Margaretta was once speaking to her father of Jesus, the angels, and heaven. Deeply moved, he exclaimed, “Oh! how much better than ours is the faith and life of children! The word which they hear they accept with joy and without any doubts, and are happy. But we old fools have painful anxieties, and dispute long. Well has Christ said, ‘Unless ye be converted and become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.’” Christmas, particularly, was a season of joyful festival in Luther’s family. No annual fair, such as are to this day held in Germany, passed by in which he did not purchase presents for his children. With deep regret he wrote to his wife, when he was in Torgau, in 1532, that he could find nothing in that town to buy for the little ones at home.
Vocal and instrumental music was a frequent source of family entertainment, especially after supper. Luther himself accompanied it with the flute or the lute, both of which he played skilfully. He often invited accomplished singers, and thus held family concerts in his house. When his time and the weather permitted, he repaired to what was afterwards called Luther’s Spring, which he himself discovered, and over which, after his marriage, he had a neat summer-house erected. He spent many an hour of pleasant enjoyment in his garden, with his wife engaged with her needle, and the children playing around him. Here he often invited his friends to exhibit to them the luxuriant fruit of his own cultivation. As the children increased in years, especially the sons, he made them his companions. He took them with him on his numerous journeys, and they accompanied him on his last and eventful tour to the place of his birth, and, as it proved, the place of his death. That he might enjoy the society of his wife as much as possible, he pursued his labors with her at his side or invited her into his study. She often copied his manuscripts for the press, and otherwise rendered aid in writing. He communicated to her everything of special interest relating to the progress of the Reformation not only orally when at home, but by letter during his absence. He also frequently read aloud for her entertainment, and sometimes even extracts from the books of his opponents, such as Erasmus and others. He often gave her striking passages of Scripture to commit to memory, such as Psalm 31, which was particularly applicable to her condition after his death, just as though he had anticipated it years before. She, on the other hand, often urged him to the performance of pressing duties, especially answering letters. Her participation in his affairs was kindly reciprocated by him. He patiently listened to all her requests, and in his letters executed many of her commissions. It was only when he desired to complete some work which allowed no postponement that he dispensed with her presence. At such times, he locked himself in his study for days, and ate nothing but bread and salt, that he might, without interruption, pursue the work in hand. This often occurred, and he would not allow himself to be disturbed. On one occasion he had been thus locked up for three days; she sought him everywhere—shed bitter tears—knocked at all the doors and called him, but no one answered. She had the door opened by a locksmith, and found her husband profoundly absorbed in the explanation of the 22d Psalm. She was proceeding to reprimand him for occasioning such painful anxiety, but he was impatient of the interruption to his studies, pointed to the Bible, and said, “Do you think, then, that I am doing anything bad? do you not know that I must work as long as it is day, for the night cometh in which no man can work?” But his tone and look sufficiently indicated to her that he was, after all, not unduly excited. At his social assemblies, his walks for recreation, and short excursions into the country, she was his inseparable companion as often as circumstances permitted. When numerous business calls necessarily compelled him to leave home, he wrote to her the most affectionate and often the most humorous letters.
The birth of his first child (June 7, 1526,) afforded him peculiar gratification. He communicated the fact to many of his correspondents in a strain of pleasant humor, and, of course, received their congratulations in return. The child was baptized soon after birth by Dr. Rörer, and named John by the grandfather. Bugenhagen, Jonas, and the painter, Cranach, senior, were his godfathers. From his earliest years this boy excited the liveliest hopes in his parents on account of his uncommon mental qualities, and it was he who gave occasion to the preparation by the father of several excellent books for children. Luther possessed the rare faculty of letting himself down to the capacity of children without himself becoming a child. This son’s name often occurs in the letters of Luther, and he is always mentioned as a lad of uncommon promise and an agreeable plaything to his father and mother. He thus writes to Hausman: “Besides this, there is nothing new, except that my Lord has blessed my Kate and made her a present of a healthy son. Thanks and praise for his unspeakable goodness. Mother and child send their respects to you.” Sometime after he wrote to Spalatin, “My little Hans salutes you. He is now teething, and begins to scold everybody about him with the most amiable reproaches. Kate also wishes you every blessing, and particularly that you also may have a little Spalatin, who may teach you what she boasts of having learned from her boy, viz: the joys of matrimonial life, of which the Pope and his satellites are not worthy.” Luther’s friends were much attached to this child on account of his amiable disposition, and sent him many presents suitable to his age. When the boy was yet but four years old, his father wrote to him the following letter: “Grace and peace in Christ, my dearest little son. It pleases me much to hear that you love to learn and to pray. Continue in this good way, my child; when I come home I will bring you a beautiful present. I know where there is a beautiful garden into which many children go. They wear gilded garments and gather all manner of fruit from under the trees; they sing, leap, and are happy. They also have beautiful little horses with golden bridles and silver saddles. I asked the man who owns the garden what sort of children they were. He replied, ‘They are children who love to pray, to learn and serve God.’ Then I said, ‘My dear sir, I also have a son called little Hans Luther; may he not also go into the garden, that he, too, may eat these beautiful apples and pears, and ride these nice horses and play with these good children?’ He answered, ‘Every little boy who loves to pray and learn, and is good, may come into the garden, Lippus and Jost[18] also, and if they all come together they shall also have all sorts of musical instruments, and dance and shoot with little crossbows.’ And he pointed out to me a meadow in the garden suited for a children’s playground, and there were hanging golden instruments of music and beautiful silver crossbows. But it was yet early, and the children had not yet eaten their breakfast, hence I could not wait to see the children dance and play, and I said to the man, ‘Ah, my dear sir, I will go without delay and write all this to my beloved little son, Hans, that he may diligently pray, learn well, and be pious, so that he, too, may come into this garden; but he has a little sister, Lehna, whom he must bring with him.’ Then the man said, ‘It must be so; go and write to him.’ For this reason, dear son, learn and pray, and tell Lippus and Jost also to do the same, and then you shall all go into the garden. I commend you to God. Kiss Lehna for me. Your dear Father, M. L., 1530.”
The prudent discipline of the mother, exercised with tender earnestness, gradually developed the moral and intellectual faculties of this youth in an eminent degree, and this, combined with his religious and scientific attainments, as subsequently displayed, afforded the father unspeakable gratification. In his 15th year this youth received the most honorable testimonial of his industry in study and general excellence of character from John William, the second son of the Elector, John Frederick, promising further encouragement and aid in the prosecution of his studies. When he was properly qualified by preliminary attainments to attend a higher school, he was sent to the Gymnasium at Torgau. Afterwards, he studied law at Wittenberg and Konigsberg, and on his return from his travels in various countries of Europe he was appointed Court Councillor by John William, in which office he subsequently served under the brother of the Elector. He was dismissed at his own request, and entered the service of Duke Albert in Konigsberg, and died October 28, 1575, aged 49 years.
His second child, Elizabeth, was born during the prevalence of the contagious disease in Wittenberg before alluded to. She lived only nine months, and Luther’s grief at her death was excessive. He thus writes to Hausman: “Never could I have believed a parent’s heart could be so tender towards children; seldom have I mourned so deeply. My sorrow is like that of a woman.”
The death of his third child, Magdalena, at the age of 14, was a severe affliction. She was a girl of unusual promise; amiable, gifted, and pious. Her complete resignation to the will of God—her vivid conception of the doctrines of the Bible—her strong faith in the Saviour, and her filial and religious virtues, distinguished her far above many of her tender years. She was for a long time confined to bed, and she felt that her end was rapidly drawing nigh. She ardently desired to see her brother John, who was a student at the academy at Torgau. The father gratified her wish, and despatched a messenger to summon the absent son to the death-bed of his sister. Luther, as far as was possible, watched by the side of the dying child. Although the trial was severe, his patient submission to the will of God was characteristic of the man and the Christian. “Alas!” sighed he, “I love this child most tenderly; but O, God, as it is thy will to take her to thyself, I cheerfully resign her into thy hands.” Then he advanced to the bed and spoke to the suffering child, “Magdalena, my daughter, you would willingly remain with your father on earth, and yet you also desire to go to your Father in heaven.” On which she replied, “Yes, dearest father, just as it pleases God.” He continued, “Dearest child, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Overcome by emotion, he turned away and said: “Oh! how I love this suffering child! but if the flesh is now so strong, what will then the spirit be!—well, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” When she was breathing her last, the mother, overwhelmed with sorrow, retired from the couch; Luther threw himself on his knees, wept convulsively, and implored God to release the child from suffering; he then took her by the hand—and she died. The father at once had recourse to the Scriptures to seek consolation for his grievous loss. He opened the book, and the passage, Romans 14; 7, first arrested his attention: “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” This expressive passage was as a balsam to his wounded heart. When the body was deposited in the coffin, he said, “Thou dear Magdalena! how happy thou art! O, dear Magdalena, thou wilt rise again, and wilt shine like a star, yea, like the sun.” But the coffin having been made too small, he said, “This bed is too small for her, now that she is dead. I am indeed joyful in the spirit, but after the flesh I am very sad; the flesh is slow to come to the trial; this separation troubles us exceedingly; it is a marvellous thing to know that she is certainly happy, and yet for me to be so sad!” When the people came to attend the funeral, and, according to custom, addressed the Doctor, and said that they sincerely condoled with him in this affliction, he said, “You should rejoice: I have sent a saint to heaven, yea, a living saint. O! if only such a death were ours! such a death I would be willing to die this moment!” When one said, “That is indeed true; yet we all wish to retain our relatives,” Luther replied, “Flesh is flesh and blood is blood. I rejoice that she has passed over; I experience no sadness but that of the flesh.” Again, he said to others present, “Be not grieved, I have sent a saint to heaven, yea, I have sent two.” When she was buried, he said, “It is the resurrection of the flesh,” and when they returned from the funeral, he said, “Now is my daughter provided for, both as to body and soul. We Christians have no cause to complain; we know that it must be thus. We are perfectly assured of eternal life; for God, who, through his Son and for the sake of his Son, has promised it unto us, cannot lie.”
Throughout the whole of this trying event Luther showed all the tenderness of an affectionate father, and all the resignation of a Christian.
His second son, Martin, was tenderly cherished by the father. He himself feared that the child would be spoiled by too much affectionate attention and favoritism. In reference to this, he said, “The love of parents is always stronger for the younger than the elder children, and the more they require the care and protection of the parents the more dear are they to them. Thus, my Martin is now my dearest treasure, because he demands more of my attention and solicitude. John and Magdalena can walk and talk and can ask for what they want, and do not require so much watchful nursing.” But afterwards, Luther’s anxieties about him were very great. “He is rather a wild bird,” said he, “and he occasions me much solicitude.” But Martin, who was not without talents, studied theology, and it was only continued ill-health that prevented him from publicly assuming the office of a preacher. He spent his life in private teaching. In an obituary notice of him, it is said that “he possessed such strong mental faculties and such striking oratorical powers, as even to have excited the admiration of his father.”
Of the third son, Paul, when yet a child, Luther thus spoke: “He is destined to fight against the Turks,” alluding to the energy of character then observed in him, and which was afterwards so strikingly developed. And truly, this Paul, endowed as he was with unusual decision and unshaken perseverance, was the most gifted of Luther’s sons, even if he did not in all respects possess the heroic spirit of his father. He was not only a zealous promoter of the science of Alchemy, so highly prized at that day, but he was a distinguished chemist, and succeeded, by his assiduous labors, in making many useful discoveries in Chemistry and Medicine. He also possessed a thorough knowledge of ancient languages. He was devoted with all his heart to the religious doctrines which his father restored, and defended them with zeal and ability. He was so strenuously attached to the orthodox system of theology, that he once refused a very flattering call to the University of Jena on account of the presumed heresies which the theologian, Victorine Striegel, had promulgated at that seat of learning, and he soon afterwards received the appointment of private physician to John Frederick II., at Gotha. In 1568 he served Joachim II., of Brandenburg, in the same capacity, by whom he was elevated to the rank of Councillor, and richly rewarded. Afterwards (1571), he was employed by the Elector, August, and his successor, Christian I., at Dresden. The former not only honored him by inviting him to be sponsor to his children, but also presented him with a farm, which, however, never came into the possession of his family, inasmuch as the subsequent times, during which the Calvinistic Chancellor, Crell, held the helm of affairs, were not favorable to the prosperity of the sternly Lutheran Paul Luther. This same Calvinistic spirit, finally, was the occasion of his retiring into private life in 1590. He moved to Leipzig, where he died in 1593. At the baptism of this son, Luther said, “I have named him Paul; for St. Paul has taught us many great and glorious doctrines, and hence I have named my son after him. God grant that he may have the gifts and grace of the great Apostle! If it please God, I will send all my sons away from home! If any one of them has a taste for the military profession, I will send him to Field-Marshal Löser; if any one wishes to study, him I will send to Jonas and Philip; if any one is inclined towards labor, him I will send to a farmer.” But afterwards, when he became better acquainted with their disposition, he changed his mind. “God forbid,” said he, “that my sons should ever devote themselves to the study of the law; that would be my last wish. John will be a theologian; Martin is good for nothing, and about him I have great fears; Paul must fight against the Turks.” But history teaches us that his wishes were not gratified. He himself subsequently advised Paul to study medicine, and the example of John induced all the educated sons of Luther’s children for several generations to study law.
The sixth child, Margaret, who entered into a happy matrimonial alliance, was dangerously attacked with fever after the measles, from which her brother suffered at the same time. Her father was much alarmed about her condition, but comforted himself with the thought that she would be taken out of this present evil world. She married George V. Kuhlheim, a civil officer in the Prussian service, who was a pious man and a most ardent admirer of Luther, and especially of his writings, of which his favorite one was “Luther’s Exposition of the Book of Genesis.” So profound was his reverence for the Reformer, that the fact was thought worthy of being mentioned in the sermon preached at his funeral. His youngest son must have inherited his father’s disposition and character, for he always esteemed it the highest possible honor to be “the grandson of the great Luther.”