VI.

CHAP. phets. In the former he has some striking observations in the preface. There were at that time men, he says, and more would afterwards arise, who despised theological studies, and indeed all studies: there ought therefore to be some to proclaim the praises of God, and to disseminate the knowledge of his word. In such pursuits he desired to spend his days; and, in particular, he would employ the remainder of them in explaining the writings of Moses, the fountain from which both prophets and apostles, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, had drawn. “The object of this Psalm," he says, "is to present awful views of death, to alarm hypocrites and careless sinners: so that here Moses eminently appears in his true character, of the lawgiver, tracing death, both temporal and eternal, to its cause in the wrath of God against sin. He withholds not consolation, however, in the prayer with which the Psalm

On blas

phemous thoughts.

On Christian communion.

closes."

On blasphemous thoughts and temptations he remarks, that they are no proof or occasion of divine displeasure, when we hate and reject them: they are even made a special means of calling forth those "groanings which cannot be uttered," that are peculiarly pleasing to God. On the benefit to be derived from Christian communion he thus feelingly speaks. "I am myself a professor of theology, and many have acknowledged that they had derived no inconsiderable assistance from me: yet I have often felt myself most sensibly raised and helped by a single word from a brother, who thought himself very much my inferior. The word of a brother, pronounced from holy scripture in a

1 Seck. iii. 374-377.

time of need, carries an inconceivable weight with it. The Holy Spirit accompanies it, and by it moves and animates the hearts of his people as their circumstances require. Thus Timothy, and Titus, and Epaphroditus, and the brethren who met S. Paul from Rome, cheered his spirit, however much they might be inferior to him in learning and skill in the word of God. The greatest saints have their times of weakness, when others are stronger than they."

Such passages present a pleasing view of the humility and piety of the writer's mind.

A. D. 1541.

On the

Turks and

Germans.

In the same year he published an earnest Exhortation to Prayer against the Turks. In this work he solemnly admonishes both parties in Germany of their sins; the papists of their errors and cruelties, the protestants of their corruption of manners, which dishonoured the sound doctrine they professed. Particularly he reprehends the repugnance of both nobles and people to endure pastoral reproof, and their unwillingness decently to provide for their ministers, at a time when the articles of life had risen to three times their former price; a circumstance which he ascribes in great measure to the prevailing spirit of avarice aud rapacity. He anticipates that God would ere long punish Germany, either by civil war or by means of the Turks. He earnestly exhorts all orders of men to reformation; and then, having made that their first care, to exertion against the enemy. And here he rejects every idea of despondency, or of sitting still and doing nothing, referring all, like the Mahometans themselves, to predes (Predestitination and fate. "It is true," he says, "that nation.) what God hath ordained must come to pass; but I am not commanded, rather I am forbidden, to pry into his unrevealed purposes. As I know

VI.

them not, it is tempting God to neglect what I evidently ought to do, and thus to plunge myself in ruin. Precepts are given, that I may know and do my duty: the word of God teaches me that, and bids me commit what is unknown to God." He quotes 2 Sam. x. 12: “Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of, our God; and the Lord do that which seemeth him good." "Thus," he says, "let us do, and discharge our duty, and not trouble ourselves about predestination, concerning [the specific appointments of] which we have no revelation, no light, no knowledge at all. Let us dismiss the subject from our thoughts, and leave it in the obscurity which belongs to it; only taking care to do what is commanded us, and what we know ought to be done."-In the early part of his course, it seems, Luther had expressed a different sort of sentiment; "That to war against the Turk was downright fighting against God, who smote the people by him as by a scourge." This having excited, and not without reason, much animadversion, he in the year 1528 published an explanation of what he had better, perhaps, have frankly retracted. Very justly, however, he says, "I disapproved it, that the court of Rome continually urged on our princes to war, not from real earnestness in it, but as a pretext for extorting money from Germany, while in the mean time no reformation of life and manners was attempted; and especially that they called that war a Christian war, as if we fought against the Turks for being the enemies of Christ; whereas the true ground of resisting them must be, not that they are of a different religion, but

Seck. iii. 379, 380.

because they rob and plunder, and carry on most unjust warfare." 1 His views, therefore, were corrected long before the present time: and, the year after his Exhortation to Prayer, he published a Camp Sermon, for the assistance of the chaplains and the use of the troops who were then actually going against the Turks. Amongst very appropriate instruction for all classes, he offers some explanations of certain prophecies of Daniel, different from those which have subsequently been sanctioned by the best commentators. However, he ventures on these grounds to express a pretty confident opinion, with which the event has corresponded: "The Turk," he says, now makes a bustle in Hungary, and is ready to invade Germany, but it is the last act of the tragedy. He may possibly, indeed, get some footing in those provinces, but it is not to be thought that he can peaceably enjoy them, as he does Asia, Greece, and Egypt." 21

66

A. D.

1541.

Among his letters of this period an interesting Frederick one is preserved, addressed to Myconius, pastor Myconius. of Gotha, who was very ill and appeared drawing near his end. This good man had written Luther word that he was "sick, not unto death, but unto life;" meaning that he expected his sickness to remove him to life everlasting; a sentence which vastly pleased the reformer. In his answer he said, "I beg and implore of the Lord Jesus, who is our life, our health, and our salvation, that he would not permit such an addition to be made to what I suffer, as that I should see you or any of my comrades, break

1 Sleid. 292-294.

2 Ib. 294, 295. Compare Milner, v. 457, 458. (1053— 1055.) The three countries named, he understands to be meant by the "three horns," Dan. vii. 8.

VI.

Melancthon

through the veil and enter into rest, leaving me here behind in the midst of demons. I pray the Lord to make me sick instead of you, and to suffer me to lay down the tabernacle of an exhausted and useless body, which has done its work." And again, at the close of his letter; Farewel, my dear Frederick; may the Lord never permit me to hear of your taking your passage, while I remain behind; but may you be the survivor. So I ask, and such is my will, and let my will be done. Amen!-I say this because my will is directed to the glory of God, and not to my own pleasure.-Again farewel! we pray for you from our inmost souls, and are greatly afflicted at your illness."-Myconius recovered, and survived Luther, which he attributed to Luther's prayers. He said the effect of Luther's letter was such, that in reading it he seemed to hear the voice of Christ saying, Lazarus, come forth!"1

A few additional particulars may be noted from his letters. Concerning Melanction, who, having this year received an addition of a hundred florins to his stipend, proposed to continue the Greek lecture at Wittemberg without remuneration, Luther wrote to the elector, wishing him to appoint some younger person to perform that service. "Melancthon," he said, "had been like a servant of all work to the university for twenty years past, and he well deserved the additional emolument which the elector had awarded him. The whole Christian world, moreover, was indebted to him; and the adherents of Rome, he was happy to say, feared none among the learned so much as Melancthon and those who had been trained by him."

1 Melch. Ad. in F. Mycon. 88. Seck. iii. 380.