# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1853 06 07_S139
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

139

Therefore we begin to pray, and remind the LORD Jesus of His word (Matt. 7, Luke 11): "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." We place ourselves altogether as though we stood before the door of heaven and were seeking a sure entrance. That is mightily beautiful. A prayer also is used in which two similitudes stand: 1, of the Flood, from 1 Pet. 3, and 2) of the Red Sea, from 1 Cor. 10. Learn to understand this also (I know that many do not consider it): we desire that God would, through this spiritual flood of grace, drown the little child's sin, as in former times all sinners perished in the Flood, and that He would preserve the child in the spiritual ark of Christendom unto eternal life, like Noah with his children. Likewise, we desire that God would, in this baptismal water, which before Him is "a red flood, colored by Christ's blood," let the whole power of the hellish Pharaoh go under in our baptized one.

3. At these two prayers sentence is also publicly pronounced twice upon the hellish Pharaoh, the evil, unclean spirit, that he shall and must depart from this new little courtier of Jesus Christ, that he shall find no power in him for ever. Here we consider two things: first, our great, lamentable misery in which we are sunk because of sin, of which we also sing:

The devil held me prisoner,
In death I was undone.

And besides this we remember also the great comfort to which we are advanced through the grace of Jesus Christ in holy Baptism. The snare is broken and we are free; the Son of God hath made us free. Therefore we are free men indeed (John 8). There shall be nothing condemnable in us (Rom. 8).*)

*) Herberger speaks here of the so-called lesser and greater Exorcism (adjuration of the devil), as it is found in Luther, as also in most of the old Agenda, and is still in use in many places. It is not meant by this that the child is bodily possessed by the devil, nor that he is to depart from the child by virtue of this formula; rather the Church would thereby testify 1.) that this child by nature stands under the power of the devil, and 2.) that through the power and working of holy Baptism it is rescued therefrom. In this sense alone has the Exorcism been retained by Luther, as appears from his words in the preface to the Baptismal Booklet: "For thou hearest in the words of this prayer how piteously and earnestly the Christian Church brings the little child before God, and with such steadfast, unwavering words confesses before God that it is possessed by the devil and a child of sin and of disfavor, and so diligently asks for help and grace through Baptism, that it may become a child of God." — It is a public and solemn announcement made to the hellish prince, to let the child go out of his power by the power of Baptism, seeing that it is to become a subject of Jesus Christ, according to the will of the Father, through the Holy Ghost.

4. A new name is given to the little child, for it has become a new citizen of heaven; its name must be written in the heavenly city register (Luke 10), yea, in the hand of God (Is. 49), and be recorded in the roll of the elect children of God, in Christ's family book, that it may never be forgotten (Ps. 112). The child is become a young student of the Church, therefore its name must come into the heavenly register. One does not give the child an evil name; it must not be called Cain or Judas, but must bear a holy name. Thereupon the sponsors wish: God help thee, dear godchild, that thou mayest bear the name in deed, and also become as pious as the blessed people who before thee have borne this Christian baptismal name.

5. The little child's breast and forehead are marked with the form of the holy cross. Here we consider that the heart of every Christian must be Jesus Christ's little cross-pit, that their watchword should be: Alone Thy cross, LORD Jesus Christ, is my highest comfort on earth."*) Moreover we remember that baptized Christians cannot be without cross and misery; they must drag themselves with the cross even into the grave; they are true brothers of the Order of the Cross, and the LORD Jesus Himself is the Grand Master in this Order.

*) Who does not think here also of the beautiful words in his hymn for the dying:

"In my heart's deepest ground
Thy name and cross alone
Sparkle at all times and hours,
Thereon I can be joyful:
Appear to me in the image
For comfort in my distress,
How Thou, LORD Christ, so mildly
Hast bled Thyself to death."

6. Thereupon the Gospel of Mark 10 is read, how many pious matrons brought their little children to the LORD Jesus. Here we consider

First, that we may carry our little children to Baptism without fear. For the LORD Jesus rebukes soundly the wiseacres who would forbid that the little children should be brought to Him; He says: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God (the gold belongs to them; who would withhold the little purse from them?), and He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them. The examples of Scripture agree also with this, for in Acts 16 the jailer's whole house, and in 1 Cor. 1 whole households, are baptized. Origen says that it has always been customary from the time of the Apostles, and Cyprian, who lived two hundred and fifty years after Christ's birth, writes that in the Synod those people were punished who, after the example of circumcision, let Baptism wait until the eighth day.†) Necessity requires it also, for our little children are conceived and born in sins, as David testifies, Psalm 51, whom we justly believe. They are by nature children of wrath, Eph. 2. Therefore they must also be born anew of water and the Spirit, John 3. Isaiah saw it already in the Old Testament (ch. 49), where he says: "They shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders." The wanton Anabaptists say: Our little children do not yet believe, therefore Baptism is of no use to them. But we abide by Christ's Word, Matt. 18. "Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, etc. How could they otherwise please God? (Heb. 12.) The more it offends our reason, the greater is the hidden artifice of the Holy Ghost. Others help themselves with Christ's example. He, they say, was baptized only in the thirtieth year of His age. Answer: But He was not circumcised only in the thirtieth year of His age. Now our Baptism has taken the place of circumcision (Col. 2.) Moreover, Baptism was not yet in the Jewish land when Christ was born; He would not otherwise have let it wait.

†) One might be glad nowadays if all parents would bring their children to Baptism only by the eighth day. But many put it off two, four, six and still more weeks, and that for quite wretched reasons, perhaps because they wish to prepare a proper christening feast and cannot get to it sooner. What may such people think of the great need of their child and of the glory and blessedness of Baptism?

Besides this, the sponsors who have been requested also remember their office.*) They do no otherwise than the kind-hearted mothers who carried their dear little hearts to the LORD Jesus and laid them in His arms. They pray: LORD Jesus, oh take the dear godchild from our arms. Press it also to Thy dear heart, touch it also with Thy gracious hand, speak a powerful blessing over our godchild, whereby it may live as a Christian and die blessed. Let it also increase in age, wisdom and grace with God and men. From this it is plain that unruly children, drunken fools, ungodly people who are unfit for prayer, do not belong to the sponsorship. The sponsors are the little child's advocates, just as these mothers spoke the word for their little children with Christ.†)

*) The reminding of the sponsors of their office takes place especially through a brief admonition addressed to them, and the vow to be made by them, to see to it that the child be instructed in the pure doctrine and kept to godliness.

†) Fathers and mothers who read this, take it quite carefully in the choice of baptismal sponsors for your newborn little ones, and avoid in this important matter all levity and all carnal considerations. Remember here also the earnest words of Luther in the preface to his Baptismal Booklet, already mentioned several times: "And I fear that for this reason the people turn out so badly after Baptism, that they have been dealt with so coldly and slackly and prayed for so entirely without earnestness in Baptism . . . Therefore it is also well fitting and right that one should not let drunken and coarse priests baptize, nor take wanton people for sponsors, but fine, orderly, earnest, pious priests and sponsors, of whom one may be assured that they handle the matter with earnestness and right faith, lest one set the holy Sacrament at the devil's mockery and dishonor God, who pours out therein such overflowing and bottomless riches of His grace upon us that He Himself calls it a new birth, that we, free of all the tyranny of the devil, loosed from sin, death and hell, may become children of life and heirs of all the goods of God, and God's own children and Christ's brethren. — Ah, dear Christians! let us not so carelessly esteem and treat such unspeakable gifts; for Baptism is our only comfort and entrance to all divine goods and to all the communion of saints.