# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1848 10 31_S36
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

36

special duty to speak with the persons concerned from God's Word about such offenses, and we should, especially if we could also speak more with Paul's tears, perhaps often find more access to the heart in such sinners than in the self-righteous and respectable people. But even these, though they may perhaps believe that they can quite dispense with our counsel and our house-visits, and take care not to come too near us anywhere, yes, would rather keep out of our way — even these may any moment fall into sickness, distress of conscience, and peril of death, so that they are perhaps still glad, if by God's merciful grace they reach a faithful pastor and can hear from his mouth the voice of Christ. And there we will gladly and with joy hasten to them, and especially at the sick-beds and death-beds still show all fidelity, to accompany the souls desirous of salvation on their last way as faithful helpers of their eternal joy, encouraging and comforting them. But that all the souls entrusted to us may thus become desirous of salvation, and not too late, but still in due time open their ears, let us therefore diligently, like Epaphras, call upon God for our congregations, and say with Samuel: "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way." (Col. 4, 12.) (1 Sam. 12, 29.)

As to individual special cases and questions of conscience, which so frequently occur to a faithful pastor, when he knows no right counsel, or at least would like to become certain whether he has acted rightly and still acts rightly in his office in this way or that, let us faithfully redeem the time when we come together at our conferences, and let us also in the present days of our being together communicate our experiences in office to one another, take counsel together, and strengthen our hands in God. Let us also at home diligently note down, and by written communication lay before one another, what may be too hard for the one or the other in his conduct of office! Above all, however, let us ever more search and learn, from the most faithful conduct of office of our highly praised Archshepherd Jesus Christ, and from the example of His prophets and apostles, also from the writings of other faithful and approved pastors, and among them especially from the rich legacy of our highly enlightened and experienced Luther, how we may wait on the guard of the Lord, carry on our work aright, feed our flocks, and make them blessed, ourselves and those who hear us!

4.

But I cannot close this discourse without at the last expressing, with a few words, a comfort which certainly all pastors need more or less, who conduct their office with earnestness and yet, in view of the still more earnest account which they shall one day give of every soul, might be alarmed and despair because of their unfaithfulness, weakness, and unfitness. Yes, I gladly confess it to you; as I have preached to myself what has been said thus far, so I also cry over my pastoral care, which I have now conducted for twenty-three years by God's grace: "Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant!" And I know that you also will go on in your hearts in this saying and sigh: "In thy sight shall no man living be justified!"

Indeed, we will thank God from the heart for all His grace and help, wherewith He has hitherto stood by us in so many a conflict and so much anguish, has blessed our labor in the Lord, and has not allowed that we should have labored altogether in vain and spent our strength for nought and in vain. Praised be He for every soul which He, in these last grievous times, through our weak service at the Word, has drawn to Himself as the reward of His sorrows, and has given to ourselves for a comfort. We will also say this to ourselves for comfort, that even if our labor among many souls often seems long in vain, yet very soon, or even after our death, many a scattered seed will spring up, and many a one will perhaps say, as has often already happened: "My pastor told me this many times, and I did not perceive it earlier; but now I thank him for it even in his grave."

But in all our works, indeed, even in the works of our office, there is for our conscience neither rest nor repose; and if the Lord should one day question us and wish to contend with us over our sins, we could not answer Him one of a thousand. Therefore let this also here be and remain our chief comfort: "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength"; righteousness, in that He forgives to all who believe on Him from the heart, thus also to the servants of His Word, their sins; and strength, in that through such faith He will be mighty also in their weakness, and on their prayer and supplication will ever again grant them a joyful opening of their mouths, that they may nevertheless go forth and bring forth much fruit, sowing here indeed in tears, but there reaping with joy. —

Were the time not too short, I should here have yet a word of exhortation to address to Christian hearers and members of congregations, that they would by all means gratefully recognize the work of faithful pastors who labor among them, and not make it hard, but rather make it easy, and beware lest those who watch for their souls, and shall one day give account for it, have to sigh over them. Heb. 13, 17. But we hasten to the close, and make the same with the last words of our text, wherein Paul himself points to the right source of all comfort and of all hope, saying: "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." Let us seize and appropriate this precious word of comfort in firm faith, as though he himself, the Apostle, stood among us and blessed us in farewell. Yes, if he himself were now in our midst, what else would he call out to us at our parting, when we now go asunder again in these days, than that we should stand together faithfully in brotherly love, hold fast unshakably to the pure Word of the grace of God, and fervently call upon the great Shepherd of the sheep, that He would grant us mercy to be faithful in our pastoral office, so that He Himself may make us fit for every good work and be mighty in us, to build up us and ours more and more in right faith, and in all toil and tribulation of this life let us hope joyfully and patiently for the rest that remaineth to the people of God, where all who are sanctified and perfected in faith receive the promised eternal inheritance, and "they that be wise," who have turned many to righteousness, "shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, as the stars for ever and ever." (Dan. 12, 3.)

Ah, may God our Father grant this to us all, and to our congregations, and to the many souls who now in conflict and distress sigh to Him for grace and comfort, through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the comforting communion of the Holy Ghost! Amen!

The "Lutheran Standard" and the So-Called General Synod of the American Lutheran Church.

The "Lutheran Standard" is, as most of our readers will know, a religious periodical written in the English language. It is published by the Directory of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Columbus in Ohio, under the protection and supervision of the General Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio, and (formerly edited by Mr. P. C. Spielmann alone) is at present edited by a committee specially appointed for the purpose, which consists of Professor Lehmann and the Pastors C. Spielmann and E. Grünwald. The readers will remember that we have hitherto always mentioned this paper with honor. With great joy we have repeatedly announced that it bears valiant witness against the apostasy from pure doctrine which has taken place in the so-called American Lutheran Church here, and therefore also against the long since apostate General Synod, and raises its voice for the pure doctrine of our Church, and therefore also in particular for the obligation of our preachers to all the public confessions of the same. This time, however, we must make the announcement to our readers that an essential change has recently taken place with the "Lutheran Standard," and we can assure them that we have probably never with