Charles_Chronicles_of_the_Schoenberg-Cotta_Family.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
translated into ,
" one who truly knew him, must bear witness that he
was a benevolent, charitable man, gracious in all his discourse,
kii/dly and most worthy of love, and neither rash, passionate,
self-willed, or ready to take oflfence. , nevertheless, there
were also in him an earnestness and courage in his words and
bearing such as become a man like hinL heart was true
and faithful, and without falsehood. severity which he used
against the foes of the doctrine in his writings did not proceed
from a quarrelsome or angry disposition, but from great earnest-
ness and zeal for the truth. always showed a high courage
and manhood, and it was no little roar of the enemy which could
appal him. , dangers, and terror dismayed him not
high and keen was his understanding, that he alone in com-
plicated, dark, and difficult affairs soon perceived what was to
be counselled and to be done. , as some think, was he
regardless of authority, but diligently regarded the mind and
. 473
will of those with whom he had to do. doctrine did not
consist in rebellious opinions made known with violence ; it is
rather an interpretation of the divine will and of the true worship
of , an explanation of the word of , namely of the gospel
of . he is united with the prophets of whom he
loved to talk. they greet him as their fellow-labourer, and
with him praise the who gathers and preserves his .
we must retain a perpetual, undying recollection of this our
beloved father, and never let his memory fade frofti our hearts."
effigy will be placed in the city church, but his living
portrait is enshrined in countless hearts. monuments are
the schools throughout the land, every hallowed pastor^s home,
and above all, " the for the people ! "
, 1547.
stand now in the foremost rank of the generations of our
time. father's house on earth has passed away for ever.
, not long after . 's death, our gentle mother
passed away, and our father entered on the fulfilment of those
never-failing hopes to which, since his blindness, his buoyant
heart has learned more and more to cling.
separated a year from each other, both in extreme
old age, surrounded by all dearest to them on earth, they fell
asleep in .
now , who has an appointment at the university,
lives in the paternal house with his and our , and
the children.
all our family sometimes think 's life is the most
blessed. our evangelical church, also, perceive, by
his providence makes nuns ; good women, whose wealth of love
is poured out in the ; whose inner as well as whose outer
circle is the family of . many whom she has trained
in the school and nursed in the seasons of pestilence or adver-
sity, live on earth to call her blessed, or live in heaven to receive
her into the everlasting habitations !
among the reasons why her life is so high and loving, no
doubt one is, that socially her position is one not of exaltation
but of lowliness.
474 of the - ,
has not replaced, by any conventional dignities of tlic
cloister, 's natural dignities of wife and mother.
life hers has been the loivest place ; wherefore, among other rea-
sons, oft think in heaven it may be the highest we shall
not grudge it her, and and and .
what joy shall we see those meek and patient brows
crowned with the brightest crowns of glory and immortal
joy!
little garden behind the has become a sacred
place. 's widow and children still live there. who
knew him, and therefore loved him best, find a sad pleasure in
lingering under the shadow of the trees which used to shelter
him, beside the fountain and the little fish-pond which he made,
and the flowers he planted, and recalling his words and his fami-
liar ways ; how he used to thank for the fish from the pond,
and the vegetables sent to his table from the garden ; how he
used to wonder at the providence of , who fed the sparrows
and all the little birds, " which must cost him more in a year
than the revenue of the king of ; " how he rejoiced in the
" dew, that wonderful work of ," and the rose, which no
artist could imitate, and the voice of the birds. living
the narratives of the became when he spoke of them 1
of the great apostle whom he so honoured, but pictured as
" an insignificant-looking, meagre man, like ;"
or of the , " who must have been a high and noble
creature, a fair and gracious maiden, with a kind sweet voice ; "
or of the lowly home at , " where the of the
world was brought up as a little obedient child."
not one of us, with all his vehemence, could ever remem-
ber a jealous or suspicious word, or a day of estrangement, so
generous and trustful was his nature.
, also, came back to us the tones of that rich, true voice,
and of the lute or lyre, which used so frequently to sound hovsx
the dwelling-room with the large window, at his friendly enter-
tainments, or in his more solitary hours.
, in twilight hours of quiet, intimate converse,
can recall to us the habits of his more inner home life
how in his sicknesses he used to comfort her, and when she was
's , 475
weeping would say, with irrepressible tears, " , our
children trust us, though they cannot understand ; 'so must we
trust . is well if we do ; all comes from him." his
prayers morning and evening, and frequently at meals and at
other times in the day his devout repeating of the
"to " ^his frequent fervent utterance of the
's prayer, or of psalms from the , which he always
carried with him as a pocket prayer-book. , at other times,
she may speak reverently of his hours of conflict, when his
prayers became a tempest z torrent of vehement supplication
a wrestling with , a son in agony at the feet of a father.
, again, of his sudden wakings in the night, to encounter the
unseen devil with fervent prayer, or scornful defiance, or words
of truth and faith.
than one among us knew what reason he had to believe
in the efficacy of prayer. , especially, can never
forget the day when he lay at the point of death, half unconsci-
ous, with eyes growing dim, and came and exclaimed
with dismay,
" save us ! how successfully has the devil misused this
mortal frame ! "
then turning from the company towards the window, to
pray, looking up to the heavens, he came (as he himself said
afterwards), "as a mendicant and a suppliant to , and pressed
him with all the promises of the he could re-
call ; so that must hear me, if ever again should trust his
promises."
that prayer, he took by the hand, and said,
" of good cheer, , you will not die." from that
moment began to revive and recover consciousness,
and was restored to health.
, however, we treasure all he said of death and the
resurrection, of heaven and the future world of righteousness and
joy, of which he so delighted to speak. few of these sayings
may record for my children.
" the , they made pilgrimages to the shrines of the
saints to , , . to atone for sins.
now, we in faith can make true pilgrimages, which really please
4/6 of the - .
. we diligently read the prophets, psalms, and evan-
gelists, we journey towards , not through cities of the saints,
but in our thoughts and hearts, and visit the true
and of everlasting life.
" devil has sworn our death, but he will crack a deaf nut.
kernel will be gone."
had so often been dangerously ill that the thought of death
was very familiar to him. one of his sicknesses he said, "
know shall not live long. brain is like a knife worn to the
hilt ; it can cut no longer."
" used to go about and seek for a quiet place
where might be buried, and in the chapel under the cross
thought could lie well now am worse than then.
grant me a happy end ! have no desire to live longer."
asked if people could be saved under the who
had never heard his doctrine of the gospel, he said, " a
monk have seen, before whom, on his death-bed, they held
the crucifix, as was then the custom. faith in
merits and passion, they may, indeed, have been saved."
" is our sleep," he said, " but a kind of death 1
what is death itself but a night sleep % sleep all weariness is
laid aside, and we become cheerful again, and rise in the morn-
ing fresh and well. shall we awake from our graves in the
last day, as though we had only slept a night, and bathe our
eyes and rise fresh and well.
" shall rise," he said, " and converse with you again.
finger, on which is this ring, shall be given to me again.
must be restored. ' will create new heavens and a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.' all will be pure
rapture and joy. heavens and that earth m^ill be no dry,
barren sand. a man is happy, a tree, a nosegay, a flower,
can give him gladness. and earth will be renewed, and
we who believe shall be ever)rwhere at home. it is not so ;
we are driven hither and thither, that we may have to sigh for
that heavenly fatherland."
" causes the trumpet to peal at the last day, all
will come forth like the insects which in winter lie as dead, but
when the sun comes, awake to life again ; or as the birds who
's . 477
lie all the winter hidden in clefts of the roclcs, or in hollow banks
by the river sides, yet live again in the spring."
said at another time, " into the garden, and ask the
cheny-tree how it is possible that from a dry, dead twig, can
spring a litde bud, and from the bud can grow cherries.
into the house and ask the matron how it can be that from the
eggs under the hen living chickens will come forth. if
does thus with cherries and birds, canst thou not honour him
by trusting that if he let the winter come over thee suffer thee
to die and decay in the ground he can also, in the true sum-
mer, bring thee forth again from the earth, and awaken thee
from the dead "
" gracious !" he exclaimed, "come quickly, come at
last ! wait ever for that day that morning of spring ! "
he waits for it still. now, indeed, on earth, " in
what kind of place we know not," as he said ; " but most surely
free from all grief and pain, resting in peace and in the love and
grace of ."
also wmt for that of , still in the weak
flesh and amidst the storm and the conflict ; but strong and
peaceful in the truth taught us, and in the
he trusted to the last.