Luther sends him the promised preface to his "Annotationes über die fünf Bücher Mosis. 3) Desire to die, and lamentations.
From the Kraft Collection at Husum in Schütze, Vol. I, p. 265 and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 571.
To the respectable and worthy man, Mr. Wenceslaus Link, the right doctor of the
Theology, the exceedingly faithful servant of Christ in the Church at Nuremberg, his very theur [friend] in the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! My preface comes to you very slowly, my dear Wenceslaus; this happens because your thoughts are different from mine. You think that I am well, 4) not very busy, and, what is even more wrong, that I am skilled in writing worthy prefaces. I think far differently: that I am a corpse, and yet overwhelmed with writing letters and books, busy with the theological lectures, with accounting matters and also with many other things, so that I very rarely have time to read and pray privately, which is very burdensome for me. But behold! there you have the preface, whatever it may be. If you do not like it well, you can either change it where dll want, or throw it away. I wish that I may be granted a good hour to go to God. I am full, I
3) The same is found in the St. Louis edition, Vol. XIV, 148.
4) Instead of volentem we have assumed valentem.
Letters from the year 1543. No. 3023 to 3026.
I am tired, I am nothing anymore. But send thou to pray earnestly for me, that the Lord may take away my soul in peace. I am not leaving behind me a sad figure of our churches, but one that is flourishing, with pure and holy doctrine, which is increasing day by day through very good and exceedingly loud shepherds. The Swiss and the Zurichers want to be people who have condemned themselves in their hopefulness and nonsense, as Paul says [Titus 3:11]. May the Lord enlighten and convert their hearts, amen.
No. 3024.
To Simon Wolferinus, pastor in Eisleben.
See St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 1604.
No. 3025.