burg, those incomparable words, in which the mutual relation between the two men is so clearly reflected: "The all-merciful God approves himself still more merciful by making his word so powerful and effective in your highness's (Euer kurfürstlichen Gnaden) lands. For in your dominions, it is true, there are more excellent preachers and clergymen, and a greater number of them who teach purely and faithfully, and assist in keeping the blessed peace, than in any other country in the world. God our Lord, who has appointed your highness father and helper over this country, feedeth all through your office and service. Let your highness be comforted. Christ is come, and will confess you before his Father, as you have confessed him before this wicked race. I am grieved that Satan should afflict and trouble your heart; he is a sorry bitter spirit, and cannot bear that the heart of man should rejoice or be at peace, particularly in the Lord; how much less can he bear that your highness should be of good courage, since he well knoweth of how much importance your heart is to us all; and not only to us, but to all the world; nay, I might almost say to heaven itself. Therefore we are all bound to assist your highness with prayer, consolations, with love, and in whatever way we can. the young people will do this, who cry and call, with their innocent tongues, so affectingly to heaven, and faithfully recommend your highness to the allmerciful God."

O!

LUTHER ON A SICK-BED, IN 1537, IS VISITED AND COM

FORTED BY THE ELECTOR, JOHN FREDERICK.

"BECAUSE I sometimes wear a gay and jovial air, many conclude that my path is on roses; but God knows how far my heart is from any such feeling. Often have I resolved, for the world's sake, to assume a more austere and holier demeanor, (I do not explain myself well,) but God has not favored my resolve."

"In the afternoon of the same day," say Drs. John Bugenhagen and Jonas, "he fell down senseless, turned quite cold, and gave no sign of life. When recalled to himself by unceasing care, he began to pray with great fervor: Thou knowest, my God!' he said, 'how cheerfully I would have poured out my blood for thy word, but thou hast willed it otherwise. Thy will be done! No doubt I was unworthy

of it. Death would be my happiness; yet, O my God! if it be thy will, gladly would I still live to spread thy holy word, and comfort such of thy people as wax faint. Nevertheless, if my hour be come, thy will be done! In thy hands are life and death. O my Lord Jesus Christ, I thank thee for thy grace in suffering me to know thy holy name. Thou knowest that I believe in thee, in the Father, and in the Holy Ghost; thou art my divine Mediator and Saviour.

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Thou knowest, O my Lord, that Satan has laid numerous snares for me, to slay my body by tyrants and my soul by his fiery arrows, his infernal temptations. Up to this time, thou hast marvelously protected me against all his fury. Protect me still, O my steadfast Lord, if it be thy will.' He spoke of the sects that will arise to pervert God's word, and will not spare, he said, the flock which the Lord has redeemed with his blood. He wept as he spoke of these things. As yet,' he said, 'God has suffered me to join you in the struggle against these spirits of disorder, and I would gladly continue so to do; alone, you will be too weak against them all. However, the thought of Jesus Christ reassures me; for he is stronger than Satan and all his arms-he is the Lord of Satan.' Some short time after, when the vital heat had been a little revived by frictions and the application of hot pillows, he asked his wife, 'Where is my little heart, my well-beloved little John?' When the child was brought, he smiled at his father, who began saying, with tears in his eyes, 'Poor dear little one, I commend you to God, you and your good mother, my dear Catherine. You are penniless, but God will take care of you. He is the father of orphans and widows. Preserve them, O my God; inform them, even as thou hast preserved and informed me up to this day.' He then spoke to his wife about some silver goblets. 'Thou knowest,' he added,

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they are all we have left.' He fell into a deep sleep, which recruited his strength; and on the next day he was considerably better. He then said to Dr. Jonas, 'Never shall I forget yesterday. The Lord takes man into hell, and draws him out of it. The tempest which beat yesterday morning on my soul, was much more terrible than that which my body underwent toward evening. God kills, and brings to life He is the master of life and death.”

In our picture Melancthon sits in the foreground full of anxiety and deep sorrow; indeed, he frequently could not restrain his tears at sight of his suffering friend behind him, at the right hand of the sick man, stands Frederick Mykonius; George Spalatin bends, in anxious thought, over the pillow of the sufferer; the physician holds the medicine in his hand; Hans von Dolzig stands behind the elector.

LUTHER BITS FOR HIS PORTRAIT TO LUCAS KRANACH.

As we owe it almost wholly to the industrious and artistic hand of Lucas Kranach that Luther's portrait, with its bold, strongly marked features, has been

preserved to us, it is but a just proof of gratitude that our biographer-artist refers in this picture to the indefatigable activity of Kranach. Master Lucas is here seen sketching the portrait of his friend— which he afterward copied many times. Melancthon examines the features to judge of the resemblance; few had looked so often and so deeply into the innermost soul of the hero as he, nor observed him in such varied conditions of mind; he was therefore sent for expressly to give an opinion on the portrait of his friend. Another friend, Spalatin, seeks to amuse Luther during the sitting by reading to him.

Luther loved the arts, and Kranach and

Dürer were his personal friends and coworkers. On hearing of the death of the latter, he wrote: "It is painful, no doubt, to have lost him. Let us rejoice, however, that Christ has released him by so happy an end from this world of misery and of trouble, which soon, perhaps, will be desolated by greater troubles still. God has been unwilling to suffer him, who was born for happiness, to see such calamities. May he rest in peace with his fathers!" (April, 1528.)

Melancthon, raising the almost broken spirit of the sick man with the powerful words of life. Melancthon had suddenly fallen sick at Weimar, while on his way to the monastery at Hagenau. Presentiments of death had accompanied him thither; and a mental affliction, which undermined his strength, threatened the speedy dissolution of the almost exhausted powers of life; -his delicately strung mind was tormented by the bitterest pain that can assail a poor mortal; he was at war with himself, for his conscience could not find rest from the reproach that he had not resisted more heroically the desires and demands of the Landgrave of Hesse, and had thus, it might be said, sanctioned,

in part at least, a public slight offered to the evangelical Church.

At the call of the elector, Luther and Kreuziger came to him: the former saw with terror the corpselike form of his friend, the failing eyes, the fleeting sense. "God preserve me!" he cried; "how has the devil destroyed this organon!" and turning to the window, he poured out his anxious soul in the boldest and most glowing prayer. Words passed through his soul and crossed his lips which, coming from another mouth, might be condemned as blasphemy, but which in him arose from the very depth of a sublime confidence in God, and from an unconditional faith in the Scriptures. "This time I besought the Almighty with great vigor; I attacked him with his own weapons, quoting from Scripture all the promises I could remember, that prayers should be granted, and said that he must grant my prayer, if I was henceforth to put faith in his promises." He then took the hand of the sick man, saying, "Be of good courage, Philip, thou shalt not die; although the Lord might see cause to kill, yet wills he not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn to him and live! God hath called the greatest sinners unto mercy; how much less then will he cast off thee, my Philip, or destroy thee in sin and sadness! Therefore do not give way to grief-do not become thine own murderer; but trust in the Lord, who can kill and bring to life-who can strike and heal again." Melancthon would rather have passed away in sleep to eternal peace, than have returned to earthly strife; but the spiritually powerful words of Luther recalled him, "No, no, Philip; thou must serve the Lord our God still further!"

He recovered; "recalled from death unto life," he says himself, "by divine power;" and Luther rejoicingly said, "he would bring back the Magister Philip, with the help of God, from the grave to cheerfulness."

In the picture he is represented surrounded by his children and friends practicing the first evangelical church-melodies under the direction of the electoral chapelmaster, John Walther. To the left stands the cantor, to the right Mathesius.

"I have," relates Walther, "sung many a delightful hour with him; and have often observed how our beloved friend became more and more cheerful as we sang, and never grew weary nor had enough of it. He has himself composed the chants to the Epistles and Gospels, has sung them to me, and asked my opinion. He kept me three weeks at Wittemberg, until the first German mass had been chanted in the parish church. I attended it, and afterward took a copy of this first German mass with me to Torgau, that I might present it to the elector.

"At table, as well as afterward, the doctor sang sometimes; he also played the lute; I have sung with him; between the songs he introduced good words."

In the preface to his first collection of sacred songs and psalms he says that they had been set for four voices, because he wished " that the young people, who ought at all events to be instructed in music and other proper arts, might be rid of their improper love-songs, and learn something good and instructive instead; and to find pleasure in that which is good, as it beseemeth young people."

He was an enthusiast for music. "Music is one of the finest and most magnificent of God's gifts. Satan hates it. It dispels temptations and evil thoughts; the devil cannot hold out against it." Luther being entertained (December 17th, 1538) in the house of a musical family, who played to him to his great delight, he bursts out with, "If our Lord grants us such noble gifts in this life, which is but filth and misery, what will it be in the life everlasting? This is a foretaste." "Singing is the best exercise; it has no concern with the word.

Therefore do I rejoice that God has refused to the peasants (alluding, no doubt, to the peasants in revolt) so great a gift and comfort. They do not understand music, and listen not to the word." He one day said to a harp-player,

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My friend, play me such an air as David used to play. Were he to return to earth, I think he would be surprised to find such skillful players." "How happens