To Hieronymus Baumgärtner's spouse.
First letter dated July 8, 1544.
Grace and peace in our dear Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Honorable, virtuous, dear wife. How sorry I am for your sadness and misfortune, God knows it, who sees and hears my sighing, yes, everyone is sorry from the bottom of his heart for the dear, fine man, that he should be so wicked in the
Enemies hands be. May God hear our prayer and that of all devout hearts. For it is certain that all devout hearts pray fervently for him, and surely such prayer is heard and pleasing in the sight of God.
However, we must take comfort in the divine promise that he will not abandon his own nor
1928 2-56,106; 64,312. IV. Two consolations in affliction because of imprisonment etc. W. X, 2218-2221. 1929
We know that your host is a righteous man in the faith of Christ, who is well known and adorned with many beautiful fruits. Therefore, it is impossible that the dear God should have cast him away; but, as He called him to Himself by His holy word and accepted him into His bosom of grace, He still keeps him in that same bosom and will keep him daily. It is still the same God who has kept him before this accident for His dear Christians and children of life; the same God He will remain towards him, whether He changes His mind for a little while to try our faith and patience a little. He said, John 16:20: "You will weep and wail, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy, which no one shall take away from you"; he will keep this for us and will not fail. Neither is our suffering yet so high and bitter as His dear Son's suffering was, by which we are to comfort and strengthen ourselves in our suffering, as Peter teaches us, 1 Pet. 3:18: "Christ suffered once for us, the righteous for the unrighteous." If the devil and his followers rejoice in our accident, they will have to weep horribly enough and turn the short joy into a long mourning. But we have the glorious, great advantage that God is gracious to us.
and favorable is with all angels and creatures.
Therefore no misfortune of this body can harm our soul, but must rather be of use to us; as St. Paul says, Rom. 8:28: "We know that all things are for the good of those who love God" etc. After the body it hurts, and it should and must hurt; otherwise we would not be true Christians who suffer with Christ and do not have compassion for those who suffer.
Therefore, my dear wife, suffer and have patience; for you do not suffer alone, but have many, many more faithful, pious hearts, who have great compassion on you, who have always kept to the saying, Matth. 25, 43: "I have been imprisoned, and you have come to me. Yes, of course, with great crowds we visit the dear tree-gardener in his prison, that is, the Lord Christ Himself, imprisoned in His faithful member, we ask and call that He would help him out and please you with all of us. The same Lord Jesus, who calls us to comfort one another, and comforts us also by his blessed Word, comfort and strengthen your hearts by his Spirit in steadfast patience until the blessed end of this and all accidents. To Him be praise and glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever, Amen. Tuesday after the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, Anno 1544.
Second letter of July 9, 1544.
God's grace and comfort through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, beforehand. Honorable, virtuous woman! I and many others in this country and cities have a faithful compassion that your dearest Lord, who, adorned with all virtues, has been led away on the road; we also do not want to refrain from diligently praying to God that God may preserve your Lord and bring him back to you and your dear children joyfully; if we could do something more, we would do the same. We also ask God not to let you sink into this great sorrow, but to help you through
His Holy Spirit comforts and strengthens, as He has promised many times that He is such a God who wants to dwell with the afflicted, as I myself have experienced in many not insignificant afflictions.
And want to comfort you primarily with these three articles:
First of all, it is quite certain, as our Savior Christ said, that all our hairs are numbered by God, that is, that God looks after us and preserves us, even though we are in danger. Therefore, as he kept Daniel among the lions, so will he comfort and keep your Lord among those who lead him away.
1930 L. 64.313.; 53.172. III. Main st. - 6. from the Father-Our esp. 7. petition. W. X, 2221-2223. 1931
Secondly, that this is certainly true, that the Divine Majesty has promised and committed Himself to be and dwell with the afflicted and the afflicted, but who call upon Him, as it is written in the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 57, 15: "I will dwell with them that are of a contrite and a humble spirit, that I may quicken the spirit of the afflicted, and the heart of the brokenhearted. Therefore, you should not doubt that the eternal God is with your Lord and with you and will strengthen you both and save you again from this great affliction.
Thirdly, it is certain that the eternal
God wants us to recognize Him with invocation, and that He thus wants to show His presence with gifts that we ask, as He spoke, Ps. 50:15: "Call upon Me in trouble, and I will save you, that you may praise Me."
Therefore, you should not doubt that God will hear your prayer and the prayer of many Christians who pray for your Lord, so that he may again come to you joyfully, may the eternal God, the Father of our Savior JEu Christ, work mercifully for his praise. Father of our Savior JEsu Christ, graciously work in his praise, and comfort and prove your Lord and you always, Amen. Date Wittenberg, July 9, Anno 1544.