# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 07 09_S180
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

180

The adversary takes not away
The Word from the blessed flock.
Mighty God is present with it
With the Holy Spirit.
Let him take away the body,
All our goods;
Endure to the end,
Soon he will feel the evil:
For us is rest prepared.

It was only fair that the crusaders standing between the active choirs of singers, who as public nurses and foster-mothers of the college were especially concerned in this festival, should also receive a special distinction. Pastor Schieferdecker addressed to them a hearty speech and encouraged them to vigorous continuance in their endeavor by the remembrance of the blessing already wrought by them, the noble purpose for which they have united: to promote learning, yea, by supporting the ministry, to help save immortal souls and bring them eternal peace. He reminded them of the benefit to themselves which grows out of their labor: that preachers will remain for themselves also when the old ones have departed; and of the reward of grace from Him who lets not go unrewarded a cup of cold water given in a disciple's name. And who would not wish this society of young men from the heart a vigorous growth, numerous allies also in other places, and ever fresh, cheerful zeal? Would that all who regard themselves as Walter the Penniless might willingly enroll themselves in this band; they could here do deeds truly not less noble than those of that hero, and soon want and distress of the Concordia students would flee like the Turks before Lionheart! — At the close Pastor Bünger, in an earnest prayer of thanksgiving and petition, laid the whole institution fervently into the hands of the merciful love of God, that a vigorous prosperity might crown the planting and watering.

Little by little the crowd dispersed amid the strains of the instrumental music, which from time to time still sent its harmonious tones into the evening air, while the Lutheran pastors from the nearest neighborhood who had come to the celebration (there were probably fifteen of them) and some other friends held a cheerful meal with the hospitable professors.

For the forenoon of the following day the guests had been invited to hear the school addresses which were to be delivered within the building. — The hall was crowded full at the appointed hour. The hymn was sung: HErr JEsu, aller Menschen Hort! No. 164 of the St. Louis hymnal. One of the alumni, Mr. Eißfeldt, spoke on the now so despised study of theology, which especially in America has so little prospect of earthly reward. Sweeping every inclination toward material gain, as unworthy and disgraceful, from the threshing-floor of this study, he bade his fellow students take refreshing glances into this sanctuary, which is nothing less than a sinking of oneself into the divine depths of revelation, a life in the holiest ideas and the loftiest thoughts which the articles of faith concerning the Trinity, the God-manhood of Christ, the resurrection, the Church, etc., offer in fullness to the investigator. His language and bearing were noble, and one could see in the gifted speaker that he will not lose courage in the wretched situation of a German Lutheran preacher in this country, which he also faces. — The rector of the Gymnasium, Mr. Gönner, thereupon offered a Latin prayer and then treated, in a long Latin address, the rich theme of the usefulness and indispensable necessity of the knowledge of the ancient languages, both to keep open the never-failing full fountain of the Scriptural Word of the Church and to save the pure doctrine from the ever-renewed wiles of Satan. We heard the Fathers of the Church give unanimous testimony on this. — Thereupon sounded the old hymn: Veni Creator Spiritus! closing the celebration in the melodious solemn tones of the ancient rhythm, and whoever was able to feel these holy heartbeats of the ancient Church felt that these new American walls lie within the cathedral which, centuries old, has the Holy Ghost Himself for its master-builder and creator.

So then, Concordia, be commended in love to the gracious God! May He bless thee out of the height, out of His sanctuary! Increase into many thousand times thousand, and let thy seed possess the gates of thine enemies! The children of the Church bear thee upon their heart; they that love Jerusalem wish thee prosperity. Whoso blesseth thee, let him be blessed forever and ever! — And ye who one day, richly endowed and adorned by a rich and kindly mother, shall go forth into the field, upon the battlefield, remain Concordiales, keepers of concord! R. L.

Treatise on Sinful Church-Sleeping.*)

*) This treatise is by the well-known Ahasverus Fritsch, a godly jurist of the 17th century.

Preface.

It will not easily be possible for anyone to deny that since the times of the holy apostles and disciples of Christ there has been no worse Christianity than, alas, that of today. The thick darkness of unbelief has so strongly overspread present-day Christendom as happened in the time of the hardened Pharaoh in Egypt. Many thousands of pious Christian hearts sigh over such misery and wish to be some day in the land of Goshen and to see the joyful light of the glorious appearing of the Son of God, because there is almost no hope left, and it will grow worse from day to day, from year to year, in Christendom. Many grievous and damnable capital vices are in vogue among Christians, which yet are willing to be recognized, partly as no sins at all, partly only as slight splinters of sin. We could set down here a great catalogue of such sins, which all in these days are almost universally of little account among men. For this time we will speak only briefly of the church-sleeping, so very common almost everywhere, and set forth its sinfulness together with a hearty warning.

The First Chapter.

Of Church-Sleeping and Its Causes.

That by many in these days nothing but an opus operatum is made of divine service and church-going, so that they suppose, when the work itself has been performed and the public divine service in the church has been attended in the usual manner, that then it is enough, is unfortunately well known, and pious and God-zealous preachers and pastors have hitherto lamented and sighed painfully over it.

A well-known eminent theologian may well write publicly that the greatest sins, compared with which adultery, robbery, cursing and the like are not to be regarded, are committed in the church; for, he says, church-going without devotion, without fear, without good resolution, without amendment, yea, with hypocrisy and carnal security, with persistent delight in sin, is nothing other than a mockery of God, a real abomination of sin, a dreadful wickedness. So we now have Christians in the church, but in the houses, taverns, council chambers and courtrooms, in the shops, on journeys — Turks, heathen, atheists, scoffers, gamblers, swearers, quarrelsome shrews, drunkards, whoremongers, misers, skinners and the like.

Into the guild of such evil church-goers belong also the church-sleepers, who are accustomed, during the sermon and the divine service, to slumber, to sleep and to snore, and to let the precious Word of God sound and resound into the air with sleeping eyes and ears. For in many churches one sees how the people in heaps, by thirty, forty, fifty, yea, where congregations are large, by a hundred and more, especially during the afternoon sermons, in the pews, in the galleries, or in other corners, let their heads hang from one side to the other, as drunken men reel and totter to and fro.

Then sometimes master and servant, wife and maid, mother and daughter, teacher and pupil, etc., sleep at once. The preacher studies far into the night, sits and sweats over it sometimes; he steps into the pulpit, calls out until he becomes hoarse and sick, in order that he may by all means bring to his hearers the Word of the Lord, the precious food of souls, with good emphasis, and edify them well in faith and Christianity; but the church-sleepers are not merely like the forgetful hearers, who let the preached Word in at one ear and out at the other, but they close