point to work upon the mind, yet it is the most present remedy, if they can through grace persuade themselves that these grievous thoughts are not their own, but Satan's; and that, therefore, they should earnestly endeavour to turn the heart to other objects, and quit these evil suggestions: for to dwell upon them, or fight with them, or to aim to overcome them, or to wait for an end of them, is only to irritate and strengthen them over to perdition, without relief."

It is well known that Luther earnestly defended Christ's corporeal presence in the sacrament; but it is said that he was of a contrary sentiment a little before his death, and owned it. For as he was preparing to make his last journey to Isleben, he confessed to Melancthon, on the twenty-third of January, 1546, "that he had gone too far in the sacramentarian controversy." Melancthon persuaded him to explain himself by some public writing; but to this he objected, "that by so doing he should make all his doctrine doubtful; but that he (Melancthon) might do as he thought fit, after his decease." This speech was made before several witnesses.

Luther frequently said, "That a preacher should take care not to bring three little sly dogs into his profession, viz. PRIDE, COVETOUSNESS, and ENVY." To which he added, to preachers, "When you observe the people hear most attentively, be assured they will return the more readily. Three things make a divine: meditation, prayer, and temptation. And three things are to be remembered by a minister; turn over and over the Bible, pray devoutly, and be never above learning. They are the best preachers for the common people, who speak in the meanest, lowest, humblest, and most simple style."

In private life, Luther was an example of the strictest virtue. At dinner or supper, he would often dictate matter of preaching to others, or correct the press; and sometimes amuse himself with music, in which he took great delight. Though a large man, he was a very moderate eater and drinker, and not at all delicate in his appetite, for he usually fed upon the simplest diet. He much delighted in his garden, and was very fond of cultivating it with all kinds of plants. In short, he was never idle.

Though he had not much himself, he very freely bestowed of what he had upon others. A poor student, asking money of him, he desired his wife to give some, who excusing herself on account of their poverty, he took up a silver cup and gave it to the scholar, bidding him sell it to the goldsmith, and keep the money for his occasions. When a friend sent him two hundred pieces of gold, he bestowed them all on poor scholars. And when the elector gave him a new gown, he wrote, in answer, "That too much was done; for if we receive all in this life, we shall have nothing to hope for in the next." He took nothing of printers for his works, to his own use, saying,

“'Tis true, I have no money, but am indeed poor; yet I deal in this moderate manner with printers, and take nothing from them for my variety of labours, except sometimes a copy or two. This, I believe, may be due to me, when other authors, even translators, for every sheet have their stipulated price." When he had some money sent him, he wrote thus to a friend: "I have received by Taubenheim a hundred pieces of gold; and at the same time Schart has sent me fifty; so that I begin to fear, lest God should give me my portion here. But I solemnly protest, that I would not be so satisfied from HIM. I will either presently return, or get rid of them. For what is so much money to me? I have given half of it to Prior, and made him very happy."

He had great tenderness for his family. When he saw Magdalen, his eldest daughter, at the point of death, he read to her this passage from the 26th of Isaiah, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise: Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself, as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. My daughter, do thou enter (says he) into thy chamber with peace: I shall soon be with thee; for God will not permit me to see the judgments that hang over Germany." And upon this he poured forth a flood of tears. Yet, afterwards, when he attended the funeral, he contained himself, so as not to appear to weep.

What he said of the covetousness of the Germans, and of the prevailing scarcity in his time, may be applied to some other professing people besides them. "We are in dread of famine; and famine we shall feel without remedy. And as we, without necessity, and like impious and faithless heathens, have been distracted with carefulness, solicitous lest we should be destroyed by famine, and utterly neglecting the word and work of God: so he will permit the evil day shortly to come, which will bring with it a most heavy load of sorrows, beyond our power either to sustain or remove."

Being once asked, "Whether we should know each other in heaven?" He answered, "How was it with Adam? He had never seen Eve; for when God formed her, he was in a deep sleep: yet when he awaked and saw her, he did not ask who she was, or from whence she came; but immediately said, that she was flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. How, then, did he know this? Being filled with the Holy Spirit, and endued with the true knowledge of God, he was able to determine upon the nature of things. In like manner, we shall be perfectly renewed hereafter, through Christ; and shall know, with far greater perfection than can be conceived of here, our dearest

relations, and indeed whatever exists; and in a mode, too, much superior to that of Adam in paradise."

He was of a proper stature and of a robust body, with such a piercing vivacity in his eyes, that but few could look upon him directly, when he attentively looked upon them. He had but a soft voice, and that not very clear; so that when mention was made one day at table of Paul's voice, that it was rather weak, he observed of his own, that it could not deliver his words but with a low pronunciation: "Yes, (said Melancthon,) but that feeble voice of thine is powerfully received, both far and near."

Sturmius says, that he saw a letter written by Luther to Wolfgang Capito, in which he affirmed, that scarce any of his writings pleased himself, except his Catechism, and his book De servo arbitrio, or "Free-will a Slave." Of this last work, the late Mr. Toplady had begun a translation, and had carried it on a considerable way; but being prevented from finishing it by his death, (it having been long delayed, through other avocations), we are deprived of this valuable companion to Zanchius in an English dress.

We will conclude this account of Luther, with the high encomium paid to his memory by Wolfgang Severus, preceptor to the emperor Ferdinand.

"Japeti de gente prior majorque Luthero

Nemo fuit; sed nec credo futurus erit."

TO ALL

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES,

Which groan for Salvation, and wrestle under the Cross for the Kingdom of Christ; Grace, Peace, and Victory in the Lord Jesus our Saviour.

IN few words to declare what is to be said for the commendation of this work, although in few words all cannot be expressed that may be said, yet briefly to signify that may suffice, this much we thought good to certify thee, godly reader, that amongst many other godly English books, in these our days printed and translated, thou shalt find but few, wherein either thy time shall seem better bestowed, or thy labour better recompensed to the profit of thy soul, or wherein thou mayest see the spirit and vein of St. Paul more lively represented to thee, than in the diligent reading of this present Commentary upon the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. In which, as in a mirror or glass, or rather as St. Stephen in the heavens being opened, thou mayest see and behold the admirable glory of the Lord, and all the riches of heaven; thy salvation freely and only by faith in Christ; his love and grace toward thee so opened, thy victory and conquest in him so proved, the wrath of God so pacified, his law satisfied, the full kingdom of life set open; death, hell, and hell-gates, be they never so strong, with all the power of sin, flesh, and the world, vanquished; thy conscience discharged, all fears and terrors removed, thy spiritual man so refreshed and set at liberty, that either thy heart must be heavier than lead, or the reading hereof will lift thee up above thyself, and give thee to know that of Christ Jesu, that thyself shalt say thou never knewest before, though before thou knewest him right well.

Such spiritual comfort, such heavenly doctrine, such experience and practice of conscience herein is contained, such triumphing over Satan and all his power infernal, such contempt of the law compared with the gospel, such a holy pride and exaltation of the believing man, (whom here he maketh a person divine, the Son of God, the heir of the whole earth, conqueror of the world, of sin, of death, and the devil,) with such phrases and speeches of high contemplation, of Christ, of

grace, of justification, and of faith, (which faith, saith he, transfigureth a man into Christ, and coupleth him more near unto Christ than the husband is coupled to his wife, and maketh a man more than a man,) with such other voices, full of spiritual glory and majesty, as the like hath not been used lightly of any writer since the apostle's time; neither durst he ever have used the same himself, had not great experience and exercise of conscience, by inward conflicts and profound agonies, framed him thereunto, and ministered to him both this knowledge of spirit and boldness of speech.

And this commonly is the working and proceeding of God's vocation, ever to work things by the contrary: of infidelity, to make faith; of poverty, to make riches; in misery, to shew mercy; to turn sorrow to solace, mourning to mirth; from afflictions, to advance to glory; from hell, to bring to heaven; from death, to life; from darkness, to light; from thraldom, to liberty; in wilderness, to give waters; the barren, to make fruitful; of things that be not, to make things to be; briefly, to make all things of nought. Thus began God first to work, thus he proceeded, thus he continueth, and so will, unto the world's end. The first seed of promise, next to Eve, was given to Sarah: yet in what case was Eve, before she had the promise? And in what barrenness and despair was Sarah, before she enjoyed her well-beloved Isaac? The like is to be said of the two mothers of two most excellent children, Samuel and John Baptist; and yet what griefs and sorrows passed over their hearts, being both past all hope in nature, before the goodness of God did work? How long did Jacob the patriarch serve in miserable thraldom for his Rachael? In what excellent glory was Joseph exalted? Yet what suffered he before of his brethren, and how long imprisonment? In what and how long servitude were the sons of Israel, before Moses was sent unto them? and, afterwards, in what distress were they compassed on every side, when the sea was forced to give them place? after that, again, what an excellent land was promised and given unto them, flowing with milk and honey? but how were they scourged before in the desart, and yet had not they the land, but their children? To overpass many things here by the way, what an excellent work was it of God to set up David in his kingdom? also what excellent promises were given to his throne? yet how hardly escaped he with life? how did the Lord mortify and frame him to his hand, before he placed him in quiet? Infinite it were to recite all. Briefly, in all the works of God, this is usual to be seen: that he worketh evermore most excellent things by instruments most humble, and which seem farthest off. Which of all the apostles did ever think, when Christ was so humbled and crucified upon the tree, that they should ever see him again, although he fore