# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 05 13_S145
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.
"God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure shall to eternity endure."
(Rev. of John, Chap. 14, v. 6. 7.)
Published by the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
Edited by C. F. W. Walther.
Volume 7.  St. Louis, Mo., May 13, 1851.  No. 19.
Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks, at the yearly subscription price of One Dollar for out-of-town subscribers, who are to pay for it in advance and bear the postage. In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 cents.
Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be sent to the editor; all others, which contain business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent hither under the address Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

Sermon,
on Easter Day 1851 in St. Louis, Mo.,
delivered and, at the repeated request of many, communicated
by C. F. W. W.

J. N. J.

LORD JESUS, truly hast Thou once, amid the mockery of the world and the exultation of hell, bowed Thy head upon the cross, and at last, lamenting that Thou wert forsaken even of God, hast sunk down into the floods of death; but behold! the abyss of death could not hold Thee: living, conquering, shining with heavenly radiance, Thou hast risen again after three days. Sealed hereby is the word which Thou hast spoken; sealed the honor of adoration which Thou hast demanded; sealed the great and blessed work of redemption, which Thou didst promise to accomplish. How disarmed and put to shame are now all Thine enemies, who will not have Thee reign over them! and upon how firm and unshakable a foundation are the faith and hope of Thine own now grounded! How confidently can they now trust Thy Word! with what assurance can they now, bowing their knees before Thee, say: My Lord and my God! how certainly and joyfully can they now await Thy coming again in glory, and expect from Thy hand the crown of life!

Behold, however, O Lord Jesus, Thou almighty Conqueror of hell, Thou Lord of death and Prince of life, behold, how craftily and mightily, especially in our days, the faith of Thine own in Thee is assailed! Behold, how therefore Thy poor little flock now so often cries out again in little faith: Lord, help us, we perish! O, make therefore for Thine own the present feast of Thy glorification a feast of strengthening for their wavering faith. Step in these days in all the glory of Thy glorious resurrection living before their souls and grant that their heart may rise exulting above the world and its powerless scorn, and glory joyfully in Thee. And as Thou didst once reveal Thyself to Thomas, sunk in doubts, and thereby also bring his peaceless and joyless heart to rest and fill him with holy joy of faith; yea, didst appear even to Saul, who was breathing out threatenings against Thee, and thereby lay him also at Thy feet and change him into a herald of Thy majesty and grace: O, so reveal Thyself in these festival days also to those who now doubt and who rage against Thee, and make the Easter message to them all a cry of resurrection, that may penetrate down into the grave of their unbelief and awaken them also and subject them to Thy scepter of grace.

Yea, reign, Thou Ruler; conquer, Conqueror;
King, use Thy dominion;
Lead on the wars of Thy kingdom,
Make an end of slavery.
Lead the souls out of the pit
Through the blood of the New Covenant;
That they may be wedded to Thee,
Thou highest good of all sinners! Amen.

In Christ, the Risen One, beloved hearers!

So then the tones of mourning, which were heard for some time past in the meeting-houses of Christians, have died away, and everywhere that Christians assemble, loud sounds of joy resound again. The gloomy penitential hymns of Christians have suddenly fallen silent, and jubilant festival hymns have taken their place. The anxious cry for grace and mercy has been suddenly followed today by the cry: "Hallelujah, we have conquered"! The Christians, who for a time past, cast down under the scorn of the world, have had to sing and sigh:

O sadness,
O heartache,
Is that not to be lamented?
God the Father's only Son
Is borne to the grave —

lift up their heads today joyfully and defiantly, and sing in all lands the song of triumph:

Christ is arisen
From all His torments;
Therefore we all should be glad;
Christ will be our comfort.
Kyrieleis. —

But how? my brethren, is this also truth? — certain, irrefutable, undeniable truth? — Or is it perhaps nothing but a sweet empty dream? — Perhaps nothing but a bitter, grand delusion? —

Ah, my dear friends, how terrible it would be if we were deceived here! The holy Apo-