Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/409

 are many to whom Thou hast granted to shed their blood for Thy Gospel, but I am not worthy; Thy will be done. Thou knowest that Satan hath contrived various plots against me to destroy me body and soul by means of kings and princes, but hitherto Thou hast wonderfully kept me; keep me still, if it is Thy will."

Then he asked whether Dr. Augustine^ had come, and he did come soon after and applied hot bags and other fomenta- tions, encouraging him and comforting him that he might not be down-hearted. Meanwhile Bugenhagen, the Wittenberg pastor, arrived, to whom he had confessed that morning. Then he began to say to us, as he had said at the beginning to me and to our wives, "Pray for me, please." We, for our part, bade him pray himself to the Lord not to deprive us of a faith- ful minister of His holy Gospel. Then he added : "My dear pastor, I confessed to you to-day and you gave me an abso- lution; I am glad," Then, when his weakness increased some- what, he repeated these great words of faith: "My dearest God, Thou art always a God of sinners and miserable men; help me," Afterwards he said two or three times to his wife : "My dearest Katie, I beg you, if it is God's will, to submit to His will; you are my wife and you will surely be steadfast and guide yourself by God's Word," Then to Bugenhagen and me : "/ thought I should still write on baptism, but Thy will be done." All the while he did not stop praying, but began again : "O Lord Jesus, who hast said, ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you ; open now to him that knocketh.* O dearest God and Father, Thou hast given me many thousand precious gifts above what Thou hast given others; I would have liked still to be used for the honor of Thy name and the good of Thy people; but Thy will be done, that Thou mayest be glorified by life or death." Then he added, "0 what a time the fanatics will make after my death, f" Then he sobbed and shed copious tears, and afterwards added this : "My dear God and Father, if at times I have been loose in my language. Thou knowest

^Augtutine SchuHF, professor of medicine tt Wittenberg.

'It is interesting to note that this petition is a portion of one of the prtjers la the liturgy for baptism.

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