# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 09 15_S11
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

11

still consist mostly of country people, is more useful and profitable than the "Lutheraner," in order to learn with and in the Church to know and confess, to strive and suffer, to lament and rejoice, that we leave to the own decision of the Synod and of every impartial reader of both papers.

Although, however, the "Lutheraner" considers it especially unworthy of a churchly paper, after the manner of the quacks of this country and in a mercantile and customer-hunting way, to have unsolicited letters of praise printed, as is unfortunately rather general, yet it holds it quite right to accept well-meant rebuke gladly and willingly, and it therefore hereby calls upon the Reverend Synod of Ohio or its President to point out to it the articles in which it has really been "harsh," that is, has sinned against true love, and kindly to show it the where and how of this harshness. It will then gladly print the censure recognized as just. Naturally this offer does not refer to the last affair, because therein the Synod is a party and consequently cannot be judge.

(Conclusion to follow.)

(Communicated.)

Exhortation to Christian Parents to Dedicate Their Children to the Holy Ministry.

[illegible]

There is now a great need in our Lutheran Church here in America, which we lay especially before you parents, because you can remedy it if you will. Our LORD Jesus Christ has need of laborers in His vineyard! Thousands and again thousands of our countrymen and brethren in the faith are immigrating here, the most of them with the wish and in the hope of being able here more easily to escape earthly need than in the German fatherland, and the merciful God, who giveth above all that we ask or think, not only often relieves this earthly need, but gives also to many who have not yet altogether sunk in the hell-flame of most horrible unbelief and of the most shameful blasphemies, that holy need of the jailer at Philippi after the eternal, heavenly goods, into the heart. There stir, God be praised and thanked! in many places the dead men's bones, a questioning begins after the saving truth, after the right pasture for hungry souls. But how shall straying sheep find the pasture without shepherds, especially here, where the many by-ways so easily lead astray? How shall they, the weak in faith, the children in knowledge, grow strong and increase, if they are not preached to? But how can they be preached to, if no one is sent? And how shall one send, if there is no one to send? It is very sad, very much to be lamented, that so many congregations cry for help, ask for preachers, but one cannot hear their cry, cannot fulfil their request, cannot send them any preacher, because there is so great a lack of able, faithful servants of the LORD. — There is need, need in the kingdom of Christ, and mark it well, you mothers and fathers, that cry for help of forsaken congregations is the call of Christ Jesus Himself. The LORD of the vineyard, of the Church, now steps out into the market-place, before your house, and seeks help from you, He the eternal King of heaven, from you, the poor, miserable, sinful creature, but dearly bought through His blood! And what does the LORD want of you? He wants to have one or another of your sons; they are to learn the vineyard work, to learn to hold fast to the Word that is sure, to learn to exhort with sound doctrine and to rebuke the gainsayers; He wants to make fishers of men, shepherds, preachers out of them and send them to the forsaken, entreating congregations. What will you do, you fathers and mothers who are blessed by God with fine, pious boys, will you hear the entreaty, the cry for help, or not?! — You say: you would like to, but there would yet be a great deal to consider, and if you were to weigh it all earnestly, you would still not know whether you should say "yes" to it. — Well then, what are your misgivings, what have you to object?

You say: It is not here as in Germany; there the preachers had it good, but here! — Income and honor so small, — labor, care and tribulation so great! —

That is now indeed true, and certain, that if it were all over with this life here, we Christians and the Lutheran preachers in America especially would in truth be the most miserable among all men, and the unbelieving good-for-nothings, idlers, gluttons and drunkards the happiest. But you know indeed that this life is only the short, dangerous, decisive journey into the eternal, blessed home, and that this journey can only then be called a precious one, leading to the goal, into the strait gate, if it was full of toil and labor and a cross-bearing following of Christ. Are you, dear parents, then so blind that for the earthly well-being of your children you forget their heavenly blessedness? Do you then wish and strive that your children should become one day the rich man in the Gospel, and only never the poor Lazarus? Shall your child have it better than his Master, is he above Him? You complain of small income, — did then Christ have where to lay His head? You think with anxiety of the rude refractoriness, reviling, persecution, — did not Christ and His holy Apostles have to bear the same and a hundred times more? Does not the Lord say (John 15, 18-20): "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you!" And does not that precious word of promise also ring in your hearts (Matt. 5, 11): "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." If you parents are Christians, but from the heart, and truly love your children, the reason stated above can never move you to refuse on that account to let your son become a preacher. Yes, on the contrary, if you knew that the holy ministry here were an office which brought little care and sweat, but much fame and honor among men and many good days in this world; then precisely you would and must reflect well three times before you would and could give your son into a station so perilous to the soul and so full of temptation.

You say further: You need your children for your house and field work. —

But I ask you: are you the masters over your children, or God, who has given them to you? You say: you need them! The dear God says it and calls to you now: He also has need of them! Will you set yourselves against God? are you mightier than He? — Be not deceived, God is not mocked, not defied; it needs only a beck of His hand and the son whom you needed so much and would not let go into the LORD's work, bends down at your side like a broken flower and is no more, is wholly taken from you by death. And what blessing can rest also upon your work which God does not please, will He not send the curse into it, because you want to keep your son, through whom He would feed and save immortal souls, in order to make earthly profit by him? — And do you then think that your rich Father in heaven, who has so many ways and means, could and would not repay you a thousandfold your son's work and help? Has He not said: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom!" O ye of little faith! —

But, you say: My son has not the necessary gifts and abilities which are required of a servant of the Word. —

Is that also true, or only an evasion, a cloak for your unwillingness, a lie? God trieth the hearts and reins, and the liar prospers not before Him! You cannot be the judge in your own cause. The preacher and schoolteacher of your son will be able best to judge whether, under God's gracious help and the faithful diligence and prayer of your boy, a teacher or preacher can be formed of him or not. Therefore leave to them the judgment about the abilities of your son.

But, you object finally: We ha-