True Christianity: A Treatise on Sincere Repentence, True Faith, the Holy Walk of the True Christian, Etc. — John Shaqi
True Christianity: A Treatise on Sincere Repentence, True Faith, the Holy Walk of the True Christian, Etc.Arndt, Johann
Religion
True Christianity: A Treatise on Sincere Repentence, True Faith, the Holy Walk of the True Christian, Etc.
Arndt, Johann
Christian life; Christianity
during the year which preceded the disastrous battle of Mühlberg (April
24, 1547), so Arndt fell asleep soon after the Thirty Years’ War began,
before the world saw those horrors which language fails to describe in
their awful extent. He had contracted a disease of the throat, which was
subsequently aggravated by a violent fever; and his exhausted frame at
length yielded to the assault of disease. He sent for his friend and
brother, the Rev. William Storch, early in the morning of May 9. After
being placed on a chair, he humbly made a general confession of his sins,
declared once more that he adhered as heretofore to the pure doctrine of
God’s word and rejected every error, and then, with all the cheerfulness
of Christian faith, received the Lord’s Supper. Dr. Morris, in the work
referred to, in a note above, quotes from his authorities the following:
“Mr. Storch then addressed him (in language similar to that which Dr.
Jonas used in speaking to the dying Luther) as follows: ‘I do not doubt,
that as you have never entertained any doctrine contrary to God’s word,
but have always continued firm and steadfast in the pure, unadulterated
word, the Scriptures of the prophets and apostles, the Augsburg
Confession, and other Symbolical Books of the Lutheran Church, and most
heartily and sincerely despised and rejected all contrary doctrines, so
you will also by God’s grace maintain to the end the same doctrines and
faith which you have publicly preached and professed.’ Arndt replied
several times, in a weak but intelligible voice, most decisively, ‘Yes,
yes, that I will, even to the end.’ ” On the 11th of May he began to sink
rapidly, but was still able to repeat many of his favorite texts, such as
Ps. 143:2, and John 5:24. After having slept a short time, he awoke,
looked upward, and exclaimed with a comparatively loud voice: “We beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth.” John 1:14. His wife asked him when he had seen that “glory.”
He replied: “I saw it just now. O what a glory it is! It is the glory
which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the
heart of man to conceive of. This is the glory which I saw.”—When he heard
the clock striking at eight in the evening, he asked what the hour was.
When it struck again, he repeated the question. On being told that it was
striking nine, he said: “Now I have overcome all.” These were the last
words of this “good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 2 Tim. 2:3. He lay perfectly
still until after midnight, when he breathed his last. God had given him a
peaceful death. The serenity of his soul in his last hours seemed to
linger on his features, even after the spirit had departed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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