CHAP. VIII. proceeds to themselves. This occasioned discord between them and the people. The counts moreover, who were partly catholic and partly protestant, had differences between themselves: and both these sources of variance threatened serious consequences. Luther, who thought his countrymen oppressed, had been invited over by one of the counts the year before, to use his influence and afford his advice for the settlement of the disputes, and he had obeyed the call, though without succeeding in his object. Now, however, the invitation was renewed by common consent, and consequently with better prospects of success. Luther therefore determined, with the elector's consent, again to undertake the service, though the state of his health, and the winter season might well have excused him. Six days before he set out, he thus spoke of himself in a letter to the pastor of Bremen: "I am old, decrepit, sluggish, weary, spiritless, and blind of an eye: yet, at a time ere which I very reasonably hoped to have been removed to my rest by death, as if I had never managed, or written, or spoken, or done any thing before, I am quite overwhelmed with writing, and speaking, and doing, and managing all sorts of things." He left Wittemberg on the twenty-third of January, accompanied by his three sons. The weather was inclement, and he was detained three days at Halle, by the rising of the river, which he was obliged to cross in a boat, not without some danger. During his stay at Halle he preached for Justus Jonas, who was superintendent there, and who attended him the remainder of his journey. On his arrival on their borders, the counts of Mansfeld received him with an escort of more than a A. D. 1546. hundred horse-treating him as the elector of Saxony's ambassador. Maimbourg makes him to have been saluted at Eisleben with the firing of cannon: but Seckendorf observes that there is no mention of this circumstance in the despatches that are preserved, and that it is not probable that there were any cannon at Eisleben. He was extremely weak, and seemed near death when he reached count Albert's on the twenty-eighth of January; but medicine, friction, warmth, and other means of resuscitation revived him. He lost no time in entering His emupon the business which had brought him ployments. thither, and laboured indefatigably in the despatch of it, for three weeks together; being assisted by Wolfgang prince of Anhalt, count Swartzburg, and others: but his success was not such as he could have wished. The ecclesiastical patronage, however, was settled; John Spangenberg appointed superintendent, instead of Simon Wolferinus, who dissented from the Lutherans on the subject of the cucharist. An ecclesiastical constitution for the county of Mansfeld, drawn up by Guttelius, was also considered and approved. Luther moreover preached here repeatedly, and the substance of his sermons was afterwards published. In the mean while his health was declining. Some time before, he had had a seton or issue opened in his leg, which had been the means of so much relieving his head, that he had been able to walk to church and to the lecture room, and to mount the pulpit, whereas previously he was obliged to be conveyed in a carriage, and often could only preach to his family at home:-for his zeal seems never to have suffered him to be entirely silent. But, on leaving Wittemberg for Eisleben, he had failed to take СНАР. VIII. His devotions. with him the applications used for keeping up the discharge, and, amid the pressure of his present engagements, this relief was neglected; which proved of bad consequence.1 Thus matters proceeded till the seventeenth of February, Luther at all proper times applying himself to business, eating and sleeping well, and being very cheerful in his conversation. On that day, his friends, perceiving more repose to be desirable for him, persuaded him to keep quiet in his study; which he did, frequently walking up and down, in an undress, but conversing with animation. "From time to time," says Justus Jonas, "he would stop, and looking out at the window, in that attitude (as his custom was,) address fervent prayers to God, so that I and Cœlius, who were in the room with him, could not but perceive it: and then he would say, 'I was born and baptized here at Eisleben; what if I should remain or even die here?"" Another of his friends, Razeberg, the elector's physician, has preserved one of the prayers, as it would seem, which he thus offered while walking up and down in his study. It is in the following terms-principally referring to the religious interests of his native country: "O Lord God, heavenly Father, I call upon thee in the name of thy most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, imploring that, according to thy promise, and for the glory of thy name, 1 This was the opinion of his physician, Razeberg, Seck. iii. 65; and Luther appears to have been sensible of its truth; for, writing to Melancthon only four days before his death, though he speaks of hastening to return home in com-pliance with the elector's request, "rather satiated than satisfied" with the result of his journey, he says: "Tamen cura, ut mihi accurrat nuntius, qui afferat modicum corosivæ, qua crus meum aperiri solet. Nam pene totum sanatum est vulnus, quod quam periculosum sit nosti." In Strobel. p. 29. thou wouldest graciously hear the prayers which I offer up unto thee, beseeching thee that, as thou hast of thy mercy and boundless goodness, discovered to me the great apostacy and blindness of the pope before the day of thy last advent, which is at hand, and is to succeed that diffusion of the light of the gospel which now dawns upon the world; so thou wouldest graciously preserve the church of my beloved country in the acknowledgment of the truth, and the unwavering confession of thy uncorrupted word, without failing, even to the end; that the whole world may know that thou hast sent me for this very purpose. Even so, O most blessed Lord God! Amen and amen!" Though, however, Luther passed the day in his study, he did not choose to sup there, but in the large dining room; observing, that " to be solitary did not help the spirits." During supper, he quoted and made observations on many interesting passages of scripture. The conversation also happening to turn on the question, whether the righteous would recognise those who had been their friends on earth, in a future state of blessedness, he gave his opinion decidedly in the affirmative. In the course of more ordinary conversation, he remarked, "If I can but establish peace among the counts, the rulers of my country, I will then go home, lay myself down in my coffin, and give my body for food to the worms." A. D. 1546. Before supper he had complained of a pain in His Death. the chest, to which he was subject. It was, however, relieved by warm applications. After supper it returned; but he would not have medical aid called in, but about nine o'clock lay down on a couch and fell asleep. He awoke as the clock struck ten, and desired that those about CHAP. him would retire to rest. When led into his chamber he said, "I go to rest with God ;" and repeated the words of the Psalm, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit, &c:" and, stretching out his hand to bid all good night, he added, "Pray for the cause of God." He then went to bed: but about one o'clock he awoke Jonas and another who slept in the room with him, desired that a fire might be made in his study, and exclaimed, “Oh God! how ill I am!I suffer dreadful oppression in my chest: I shall certainly die at Eisleben!"-He then removed into his study without requiring assistance, and again repeating, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit!" He walked backwards and forwards, and desired to have warm cloths brought him. In the mean time his physicians were sent for, as also count Albert, who presently came with his countess. All Luther's friends and his sons were now collected about him: medicines were given him, and he seemed somewhat relieved; and having lain down on a couch he fell into a perspiration. This gave encouragement to some present: but he said, "It is a cold sweat, the forerunner of death: I shall yield up my spirit." He then began to pray, nearly in these words: "O eternal and merciful God, my heavenly Father, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and God of all consolation! I thank thee that thou hast revealed to me thy Son Jesus Christ; in whom I have believed, whom I have preached, whom I have confessed, whom I love and worship as my dear Saviour and Redeemer, whom the pope and the multitude of the ungodly do persecute, revile, and blaspheme. I beseech thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, receive my soul! O heavenly Father, though I be snatched out of this life, |