# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1848 11 28_S50
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

50

who is Himself eternal righteousness, love, and truth, was crucified by His own people.

A. The shameful, ungrateful world.

W. Therefore it would also be shameful if a Christian still wished to go whoring after it. He must rather say with Paul: by JESUS Christ the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Gal. 6, 14. That noble hero who had conquered Jerusalem refused to wear a royal crown where Christ, our LORD, had worn a crown of thorns. And why should a preacher not gladly suffer and renounce for Christ's sake, since God will reward him with eternal, unspeakable glory?

A. I thought the same was promised to all pious Christians?

W. Certainly. But God has also given in His Word a special promise to faithful preachers: They that be teachers shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Dan. 12, 3.

A. Is it a fine thing to become a preacher only for the sake of that reward?

W. To be sure, thankful love toward Christ is the first ground which must impel us to bring every sacrifice for His sake. But because the Christian who, according to God's will, takes upon himself the holy ministry thereby takes upon himself at the same time many sufferings which he would have escaped had he chosen another calling, because for this reason so few have a desire for it, and yet it is so necessary: therefore God would allure and entice Christians to it with the most lovely promises of an eternal reward of grace.

A. It is also the very hardest calling. Only think of the burden which a faithful preacher has to bear, of the care for souls, the contempt of the world, the temptations of Satan, and the account which he will have to give some day.

W. But also the very fairest. For with what does a preacher deal daily? with the most blessed treasure which we have on earth, with the heaven-sweet Word of our dear God. King Alexander of Macedonia knew Homer's heroic songs almost entirely by heart; a copy of them lay constantly under his pillow; and that was after all only a comfortless, heathen book. How much more should we take delight in the Word of God and talk of it day and night? for there the Paradise that has vanished from the world opens itself to us; there the blessed meadows grow green; there flow the fresh water-brooks of eternal life; and whoever draws in faith from this well of salvation receives the unspeakable comfort that all his sins are forgiven him, and finds therein a refreshing balm for all the pains of his soul. God's words are spirit and life; therefore they alone can still the infinite longing of the human heart.

A. But all Christians have that joy in the Word of God, do they not?

W. Preachers also wish only to be helpers of their joy. For that they proclaim God's Word, but for that they need as deep a knowledge as possible. They must, if possible, be able to read the Holy Scriptures in the original language, must know the Christian doctrine in its connection, and must know how to defend the same against all attacks. Oh, I should like to wander through the whole domain of human knowledge, in order to be able to bear witness to the truth in every way.

A. The studying will still give you trouble enough.

W. A trouble which I gladly undertake, in order to penetrate ever deeper into the mystery of the love of God, into which even the angels desire to look. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3, 16. This saying is the heart of the Bible, an eternal fountain of peace and joy. To him who takes this to heart in truly childlike and simple faith, the faithful Father-countenance of our God appears transfigured with all the radiance of His infinite kindness and graciousness; to him it also becomes quite friendly and faithful in his mind, it grows warm about his heart, for the love of God is shed abroad therein. Only consider this love once in its breadth, length, depth, and height: God the Father gives us, His enemies, His Son; Christ, God and man, dies for us on the cross, bears our sins, pains, and sicknesses, and purchases us with His own blood. Now sin is blotted out, death, devil, and hell are overcome, now heaven is on earth, we are now God's children. We ought all rightly to say with Paul: "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ JESUS my LORD, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." Phil. 3, 8.

A. If I could only grasp this blessed message aright, I believe my heart would burst for joy. But I am, alas, so cold, dead, and dull toward what is divine.

W. That we all are by nature, dead and mortified in sins, poisoned through and through by them; in our flesh dwelleth no good thing. But the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Rom. 1, 16. It is so unspeakably rich that it not only brings us the blessed tidings of the great deeds of God for our redemption, but also imparts the Holy Ghost, who awakens our dead souls to faith.

A. Therefore it is also said: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. Rom. 10, 15. I must confess to you, in this conversation I feel so wonderful about the heart that I am seized with a desire to become such a lovely messenger too.

W. The loveliness of the holy ministry consists in the glory of the Word. It is the ministration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3, 8., therefore it has an exceeding clearness, before which the glittering splendor of the world must grow pale. For thereby the honor of God is spread abroad, heaven is filled with the blessed, and the kingdom of the devil is destroyed. All the saints in heaven and on earth are won through the service of the holy ministry, which God Himself has administered.

A. Christ, our LORD, Himself preached; how highly that office is thereby dignified!

W. And why does God still preserve this earth? Why does the sea still roar and this sun shine? For the Church's sake, that children may still be born to the LORD through the service of the holy ministry. When the world becomes so godless that it will no longer tolerate the ministry, then its last hour shall probably have struck. Therefore we may even now expect the last day every moment, because God's Word and the holy ministry are shamefully despised by countless persons, although they are the greatest benefits which God thereby shows to the human race.

A. How blessed you will be, William, when you become a faithful preacher and some day appear before the throne of God with the souls who have come to God through your service, when you shall now hear from the mouth of your God the blessed word: Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy LORD. Matth 25, 21.

W. Ah, August, the holy ministry is so hard that even the holy Apostle Paul exclaims: And who is sufficient for these things? 2 Cor. 2, 16. For of a preacher there is required purity in doctrine, faithfulness in labor, holiness in conduct. Shall I be able to accomplish all that? Ah, I am not fit for it!

A. Only be of good cheer! God giveth grace to the humble, and to the upright God lets it succeed. And I will endeavor to become a faithful and capable member of the congregation.

W. Now in God's name.

A. May almighty God help you to it, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Rom. 4, 17.  H. Fick.

Protocol of the St. Louis District Preachers' Conference of the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States,

held at New Melle, St. Charles Co., Mo., on the 13th of Oct. 1848 and the following days.

(Conclusion.)

Fourth Session.

In order to awaken among our youth a love for the ministry, it was resolved that a conversation between two boys concerning the spiritual calling should be drawn up by P. Fick.

In the friendly discussion which took place among the members of the Conference in the leisure hours, many examples of the wonderful providence of God were communicated. In order that such a treasure might not be lost, but might also be preserved for our posterity, the Conference resolved that each member should furnish contributions to this from the sphere of his experience