Thus Melanchthon spoke and prayed, with tears and with a troubled heart. His hearers were so deeply affected, that it seemed, as Selnecker says, as if the very walls were weeping, for all manifested their sorrow by sobbing aloud. On the 19th of February, he inquired of Jonas on what day they would arrive in Wittenberg with the corpse. In this letter, he also expresses his great sorrow on account of the death of this beloved man: "We are greatly troubled at the loss of such a teacher and leader, not only on account of the University, but also because of the Church Universal of the whole world, which he led by his counsels, doctrine, reputation, and the power of the Holy Ghost. Especially are we troubled when we think of the dangers and storms which will come, since he has been called away from his post.... But let us call upon our Lord Jesus Christ, who has said, I will not leave you comfortless, that he may continue to guide and preserve his Church, and let us thank him for the benefits he has conferred upon us through Dr. Luther, and let us hold Luther in grateful remembrance." On the same day, he also informed Amsdorf of this calamity, and concluded thus: "Although I have no doubt that many worthy persons everywhere will grieve most sincerely, I yet know that your grief will be still greater, because he had no older and dearer friend than you, and you loved him as a father. You have therefore a great personal reason for your sorrow. But to this must also be added public reasons, for after his death we seem to be threatened by many other evils; but I pray and conjure you, for God's sake, that you would encourage yourself with the divine consolations afforded us in the Gospel, and that you would remember us and the Church." About noon on the 22d of February, Luther's remains arrived at the Elster gate of Wittenberg, and amidst the ringing of all the bells, and the escort of a vast, deeply-moved multitude, were solemnly conveyed to the Electoral church, where the Elector had assigned him a resting-place. Melanchthon also walked in the procession; and after Bugenhagen had, with many tears, preached an affecting funeral sermon, Melanchthon also ascended the pulpit, and delivered a Latin address, the substance of which we propose to relate. "Although my own great sorrow almost forbids me to speak in this great sorrow of all pious hearts, and of the Church of Christ, yet, as I am to say something to this Christian assembly, I will not, after the manner of the heathen, merely praise the departed one, but would rather remind this honorable assembly of the great, wonderful, and divine guidance of the Church, and of the many dangers with which it must always contend, in order that Christians might learn so much better what should grieve them most, what they should seek and ask of God, more than anything else." Thus he commenced, and then spoke of _the office_ which Luther had filled in the Church.