Page:The letters of Martin Luther.djvu/225

 ===CLXXV=== TO MARGARETTA N.

Consolation on the death of her husband.

December 5, 1528.

Grace and peace in Christ Jesus! Honored 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 Lord Jesus at length gained the victory, and that your husband at last passed away full of trust and confidence in the Lord, which I was delighted to hear.

For even thus did Christ Himself struggle in the garden and rise again from the dead.

It is even possible that your husband inflicted an injury upon himself, for the devil has power over the members of the body, and may have forcibly guided his hand against his will. For if he had done it willingly, it is unlikely he would have come again to 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 Christ says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted!”

All the saints must sing Psalm 44.: “For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” There must be suffering and misfortune if we are to partake of the consolation.

Therefore thank God for His great mercy in not suffering your husband to linger in conflict and despair, as is the case with so many, but he was by God’s grace delivered and at length restored to the Christian faith, and numbered among those of whom it is said: “Blessed are they who die in the Lord.” And “He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”