Luther Quote Reference

[scottmaciver]

I would very much appreciate it if someone could provide me with a reference for this Luther quote. Many thanks in advance.

"...at home, in my own house, there is no warmth or vigor in me, but in the church when the multitude is gathered together, a fire is kindled in my heart and it breaks its way through."

 

[Joshua]

There are multiple instances of this being written, but without attribution. The source I was able to find is simply citing a work that has quoted it as being Luther. From a preview on Google E-Books, Mr. Rayburn quotes this on p. 31, but there is no citation. The following first image is from Worship by the Book, by Rev. Mark Ashton, R. Kent Hughes, Timothy Keller, p. 160, and the second image is from the preview of Rayburn's book:

​

​

​

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I have run into this with tracing or trying to trace a couple of things to Luther. It may be a paraphrase of something. I would check Lives of Luther for this before then trying to run it down in his works.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I at least once found something in Melchor Adam's life of Luther. There is an English translation in Early English Books.

 

[Ed Walsh]

I would very much appreciate it if someone could provide me with a reference for this Luther quote. Many thanks in advance.

You can't thank me. The quote is all over the internet, and I got four hits in Logos, but I could not find a reliable source. Rayburn is the only name I keep bumping into.

 

[Regi Addictissimus]

I did a quick search in Luther's Table Talk, Selderhuis's bio, my Logos library, and a handful of his works with no avail. A Google search will yield countless results with no proper citation whatsoever given. This is a fine example of a quote that is often recycled with no source cited. Most modern titles refer back to Rayburn, such as Hughe's Discipline of a Godly Man & Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul.

 

[scottmaciver]

Thanks everyone. Yes, I came across Rayburn online. I'm guessing that a hard copy of Rayburn would give the reference, although the online version doesn't do so.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Thanks everyone. Yes, I came across Rayburn online. I'm guessing that a hard copy of Rayburn would give the reference, although the online version doesn't do so.

Rayburn quotes it without any footnote as Joshua's capture above notes. I assume it is in the first edition of 1980/84. The earliest work (from 1939) I found cites it as a header for a chapter with no reference. It's a snippet view but if you look fast it shows it as just a plain lead in quotation for a chapter with no footnote reference. Link.

 

[scottmaciver]

Much appreciated Chris.