The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-12
All Denominations Unite in Honoring
the Great Reformers Memory.
DiscOurses by Revs. Reed, Baltzly, Hyde,
McCullOch, Marine, Bradley and Carrier
at Various Churches.
MARTIN LUTHER, THE MAN.
Rev Myron W. Reeds Sermon at the First
Presbyterian Church Last NIGHT.


The advice of George Eliot lie, "Never cross
the threshold of rerormer." 1t good gen
eral rule. Quite commonly the man who is busy
in public in saving the world goes home and
puts his slippers aud rests himself by max
ing it dismal for the children. It is possibe1to
have compassion the multitude and have no
care for the individual We admire the great
refOrmers and heroes of the world, but many Of
them we do not love. AS a rule they are NOT khe
people we would drop In upon of a quiet even
lug. There was no better man in the Senate
than Charles Sumner, but there WAS better COM
pany. John Knox was gloomy man, and John
Calvin was not amiable They hardened to their
hard work. John Brown seemed to have no
| cross the threshold of Martin Luther
He is admirable at home as nywhere. He
was as gentle to children as he was rough to the
Pope. He greater than his work. and the
boy survived in him. When New York million
aire failed In business his friends visited him to
comfort him, expecting to find him pacing the
floor or with his face turned TO the wall. They
were a lutte surprised to find him wholly all
mans buff. His business had failed, but evil
IDENTITY he had not failed.
Martin Luther who laughed He
had read the Scripture "Be not righteous over
much," and taken 1T TO heart. He had tried the
plan of pleasing God by being palnful-tred it
faithfully by being mOnk-trled fasting, vigils,
hair shirts and all sorts of sef-torment, ana
he found God was not pleased, so he fell back on
his healthy, German, commOn-sense and the
Bible, ana ceased to manufacture pain for him.
self or Others.
Prof swing the other night spoke of the dig
niied clergyman. He SAID that let him be away
from home, say iii London, and he would follow
after brass baud. Lnther doubtless did this
at home. The singing boy of the street never
ceased o sing In his liable Talks he says:
emusic is one of the farest of Gods gifts To
man Satan hates music, because II driyea
away temptation and evil thoughts. The notes
make the words alive. 1t is the best refresh-
ment to troubled soul; the heart you listen
RECEIVERS its peace. 1t sOftens and makes us
temperate and reasonable. l would allow no
man to be- schoolmaster who cannot sing, uor
would let HIM preach either, l place music
next to Theology. can see why David and al
the saints put their divine thoughts into song"
He loved games. He said "Melanchlhun can
beat me at Greek and l can beat HIN at ski'-
ties" Some poet speaks of the English lark -
soaring high into the sky and then coming back
to earth aud making her nest In the deepest luf.
row. And Martin Luther seems to have kent
close to nature. He had good eye for bros
and flowers and signs Of spring. He says:
PRAISE he TO God, the Creator, tuHt now, in TINS
time OF lent, out of dead wood He makes all
alive again"
An American actor, Gying, sent out for min
lister, and when he came lie looked al him and
said TO him. "YOur religion does not seem To
agree with you" Lnther had mat WIFI
out which man is helpless To do eOod--
human nature-and he kept it whole. No man
who has been much in German bones has failed
to recngrze tne charm OF the life that
is found there children treated
comrades, climate Of good cheer III
all the house; and the home of Martin
Luther an illustration of tins wholesome
home life. There were in this home family live
children. two nleces aud two nepbews, and
number of students from the university. What
ever life brought to them afterwards, they had
a pleasant memory OF happy days in thar house
hold of the great theoiOgian and reformer.
This German organ had all the stops He wrote
a song to sing babies to sleep WITH and the song
was sung going into battle by the army of
Prussia. He wrote good letter TO his little
four year-old son Haus:
''Grace and peace in Christ, my dear little
boy. 1 am pleased TO see that thou learnes5
well and prayest we'll. | know of pretty gar
den where merry children that have gold
fr0cks and gather nice apples and plums and
cherries under the trees, and sing and dance and
ride on pretty horses " ith gold brides and silver
saddles. l asked the man of the place whose the
garden was, and who the children were. Ho
said these are the children who pray and learn
and are 90 Cd Then said have son who is
called Hans Luther; may he come to this garden
and eat pears and apples and ride little horse
and play with the Othersq The sald If
he says his prayers and learns and is good
he may come, and Lupus and just may come.
and they shall have pipes and drums, and iutes
and fddles, and they shall dance and shoot with
little cross-hows.' Then he showed me a smooth
lawn in the garden laid out for dancing, and
there the pipes and drums and eross-bows hung.
But it was still early and the children had not
dined; and could not wait for the dance, so said
will go straight home and write all this to my
little boy. But he has an aunt Lene that he must
bring with hun; and the man answered: 'SOis
shall be; go and write as you say Therefore.
dear little boy learn and pray with good hearr,
and tell Lupus ana just TO do the same, and
then you will all come to the garden together.
Almighty God guard you. Give my love to Aunt /
Lene, and give her a kiss for me.
"Your loving father, MARTIN LUTHER"
It is rare talent for one hand to be stern
enough to burn the POpe's bull and tender
enough to write such "a letter as that. You have
heard, child, descriptions of heaven, sup
pose, given by visitors to the Sunday-school.
How do they, you remember them, compare
with this of Luther'sl AS 1 remember them,
they made the place not nearly so attractive to
tts enla as atter Ia Sovnng nor
nearly four hundred years before the books
''Gates Affair."" and Beyond the Gates"
10 Inth t%"s that aSO God almighty ~Aa and
all-lovlng Father prepared a heaven that would
please MS NOV ap 6ne ard
employment, but more; heaven in which no
little child should ever be istlees and homesick.
1t has ever been so hard FOR reiormer to keep
himself sweet and tolerant, that Luther is
markabe. The Puritan in his dislike for the
Roman Church, swept out pictures. music, flow
ers. Whenever Cromwell's soldiers found an
abbey "A cathedral they delighted in the mutt
lation of all the most beaulfnl carvings on EARTH
Nothing was left perfect that was within reach
or battleaxe or spear. Luther proved all things,
and held fast that which was good. IL was said
preach without a cass0ck" WELL" said he,
what harm will a cassocR DO The mani Let him
have a eassoek TO preach in; let him have three
cassocks." His question was. what Is the spirit
of the man; what is he doingY The garment he
chooses to wear is nothing. 10 is not question
of robes and hats These may remain as they
are hut the thing we will have is liberty
of conscience. the right of private Judgment,
a free Bible and free exposition of IL. Obiec-
ton is made to Luther that he was coarse.
Well, that is Il question of time and place. CIV
iltzed people in Berlin to-day do things and saw
things that seem odd to the American visitor.
The age of Luther is not our age The writings
of Luther do not seem coarse TO one who has
read the literature of that time or OF much
later time. Shakespeare is coarse, and Mon
taign and Sir Thomas Browne. That il.
coarse 10 u.s. The literature OF the
time after Luther shows change
spirit and not for rhe worse:
undoubtedly for the better. Contrast Tas"o
with Ariosto. AS regards the welklown two
lines of Luther. say, EVIL be to HIM who
evil thinks" He married runaway nun, but
she loved him and he loved her. and that settles
it, twas happy marriage aud all is we'll tnaG
ends we'll
He drew up his own will, remembering in it
wife, children, friends and servants. Finally no
saws in il:
II desire all men 70 take these words mino.
I am known openly in heaven. on earth,
and in hell also. / may he believed
aud trusted better than any notary.