The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

"'Ah,' said some, 'there are plenty of cardinals and bishops at Worms! . . . You will be burnt
alive and your body reduced to ashes, as they did with John Huss.' But nothing daunted
the monk. 'Though they should kindle a fire whose flame should reach from Worms to
Wittemberg and rise up to heaven, I would go through it in the name of the Lord and
stand before them--I would enter the jaws of the behemoth, break his teeth and confess our
Lord Jesus Christ.'"
Another striking incident is related:
"One day when he had entered into an inn, an officer made his way through and thus
addressed him: 'Are you the man who has taken in hand to reform the Papacy? . . . How
can you expect to succeed?' 'Yes,' answered Luther, 'I am the man. I place my dependence
upon the Almighty God whose word and commandment is before me.' The officer deeply
affected gazed on him with a mild expression and said: 'Dear friend, there is much in what
you say; I am a servant of Charles [the Emperor] but your Master is greater than mine. He
will help and protect you.'"
He was thus advised by Spalatin, his old and aged pastor, in a message:
"'Abstain from entering Worms.' Luther turning his eyes on the messenger said: 'Go tell
your master, that though there should be as many devils at Worms as there are tiles on the
roof, I would enter it.'"
The historian describes the state of mind Luther was in as he came to the final crisis:
"On the morning of the 17th of April, he was for a few minutes in deep exercise of mind.
God's face seemed to be veiled--his faith forsook him--his enemies seemed to multiply
before him, and his imagination was overcome by the aspect of his dangers. His soul was
like a ship driven by a violent tempest rocked from side to side--one moment plunged in
the abyss, and the next carried up to heaven. In that hour of bitter trial, when he drank of
the cup of Christ, an hour, which to him was as the garden of Gethsemane, he threw
himself upon his face upon the earth, and uttered those broken cries, which we cannot
understand, without entering in thought into the anguish of those depths from whence
they rose to God. 'O God, Almighty God everlasting! how dreadful is the world! behold
how its mouth opens to swallow me up, and how small is my faith in Thee! Oh! the
weakness of the flesh and the power of Satan! If I am to depend upon any strength of this
world--all is over. . . . The knell is struck. . . . Sentence is gone forth. . . . O God! O God! O
Thou my God! help me against all the wisdom of the world. Do this I beseech Thee! Thou
shouldst do this . . . by Thine own mighty power. . . . The work is not mine but Thine. I
have no business here. . . . I have nothing to contend for with these great men of the world!
I would gladly pass my days in happiness and peace. But the cause is Thine, . . . and it is
righteous and everlasting! O Lord, help me! O faithful and unchangeable God! I lean not
upon man. It were vain! Whatever is of man is tottering, whatever proceeds from him
must fall. My God! My God! dost Thou not hear? My God! art Thou no longer living? Nay,
Thou canst not die! Thou dost but hide Thyself. Thou hast chosen me for this work. I know
it! . . . Therefore, O God, accomplish Thine own will! Forsake me not, for the sake of Thy