Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, wise,good friend! Er Christoffel Strobel near Herr Nicolas Hausmann has indicated to me how God has not only blessed you temporally but, what is a thousand times better, has graced you also spiritually with love and desire for the truth and knowledge: I heard this with joy and pray God that He will strengthen you and preserve you until His Coming. Since it is now a rather dangerous time due to the sectarian spirits and false teachers who sneak around everywhere trying to deceive someone. Satan himself takes no vacation from trying to weaken or overthrow our faith with evil poisonous thoughts; and our thinking is itself blinded and strives against faith at all times; they do not respect God's Word and Kingdom but rather hate it so our case must solely and purely be sustained by God's power.
Now I must write briefly since we are burdened, as is fitting, by the departure of the pious Prince from this vale of tears. I commend you herewith to grace in Christ, our LOrd and Savior and commend to you friendly the poor Er Christoffel Strobel to whom you can be helpful; that will truly be done as to Christ Himself and I will be thankful as well . In Wittenberg on the Monday after the Assumption of Mary (19 August) Anno 1532.D. Martin Luther.
NOTE: Would ML have written basically the same letter to the same person on the same day? DeWette thinks not and says it only happened that both recipients were living near Strobel.
Elector Johann died in Schweinitz on August 16 and ML preached the funeral sermon on August 18,1532. See below for Schweinitz as retreat for the Saxon Electors. Has anyone seen the Schweinitz sunflower?
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