Luther's last words were apparently, "I thank Thee, Lord God, heavenly Father, that Thou hast revealed unto me Thy dear Son, in whom I believed, whom I confessed and preached, whom I loved and lauded but whom the godless dishonour, blaspheme and revile. I pray Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, let my soul be commended to Thee. O heavenly Father, I know, though I must give up this body, that I shall live forever with Thee. Deus dilexit mundum, ut filium suum unigenitum daret, ut omnis qui credit in eum„ non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam, Deus, qui salvos facis sperantes in Te et reducis ex morte. I am ready to depart." Then he said three times,"Pater, in manus tuas commendo' tibi spiritum meum." After this he was silent. When they shook him and called him, he did not answer. They then applied Aqua Vitae to his nostrils and called him loudly by name. Doctor Jonas and Michael (Coehus) asked him: "Doctor Martine, Reverende pater, are you now ready to die in the faith of Christ and the doctrine which you preached in His name?" Thereupon he said, so that it could be heard distinctly, "Yes." Then he turned on his right side and slept for some minutes, so that we hoped he was getting better. Then came the death-rattle, a deep drawn breath, and he was gone. Thus he departed peacefully and patiently in the Lord between two and three o'clock a.m.
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