Chriemhild laughs at Master Reichenbach, because he has entered his name
on the list of university students, in order to attend Dr. Luther's
lectures.
"With his grave old face, and his grey hair," she says, "to sit among
those noisy student boys!"
But I can see nothing laughable in it. I think it is a sign of something
noble, for a man in the prime of life to be content to learn as a little
child. And besides, whatever Chriemhild may say, if Herr Reichenbach is
a little bald, and has a few grey hairs, it is not on account of age.
Grown men, who think and feel, in these stormy times, cannot be expected
to have smooth faces and full curly locks, like Ulrich von Gersdorf.
I am sure if I were a man twice as old as he is, there is nothing I
should like better than to attend Dr. Luther's lectures. I have heard
him preach once in the City Church, and it was quite different from any
other sermon I ever heard. He spoke of God and Christ, and heaven and
hell, with as much conviction and simplicity as if he had been pleading
some cause of human wrong, or relating some great events which happened
on earth yesterday, instead of reciting it like a piece of Latin
grammar, as so many of the monks do.
I began almost to feel as if I might at last find a religion that would
do for me. Even Christopher was attentive. He said Dr. Luther called
everything by such plain names, one could not help understanding.
We have seen him once at our house. He was so respectful to our
grandmother, and so patient with my father, and he spoke so kindly of
Fritz.
Fritz has written to us, and has recommended us to take Dr. Martin
Luther for our family confessor. He says he can never repay the good Dr.
Luther has done to him. And certainly he writes more brightly and
hopefully than he ever has since he left us, although he has, alas!
finally taken those dreadful, irrevocable vows.
_March_, 1513.
Dr. Luther has consented to be our confessor; and thank God I do believe
at last I have found the religion which may make me, even me, love God.
Dr. Luther says I have entirely misunderstood God and the Lord Jesus
Christ. He seemed to understand all I have been longing for and
perplexing myself about all my life, with a glance. When I began to
falter out my confessions and difficulties to him, he seemed to see them
all spread before him, and explained them all to me. He says I have been
thinking of God as a severe judge, an exactor, a harsh creditor, when he
is a rich Giver, a forgiving Saviour, yea, the very fountain of
inexpressible love.
"God's love," he said, "gives in such a way that it flows from a
Father's heart, the well-spring of all good. The heart of the giver
makes the gift dear and precious; as among ourselves we say of even a
trifling gift, 'It comes from a hand we love,' and look not so much at
the gift as at the heart."
"If we will only consider him in his works, we shall learn that God is
nothing else but pure, unutterable love, greater and more than any one
can think. The shameful thing is, that the world does not regard this,
nor thank him for it, although every day it sees before it such
countless benefits from him; and it deserves for its ingratitude that
the sun should not shine another moment longer, nor the grass grow; yet
He ceases not, without a moment's interval, to love us, and to do us
good. Language must fail me to speak of his spiritual gifts. Here he
pours forth for us, not sun and moon, nor heaven and earth, but his own
heart, his beloved Son, so that He suffered His blood to be shed, and
the most shameful death to be inflicted on Him, for us wretched, wicked,
thankless creatures. How, then, can we say anything but that God is an
abyss of endless, unfathomable love?"
"The whole Bible," he says, "is full of this,--that we should not doubt,
but be absolutely certain, that God is merciful, gracious, patient,
faithful, and true; who not only will keep his promises, but already has
kept and done abundantly beyond what he promised, since he has given his
own Son for our sins on the cross, that all who believe on Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life."
"Whoever believes and embraces this," he added, "that God has given his
only Son to die for us poor sinners, to him it is no longer any doubt,
but the most certain truth, that God reconciles us to himself, and is
favourable and heartily gracious to us."
"Since the gospel shows us Christ the Son of God, who, according to the
will of the Father, has offered himself up for us, and has satisfied for
sin, the heart can no more doubt God's goodness and grace,--is no more
affrighted, nor flies from God, but sets all its hope in his goodness
and mercy."
"The apostles are always exhorting us," he says, "to continue in the
love of God,--that is, that each one should entirely conclude in his
heart that he is loved by God; and they set before our eyes a certain
proof of it, in that God has not spared his Son, but given him for the
world, that through His death the world might again have life.
"It is God's honour and glory to give liberally. His nature is all pure
love; so that if any one would describe or picture God, he must describe
One who is pure love, the divine nature being nothing else than a
furnace and glow of such love that it fills heaven and earth.
"Love is an image of God, and not a dead image, nor one painted on
paper, but the living essence of the divine nature, which burns full of
all goodness.
"He is not harsh, as we are to those who have injured us. We withdraw
our hand and close our purse, but he is kind to the unthankful and the
evil.
"He sees thee in thy poverty and wretchedness, and knows thou hast
nothing to pay. Therefore he freely forgives, and gives thee all."
"It is not to be borne," he said, "that Christian people should say, We
cannot know whether God is favourable to us or not. On the contrary, we
should learn to say, I know that I believe in Christ, and therefore that
God is my gracious Father."
"What is the reason that God gives?" he said, one day. "What moves him
to it? Nothing but unutterable love, because he delights to give and to
bless. What does he give? Not empires merely, not a world full of silver
and gold, not heaven and earth only, but his Son, who is as great as
himself,--that is, eternal and incomprehensible; a gift as infinite as
the Giver, the very spring and fountain of all grace; yea, the
possession and property of all the riches and treasures of God."
Dr. Luther said also, that the best name by which we can think of God is
Father. "It is a loving, sweet, deep, heart-touching name; for the name
of father is in its nature full of inborn sweetness and comfort.
Therefore, also, we must confess ourselves children of God; for by this
name we deeply touch our God, since there is not a sweeter sound to the
father, than the voice of the child."
All this is wonderful to me. I scarcely dare to open my hand, and take
this belief home to my heart.
Is it then, indeed, thus we must think of God? Is he, indeed, as Dr.
Luther says, ready to listen to our feeblest cry, ready to forgive us,
and to help us?
And if he is indeed like this, and cares what we think of him, how I
must have grieved him all these years!
Not a moment longer! I will not distrust Thee a moment longer. See,
heavenly Father, I have come back!
Can it, indeed, be possible that God is pleased when we trust
him,--pleased when we pray, simply because he loves us?
Can it indeed be true, as Dr. Luther says, that love is our greatest
virtue; and that we please God best by being kind to each other, just
because that is what is most like him?