
f Briefe. De Wette, 3, 297.

Luther and the Forlorn. 67
to whether the Cardinal will really come, in order
that no one may regard your flight as premature or
without occasion. Yet I leave it all to your judg
ment. May God, according to his divine will,
strengthen you and all the brethren and sisters at
Halle. Martinus Luther.
" Wittenberg, April 1st, 1328."
With this faithful witness for Christ he re
mained in constant communication,* and selected
her, as it appears, at a later period as sponsor for
one of his children. In 1534 he wrote in her
Bible, still preserved in the St. Mary's library in
Halle :
"Jn. v. Search the Scriptures, for they testify
of me.
"Ps. ii. Blessed are all who put their trust in
him. "Isa. vii. If ye believe not, ye shall not abide.
That is, everything will be a failure for you which
you undertake without faith, even though in itself
it were pure wisdom, power, art or wealth; for God
will not suffer it to prosper.
"To the beloved Sponsor of my child, the dis
creet, virtuous Lady, Felicitas of Selmenitz.
" Martinus Luther, D."
* She took a meal with him on the 10th of September, 1538.
See Colloquia, Ed. Bindseil, 2, 165.

68 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Evidently the passages here quoted were de
signed to be for this lady what guiding-stars are to
the forlorn wanderers in the desert.
Leonard Kaiser, a priest, who had succeeded in
escaping from prison and had come to Wittenberg,
was arrested by the Abbot of Passau, while upon a
visit to his dying father, and placed in bonds.
Luther took an interest in the lonely prisoner, and
on the 20th of May, 1527, sent him the following
letter :*
"Grace, Strength and Peace in Christ. Your
old man is imprisoned, my Leonard, according to
God's will and the calling of Christ our Lord, who
also gave his new man for you and your sins into
the hands of the ungodly, that he by his blood
might release you and make you his brother and a
joint heir with him of everlasting life. We are
very sorry for you, and pray diligently that you
may be set free, in order that you may live, not for
yourself but for others, to the honor of God, if it
be his will. But should it not be the will of your
Father in Heaven that you be set free, yet see to
it that you, with a spirit at perfect liberty, bravely
and steadfastly conquer this affliction of Satan, or
at least endure it, through the power of Christ.
He is with you in your imprisonment and will be
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 179 f.

Luther and the Forlorn. 69
with you also in every trial, as he has himself
faithfully and kindly promised, saying: ' I am with
him in trouble' (Ps. xci. 15). It is necessary,
therefore, that you with confidence call upon him
in prayer, and that you encourage and confirm
yourself with psalms of consolation in the midst
of this snorting of Satan; so that you may be
come strong in the Lord, and not speak any too
humbly or timidly in the teeth of Behemoth, as
though you were overcome and feared the proud
might of Satan. But you must call upon Christ,
who is everywhere present and mighty; and must
defy and mock the rage and arrogance of Satan,
well assured that he shall not be able to injure
you, and all the less the more he rages, as Paul
says: 'If God be for us, who can be against us?'
(Rom. viii. 31). ' All things are put under his
feet ' (Ps. viii. 6). He can help all who are
tempted, who has himself also been tempted in all
points. Therefore, my dearest Brother, grow strong
in the Lord, and be strong in the power of his
might, in order that, whether you be now set free
or not, you may yet with a willing heart recognize,
bear, carry out and praise the paternal will of God
concerning you. That you may endeavor to do
this to the praise of his Gospel, may the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the

70 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
God of all comfort, grant according to the riches
of his glorious grace. Amen. In him, farewell.
Pray for us. ' '
But not only single persons found themselves in
forlorn condition. Whole companies of believers,
entire congregations, turned in vain for help and
protection to those who should in justice have
interested themselves in their behalf. Luther,
though at a distance, exerted himself as a true
shepherd in behalf of these, who had been for
saken, if not actually persecuted, by their own
appointed shepherds, leading them to the living
water, and preparing a table before them in the
presence of their enemies. What remarkable facil
ity he displayed in doing this, is manifest from his
letters. Here again, two must suffice.
To the Elect, the Beloved of God, all the Mem
bers of Christ at Augsburg, his dear Masters and
Brethren, he indited on the nth of December,
1523, this epistle:*
"Grace and Peace in Christ our Lord. It has
come to our ears, dear Brethren and Masters, that
some among you have innocently fallen into diffi
culty on account of the marriage of a priest, f and,
* Briefe. De Wette, 2, 440, ff.
fThe priest, Jacob Griessbiittel, for whose marriage the
authorities had refused to open the church, had, in the pres-

Luther and the Forlorn. 71
besides the injury, are made to endure also ridicule
and reproach from those who rejoice when Christ
is crucified, and laugh when their father's distress
and nakedness are uncovered. But, now that we
are by the grace of God in the communion of the
saints and members one of another, we must, as
Paul says (Rom. xii. 13, 15), minister to the neces
sity of the saints, and have sympathy for those
who suffer. For, just as St. Paul says again (1
Cor. xii. 26): 'Whether one member suffereth, all
the others suffer with it; or one member is hon
ored, all the others rejoice;' so, whether there be
among you honor or dishonor, peace or tribula
tion, we account these as our own and are equally
affected by them. We depend also likewise upon
you, Beloved, that our joy may be your joy, and
our misfortune yours, on account of the common
faith and Word, with which God has in his great
mercy endowed us. Therefore I could not and
ought not to neglect to exhort you and to comfort
you with the comfort wherewith we are comforted
of God through his holy Word, in order that you
may not only bear the present trial with patience,
but also become vigorous and strong to await and
ence of 32 adherents of the evangelical doctrines, at a feast,
made the declaration, that he then and there took the bride to
be his wife. Comp. Uhlhorn, Urban Rhegius, p. 57.

72 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
to overcome yet greater things, although I do not
imagine that you stand in need of my poor epistle.
"In the first place, Paul says (Rom. viii. 17; 2
Tim. ii. 12): 'If we would reign with him, we
must also suffer with him.' For, if we take pleasure
in the Gospel and desire to become partakers of
his unspeakable riches and his eternal treasure, we
must also take into account his cross, and the
tribulation that comes with it, considering that his
riches and treasure are eternal and his tribulation
temporal, yea, but momentary. He has himself
declared (Jn. xvi. 33): ' In the world ye shall have
tribulation, but in me ye shall have peace. ' If we
would have peace in him, then we must have
tribulation from the world. The words of Christ
can have no other meaning. Remember my word,
says he, which I have spoken to you : ' The ser
vant is not better than his lord. If they have per
secuted me, they will persecute you also.' A
slothful and unprofitable servant indeed would he
be, who should wish to sit upon a silk cushion and
live-in luxury, while his master was without, hun
gering and toiling and contending against his
enemies. That would be a foolish merchant in
deed, who should throw away his gold and silver
and have nothing to do with it, because it was
tied up, not in silk and satin, but in rough, dirty

Luther and the Forlorn. 73
bags and sacks; or who should become disgusted
with his treasure because it was heavy, and not
as light as a feather. It is the very nature of
treasures to be heavy, and to increase in weight
according to their value; and it is not customary
to carry gold aud silver in beautiful bags and sacks,
but in black, rough, dirty cloth, which no one
would otherwise like to have about his body.
"Just so is it also with our treasure. It is indeed
great, precious, costly and noble, but we must
carry it in tribulation and sufferings; these are its
weight and the dirty bags in which it lies hidden.
If now any one should attempt to carry this treas
ure about publicly in beautiful bags, i. e. , wants to
be a Christian, aud yet to be splendidly supported,
to have pleasure and honor and good friends,
and not be despised, nor have to endure in conse
quence sorrow, shame, injury and enemies; what
else can he expect but that he will be robbed of his
treasure? Why, he is carrying it grandly and
publicly and visibly, whereas it is the nature of
this treasure to be well concealed under shame,
injury and sufferings, as in a sooty bag or sack, in
order that the world may not recognize or steal it,
which comes to pass when the world begins to
honor, love and assist us on account of our treasure.
Therefore Christ says (Matt. xiii. 44) that the man

74 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
who found the treasure in the field hid and buried
it again. The meaning of this is, that it is not
possible nor to be desired, that the Gospel should
shine forth and soar aloft in great honors, comfort,
pleasure and wealth, for thus it would be lost; but
it must be hidden and buried under tribulation
and shame, in order that it may not shine forth
before the world and seek to please it, for thus it
remains safe and free.
"God is therefore very graciously regarding you,
and protecting your treasure, in order to preserve
it to you, for which you should suitably thank and
praise him with rejoicing, that he accounts you
worthy to hold such treasure, and now also to put
it into the right bag, that it may not be lost.
Therefore be of good cheer, my dear Masters and
Brethren; it is well with you, and better times will
come. Only fall not away, out of the hand of
God, who has now laid hold of you to make good,
honest Christians out of you, that you may not in
word alone, as I, alas! and others in your circum
stances, but in deed and in truth, live according to
the Gospel.
"It is written (Isa. Ixiv. 8): 'We are his clay;
he is our potter.' The clay must not control the
art and the hand of the potter, but must let itself
be controlled and shaped. Therefore the Gospel

Luther and the Forlorn. 75
applies its square, which St. Paul has given it:
the word of the cross (1 Cor. i. 8). He who will
not have the cross, must do without the word.
It is true, there could be nothing more delightful
in Heaven or on earth than the word without the
cross. But the pleasure would not last long, since
nature cannot long endure unmixed joy and pleas
ure, as it is said: ' Man can bear everything except
prosperity,' and: 'It takes strong legs to carry
prosperity.' ' ' Therefore God has seasoned this sweet, delight
ful treasure for us a little, and poured in vinegar
and myrrh to give it a sharp taste, that we might
not become satiated with it. ' Bitter makes the
meal,' they say; and thus also tribulation on earth
makes our hearts so much the more cheerful, keen
and eager to enjoy this treasure; for thereby we
taste and discover its power to comfort the heart in
God. Hence, also, Solomon calls it mixed wine,
Prov. ix. 5, where wisdom says: ' Come and
drink the wine which I have mixed for you;' and
in Ps. lxxv. 9 we read: 'The Lord has in his
hand a cup full of mixed wine. ' It is a pure wine,
which intoxicates the soul, but yet so mixed with
sufferings as to remain pleasant to the taste.
" But why should I say more? You yourselves
know very well, Beloved, that the Word of God

76 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
is everywhere in the Scriptures represented as
bringing with it in this world tribulation, shame
and all manner of trials, but as setting forth at
the same time also, for admonition and comfort,
how very precious this treasure of our faith is, and
how greatly its value is increased by such trials.
You are therefore yourselves abundantly able to
comfort one another, and what I have ventured to
do must be considered as a piece of presumption.
Yet, because I see that God has granted to you the
same riches as to us through the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ, I cannot refrain from acting
foolishly, and, out of the joy and pleasure that I
find in your fellowship, thus talking to you and
exhorting you, although I myself stand greatly in
need of both admonition and instruction. I beg
you, therefore, Beloved, to excuse this imperti
nent, but well-meant letter, and commend me,
weak, poor, frail vessel to God in your prayers.
Permit me also, I pray, to commend to you all our
messengers. May the God of all grace, who has
begun to reveal himself to you and to renew the
likeness of his Son in you, abundantly complete
his work, according to the riches of his glory,
both in you and in us, until the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ, for whose coming to deliver us from
all the remains of evil in this flesh we confidently

Luther and the Forlorn. 77
wait. Amen. The grace of God be with you all.
Amen." In February of the following year, Luther had
occasion to address a letter of consolation to the
adherents of the Gospel at Miltenberg on the
Main. Johann Draconites, so named from the
place of his birth, according to the custom of the
time, also known as Johann Carlstadt, had there
introduced the Gospel with great success, and thus
stirred up the wrath of the civil ruler, the Elector
Albrecht of Mentz. The pastor was driven out,
and his chief adherents arrested and put to death.
Luther manifested the warmest and deepest inter
est. To all the dear friends of Christ at Milten
berg he wrote:*
" Grace and Peace from God the Father and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. The holy apostle Paul,
when he wished to comfort his brethren at Corinth,
began thus (2 Cor. i. 3, 4): 'Blessed be God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercy and God of all comfort, who comforteth us
in all our affliction, that we may be able also to
comfort those who are in affliction with the com
fort wherewith we are comforted of God.' In
these words the apostle teaches by his own example
that we are to comfort the afflicted; yet in such a
* Briefe. De Wette, 2, 475 ff.

78 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
way that the comfort may come not from men but
from God. This he adds, it is very evident, in
order to guard against that false, shameful comfort
which the world, the flesh and even the devil give,
and by which all the benefit and fruit of the cross
are destroyed and hindered. But what that com
fort is which comes from God, he points out
(Rom. xv. 4): 'Whatsoever has been written, has
been written for our instruction, that we through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have
hope.' He says: 'might have hope;' but to have
hope is to be concerned for that which we do not
see nor feel (Rom. viii. 24). Worldly comfort
aims to see and feel that which the afflicted one
desires, and will have nothing to do with patience;
but here must patience remain with comfort of
the Scriptures in hope.
"Just in this way does St. Paul really treat his
brethren at Corinth. When he has spoken to
them of the comfort of God, he begins at length to
praise them as an epistle of Christ, wrought by his
preaching of the Gospel and written by the living
Spirit (2 Cor. iii. 4), and breaks out in a lofty
hymn in praise of the Gospel, so that a carnally-
minded person hearing him might well think: Is
this man drunken, that, when he wishes to com
fort the Corinthians, he should thus only glorify

Luther and the Forlorn. 79
himself and his preaching and extol his Gospel ?
But whoever rightly considers it, can understand
that the beloved Paul is drawing the true, noble
comfort from the Scriptures, and making them
strong and joyous through the Gospel.
" I have accordingly also, my dear Friends,
undertaken to comfort your hearts in your afflic
tion with such comfort as I have received from God,
for I have been very fully informed by your exiled
pastor, Dr. Johann Carlstadt, and through other
sources, how the enemies of the Gospel and assassins
of souls have dealt with you on account of the
Word of God, which they in their infamous blas
phemy now call Lutheran doctrine, in order to
make it appear that they are doing God service, in
seeking to destroy the doctrines of men, just as the
Jews, fulfilling the prophecy of Christ, treated the
apostles. "It would be a worldly comfort, which could be
of no benefit whatever, but altogether injurious to
your souls and to the cause, if you and I should seek
comfort in avenging ourselves upon the blasphemers
by scolding and mourning over their impiety and
wickedness. And though we should even slay
them all with our hands, or banish them, or had
the pleasure and delight of seeing them punished by
some one else on account of the suffering inflicted

80 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
upon us, there would yet be nothing thereby ac
complished. For this is worldly revenge aud
comfort, and does not befit us; but it is befitting
to our enemies, as you now see that they, having
cooled their malice upon you and avenged them
selves, are merry over it, and are wonderfully com
forted. But what sort of comfort is that? Have
they any hope? Have they any patience? Have
they any Scripture ? Verily, instead of God, they
have used their fists; instead of patience, they
have shown revenge; instead of hope, they have
given vent to their malice openly and have already
received all the good things that they will ever
have. Whence comes then such comfort? It does
not come from God, and must therefore certainly
come from the devil. And so it does. But what
will be the end of the comfort that comes from the
devil ? Paul says (Phil. iii. 19) : ' Their boasting
shall come to a shameful end.'
"See now what a rich, proud comfort arises out
of this for you ! In the first place, you are certain
that it is for the sake of God's Word that you en
dure their insolence and abuse. What matters it
that they call it heresy? You are sure that it is
God's Word; they cannot therefore be sure that it
is heresy. They will not hear nor receive it; they
cannot therefore prove it to be heresy. Yet they

Luther and the Forlorn. 81
go on slandering and persecuting, upon such uncer
tain ground, as St. Peter says (2 Pet. ii. 12), 'What
they do not understand !' Hence they cannot have a
good conscience in the matter; but you have a
secure, certain conviction that you are suffering for
God's sake. Now who can ever fully describe what
a blessed, proud comfort it is, to be certain that
one is suffering for God's sake? For who suffers?
Whom does it concern? Who will avenge it, if
we suffer for God's sake ? Well does St. Peter say
(1 Pet. iii. 14): 'Blessed are ye, if ye suffer for
righteousness' sake.' If one were the emperor of.
the whole world, he should not only be willing
cheerfully to surrender his throne to secure such
sufferings, but should even count it as dung, com
pared with such comforting treasure.
"You have really, therefore, dear Friends, no
occasion to desire revenge, nor to wish evil to your
enemies, but much rather to regard them with
heartfelt compassion. For you have in fact been
already too highly avenged, to say nothing of that
which yet awaits them at the end. They have
already suffered altogether too much. To you they
have done only a kindness, that you should be led
by their raging to the comfort of God; to themselves
they have done an injury, from which they can
scarcely, and some of them never, recover.
6

82 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"For what does it matter, that they have tor
mented you for a little while in your body aud
your earthly possessions? That will soon be over.
And what does it matter, that they for a little
while rejoice in their wantonness? It cannot last
long. Consider, in the meantime, your happiness
and their misery. You have a good, secure con
science and a just cause; they have an evil, uncer
tain conscience and a blind cause, of which they
do not even yet know how unjust it is. You have
therefore the comfort of God with patience out of
the Scriptures in hope; they have therefore the
comfort of the devil through revenge in visible
wantonness. "If now the privilege were given you to choose
between their portion and your own, would you
not run and flee from their side, as from the devil,
even though it were a very heaven, and hasten to
your portion, even though it were a very hell?
For heaven could not be joyous, if the devil
reigned there, and hell could not be gloomy, if
God reigned there.
"Therefore, dear Friends, would you avenge and
comfort yourselves right well and proudly, not
only upon your visible, bodily persecutors, but
upon the devil, who rides them, then treat him
thus: Be right joyful, and thank God that you

Luther and the Forlorn. 83
have been made worthy to hear and understand his
Word, and to suffer for it, and be content to know
certainly that your cause is God's Word and your
comfort from God. Pity your enemies, who have
no good conscience in their cause, but only the
miserable, gloomy comfort of the devil through
their insolence, impatience, revenge and earthly
malice. Believe assuredly that you will by such a
joyful spirit, praise and thanksgiving, grieve their
god, the devil, more than if you were to slay a
thousand of your enemies. For it is not his aim
to comfort them and give you bodily pain, but he
wants to make 3-ou sad and melancholy, so that
you may be of no service to God. Keep on, there
fore, all the more, and mock him, that his scheme
may fail and be given up in disgust.
"Yet one thing more let me point out to you,
that will wonderfully nettle him, and that he fears
most of all. He knows very well that, there is a
little verse in the Psalter (viii. 2), which reads:
' Thou hast laid a strong foundation through the
mouth of babes and sucklings, that thou mightest
make an end of the enemy and the avenger !' This
verse threatens him not alone with grief and mis
ery, but with total destruction, and that, not by
means of some great power, which would still be
an honor for him, but by means of helpless suck-

84 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
lings, in whom there is no strength. It stings the
mighty, proud enemy, and gives him dreadful
pain, that his great power, his terrible raging, his
wrathful vengeance, is to be cast down into the
dust by childish weakness, without power, and
that he cannot prevent it.
In this let us help, and do our part with zeal.
We are babes and sucklings, if we are weak and
let the enemies exercise their might and power over
us, saying and doing upon their part whatever they
please, whilst we upon our part keep silence, as
though we were unable to. do or say anything — we
as little children, and they as powerful heroes and
giants. But yet, meanwhile, God speaks through
our mouth his Word, which glorifies his power.
This is such a rock and firm foundation, that
the gates of hell can avail nothing against it.
Wherever this remains and has free course, some of
the enemies, who were the devil's scales, are at
length converted. When these scales are now
stripped off of him by the Word of God, he is left
naked and weak; and thus it comes to pass, as this
verse says, that an end is made of the enemy and
the avenger. This is a joyful victory and a con
quest without sword or fist. It therefore gives the
devil great pain. It is very pleasant and agreeable
to him, when he is able through his servants to

Luther and the Forlorn. 85
stir us up to wrath, revenge, impatience and sad
ness; but where the only results are joy and the
praising of God and glorifying of his Word, that is
a real hell for him.
"Yes, some one may say, but it is forbidden, upon
penalty of life and property, to speak the Word of
God. Well, let him that is strong refuse to keep
such commandment, for they have no authority to
forbid any one. God's Word ought to be, it shall
and must be, unbound. But if any one is too
timid and weak, I will give him another counsel,
namely, that he shall yet rejoice in secret, thank
God and glorify his Word, as we have said before,
and pray to God for strength to speak it also openly,
that the enemy and the avenger may be put to con
fusion. To this end, I present to you this 120th
Psalm, translated into German and briefly ex
plained, that you may see what comfort God offers
you through his Word, and how you ought to pray
against the false revilers and raging persecutors.
' Psalm cxx.
' 1. I cried unto the Lord in my distress, and he
heareth me.
4 2. Lord, deliver my soul from wicked mouths
and from false tongues.
'3. What shall one give unto thee, and what
shall one do against false tongues ?

86 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
' 4. Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of
juniper. ' 5. Ah, my sorrow! that I must so long wander !
I dwell among the tents of Kedar.
1 6. My soul must dwell so long among them
that hate peace.
' 7. I kept the peace, but when I spoke, they
took up stones. '
' ' The first verse teaches us to whom we should go
when misfortune overtakes us: not to the emperor,
not to the sword, not to our own counsel or wis
dom, but to the Lord, who is the true and only
helper in the time of need. 'I cried,' says he,
'unto the Lord in my distress.' And that we
should do this boldly and joyously, and doing so,
shall not fail, he indicates when he says: 'And he
heareth me,' as though he should say: The Lord
desires that we should go to him in our distress,
and he is willing to hear and to help.
"The second verse presents the grievance and
indicates what the distress is: not that God did not
know it beforehand, but that we may be thus
stirred up and driven to pray the more diligently.
It is just the very same distress which has fallen
upon you at Miltenberg, and others like you in
German countries, namely, that wicked mouths
and false tongues will not endure the Word of

Luther and the Forlorn. 87
God, but hold on to their human vanity and lies,
aud command us to keep silence, that their wicked,
false, poisonous doctrine may alone be preached.
"The third verse holds a consultation as to how
and by what means the matter may be helped.
For human timidity desires and longs for help
and protection in the world, and many are greatly
concerned about these, as this verse with its look
ing about for counsel indicates. But the Spirit
casts this all aside, and will have nothing to do
with such helps, as is plain from what follows.
v "-The fourth verse mentions the true help,
namely, 'Sharp arrows of the mighty,' i. e., that
God shoulcfseud po^yerfuljjr^achers who should
speak his Word boldly. These are the arrows of
God, and they are sharp, when they pierce, and do
not spare, but shoot and wound all human vanities.
By this means, false tongues are overcome and
changed into true, Christian tongues. ' Cgals of
juniper,' are true Christians, who show forth in
their lives the Word of God which is declared by
the sharp arrows, and make it burn in ardent, fer
vent love manifested by works. For it is said
that coals of juniper do really keep a fire well.
This verse therefore wishes for skillful preachers,
who shall employ the Word of God powerfully in
faith, and smite to the earth every device of the

88 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
devil, and let their faith burn and shine in works
of fervent love. For there are indeed in these
times many preachers of the Word, but they are
not mighty and do not preach powerfully. And
although they preach the Word, they do not make
it sharp ; for they spare where there should be no
sparing, i. e., the great multitude. Furthermore,
they are themselves so cold iu their love and so
coarse in their lives, that they give offence rather
than make others better, and thus they make the
arrows of God dull and powerless.
"The fifth verse laments, and shows how it goes
with such preachers, namely, that few of their
hearers believe the gospel, and they but cast it to
the wind. This pains the Spirit, who so greatly
desires that every one may receive it with joy.
Therefore he says: 'Ah, woe is me! Ah, my
sorrow ! I must so long here wander as a stranger,
for I do not find the kingdom of God among them.
And they wiU not enter it. I have preached so
long and it does no good. They still remain as
•they are, and I must also live among them, and
dwell in the tents of Kedar.' Kedar is the name
;given in the Hebrew language to Arabia, and
means sad or gloomy, like persons who are mourn
ing. The Arabians are a wild, savage, insolent,
uncultivated people. Hence he here calls those

Luther and the Forlorn, 89
who are not obedient to the gospel Kedar, because
they will not suffer themselves to be chastened
by the gospel.
"The sixth verse shows that he is not alone de
spised, but also persecuted for the sake of the
Word, and must yet remain among these evil men.
'They hate peace,' says he, i. e., the divine peace,
which we enjoy when we have within peace with
God in a good conscience, and without peace with
all men, injuring no one, but doing good to all.
They hate peace, for they persecute the Word,
which teaches and brings such peace; and they
defend their teaching, which makes evil con
sciences before God through works of unbelief,
giving rise to sects and strife in many forms among
the people.
"The seventh verse gives answer, and presents
its defence, against the false charges which the un
godly bring against true Christians. For they say
that such doctrine is seditious and causes con
tentions in the world. To this he says: 'It is not
my fault, for I kept the peace, injured no one,
except that I preached about the true peace; that
they could not endure, and began to stir up strife,
and persecuted me.' Just so Elijah had to hear
from King Ahab the charge that he had made
Israel to sin, although, as Elijah replied, it was
Ahab himself, and not he, who made Israel to sin.

90 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"You see here, dear Friends, that your case is at
the same time described, and it happens to you
just as is written in this Psalm. You must bear
the name of being seditious, although you have
done nothing but hear and speak and spread
abroad the Word of God. Because of this, the
temple-slaves and soul-hunters at Mentz have
stirred up strife on your account, and have hated
and persecuted the peace which you taught, and
yet you must continue to dwell and must wander
long among such enemies of peace for God's sake,
and must be strange and. badly-treated guests in
the tents of Kedar.
"Now what will you do? Avenge yourselves,
you cannot; and if you could, it would not be
proper. Nor will it do to wish them evil, for
Christ says (Matt. v. 44): ' Bless them that curse
you, and pray for them that despitefully use you
and persecute you.' What shall you do then?
Nothing better than to turn your eyes away from
the men who injure you, and look upon the knave
who owns and drives them, and consider how you
may take revenge aud wreak your passion upon
him. But he has neither flesh nor bone, he is a
spirit. Therefore, as St. Paul says, you have not
to fight with flesh and blood, but with spiritual
knaves in the air ('spiritual wickedness in high

Luther and the Forlorn. gi
places ') with the rulers of the "blind, dark world.
What else could the miserable whoremongers and
gluttons at Mentz do? They have to do just what
their god, the devil, drives them to; they are not
their own masters, and we ought therefore most
heartily to pity them. They p.rofess to be main
taining Christian doctrine, and yet live more shame
fully than a,dult^F€rs and prostitutes; as though
the Holy Spirit could effect anything for his honor
through such tools of the devil, unless indeed he
should do so without their knowledge or consent,
as in the cases of Judas, Caiaphas and Pilate.
"There is, therefore, only one course left, namely,
that you, as this Psalm directs, cling to the Lord
in this distress, call upon him to protect you
against such evil tongues, and pray earnestly and
with the whole heart for strong archers, who may
shoot sharp arrows at the devils, never missing aim,
and for fiery coals of juniper, who with burning
¦zeal may enkindle the misguided, blind multitude,
and by a pure life enlighten them to the glory and
praise of God's name. If you will but do this, you
will soon be so richly avenged upon the devil and
his scales, that your hearts will be filled with re
joicing. But be sure to present such petitions with
all confidence, and do not doubt that God, for the
sake of whose Word you are tormented, will hear

92 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
you and send out his arrojgB and coals in great
numbers, so that, when they shall have suppressed
the Word in one place in Miltenberg, it may break
out in ten other places, and that, the more they
blow upon the fire, the more hotly it may burn.
"That the Word of God does not yet make such
progress as it rightfully should, and as we would
gladly see (although they think that its progress is
altogether too rapid), can be laid only to our own
account, because we are too indolent to pray for
sharp arrows and hot coak. He has commanded
us to pray that his kingdom may come and his
name be hallowed, i. e., that his Word and Chris
tians may increase and become strong; but, because
we allow everything to remain as it is, and do not
pray with earnestness, the cause moves on so
slowly, the arrows are blunt and powerless, the
coals are cold and crude, and the devil is not yet
very much afraid of us.
"Therefore let us wake up and be active, for it is
time. The devil is playing us many, an evil game
on every hand; let us therefore for once show him
something that will sorely vex him, and avenge
ourselves; that is, let us pray to God without ceas
ing, until he send us trained archers with sharp
arrows and plenty of coals.
"See now, my dear Masters and Friends, I have

Luther and the Forlorn. 93
ventured thus to write you a letter of consolation,
although others could have done it better and have
more cause than I. But since my name is also
mixed up in the matter, and you are persecuted as
being Lutherans, it was not unseemly for me, I
think, to concern myself in your behalf as well as
iu my own.
"And although I do not like it, that the doctrine
and those who maintain it are called Lutheran,
but have to endure from them that they thus dis
honor the Word of God by attaching my name to
it; yet they must allow Luther, the Lutheran doc
trine and the Lutheran people, to remain and be
exalted in honor. They and their doctrine, on the
other hand, shall perish and be put to shame, even
though the whole world should mourn and all the '
devils be sorely vexed. If we continue to live, they
can have no peace on our account; if we die, they
can still less have peace. In fine, they cannot get
rid of us unless they come down and willingly sur
render to us, and all their wrath and raging cannot
help them. For we know whose Word it is that
we preach, and the whole of them together cannot
take it from us. This is my prophecy, and it shall
not fail. May God have mercy upon them !
"I hereby commend you, dear Friends, to the
grace and mercy of God, and do you also pray to

94 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
God for me, poor sinner; and may his blessing rest
upon all your preachers, who preach Christ and
not the Pope nor the temple-apprentices at Mentz.
The grace of God be with you. Amen."
It was in this way only that Luther could mani
fest his interest in the adherents of the gospel far
away from the Elbe, on the Lech and the Main,
expressing to them his deepest sympathy and giv
ing them most wholesome counsels, to enable them
to bear their grievous afflictions in patience and
with joy, to the honor of God and the glory of his
name. He came to the assistance of those who in
his own more immediate neighborhood were
called upon to endure all manner of hostility and
persecutions, by writing to them similar letters
of consolation, as, for example, to the Christians
chased out of Oschatz by Duke George, whose dis
tress had been reported to him by a woman of
Daum;* to the adherents of the gospel driven out
of Leipzig, f and to the sorely-pressed good people
of Mitweida, of whom Antonius Lauterbach,
preacher in the electoral Leisnig, had notified
him.! But he also carried through their appeals to
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 433 f. (January 20. 1533.)
flbid., 4, 463. Werke, Jena. 6, 6 ff. (June or July, 1533).
J Briefe. De Wette, 4, 609 Qune 27, 1535)-

Luther and the Forlorn. 95
the strict civil rulers, as that of those who had
been driven out of Leipzig, on account of the Gos
pel;* gave them advice in all manner of questions
of conscience, as to others, also of Leipzig, who
were to be compelled to receive the communion in
but one element ;f welcomed them kindly to Wit
tenberg; consulted patiently and fully with them;
and, when his physical condition did not permit
him to ascend the pulpit in the city church,
preached the Gospel to them in his own house, as
e.g., on Whit-monday, 1534, to the faithful con
fessors who had been driven out of Leipzig.!
As, furthermore, the spiritual adviser must, even
in worldly affairs, not give counsel only, but must
render personal, practical assistance, if the forlorn
one cannot help himself, or if his own effort has no
prospect of success; so the Reformer at all times
endeavored to do all in his power to assist those
who had been despoiled of their property in re
gaining possession of it. It was thus that he inter
ceded with his gracious lord, the Elector John,
December 16th, 1527, § for a certain Simon Manne-
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 405 and 6, 135 (Oct. 4, 1532).
tlbid., 4, 443 and 6, 141 (April 11, 1533).
JComp. Marginal note to this sermon in Hauspostille,
Niirnberg, 1545.
<S Briefe. De Wette, 3, 247 f.

96 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
witz, who had, for the sake of gospel, been op
pressed and robbed of his paternal inheritance by
the Bishop of Meissen, representing that the lit
tle property of the poor man was included in the
Wiirzburg district under the protection of the
Elector. It was known how willingly Luther always
helped the oppressed and the forlorn, and how
much a word from him availed. He was therefore
overrun with applications, not alone from such as
desired to secure an investigation by some person of
high rank or some wise city council, but also from
such as thought that they were unjustly treated by
those in authority. George Schmidt, for example,
spreads before him, with the most solemn assevera
tions of his own innocence, his trouble, i. e., that
the council of Magdeburg had done him injustice,
and Luther at once appeals to Nicholas Amsdorf,
his confidential friend at that place. * A certain
poor man leaves him no rest, although he cannot-
by the utmost exertion render him any assistance;
finally, he humbly entreats the Elector "to advance
his cause by a short letter to the authorities of
Jessen." \ Then comes a poor fisherman who had
at one time fished in forbidden waters, and of whom
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 86 (January 7, 1526).
t Ibid., 3, 101 (April 14, 1526).

Luther and the Forlorn. 97
the officer of the. law demands ten silver schocks in
penalty. Luther requests Spalatin* to effect a
modification of the punishment. " I do not ask,"
writes he, "that he be not punished as an exam
ple to promote reverence for lawful authority, but
that the punishment may be such as not to extort
from him all his living. I would throw him into
prison for a few days, or let him live on bread and
water for a week, so that every one might see the
object of the penalty to be not destruction, but
amendment." Rents are withheld in Henneberg
territory from a relative of the Reformer, Werner
Bergk of Salzungen, "on account of some pur
chased bell-metal. "f An Eisenach citizen, Caspar
Schalbe, is denied the possession of his property,
because a servant girl has circulated evil reports
about him.! A preacher of the Gospel, Amandus
by name, has been placed in custody, as a seditious
man, by Duke George of Pomerania, although the
city of Stettin, and the preachers there, had given
him the best of testimonials. § A preacher in Elec- —
toral Saxony has been arrested, because he has ex
pressed an imprudent opinion in matters relating-
* Briefe. De Wette, 2, 206 (June 7, 1522.)
tlbid., 3, 184 (June 16, 1527).
J Ibid., 3 (119), 162 (March 1, 1527).
glbid., 3, 107 f. (April 26, 1526).
7

98 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
to marriage.* These cases are all referred to Lu
ther, and the dear man of God, unable himself to
help, grasps his pen, and implores his Elector John
to look into them.
We know how grievously Carls tadt_ had pro
voked him; but this does not prevent him from
speaking a good word in behalf of the latter to his
gracious lord, and requesting that he, who was said
to be unsettled at Orlamuud, being under very
strong suspicion of complicity in the Peasant War,
might come toKemberg and live in peace, f
The Peasants, too, had done much to make life
truly bitter for him: none the less on that account,
he requests the Elector graciously to assist a poor
man, Michael Koch, a citizen of Miihlhausen, to
recover his property, since he had been already
long enough driven about in misery. "Since
many others," we read in this letter,! "who also
took part in the insurrection have received per
mission to returu and have been admitted; he
begs that he, too, may for God's sake be admitted,
and he makes the very best and strongest promises
that he knows how to make." " I pray your Elec
toral Grace to look upon his misery, and let him
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 242 (Dec. 2, 1527).
flbid., 3, 28 and 137 (Sept. 12, 1525, and Nov. 22, 1526).
J Ibid., 3, 168 (Apr. 28, 1527).

¦ Luther and the Forlorn. 99
have the benefit of my intercession as far as may
be proper, for I greatly pity the poor man. ' '
His love toward the forlorn is so strong, that he
restrains his wrath against the Elector Aibrecht of
Mentz, and speaks a good word to him in behalf
of Asmus Gunthel, the son of a citizen of Eisleben,
who had been found eating and drinking with the
Peasants in certain outworks that were taken by
storm. ' ' May your Electoral Grace, ' ' says he in
his appeal,* "consider that this insurrection has
been quelled, not by human hand or counsel, but
through the grace of God, who has had compassion
upon us all and especially upon those in authority.
May you also in turn deal graciously and merci
fully with the poor people, as indeed well becomes
spiritual rulers, and as is more fitting in them than
in worldly rulers, in order that the grace of God
may be recognized and acknowledged with thank
fulness, and that they may prove before the world
that they have not desired and sought their own
pleasure. There are, alas, far too many others
who treat the people with such cruelty, and con
duct themselves with such ingratitude toward
God, as though they would wantonly awaken
again and bring upon themselves the wrath and
displeasure of God and of the people, to cause a
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 16 (July 21, 1525).

ioo Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
new and worse insurrection. God can soon have
another one prepared, in order that they who have
shown no mercy may perish without mercy. ' '
That Lnther repelled no one in forlorn circum
stances, is strikingly illustrated by his efforts in
behalf of the violent Hans Kohlhase. The splendid
horses of the latter were siezed as stolen property
by an electoral nobleman, Gunther of Zaschwitz,
and so abused, that by the time his title was clearly
proved, they were worth nothing. Kohlhase de
manded damages, but the squire paid no attention
to his claim. The Elector of Brandenburg inter
ested himself in the cause of his subject; the
Elector of Saxony promised to assist the poor man
in securing his rights: but the electoral officers
were unwilling to bring action against their as
sociate and occasioned unreasonable delay. Un
fortunately, the injured man undertook to help
himself, and robbed, burnt* and murdered through
out Saxony to such an extent as to terrorize the
country. "Luther, blessed mail," so reports a
manuscript district chronicle of Peter Hafftitius,f
* We learn from Luther's letters, that he burnt down
Schlieben (De Wette, 5, 158, February 2, 1539), and Marzahna
(Ibid., 5, 272, March 5, 1540) and plundered a miller (Ibid., 5,
170, March 2, 1539).
fSchottgen, Diplomatische und curieuse Nachlese der His
toric von Ober-Sachsen, 3, 535 f.

Luther and the Forlorn. 101
"weighing and taking to heart all the circum
stances, and anxious to avoid further trouble which
might result for both parties, wrote to Kohlhase and
warned him to desist from his depredations, and
sought to impress upon him by every consideration
what the result would be for himself, and how
God would surely, if he would not give him due
honor and leave vengeance to him, bring to light
and avenge the outrages. Kohlhase thereupon,
unobserved, rode off with one companion to Wit
tenberg, took lodging at the inn, and in the
evening, leaving his servant there, he approached
Dr. Luther's door, knocked, and announced that
he wished to speak with the Doctor. After the
Doctor had several times through his servant re
quested him to give his name and state his errand,
and he had refused to do this and yet strenuously
insisted that he must speak with the Doctor in
person, it occurred to the latter that it might be
Kohlhase. He therefore went to the door himself,
and said: 'Is it you, Hans Kohlhase?' to which
the visitor replied: 'Yes, honored Doctor.' He
then admitted him, conducted him secretly to his
own chamber, and sent for Philip (Melanchthon),
Cruciger, Major, and other theologians. Kohlhase
then reported the whole transaction to them, and
they remained with him until late in the night.

102 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Early in the morning he made confession before
the Doctor, received the holy sacrament, and
promised them that he would cease his depreda
tions and inflict no injury in the future upon Saxon
territory, a promise which was never broken. He
then departed from the inn unrecognized and un
observed, they having given him assurance that
they would help to advance his cause." This was
unfortunately not to be accomplished so easily nor
quickly. Kohlhase became impatient, and met
his- fate.

CHAPTER IV.
HOW LUTHER ADMONISHED THE ERRING.
THROUGHOUT his entire life, the Reformer
was, to a most extraordinary extent, brought
into contact with people who cherished erroneous
opinions, or whose consciences were perverted,
especially with people who, unable to find the
right way, wandered about in uncertainty or had
actually started upon some course that was utterly
wrong. The very act, indeed, by which he began his
reformatory activity was an admonition of the
erring! We are accustomed to regard the nail
ing of the ninety-five theses on indulgences upon
the door of the castle-church at Wittenberg, which
occurred at noon on the ever-memorable 31st of
October, 1517, as the first act of faith on the part
of the Reformer.
This can hardly be considered as strictly accu
rate. Luther did not set himself up as a Reformer.
He was, in the ordering of Providence, driven
further step by step by the assaults of his enemies,
and led into an ever deeper knowledge of the
(103)

104 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
truth. What he in his ninety-five theses pro
claimed to the learned world, he had already
taught in the confessional at Wittenberg. He had
been compelled to teach thus, that he might not
make himself a partaker of other men's sins, and
suffer those entrusted to his care, misled by soul-
destroying error, to rush blindly into the pit of
destruction. Let us hear what a friend and contemporary of
Luther, the above-mentioned Myconius, truthfully
reports:* "In the year 1517, certain persons came
to Dr. Martinus at Wittenberg with purchased in
dulgence papers, and, relying upon the grace which
these assured, made confession before him. As
they boldly confessed to the gravest offences, and
declared that they had no intention of forsaking
their adultery, usury, fornication, robbery, and
such other sins and wickedness, the Doctor refused
to absolve them, on the ground that they mani
fested no true penitence nor amendment. They
then appealed to their papal letters, and to the
grace and indulgence granted by Tetzel. Mar
tinus adhered to his decision, appealing to the
.passage: 'Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
*" Myconius, Hist. Reformationis von Cyprian, 1718, p. 21.
' Teutzel, Monatl. Unterredungen, 1697, p. 902. Vogel, Tetzel,
276.

Luther and the Erring. 105
perish' (Lk. xiii. 5). As he would not absolve
them, they returned to Tetzel, and complained to
him that this Augustinian monk would pay no re
gard to their letters. Tetzel was at Jiiterbog,
which place was at that time under the jurisdic
tion of the Archbishop of Magdeburg. When the
news was brought to him, he became very angry,
raging, scolding, and terribly cursing the pulpit,
threatening to bring all manner of evil upon the
arch-heretics, as he called the preaching-monks of
the day. In order to terrify the people, he had a
fire kindled in the market-place several times in
the week, and announced that he had instructions
from the Pope thus to burn the heretics, who op
posed the most holy father, the Pope, and his most
holy indulgences."
That Luther, when he refused in the confes
sional to have anything to do with the indulgence-
business, and when he, in consequence of the as
saults which had been made upon him by the
preacher of indulgences, Tetzel, made open decla
ration of his principles in the ninety-five theses,
thereby placed his position and his life in jeopardy,
is a universally acknowledged fact. This he well
knew; but he knew, also that no portion of the
pure, true doctrine dare be surrendered, and that
it was his duty, as a doctor of theology, pledged

106 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
by oath to the Holy Scriptures, to venture every
thing in maintaining and defending the Word of
God, and that he was under obligation, still fur
ther, as an ordained priest and regularly-called
spiritual adviser, to admonish the erring who had
been led astray into grievous error. The Reformer
had a conscience, and the Reformation was the
achievement of a good conscience opposing the
conscienceless forgiveness of sins.
Luther's entire reformatory activity may be re
garded from a single point of view, i. e., as an ad
monition of the erring. He pointed the erring to
the one Mediator between God and men, who alone
has power to forgive sins and to help from death to
life. He pointed the erring, who had been driven
to leaking fountains in the wilderness, and lay
there languishing, to the fountain of Holy Scrip
ture, and taught them with the hand of faith to
draw from it and to drink the water of life. But it
is not our purpose to dwell upon this reformatory
activity, whose object was the salvation of souls in
the congregation through public preaching. The
care of souls, of which we now speak, has to do with
single persons. The great Reformer, in his concern
for all Christendom and for the many evangelical
congregations in whose behalf he exerted himself,
never lost from view the individual soul. Nor did

Luther and the Erring. 107
he wait until he was applied to for spiritual counsel,
which occurred in countless instances and cost him
avast amount of effort and labor; but, wherever he
found occasion and opportunity, he laid hold with
a firm, skillful and decisive hand. He had a clear
eye, aud it was turned alike upon high and low.
He approached high lords and common people
without distinction, and, if they were in error, did
not hesitate to admonish them.
Count Albrecht, of Mansfeld, is a personality not
entirely unknown in Reformation history. He was
the first in Thuringia to cope successfully with the
insurgent peasants, surprising them at Osterhau-
sen, and had already in 1518 attached himself with
such decision to the new doctrine, that he sent
Luther warning, through the well-known Augus
tinian prior, Johann Lange, of the plots of cer
tain influential men against him.* In the course
of time, however, the Count fell into wrong
ways. He began to cherish doctrinal errors, and
to repudiate utterly the obligations of brotherly
love. Luther observed this with deep regret, and
admonished his "gracious and heartily beloved
liege-lord, the noble, high-born Lord Albrecht,
Count of Mansfeld," in the following letter :f
* Briefe. De Wette, 1, 129.
flbid., 5, 512 ff.

108 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"Grace aud Peace in the Lord, and my poor
Pater-noster. Gracious Lord, I beg most earnestly
that your Reverend Grace may accept this writing
of mine in a Christian and gracious spirit. Your
Reverend Grace knows that I am a child of the
sovereignty of Mansfeld, and have to the present
day cherished natural affection for my Fatherland,
as even the books of all heathen nations declare
that every child has a natural affection for his
fatherland. Besides this, God accomplished in
the beginning of the Gospel so many praiseworthy
achievements through your Reverend Grace, so ex
cellently ordering the affairs of churches, pulpits
and schools for the praise and glory of God, and
made your Reverend Grace so eminently and glo
riously useful in quelling the insurrection of the
peasants, that I, for such and other reasons, cannot
so easily forget nor omit from my cares and prayers
your Reverend Grace.
" But it comes to my ears, chiefly through many
rumors and complaints, that your Reverend Grace
is said to have fallen away from the course first
entered upon and to have become quite different,
which, as I think your Reverend Grace will readily
believe, if it were true, would cause me heartfelt
sorrow for your Reverend Grace. For now people
will talk against the Christian faith, and say, as I

Luther and the Erring. 109
have myself often heard: 'What need of the Gos
pel ? That which is fore-ordained must come to
pass. Let us do what we will. If we are to be
saved, we will be saved, etc' This is now thought
to be great shrewdness and wisdom, although we
theologians knew it long ago and also God himself.
Should your Reverend Grace be entangled in these
thoughts and temptations, it would cause me heart
felt sorrow, for I was once myself entangled in
them, and had not Dr. Staupitz, or, rather, God
through Dr. Staupitz, helped me out, I would
have been drowned in them and would have been
in hell long ago. For such diabolical thoughts
finally drive the timid-hearted to despondency,
despairing of the grace of God ; whilst those who
are bold and courageous become despisers and
. enemies of God, and say: 'Let things go as they
will! I will do as I please. I'm lost anyhow.'
"How I wish that I could speak with j'our
Reverend Grace face to face, for I am grieved
beyond measure for the soul of your Reverend
Grace, since I cannot esteem your Reverend Grace
so lightly as the reprobate Henry's and Mentz's.*
* " Heinzen und Meinzen." By the former of these terms
we are to understand Henry VIII. King of England and Henry,
Duke of Brunswick; by the latter, without doubt, the Elector
Albrecht of Mentz, and perhaps others.

no Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
One cannot talk so well to another with the pen.
Nevertheless — to write briefly of this matter, my
Gracious Lord — it is true, that what God has
decreed must certainly come to pass; otherwise he
would be a liar in his promises, upon which we
must place our faith or shamefully fail, and that is
impossible. But here is, at the same time, this
great difference to be observed, namely: What
God has revealed to us, promised or commanded,
that we are to believe, and to act accordingly,
assured that he will not lie: but what he has not re
vealed to us, nor promised, that we are not to and
caunot know, much less can we act accordingly.
Whoever troubles himself much about this, is
tempting God, since he neglects that which he is
commanded to know and to do, and concerns him
self about that which he is not commanded to.
know and to do. This can only produce people
who ask not for God's Word and sacrament, but
give themselves up to wild living, mammon,
tyranny, and every kind of dissolute life. For,
with such thoughts, they can have no faith, nor
hope, nor love to man or to God, whom they de
spise, because they are not permitted to know what
he secretly thinks; although he has so abundantly
revealed himself in everything that can minister
to their benefit or salvation, from which they

Luther and the Erring. in
wantonly turn away. No man would tolerate a
servant, who should refuse to perform his appointed
duty, unless he knew in advance all the secret
thoughts of his master in regard to all his pos
sessions. And shall God not have power likewise
to have some secrets to himself, beyond that which
he has commanded us?
' ' Let your Reverend Grace only think how it
would be, if we were to be guided by such thoughts
of the secret judgments of God, for example :
'Why does he permit his Sou to become man?
Why does he establish family relations — father
hood and motherhood? Why does he ordain civil
law and government? What more is needed?
That which is to happen, will happen without all
this ! What need is there of the devil, the Holy
Scriptures, and all created things? What he wishes
to do, he can do without any of these.' But we
are told that he desires to accomplish his purpose,
as far as now revealed, through us as fellow-labor
ers, i Cor. iii. 9 : therefore we should let him
manage and not trouble ourselves about it, but do
that which he has commanded us. Thus also says
Solomon, Prov. xxv. : ' He that would search out
royalty shall be crushed;' * and Sirach iii. (vs. 22
and 23): 'Understand not what is too high, but
* Verse 27, according to the Vulgate, or old Latin version.

112 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
think what is commanded thee;' and when the
disciples asked the Lord whether he would at that
time establish the kingdom of Israel, he replied:
' It is not for you to know the time or the hour,
which my Father hath kept in his own power, but
go ye and be my witnesses.' (Acts i. 7 and 8.)
As though he should say: Let my Father and me
see to the events of the future; go ye and do what
I command you.
"Accordingly, I beseech your Reverend Grace
most earnestly not to forsake the Word and sacra
ment, for the devil is an evil spirit, far too cunning
for your Reverend Grace, as likewise for all saints,
to say nothing of all men; as I myself also dis
cover, although I am scarcely ever off my guard
for a single day. Men so easily become cold, and
their indifference grows ever greater: and if there
were no other result of the devil's cunning, this
would be reason enough to bid him flee without a
moment's delay, and let the heart be warmed
again. Thus, doubtless, your Reverend Grace
himself feels that he is already cold and gone
astray after mammon, aiming to become very rich,
and also, according to common complaints, press
ing his subjects altogether too severely and sharply,
thinking to take them from their ancestral homes
and possessions, and almost to make them his own

Luther and the Erring. 113
property — which God will not endure, or, endur
ing, will bring the earldom to abject poverty. It
is his gift, and he can easily take it away again,
and that without recompense, as Haggai says
(i. 6): 'Ye gather much, but ye put it into a bag
with holes, and the Lord bloweth upon your grain
till there is nothing left.'
" I have heard it said that some propose to intro
duce in Germany a form of government like that
of France. Well, if they would stop first to ask
whether that would be right and well-pleasing to
God, I would not object. Let it be considered,
too, that the kingdom of France, which was once
a golden, glorious kingdom, is now so impoverished
in both property and people, that it has become,
instead of a golden, a leaden kingdom, and that,
although formerly far-famed as the Christian king
dom, it has formed an alliance with the Turks.
That is the way it goes when God and his Wordi
are despised.
' ' I write thus candidly to encourage your Rev
erend Grace, for I am now much nearer to my-
grave than people think; and I beg, as before^
that your Reverend Grace may deal more mildly
and graciously with the subjects of your Reverend
Grace, and allow them to remain; then shall your
Reverend Grace also remain, by the blessing of.
8

114 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
God, both here and in the life to come.* Other
wise, you shall lose both worlds, and be like the
man in iBsop's fable, who opened the goose that
laid every day a golden egg, and thereby lost the
golden eggs and the goose that laid them, or like
the dog in ^Esop, that lost the piece of meat by
snapping at its reflection in the water: for it is
most certainly true, as Solomon in so many of his
proverbs says, that he who wants too much gets
least of all.
' ' To conclude, I am concerned for the soul of
your Reverend Grace, which I cannot bear to have
cast out of my cares and prayers, for that would to
me mean, just as truly, cast out of the Church. I
have been compelled to write, not only by the
commandment of Christian love, but also by the
severe threatening which God has announced to us
in the third chapter of Ezekiel, namely, that we
shall be condemned for others' sins. He says
(verse 18): 'If thou tell not the sinner of his sin,
and he die therein, I will require his soul at thy
hands,' for to this end have I made thee a guardian
of souls.
"I trust your Reverend Grace will therefore
receive kindly this exhortation, for I cannot allow
myself to be condemned for the sin of your Rev-
* Compare, for Albrecht's views, Briefe. De Wette, 5, 287.

Luther and the Erring. 115
erend Grace, but must on the contrary make every
possible effort, that your Reverend Grace may
with me be saved. Thus I shall at least be guilt
less before God. I commend you to the abounding
grace and mercy of God.
" Your Reverend Grace's willing and true-hearted,
"Martinus Luther, D.
" Day of the Lnnocents, in the year 1342."
The interest which Luther manifested in the
forlorn Hans Kohlhase has been mentioned in the
preceding chapter. Hafftitius informs us that he
also sent a warning to the depredating horseman.
There is found in Luther's works a letter addressed
to some unknown person, warning against the tak
ing of revenge. De Wette reports * that, accord
ing to a marginal note in a certain Wolfenbiittel
codex, this letter was addressed to Kohlhase, which
may very well have been the case. It runs thus:
"Grace and Peace in Christ. My good Friend.
I have been truly grieved, and yet grieve, as
God knows, over your misfortune. It would have
been better in the first place not to have un
dertaken revenge, since it cannot be undertaken
without a burdening of the conscience; for a pri
vate vengeance is forbidden by God, Deut. xxxii.
* Briefe, 4, 567.

116 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
35, Rom. xii. 19: 'Vengeance is mine, saith the
Lord, I will repay,' etc, and it cannot be other
wise than that he who enters upon it shall run the
risk of doing much against God and man which a
Christian conscience cannot approve.
"It is true, indeed, that your injury and dis
grace must give you pain, and that you are bound
to redeem and maintain your honor, but not by
sins or wrong-doing. Do what is right in the
right way, says Moses : one wrong cannot right
another. Now to make one's self a judge and ex
ecute judgment upon others is certainly wrong,
and the wrath of God will not suffer it to go un
punished. What you can lawfully accomplish, it
is right to do; but if you cannot thus secure your
rights, then there is no other way but to suffer
wrong. God, who permits you to suffer wrong,
has assuredly some reason for it. He does not
mean thereby to injure you, but can fully recom
pense you in some other way. Do not therefore
be discouraged.
"And what would you do, if he should yet fur
ther afflict — in wife, child, body and life ? Never
theless, you would still have to say, if you would
be a Christian: ' My dear Lord God, I have well
deserved it; thou art just, and thy punishment is
altogether too light in proportion to my sins. And

Luther and the Erring. 117
what is all our suffering, compared with the suffer
ing of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ?
"Accordingly, if, as you write, you desire my
advice, it is this: Accept terms of peace wherever
they can be obtained, and rather suffer injury in
possessions and honor, than prosecute further an
undertaking in which you must make yourself
responsible for the sins and villainy of all who may
follow your fortunes. They are, at any rate, not
to be depended on; they have no true love for you,
but are seeking gain for themselves. They will at
length betray you, and you will then have the
worst of the game. Don't paint the devil over
your door, nor invite him to enter as a sponsor.
He will come at any rate. Such companions are
the devil's house-servants, and their end is com
monly in accordance with their deeds.
"But you ought to consider what a grievous
burden your conscience will have to carry if you
knowingly bring ruin upon so many people, as
you have no right to do. Be contented, for the
glory of God regard your injury as inflicted by
him, and for his sake endure it meekly. You
will then see that he will bless you again, and so
richly reward your labor that you will highly prize
the patience which you have shown. To this may
you be helped by Christ, our Lord, the teacher

118 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
and pattern of all patience, and the helper in dis
tress. Amen.
' ' Tuesday after St. Nicholas' Day (Dec. 8), 1334. ' '
Count Albrecht took to heart the admonition of
Luther, and died in peace in a good old age; but
Kohlhase, unfortunately, rejected the counsel of the
spiritual adviser, and followed iustead the advice
of his comrade, George Nagelschmied, which
brought him to the gallows.
It could not be otherwise, but that just at the
time of the Reformation the deepest interest should
be aroused by the question, whether the princes of
Germany had authority to take up arms against the
Emperor ; for Charles V. in various ways threat
ened and attempted to suppress by force the preach
ing of the Gospel, and to crush the evangelical
church. Luther was, in consequence, applied to
for his faithful counsel by many who could not
decide for themselves, and knew not what course
to pursue. He gives expression to his sound views
upon this question in a short letter to Wenzel
Link, pastor at Nuremberg :*
"As you have just written and requested that
we report to you whether it is true, as was written
to you, that we have given counsel that the Em-
* Briefe. De Wette, 6, 127, and 4, 212.

Luther and the Erring. 119
peror may be resisted, I assure you in response
that we have in no way given such counsel. But,
as some were declaring that theologians have noth
ing to do with these things, and that they should
not be consulted nor concern themselves about
them, but the jurists, who say we may defend our
selves, I said for my own self : ' As a theologian, I
do not advise it ; but, if the jurists can show and
prove from their laws that it is right, they may see
to that and bear the responsibility. For if the
Emperor has appointed in his law that he may be in
this case resisted, let him then be satisfied and sub
mit to the law which he has given and appointed
or confirmed and approved ; yet I do not counsel
nor give judgment in regard to this law which
allows and permits self-defence, but I stick to my
theology. I cheerfully acknowledge, and make no
secret of it, that a prince or ruler is a worldly per
son, and therefore that which he does befitting a
government, and in accordance with the laws, he
does not as a Christian ; for a Christian is not a
prince, nor government, nor vassal, nor any person
age in the world. Whether now & government, as
a government, may resist the Emperor and protect
itself and its subjects from unjust violence, of that
they may judge. I let them decide and answer to
their consciences. It certainly is not befitting a

120 Luther as Spiritual Adviser,
Christian, as one who has died to the world, and
has nothing at all to do with worldly affairs, nor
concerns himself about them.'
" So far has the matter gone, and you may report
this to Herr Lazarus* as my opinion and senti
ment, although I see very clearly, "that, however
we may oppose it with all our powers, and cry
aloud, they have so thoroughly made up their
minds, determined and resolved, that they will cer
tainly defend themselves, and not suffer themselves
to be driven or beaten. I may preach and say
what I will, it is all in vain. God will be with us,
and help, that there may be no occasion for resist
ance, for he is most certainly upon our side. Of
this we have clear proof, for he has brought to
naught the decisions of this Diet, so that they have
thus far undertaken nothing against us; and he
will do likewise in the future. But not all men
have faith. I take comfort to myself in this, that,
though they will not follow our advice, they will
sin the less and act less rashly, if they plan their
undertakings in accordance with written imperial
ilaws, and if in so doing they fully believe that
they are doing nothing contrary to the Scriptures
:and God's Word, because they undertake and do
* Without doubt, the excellent city clerk of Nuremberg, Laz
arus Spengler.

Luther and the Erring. 121
nothing contrary to written law. So I let them
go; I am free.
December, 1330".
Luther steadfastly maintained the principle: "A
Christian should not resist, but suffer everything,
and not take refuge in the pretext, ' it is allowable
to repel violence with violence.' " * But he does
not forget to add: "If, however, the laws of the
jurists permit a Christian, not as a Christian, but
as a citizen or member of a civil community, to
resist, to that we do not object." f
An error growing out of the canonical laws
threatened at that time in the most alarming way
the very foundations of domestic life. We refer to
the endorsement of secret betrothals. It was very
common for young people to become engaged
without the knowledge of their parents, and such
engagements, which most deeply undermined pa
rental authority and turned into derision all filial
regard for father and mother, were acknowledged
as binding, and as really equivalent to legal mar
riage. The Reformer regarded these secret be
trothals with abhorrence. He stood here like a
wall of brass, which, whenever accidentally struck,
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 233.
flbid.

122 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
gives forth a loud, clear and long-reverberating
tone. That Luther in this matter was far in ad
vance of his time, is proved especially by the
powerful letter which he addressed to the con
sistory at Wittenberg in January, 1544. * How he,
as a faithful spiritual adviser, admonishes the err
ing consistory, of which his own beloved Bugen-
hagen was a member!
"In the first place," he observes, "I should very
gladly have been spared the unpleasant duty, but
since I could not reconcile my conscience, as a
spiritual adviser in this church, to the decision of
the consistory, I have been compelled on account
of my office to oppose it. Although I might
have overlooked the sin committed both in the
betrothals themselves and in their confirmation,
involving so much lying and perjury, and such
suspicious practices, that it seems, alas, impossible
for any one to obtain justice without much injustice
and sin (not to speak of the injury and injustice
caused by delays, the course of litigation seeming
to have no end, and it having become dangerous
to be an honest jurist), yet I should have been
compelled to speak, because the decision referred
to tends to confuse and perplex consciences.
" But the second and chief reason for my opposi-
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 233.

Luther and the Erring. 123
tion is that the whole business, namely, the secret
betrothals of both parties, together with their con
firmation and the decision of the consistory, is
nothing but a cunning piece of the devil's machin
ery, so constructed that through it the miserable
Pope with his abominations of desolation may
again sit in our church, and become at length
worse than before he was driven out. Surely it
was time for me to wake up and look into the mat
ter. For, inasmuch as our consistory knew, or at
least ought to have known, what evil is being
wrought in our church by secret betrothals, it
should of right have acted very differently, i. e., it
should have condemned secret betrothals, pro
hibited their confirmation, and should by no means
have rendered such a decision as to commend to
our poor youth, in an evil and extreme example,
such a work of the devil. A secret betrothal
cannot be anything else than the devil's business,
brought about through the enemy of God and mur
derer of souls, the Pope, just as Daniel prophesied
that the latter would set himself above and against
God, and horribly assail every ordinance of God,
such as ecclesiastical, civil and domestic govern
ment. Thus he has in this matter abolished the
fourth commandment of God, permitted and taught
children to be disobedient to their parents, to be-

124 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
come robbers and steal themselves from their par
ents by secret betrothal, in which the honor and au
thority over their children and property given and
committed to parents by God is brought to naught.
Still further, as was most befitting in him who is
the man of sin and the son of perdition, he has
praised and rewarded such abominable sin against
God and parents as a good and precious work.
"He has thus deeply distressed parents, and has
indeed caused some to die of grief, as might very
easily have been the case recently with Magister
Philip (Melanchthon), whom I had to restrain by
force from hastily giving his consent to his son's
betrothal, and who, having before been similarly
distressed by the betrothal of his daughter, and
complained that his children were so wretchedly
stolen from him, would now, if he had made a ser
ious mistake in the case of his son, have grieved
himself to death.
"Now, since we, by the grace of God through
his holy Word, know what secret betrothal is,
namely, — a work of the devil; a shameful sin of
disobedience against God and earthly parents; a
thief and robber so cruel that he wickedly steals,
robs and snatches away from me, not only money
and property, but my dearest treasure upon earth,
my daughter or my son, perhaps the only son or

Luther and the Erring. 125
daughter; and, besides, a jailer and murderer of
parents — we should, therefore, when it is learned
that a secret betrothal has been made, with all our
power urge the parties to it to say nothing about
it, rebuke them sharply, not allow them to apply to
the court, but by all means restore all things to the
former condition, and set free and give back to
their parents the son and daughter stolen by the
betrothal, tear to pieces and condemn the certificate
of betrothal, as it is before God accursed and con
demned. Thus we shall not need to endure the
wretchedness which the devil seeks to bring upon us.
We do not need to set fleas in the wool, nor to permit
or teach children to be disobedient ; as it is, they
disobey far more than is agreeable to God or to us.
"A thief who steals ten or twenty florins is hung;
but this thief, who steals from me my child and
tortures me to death, I must salute as a benefactor
and saint, and welcome him to my estate, in which
I can no longer find pleasure, in order that thus the
iniquity committed against me may be right glo
riously rewarded and honored. Thanks to thee,
most holy Pope, for thy good doctrine ! Thanks,
too, are due to those popish jurists, with whom we
are so very anxious to associate in the Church of
Christ, even whilst they are trying to break down
what we build up and to build up what we break
down !"

126 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Contending thus strenuously for the power of
parents over their children, Luther sought just as
earnestly to impress upon the minds of parents that
their authority is not unlimited. The son of a
widow of Stolberg, Ursula Schneider, had de
clared his love to a young woman of Wittenberg,
and had returned home to secure the consent of
his mother. The widow Schneider, who had
learned of Luther's approval, did not give, as he
had hoped, a favorable answer, and the son accord
ingly did not return. The Reformer then exhorted
the mother to give her consent without delay:*
"But since the minx pleases him so greatly, and
is of about his own rank, and a good honest child,
of honorable parentage, it therefore still seems to
me that you ought to be well satisfied, since he has
in filial spirit, like Samson, humbled himself and
begged for this minx. It will become you now,
as a loving mother, to reconcile your will to the
situation. For, although we have writtenf that
children should not engage themselves in marriage
without the will of their parents, we have, at the
same time, also written that parents should not,
and cannot with God's approval, compel or hinder
their children according to their own pleasure.
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 186 (June 4, 1539). Comp. 2, 511.
t Comp. Von Ehesachen, 1530.

Luther and the Erring. 127
The son should, indeed, bring no daughter to his
parents without their consent ; but the father, like
wise, should force no wife upon his son. They
should both have something to say in the matter.
Otherwise, the son's wife must become the father's
daughter, and owe the latter no thanks."
As Luther thus sought to promote a proper con
ception of the relations between parents and chil
dren, he was equally concerned for the observance
of propriety in the marital relation. Although he
very often in letters refers in a jocular way to his
"Lord Katie," he was not disposed to tolerate the
headship of the wife over her husband. This was
known to Stephan Roth, town-clerk of Zwickau,
who accordingly upon some pretext sent to him his
insubordinate wife to have her ideas upon this sub
ject corrected. The woman was too shrewd for
him, however, and did not go to Luther. The
latter then gave the faint-hearted husband a com
plete overhauling in the following terms: *
"Grace and Peace in Christ, together with Proper
Control over your Wife. Your lady lord and ruler,
my Stephan, whose disregard of your authority
much displeases me, has not yet come to me. But
I am beginning to be angry at you, too, that you
should through the weakness of your disposition,
* Briefe. De Wette 3, 302. 6, 93 (Apr. 12, 1528).

128 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
which needs to be fortified by Christian obedience,
have suffered this dominion to be established, aud
to become so powerful. It now appears to be
your fault that your wife thus takes every advan
tage of you. Surely, when you observed that the
ass was becoming fractious from good feeding, or, in
other words, that your wife was taking advantage
of your indulgent and yielding disposition and be
coming insubordinate, you should have considered
that it is a man's duty to obey God rather than his
wife, that is, that the authority of the husband,
which St. Paul says is the glory of God, dare not
be despised by her and trodden under foot. It is
enough, that this glory of God should be so far laid
aside as to take upon itself .the form of a servant:
but it is too much, when it is entirely rejected, ex
tinguished and brought to nought. See to it, there
fore, that you act like a man, and so bear the in
firmity of your wife as not to confirm her in wick
edness, nor, by your base servility, dishonor by a
most dangerous example the glory of God which
has been committed to you. It is easy enough to
draw the line between infirmity and wickedness.
Infirmity must be borne, but wickedness must be
repressed. Infirmity is quite willing to hear and
learn, at least once in twelve hours; but wickedness
is stiff-necked and stubborn in its resistance. If

Luther and the Erring. 129
jour wife sees that you regard her wickedness as
an infirmity, what wonder if she becomes utterly
depraved! You thus of your own fault throw the
window wide open for Satan to come in, and mock
and irritate and pester you in every way through
the poor weaker vessel. You are a sensible man,
and may the Lord grant you to understand what I
say, and to believe that I have sincerely tried to
give the best advice both to yourself and to your
wife, and to ward off Satan. Farewell in Christ."
As Luther in this instance admonished an erring
friend, so it was his custom, whenever he observed a
failing in any one of his friends or brethren, to take
a hand in the matter and restore order again. He
heard at one time that a good friend of his in Sax
ony was taking private matters into the pulpit. "A
private matter," he writes,* "ought to be passed
over in silence and suppressed, and, like a family
quarrel, left to wander up and down in its own place. .
It ought not to be proclaimed from the housetop,
which always makes things worse. My advice is:
Let it alone, and learn to be patient and keep your -
mouth shut, that the noble little flower, patience,...
may be seen. May the God of peace be with you, .
and your angry feelings will then soon pass away."f ¦
* Briefe. De Wette, 6, 427.
flbid., 5, 574 (July 13. 1543)-
9

130 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
He does not permit even those of his friends
who occupy the most exalted stations to do as they
please. To a Spalatin he represents,* that he
ought to treat his school-master in a fraternal spirit
and not be too unyielding in the maintaining of
his rights; and to Justus Jonas, | that it was not
very becoming to bring home the second wife so
soon after the death of the first.
The Reformer set up and maintained a lofty
standard of attainment for the pastors of churches,
but he indignantly rebuked and admonished those
who made unreasonable demands upon them. To
Magister Johann Schreiner, pastor and superintend
ent at Grimma, he writes somewhat passionately:!
"Grace and Peace in Christ. My dear Magister
and Pastor. Be kind enough to say to the nobility,
or whoever they may be, if Spalatin will not do it,
that we cannot make pastors just as they would
like to have them, and that they ought to thank
God that they can have the pure Word spelled for
them out of a book, since they in former times,
under the Pope, heard nothing but the foul spurt-
ings of the devil, and had to pay dearly enough
for them. Who can give to these noble people for
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 574 (July 13, 1543.)
flbid., 5, 556 (May 4, 1543).
X Ibid., 5, 69 (July 9, 1537). Compare 4, 194.

Luther and the Erring. 131
their begging nothing but Doctor Martius and
Magister Philips for pastors? If they will have
none but St. Augustines and Jeromes, let them
find these for themselves. If a pastor is satisfac
tory and faithful to his Lord Christ, surely a noble
man, who is perceptibly less exalted than Christ,
should also be satisfied. A prince has to be satis
fied in his worldly government, if he can find in
the whole circle of his nobility three hewn stones,
and must be patient with the others, who answer
only for filling in. Such matters as this you ought
to arrange in your own district, for we, without
having this put upon us, are already so overbur
dened with the affairs of all lands, that we have no
rest nor peace. You may show this letter to prin
ces or lords, or to whomsoever you will, for aught
I care. ' '
It appeared that every one who was unable to
satisfy his own mind in questions of duty, or feared
to reach wrong conclusions, turned with confidence
to the Reformer. The papal clergy at Leipzig de
termined to give to every"T£aster communicant a
coin, by means of which he might certify to the
civil authorities that he had properly received the
Holy Supper. Many were perplexed, and inquired
of Luther whether they dare receive the Holy
Sacrament in the one element, or secure the coin

132 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
in some other way. "Since now," he decides,*
"Duke George undertakes to search out even se
cret matters of conscience, he deserves indeed, as
an apostle of the devil, to be deceived in any way
that can be devised ; for, in making such demands,
he has neither right nor justice on his side, but
sins against God and the Holy Spirit. But since
we must consider, not what other and wicked peo
ple do, be they murderers or robbers, but what
it is proper for us to suffer and to do, it will in
this case be the best course to say boldly, in the
face of the murderers and robbers: I will not do
it. If you take from me on this account my prop
erty and my body, you will be taking them from
Another, who will demand restitution to the last
drop of blood, as Peter says (Acts x. 42), 'Jesus
Christ has been ordained to be a judge of quick
and dead.' "
The sister of Jerome Weller, Barbara Lisskir-
chen,t of Freiberg, inquired through her brother
whether she might receive the Holy Sacrament in
both elements secretly at home. This he will not
and cannot advise ^Tor after a while," he writes,!
"every one might wish to receive it in this way,
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 443 and 6, 141 (April 11, 1533).
-flbid., 6, 543.
X Ibid., 4, 596.

Luther and the Erring. 133
and thus the general church and assembly be for-
r saken and desolate, although it is intended to be a
public and common confession. If you can receive
it at some other place, as opportunity may offer,
and will take the responsibility, since your con
science desires it and is satisfied, you may do it in
the name of God, to whom I commend you in my
poor prayers. ' '
A good friend at Linz, on the Danube, Sigmund
Hangreuter,* requests through Wolfgang Brauer,
pastor at Jessen, a decision of the question, whether
he might not administer the Lord's Supper to him
self and his family. The categorical response to
this inquiry is, No ; " because he has no such call
ing nor command, and because, if the tyrannical
ecclesiastics, whose duty it is, refuse to admin
ister the sacrament to him and his, he can yet be
saved without it by his faith."
A certain member of the nobility comes to him
with the question, whether he can with a good
conscience be present at the coronation of the
bishop in Merseburg. " Since I cannot know," is
the reply,! "what is the state of your heart, I can
give no counsel in the matter; you must be your
own counselor. So far as it is proper for one to
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 38 (Dec. 27, 1536).
tlbid., 4, 633 (Sept. 19, 1535).

134 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
give counsel to another touching external affairs, I
have given mine sufficiently in writing and in pub
lic declarations, and have thus done my part. Be
yond this, I cannot burden myself with the sins,
least of all with the secret sins, of other people."
Extremely interesting is the relation of Luther
to Dorothea Jorger, a widow residing at Toilet,
later at Koppach, in Austria. Already in the first
of his twelve letters to her which have reached us,
he calls her his "best, faithful friend."* She

placed in the Reformer's hands generous contribu
tions for the support of poor, worthy students of
theology. At one time, October 24th, 1533, he ac
knowledges the receipt of 500 guldens.! She
sought and received his counsel in all her affairs,
told him her troubles, and rested her hope upon
him. Thus, desiring to give her daughters a share
in the inheritance of her property, she inquired
what to do, since the former had some time before
signed a disclaimer to the estate. He replies
openly and honorably:! "My opinion is, that if
you can by kindness prevail upon your sons to give
their consent, your desire can be carried out; but,
if this cannot be accomplished, and your daughters
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 150.
flbid., 4, 490.
t Ibid., 5. 10 (July 31, 1536).

Luther and the Erring. 135
have already surrendered their claims, it cannot
lay any burden upon your conscience if you are
unable to secure again for them what they have
given away." She even asks of him and secures
a memorandum for a Christian form of last will
and testament.*
Christoph Jorger, presumably the oldest son of
the above-mentioned lady, always regarded the
Reformer as his counselor in questions of con
science. He, as an officer at Vienna, had attended
the religious services of the Roman Catholics, and
had thereby given offence to the adherents of the
evangelical doctrines. Luther, applied to for his
advice, replied:! "First of all, since you find your
conscience burdened in this matter, you can find
no better adviser nor doctor than just that very
conscience of yours. Why do you wish to live in
such a way that your conscience shall be all the
while biting and lashing you and leaving you no
rest ? That would be indeed, as they used to say,
to live in a forecourt of hell. Therefore, if your con
science is restless and uncertain in this matter, try
by all means to free yourself from this restlessness,
for it works against faith, which tends to make the
conscience ever more secure aud firm. Remain at
* Briefe. De Wette, 6, 139 (Jan. 1, 1533).
flbid., 6, 355 ; 4, 659 ; 5, 612 (Dec. 31, 1543).

136 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
home, as before, with the Word, for should you
sacrifice with the others in the procession, and do
other things of that kind, your conscience would
protest against it. To do such things, after you
have learned the truth, would be to take your
place with those who have denied the truth,
as Paul says in Romans xiv. 23 : ' He who
acts contrary to his conscience is condemned,' or,
as his words read, 'Whatsoever cometh not of
faith is sin.' All this, and more, you have I trust
sufficiently understood from the Scriptures and
other books, which instruct and preserve the con
science. Your king is, in such affairs, the devil's
servant." Jorger followed this advice and re
signed his office, upon which Luther congratulates
him under date of April 17th, 1545.*
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 729.

CHAPTER V.
HOW LUTHER COMFORTED THE MOURNING.
LUTHER was a man of cheerful, joyous piety.
"A Christian should be a cheerful man," is a
saying of his* which well deserves to be laid to heart
by all. He maintained also that every Christian
can be cheerful, if he will but consider what he is
and what he has. A certain nun, he relates, was
accustomed to say to herself, " I am a Christian,"
and thus banish the evil spirit of sadness and mel
ancholy. ' ' Say likewise to yourself, ' ' he exhorts,
"though all else be lost, yet I believe that Christ
still lives, and I am baptized and am perfectly sat
isfied with the Gospel ; I am therefore no enemy
of the sacraments, nor of the Lord himself, but
truly believe that he is a Saviour: the devil can
bring up nothing against this."!
He could not endure to see any one in sadness,
but was impelled to comfort all such with the com
fort wherewith he had been comforted by the God
* Tischreden. Aurif., 316 a. Forst, 3, 123.
t Ibid., 321 a. Forst, 3, 138.
(*37)

138 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
of all grace, and thus fill their sorrowing hearts
again with joy.
"Grace aud Peace in Christ" — thus he writes to
Matthias Weller at Freiberg — * " Honorable, kind
aud dear Friend. Your dear brother tells me that
you are greatly troubled in spirit, and tempted to
give way to sorrow. He will no doubt tell you
what I have said to him. Now, my dear Matthias,
do not in this matter depend upon your own
thoughts, but hear what other people have to say;
for God has given commandment, that one man
shall comfort another, and it is his wish, also, that
the afflicted shall receive such comfort as his own
voice. He says through St. Paul: 'Comfort the
faint-hearted' (1 Thes. v. 14), and in Isaiah xl.
8 : ' Comfort, comfort ye my people and speak
kindly to them,' and elsewhere: ' It is not my will
that a man should be sad, but ye shall serve
me with cheerfulness, and bring no sacrifice with
sadness,' as Moses and the prophets so often
and earnestly admonish. He has therefore also
commanded that we should not be cumbered with
care, but cast our care on him, since he will care
for us, as Peter (first epistle, v. 7) teaches from
the 55th Psalm (verse 23).
"Since, then, it is God's wish that one comfort
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 556, and 6, 551.

Luther and the Mourning. 139
another, and that every one receive the comfort
offered; therefore let your thoughts go, and be sure
that the devil is using them to worry you, and that
they are not your thoughts, but the suggestions of
the miserable devil, who cannot endure that we
should have a cheerful thought.
"Hear now, therefore, what we say to you in the
name of God, namely, that you should be cheerful in
Christ, who is your gracious Lord and Deliverer,
and let him care for you, as he most assuredly does,
even though you do not yet have what you desire.
He still lives; place full confidence in him. That
will please him, the Scriptures say, as the best
sacrifice; for there is no more pleasing and accept
able sacrifice than a cheerful heart, that rejoices in
the Lord.
"Therefore, when you feel sad and almost over
whelmed, just say: ' Come, I must play a hymn to
our Lord Christ upon the organ, and sing praises
to him, for the Scriptures teach me that he delights
in cheerful music and song.' Strike the keys with
vigor, and sing away until your evil thoughts are
gone, as did David and Elisha. If the devil comes
again to disturb you with any care or thought of
sadness, defend yourself boldly, and say: 'Away
with you, devil ! I must now sing and play to my
Lord Christ.* Thus you must learn to really resist

140 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
him, aud not allow him to put thoughts into your
head; for, if you let one in and listen, he will drive
in after it ten other thoughts until you are over
powered. There is nothing better, therefore, than
right at the first to smite him on the snout. Like(
that man who, whenever his wife began to pick
and bite at»him, drew out his flute from his girdle
and piped away with all his might, until she was
at last tired out and left him in peace; so strike
your organ keys, or call in good companions, and
sing away until you learn to despise the devil."
But Luther knew full well that persons in sorrow
have not always power to exorcise the spirit of
sadness, and to draw for themselves the proper
comfort from the Word and works of God. He
was therefore always, with diligent and sympa
thizing hand, extending to the sorrowing friendly
and inspiring comfort, out of the fountain which
ever flowed for him. No trouble seemed to him so
trifling, no sorrow so insignificant, as to be unworthy
of his ministry of comfort.
We know how little he himself cared for money
and property, and yet he does not despise to offer
consolation upon the loss of wealth.
"Grace and Peace in the Lord," he writes to
some one unknown to us,* "Honorable, discreet
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 473.

Luther and the Mourning. 141
and good Friend. Your dear son has informed me
that you are greatly worried over the loss of the
property which has been taken from you, and that
you desire a few words of comfort from me. Now,
my dear Friend, I am truly sorry that you are
called to bear this burden and sorrow. May Christ,
the very best Comforter of all the distressed, com
fort you, as he certainly can and will. Amen.
"Remember that you are not the only one whom
the devil brings into distress. Job was afflicted,
and not only robbed of everything but his skin, but
made to suffer terribly in body and spirit: yet
God overruled all for good, and he was again richly
comforted. Recall what the 55th Psalm (verse 22) \
teaches : ' Cast thy burden upon the Lord ; he will
provide for thee,' and St. Peter (first epistle, v. 7),
following the above, ' Beloved brethren, cast all
your anxious care upon him, for he careth for you.'
Although you may suffer pain for a while, he is
yet faithful and sure, and will help at the right
time, as he says in Psalm 1. 15: 'Call upon me in
the day of trouble; so will I deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify me,' for he is called in Psalm ix.
9, 'a timely Helper in trouble.'
' ' What are our sufferings, compared with those
which the Son of God innocently and for us en
dured? Our weakness makes our sufferings heavy

143 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
and great; they would be lighter if we were
stronger. With this I commend you to God.
" Tuesday after Exaudi, 1342."
The theologians and jurists of Saxony at the
Diet of Augsburg were filled with anxiety, fearing
the very worst, for the enemies of the Gospel were
so numerous, so powerful and so insolent. Luther's
genial, beloved sponsor, the noble chancellor,
Gregory Briick, was the most hopeful man yet
among them. With what masterly skill does the
Reformer confirm the weak heart of this man, and
through him comfort the fearful and sorrowful!
"Grace and Peace in Christ," he begins.*
"Estimable, learned, dear Lord and Sponsor. I
have now several times written to my most gra
cious Lord and to our friends. Indeed, I fear that
I have written too much, especially to my most gra
cious Lord, as though I had any doubt that the com
fort and grace of God were more abundant and
stronger with your Reverend Grace than with me.
But I have been instigated to do it by our friends,
.some of whom are so despondent and anxious, as
though God had forgotten us. He cannot forget
us, unless he first forget himself, or unless our
cause be not his cause and our doctrine not his
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 127.

Luther and the Mourning. 143
Word. But if we are certain of this, and do not
doubt that it is his cause and Word, then is our
prayer also certainly heard, and help has been de
cided upon and prepared for us. This cannot fail,
/for he says (Isa. xlix. 15): 'Can a woman forget herN
sucking child, that she should not have compassion
upon the fruit of her body? And though she
should forget it, yet will I not forget thee: behold,
I have graven thee upon my hand.'
v "I have lately seen two wonderful things. First,
as I was looking out of my window, I saw the
stars in the sky and the whole beautiful firmament
of God; and yet I saw nowhere any pillar set up by
the Master to support this firmament. Still, the
sky did not fall, and the firmament is yet standing
securely. Now there are some who look for such
pillars, and would like to lay hold of them and feel
them, and because they cannot do this they tremble
and go into convulsions, as though the sky would
now certainly fall, for no other reason than because
they cannot lay hold upon or see the pillars. If
they could only grasp these, the sky would cer
tainly stand secure.
"The other wonder which I saw was this: Great,
thick clouds were floating overus, so heavy that
they might be compared to a great ocean, and yet
I saw no foundation upon which they rested or

144 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
stood, nor any tufys in which they were held.
Nevertheless, they did not fall upon us, but greeted
us with a threatening countenance, and fled away.
When they were past, there shone out that which
held them up, as both their support and our roof,
the rainbow. Yet this was such a weak, thin,
paltry foundation and roof, that it too vanished in
the clouds and appeared more like a shadow (or re
flection through colored glass) than a powerful
foundation, so that one would have cause to fear
on account of the foundation as much as on ac
count of the great weight of waters. Nevertheless,
it proved to be the fact, that this frail shadow bore
up the weight of waters and protected us. Yet
there are some who, in their fear, look upon and
regard the thick and heavy weight of waters and
clouds more than this thin, narrow and light
shadow. They would like to feel the strength of
this shadow ; and, because they cannot do this,
they are afraid that the clouds will produce an
everlasting deluge.
"I write thus in friendly jest to Your Worship,
and yet in all seriousness, for I have learned with
special pleasure that Your Worship has, above all
others, kept up good courage and a brave heart in
this our trial. I had, indeed, hoped that it might
be possible to maintain at least civil peace; but

Luther and the Mourning. 145
God's thoughts are far above our thoughts, and it is
right as it is, for he answers and does ' above that
which we ask or understand' (Eph. iii. 20). 'For
we know not how we should ask' (Rom. viii. 26).
Should he now answer us just as we ask, i. e., that
the Emperor might give us peace, then it would
perhaps be beneath and not above that which we
understand, and the Emperor would receive the
honor, and not God. But now he wishes himself
to give us peace, so that he alone may have the
honor, which is due to him alone.
"We would not in this despise the Imperial
Majesty, but we pray and wish that the Imperial
Majesty may undertake nothing against God and
the imperial law. But should this occur (God then;
help us !), we would, nevertheless, as faithful sub
jects, not believe that the Imperial Majesty did it, ,
but think that some other and tyrannical persons ;
did it under the name of the Imperial Majesty, and)
we should thus discriminate between the name of
the Imperial Majesty and the work of tyrants, just -
as we discriminate when heretics and liars use the*
name of God, honoring the name of God while we -
shun the lies of those who use it. Thus we neither -
can nor should at all approve nor accept the-
schemes of tyrants, which they prosecute under the •
name of the Imperial Majesty.
10

146 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"But such work as God in his grace has given us
to do, he will by his Spirit bless and carry forward,
and he will, without forgetting or neglecting, find
the way, the time and the place to help us. They
have not accomplished, these men of blood, the
half of what they had at this time designed, nor
are they yet at home, nor where they would like to
be. Our rainbow is weak; their clouds are power
ful ; but at the end it will be seen of what material
both are made. May Your Worship take my
prattle kindly, and comfort M. Philip and all the
others. May Christ also comfort and preserve our
most gracious Lords. To him be praise and
thanks to eternity. Amen. To his grace I faith
fully commend also Your Worship.
'¦'¦Loneliness (Coburg), August 3, 1330."
It is very remarkable with what skill Luther thus
employed the works of God's hand to give courage
tothe disheartened; but he, above all, delighted in
drawing comfort for the sorrowing from the ex-
haustless fountain of the Holy Scriptures. This he'
was ready to do whenever misfortune of any kind
befell any one of his many acquaintances. Hearing
that his friend, Jerome Baumgartner, had been
surprised and taken prisoner while on a journey, by
a knight in Franconia, Johann Thomas, of Rosen-

Luther and the Mourning. 147
berg, who in his quarrel with the city of Nurem
berg sought thus to avenge himself upon a highly
esteemed native of that city, he immediately sat
down and wrote to the distressed wife of Baumgart-
ner:* "Grace and Peace in our dear Saviour and Lord
Jesus Christ. Honorable, virtuous, dear Lady. How
deeply my heart is grieved by your sorrow and mis
fortune, is known to God, who sees and hears my
groanings. Every heart, indeed, grieves for the
beloved, noble man, that he should be so wickedly
held in the hands of the enemies. May God hear
our prayers and those of all pious hearts; for it is
certain, that all pious hearts are praying fervently
for him, and it is certain, also, that such prayers
are heard by God and acceptable to him.
"Meanwhile, we must take comfort from the di
vine promise, repeated so often in the Psalter, that
he^iHnot^foj^akje^iiarforget his people; for we
know that your husband is a true man in the faith
of Christ, which he has grandly made known and
adorned with many noble fruits. It is therefore
not possible that God should have cast him off, but,
as he has through his holy Word called him to
himself and received him to his gracious bosom, so
he is now still keeping and will daily and forever
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 672.

148 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
keep him in his bosom. He is yet the same God,
who, up to the time of this misfortune, kept him as
his own dear Christian and a child of life; and he
will still remain for him the same God, even though
he for a short time assume a different attitude, to
test a little our faith and patience. He has said
(John xvi. 20, 22): 'Ye shall weep and lament, but
your sorrow shall be turned into joy, which no one
shall take from you!' This promise he will keep
for us without fail.
"Our sufferings have not yet become so deep and
bitter as were those of his own dear Son and of
the mother of our Lord. By the thought of these
we should be comforted and strengthened in our
sufferings, as St. Peter teaches us (first epistle, iii.
18): ' Christ has once suffered for us, the just for the j
unjust.' Though the devil and his followers now
rejoice in our misfortune, they shall yet have to
lament bitterly enough, and for their brief joy they
shall have long mourning. But we have the great
and glorious advantage, that God is gracious and
friendly to us, as well as all the angels and the uni
verse, and that, therefore, the misfortunes of these
bodies cannot injure our souls, but must, on the
contrary, be useful to us, as St. Paul says, Rom.
viii. 28: 'We know that all things must work
for good to them that love God.' According to

Luther and the Mourning. 149
the body, it gives us pain, and should and must
give us pain, as otherwise we would not be true
Christians, suffering with Christ and weeping with
those that weep.
"Therefore, my dear Lady, pray and have pa
tience, for you do not suffer alone, but you have
many, many noble, faithful, pious hearts, that sym
pathize most deeply with you, and that are now
acting according to the Scripture (Matt. xxv. 36):
'I was in prison and ye came unto me.' Yea,
verily, in a great throng we visit the beloved
Baumgartner in his prison, that is, the Lord Christ
himself, imprisoned in the person of his faithful
member. We pray and call upon God to deliver
him, and thus fill you and all of us with rejoic
ing. May the Lord Jesus himself, who bids us
comfort one another, and who also comforts us
through his blessed Word, comfort and strengthen
your heart through his Spirit in unwavering pa
tience until the blessed end of this and every mis
fortune. To him, with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, be praise and glory forever. Amen.
"Martinus Luther, D.
"•Tuesday after Visitationis Maria (July f), in the
year 1344. ' '
Seldom indeed did any one within the circle of

150 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Luther's acquaintances suffer any domestic afflic
tion without receiving from him, either through
some other friend or directly in writing, a word of
comfort. When we glance at the number of con
solatory letters in his own handwriting, and take
into consideration that he was constantly impor
tuned by all kinds of people in his home, fairly
overwhelmed with all kinds of questions, and
really overburdened with a mass of labor to us
almost incredible, we must acknowledge that the
sentiment of friendship was with him most remark
ably keen and strong, his sympathy deep and last
ing. His exhortations were at all times drawn
from the innermost sanctuary of faith and love, and
distinguished by tenderness and wisdom.
To _a_woman whose husband had died in conse
quence of an injury which he had inflicted upon
himself, as to the cause of which nothing definite
was known, he wrote as follows:*
"Grace and Peace in Christ. Honorable, virtu
ous Lady. Your son has reported to me the misfor
tune and misery which have befallen you through
the departure of your dear husband, and I am im
pelled by Christian love to address to you these few
words of comfort.
\ "First of all, let it comfort you, that, in the
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 407.

Luther and the Mourning. 151
severe conflict through which your dear husband
passed, Christ at length gained the final victory,
and that your husband departed in the Lord, in the
possession of reason and Christian consciousness.
I was beyond measure pleased and delighted to hear
this, for thus Christ himself also struggled in the
garden, and at length conquered and rose from the
dead. "Although your husband inflicted the fatal in
jury upon himself, it may be that the devil, who
has power over our members, moved his hand by
force against his own will ; for if he had done it of
his own will, he would surely not have come to
himself again, nor have made such a confession of
faith iu Christ. How often does not the devil
break people's arms, necks, backs, and all their
members! He can exercise his power over the
body and members without our will.
"You should, therefore, as I trust you will, bow
submissively to God, and count yourself as one of
that multitude of whom Christ says (Matt. v. 4):
'Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted.' All saints must sing the Psalm (xliv.
22): ' For thy sake are we killed all the daylong;
we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. ' There
must be sorrow and misfortune, if we are to share
the promised comfort.

152 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
" Thank God, too, for the great mercy, that your
husband was not left in conflict and despair, as
some have been, but was by the grace and power
of God delivered from these, and found at last
steadfast in Christian faith and in God's Word.
Of such it is said, Rev. xiv. 13 : 'Blessed are they
that die in the Lord.' And Christ himself said,
John xi. 25: 'Whoso believeth on me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live.' With these words
may God, the Father, comfort you in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
"Martinus Luther.
' '¦At Wittenberg, Tuesday Lucice (Dec. 13), in the
year 1328. ' '
When M. Johann Cellarius, pastor at Dresden,
died in the Lord, April 21, 1541, at the age of
forty-six,* his widow received from her husband's
friend the following letter:!
"Grace and Peace in Christ. Honorable, vir
tuous and dear Lady. I have been pained to learn
that God, our dear Father, has suffered his chas
tening rod to fall upon you, and upon us as well,
:in taking from you and from us the dear man, M.
Johannes Cellarius, your husband, and has thus
. brought grief upon us all, although we know that
* Briefe. De Wette, 6, 486.
flbid., 5,469.

Luther and the Mourning. 153
our friend has entered into sweet, blessed rest.
But let it comfort you, that your sorrow is not the
greatest among the children of men, many of whom
have to suffer and endure that which is a hundred
times worse. And though the sufferings of all of
us who live upon the earth were gathered upon one
heap, they would yet be as nothing compared with
that which the Son of God endured for us, and for
our salvation ; for there is no death worthy to be
compared with the death of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, through which we all are saved from
eternal death.
" Comfort yourself thus in the Lord, who, though
so many times better than we, our husbands, wives,
children and all, yet died for you and for us all.
We are yet his, whether we die or live, whether in
poverty or wealth, or whatever may befall us. If
we are his, he is also ours, with all that he has
and is. Amen. To his grace I commend you.
My Katie wishes you the comfort and favor of
God. ' ' Monday after Cantate (May 8), 1342. ' '
The widow of George Schulze is in few words
urged to lay to heart two grounds of consolation.*
"Grace and Peace in the Lord. Honorable, vir-
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 690.

154 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
tuous Lady Eva, my good Friend. I am deeply
grieved by your misfortune, that God has taken
from you your dear husband. I can well believe
that such a separation must give you pain. It
would not be well if it did not give you pain, for
that would be a sign of cold love.
"But, on the other hand, you have, first, the
great comfort, that he departed hence in such a
Christian and blessed way.
"In the second place, the will of God, our dear
est Father, is the very best. He gave his Son for
us, and how fitting is it that we should now offer
up our wills to the service and pleasure of his
will. This we are not only in duty bound to do,
but we shall also from the doing of it reap great
and eternal fruits of joy. But may he, our dear
Lord Jesus Christ, comfort you richly with his
Spirit. Amen. I commend you herewith to God.
"Wednesday after Francisci (Oct. 8), 1344."
Very numerous are the letters written by Luther
to men whose wives had been called away by death.
To his kind and friendly lord and sponsor, Hans
of Taubenheim, he writes:*
' ' Grace and Peace in Christ. Most worthy,
steadfast, dear Lord and kind Sponsor. I have
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 141.

Luther and the Mourning. 155
learned how our dear Lord God has again suffered
his counsel to be wrought out upon you, in taking
to himself also your dear wife. This, your sorrow
and pain, causes me sincere and heartfelt grief, for
I know that your feelings are very different from
those of the careless fellows who rejoice in the
deatnoT^heirwives; and I remember, too, that I
knCwyou well as one who is surely no enemy of
Christ, but who loves his Word and kingdom, and
who is thoroughly hostile to all treachery and dis
honor, as I have learned by experience. In short,
I, consider you as a pious man, and in this I am
not mistaken ; as you also on your part consider me
as pious, in which God grant that you may not
be mistaken, for I am in greater peril than you,
seeing that I am engaged in great affairs, and should
therefore (which is the misfortune of my calling)
sin the more dangerously if God should withdraw
his hand. Since I have this knowledge of you,
that you are not an enemy of God, I know also
that he on his part cannot be your enemy, having
already granted to you not to be his enemy, and
having therefore loved you long before you loved
him, as has been the case also with us all.
^¦""Bear, then, the stroke of the dear Father's
gentle rod in such a way that you may find in his
gracious and paternal will towards you a comfort

156 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
deeper than the pain; and, in the conflict of your
grief, let the peaceof God, which soars above all
our reason and senses7~^e triumphant, however
the flesh may sob and whimper. I am confident
that you yourself, taught by the word of God, know
without my admonitions that the peace of God
must dwell, not in the five senses nor in the rea
son, but far above in the region of faith. Our dear
Lord Jesus Christ be with you. I feel, as God
knows, and as I trust you do not doubt, very
kindly toward you and cherish earnest love for
you. Although I am nothing, and am now of al
most no account anywhere, yet Christ must have
such a poor, frail, patched-up instrument, and
must tolerate me behind the door in his kingdom.
May God help me to be worthy of this. Herewith
I commend you to God.
"Martinus Luther.
' ''Friday after Day of the Three Kings, in the year
1539"The Magdeburg chancellor, Laurentius Zoch, is
thus comforted:*
"May the Grace of God and Peace in Christ be
your Comfort, and your Strength. Amen. My
dear Doctor and special Friend. I am truly most
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 412. Zoch lived at that time in Halle,
but afterwards moved to Wittenberg.

Luther and the Mourning. 157
deeply grieved by the great misfortune and sorrow
which have fallen upon you, as God has taken
from you your dear wife, and, as I learn from your
letter, in such a way as must be peculiarly painful.
"Well, so it is. God's Son had not only to be
hated and persecuted by the devil and the wicked
world, but must at last be called ' smitten of God
and humiliated,' as Isaiah liii. 4 says, and the
22d Psalm (verse 6): 'I am a worm and no man.'
Thus it must go with us Christians also, that it
must be said of us at last in our affliction,
that even God himself, from whom we receive all
comfort, is punishing us; just as, on the other
hand, the ungodly must mount so high that they
are regarded as loved and exalted not only by the
world, but by God himself, in order that they may
doubly mourn in the end.
" Thus has God himself now laid his hand upon
you, as it appears, and the enemies can now think
and say: 'Thus it goes with Christians. This is
the reward which your new Gospel gives you.'
This is not only suffering and dying, but also be
ing buried and brought down to hell.
"But, my dear Doctor, only hold fast. Now is
the time (for steadfastness). Consider that it went
thus and far worse with Christ, and that he, never
theless, unforsaken of God, whose hand was laid

158 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
so heavily upon him, came forth with honor.
Thus will God lead us also with him.
/ "It is indeed a great comfort, that your good
wife died as a Christian and in the possession of
her faculties, and has without doubt gone to Christ,
her Lord, whom she here confessed. But it is a
much greater comfort, that Christ has formed you
in his own likeness, to suffer as he "Suffered, i. e.,
to be punished and distressed, not alone by the
devil, but as though by God, who is and must be
your comfort.
"Therefore, although the flesh indeed murmurs
and cries out, as Christ himself also cried out in
his weakness (Ps. xxii. 1; Matt, xxvii. 46), yet
the spirit should be ready and willing, and with
unutterable groaning cry: 'Abba, dear Father'
(Rom. viii. 15), that is to say, 'Heavy is thy1
rod, but I know assuredly that thou art Father
still.' "May our dear Lord and Saviour, who is also
our precious example in all suffering, comfort you
and impress his own image upon your heart, that
you may offer this sacrifice of a mourning spirit,
and surrender to him your Isaac. Amen.
"Dr. Martinus Luther.
"Saturday after All Saints' Day (Nov. 3), in the
year 1332. ' '

Luther and the Mourning. 159
This first epistle he soon followed with another:*
"Grace and Peace in Christ Jesus, our Comfort
and our Saviour. — Estimable, learned and dear
Lord. I beg you, let me feel assured of your pardon
for not sooner answering your letter. Your good
friend left too quickly, and I have for several weeks
been writing and correcting myself to death, in
order not to neglect my beggars and drivers, the
printers at Leipzig, so that I was compelled to
bind all other letters and lay them aside until I
had worked up to time.
"I have read and noted with rejoicing, that God
has, partly by means of my former letter, comforted
your heart. May the same kind Father carry on
to the end the work of comforting which he has
begun ; for we Christians must become accustomed
to that comfort, which is spoken of as ' through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures' (Rom.
xv. 4).
"Therefore, he often withdraws from us the
comfort of visible things, in order that the comfort
of the Scriptures may find room and opportunity
within us, and not remain standing uselessly in the
bare letter without exercise. Thus he has with
drawn from you your excellent comfort and treas
ure upon earth, in order that he himself may be
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 419.

160 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
your comfort in her place, and compensate you
well, although he has already shown to you and
others all fidelity, love and comfort.
"We are told that faith consists in that which
cannot be seen, and which does not appear (Heb.
xi. i). The ungodly turn their backs upon the
wrath of God, which threatens them, but which
they do not see, and turn their snouts to that which
they can see and feel, and wallow therein like
swine. Therefore wrath at last overtakes them
suddenly and unexpectedly. But we must turn
our faces to the unseen things of grace and to the
hidden things of comfort, hoping and waiting upon
these; and our backs to things that are seen, that
we may accustom ourselves to leave these and de
part from them, as St. Paul says: 'Who look not
at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are unseen (2 Cor. iv. 18).' This gives us
pain, as we are unaccustomed to it, and the old
Adam draws us back again to the things that are
seen, seeking to rest and remain in them. Yet
this cannot be, for ' the things which are seen are
temporal,' says St. Paul in 2 Cor. iv. 18, and
do not endure. Therefore is God called the God
of patience and comfort (Rom. xv. 5).
All of this, both such patience and such comfort,
is the work of God and beyond our power. This is

Luther and the Mourning. 161
the school of Christians. They take lessons daily
in this art and cannot comprehend it, much less
learn it thoroughly, but they always remain chil
dren, spelling the A B C of this art.
The rest, that is yet lacking, we must commit to
the forgiveness of sins, and offer up through Christ
with a paternoster, until that blessed day shall
come and make us all perfect in all things. Then
shall we be his companions, like Christ, our ex
ample, in all things.
"To this may the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the God of all comfort, help us all. Amen. Take
my prattle kindly.
"Dr. Martin Luther.
''''At Wittenberg, Saturday after Nicolai (December
f), in the year 1332. ' '
The squire, Ambrosius Berndt of Jiiterbog, who •
had also lost his wife, received from Luther the fol
lowing letter of comfort, the beginning and end of
which have unfortunately not been preserved.*
"You know, dear Magister, that the mercy of God-i
is greater than our misfortune and our adversity...
You have, indeed, as you think, occasion to mourn, .
but it is nothing but good sugar, mixed with vine
gar. A very good thing has happened to your be- •
* Briefe. De Wette, 6, 190. Berndt was stationed at Witten- -
berg, 6, 189. II '

162 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
loved wife, for she is now with Christ — she has
made a leap. O, would to God that I had also
made that leap! I would not greatly long to come
back hither again. Do not look only at the vine
gar, but take some account also of the sugar.
Look upon the misfortunes of other people, that are
full of vinegar alone and have no sugar in them. '"¦
"Your suffering is only a bodily suffering,
namely, the natural love and regard for your fam
ily. Your wife died well, and left here nothing
better than the memory of a kind, sweet, lovely
companionship and obedience. With this you
should console yourself, as your heart testifies and
proves that you were a kind husband to her and
do not forget her. You are a good logician, and a
teacher of that art to others; put it into practice now
and use right definition, division and conclusion.
Learn to divide and separate the spiritual from the
carnal. Place your misfortune by the side of that
of others, and you will see that the death of your
wife is not in itself mournful or pitiful, but only in
your inward nature, in which are the natural affec
tions which husband and wife, parents and chil
dren, have for one another.
"That was a wise saying of the Emperor Maxi
milian, and worthy to be held in remembrance,
with which he comforted his son, King Philip,

Luther and the Mourning. 163
who was very deeply grieved and distressed by the
death of a faithful, trusty, honorable man who was
slain in battle. He said to him : ' Dear Philip,
you must get used to it; you will have to lose yet
many more who are dear to you.' Thus should
honest Christian hearts also do; there is no other
way. Satan takes no. vacation. He is a liar and
murderer, leads people iritW*error and slays them.
He practices his wiles even upon Christ, but does
not succeed in them. Christ was given over into
his hands, but only in order that he might destroy
the lord and author of death. Satan is a mur
derer, but God himself kills no one, for if God
should slay, who would go to him ? This is not
the work nor office of God; but when he with
draws his hand, the devil gobbles us up. God is
therefore not efficiently, but privatively, a cause
of death ; that is, God kills no one, bnCTie permits
it to be done and ordains it. It is indeed God's
will that we should die, but he has no pleasure in
our death.
"Conclusion: God and Satan are most violently
opposed to one another. Everything that God
does, he does in order that something may be; but
Satan labors that it may not be. Satan is there
fore an author and source of death, a liar, a mur
derer. That is his occupation. ' '

164 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Luther often felt himself called upon to write to
parents whose sons had been sent in blooming
health to the University at Wittenberg, consoling
them upon the early death of their dear children
in the distant city. We select one of these letters,*
addressed to a man named Zink, in Konigsberg,!
which no one can read without the deepest emo
tion: "First of all, Grace and Peace in Christ our
Lord. My dear Friend. I suppose the tidings have
already reached you, that your dear son, Johannes
Zink, whom you sent to us to pursue his studies
here, was taken seriously sick, and that, although
there was certainly no lack of attention, care and
medicine, yet the disease became too powerful, took
him away, and bore him to our Lord Jesus Christ
in Heaven.
"He was a very dear boy to us all, especially to
me. I have many an evening had him to sing
soprano at my house, for he was polite, quiet,
modest, and especially diligent in his studies. We
are all greatly pained by his departure, and, if it
had been at all possible, would most gladly have
saved' and kept him; but he was much dearer still
to God, and he wished to have him.
.* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 362.
flbid., 6, 638.

Luther and the Mourning. 165
' ' Now it is perfectly natural that this event should
grieve and distress your heart and that of your dear
wife, as the parents, for which I do not blame you,
since it has distressed all of us and especially my
self. Yet, I exhort you, give God much rather
thanks, that he granted you such a noble and
pious child, and counted you worthy to expend
your means and labor to such advantage.
"But it ought to afford you, as it does us, the
deepest comfort, that he fell asleep, rather than
died, so gently and softly, with such admirable
confession, faith and reason, that we were all filled
with wonder. There can be no doubt — as little as
we can doubt the Christian faith itself — that he is
blessed forever with God, his true Father. Such a
beautiful Christian end cannot fail of the kingdom
of heaven.
"You will not forget to consider at the same
time, how thankful you should be, and what com
fort it should be to you, that he did not perish, as
do many others, in peril and misery. And even
if he had lwed long, you could not, by the outlay
of all your means, have helped him to rise higher
than perhaps to some position of honor or service;
but now he is in the place which he would be ut
terly unwilling to exchange, even for a moment,
for the whole world.

1 66 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"Though your grief therefore be great, let your
comfort be far greater, for you have not lost him,
but sent him on before you, that he may be pre
served in eternal blessedness. Thus speaks St.
Paul (i Thes. iv. 13): 'Sorrow not over those who
are departed, or fallen asleep, as do the heathen,
who have no hope. '
"I presume that his preceptor, Magister Veit
Dietrich, has reported, to you some of his beautiful
words spoken before his death, which will gratify
and comfort you. But I could not, for love of the
good boy, refrain from preparing this letter for
you, that you might know by certain proof how it
went with him.
"I commend you to our Lord and Comforter,
Christ, and to his grace.
"D. M. L.,
" By his own hand, although now also weak.
"Evening of St. George's Day (April 23), 1332."
All who were called to mouru in Wittenberg
enjoyed Luther's ministrations of conrfort, and if
he was prevented from coming to them himself, a
letter from his hand was sure to come flying to
their home, like a dove with the olive-branch of
peace. The only son of the burgomaster, Dr.
Benedict Paulus, had a fatal fall while capturing

Luther and the Mourning. 167
sparrows, when Luther at once wrote to the
parents:* "Although we are nowhere in the Holy Scrip
tures forbidden to grieve and mourn when a pious
child or friend dies, but have, on the other hand,
examples of pious patriarchs, forefathers and kings
who deeply and sorely bewailed and grieved over
the death of their children, yet there must be
moderation in such grief and mourning.
"You do no wrong, therefore, dear Doctor, in
grieving over the death of your son, if you do not
carry it too far, but suffer yourself also to be com
forted! Let Ihis then be your comfort: first, that
you bear in mind that God gave to you this son
and has taken him again ; second, that you follow
the example of the pious, holy man, Job, who,
when he had lost all — children, goods and prop
erty, yet said at last (ii. 10 and i. 21): 'Have we
received good from the Lord, why will we not also
endure evil? The Lord gave, the Lord has taken
again. As it pleased the Lord, it has come to pass.
Blessed be the name of the Lord. '
"Job rightly considered that both good and evil
come from the Lord; and you should do likewise.
You will then discover and see that the goods and
gifts which God has given and preserved to you
* Briefe. De Wette, 6, 218.

1 68 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
are much more and greater than the evil that you
now experience. But you now look only at the
evil, namely, that your son has died, and forget
meanwhile the great and glorious goods and gifts
of God, namely, that he has given you the true
knowledge of his Word, that Christ regards you
with favor and kindness, and that you have a good
conscience, which is alone of itself such a great
good, that it should easily outweigh and cover over
> every evil misfortune that can befall us. No one
: believes this, unless he has himself experienced
and felt what a miserable thing it is to have a cou-
• science filled with terror, which is really and truly
death itself and hell. Inasmuch now as you have
a good conscience, why are you so distressed and
grieved at the death of your son?
"But, granted that the misfortune which has now
fallen upon you is a very great and heavy one, yet
it is not new, nor has it fallen upon you alone, for
you have many companions in this your sorrow
. and misfortune. Abraham had to experience
much greater sorrow of heart for his son, while the
Hatter was yet living, than if he had been dead.
Eor the Lord commanded him to slay him and of
fer him up with his own hands, although it was
his only and well-beloved son, in whose seed God
had promised to bless all nations. What do you

Luther and the Mourning. 169
think must have been the feelings of his heart as
he was commanded to behead his sou with a naked
sword? And do you not think that Jacob must
have had great sorrow of heart, when it was re
ported to him that his dear son, Joseph, had been
torn to pieces by wild beasts? Or what father was
ever so grieved and distressed as David, when he
was so cruelly driven out of his kingdom and per
secuted by his son Absalom, whom he had brought
up so tenderly? Yea, truly, when Absalom so
miserably perished by the spear in that insurrec
tion, and died accursed, the father's heart was no
doubt ready to melt.
"Therefore, when you properly remember and
consider these and the like examples of high aud
noble men, you will understand that this your sor
row of heart is not in the least to be compared with
theirs, but is much lighter and more endurable.
"But you may say : 'It is my only son that has
died. ' Why does this so distress and worry you ?
Just as though God could not give you another,
seeing that he is almighty. And even though he
should not think good to give another, but should
on the other hand take away from you also wife
and property, yet you should not on that account
grieve and mourn so deeply, since you still have
Christ, who regards you with kindness and favor,

i jo Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
and you have God as your gracious Father, and, be
sides all this, many spiritual blessings, which after
our death shall remain secure forever.
'"Yes, but he had a horrible and terrible death.'
Just as though every death were not horrible, let
one die as he may, since death is a terrifying and
frightful thing for our human nature, especially to
those who have no God. But to us, who are chil
dren of God, the terrible image of death becomes
endurable, for we have a God who thus comforts
us (Jn. xiv. 19): 'As truly as I live, ye shall live
also. '
"But you are distressed by the fear that God may
have taken your son from you in wrath ? Such
thoughts do not come from God. But this is the
right view: — It was certainly the good and gracious
will of God that your son should thus die, however
your reason may strive and cry out against it and
imagine that God is angry. Reason is always dis
posed to be well pleased when it can have its own
way; but the works of God are at all times totally
displeasing to it. It would not therefore be well if
our will should be done in every case, for we would
then fall into a state of security. Hence, we are
satisfied and contented that we have a gracious
God. Why he should suffer this or that to come
upon us, is a matter with which we should not con
cern ourselves."

Luther and the Mourning. 171
Finally, let us accompany Luther to a house of
mourning, that of the painter, Lucas Cranach, to
whom we owe the finest and most faithful pic
tures of Luther. A message has come from Bo
logna, that John, a promising son of this household,
died on the 9th of October, 1536, after witnessing a
beautiful and noble Christian confession. The
poor parents, in addition to the natural grief of
their loving hearts, were enduring also great tor
ment of conscience, as though they themselves
were the cause of his death, inasmuch as they had
sent him to Italy. On the first day of December,
comes Luther, the familiar friend, to the broken
hearted painter, and says:*
' ' If that were true, I would be as much the cause
of his death as you, for I faithfully advised both
you and him. But we did not do it with any
thought that he should die. Our conscience bears
witness that you would much rather know that he
was living, yea, that you would much rather die
yourself, and lose all your property. Therefore,
banish this sting of conscience, for both heart and'
will, as you should not forget, give very different
testimony as to 'your feelings towards your son."
He then turned to the father, who was weeping,
and said, "Dear Master Lucas, be calm. God
* Tischreden. Aurif., 325 a. Forst., 3, 150.

172 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
wishes to break your will. He is apt to lay his
hand upon us just where it will give us the most
pain, in order to slay our old Adam; and even
though our tribulations are not greater than those
of other people, yet our own, which we feel, give
us the most pain. Think of poor Adam, and what
sorrow of heart he had to bear, when his first two
sons engaged in fatal strife before his eyes. Think
of poor David, who for two whole years bewailed
his first-born son, Amnon, slain by his brother
Absalom: afterwards, when he learned that Ab
salom had been slain in his sins and that his body
was hanging on a tree, then indeed was there a
lamentation; to know that his son was eternally
lost, was cause enough for wailing and anguish.
In the second place, we should find abundant com
fort in the piety and obedience of your dear son, for
the world is now so wicked and boorish that even
the very noblest youth are led. into shame and siu,
which might have happened even to him. You
see how rough and rude the world is. Sins are
openly committed, and boldly denied, so that, even
after committing public sius and evil deeds, men
dare shamelessly to say: 'My no is worth as much
as your yes.'" He then spoke about the rough
life of the students, and afterwards told of a certain
Magister at Erfurt, who had been a learned and

Luther and the Mourning. 173
pious man, but, after becoming a priest, became
criminally, in t imate with the wife of a stone-breaker.
She was repulsive einDughT^utlie could not ke*ep
away from her. Finally, he went to the woman one
morning at six o'clock, after he had held mass, and
was caught and slain by her husband. "That,"
said he, "was a terrible death. I have five chil
dren, and they are dear to my heart. Yet, when
I think of the evil courses of the future, in which
they too may become involved, and when I dwell
upon the thought, I could wish that they were all
dead, for but little improvement is to be expected
from the world, as is very evident. In the third
place, although it is painful to have lost a pious,
obedient son (for one can forget the bad and dis
obedient more easily than the pious and faithful),
yet his obedience and his Christian death should
be a joy to you, for the hour of his departure was a
good and blessed one, chosen for him by God. O
blessed and thrice blessed is he, who passes safely
through that hour! It is my daily longing and
petition, that God may grant me a happy, blessed
parting-hour, for then shall I know that it has
been good for me to be here, and that, released
from all misery and affliction, I shall be happy
with God. In the fourth place, dear Master Lucas,
commit this matter to God, the most high Father,

174 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
who has more interest in your son than you. You
are only his father according to the flesh, and have
only for a little while trained and nourished him;
but God gave to him his body and soul, has ever
guarded and kept him, and is much, much more a
father to him than you. He must and can keep,
care for and nourish him better than you or the
whole world. In the fifth place, let there be a
limit to your grief and mourning. Forget it alto
gether. Commit it to the will of God, which is
better than ours. Not evil, but good, has befallen
your son. Eat and drink, refresh yourself, and do
not thus worry yourself to death, for you have yet
work to do for other people. Sadness and distress
dry up the bones."

CHAPTER VI.
HOW LUTHER STRENGTHENED THE TEMPTED.
T UTHER felt the deepest compassion for all who
*~* were tempted, for he had himself passed
through temptations the most severe, galling to
the flesh, and bringing down the soul to the gates
of hell, so that he could truthfully say of himself
that he was scarcely able to gasp or draw his
breath, and that he went about parched and
withered like a shadow. * He had himself, as he
was accustomed to express it, lain in this hos
pital,! and had, by the great grace of God, entirely
recovered. He, if any one, must understand how
to deal with the tempted, to strengthen and, by the
help of God, heal them. " I have learned by exper
ience," he says,! "how one should act under
temptation, namely, when any one is afflicted with
sadness, despair or other heart-sorrow, or has a
worm gnawing in his conscience, let him first lay
*Tischreden. Aurif., 315 a. Forst, 3, 121.
t Briefe. De Wette, 4, 247. Tischreden. Aurif., 314, b.
Forst., 3, 119.
X Tischreden. Aurif., 319 a. Forst, 3, 132.
(175)

176 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
hold of the comfort of the divine Word, and then
let him eat and drink aud seek the companionship
and conversation of pious Christian people, and he
will soon be better."
His view as to the proper course to be pursued
by the tempted is very fully expressed in a com
mentary upon Isaiah xxxvi. n, as follows:*
"This is an excellent passage, which contains a
doctrine great and precious beyond measure, show
ing how we should conduct ourselves in great
temptations. When Eliakim and Shebua propose
and undertake to quiet Rabshakeh a little and make
him milder by humbling themselves before him,
they fail utterly; for they thereby only make him
more insolent and bold, and whet the devil's
tongue. King Hezekiah therefore afterwards ad
vises them to make no reply whatever to the blas
phemy of the enemy.
"Thus should we also do in our temptations,
whether they assail the body or beset the spirit
and the conscience. Although human reason can
not be content until it has looked about for hu
man help, as did also the servants of King Heze
kiah, yet we should accustom ourselves, and put
ourselves most carefully on guard, not to answer
the devil when we fall into temptation, nor dispute
* Werke. Walch, 6, 689 ff.

Luther and the Tempted. 177
with him, nor allow ourselves to be drawn into
much talking. For I can testify from experi
ence, that the more you give way to the thoughts
with which the devil attacks and wearies you, the
more vigorously and quickly does he set himself
against you, until at length he drives you to
despair. "Look, for example, at the trifling temptation
to impurity, which assails chiefly the young. The
more an impure disposition and heart thinks about
love and lust, the more it is inflamed. It occurs
sometimes that a little spark, when a strong wind
happens to strike it, becomes a great fire; and
thus love, let it be trifling and weak as it may,
when indulged, becomes strong. It is the same
also with hatred and envy; for if a man is con
stantly consictering how he will avenge himself, he
will soon be driven by such thoughts to some reck
less deed.
"Therefore, just as in these bodily temptations
there is only one solitary way to overcome, namely, .
to turn away from them the senses, the thoughts,
and the heart; so also in spiritual temptations there
is no other counsel, and 110 better help, nor more
powerful remedy, than that one cast such thoughts
out of his mind more and more, as best he can, and
think upon the very opposite.
12

178 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"Although this is far beyond the ability of man,
yet certain ways and methods may be suggested,
by which such thoughts, if not entirely overcome
and utterly banished, may yet be reduced to the
smallest dimensions. Therefore, whenever any one
is assailed by temptation of any sort whatever, the
very best that he can do in the case is either to read
somethjngjn^the Holy Scriptures, or to think about
The Word of God, and take it in hand and to his
heart. And even though there should be no de
sire in the heart to read or to consider the Word of
God (for the devil takes wonderful delight in hin
dering it and awakening aversion to it), still you
should compel yourself to do this, so that, even if
your heart and thoughts will not lay hold of it,
your tongue and ears and eyes may yet be em
ployed upon it, and may thus be led to see, hear
and do other things than what the mind and
heart think about and purpose. You will cer
tainly find that, if the outward senses are occupied
with the Word, the mind and heart will also easily
be led to it. Just here is especially seen the power
and might of the Word of God, namely, that, in
the most admirable way, it heals and restores again
to health the mind and heart of man when wounded
by the arrows of the devil.
."Therefore Isaiah, in the ninth chapter of his

Luther and the Tempted. 179
prophecy (verse 6), among other names of Christ,
has mentioned also this, that he is a Counselor of
the afflicted and the tempted ; for Christ comforts
people by means of his precious Word, as he also
declares in the 50th chapter of Isaiah (verse 4):
' The Lord hath given me a learned tongue, that I
should know how to speak a word in season to the
weary. ' St. Paul also teaches likewise, in Romans
xv. 14, that we should obtain and strengthen
hope from the comfort of the Holy Scriptures,
which the devil endeavors to tear out of people's
hearts in times of temptation. Accordingly, as
there is no better nor more powerful remedy in
temptations than to cast the disturbing thoughts
out of the mind and heart, so there is for this pur
pose no other but this one single way, namely, to
diligently read and hear the Word of God. Thus
can we best of all quencnTfie fiery darts of the devil.
But those who will not follow this advice, but cling
to the grievous and disturbing thoughts, only keep
on laying more wood and straw upon the fire,
until they are worn out, and, overcome by the devil,
who has a thousand arts to practice, give up in de
spair. This one line of attack the devil pursues
to the utmost against us, undertaking to break
down our faith and confidence by the thought that
God is angry with us. If you now attempt, in this

180 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
spiritual conflict, to protect yourself by the help of
man without the Word of God, you simply enter
upon the conflict with that mighty spirit, the devil,
naked and unprotected. You may, therefore, if
you so please, oppose your power to the might of
the devil.- It will then be very easily seen what
an utterly unequal conflict it is, if one do not have
at hand in the beginning the Word of God (which,
as St. Paul writes in Rom. i. 16, is alone the
power of God), for any one without the Word of
God to strive and contend by human power and
human means against the devil, who has from the
beginning of the world come off conqueror on so
many a field, and who is such a practiced and ex* ¦
perienced warrior.
"Therefore, pay no attention to the thoughts
with which the devil seeks to occupy your heart,
and by all means be on your guard, lest you be
drawn into dispute with him. He can transform
himself into an angel of light, and can assume the
likeness of the glorious person of Christ. Since he.
is also acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, as may
be seen in the fourth chapter of Matthew, he em
ploys at times even the most precious words of
Christ himself against Christ and against the faith.
If now, in such temptations, you do not at once
turn away your heart and mind, and say: 'I know

Luther and the Tempted. 181
nothing of any other Christ than he whom the
Father gave and who died for me and for my sins,
and I know that he is not angry with me, but is kind
and gracious to me; for he would not otherwise have
had the heart to die for me and for my benefit' —
if one do not hold up this and the like before the
devil, and cast himself with diligence upon the
Holy Scriptures to read them faithfully, he will be
compelled to give up in despair; for the devil can
very easily quench the weak little spark of our
faith, if we do not constantly increase, strengthen
and improve it by the Word of God.
"Further, that which we now mention is a tri
fling, but yet a necessary and useful measure,
namely, that when any one is sad and melancholy
he should notbealone, but should make an effort to
fall into conversation, no matter upon what subject,
with some good friends; for when one talks with
another, the heart is drawn from grievous thoughts.
Lonely places are therefore in times of temptation
beyond measure injurious and dangerous. Hence
King Solomon says rightly in Eccl. iv. io : 'Woe
unto him who is alone; for if he fall, he hath
not another to help him up.' The word of a fel-
low-christiau has wonderful power. Therefore all
those who are entangled in temptations should
know and remember that the voice aud words of

182 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
their brethren and fellow-christians are to be heard
and believed as the word and voice of God himself,
as though God himself were speaking to them.
And if one could find no such preacher, nor any
person who could comfort with the Word of God, it
would yet be better to listen to the conversation of
other people, than to let the devil speak his blas
phemies and shoot his fiery arrows into our hearts.
' ' I have, in these general precepts, rules and doc
trines, proposed and indicated the proper course to
be pursued in times of temptation. It now re
mains for every one to so direct his mind and heart
in this matter against the devil, that he may dis
cover that this my well-meant counsel and opinion
has not been without benefit to him. Let no one
who has committed himself to the Christian faith
for a moment cherish the thought that he can live
without temptation; for the saying of St. Paul to
Timothy (second epistle -iii. 12) is true, that 'All
who would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution.' "Now bodily temptations, such as poverty, ava
rice, boastfulness, shame, and the like, can be easily
overcome. But it requires effort and labor, when
the devil holds up before us the wrath of God, and
when, in addition, our own conscience comes to his
assistance with its testimony and convicts us, being

Luther and the Tempted. 183
itself burdened aud highly wrought up by the devil,
who points out many examples of the wrath of God
presented in the Holy Scriptures and daily occur
ring. This, then, is the most furious and sudden
of all attacks, in which the devil exerts to the full
extent all his powers and arts, and transforms him
self into the likeness of the angry and ungracious
God. If you now begin to indulge the thoughts
which the devil suggests and insinuates, you are
already lost and ruined. But many people do this,
and we see, in consequence, how they tumble about
and fall. They would like to escape from the
grievous and startling thoughts of the wrath of
God, and hence they hang, stab or drown them
selves, or in some other way destroy and kill them
selves. When the devil has brought this to pass,
he has accomplished his designs; for, when he has
once turned our eyes away from Christ, he at once
sets himself to work to drive us also to despair.
"One should therefore banish from his mind and
heart the grievous thoughts of sin and of the wrath
of God, and cherish" the very opposite thoughts; as
wVrea3~nTthe' ' Li vestof the Ancient Fathers' of a
certain one, who, being at one time beset with great
temptations to despair on account of a sin which he
had committed, finally aroused himself and said:
'Why, I have committed no sin; I did not do it.'

184 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Not that he disowned or denied the sin, but he
found that he could in no other way escape from
the grievous thoughts than by casting them out of
his mind and cherishing the opposite thoughts.
It was, especially if he spoke these words from
confidence in the death and merits of Christ, a
great example of a noble faith, which we would do
well to follow when in similar peril and tempta
tion. We should also learn from it, that we should
not dispute with the devil; otherwise, the weak and
timid will be so overwhelmed by grievous thoughts,
that they may take their own lives; for the spirit
and heart of man is not able to endure the thought
of the wrath of God, as the devil represents and
urges it. Therefore, whatever thoughts the devil
awakens within us in temptation we should put
away from us and cast out of our minds, and
close our ears and eyes against them, so that we
may see and hear nothing else than the kind, com
forting word of the promise of Christ, and of the
gracious will of the Heavenly Father, who has
given his own Son for us, as Christ, our dear Lord,
declares in John iii. 16: 'God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso
ever believeth on him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.' Everything else, now, which
the devil may suggest to us beyond this, that God

Luther and the Tempted. 185
the Father is reconciled to us, and graciously in
clined to us, and merciful for the sake of his dear
Son, we should cast out of our minds as wandering
and unprofitable thoughts.
"Instruction similar to this is given by Gerson,
the pious, honest Doctor, who alone of all the
latest theologians has anything upon this subject,
and who exerted himself faithfully to comfort timid
consciences; the others all seem to have spent their
days in rioting and good living, aud never devoted
a single word to this lofty doctrine and the conso
lation which so many need. Gerson gives a very
appropriate illustration, comparing these thoughts
of the devil, with which he pierces the hearts of
Christians as with fiery darts, to a barking dog.
If you throw anything at a barking dog, or strike
at him, it only makes him worse; and just so is it,
says Gerson, with evil thoughts in temptations.
As it is the best way to pay no attention to the
barking of the dog, but pass quietly by, so it is
the only wise plan in temptations to despise and
cast out the thoughts and suggestions of the devil,
and not suffer one's self to be drawn into further
disputation or quarrel with him; the evil thoughts
will then disappear of themselves. The more one
worries himself and quarrels with them, the more
they press upon him and harass him. It is im-

1 86 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
possible by human reason or power to overcome
and cast out the grievous, poisonous thoughts of
the devil; but there is nothing so hard for him to
endure as that he should be despised. They, there
fore, do the very best thing, who are able to remain
firm and strong in such temptations, and despise
the wicked enemy, the devil.
"Very similarly, we read also in the ' Lives of the
Ancient Fathers ' of a certain one, who asked his
brother to advise him what to do, as grievous
thoughts often came suddenly into his mind. The
latter thereupon advised him that, as these
thoughts came of themselves, so he should let them
go of themselves again, and only not give himself
up to them. 'For just,' said he, 'as it is not in
your power to forbid the birds to fly in the air over
your head, although you can prevent them from
making their nests in your hair; so, too, you can
not protect yourself from the thoughts of the devil,
but give all diligence that the thoughts of the
devil do not take and hold entire possession of
your heart, mind and spirit, for, if it comes to that,
you are lost.' This ancient father taught rightly
and gave good advice. If we do not wish to place
ourselves in peril, we must follow the same course;
for the more we give way to these thoughts, the
less able shall we be to get rid of them, and, as

Luther and the Tempted. 187
though locked up in an intricate building or laby
rinth, we shall never become free and escape from
them. "We have an example of this in the case before
us. They attempt to satisfy Rabshakeh by cour
tesy and good counsel ; but it is all in vain. He
only becomes more violent and bold. I desire
therefore most faithfully to commend to you this
history, that you may know what counsel and help
should be given to tempted and timid consciences.
I have known many such, who, when very great
and sudden temptations have assailed them, did
not understand the art of despising and casting out
these thoughts, and in consequence lost their minds
and became violently insane ; aud some, when
their minds had become too severely strained by
these startling thoughts, took their own lives.
"Now such thoughts are nothing but a web
spun by the devil, which we do not make or do,
but suffer ; they are not the works of men, but their
sufferings. For those who will not learn this, all
is lost; for they must go to destruction. The devil
is such a proud spirit, that he is never weary until
he vanquishes and wins the day. Before those
who do not despise him, but give attention to him,
he displays one scene after another, hurling upon
them one thought after another, until they are

1 88 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
overpowered and destroyed. Those now who de
sire to escape the wiles of the devil, should say to
him: I will be neither spectator nor fiddler for you;
for Christ himself has reminded us, Matt, xviii. 3:
'Except ye be converted and become as little chil
dren, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
heaven.' Thus, as long as the servants of King
Hezekiah dispute with Rabshakeh and notice him,
he becomes only bolder and more violent. But
King Hezekiah rebukes them, as the narrative fur
ther tells us, and says to them: 'Why do you
answer him?' "
Iu connection with this fundamental passage, in
which the Reformer expresses most fully and in sys
tematic order his views as to the proper treatment
of the tempted, we present also a few of his utter
ances bearing upon separate phases of the subject.
Luther was accustomed to discriminate between
the different forms of temptation. He declares ex
pressly:* "But there are two kinds of temptation,
namely, of the spirit_and of the body. Satan vexes
and alarms the conscience with lies, reviling and
perverting even that, which has been rightly and
well done, and in accordance with the Word of
God; he vexes the body in other ways." No at
tempt is here made accurately to define spiritual
* Tischreden. Aurif., 310, a. Forst, 3, 105.

Luther and the Tempted. 189
temptation, for he well knows that there are many
kinds of spiritual temptation, and he here presents
only the worst form.
"The temptation of faith," he says again,*
" is the very greatesTand most severe, for it is the
province of faith to overcome all other temptations.
If now faith itself be vanquished, we are at the
mercy of all other temptations, even the very small
est and weakest. But, if faith remains undisturbed,
we can despise the very greatest temptations and
dangers; for if faith be sound and healthy, all
other temptations must grow weaker and disappear.
This temptation of faith was St. Paul's thorn in
the flesh, a great roasting- fork or pole driven
through spirit and flesh, through body and soul.
It was not a temptation of incitement to fleshly
lust, as the Papists dream because they themselves
have never felt any other. The great conflicts
they have never engaged in, and know nothing of
them from their own experience; hence they speak
and write of them as the blind speak of color."
By the temptation of faith is meant that the evil
conscience drives out of a person hjsjconfijden^in
the pardoning grace of God, and leads him to im
agine that God is ajigry and wishes the death of
the~sinner; or that, in other words, the conscience
* Tischreden. Aurif., 316 b. Forst 3, 125.

190 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
places Mng.es upon the judgment-seat, and casts
down the Saviour of sinners from the throne of
grace. "This is the strongest, greatest and sever
est temptation of the devil, that he says: 'God is
an enemy of sinners; you are a sinner, therefore
God is your enemy.' "* Again and again he
comes back to the declaration, that this is the
noose which Satan throws over the head of the
poor child of man in order to strangle him.!
" This temptation," he remarks,! " *s felt more by
one person than by another, and in different form.
To me, Satan casts up my evil deeds and words,
as, that I held mass and thus blasphemed God, or
that I did this or that in my youthful days: others,
again, he vexes by casting up to them the wicked
life which they have led."
He who is tempted should comfort himself with
the reflection, that temptation is the very thing
which the Christian is called upon to suffer. "Let
everyone," says Luther, || "who wishes to be a
genuine Christian remember that without tempta
tion he cannot learn Christ." At another time he
says:§ "The God-fearing man is chastened in
* Tischreden. Aurif., 303 b. Forst., 3, 78.
t Ibid., 317 a, 327 b. Forst, 3, 126, 160, 159.
J Ibid., 303 b. Forst, 3, 78.
|| Ibid., 303 b. Forst., 3, 79.
\ Ibid., 313 b. Forst, 3, 116.

Luther and the Tempted. 191
order that he may not be condemned with the
world ; bnt the ungodly, in order that he may either
learn to know himself or become the more hard
ened. The better the Christian, the more tempta
tion; the greater the sin, the more fear."
The tempted man has also the consolation of
knowing that he is not the only one who is thus
.vexed. "Be of good cheer," he once exclaimed
to Dr. Jerome Weller, as they were sitting at
table,* "you are not the only one who is assailed
by temptation; I am another, and I have much
greater sins to account for than you and your
fathers. I would rather that I had been a whore
monger and robber than to have sacrificed and
blasphemed Christ in the mass for fifteen years."
Further, the temptations of the Christian are"
good for him. "But such temptations," says he
consolingly,! "are not only necessary, but also
good and useful ; without them, we would go on in
security, with no fear of God before our eyes and
never calling upon him for help, for he who is well
and happy has no need of physician or comforter.
Thus the devil might easily deceive us. Tempta
tion, however, teaches us to live in the fear of God,
to pray without ceasing, to grow in the grace and
*Tischreden. Aurif., 315 a. Forst., 3, 119.
tlbid., 309 b. Forst., 3, 104.

192 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
knowledge of Christ, and to understand the power of
the Word; and, although we still remain weak, yet
the power of our Lord Christ is mighty in the weak."
Hence, temptations are not indications of wrath,
but just the opposite, i. e., indications of the pater
nal love of God. As the excellent pastor, Johann
Schlagiuhaufen of Kothen, who was strongly in
clined to melancholy, was upon one occasion dining
with Luther, the Reformer said:* "It is impossi
ble that the heart of man should learn to know God
aright and hold him in remembrance and think of
him, without enduring temptation and the dear
cross." Then, turning to his sorrowful friend, he
added: "Believe me, if you did not stand so highs
in the favor of God, you would not have to endure
such trial and temptation." "Let it be granted,"
said he at another time,! "that God appears to
be angry when we are vexed and tempted; yet, if
we repent and believe, we shall come to see that
beneath the wrath of God lie hidden grace and
goodness, just as his strength and power lie con
cealed beneath our weakness. So long as we re
main steadfast in hope and wait patiently, we do
not allow such masks to offend or disturb us3 but
pray diligently."
*Tischreden. Aurif., 315 a. Forst., 3, 120.
flbid., 318 b. Forst, 3, 131.

Luther and the Tempted. 193
fHe who is^ssailed by temptation should buiy

> himself in the Holy^Sjsrjr^tu^ea^^ He~snould dili-
"~geT*rfy*hear and read them, should meditate deeply
upon them and lay them to heart. But especially
does Luther direct such to the Gospel, as foretold by
by the prophets, and presented in fulfilment in the
New Testament. Not the entire Scriptures, but
only those portions which set forth the Lord Je.sus
Christ, quicken and lift up. The law can only ac
cuse and condemn. "Is any one," says he,* "in
temptation, or in the company of those who are
tempted, let him smite Moses to death, and cover
him all up with stones. But when the tempted one
is restored again to health and delivered from the
temptation, then preach the law to him ; for when
one is distressed we should not add to his anxiety."
On another occasion, he sets forth this comfort
of the Gospel as follows:! "It is a falsehood, that
God is an enemy of sinners, for Christ roundly and '
plainly declares, by commandment of the Father: :
'I am come to save sinners.' But if the devil.
holds up before you Sodom and other examples of
the divine wrath, hold up before him Christ, who -
became man and for our sakes crept into our poor

* Tischreden.

Aurif., 314 a.

Comp. 305 a.

Forst, 3, 117

and 83.

tlbid., 303 b.

Forst, 3, 79.

13
»
194 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
flesh and blood, yet without sin. Now if God were
an enemy of sinners, he certainly would not have
given his only-begotten Son for them. We should
learn to understand this thoroughly, for it is good
and useful for us, and not, as some imagine, a vain
and empty thing."
Luther was accustomed to warn the tempted
against spending much of their time alone. Thus
he urged upon Dr. Weller, that he in his ' ' sorrow,
temptation and distress should seek company and
by no means be alone, nor creep off by himself
to torment and torture himself with his own
thoughts and the suggestions of the devil, for the
Holy Spirit says (Eccl. iv. io): 'Woe to him who
is alone.' When I am dispirited and melancholy,
I flee from loneliness, go among the people and
talk with them. Christ himself was tempted of
the devil in the lonely wilderness, but the wilder
ness was not lonely for John the Baptist, as there
were people living round about."* "This, my
dear Doctor," he proceeds,! "is the one chief
thing; see to it that 30U do not stay alone when
you are tempted. Yes, flee from loneliness, as did
the monk, who said when assailed by temptation in
his cell: 'I will not stay here; I will leave my cell
* Tischreden, 317 a. Forst, 3, 127.
flbid., 317 b. Forst.,3, 127.

Luther and the Tempted. 195
and go to my brethren.' " He was fond of quoting
a striking saying of Cardinal Albrecht of Mentz,
ithat the human heart is like a mill-stone. As
1 long as grain is fed to the latter, it goes round,
'grinds, crushes, and turns out meal. But when
jthe supply of grain fails, the mill-stone goes round
all the same, but now grinds itself, and becomes
thinner and smaller. Thus also the human heart
must have something to do. If it does not have
the works of its calling to occupy it, the devil
comes and casts in temptation, despondency and
sadness. Then the heart wears itself away with
sadness, until it almost perishes from weakness,
and many a one worries himself to death, as Sirach
says (xxx. 25): "Sadness kills many people,"
devouring the bones and marrow, and is of no
benefit whatever.*
Instead of giving himself up in loneliness to his
own thoughts, and thus sinking ever deeper in the
mire, let the tempted one go out to his field of
labor, address himself to the works of his calling,
and do his duty. "As Dr. Martin Luther was
upon one occasion! leaving the castle-church after
preaching there, he was met by a common soldier,
very poorly clad, who complained that he was
* Tischreden. Aurif., 317 b. Forst., 3, 128.
t Ibid., 494, b. Forst, 4, 255.

196 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
sorely tempted by the devil, whom he seemed ac
tually to see and hear, and who was constantly
trying to take him away. As they were thus con
versing, Dr. Pommer also approached, and they
both sought to comfort the poor soldier, urging
him not to yield to despair, for although he was
tempted by the devil, yet he did not belong to
him, and reminding him that the Lord Christ was
also tempted of the devil and led into the wilder
ness, afterwards also to a pinnacle of the temple
and upon an exceeding high mountain, and that
nevertheless the Lord Christ had overcome him
withthe Word of God and prayer. Then said Dr.
Martin Luther further: 'if the devil vexes you
and threatens to take you away, say to him : I be
long to the Lord Christ, in whom I believe, and
who has promised that he will himself take me
away and that no one shall snatch his Christians
out of his hand. Again, the Lord Christ himself
says (John xvii. 12): "Father, of those whom thou
hast given me have I lost none !" You ought to
believe in God far too strongly to be so much
afraid of the devil and his cunning, for although he
would indeed gladly take you away, yet he is not
able to do it. A thief would like very much to
steal a rich man's money and treasures out of his
chest, but he cannot do it. Thus God does not

Luther and the Tempted. 197
allow the devil to have his own way so far as to
bring any real injury or sorrow upon you. Only
listen to God's Word, pray diligently, believe,
work faithfully, and do not stay alone often, and
God will surely deliver you from the devil and
preserve you. ' ' '
At another place we are told* of "a yonng ap
prentice in the employ of a locksmith," who "was
led up and down through all the streets of the city
jay ^ajghost. He was examined one morning from
six untTTnine o'clock by Dr. Martin Luther, in the
presence of other learned men and trustworthy peo
ple, and was asked whether he had learned the
catecjiism. But he declared, under the prompting
of the evil spirit, that he had sinned against God in
receiving the sacrament in both elements, and re
ported that the devil had finally said to him: 'If you
go into your master's house, I will break your neck. '
He had therefore not entered it for several days.
Then said Dr. Martin Luther: 'We must not be
lieve every one just at once, for many persons often
imagine such things; and even if he did see the
ghost, he ought not to have forsaken his calling. '
He then questioned him further, and asked him
what he had said to Satan, saying: ' See that you tell
the truth now. Fear God, hear his Word with dili-
* Tischreden. Aurif., 306 a. Forst., 3, 87.

1 38 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
gence, go to your master's house and work at your
calling, and if the devil comes again, say to him:
I won't listen to you, but to my God who has
called me to this position and trade. I will follow
my calling, even though an angel from heaven
should come and tell me not to do so. ' "
That many persons are assailed by temptations
because they do not give due attention to the body,
but treat it improperly, the Reformer knew very
well, and he therefore urges the tempted to eat and
drink. He was fond of relating "the history of a
certain bishop, whose sister, living in a convent,
was sorely distressed by a spirit of sadness and by
evil dreams, and temptations, and utterly refused to
be comforted. She made a visit to her brother and
told him of her trouble. The brother ordered a
splendid supper, invited his sister as a guest, and
urged her to eat and drink heartily, which she did.
The next morning the bishop asked her how she
had slept, and whether she had been troubled with
dreams and temptations during the night. 'No,'
said she, ' I slept very well and had no temptation. '
Then said the bishop: 'My dear sister, go home
again and take good care of your body, eating and
drinking to spite the devil, and you will find that
evil dreams and temptations will no longer trouble
you.' Therefore, said Dr. Martin, we ought to re-

Luther and the Tempted. 199
fresh sorrowful persons with food and drink. But
this means alone may not answer, especially for
young people." *
The letters of Luther reveal to us how deeply he
was moved to compassion for all those who were
assailed by temptation, and how he sought in
brotherly love to strengthen them from his own
rich experience. Hearing that the Captain of
Nordhausen, Jonas of Stockhausen, has grown
weary of life, the Reformer hastens to his help.!
"Grace and Peace in Christ. Your Worship,
my dear and firm Friend. It is reported to me by
good friends that the wicked enemy is sorely as
sailing you with disgust of life and desire for death.
O, my dear Friend, now it is high time that you
should give up trusting your own thoughts and
following them, and listen to other people, who
have escaped from the power of this temptation.
Press your ear close to our lips, and let our word go
straight down into your heart, and God will com
fort and strengthen you through our word.
"In the first place, you know that we ought to
and must be obedient to God, and guard ourselves
diligently against disobedience to his will. Since
now you cannot but understand, and be very sure,
* Tischreden. Aurif., 319 a. Forst., 3, 133.
t Briefe. De Wette, 4, 415.

20O Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
that God gives you life and does not yet wish to
see you die, your thoughts should certainly yield
to this divine will, and you should be willingly
obedient to God and have no doubt that such
thoughts, being contrary to the will of God, are
most certainly hurled and driven by force into
your heart by the devil. You must therefore set
yourself firmly against them, and, in turn, by force
bear up against them or cast them out.
? "Life was very bitter for our Lord Christ also,
'but he would not die without his Father's will,
fled from death and preserved his life as long as he
could, saying: 'Mine hour is not yet come.' So
also Elijah and Jonah, and other prophets, in great
misery and out of patience with life, called and
cried for death, cursing their very birth, their day
and their life; yet they had to live and bear the
burden with all their power or weakness until
their appointed hour had come.
"To such words and examples, as the words and
.admonitions of the Holy Spirit, you must give
.honest heed, rejecting and casting out the thoughts
that lead you to oppose them. If you find it a
hard and bitter task to do this, just think of your
self as a prisoner bound in chains, from which you
must struggle and worry to free yourself, until the
¦sweat rolls from your body. The devil's arrows,

Luther and the Tempted. 201
when they are so deeply imbedded, cannot be
drawn out by laughter nor without labor, but must
be torn out by force.
' ' Therefore you must pluck up courage and con
fidence against yourself, and, angry with yourself,
exclaim: ' No, my friend, if you were twice as un
willing to live, yet you must and shall live, for
my God desires, and I desire, to have it so. Away
with you, thoughts of the devil ! Get you to the
abyss of hell with dying and death. Here there is
nothing for you to do,' etc. Set your teeth to
gether against these thoughts, and, relying on
God's will, lift up your head firmly, and make
yourself more stiff-necked and stubborn than the
rudest peasant, yes, harder than any iron anvil.
"If you lay hold of yourself in this way and
fight against yourself, God will assuredly help you.
But if you will not thus shut yourself up and pro
tect yourself, but allow your thoughts to vex you
as they please in every moment of leisure, you will
soon lose the day.
" But the very best advice of all is, not to be all
the time trying to contend with these thoughts,
but to despise them if you can. Act as if you did
not notice them, but were always thinking about
something else, and say to them : 'All right, Devil,
but let me alone now; I can't attend to your

202 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
thoughts just now, for I must take a ride or a drive,
or eat or drink, or do this or that ' ; or, 'I must be
cheerful now, come again to-morrow,' etc.; or, do
anything else that you can think of, play or make
sport if you please, only so that you thoroughly
and truly despise such thoughts, and drive them
away from you, though it be with rude, coarse
words, such as: ' Dear Devil, can't you come a
little closer to me; I am pining to have you near !'
For examples of this, get some one to read to you
about the Skin-flint and about the Goose-piper,
etc., in Gerson' s 'Upon Blasphemous Thoughts.'
This is the best counsel that can be given. Our
prayers and those of all pious Christians will help
you to follow it.
" I herewith commend you to our dear Lord, the
only Saviour aud true Conqueror, Jesus Christ.
May he gain his victory and celebrate his triumph
over the devil in your heart, and give us all cause
for rejoicing in the help granted you and the
wonders wrought in you; which we confidently
hope and pray, as he has bidden and commanded
us. Amen.
"Dr. Martinus Luther.
"At Wittenberg. Wednesday after Katharine
(Nov. 27, 1332)."
The faithful friend and spiritual adviser does not

Luther and the Tempted. 203
fail to give special advice to the .wife, of they
tempted man. Under the same date, he writes to
her:* "Grace and Peace in Christ. Honorable, vir
tuous Lady. I have hastily written a short letter
of encouragement to your dear husband. Now the
devil is an enemy to both of you, because you love
his enemy Christ. For that you must be made to
suffer, as Christ himself says (John xv. 19): 'Be
cause I have chosen you, therefore the world and
the prince of the world hate you, but be of good
cheer.' The suffering of his saints is precious in
the sight of God.
"I can write but little now, as I am greatly hur
ried. But let me urge you not to leave your hus
band alone for a single moment, nor to leave any
thing within his reach with which he might harm
himself. Solitude is a real poison for him, and
the devil therefore tries to keep him alone. If
some one would read a great deal to him out of
histories, talk and read about recent happenings
and strange things, it would do no harm, even if
they were sometimes foolish trifles and false tales of
Turks, Tartars and the like, in order to arouse him,
if possible, to laugh and joke; then let the advan
tage be quickly followed up with comforting texts of
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 417.

204 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Scripture. But whatever you do, do not let him be
alone, nor in any place where all is quiet about him,
so that he can give himself up to his own thoughts.
No matter if he gets angry with you for disturbing
him. Act as though you were offended, and scold
him; but be all the more careful to carry out your
plan. I trust you will accept these lines written
in haste. Christ, who has brought this heart-
sorrow upon you, will help you, as he has lately
helped you in your own trouble. But only stand
\\ firm. You are theap£le__of, his eye; who touches
j it, touches him. Amen."
In the days of Luther, many minds were occu
pied and disturbed by the question of the divine
fore-ordinatipn or predestination. We have already
seen, in the exampkofATr3recrrbof Mansfeld, how
this question in many instances led to reckless
levity; but in very many cases it produced great
anxiety and melancholy. The pious Barbara Liss-
kirchen (often shortened to Lischner) was such a
tormented soul. Luther seeks to strengthen her
by the complete discussion of the subject in the
following letter:*
"Grace and Peace in Christ. Virtuous and
dear Lady. Your dear brother, Jerome Weller,
has informed me that you are deeply distressed by
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 247.

Luther and the Tempted. 205
temptation upon the subject of eternal predestina
tion. I am truly sorry to hear this. Amen. May
Christ, our Lord, deliver you from this temptation.
Amen. "I know all about this sickness; I was myself
brought down to the verge of eternal death in this
hospital. Now, besides my prayer for you, I
would gladly counsel and comfort you, but it is a
hard thing to discuss such matters in writing ; yet
I will try to do it as well as I can, if God will
grant me the needed grace. I will tell you how
God helped me out of the trouble, and by what
means I even yet daily guard myself against it.
"In the first place, you must firmly fix it in
your heart, that such thoughts are most certainly
the suggestions and fiery darts of the miserable
devil. Thus the Scriptures declare, as is said in
Prov. xxv. 27: 'He who searches out the lofty
affairs of Majesty shall be crushed.' Now such
thoughts are nothing but a searching out of the
divine Majesty, an attempt to search out God's
lofty predestination. Jesus, the son of Sirach, says
(iii. 22): 'Thou shalt not search out that which is
too high for*thee, but concern thyself with that
which God has commanded thee; for it will profit
thee nothing to be gaping after that which is not
commanded thee.' And David also sadly ac-

206 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
knowledges, Ps. cxxxi. i, that he has fared badly
when he has attempted to search out high things.
' ' Therefore it is certain that this comes not from
God, but from the devil. He vexes the heart with
it, in order that men may become alienated from
God aud give way to despair, which God has yet
strictly forbidden in the first commandment, in
which he calls upon us to love, and praise Him in
whom we live.
"In the second place, when such thoughts come
to you, you should learn to say: ' My dear, in which
commandment is it written that I must think or
„bother myself abojrtijh_at ?' If no commandment
can be found, then learn to say: 'Ah ! away with you,
you miserable Devil, you want to compel me to care
for myself, when God everywhere says that I shall
let him care for me, declaring: "I am thy God,"
that is, "I care for you ; depend upon me, observe
what I command you, and let me have the care, as
St. Peter teaches (I. v. 7) : ' Cast all your care upon
him, for he careth for you,' and David (Ps. Iv. 22):
' Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sus
tain thee.' "
"In th^third place, although the thoughts do not
now give up troubling you (for the devil is always
slow to give up), yet you, on your part, must also
refuse to give up, and still turn your heart away

Luther and the Tempted. 207
from them, and say: 'Do you not hear, Devil? I
will have nothing to do with such thoughts. God,
too, has forbidden them. Away with you! I
must now think of his commandments and in the
meanwhile let him take care of me. If you are so
wise in such matters, go up to Heaven and dispute
with God himself; he can answer you fully enough.'
Thus you must always put him off and turn your
heart to God's commandments.
" In the fourth place, the very highest among all
the commandments of God is this, that we ever
hold up before us his dear Son, cm£_Jiord Jesus-
Christ. He must daily be to our hearts the perfect
mirror, in which we see how God loves us, and how
he, as a faithful God, has so grandly cared for us
as to give his own dear Son for us.
"Here, here, I say, and nowhere else, do we learn
the right way to deal with this question of predes
tination. This will prove that you believe on
Christ. If you believe, then you are called; if you
are called, then you are most certainly also predes
tinated. Let not this mirror and throne of grace
be torn away from before your eyes, but when such
thoughts come and sting like fiery serpents, do not
look at the thoughts and serpents, but turn your
eyes at once away and look upon the brazen ser
pent, that is, Christ given for us, and, if it please

208 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
God, you will soon feel better. But it takes, as I
have said, a struggle, and a constant driving away of
the evil thoughts. If they drop into your mind, let
them drop out again, just as any one would quickly
spit out dung, if it should fall into his mouth.
' ' Thus God has helped me. It is his earnest com
mandment that we keep before us the image of his
Son, who has abundantly proved himself to be our
God, as the first commandment teaches, and who
promises that he will help and care for us. There
fore he will not suffer us to help or care for ourselves.
That would be to deny God, and at the same time,
the first commandment and Christ as well.
"The miserable devil, who is an enemy of God
and Christ, tries by such thoughts, in direct op
position to the first commandment, to tear us away
from Christ and God and lead us to think about
ourselves and our own cares, so that we may assume
the office of God, which is to care for us and be our
God; just as he in Paradise sought to make Adam
a god, so that Adam might be his own god, and
care for himself, and rob God of this divine work
of caring for him, — in which attempt Adam so
horribly fell.
"This much I have wanted to say to you for this
time, and I have written to your brother, Jerome
Weller, that he too should diligently warn and ex-

Luther and the Tempted. 209
hort you to let such thoughts alone and to send the
devil back to his home to sound all their depths.
He knows very well how it went with him when
he thus meddled with things too high for him,
that he fell from Heaven into the abyss of hell.
"The conclusion of the whole matter is, that
what is not commanded should not be allowed to
lead us astray nor disturb us. It comes from the
instigation of the devil and not from God. May
our dear Lord Jesus Christ show you his hands
and feet, and speak kindly greeting to your heart,
that you may look upon and listen to him alone,
until you grow happy in him. Amen.
"Dr. Martinus Luther.
" The last day of April, 133 if
Weller, the brother of this sorely-tempted
woman, was also strongly disposed to melancholy.
What Luther had experienced in the monastery,
he experienced in Luther's house. He tortured
himself, not with definite, grievous sins, but with
a false and exaggerated sense of sin. The Re
former, whohacTaTready twice given him earnest
warning,* addressed to him yet further a long and
noble epistle in Latin, as follows:!
* Briefe. De Wette, 4, 39 (June 19, 153°). and 130 (Aug. 10,
1530). flbid., 4, 186.

2io Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"Grace and Peace in Christ. My dearest Jerome.
You should believe firmly that this your tempta
tion comes from the devil, and that he vexes you so
because you believe on Christ; for you see in what se
curity and happiness he permits the fiercest enemies
of the Gospel, such as Eck, Zwingli and others, to
live. We must have the devil for our adversary and
enemy, all of us who are Christians, as Peter says
(I. v. 8): ' Your adversary, the devil, goeth about'
My dearest Jerome, you should rejoice over this
temptation of the devil, for it is a sure sign that
God looks upon you with favor and mercy. You
say that the temptation is heavier than you can
bear, and you fear that it may so break you down
and crush you that you may fall into despair and
blasphemy. I understand this wile of the devil.
;If he is unable to cast his victim to the ground at
the first assault of temptation, he attempts by per
sisting to so weary and weaken him that he may
fall and acknowledge himself beaten. Therefore,
whenever this temptation meets you, be careful not
to be drawn into any disputation with the devil,
nor to give way to this fatal thought, which would
be nothing less than believing and surrendering to
him. You must, then, make an earnest effort to
boldly despise these thoughts suggested by the
devil. The best and easiest way to overcome the

Luther and the Tempted. 211
devil in temptations and warfare of this kind is just
to despise him. Try it. Vanquish the adversary
with ridicule, and then look about for some one
with whom you can talk. By all means avoid
loneliness; for it is just when you are alone that he
sets his snares and catches you. This devil is to be
overcome by scorn and contempt, not by resisting
and disputing with him. Talk a little nonsense,
and make merry with my wife and the others, to
get the better of those thoughts of the devil, and
be of good cheer, my Jerome. This temptation is
more necessary for you than food and drink.
"I will tell you what was my experience when I
was just about your age. At first, after I had en
tered the monastery, I went about sad and gloomy,
and could not free myself from this spirit of sad
ness. I therefore sought counsel of Dr. Staupitz,
whom I hold ever in grateful remembrance, con
fessed to him, and revealed to him what terrible
and frightful thoughts I had. He replied: 'You
do not know, Martinus, how useful and necessary
this temptation is for you. God does not exercise
you thus for nothing. You will see that he wants
your service to accomplish some great things.
And so it has turned out; for I can say without
boasting that I have become a great doctor, which,
at the time when I was enduring this temptation,

212 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
I would never have thought possible. Just so it
will no doubt be also with you. You will become
a great man. Only see to it that you keep up good
courage meanwhile, and bear yourself bravely,
fully convinced that such words, especially when
they come from such learned and great men, are
like oracles and prophecies. I recollect that a man
whom I was seeking to comfort upon the loss of
his son once said to me: 'Mark my word, Mar^
tinus, you will yet become a great man. ' I very
often think of this. Such utterances have, as I
have said, something prophetic and oracular about
them. "Take courage, therefore, and cast these decep
tive thoughts utterly away from you. As often as
the devil tempts you with such thoughts, begin to
talk with some one, crack jokes, make sport, or do
something else that will cheer you up a little.
One has to joke and play a little now and tiien, I
* * * just to spite the devil and put him to scorn,
so as not to leave him any room to make a con
science for us out of things that are altogether
trifling; otherwise, if we are too much concerned
for fear we may commit sin, we shall be overcome.
We should always do just the opposite of that
which Satan commands us. What a very different
thing it is to engage in sportive conversation, or

Luther and the Tempted. 213
to eat and drink oftener than necessary, if I do it
only to scorn and despise the devil, who is attempt
ing to torment me and make sport of me ! 0, that
I might perpetrate some sort of a special sin, just
to show my scorn for the devil, so that he might
see that I recognize no sin and am conscious of
none ! We must put the whole Decalogue out of
sight and out of mind, it seems to me, when the
devil thus assaults and vexes us. When the devil
casts up to us our sin, and declares us worthy of
death and hell, we must say: ' I confess that I am
worthy of death and hell. What more have you to
say?' 'Then you will be lost forever!' 'Not in!
the least: for I know One who suffered for me and
made satisfaction for my sins, and his name is
Jesus Christ, the Sou of God. So long as he shall
live, I shall live also.'
"Thy Martin Luther.*
"Nov. 6, 1530."
A certain woman, who had suffered an evil word
to fall from her lips, was filled in consequence
with most distressing thoughts. Luther thus
strengthens her:!
"Grace and Peace in the Lord. My dear Lady
* A few clauses in the above letter are omitted, as liable to
misconstruction in our day.
t Briefe. De Wette, 5, 529. Probably an Eschat, at Herz-
berg. Ibid., 6, 494.

214 .Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Margarita. Your brother John informs me, that
the evil spirit is burdening your heart, because
such an evil word fell from your lips. I wish
that the devil might take all those who have * *
* * Therefore he vexes you and makes you be
lieve that you shall be his forever.
"Aye, my dear Margarita, since you feel and
confess, that it was the evil spirit who led you to
utter that evil word, and that it was also his evil
suggestion, you ought to remember that everything
which he suggests is false ; for he is a liar and the
father of lies (John viii. 44). It is certainly not
Christ who would make you believe that you are
to belong to the devil, since he died in order that
all who are under the devil's power might be set
free from him. Therefore treat the devil thus:
Spit on him, and say: 'Have I sinned? Well,
then, I have sinned, and I am sorry; but I will not
on that account despair, for Christ has borne and
taken away all my sin, yes, and the sin of the
whole world, if it will only confess its sin, reform
and believe on Christ, who has commanded, Luke
xxiv. 47, "that repentance and forgiveness of
sins be preached in his name among all nations."
What should I do if I had committed murder or
adultery, or even crucified Christ? Why, even
then, I should be forgiven, as he prayed on the

Luther and the Tempted. 215
cross: "Father, forgive them" (Luke xxiii. 34).
This I am in duty bound to believe. I have been
acquitted. Then away with you, devil!' a/^—
"You ought therefore, dear Margarita, not to
believe your own thoughts nor those of the devil,
but you should believe us preachers, whom God has
commanded to instruct souls, comfort them, and
declare them free, as he says (Matt. xvi. 19, John
xx. 23): 'Whatsoever ye loose, shall be loosed.'
This you ought to believe, and have no doubt at all
about it. Now we preachers, in Christ's name
and by his command, declare you loosed and free,
not only from this one sin, but from all sins which
you have inherited from Adam, which are so
great and so many that God in mercy will not
allow us in this life to see or rightly feel them all, ,
for we could not endure it; much less will he im- ¦
pute them to us who belieye on him.
"Be contented, therefore, and of good cheer;;
your sins are forgiven you. Depend boldly upon.
this; turn not to your own thoughts, but listen-
only to that which your pastors and preachers re
peat to you out of God's Word. Do not despise
their word and comfort; for it is Christ himself who ,
speaks to you through them, as he says, Luke
x. 16: 'He that heareth you, heareth me.'' Be
lieve this, and the devil will depart and cease

216 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
troubling you. But if you are still weak in faith,
say to yourself : ' I wish that I could believe more
firmly, for I know very well that this is true and
that it ought to be believed. But even though I
cannot believe it as I should, yet I know that it is
the pure truth.' That is believing to righteous
ness and salvation, as Christ says (Matt. v. 6):
' Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after
righteousness. '
"May Christ, the dear Lord, who was delivered
for our offences and raised again for our justifica
tion (Rom. iv. 25), comfort and strengthen your
heart in true faith. So far as sins are concerned,
you need nothing.
"Dr. Martinus Luther.
' ' Thursday after Epiphany (Jany. 11), 1343. ' '
The following epistle was written to strengthen
in a time of temptation his very dear friend,
George Spalatin, who reproached himself most bit
terly for his decision in a case of marriage:*
" Grace and Peace from the Lord, and Comfort of
the Holy Ghost. Amen. I have heartfelt sympathy
for you, my dearest Spalatin, and I pray the Lord to
make you strong and cheerful. When I inquired
from what sickness you are suffering, I received the
* Briefe. De Wette, 5, 679.

Luther and the Tempted. 217
reply, that some think you are oppressed with a
spirit of melancholy on account of that case of a
pastor who married the step-mother of his deceased
wife. If that is the trouble, I beseech you by the
Lord Christ, as earnestly as I can, not to depend
npon yourself and your own thoughts, but to hear
the brother in Christ who now speaks to you.
Otherwise, the sorrow which, as Paul says, 'work-
eth death' (2 Cor. vii. 10) will kill you, as I have
often learned in my own experience and have also
seen in the case of Magister Philip (Melanchthon)
at Weimar in 1540, whom sorrow over the case of
the Landgrave had already killed, but whom Christ
raised up again from the dead in answer to my
prayer. "Granted now, that you are guilty, and that you
have sinned in this case; or that you have done a
wrong greater and more grievous than that of
Manasseh, although the offences which he intro
duced could not be remedied during all the time
following until the destruction of Jerusalem, where
as your offence may be easily remedied, and is only
temporal, — granted, I say, that you are guilty:
shall sorrow on account of this kill you, and will
you, by killing yourself, sin yet far more? It is
enough to have sinned; let the sin now vanish,
and let sadness, which is a much greater sinner,

218 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
depart. 'I desire not,' says he (Ezek. xxxiii. n),
' the death of the sinner, but rather that he may
turn from his wickedness and live.' Shall then
for you alone the hand of the Lord be too short?
Will he in your case have no compassion nor
mercy ? Will you alone, by means of your sin, rob
us of our high-priest, who has compassion upon our
weakness? Do you think, then, that it is some
thing wonderful and new, that one who lives in the
flesh and is threatened on every hand with so many
fiery darts of the devil should for once be wounded,
or even thrown to the earth ? You seem to me to
be without experience in the conflict with sin, con
science and the law. Or, has Satan snatched away
' from before your eyes and out of your memory all
those passages of Scripture in which you have been
instructed concerning the office and work of Christ;
yes, and all the splendid sermons by which, with
such great confidence and exultation of spirit, you
have taught, admonished and comforted the church?
Or, have you been hitherto such a tender sinner,
as to have been troubled only about trifling sins?
But, I beseech you, associate yourself with us, the
real, great and hard sinners, in order that you may
not for us diminish and belittle Christ, who is a
Saviour, not of cultivated and slight sinners, but
of real sinners, the great as well as the small, yea

Luther and the Tempted. 219
verily, of all sinners. Thus my Staupitz once com
forted me in my sadness. Said he, ' You want to
be an imaginary sinner, and to regard Christ as an
imaginary Saviour. You must accustom yourself
to think that Christ is a real Saviour, and that you
are a real sinner. God does nothing for fun nor
for show, and he is not joking when he sends his
Son and delivers him up for us !'
"If Satan has torn all this and the like out of
your memory, so that you cannot of yourself recall
it, then just give attention, and hear what I, your
brother, have to say, as, standing beyond the reach
of your sorrow and unaffected by it, I call upon
you, my weak brother, pursued and terrified by
Satan, to lean upon me and lift yourself up upon
me, until you also, standing erect again, can scorn
the devil and sing: ' I have been smitten and shat
tered, so that I fell, but the Lord helpeth me'
(Ps. cxviii. 13). Imagine that I am St. Peter,
holding out his hand to you, and saying: 'In the
name of Jesus rise up and walk' (Acts iii. 6).
"Hear then, my Spalatin, and believe what
Christ says to you through me. I know that I am
not mistaken, nor do I speak by instigation of the
devil. Christ speaks through me, and commands
you to believe your brother who with you believes
upon him. He himself declares you free from this

220 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
sin and from all sins. We have therefore part in
your sins, and bear them with you. See to it that
you have part with us in the comfort, certain and
true, which God himself has commanded us to give
to you and has commanded you to receive, since, as
we do not wish you to be tormented with sorrow,
much less does he desire it. Do not, I pray you,
reject him who commands and comforts, and who
hates and condemns your sadness, which is an in
fliction of the devil. Do not permit the devil to
represent Christ to you as other than he really is.
Your sadness is the devil's work, which Christ will
banish, if you will let him. You have been bruised
enough; you have suffered enough; you have made
atonement enough, yes, far more than enough.
"Remember, my Spalatin, how faithful is the
heart of him who ventures thus to speak to you.
Believe me, you'will thank me best, if you will ac
knowledge that this my word of comfort is the for
giveness, the absolution, the re-awakening of the
Lord himself. If you will acknowledge this, you
will find — some day at least — that you have
brought to the Lord the most acceptable offering,
as is written (Ps. cxlvii. n): 'The Lord hath pleas
ure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his
mercy.' Away, then, with the sorrow of the devil,
who in thee smites us so hard, and attempts to

Luther and the Tempted. 221
rob us of our joy, and vanquish us all, if possible,
at one stroke. But Christ rebukes and will rebuke
him. May he also strengthen and preserve you by
his Spirit. Amen. Comfort your wife also with
these and with better words. I cannot write a
second letter now, as time fails me.
"Thy Martin Luther.
" Zeitz, August 21, i344f

I

CHAPTER VII.
HOW LUTHER DEALT WITH THE DYING.
N his comments upon Isa. xxxviii. io, Luther ex
presses his views briefly and concisely as to the
proper method of preparing for a happy death, in
the following words:*
"Thus the monks have written much about pre
paration for death, but it all amounted to this, that
one should forsake the world, i. e., go into a desert
or monastery, and there give himself to I know not
what manner of meditations. But that is all sheer
nonsense. The true preparation for death is the
exercise of faith, that one may know that death,
sin, hell aud Satan are overcome and totally van
quished through Christ, the Crucified; or, in other
words, that we regard death, not as it is in and of
itself, nor as it appears to us, but as it is in Christ.
This looking upon the brazen serpent will preserve
us; and there can be no other hope whatsoever,
nor any other way to be saved, but to look upon
Christ, the Conqueror, in whom death is trodden to
the earth, sin overcome, and Satan trampled under
* Werke. Walch, 6, 736.
(222)

Luther and the Dying. 223
foot. Upon his Cross hang the trophies of our
conquered enemies and tyrants. Thus the heart
can in security face death, and feel no terror at
sight of the grim spectre."
To regard death otherwise, out of Christ, and to
struggle with it, is like swimming in the midst of
the sea. Climb up rather into the ship, and cling
to the mast, upon which the trophies have been
hung. Look neither upon yourself nor upon your
own merits, or you will be drowned. But go away
from yourself, and draw near to Christ, who is the
Lamb of God, the sacrifice for our sins, who took
all our sins upon himself and overcame them in his
own body, in which the devil and death are cruci
fied. This is the only way to despise death. Al
though some seek to comfort the dying with the
thought, that death will bring all the troubles and
dangers of this life to an end, the consolation which
they thus offer is weak and cannot support the
heart in the struggle. For the dying will suspect
that there may be yet greater evils to come after
death. Men must be directed to the sacrifice and the
merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Deliverer, and
Luther rejoices that in the Roman Catholic church
this had not been altogether neglected in the last
hour, in the final death-struggle. In his brief ex-

224 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
plauation of the Epistle to the Galatians, he
observes under the second verse of the fifth
chapter:* "I am very well pleased with the
custom of proclaiming before the dying and im
pressing upon them only Christ, the Crucified, and
exhorting them to faith and hope. Here alone,
however much the soul-destroying Sophists may
have deluded us through our whole life-time, free
will disappears, good works disappear, the right
eousness of the law disappears, and there remain
only faith and appeal to the pure mercy of God, so
that I have often thought that there are more and
better Christians in death than in life. The freer
the confidence is from good works, and the more en
tirely it rests upon Christ alone, the better is the
Christian; and to this faith all the good works of
the whole life are to be attributed. But now we
are by so many fogs, clouds and whirlwinds of hu
man traditions and ordinances, as those of the
ignorant interpreters of Scripture and preachers,
driven in upon our own merits; we of ourselves
render satisfaction enough for our own sins; we
do not direct our efforts to the laying aside of the
frailties of the flesh and bringing to nought the
body of sin, but, as though we were already pure
and holy, we heap up together a mass of good
* Op. ex. ad Gal. III. 368. Walch., 9, 265.

Luther and the Dying. 225
works, just as men gather wheat into the barn, and
by these we are making God our debtor, and will
sit on I know not what lofty thrones in Heaven!
Blind, blind, blind! Christ is of no account to all
these people. They are making themselves right
eous in another way."
How Luther himself prepared the dying for a
blessed departure from this mortal life, may be
seen from two letters. His faithful, thankful
heart was moved with pity when he heard that the
pilgrimage of his dear father was drawing to a
close. He could not hasten to Mansfeld, to bring
counsel and help to his dying parent, but was com
pelled to content himself with the writing of a
letter. It reads as follows:*
"To my dear Father, Hans Luther, Citizen of
Mansfeld Valley. Grace and Peace in Christ
Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
"Dear Father: My brother Jacob has written to .
me that you are thought to be dangerously sick.
Since the air is now unhealthy and other dangers
abound, as well as on account of your increasing
years, I feel much concern for you. God has given .
and hitherto preserved to you a sound and vigorous -
body, but yet your age causes me anxiety in these ¦
times, although indeed none of us is, or can be, .
* Briefe. De Wette, 3, 550.
15

226 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
under any circumstances sure of life for a single
hour. I would most gladly therefore come myself
to see you in person, but my good friends here
have counseled against it and persuaded me not
to undertake the journey, and I cannot but think
myself that I ought not to tempt God by venturing
into danger, for you know what kindly feelings
the lords and peasants have for me.
"But it would give me great delight, if it were
possible for you and mother to have some one drive
you here to us, which my Katie also with tears de
sires, as do we all. I am sure we would take the
best care of you. I have therefore arranged for
Cyriacus* to go to you and see whether in your
weakness this will be possible. For, whether it
should be helpful to you for this, life or for that
which is to come, as the will of God should ordain,
I would be most heartily glad to be with you in
body, as is also proper, and, as the fourth command
ment teaches, by filial fidelity and service to prove
myself thankful to God and to you.
" Meanwhile, I pray from the very depths of my
heart to the Father, who created you and gave you
to me as a father, that he may according to his in-
* This Cyriacus, mentioned already upon page 22, was a son
of Luther's sister, who married a certain George Kauffman at
Mansfeld. Comp. Briefe. De Wette, 6, 123 and 151.

Luther and the Dying. 227
finite goodness strengthen you, enlighten you by his
Spirit and preserve you, that you may with joy and
thankfulness know the blessed doctrine of his Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, to which you have already
been called and led by his grace out of the former
horrible darkness and error; and I hope that his
grace, which has given you such knowledge and
thereby begun his work in you, may preserve it
until the end unto the joyous coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and complete it in the life which is to
come. Amen.
"He has already also sealed in you this doctrine
and faith, and confirmed them by visible tokens,
inasmuch as you have on account of my name en
dured, together with us, all much slander, shame,
scorn, mockery, contempt, hatred, enmity and
danger. But these are the genuine marks, in bear
ing which we are to be made like our Lord Christ,
as St. Paul says (Rom. viii. 29), in order that we
may also bear the image of his future glory.
"Let your heart therefore be hale and strong in
the midst of your weakness, for we have in the life
yonder before God a sure and faithful helper, Jesus
Christ, who for us has slain death, together with all
sins, and now, in order that we may have no care
nor fear that we may sink and perish, sits there
upon his throne, and with all the angels looks down

228 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
upon us, waiting to receive us when we take our de
parture from this life. He has so great power over
death and sin that they can do us no harm ; and he
is so sincerely true and faithful, that he neither
can nor will forsake us, if we really desire his aid.
"He has declared, promised and pledged it. He
will not and cannot lie nor deceive us. We can
have no doubt about it. 'Ask,' says he (Matt. vii.
7), 'and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find;
knock and it shall be opened unto you.' In another
place he declares (Acts ii. 21): 'All that call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved' ; and the whole
Psalter is full of such consoling promises, espe
cially the 91st Psalm, which is a particularly good
Psalm for all the sick to read.
"I have wanted to write these things to you, be
cause I have felt anxious about your sickness, as
we do not know when our hour may come, in order
that I might have a share in your faith, your con
flict, your comfort, and your thankfulness to God
for his Holy Word, which he has in these times so
richly, powerfully and graciously given to us.
"But should it be his divine will that you, de
prived yet longer of the blessedness of that better
life, should suffer further with us in this troubled
and unhappy world of woe, seeing and hearing, or,
rather, with all Christians helping to bear and over-

Luther and the Dying. 229
come its misery; he will give you grace to accept
all this with cheerful obedience. This accursed life
is after all nothing but a real vale of tears, in
which the longer we live the more must we see
and experience of sin, wickedness, vexation and
misfortune ; and all this will never end nor grow
less until the ground is shoveled upon us. There,
at least, it must end, and suffer us, resting in Christ,
to sleep in peace until he shall come to awaken us
again with rejoicing. Amen.
"Herewith I commend you to him who loves
you more than you can love yourself, and who has
proved this love in that he has taken your sin upon
himself and atoned for it with his own blood, and
has announced this to you through the gospel, and
through his Spirit granted you grace to believe it,
and has thus most securely prepared and sealed
everything, in order that you need have noth
ing more to care for nor to fear, but only with a
firm and fearless heart remain steadfast in his
Word and faith. Let this be so, then leave all
care to him. He will do all things well; yea, he
has already done all things for the very best, far
better than we can understand. May he, our dear
Lord and Saviour, be ever with you, that we may
(God grant it, whether here or in the world to come)
with rejoicing see one another again. Our faith is

230 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
firm, and we have 110 doubt that we shall shortly see
one another again in the presence of Christ, since
the departure from this life is in the sight of God
a much smaller matter than it would be for me to
come from your house at Mansfeld to this place, or
for you to go from my house at Wittenberg to Mans
feld. This is most certainly true. It is only a mat
ter of an hour's sleep, and then all will be changed.
"Now, although I hope that your pastors and
preachers will so abundantly render you in such
matters their most faithful service that you will
have little need of my poor talking; yet I could
not neglect to apologize for my bodily absence,
which — God knows — gives me heartfelt pain.
"My Katie, Little Hans, Little Lena, Aunt Lena
and the whole household send greetings and assure
you of their faithful prayers for you. Greet for me
my dear mother and all our relatives. May the
grace and power of God be and abide with you for
ever. Amen. "Your dear Son,
' ' Martinus Luther.
"At Wittenberg, February 13, 1330."
The dying father derived spiritual strength from
the letter of his son. His life ebbed slowly away,
and on the 29th of May in the same year he fell
asleep in the Lord.

Luther and the Dying. 231
"When now," it is related in the Tischreden,*
"Michael Coelius, pastor at Mansfeld, asked him
at the last moment whether he believed every
thing which is taught and eommended to us in
the articles of the Christian Creed, he replied : ' He
would be indeed a miserable fellow who would not
believe that.' When this was afterwards reported
to Dr. Luther, the latter said: 'That is a word
from the old world.' But Philip Melanchthon then
said to Dr. Luther: 'My dear Doctor, blessed are
they who die thus in the knowledge of Christ! ' "
One year after his father's death, Luther's
mother, Margaretha, was overcome with great
weakness. It was seen that her end was near, and
word was sent to her distant son. A letter, full of
consolation appropriate to the dying hour, was his
response.! "Grace and Peace in Christ Jesus, our Lord and
Saviour. Amen. My dearly beloved Mother. I
have received the letter of brother Jacob telling of
your sickness. It grieves me deeply to hear of this,
especially as I cannot be with you in body, as I so
gladly would. But here I come to you bodily in
this letter, and we will all be constantly with you
in spirit.
* Aurif., 500 b. Forst., 4, 276.
t Briefe. De Wette, 4, 257.

232 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
"But although I hope that your heart has without
my help long since been fully instructed, aud al
though, God be praised, you have his consoling
Word, and are well provided with preachers and
comforters on every hand ; yet will I also do my
part, and, as in duty bound, acknowledge myself
as your child and you as my mother, honoring the
relation in which the God and Creator of us both
has placed us, and thus, at the same time, adding
one more to the multitude of your comforters.
"In the first place, dear Mother, God has gra
ciously given you the knowledge that your sick
ness is only his paternal and gracious rod, and a
very light rod indeed compared with that with
which he smites the ungodly, and often, as well,
his own dear children. One is beheaded, another
banished, another drowned, and so on, until they
must all cry out: ' For thy sake are we killed every
day, and are like sheep prepared for the slaughter.'
(Ps. xliv. 22.) This sickness ought not therefore
to disturb nor to distress you, but you ought to
accept it with thankfulness as appointed by his
grace. Consider what a very trifling affliction it
is, should it even lead to death, compared with the
suffering of his own dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he did not have to endure, as must we, for him
self, but which he endured for us and for our sins.

Luther and the Dying. 233
"In the second place, dear Mother, you know,
too, what is the chief article of faith and the ground
of salvation, upon which you must build up your
comfort in this and in every hour of need, namely,
the Co£n^s^ouei_Je£usChrist, that can never be
moved nor fail us, nor ever let us sink or perish.
He is truly, as he is called, the Saviour of all
poor sinners, and of all who in the midst of distress
and death place their confidence in him and call
upon his name.
"He says (John xvi. j)^)\ 'Be of good cheer; I
have overcome the world. ' If he has overcome the
world, then he has also most assuredly overcome the
prince of the world and all his power. But what
is the power of the prince of the world, if it be not
death, by which he has made us subject to him and
taken us captive ou account of our sin? But, now
that death and sin have been overcome, we may
hear with joy and confidence the sweet word: ' Be
of good cheer; I have overcome the world.'
"We should have no doubt at all, but should be
lieve that this is most certainly true; and it is still
further commanded that we receive this comfort
with joy and thanksgiving. If we shonld refuse
to be comforted by these words, we would wrong
and greatly dishonor the dear Comforter, just as
though it were not true, that he bids us be of good

234 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
cheer, or as though it were not true, that he has
overcome the world. We would thereby strengthen
the conquered devil, sin and death, to resist the
dear Saviour and tyrannize again over us. From
this may God preserve us.
"We may, therefore, now rejoice with all secu
rity and joy, and if at any time any thought of sin
or death should terrify us, we may lift up our
hearts, and boldly say: 'Why, poor Soul, what are
you trying to do? Why, Sin and Death, how
comes it that you are alive and terrifying me?
Do you not know that you have been overcome?
Do you not know, O Death, that you are altogether
dead? Are you not acquainted with One who says
of thee: "I have overcome the world?" It is not
for me to listen to your threatenings, but to receive
the consoling words of my Saviour: "Be of good
cheer, be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world." This is the true conquering hero, who
bestows upon me his victory and makes me a par
taker of it in these words: "Be of good cheer." I
hold to him. I am supported by his Word and
consolation. Whether I tarry here or depart hence,
he will not deceive me. You seek to delude me
with your false threatenings and with lying
thoughts to entice me away from this victorious
Saviour. But it is all a lying invention, as truly

Luther and the Dying. 235
as he has overcome you and bidden us to be of
good cheer.
'Thus, likewise, Paul also glories and defies the
terrors of death (1 Cor. xv. 55): "Death is swal
lowed up in victory. O Death, where is thy
sting ? O Grave, where is thy victory ? ' ' Thou
canst terrify and alarm, like a wooden im
age of death, but thou hast no power to slay.
Thy victory, thy sting, and thy power are swal
lowed up in the victory of Christ. Thou canst
show thy teeth, but thou canst not devour. God
has given us the victory over thee through Jesus
Christ, our Lord. To him be praise and thanks
giving. Amen.'
"Let your heart be occupied with such words
and thoughts, dear Mother, and with nothing else.
Be thankful indeed that God has led you to such
knowledge, and has not left you sunken in the
papal error, according to which we were taught to
build our hopes upon our own works and upon the
holiness of the monks, and to regard this one and
only comfort, our Saviour, not as a comforter, but
as a terrible judge and tyrant, so that we were
compelled to flee from him to Mary and the saints,
and could expect no grace nor comfort from him.
"But now we know, upon the contrary, of the
infinite goodness and mercy of our Heavenly

236 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
Father, and that Jesus Christ is our Mediator
and our Throne of Grace and our Bishop before
God in Heaven, who daily intercedes in our behalf
and reconciles to God all who will but believe on
him and call upon him ; and that he is a judge, and
terrible, to none but those who will not believe him
nor accept his consolation and his grace. He is not
the one who accuses or threatens us, but he recon
ciles and intercedes for us by his owii death and by
his blood shed for us, that we may not be afraid of
him, but draw near to him with all confidence and
call him: ' Dear Saviour, Thou precious Comforter,
Thou faithful Bishop of our souls.'
"To this knowledge, I say, God has graciously
called you — you have his seal and certificate of
this, namely, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the
Gospel which is preached to you. You can there
fore know 110 danger nor want. Now, only be of
good cheer, and give thanks with rejoicing for this
great grace; for he who has begun his work in you
will also graciously complete it. We cannot help
ourselves in such matters. We can by our works
gain no booty from sin, death and the devil. But
here appears for us and in our place another, who
is better able, and he bestows his victory upon us
and commands us to accept it, nothing doubting.
He says to us (John xvi. 33): ' Be of good cheer; I

Luther and the Dying. 237
have overcome the world,' and again (John xiv.
19): 'Because I live, ye shall live also,' and yet
again (John xvi. 22): ' Your joy shall no one take
from you.'
"May the Father and God of all comfort grant
you through his holy Word and his Spirit a stead
fast, joyous and thankful faith, that you may
happily overcome this and every distress, and
finally learn from your own experience the truth of
that which he himself declares: ' Be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world.' I hereby commend
your body and soul to his mercy. Amen. All
your children and my Katie are praying for you.
Some are weeping, some eating, and they say to
one another, 'Grandmother is very sick.' The
grace of God be with us all. Amen.
' ' Your dear Son,
"Mart. Luther.
' ' Saturday after Ascension Day (May 20), 1331. ' '
The earthly labors of the mother thus prepared
for death by her son were brought to a blessed
end on the 30th of June in the same year.
We have seen that Luther gave to his dying
father and mother the assurance of his faithful
prayer in their behalf. We are able to present sev
eral such prayers, dictated by him to the dying, in

238 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
order that they might by their use strengthen and
prepare themselves to depart in peace to their
heavenly home.
"Christ, our dear Lord and Saviour," implored
he at one time,* " Be gracious to us, that we may
not fall into temptation. Preserve us in true faith,
pure, blameless and innocent, and deliver us from
all evil through a blessed departure from this vale
of tears, which is the kingdom of the miserable
devil and his world. To Thee, with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, be praise and thanksgiving
forever. Amen. ' '
At another time, he prayed:! "Dear Lord Christ,
although I do not fulfil the law, and although sin
is yet present with me, and I fear death and hell,
yet I know from thy gospel that Thou hast be
stowed upon me all thy works. I am sure of this,
for Thou dost not lie. Thou wilt faithfully keep
thy promise, in token of which I have received
baptism in thy name. Since Thou, O God, art
mine, I will gladly die; for thus it pleaseth Thee,
my Father, and death cannot harm me, since it is
swallowed up in victory. Thanks be to Thee, O
Lord God, who hast given us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ."
* Werke. Walch, 14, 327.
t Ibid., zr, 287.

Luther and the Dying. 239
Upon a third similar occasion, he spoke thus:*
"Almighty, eternal God, merciful Lord and God,
who art the Father of our dear Lord Jesus Christ,
I know assuredly that Thou wilt and canst do all
that Thou hast promised, for Thou canst not lie and
thy Word is sure. Thou didst in the beginning
promise to me thy beloved, only Son Jesus Christ,
and he has come and has delivered me from the
devil, death, hell and sin, and then, for my greater
security, of his gracious will granted me the sacra
ments of the altar and of baptism, in which are
offered to me the forgiveness of sins, eternal life
and all heavenly possessions. In accordance with
this thine offer to me, I have employed the sacra
ments, and have received them, depending in
steadfast faith upon thy Word. I have, therefore,
now no doubt that I am safe and well secured
against the devil, death, hell and sin. If this be
my appointed hour, according to thy holy will, I
will gladly depart hence in peace and joy, depend
ing on thy Word. Amen. ' '
We will observe the dear man of God as he
stands by the death-beds of two persons in his own
house. An aunt of his wife, who had years before,
in the convent of Nimbsch, treated her younger
* Tischreden. Aurif., 501a. Forst., 4, 278. Comp. Aurif.,
326 a. Forst, 3, 153.

240 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
relative with the greatest kindness, had been taken
by Luther into his house as a member of the family.
She was called "Aunt Lena" by old and young;
This "honorable matron" lay seriously sick in
1537. Her senses had already become dull, when
the father of the household approached her bed,
addressing her thus:* "Aunt Lena, do you know
me, and can you understand me?" Seeing that
she understood and recognized him, he said to her:
"Your faith still rests entirely and alone upon the
Lord Christ, does it not? He is the resurrection
and the life. Nothing shall keep you from him.
You shall not die, but fall asleep as in a cradle,
and when. the morning dawns, you shall rise again
and live forever." Then she exclaimed, "O yes ! "
The Doctor then asked her: "Is there no trouble
on your mind?" "No," replied she. "And do you
have no pain at all?" "Yes," said she, "I have a
pain at my heart." Then said he: "The Lord will
soon deliver you from all evil; you will not die ! "
and, turning to us, he said: " O, how well it is
with her! This is not death, but a sleep !" He
then went to the window and stood for a little time
alone praying, and at twelve o'clock withdrew
from the room. At seven o'clock the same even
ing she very gently fell asleep in Christ.
* Tischreden. Aurif., 325 b. Forst., 3, 153.

Luther and the Dying. 241
A sweet little daughter of Luther's, named Mag-
dalena, after this same Aunt Lena, who had been
sick-nurse in the convent from 1502 until 1508, and
had turned her experience and skill to good ac
count in her niece's home, lay seriously sick. " I
love her dearly, but if it is thy will, O God, to take
her from us, I will be glad to know that she is
with thee."* Thus the pious father quiets his
troubled heart, and then says to his beloved child :
"Dear little Magdalena, my daughter, you would
gladly stay here with your father, and yet you are
glad to go to your Father in H.eaven, are you
not?" She said: "Yes, my dearly beloved father,
as God will." "Then," said the father, "you
dear little daughter, the spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak," and, turning away, he said, " O,
but I do love her. If the flesh is so strong, what
must the spirit be?" "Dear daughter," said he
again after a little while,! "you have another
Father in Heaven, you are going to him." As the
final struggle drew near and she was just at the
point of death, "the father fell upon his knees be
fore her bed, wept bitterly, and prayed that God
might release her. She died thus, falling asleep in
her father's arms. Her mother was also in the
* Tischreden. Aurif., 496 a. Forst., 4, 260.
flbid. Aurif., 496 a. Forst, 4, 261.
16

242 Luther as Spiritual Adviser.
same room, but standing farther from the bed, over
come with grief. This occurred a little after nine
o'clock on the Wednesday following the 17th Sun
day after Trinity (Sept. 20), 1542. ' ' Observing that
his wife was now overwhelmed with grief, weeping
and crying, Luther said to her: "Dear Katie, re
member whither she has gone! She has gone to a
better world ! It is but natural that flesh and blood
should bleed and groan; but the spirit bows sub
missively. Children do not dispute. They believe
what is said to them. To them everything is plain
and simple. They die without anxiety or regret,
without murmuring, without any fear of death,
without bodily pain, just as though they were fall
ing asleep. ' ' * When the friends came to assist in
preparing the body for burial, and addressed the
Doctor in the customary way, assuring him that
they sympathized with him in his affliction, he
said: "You ought to rejoice with me! I have
sent a saint to Heaven, yes, a living saint. O,
that we might have such a death ! Such a death I
would welcome this very hour."!

* Tischreden. Aurif., 495 b. Forst. 4, 258.
|Ibid. Aurif., 496 b. Forst, 4, 262.

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