number, at least you can reckon yourselfamong the sinners, which is a greater reason that you should pray and be certain of the answer should
God delaycoming speedily to your help; for He will never forsake those who call upon Him, nor fail to drive away your despairing doubts which are the fierydarts of the devil and his emissaries.
Why wander in false ways when so good and straight a path is before you, and the And even althoughin your despairyou were so hardened as not to hear
God's voice,you cannot overlook that of the Son, who stands across the pathwhich all must tread,cryingin trumpet-liketones,
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,and I will giveyou rest."
He not only uses the word No one is excluded, no matter how wicked he be.
So, seeingall may come, do you run with them, leap and spring,and do not remain among those lost crowds.
" who knows every foot of the way, and will not let thy 'foot slide.
Why wander aimlesslyabout The weary and heavy laden !
And what kind of company would that be } They oughtto have high-sounding names, such as burgher-master, and such like " these master minds, who love to grovelin
Word with their human reason, like the sow in a turnipfield!
It is he who is weary and heavy laden,borne down with sad thoughts direct from the " the man who does not know to what hand to turn, and is readyto sink into despair.So that is why He says
He had known our burdens,and wished to help us to bear them, nay, even relieve us of them entirely.
And consider that God Almightycreated and elected us, not to damnation, but to everlasting life, even as the angelsin the firstsermon proclaimedto the shepherdson the field :
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men And it was inner,not bodilypeace they meant.
It was not from those who injuredthem, but from the world, the flesh,and the devil, they were to be delivered.
Hence one can see from the Scriptures how great is God's mercy, and these and such like thoughtscan enable him to form an opinion as to God's foreseeing, and then there is no occasion for a man to torture himself,nor would it avail even were he to worry his flesh from his bones.
What business is it of yours that God causes the dear sun to shine over good and bad, over arid and green God has ordained that the sun should endue the moisture of the ground with its vital powers, thus causingthe roots and branches of the trees to fructifyand yieldfruit.
And if a dried-uptree should nevertheless remain impervious to the rays of the sun, stillthe tree is not so much at fault as the soil which is marshy.
" good ground,good corn," as the proverb says.
Thus, where the preachingis good and full of consolation, there are sure to be tender consciences and joyfulhearts.
Therefore as you cannot hinder the natural sun, which is a tiny sparkcomparedto the starry firmament," the smallest star beinglargerthan the whole world," from spreadingher rays abroad, still less can you limit
God's grace, being fathomless,having neither beginningnor end.
Dear one, do not reckon so close with God had asked the high priests and Levites at the crucifixion if He should receive the malefactor into Heaven, what would they have said ?
Doubtless the answer would have been "If thieves and murderers desire to enter Heaven we do not object," and might have added,
Paradise we should not have hung him upon a gallows, and it is as likelyhe will enter Heaven as that you are Thus speaksa scornful world and man's reason.
How well Christ answered His disciples who asked, as '' What shall this man do .?
I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee .?
" as if to warn him not to fall.
Let every one sweep before his own door, and then we shall be saved This would prevent much heart-burning as to what God in the eternal counsel of His will has decreed concerning those who should be saved or lost. accept a certainty for an uncertainty will at length come away empty-handed,besides beingthe objectof ridicule.
He who will not be counselled in time and despises Word will fall a prey to a ragingdevil as sure as If thingswent with us accordingto our thoughts, prompted by the flesh and the devil,we should all be given over to death, therefore we have the word of promise:
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and fivt and thirtydays.
But go thou thy way tillthe end be ; for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."
If we persevere to the end we may console ourselves that devilish thoughtsshall be expelled, and we may raise our hearts in faith to God, and be certain that we have received forgiveness of sins,and shall be, nay, are justified, according to Christ's promise,by faith of JesusChrist,as St. Paul testifiesin Gal. iii.22.
That is when we are cast down, and every path seems shut up to us, we shall once more stand erect in faith, resting on God's promisesof Christ,or in Christ.
Invitation to Mary Mochim's marriage.
We have betrothed Mary Mochim to Georgio,and the marriagetakes placeon As we think this is a good opportunity for you to visit us, we pleadwith you to come, when, if God will,we shall have a joyous wedding feast.
Christ for us in whom your soul flourishes.
Luther thanks him in his boy'sname for toys.
Hanschen thanks you, dear Nicolas,for the beautiful toys, which he is very proud of.
Melanchthon in ThUringiaon the visitation.
Philipis absent on the visitation, so we are deprivedof his counsel in seekinga schoolmaster.
I shall consult Milich and George Major to see if one can be sent at once, althoughI am told that Veit was with you before,whom meantime you could have again.
Within eightdays we shall tell you what we have arranged.
I am juststarting for Stiefel to the widow of the Bishop of Lochau, and to introduce him to his new charge. One thingalwaysseems to come upon the top of another.
I could not keep the man (Mensch) with me, for he was far too modest, fancyinghe was a burden to me, so preferredlivinganyhow elsewhere,thus compellingme at lengthto let him go.
He herewith sends you by me some letters inviting you to his marriage.
I fear they are a littlelate,but disposeof them as quickly as possible.Farewell to your Albert and the other branches of your vine.
Luther comforts him over calumnies caused by his marriage.
You must not vex yourselfover the outcry your marriagehas caused,but rather rejoice ; for it is a condition which has God's approval, and is lauded by the angels, and held in honour of all saints.
In addition it has this seal,that it is distinguished by the cross being vilifiedby devils and false brethren,to which every word and work of God are subjected.
Therefore regardthe priestly utterances as so many preciousstones which blacken you in the world's eyes, but make you all-glorious in the eyes of a pure
God, and comfort yourself that the world is not esteemed worthy to perceivethe gloryof such a work of God as you are permittedto see.
Let the world with itsprincesindulge in their foolish, presumptuous judgmentsand blasphemies.
The wicked must be rooted out, so as not to see the gloryof God.
I have no doubt the priests are hurrying you into Bethaven, but be that as it may, you have received the office of the visitation, and have a gracious
Lord who will not suffer you to want the necessaries of life. May the Jesusstrengthen you by His Petition for longerleave for Bugenhagen.
A messenger has justarrived from the Council of Hamburg to ask permission from my gracious lord that Pommer may be allowed to remain longerthere,as the enclosed documents testify.
Although I had written to the good man not to worry as to overstayinghis leave,if God's work requiredit (forour lord has no desire to hinder the Word of God, if Bugenhagen'spresence can further it),but the good man had no peace till our graciouslord himself assured him of it.
Therefore,pray procure a writingfrom my lord,asking him to return as soon as he can, without imperilling God's work throughhis haste,but empowering him to defer his return if necessary.
Excellency will know how to manage it,and send itby this messenger.
Excellency's obedient Luther rejoices in his friend's happiness.
I am delighted, dear Michael,that you are so pleasedwith your wife and her children,and that she loves you.
God maintain this unity!
Will you say to the overseer that it is impossiblefor me to come to his marriage, as I have not a free hour that day.
I expectedwe would have been in Schweritz then, and could sacrifice half a day in his honour, but the business connected with the church visitation has increased so enormouslythat all our planshave been upset.
So please apologise for me.
Eve with the olive branches committed to your care.
The eveningI got your letter.
Luther sends letters to his friend, who is on the visitation.
I send you, as well as Cranach, letters which have lain longhere.
Chancellor will tell you the rest.
Lukas that gloves and a black cap were sent with the other thingsfrom If any of the letters tell you for whom they are, let them write.
For we have received all our things, but did not wish to open any of the letters.
I am again a prey to the tempter.
Do pray in such times of sifting for me as I do for you, that my faith may not fail.
We have paid all due honour to the Your family and ourselves are all well.
Kathie greets you respectfully, and longsfor your return.
I trust all our folks who are with you may keep well.
Consolation on the death of her husband.
Honoured and virtuous lady!
Having heard from your son of the great trial with which you have been visited, viz. the death of your husband, I am moved out of Christian love to write this letter of consolation to you.
First,you must take comfort that in the hard conflict which beset your lord (Herr),the Jesus at length gained the victory, and that your husband at last passed away full of trust and confidence in the I was delighted to hear.
Himself strugglein the garden and rise againfrom the dead.
It is even possible that your husband inflicted an injuryupon himself,for the devil has power over the members of the body, and may have forcibly guided his hand againsthis will.
For if he had done it willingly, it is unlikelyhe would have come againto himself and turned to Christ with such ample confession of sin.
How often does the devil break arm, neck, back, and all the limbs.?
He can gain the mastery over all the members, therefore be satisfied in God, and rank yourself among those of whom *' Blessed are they that mourn
: for they shall be comforted All the saints must sing Psalm xliv. :
For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as sheepfor the slaughter."There must be sufi^ering and misfortune if we are to partakeof the consolation.
His great mercy in not suffering your husband to lingerin conflict and despair, as is the case with so many, but he was by God's grace delivered and at lengthrestored to the Christian faith, and numbered among those of whom it is said:
"Blessed are they who die in the Lord."
He that believeth on me, thoughhe were dead, yet shall he live."
Father comfort and strengthenyou with such words in Christ Jesus!
Diet at Speyerwas held,also the Swiss divines,on the questionof the Catechisms appearedsimultaneously.
That you are pleasedwith my little book against Herzog George is a great pleasureto me.
For all are down upon me, forgetting how he has treated me, and act towards him as if he were innocent.
I shall not show them your letter, or they would class you with me.
I shall not answer the tyrant, as he asks me to let him alone in future.
Much is being said here about Ferdinand's tyranny and extortion.
Pray that God may strengthen me that I may not be left in Satan's hand.
Jesusmaintain and bless you I am delighted that the church visitation has come to such a happy end among you.
May other church matters soon be arranged. We sing the Perhaps a printedform may soon be issued.
Then the days of humiliation,the ban, and the other liturgical arrangements connected with our congregations will follow.
This is enough to beginwith.
I have been suffering from giddiness, not to mention what I shall never againanswer Turks would have been printedlong ago had not the first printedsheets been lost throughthe servant's carelessness.
Kathie greets you, also Jonas and Philip. We fear Pommer will not return before Ascension.
Luther complainsof temptations.
Catechism is not ready,but it will soon be,my Hausmann, also the sermon againstthe But in spiteof my soul beingwell,I am always ill, so dreadfully does
Satan plagueme by preventingme studying, for I must have society to hinder him attacking me in my solitude.
Paul has been dismissed as Spalatinwrote, you must be thinkingof a successor.
If you have none in view, Cordatus would be the most suitable.
He is an excellent and learned man, and a staunch confessor of his faith.
Farewell,and pray for the impendingDiet.
Luther sends a letter inviting him to From this letter you will see what the Herzog wishes regardingyou.
I do not think it would be Christian-like to tear you away from Magdeburg so soon, it would be better to serve him otherwise.
Show this document to Klotz in the Council, and let them see you may accept, which may bringthem to reason, and cause them to do somethingfor the schools.
Do let them think you are in earnest.
And if theyplead with you to remain do not be too easilypersuadedto do so.
I am still doubtful whether your departure would grievethem.
You will know that Langefeldhas been called away, and that Princes protestedagainstthe Edict againstthe Lutherans,hence the word
I am pleased that you proved Stein thus, and have found neither him nor others wanting.
I shall write, and earnestly exhort them to promote learning. Go on as you are doing,and help the good work as much as you can.
The bridegroomBruno has asked me to invite you to his wedding on Krosse) will come to my house on Tuesday, or rather to my wife's.
So arm yourself,not with sword of steel,but with gold and silver,^ for you shall not escape without a present.
Speyer,but you hear everything.
Cordatus,Hausmann's assistant, broughtthis letter.
Herewith, behold the sharer in your ministerial cares and helperin your work, Cordatus, an estimable man.
I hope he will help you, and do much good in your parish. Although ignorantpeoplemay not be satisfied at first they will appreciatehis worth after-