The princely Elector of his day once invited Dr. Martin Luther to participate in a royal hunting expedition. Luther would far rather have roamed the harvest fields with his family, but he thought it not well to refuse the royal invitation.
When all was ready, the horns blew and the hunters galloped off into a day filled with sunshine. Deer, rabbits and other game were flushed from cover in field and forest as the eager men and dogs tracked them in hot pursuit.
Unnoticed by the rest of the party, Luther drew back a distance, dismounted and sat down by a hedge.
It had been arranged that in the evening, the blast of the bugle would announce when the hunt was over and all the hunters would then regroup under an oak at the edge of a wood. The last to arrive was Luther.
One by one the hunters related their adventures and displayed their trophies of the chase. When it came to Luther's turn, one of the men asked: "And what did you succeed in bringing down, Doctor?"
"A rabbit!" replied Luther. Whereupon he opened his coat and pulled out a frightened little bunny.
"I took it in, as it was calling for its mother," he went on. "I shall take it home as a pet for my little boy."
Here the prince shook Luther's hand warmly, saying: "A strange and wonderful man, you are, Doctor Luther. Such an iron will as yours welded to such a tender heart brings us music, the strains of which will be heard for centuries."
Luther's heart was but a faint, though true, reflection of his blessed Master, the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.
"His heart is filled with tenderness,
His very name is Love."
Dear reader, if unsaved, the Lord Jesus is far more concerned for the salvation of your soul than you are yourself. O come to Him now!
"Today if ye will hear His voice,