LUTHER'S DEPRESSIONS. LED TO A TALK WITH DEVIL.

 LUTHER FELT HIS DEPRESSION WERE NECESSARY. AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE DREADFUL AND BY ALL MEANS AND IN EVERY WAY TO BE AVOIDED AND OVERCOME.  HIS WHOLE LIFE WAS A STRUGGLE AGAINST THEM, A FIGHT FOR FAITH.
 THIS IS THE POINT AT WHICH INTERESTS US SO ACUTELY, FOR WE TOO ARE CAST DOWN AND WE TOO WOULD KNOW HOW TO ASSUAGE OUR DESPONDENCY. LUTHER HAD TWO METHODS: THE ONE WAS A HEAD-ON ATTACK, THE OTHER AN APPROACH BY WAY OF INDIRECTION.  SOMETIMES HE WOULD ENGAGED IN DIRECT- ENCOUNTER. WITH DEVIL. THIS PARTICULAR "mise  enscene" MAY AMUSE THE MODERN READER. AND INCLINE NOT TO TAKE LUTHER SERIOUSLY; BUT IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT WHAT THE DEVIL SAYS TO LUTHER IS ONLY WHAT ONE SAYS TO ONESELF IN MOMENTS OF INTROSPECTION, AND, AND WHAT IS MORE SIGNIFICANT, ONLY THE MINOR DIFFICULTIES WERE REFERRED TO THE DEVIL, IN ALL MAJOR ENCOUNTERS, GOD HIMSELF WAS THE ASSAILANT. THE DEVIL WAS SOMETHING OF A RELIEF. LUTHER RELISHED, BY COMPARISON THE PERSONIFICATION OF HIS ENEMY IN THE FORM OF A BEING WHOM HE COULD BAIT WITHOUT DANGER OF BLASPHEMY. HE DESCRIBES WITH GUSTO SOME OF THESE BOUTS:
 WHEN I GO TO BED, THE DEVIL IS ALWAYS WAITING FOR ME. WHEN HE BEGINS TO PLAGUE ME, I GIVE HIM THIS ANSWER: " DEVIL I MUST GO TO SLEEP. THAT'S GOD'S COMMAND, .' SO GO AWAY."'WORK BY DAY, SLEEP AT NIGHT.  IF THAT DOESN'T WORK AND HE BRINGS OUT A CATALOG OF SINS, I SAY,,"YES, OLD FELLOW, I KNOW ALL ABOUT IT. AND I KNOW SOME MORE YOU OVER LOOKED. HERE ARE FEW EXTRA."
PUT THEM DOWN " IF HE STILL WON'T QUIT AND PRESSES ME HARD AND ACCUSES ME AS A SINNER, I SCORN HIM AND SAY, 'ST. SATAN, PRAY FOR ME, OF COURSE YOU HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG IN YOUR LIFE.  YOU ALONE ARE HOLY. GO TO GOD AND GET GRACE FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU WANT TO GET ME ALL STRAIGHTENED. OUT, SAY "PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF."
 SOMETIMES LUTHER HAD THE TEMERITY TO UNDERTAKE ALSO THE THE GREATER ENCOUNTER WITH GOD HIMSELF.  "I DISPUTE MUCH WITH GOD. WITH GREAT IMPATIENCE, " SAID HE, " AND I HOLD HIM TO HIS PROMISES." THE CANAANITE WOMAN WAS A SOURCE OF UNENDING WONDER AND COMFORT TO LUTHER.
 BECAUSE SHE HAD THE AUDACITY 238356 TO ARGUE WITH CHRIST. WHEN SHE ASKED HIM TO COME AND HEAL HER DAUGHTER, HE ANSWERED THAT HE WAS NOT SENT BUT TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS NOT MEET [RIGHT] TO TAKE THE CHILDREN'S BREAD AND GIVE IT TO THE DOGS. SHE DID NOT DISPUTE HIS JUDGMENT. SHE AGREED THAT SHE WAS A DOG. SHE ASKED NO MORE THAN THAT WHICH BEFITS A DOG, TO LICK UP THE CRUMBS WHICH FALL FROM THE CHILDREN'S TABLE. SHE TOOK CHRIST AT HIS OWN WORDS. HE THEN TREATED HER NOT AS A DOG BUT AS A CHILD OF ISRAEL.  ALL THIS IS WRITTEN FOR OUR COMFORT THAT WE SHOULD SEE HOW DEEPLY GOD HIDES HIS FACE AND HOW WE MUST NOT GO BY OUR FEELING, BUT ONLY BY HIS WORD. ALL CHRIST ANSWERS SOUNDED LIKE NO, BUT HE DID NOT MEAN NO. HE HAD NOT SAID THAT SHE WAS A DOG AND NOT OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. ALL THIS WAS WRITTEN FOR OUR COMFORT THAT WE SHOULD SEE HOW DEEPLY GOD HIDES  HIS FACE AND HOW WE MUST GO BY OUR FEELING BUT ONLY BY HIS WORD.. ALL CHRIST'S ANSWERS SOUNDED LIKE NO, BUT HE DID NOT MEAN NO. HE HAD NOT SAID THAT SHE WAS A DOG. HE HAD NOT SAID NO. THIS SHOWS HOW OUR HEART FEELS IN DESPONDENCY.
 IT SEES NOTHING BUT A PLAIN NO. THEREFORE IT MUST TURN TO THE DEEP HIDDEN "YES" UNDER THE "NO." AND HOLD IT WITH A FIRM FAITH TO GOD'S WORD.
AT TIMES, HOWEVER, LUTHER ADVISED AGAINST ANY ATTEMPT TO WRESTLE ONE'S WAY THROUGH.. " DON'T ARGUE WITH THE DEVIL," HE SAID. " HE HAD FIVE THOUSAND YEARS EXPERIENCE. HE HAS TRIED ALL IS TRICKS ON ADAM, ABRAHAM, AND DAVID. AND HE KNOWS EXACTLY THE WEAK SPOTS," AND HE IS PERSISTENT. IF HE DOES NOT GET YOU DOWN WITH THE FIRST ASSAULT, HE WILL COMMENCE A SIEGE OF ATTRITION UNTIL YOU GIVE IN FROM SHEER EXHAUSTION. BETTER  BANISH THE WHOLE  SUBJECT. SEEK COMPANY AND DISCUSS SOME IRRELEVANT  MATTER AS, FOR EXAMPLE. WHAT IS GOING ON IN VENICE, SHUN SOLITUDE . " EVE GOT INTO TROUBLE WHEN SHE WALKED IN THE GARDEN ALONE.  I HAVE MY WORST TEMPTATIONS WHEN I AM BY MYSELF." SEEK OUT SOME CHRISTIAN BROTHER, SOME WISE COUNSELOR. LUTHER, SAYS UNDERGIRD YOURSELF WITH THE FELLOWSHIP
OF THE CHURCH. THEN, PARTY IN FEMININE  COMPANY, DINE, DANCE, JOKE SING. MAKE YOURSELF EAT AND DRINK EVEN THOUGH FOOD MAY BE VERY DISTASTEFUL. FASTING IS THE VERY WORST EXPEDIENT. ONCE LUTHER GAVE THREE RULES FOR DISPELLING DESPONDENCY: THE FIRST IS FAITH IN CHRIST; THE SECOND IS TO GET DOWNRIGHT ANGRY;  THE THIRD IS THE LOVE OF A WOMAN. MUSIC  WAS ESPECIALLY COMMENDED. THE DEVIL HATES IT BECAUSE HE CAN NOT ENDURE GAIETY. LUTHER'S PHYSICIAN RELATES THAT ON ONE OCCASION, HE CAME WITH SOME FRIENDS FOR MUSICAL SOIREE ONLY TO FIND LUTHER IN A SWOON; BUT WHEN OTHERS STRUCK UP THE SONG, HE WAS SOON ONE OF THE PARTY. HOME LIFE WAS A COMFORT AND A DIVERSION. SO ALSO WAS THE PRESENCE OF HIS WIFE, WHEN THE DEVIL ASSAULTED HIM IN THE NIGHT WATCHES. " THEN I TURNED TO MY KATIE AND SAY,  "FORBID ME TO HAVE SUCH TEMPTATIONS, AND RECALL ME FROM SUCH VAIN TEMPTATIONS . A GOOD WAY, COUNSELED LUTHER, TO EXORCISE THE DEVIL IS TO HARNESS THE HORSE AND SPREAD MANURE ON THE FIELDS. LUTHER WAS IN A WAY PRESCRIBING FAITH AS A CURE FOR THE  LACK OF FAITH. TO GIVE UP THE ARGUMENT IS OF ITSELF AN ACT OF FAITH AKIN TO THE "GELASSENHEIT OF THE MYSTICS," AN EXPRESSION OF CONFIDENCE, IN RESTORATIVE POWER OF GOD, WHO OPERATES IN THE SUBCONSCIOUS WHILE MAN OCCUPIES HIMSELF WITH EXTRANEOUS THINGS.  WHEN HIS  DAUGHTER  ANASTASIA WAS FOUR YEAR OLD, WAS  PRATTLING OF CHRIST, ANGELS, AND HEAVEN, "LUTHER SAID, "MY DEAR, CHILD, IF ONLY WE COULD HOLD FAST TO THIS FAITH"  " WHY, PAPA," SAID SHE. DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT?" CHRIST HAS MADE CHILDREN TO BE OUR TEACHERS.
LUTHER SAYS: " I AM EVERMORE A DOCTOR, I STILL HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH HANS AND MAGDALENA, FOR WHO AMONG MEN CAN UNDERSTAND THE FULL MEANING OF THIS WORD OF GOD, " OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN?"     
AT OTHER TIMES THE DEPRESSION WAS WITH REGARD TO HIMSELF. ONE RECALLS HIS OSCILLATION OF FEELING AT THE WARTBURG AS TO WHETHER HE HAD BEEN BRASH OR CRAVEN. THE ANSWER IN HIS OWN CASE COULD NEVER BE THAT HE HAD ANY CLAIM ON GOD., THEN THE QUESTION FOREVER RECURRED WHETHER GOD WOULD THEN BE GRACIOUS. LUTHER WOULD SAY THAT ONE NEVER KNOWS WHERE, BUT ALWAYS SOMEWHERE. TO INQUIRE AFTER THE STARTING POINT OF LUTHER'S THEOLOGY IS FUTILE. IT BEGINS WHERE IT CAN, CHRIST HIMSELF VARIABLE, SOMETIMES AS THE "GOOD SHEPHERD " AND SOMETIMES AS THE AVENGING JUDGE. IF THEN CHRIST APPEARS HOSTILE, LUTHER WOULD TURN TO GOD AND WOULD RECALL THE FIRST COMMANDMENT, " I AM THE LORD  THY GOD. THIS VERY PRONOUNCEMENT IS AT THE SAME TIME A PROMISE, AND GOD HAS TO KEEP HIS PROMISES.  NO MATTER HOW THAT MAY APPEAR, I KNOW GOD WILL NOT LIE, AND  KEEP HIS PROMISE. ONE GREAT OBJECTIVE AID FOR LUTHER WAS THE SCRIPTURES, BECAUSE THIS IS THE WRITTEN RECORD OF THE REVELATION OF GOD IN CHRIST.
LUTHER TAUGHT THE TRUE CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE IS NOT TO ROME OR,  THE  "COMPOSTELA",, BUT TO THE "PROPHETS", THE "PSALMS,"  AND THE GOSPELS. THE SCRIPTURES ASSUMED FOR LUTHER AN OVERWHELMING IMPORTANCE, NOT PRIMARILY AS A SOURCE BOOK FOR ANTIPAPAL POLEMIC, BUT AS A BOOK AS THE GROUND FOR CERTAINTY. NOTHING AMAZED LUTHER IN ALL THE BIBLICAL RECORD AS THE FAITH OF THE PARTICIPANTS: THAT MARY CREDITED THE ANNUNCIATION
 OF THE ANGEL GABRIEL; THAT JOSEPH GAVE CREDENCE TO THE DREAM WHICH ALLAYED HIS MISGIVING; THAT THE SHEPHERDS BELIEVED THE OPENING SONG OF THE  HEAVENS AND THE ANGELS SONG THAT THE WISE MEN WERE READY TO GO  TO BETHLEHEM. AT THE WORD OF THE PROPHET. THERE WERE THREE MIRACLES OF THE NATIVITY: THAT GOD BECAME MAN, THAT A VIRGIN CONCEIVED AND THAT MARY BELIEVED, AND THE GREATER OF THESE WAS THE LAST. WHEN THE WISE MEN RELIED UPON THEIR JUDGMENT AND WENT STRAIGHT TO JERUSALEM WITH OUT CONSULTING THE STAR, GOD LIFTED IT OUT OF HEAVEN AND LEFT THEM BEWILDERED TO MAKE INQUIRY OF HEROD, WHO THEN CALLED HIS WISE MEN AND THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES. AND THAT IS WHAT WE MUST DO WHEN WE ARE BEREFT OF THE STAR.