# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 05 29_S159
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

159

"Dreifaltigkeits-Kirche" of this congregation was laid. The contributions received, as well as those still further held out in prospect, encouraged the dear members to do their utmost themselves, in order to be able as soon as possible to celebrate again in a building of their own the beautiful divine services of the LORD. With great joy and heartfelt thanks that the great Archshepherd has so faithfully taken us under his care hitherto, and that now, it is hoped, a distress very severe in many respects will soon be removed, the celebration of the laying of the cornerstone took place, to which the neighboring pastors, Messrs. Klein, Brauer and Hoffmann, had also come. After the hymn, "Ich habe nun den Grund gefunden," etc., had been sung, Pastor Klein preached, from Zech. 3, 9. 10, upon the LORD Christ as the true, only cornerstone of his holy Church, and exhorted us to abide by this foundation, as HE gives himself in his Word, proclaimed pure and clear in our dear Evangelical Lutheran Church alone. After the hymn, "Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott," had further been sung by the congregation, there were deposited in the cornerstone, by the undersigned pastor of the same, 1. the Small Catechism of Dr. Luther, 2. the Augsburg Confession, 3. the constitution of the congregation, and 4. the historical accounts of the origin and subsequent existence of the congregation, which had previously been read aloud publicly. Then followed the actual act of laying the cornerstone, which was joined by a fitting great choral song. Prayer, blessing, and a three-part choral hymn, performed by the dear school children, closed the celebration, which will long remain in blessed remembrance with many.

The preparatory work for the building has, thank God! already advanced so far that the same will in a few weeks be so far completed that, in case of utmost need, divine service can be held in it in the summer, which is the more gratifying since our present place in the courthouse has often scarcely held the congregation, and with the immigration soon beginning again would probably have become ever more insufficient. How and when the building will be completed we cannot indeed say, but the LORD knows it, and may well open to us further the hearts and hands of many a dear fellow believer, in order then to bless them themselves so much the more abundantly!

Aug. Selle, Pastor.

How Can a Man Overcome Death?

The monks have written much about preparation for death, but it has all come to this: one should forsake the world, that is, go into a wilderness or into a cloister and there, I know not what, make meditations. But these are mere vain trifles. For the true preparation for death is: the exercise of faith, that one know that death, sin, hell, and Satan have been overcome and cast to the ground through Christ, the Crucified. That we regard death, namely, not as it is in and of itself or as it appears to us, but as it is in Christ. This beholding of the brazen serpent will preserve us. Num. 21, 9. John 3, 14. And there can be no other hope or way of being saved than if one looks upon Christ, the Overcomer, in whom death is trodden to the ground, sin overcome, and Satan laid low. On his cross hang the trophies of victory over our vanquished enemies and tyrants. Thus the heart can look upon death with assurance, and is not terrified before the specter. Otherwise, to regard death apart from Christ and to contend with it is, as it were, to swim in the midst of the sea. Rather, then, climb into the ship and abide upon the mast, on which the trophies of victory are hung. And look neither upon yourself nor upon your merits, else you will drown; but go out of yourself and go to Christ, who is the Lamb of God and the sacrifice for our sins, who took upon himself the sins of us all and overcame them in his body, in which the devil and death are crucified. This is the true and only manner and way to despise death. For those who comfort the dying (only) thus, that death puts an end to all tribulations and perils of this life, such comfort is not strong and cannot raise up the heart in the conflict; for it seems to them that there would yet be greater evils remaining after death.

(Luther on Isa. 38, 10. Opp. Hal. VI, 736.)

The Shameful Bondage.

I know someone who has lived long years in intimacy with you, who has eaten from your table, received food from your hand, slept in your bosom, spoken with you as often as he wished; by right he is your servant. But because you have treated him so tenderly from his youth and spared him the rod, he has become unruly and has grown over your head, has made you the servant and himself the cruel master. But, you will say, whom do you mean? — I mean your old man, who tramples your spirit underfoot, finds pleasure only in earthly things and asks nothing after heaven. This man is from his youth blind, deaf and dumb, grown gray in wickedness, resisting virtue and truth, an enemy of the cross of Christ. He laughs at innocence and simple manners, is afraid of no one, exalts himself haughtily, says in his heart: There is no God! He feeds on unclean thoughts, squanders his property like the prodigals, grasps at trade like the miser. He is wholly born and grown in sins, a friend of unrighteousness, a child of death, a vessel of destruction. What do you think of this? Were you wise, you would say with me: He is guilty of death, to the cross with him! — Meditationes c. 17.

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, — then let them which be in the Jewish land flee unto the mountains." Matt. 24, 15. 16.

Of these words Chrysostom makes the following beautiful application, akin to faith:

"When ye shall see an ungodly sect, which is a host of Antichrist, in the holy place of the Church, then let him that is in Judea flee unto the mountains, that is, let him that is in Christendom turn to the Holy Scripture; for the true Judea is Christendom, but the mountains are the writings of the prophets and apostles. Knowing well that in the last days there would be so great a confusion, the LORD therefore commands the Christians who are in Christendom and who desire to attain steadfastness of faith, that they shall take refuge in nothing else than Scripture. Otherwise, if they looked to anything else, they would be offended and be lost, for they would not know which is the Church, and thereby would fall into the abomination of desolation, which standeth in the holy place of the Church."

(Chrysost. in cap. XXIV. Matth.)

Who are Antichrist's Cousins? The old Lutherans, who retain some innocent ceremony from the Roman church, or the new Lutherans, who forbid these?

"Note which are Antichrist's cousins, we or Dr. Carlstadt. We do like the Papists (in some ceremonies), without our suffering the doctrine, commandment and compulsion; we also leave off like the Carlstadtians, but the prohibition we do not suffer. So now the Pope and Dr. Carlstadt are true cousins in teaching; for they both teach, the one doing, the other leaving off. But we teach neither, and do both."

Luther in the little book against the heavenly prophets, on images, etc.

The Doctrine of the Christian Faith is No Philosophy.

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 16, 17. Here stands the declaration that the doctrine of faith is no philosophy nor wisdom of human reason, by which, as it cannot be invented, so also it can neither be retained nor judged, but it is a heavenly doctrine, which has been revealed by God the Father himself. But just as a light in the night, or a torch in the dark (when namely the sun is not present) indeed shines, but when the sun shines in its strength, the torch neither gives light nor gleams, but is darkened by the majesty of the sunlight: so faith is a wholly different light, by which the light of reason is darkened and put out.

Luther.

A great famine has come upon the earth; we have become like the unreasoning beasts, eat husks and are not satisfied. He that loveth money is not satisfied, he that loveth luxury is not satisfied, he that seeketh fame is not satisfied. O foolish children of Adam, in enjoying the cattle-fodder of this world you do not strengthen the hungry soul, but the hunger itself. And that I may make it plain to you by an example, naming one of the things after which vanity strives: Human hearts can as little be satisfied by gold as human bodies can fill themselves upon it. He who wishes to be satisfied must hunger after righteousness, long for that bread of which in the Father's house there is fullness. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Bernhard, De conversione ad Clericos, c. 14.

Divine Glory of Christ.

How beautiful art thou above all angels, LORD JESUS, born from eternity, before the morning star was, thou brightness and express image of the Father! But how glorious art thou also to me, when thou layest aside this thine adornment! For when thou emptiedst thyself, when thou didst hide the rays of thine unfailing light, then the goodness shone brighter, the love shone stronger, the grace shone forth migh-