Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-07
LUTHER AT HOME.


At the appointed hour Fitchner entered the
halls of the Augustinian monastery, in which
| Luther had his residence. In one of the pas.
sages he met Feit Dietrich on the eve Of 90.
| ing out.
| "Oh, here you are," he cried out, and ex
tending to him the hand of welcome. .. /
have mentioned your coming to the Doctor
and he is expecting you. He is just now in
his family room, and you can enter without
any hesitation"
| Fitchner's heart was agitated. He had not
yet seen the man whose name was mentioned
| throughout all Europe, and even in the coun.
| tries of Asia; by some with fear and tremb-
| ling and execrations, and by others with Joy
| full hope and fervent blessings He felt as il
| he was about to appear before a judge who
could spy into the recesses of his heart, and il
| required some courage to knock at the door
pointed out by the Secretary. He heard with
| in voice speaking in loud and tender
tone, and he thought that his knocking was
| not heard, when some one cried out, Come
in"
When Fitchner entered, he saw a man in a
black, broad lapelled dressing gown, and a
child riding on his knee, heartily laughing at
| the irregular leaps of the mimic horse
"Will you ride with US, sir ~ said Luther.
laughing, to the stranger, without waiting for
| salutation. My little Hans is riding
straight to Rome to give his fathers saluta-
| tion 10 the Pope. When he sees the innocent
child, | should think he should laugh from
his Utmost soul. None but a father and mo
| ther know the great blessing of God such a
| child is; vulgar people and obstinate heads
| are not worthy of it. Yes, Hans" be coutin-
ued, whilst he patted the chubby cheeks of
the child, you are our Lords little fool :;
you live under grace, and not under the law;
you have no fear; you are secure, and have
no anxiety about anything; whatever you do
| is right. ''Do you know" said he, turning
to Fichtner, the word of the Divine chill
dren's patron, +" Unless ye become like little
children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of
Heaven
eyes, reverend Doctor - replied the young
man, and he trembled with profound venera
tion and almost holy awe before the man who
had shaken the half of Christendom, and had
alarmed POpss and Emperors, and yet, who
was here the humble servant of his infant
child; eyes, / know the passage, and would
like to become like a child
g perceive you also so understand it, -
continued Luther; that such a simple child
should be preferred to a wise man. L only
comprehended this passage rightly since /
have observed the simplicity and innocence
of children in my Own flesh and blood The
faith and conduct of children are most perfect
of all, for they have nothing but the word Ia
that they adhere, giving God the glory only.
and trust simply in his promises. We old
fools, on the other hand, are agitated by con-
flicting passions; we dispute long about the
word which children receive with pure faith,
without disputatiOn, and simply believe
But, see, sir, interrupting himself, q little
Hans is now in Rome, and wishes to dis
mount +"
Whilst he was letting the child from his
knee gently to the floor, side door opened
and young woman, in plain dome site dress
entered. The child extended his arms, and
tripped with awkward step towards the mo-
ther.
Here is the ungrateful little fellow, Katy,n
said Luther, smiling, to his wife. For half
an hour L have been playing horse for him,
and now he trundles away without a word Of
thanks. 1t is certainly true that when ia
ther and mother have a contest about a child,
the father comes off second best 1t is my
opinion that it was for this reason that God
commanded the father Abraham to sacrifice
his only and well-beloyed son; Sarah, the
mother, would not have done it! -
And would you have done it, dear sir ?'
asked Catharine, whilst she tenderly caressed
the child.
"Ah, ah dear Katy" cried Luther,
" that is a very sharp thorn with which you
pierce my heart But still / think 1 would
have disputed with the Lord, if He had pro-
posed such thing to me-"
81 cannot comprehend" continued she,
4" how God could desire such a horrible thing
of us as to slay our own children
Luther looked on his wife with an earnest,
yet tender air, and said, Dear Katy, can
you then believe that God gave his emily be-
gotten Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ, to die for US, when lie had nothing
more dear in Heaven or earth to give9 ard
yet He permitted Him to suffer the ignomi-
nious death Of the cross? If we are to Judge
of these extraordinary acts of God by the
light Of human reason, then we must conclude
that God acted more paternally and kindly
towards Caiaphas, Plate, Herod and others,
from whom He demanded no such sacrifice,
than towards His only begotten Son -
"YOu are right, dear sir, )" replied the wife
But you have said yourself the mother
would not have done it; and it must have
been hard enough for the father"
eyes, yes, continued he, |" the Patriarch
heavy heart, and l dare say he did not utter
a word to Sarah about the sacrifice he was
commanded to make. But he still did it, or |
rather was sincerely willing to do it.
"What do you suppose could have consoled |
him in such terrible undertaking :" asked |
tho mother. "My heart trembles when l |
only think of il"
1T could have been nothing else than |
this" replied Luther; Abraham must have |
believed in a resurrection of the dead when
he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, for he
had the promise that the Saviour should de- |
scend from him, and this promise could, of
course not be fulfilled, if Isaac should not, in
some way or other be restored to life again,
The epistle to the Hebrews testifes the same
thing. But | will not oppose you, dear Katy,
and willing grant that our Heavenly Father
would have to assail me sharply before
would consent to sacrifice our little son with |
my own hand"
An interesting conversation on the relative |
duties Of husband and wife ensued between |
these two persons. Luther spoke tenderly OF
the blessings Of domestic felicity, and Of mar
ried life generally, and his wife responded in
q manner becoming the virtuous, Christian
woman
"But." said Luther, turning towards his
guest, u whilst as husband and father l have
been speaking in praise Of matrimony, /, as
a M an and Christian, have not been treating |