On the same day Luther spoke admirably about the future eternal life and its unspeakable joy: “Human reason can’t grasp it by speculation. With our thoughts we can’t get beyond the visible and physical. No man’s heart comprehends eternity. One might suppose that according to the saying, ‘Even pleasure becomes burdensome,’ one would get tired of eternity. What pleasure is like in eternity we can’t imagine. Isaiah said, ‘Be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create’ [Isa. 65:18].” (Luther’s Works, v. 54, p.325)

When the illness of his daughter became graver he [Martin Luther] said, “I love her very much. But if it is thy will to take her, dear God, I shall be glad to know that she is with thee.”

Afterward he said to his daughter, who was lying in bed, “Dear Magdalene, my little daughter, you would be glad to stay here with me, your father. Are you also glad to go to your Father in heaven?”

The sick girl replied, “Yes, dear Father, as God wills.”

The father said, “You dear little girl!” [Then he turned away from her and said,] “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak [Matt. 26:41]. I love her very much. If this flesh is so strong, what must the spirit be?” Among other things he then said, “In the last thousand years God has given to no bishop such great gifts as he has given to me (for one should boast of God’s gifts), I’m angry with myself that I’m unable to rejoice from my heart and be thankful to God, though I do at times sing a little song and thank God. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s [Rom. 14:8]—in the genitive singular and not in the nominative plural.” (Luther’s Works, v. 54, p.430)

“The world must be considered carefully [Martin Luther said]. It’s governed by opinions, and therefore it’s ruled by sophistical hypocrisy and tyranny. True religion is compelled to serve them as a maidservant. One must therefore be careful and beware of sophistry, which consists not only of equivocation in words but flourishes under all circumstances, so that in religion it possesses a magnificent pretense under the guise of Holy Scripture. There’s more harm in sophistry than any man can perceive; our nature, which is prone to lying, can’t see the evil in sophistry at all. Plato offers a remarkable description of sophistry: People who can twist everything, repudiate the opinions of others, and draw conclusions on both sides after the manner of Carneades are not to be praised. These are sly tricks. It’s the glory of a good character [on the other hand] to seek the truth and to rejoice in guilelessness.” (Luther’s Works, v. 54, p.322)