a psalm (the 130th) was given out, and sung in solemn harmony by the numerous assemblage. Early next morning the senate, clergy, and scholars attended the departure of the body. On Monday, 22d, the funeral reached Wittemberg, and was received at the gate by the senate, the members of the university, and a numerous body of citiFrom the gate the procession moved, in solemn order, to the church, the Prefect of Wittemberg, with the Counts of Mansfeld and their horsemen, leading the way. The body followed in a carriage, and Luther's wife and family, accompanied by his brother James from Mansfeld, were immediately behind. Next came the rector of the university and several sons of counts, princes, and barons, who were students at Wittemberg. Pontanus, Melancthon, Jonas, Pomeranus, Cruciger, and other elderly ecclesiastics, now appeared, and were succeeded by the professors, the senators, the students, and the citizens. An immense crowd of the lower orders followed in the rear. The body was deposited in the church on the right of the pulpit. After the singing of hymns, Pomeranus ascended the pulpit, and delivered an excellent discourse. When he had, concluded, Melanc thon pronounced a funeral oration, which, while it bore affecting marks of his personal sorrow, was intended to afford consolation to others, and to alleviate the grief of the church. These melancholy offices being performed, the body was committed to the grave by several members of the university. A stone was placed over the grave, with a plain inscription, expressive merely of the name and age. A picture of Luther and an epitaph were afterwards affixed

to the wall by order of the university.'

"We are now about to bring our account of this distinguished man to a close. We have followed him throughout a career, which, if not lengthened in point of time beyond the ordinary course of nature, was rendered for ever memorable by his indefatigable activity of mind. At whatever age we contemplate Luther, we find the traits of no coinmón disposition. While yet a boy, we have seen him devoting himself with ardour to study, and outstripping his youthful competitors in classic attainments. Advancing towards manbod, he loses indeed a valuable portion of time in acquiring a familiarity with the barbarous jargon of the schools; but his progress in this unprofitable depart inent is such as to afford a satisfactory indication of his success in a better cause. When arrived at the time of life for making choice of a profession, he exhibits striking marks of a decided character. Young as he was, he had determined to devote himself to the service of God, and no intreaty of friends, no temptation of emolument could shake his resolution. Having taken the conclusive step and become an inhabitant of a monastery, he avoids the idle and unjnstructive habits of his brethren, and, without the aid of any advising friend, devotes himself to theological research. In this be resolutely perseveres, notwithstanding the ridicule of those around him, whose knowledge of their duty was confined to the repetition, by rote, of a few prayers, and who had allowed a copy of the Bible to lie for years neglected in a cor

dispensations of Providence, which rendered Luther the instrument of so much public good, he was early placed in a situation to distribute to others the fruits of his study. Though called to officiate as a teacher of philosophy, and for some time, perhaps, inadequately qualified to fill the theological chair, the bent of inclination remained as before, and he embraced the first favourable opportunity of making his duty consist in that which had long been his delight. By this change he was placed in the situation best fitted to enable him to instruct others, and to, prosecute his researches into the true nature of Christianity. We find him accordingly holding for several years an assiduous, but tranquil course. The time which thus elapsed was sufficient to shake in him the foundation of the false impressions of youth, without being of a length to carry him beyond the years of enterprising exertion. Under these circumstances, it is so ordered that the abuses of papal corruption shall be brought under the eye of himself and his countrymen in their most offensive shape. Luther is revolted at the sight, and ventures to commence an opposition which, under a different sovereign, or in any other country in Europe, could hardly

have failed to have been unsuccessful and disastrous. This opposition bears no mark of selfish motivesit implies, on the contrary, a relinquishment and forfeiture of professional advancement. In all Luther's proceedings, various as they are, in his preachings, his treatises, and disputations, we discern no step taken for the gratification of personal advantage; -all is disinterested and zealous;-all is prompted

by an anxiety to understand and promulgate the word of God.

"Though learned beyond his cotemporaries, Luther had much to acquire after coming forward as an author. His theological knowledge was derived, in great part, from the writings of the Fathers, and, familiar as he was with Scripture, he had to study its most difficult passages without the assistance of intelligent commentators. It was more suitable, however, to his constitutional ardour to attack corruption at once with the weapons which lay at hand, than to allow time to pass in preparing arms of a less defective character. Hence those changes and inconsistencies in particular topics, which, however suspicious in the eyes of the weak or the malignant, afford to the considerate observer a complete evidence of his sincerity. Conscious of pure intention, Luther felt no shame in acknowledging the errors arising from haste, or engendered by early prejudice. He journeyed along the track of inquiry without assistance; he was obliged to feel his way; and it was only step by step that he acquired a knowledge of the true path. He was long in the hope that the head of the church would disapprove of the indecent sale of Indulgences, and would extend support to the man who came forward to denounce it. When less confident of this support, he was inclined to ascribe to bad advisers that protection of vice of which he accounted the pontiff incapable. Nor could he prevail on himself to think otherwise, till after the most conclusive proofs that no integrity of motive was accounted a justification of the capital crime of deve loping the corruption of the church:

When

When this was clearly ascertained, Luther's choice was no longer doubt ful-the establishment, which refused to listen to reform, became in his view an object for direct and unmitigated hostility. Many years of his life were yet to pass, and his views in points of doctrine were destined to undergo several changes; but no solicitation or argument had effect in altering his behaviour towards the church of Rome.

"After his rupture with the pope, and the adoption of the new doctrine by a numerous body of converts, Luther became one of the most conspicuous men in Europe. Princes embraced opportunities of conversing with him, and senates were not backward in applying to him for advice. These distinctions, and the influence attached to them, were enjoyed by Luther above twenty years, yet in no single instance did he seek to turn them to his personal advantage. Indifference to money is not unfrequent among men of his secluded habits, but how few individuals would have possessed Luther's power without making it subservient to the acquisition of rank or honours? All these were disdained by him, and his mind remained wholly occupied with the diffusion of religious truth. Even literary fame had no attractions for Luther. The improvement of the condition of his fellow creatures was the object which with him superseded every other consideration. No temptation of ambition could remove him, in his days of celebrity, from his favourite university of Wittemberg. While his doctrines spread far and wide, and wealthy cities would have been proud to receive him, Luther clung to the spot where he discharged the

duty of a teacher, and to the asso ciates whom he had known in his season of humility.

"In considering Luther as an author, we are struck with the extent and variety of his labours. They consist of controversial tracts, of commentaries on Scripture, of sermons, of letters, and of narratives of the chief events of his life. The leading feature of his controversial writings is an unvaried confidence in the goodness of his arguments. It never seems to occur to him to entertain a doubt of the accuracy of the proposition which he undertakes to defend. It unavoidably followed that he bestowed too little time on analyzing the reasoning of others, and on reconsidering his own. His natural temper led him to conceive strongly, and his triumphs over the Romanist powerfully seconded this constitutional tendency. The same warmth led him to avail himself of the aid of whatever weapons were calculated to reach his adversary. Sarcasm in all its shapes, raillery, ridicule, direct personality, and even punning, abound in his controversial tracts to a degree which is hardly justified by the example of other writers of the age. Impatience and irritabi lity were his great faults, and they are abundantly conspicuous in his writings. No sooner had he formed an idea of the motives, or of the doctrine of an individual at variance with himself, than he made it the object of unsparing condemnation. Hence the endless complaints from adversaries of his precipitation and rudeness. Without desiring to excuse such exceptionable characteristics, it is due to his memory to observe that they originated in no malignant intention. They were

got

not displayed towards inoffensive persons, nor were they meant as the foundation of lasting animosity. They were often the ebullition of the moment, and appear to have been carried, in the heat of composition, to a greater length than was intended at the outset. The freedom of his language in treating of the conduct of the great, arose partly from constitutional ardour, and partly from an habitual impression of the all-powerful claims of truth. The lofty attitude so often assumed by Luther is not therefore to be attributed to pride or vanity. In treating of the Scriptures, he considered himself as acting in the presence of God, whose majesty and glory were so infinitely exalted above all created beings, as to reduce to one and the same level the artificial distinctions of worldly institutions. Under this conviction the prince or the king who ventured to oppose what Luther considered the word of God, seemed to him no more exempted from severe epithets than the humblest of his adversaries. However we may censure the length to which his freedom was carried, the boldness of his conduct was, on the whole, productive of much good. An independent and manly tone in regard not only to religion, but to civil liberty, literature, the arts and sciences, was created and disseminated by his example.

"His compositions of all kinds, including sermons and epistolary disquisitions, are calculated by his distinguished biographer, Seckendorff, at the extraordinary number of eleven hundred and thirty-seven. When we consider, in addition, the extent of bis public duty, and the variety of his correspondence, we cannot fail to admire the prodigious

efforts of his industry. Where the mass of writing was so large, we must expect little polish of style. Luther's imagination was vigorous, but the cultivation of taste engaged no part of his attention. His inelegance of style has been chiefly remarked in his Latin publications. His taste in early life had been corrupted by the barbarous diction of the scholastic divines, and in his riper years he was too impatient to communicate the substance of his thoughts, to bestow much attention on the dress in which they appeared. It suited his ardour to commit to paper the impression of the moment, and to give free course to that excitement which grows strongly on men of his temper in the progress of composition. The consequence is that his sentences are generally of great length; the succeeding members appearing an expansion, and not unfrequently a repetition, of what had gone before. No pains were taken to promote clearness, and very little to correct ambiguity. As he was wholly indifferent to the praise of elegance, he gave himself no trouble about the choice of words. When classical vocables did not readily occur to him, he had no scruple in making a new word by giving a Latin termination to an expression borrowed from the Greek, or some other language. His arrangement is equally defective, and the result of all this is, that his works are full of obscure passages. Some of them are so much in volved, that it is next to impossible to make out the meaning. In his German compositions the case is different. His translation of the Bible has been always admired, and his hymns have given way to versifications of later date in conse

quence

quence only of the progressive change in the language.

"His theological system he professed to found altogether on the authority of Scripture. Such, it must be allowed, was in a great measure the case, although his predilection for the writings of Augustine influenced his creed to a degree of which he was perhaps unconscious. Of his commentaries and sermons, many were printed from the notes of hearers, and, though generally shown to him before band, he was so indifferent to fame, so immersed in business, and so intent on the object of the moment, that he allowed them to go forth without much correction. The plan of his discourses, if plan it can be called, was not calculated to procure him reputation on the score of composition. The leading points of controversy between him and the Catholics are introduced on all occasions, and some of his favourite doctrines, such as justification by faith without works, could never, he seems to have thought, be out of season. On the other hand, few writers discover greater knowledge of the world, or a happier talent in analyzing and illustrating the shades of character. In this respect Luther is, greatly superior to those who form their notions of mankind in the stillness of their closet. It is equally remarkable that no man could display more forcibly the tranquil consolations of religion. Though unable to subdue his impe. tuosity of temper, he was anxious to moderate it, and seems to have been perfectly acquainted with the means which it is incumbent on us to use for that purpose.

"Let us now turn aside from Luther's public character, and con

He

template him in the scenes of pri-. vate life. Warm as he was in temper, and unaccustomed to yield to authoritative demands, he yet possessed much of the milk of burhan kindness. Few men entered with more ardour into the innocent pleasures of society. His frankness of disposition was apparent at the first, interview, and his communicative turn, joined to the richness of his stores, rendered his conversation remarkably interesting. In treating of humorous subjects, he discovered as much vivacity and playfulness as if he had been a man unaccustomed to serious research. The visitor of Luther's domestic circle was assured of witnessing a pleasing union of religious service with conjugal and paternal affection. His fondness for music continued during life, and spread a charm over the discharge of his serious duties. was always a zealous advocate for the use of music in public worship. In an evening before parting from his family and his friends, he was in the habit of regularly singing a hymn. This he usually did in a high key, and with all the advantage of a delightful voice. In his hours of occasional dejection, music proved his most pleasant and effectual restorative. It was much to be regretted that his constitution, though apparently robust, by no means afforded him the steady enjoyment of health. Whether from taking too little exercise, or from the repeated occurrence of mental agitation, he was subject to frequent and severe head-aches. In respect to diet, he was remarkably abstemious, a habit probably acquired in the monastery, and continued in consequence of the sedentary nature of his occupations.

"The