To Katherine, Luther’s wife letter 14 - Martin Luther

TO LUTHER’ S WIFE, KATHERINE

Luther’s last letter to his wife is preserved in the room in which he died in Eisleben. He preached for the last time on Matthew 11:25, exhorting the people to cleave to the Lord and Master, who calls the weak and weary to Himself; “I could say much more, but am weak, so will leave it alone,” he concluded. Luther died on February 18.

February 14, 1546.

To my dear, kind wife, Katherine Luther, at Wittenberg. Grace and peace in the Lord! Dear Kathie — We hope to return home this week, if God will. God has richly manifested His grace towards us here,

for the lords, through their Council, have arranged everything, except two or three things, one of which is that the two brothers, Counts Gebhardt and Albrecht, should again become brothers, which I shall

try to accomplish today, through inviting them to be my guests — so that they may converse with one another, for till now they have been dumb, embittering each other with letters.

In other respects the young gentlemen have been very happy, riding out together on sledges with the tingling of fools’ bells, the young ladies accompanying them, all joking and in high spirits, Count Gebhardt’s son being among the number. From this one may see that God is the hearer of prayer.

I send you some trout, which the Countess Albrecht has sent me. She is delighted with the reconciliation. Thy sons are still at Mansfeld. Jacob Luther will see well to them. We are provided with meat and drink like lords, and have every attention paid us —indeed too much, so that we might forget you at Wittenberg. I am very well. But Dr. Jonas’s leg has been very bad, holes appearing in the skin, but God will help. You may show this to Magister Philip, Dr. Pommer, and Dr. Cruciger! It is reported here that Dr. Martin has been snatched away by the devil. The report comes from Leipsic and Magdeburg. It is the invention of these wiseacres, your countrymen. Some declare that the Emperor is thirty miles from here, at Soest in Westphalia; others that the French are enlisting recruits, and the Landgrave also. But let us say and sing, that we shall wait and see what God will do. I commend you

to God. MARTIN LUTHER . (De Wette.)