of all hindrances, the largest intellect, eager to learn: his father
judging doubtless that he might promote himself in the world, set him
upon the study of Law. This was the path to rise; Luther, with little
will in it either way, had consented: he was now nineteen years of
age. Alexis and he had been to see the old Luther people at Mansfeldt;
were got back again near Erfurt, when a thunderstorm came on; the bolt
struck Alexis, he fell dead at Luther's feet. What is this Life of
ours?--gone in a moment, burnt-up like a scroll, into the blank
Eternity! What are all earthly preferments, Chancellorships,
Kingships? They lie shrunk together--there! The Earth has opened on
them; in a moment they are not, and Eternity is. Luther, struck to the
heart, determined to devote himself to God and God's service alone. In
spite of all dissuasions from his father and others, he became a Monk
in the Augustine Convent at Erfurt.

This was probably the first light-point in the history of Luther, his
purer will now first decisively uttering itself; but, for the present,
it was still as one light-point in an element all of darkness. He says
he was a pious monk, _ich bin ein frommer Moench gewesen_; faithfully,
painfully struggling to work-out the truth of this high act of his;
but it was to little purpose. His misery had not lessened; had rather,
as it were, increased into infinitude. The drudgeries he had to do, as
novice in his Convent, all sorts of slave-work, were not his
grievance: the deep earnest soul of the man had fallen into all manner
of black scruples, dubitations; he believed himself likely to die
soon, and far worse than die. One hears with a new interest for poor
Luther that, at this time, he lived in terror of the unspeakable
misery; fancied that he was doomed to eternal reprobation. Was it not
the humble sincere nature of the man? What was he, that he should be
raised to Heaven! He that had known only misery, and mean slavery: the
news was too blessed to be credible. It could not become clear to him
how, by fasts, vigils, formalities and mass-work, a man's soul could
be saved. He fell into the blackest wretchedness; had to wander
staggering as on the verge of bottomless Despair.

It must have been a most blessed discovery, that of an old Latin Bible
which he found in the Erfurt Library about this time. He had never
seen the Book before. It taught him another lesson than that of fasts
and vigils. A brother monk too, of pi