# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 02 18_S103
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

103

To this end the congregations also are sometimes called upon by the preachers to attend them, to praise and extol God unanimously together, as One congregation, which is also right and good; for one truly cannot pray too much.

But let us go for once to the prayer meeting itself, and see there how and by what sort of persons it is conducted, and nothing remains to us but a lamentable condition of the same.

One has commonly as leaders people who cannot even speak the language in which they speak or pray. Again, there are some who pray one and the same thing every time, and not only pray one and the same thing every time, but every time pray just that which they are accustomed to pray. There prayer is not made according to time or circumstances, as need requires, but it is prayed as is the custom, namely, one or two verses sung, and then prayer, and then this repeated a few times, until the time has passed: and then they go home again, without anything having been gathered for the heart.

Here many a one might ask, why then is nothing gathered for the heart? Prayer is made, after all, in fellowship with one another, and God is praised; and it is also free to everyone to pray himself. But the question is what feelings one has in the prayers which are made in the prayer meetings. I will then cite a few, and from them let each one judge for himself.

The writer knows a prayer meeting over which presides a man who, when he steps forward to give out a hymn, first has to spit for some time, until he has spat away the tobacco which he has in his mouth. I have heard this same man before exhorting the brethren and sisters to prayer and to concord, and on the very same evening I saw that man go away from the prayer meeting.

Another stammers out a cold prayer, so that the time seems long to everyone until it comes to an end. Another begins to utter a wailing cry, so that one would think his heart must melt for tears, and when the prayer is finished, the tears also are dried. Now just think how one can pray with such people, and yet one is supposed, as a confessor of Jesus Christ and as a member of the Church, to support the prayer meeting, else one is not called a brother.

O lamentable condition of the prayer meetings, for here nothing else remains to us than the word of the apostle Peter: "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, etc." [1 Pet. 4: 17.] Here we could cite still much besides, but it does not become me, as a layman, to write much about it."

Private Correspondence.
(From Prussia.)

— — "We bear the weal and woe of our Church in America upon praying hearts, for "no man ever yet hated his own flesh," and on the other hand we expect from our brethren beyond the sea the same helping hand in our common holy warfare under the One banner of the only Captain."

To the Lutheran Church in Prussia, in Germany, hard and hot struggles will soon come. Church and State-Church: that will become more and more the burning theme of the time. Our adversaries within the Prussian State-Church, who call themselves Lutherans, are close to producing a shadow-image of the "Lutheran Church," and with whom then the Lutheran State-Churches will wholesale hold fellowship can hardly be doubtful, namely not with us. On the other hand, a rupture is also preparing in the Lutheran State-Churches, as you well know. Löhe still waits, but in pilgrim's shoes. Harless is setting all his powers to lead Saxony still as a whole to regeneration: whether he will succeed? Just now Prof. Kahnis of Breslau, from our midst, has been called to Leipzig in Harless's place. A wonder. It is very possible that the time of persecution of our Church in Prussia may become quite new once more. The beginnings of it are already stirring, in spite of the paper "free constitution." Well, there remaineth yet a rest for the people of God. Thither we lift up our heads. Let our fellowship stand meanwhile under the dew that falleth from Hermon upon the mountain of Zion, until we arrive in the new Jerusalem. Immanuel!

S. near C., in November 1850.

Faith, Love, Hope.

Faith lays hold of Christ's person and office. Love follows Him in His life. Hope lays hold of the future glory. Faith must have no other Christ, Saviour, Redeemer, Mediator and way to life than Christ Jesus. Love has the one life of Christ before it. Hope expects nothing else than eternal glory.

These three chief virtues, faith, love, hope, are friends with three other virtues. Faith is friends with humility; love with patience; hope with prayer. For he that believes, humbles himself. He that loves is patient. He that hopes prays.

That is a truly beautiful way of God. O Lord, show us the same!

J. Arndt.

Jesuit Wisdom.

The Jesuit and professor of theology Ferdinand Sieghardt at Prague published in the year 1715 a little book in which he answers, among other things, 50 "hard questions" about the holy Virgin Mary. The 36th question reads: "Whether Mary had toothache?" The answer of the learned man is: "No, because she did not bite into Adam's apple," he means to say, namely, that Mary had no part in Adam's fall.

Thus it must go with the dear office of the ministry on both sides, that either those let it lie who ought to conduct it, or those wish to conduct it to whom it is not committed.

Luther.

Invitation to Subscription.

Hereby a little book is recommended to the Christian reader, which is meant to supply a need that has long been felt by parents, teachers, and educators, namely, to put into the hands of confirmed youth a writing which in the course of their Christian life may stand at their side instructing, counseling, admonishing, warning, encouraging, and comforting, which may be to them a guide and guidepost to heaven, even when their former guides can no longer watch over their steps and paces. For this purpose we found especially suitable a little book from the older treasures of our Church, namely the

"Nützliche Andenken für Confirmirte"

by M. Ph. F. Hiller, known throughout all Würtemberg and held in high honor. For it speaks in a manner as fatherly as it is mightily moving to the hearts of the young; it builds upon the right foundation, Jesus Christ, not wood, hay, and stubble, but gold, silver, and precious stones. It appears, however, not entirely in its original form, but under the title: "Timotheus," partly with some omissions, in order to reduce the cost of the little book; partly with some additions, to make it more useful for the ecclesiastical circumstances here.

The price will be set as cheap as possible and announced shortly. The outward appointment shall leave nothing to be desired.

It is to appear still before the end of March, so that by Palm Sunday it can also be obtained by those at a distance, if they place orders in good time at the office of the Lutheraner.

The preparation has been undertaken by a friend of the young and member of the Evang. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States, but the publication itself the said Synod has taken over.