Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-07-20
The Reformer in Darkness.

On the seventeenth Of April, 1921, the
Marshal of the empire, Uric Pappenhem,
cited Luther to appear in the afternoon in
the presence of Charles V. and the Diet at
Worms lie was in deep exercise of mind.
Gods face seemed to be yelled. His faith
forsook him. His enemies seemed to null
tiply before him, and his Imagination was
overcome by the aspect of his dangers. In
that hour of bitter trials, he threw himself
with his face upon the earth and thus utter
ed his broken cries -
40 God, Almighty God everlasting =
How dreadful is the world Behold how
its mouth opens to swallow me up, and how
small is my faith in thee o, the weakness
of the flesh, and the power Of Satan! If
am to depend upon any strength of this
world, all is over The knell is struck
sentence is gone forth. o thou my God !!
help me against all the wisdom of this
world. Do this, beseech thee! Thou'st
do it by thine own mighty power. The
work is not mine, but thine. have moth
ing to contend for with these great men of
the world l would gladly pass my days in
peace. The cause is thine--and it is right
eous and everlasting. o Lord help me -
y faithful and Interchangeable God | lean
not upon man. 1t were vain. Whatever is
of man is lettering whatever proceeds from
him must fail. My God cost thou not
hear! Art thou no longer living! Thou
canst not die. Thou dost but hide thyself
Thou hast chosen me for this work. know
1t Therefore, O God, accomplish thine
own will. Forsake me not for the sake of
thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, my defence,
my bucker, and my strong hold Lord,
where art thoul My God, where art thou!
Come, pray thee. | am ready. Behold
me prepared to lay down my life for the
truth-suffering like lamb The cause
is holy; ii is thine own will not let thee
gol No, nor yet for all eternity Though
the world should be thronged with devils,
and this body which is the work of thy hands
should be cast forth-trodden under foot
cut IN pieces-consumed to ashes-my soul
Is thine! have thine own word to assure
me of it. My soul belongs to thee, and
will abide with thee forever. Amen. O
God, send help. Amen"
God heard his prayer. When he quilted
the hotel, to attend the Diet, he was calm.
AS he approached the door of the hall where
the Diet assembled, George Frenndsburg,
one of the most fearless knights of that
age, patted the shoulder of his more mag
unanimous fellow champion, and shaking his
head kindly, said to Luther: "My poor
monk, thou hast march and struggle to
go through, which neither nor any other
captains have seen the like in our most
bloody battles. If thy cause is just, and
thon art sure of it, go forward in COTS
name, and fear nothing! lie wiH not TOR
sake thce." The gray haired old general
predicted right, for the answer to Luther's
prayer is found in the demand of the pope
and Charles ", that he should rctract. ii
cannot submit my faith" said the great re-
former, to the pope or to councils. They
have often fallen into error and glarinr in
consistency with themselves. If then am
not convinced by proof from holy scriptures
ii am not satisfied by the very texts that
have cited-and if my judgment is not
thus brought into subsection to Gods word,
l neither can nor will retract anything; for
IT cannot be right for Christian to speak
against his conscience" Then defying all
the power of the Dragon and the Beast COM
blned together in the Diet, he added Here
l stand, and can say no more-God help
me Amen.'-D'Aubinge's History of tho
Reformation.