# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 10 15_S30
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

30

prayers of thine, O son, who art hovering in the greatest peril of soul, before my God. Thus I remain thine, thy mother, who indeed loves thee ardently, but sighs unceasingly and weeps bitterly over thy dreadful apostasy!

Cry for Help to the Fellow Believers for Support of the German Lutheran Congregation at Saginaw-City.

It is, beloved brethren in the Lord, a special comfort for congregations that stand alone to feel themselves also a part of the whole holy Christian Church, to know that there is one Lord over all, even over the members of it unknown to one another, namely Christ, sitting at the right hand of God, and that the prayers of all for the welfare of the individual members and of the whole reach the ears of this one Mediator. If we now comfort ourselves in much higher things, namely in that which concerns our eternal welfare, with the oversight of our common Shepherd and the intercession of all the saints, why should we not much rather trust that in much lesser and subordinate things, namely in that which concerns the outward maintenance of the congregation on earth, this glorious communion will be of benefit to us? And the way in which we are to seek help in such earthly need is plainly enough marked out for us, for if one member suffer, the others suffer with it; we are therefore to complain our need to the other members, that we may awaken their compassion. So we hope, then, that it will not seem strange to you if we venture to lay before you the need of our congregation and to claim your already often proved liberality, and indeed we can do so now with the more joyful courage, since we can testify with a good conscience that the small congregation, consisting for the most part of poor members, has brought its offerings beyond its means. The congregation here consists until now of only 11 standing members, partly heads of families, partly other independent members; among these only 6 are at present able to bear the burdens of the congregation; the rest are by sickness in such circumstances that they themselves need support. Now, however, the burdens to be borne are just at this time very great, for besides the fact that the congregation must maintain the pastor, there is also the pressing need to build a church together with a parsonage. Two of the better-off members have of their own free will each undertaken to buy a town lot in the best-situated part of the town for the church, and of the others considerable contributions have been subscribed toward the building. Yet all this is still far from reaching the need. In addition to this, the town lots mentioned above have been given up by the owners at a lower price on the condition that by the 1st of Dec. 1850 a building be erected upon them and at least brought under roof. We should then indeed be in great embarrassment, if we did not know that the Lord, in whose name we have begun the work, will surely also help to carry it through. Finally we would also point out to you how important the existence of a Lutheran congregation and church in Saginaw is. For this place is at present the chief point in northern Michigan, from which the cultivation of the country advances and through which all immigration must pass. So there is always staying here a considerable number of Germans, who have come hither without means and want first to earn so much as to be able to go farther; many also come from the neighboring districts to seek work, so that Saginaw is in a manner to be regarded as a mission post within the Church. This gives us more courage and warrant to ask the help of the brethren, as it may be for them a call to comply with our request. So we commend our cause, which is that of the whole holy Church, to our faithful Savior; he will bring all things to a good end, to the honor of his holy name and to the benefit of his believers. To him be glory for ever, Amen!

Any contributions may be sent to the following address:

Rev. O. Clöter, Saginaw-City, Mich.

Answer to Prayer.

A remarkable answer to prayer is related, as "eye- and ear-witness," by Albert Knapp, preacher in Stuttgart, in the Christoterpe of the year 1846, p. 117 ff., in the following words:

"It was in Nov. 1836, when, on a foggy Sunday forenoon, being just engaged in preparing my sermon, I was called to a man sick unto death in one of the most distant quarters of the city.

This commission was exceedingly inconvenient to me, and with strong self-denial I set out on my way, to speak courage of faith to the poor man, who, as I learned afterwards, was to undergo an operation upon life and death, and to pray with him. My heart condemned me afterwards for this unwillingness, and I felt deeply how ill it is done when one, over the preaching, would push the care of souls into the background. The sick man was a widowed vine-dresser, a man of fifty, a soldier in his youth, a gentle, modest man, not without respect for the Gospel, and his affliction consisted in a rupture, in the most dangerous place of the abdomen, dreadful, the size of a large pot, protruding. In an hour he expected the physician, together with the surgeons, to submit himself to the desperate cut of the knife. I shall never forget this man, to whom, not a year ago, after many blessed visits, I gave the funeral oration, with what anxiety he lay before my eyes, surrounded by several sympathizing men. He lay there like Isaac upon the altar of sacrifice of Moriah, — resigned, breathing heavily, in his inmost soul turned toward his impending mortal fate. After some conversation about the nature of his affliction my heart was lifted up with special joyfulness, and I said to him: 'the old heathen already believed in a Jupiter who governed all with the nod of his eyelashes; whether then it would not become the Christian to commit himself infinitely more confidently to the pierced hand of Him who has said: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth! — I might testify to him in the name of Jesus Christ that He, the Lord of glory, could help him in this very moment, if it were truly wholesome for him, the sick man, and that one must not determine whether Jesus Christ would not help him even today, and in any case turn all to blessing, if he would, in his heart, quite childlike and unconditionally give Him the honor over it, as to the royal Head of the world.' — Then he began with a weak, hearty voice: 'O dear sir, that I believe of Him indeed! The Savior need only make a sign so (that is, move his head a little), and I am well at once; — but I will prescribe nothing to Him therein, but I lay myself at His feet; let Him do with me as He will!' — 'Shall we not pray together, my friends?' said I. — 'Yes, we are willing; begin only!' I composed myself silently to come before the presence of the Lord, and behold, what happened? — Jesus! Jesus! what is this! — cried the sick man aloud. — Ah Jesus! what is this! I am well! Just now my rupture has gone back into the body!' — As though struck stiff we stood there; but one of the bystanders looked carefully (it was a hernia testicularis), and truly, it was so: it was helped without human hands. — (Who would not think here of the words: before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear? Jes. 65, 24.) The scene that followed I cannot describe. The bearded men all wept like children for joy, and we prayed together, stammering our thanks to the Lord, for whose grace and glory there are no words enough. — After a quarter of an hour the physicians came. 'Look, dear sirs,' I cried, 'the sick man is already healed without you! A higher hand than the human, — the hand of Christ has revealed itself here and done great things to this man!' — With astonished, questioning look the practiced, aged physician looked: 'What is this?' said he, — 'the man is truly saved and the danger past! But such a thing has never before happened to me in my long years of practice!' — How cheerfully we went away together from the sick man, who from that time lived yet 8 years in the fear of God, to our home, and what an element, breaking through all worldly conventions, united us