# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1846 10 13_S24
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

and terror. But with that it is not yet fully accomplished. Therefore a Christian must, so to speak, feel his sin in his heart and be terrified of death, so that everything that assails another sinner also concerns him. Unbelievers are so stuck in their sins that they pay no heed to them; but believers feel them well: yet against this they have a helper, the Holy Spirit, who comforts and strengthens them, until such time as he has fully accomplished this and made an end, when they will feel none of it anymore. Therefore I say that one must be wise here, and see to it "that one does not boast and rejoice so defiantly over the Holy Spirit," as some proud, presumptuous fanatical spirits do, lest anyone become too secure and imagine that he is perfect in every respect. For a devout Christian is nevertheless also flesh and blood like other people, even though he struggles against sin and evil desire, and feels what he does not like to feel; but the others (the unbelievers) do not take it to heart at all, do not struggle with it at all .... So it must always be mixed together, that one feels both the Holy Spirit and our sin and imperfection; for it must stand with us as with a sick person who is under the doctor's hands, and yet is supposed to get better. Therefore no one should think: this person has the Holy Spirit, therefore he must be entirely strong, do nothing but excellent works, and have no infirmity. No, it is not so, for that cannot come to pass, since we live on earth in the flesh, that we should be without all weakness and infirmity; hence even the holy apostles themselves often complain of their temptation and sorrow. And thus the Holy Spirit is indeed hidden from them, according to their own feeling, except that he strengthens and sustains them through the Word and faith in temptation." (Church Postil. Epistle for Pentecost Day.)

"With this, however, we are at the same time also reminded that among Christians the frailty and faults which each one has by nature nevertheless remain, even though they have come to faith and grace and have been justified before God. For grace does not change Christians in such a way that it makes altogether new and perfect people out of them in an instant; rather, whatever natural faults and infirmities each one has had cling to him continually, as he sees before his eyes and experiences daily in many ways. For when someone who is by nature quick-tempered and irritable becomes a Christian, although grace makes him somewhat gentler, and the Holy Spirit so softens his heart that he becomes considerably milder and gentler, yet his fault and defect in nature is nevertheless not entirely suppressed and extinguished. So it is also with those who by nature have hard heads; even when they are converted to faith and become Christians, they still retain something of that innate natural hardness of theirs. Hence

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it also comes about that two or more people handle Scripture and the Gospel rightly and well "in one and the same sense and meaning," yet nevertheless conduct themselves "not in one and the same manner"; for one his teaching and preaching proceeds more gently and mildly than for another; likewise one is also quicker and more vehement than another. Thus our Lord God gives his Holy Spirit into various unequal instruments, and he does not take away the infirmities of nature all at once and altogether, but has still continually to sweep out the remaining sin in nature, as long as this life lasts — not only in the Galatians, but in all people of all nations and stations who are on earth. Therefore, although the Galatians were enlightened and believing, and had received the Holy Spirit through faith, they nevertheless still stood in the danger of being led astray by the teaching of the false apostles, as indeed afterward happened. Therefore let no one be so presumptuous and secure as to think that, once he has received grace, there is henceforth no more danger, and that he has become entirely pure of all sins and infirmities, and altogether as smooth as glass. It is certain that we are cleansed of many infirmities and sins, and especially that the serpent's head is crushed and cut off; that is: where the Gospel is rightly taught and received, unbelief ceases and the right knowledge of God follows, etc.; yet nevertheless the scaly body and the remaining sin still remain in us until we are shorn away. Therefore no one should think that, once he has begun to believe, he has thereby become a new and altogether perfect person. In this life we continually retain something of our old sins, even after we have become Christians; for we have indeed not yet died, but still live in the flesh, which, because it is not entirely pure and clean, "continually wars against the Spirit with its lusts," as St. Paul testifies to the Galatians 5:17 and Romans 7:14, 23. "I," he says, "am carnal, sold under sin," etc. Likewise, "I see another law in my members," etc. Hence it comes about that whatever particular natural infirmities someone had before he came to faith, he still retains after he has attained faith — except only that after faith they no longer roam as freely as before, but must serve and be subject to the Spirit, so that it rules and governs over them; although they, on the other hand, also strive and resist quite earnestly and mightily, so that it costs great effort and trouble. In sum, our Lord Jesus Christ alone, and no one else, has the honor and title of being altogether entirely pure, as is said of him in 1 Peter 2:22: "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." (See Luther's Commentary on Galatians 3:1.)"

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Church News.

From Mainz, August 18. — It is causing a great stir that the widely respected and thoroughly prosperous inhabitants of the Nassau congregation of Steeden, belonging to the district of Runkel, have given notice to the government at Wiesbaden that they no longer wish to belong to the ducal Nassau United Evangelical Church, formed thirty years ago, but from now on intend, as their fathers once did, to form an Old Lutheran congregation. In response, the ducal government has ordered that the local pastor, Brunn, to whose influence this disposition of the Steeden congregation is ascribed, must leave his post forthwith. (Schpst.)

The Zeal of False Teachers.

"The false teachers have at all times shown more zeal and diligence in perverting others than the orthodox have shown in converting others." Spener, in his sermon on the false prophets, preached in 1667.

Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

When several priests once complained to Duke Heinrich of Brunswick — who was otherwise entirely papistically minded — that the Lutheran mischief was beginning to spread into his lands too, since the people had even begun to sing Luther's hymns, the duke asked the priests what sort of hymns these were. The priests answered: "Among others, the hymn: May God Be Gracious unto Us." "Why," replied the duke, "is the devil, then, supposed to be gracious to us? Who else should be gracious to us but God alone?"

Those readers of the Lutheraner to whom one or another issue of the previous volumes of the "Lutheraner" should not have reached, and who wish to have the complete set, are requested to notify us of the missing issues in prepaid letters, and we will gladly forward them to them free of charge.

Paid:
Vol. 2: Messrs. Pastor Schneider, Lind, Ch. Just, Pastor Lehmann, Herrling, Pastor Brohm.
2nd half of Vol. 2: Messrs. Roßwage, Lauenhardt, Horn, Beck, Lich, Windecker.
Vol. 3: Messrs. J. Horn, Beck, A. Straub, C. Faude, Fr. Bentzmann, Pastor Sandhaus, Molan, Möhlenkamp.

1. 7.

Vol. 3: Messrs. Dr. Sihler, Fricke, J. Trier, L. Griebel, Pastor Schneider, Dr. Groß, Kraner, Münzenberg, Pastor Burger (4 copies), Biermann, Gerding, Pastor Cronenwett.

Received for the Lutheran mission to the heathen in Frankenmuth, Mich., $51.00 from Pastor Keyl in Perry Co., Mo.

New address: Rev. K. Schuster, Mishawaka P.O., Elkhart Co., Ind.

Printed by Weber and Olshausen.