# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 09 02_S5
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

5

him, the Lord, in the beauty of holiness, and have thrown wide open door and gate to His Gospel, so that the King of glory has been able to enter into their lands.

Such great grace of God is to be gratefully acknowledged.

Let us now acknowledge such lofty and great grace of God, and heartily thank God that He lets this joyful confession of faith, as the last trumpet before the Last Day, still ring and resound throughout the whole worthy Christendom, and also among us.

Oh, how the papists have exerted themselves, how they would suppress and root out the Evangelicals with cunning, might and violence. In the German war in the year 1547 their foremost purpose was directed to this, to destroy the whole of Lutheranism, as they call it. We see it, alas, still before our eyes (1630, in the midst of the Thirty Years' War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648), how wickedly they have it in mind; how gladly they would root out and destroy the poor little evangelical flock of the Church to the very ground. Therefore let us not cease to pray and to call upon God fervently, that He would by no means take His holy Word from us again, nor let the same be falsified through popish, Jesus-opposing (Jesuitical), sacramentarian or other abominations, but would graciously keep us in it unto the end, under the protection and shelter of the Almighty.

In the last evil time the Gospel shall shine brightly.

And although it has been foretold, besides what we daily experience, also in Holy Scripture, that in the last days before the end of the world there shall be very evil and horrible times; as it commonly happens, when a cask is running to the dregs, that everything is apt to go all muddy and confused: yet this also was not to be kept silent, that shortly before the Last Day it should stand somewhat better in the world as regards religion than it did before; namely, that the darkened light of the holy Gospel should be kindled anew, and in all the world shine bright and clear. As we now sufficiently observe the afflictions of the last time in all estates, so also have we by God's grace lived to see that we have it better as regards religion than the forefathers had; since God the Lord has caused the saving Gospel to come forth again, and so, as it were, to refresh Himself in the world, in order that no one might lay any blame for his perdition upon God the Lord, but rather might plainly perceive how gladly God would have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Prayer for its preservation.

We now acknowledge the great grace of God the Lord, which He has shown us according to the riches of His goodness, with the revelation of His alone-saving Word; and we beg and wish from the heart that He would not take from us such a noble and most precious treasure of the soul, but leave it to us and to our posterity until the end of the world, and not withdraw it. We pray also, besides, that God would so govern us in all things that we may show ourselves thankful in return and order our life worthily accordingly; that God the Lord may have no cause to punish us.

Exhortation to steadfastness.

We most faithfully admonish everyone to continue steadfastly in this unaltered Augsburg Confession and in the truth of the holy Gospel once acknowledged and confessed. For we must indeed experience in these days such misery, that many grow lustful, and anew, without any necessity, betake themselves under the antichristian popedom; and many too, for the sake of worldly preferment, dignity and glory, or else merely to please men, let their baptismal covenant go, and wantonly put themselves under the antichristian yoke. Men are almost becoming weary of God's Word, and have enough of it, and even let themselves loathe the heavenly manna; one may well judge how this must please God the Lord. The contempt and heedlessness is far too great, and the greatest multitude lives after the evil desires of its heart; it will either not be reminded, or else not follow faithful reminding. Over this one must be zealous, whoever can be zealous, especially those to whom it is commanded by virtue of their office; which is to be done not only by teachers in the churches, but also by parents at home, and indeed with all earnestness.

Warning against indifference and apostasy.

And we have great reason for this: oh, how bitter and wicked are the enemies of the holy Gospel against this Confession! How gladly would they root out and destroy to the ground all those who confess themselves to it with heart and mouth! Oh, how the foundations and cloisters in these lands, which have been taken from him, stick in the eyes of the devil and his following! How he labors to take possession again of his former palace, even if he should take to himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself; that he might lead the people further into idolatry, keep them in false and erroneous doctrine and ungodly life, and plunge them with himself into damnation. Here we have indeed good reason to thank God from the heart that He has abolished such abominations, and to take good heed that we may remain preserved from them.

Warning from history and experience.

For the histories testify that God's Word has seldom been able to remain pure and unadulterated for a long time in one place; but it has commonly had such fortune that in time it has had to wander and move elsewhere: as we see today how it goes with those churches which the Lord Christ and the holy Apostles themselves planted. God's Word is indeed a right, gracious rain, which moistens and refreshes the dry land: but this rain will be held and sheltered; where that is not done, it passes away, so that one cannot enjoy it long. Therefore we all have to shelter and hold it, that such grace may not slip away from us under our very hands. Let us therefore let God's Word dwell richly among us, and diligently instruct our children in the holy Catechism, both publicly and at home persisting daily with teaching, reminding, warning and chastising; that all contempt of God's Word and sinful living may be checked and restrained.

Luther's fear for Germany.

Truly, the blessed man of God, Dr. Luther, in his time had by no means yet seen such ungodly and damnable doings as are now in full swing, when all manner of offenses grow, and more and more are practiced unabashed by great and small. But he had already in his time this foreboding, that Germany would fall into ruin before God, and make itself forfeit of His pure Word; indeed, one has to fear that God the Lord will so punish the ungodly world before its end; will take His Word wholly and altogether away, and will leave almost nowhere a pure ministry of preaching in public, except what may yet remain in the houses with Christian fathers and mothers of households. As the Lord Christ Himself also points thereto, when He preaches of the Gospel, how it shall be proclaimed before the Last Day as a farewell to the world; yet for a testimony against it, namely that it will little amend itself thereby.

This we should take to heart.

Therefore let this be said to us, and let us faithfully take it to heart, thinking not only of ourselves but also of our posterity; that they may not have to pay for our wickedness and contempt; which would happen if by persistent impenitence we should cause God to take His holy Word away from us. Let us rather present ourselves with our poor prayer before the high majesty of God, and humbly in Christian devotion and faith fall at His feet, that He would be and abide with us with His Word, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent; and so pray:

Prayer.

O Lord and God! preserve us and our posterity, together with Thy whole Church, in Thy holy, revealed Word; preserve us in the pure evangelical Confession unto the end of the world; grant Thou peace and wholesome unity in these last troubled