# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S79
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 79 —

do not prepare themselves properly are mostly like careless marksmen who,
unconcerned about the target, merely shoot off into the blue. The hour of
preaching God's word is a truly important, decisive hour for thousands of
souls, whether they are to be converted, comforted, or warned. A preacher
who has not applied the utmost diligence to his sermons will be cast out as
an unfaithful servant, for he has neglected his congregation in the most
shameful way. By this, however, no burden of conscience is meant to be
laid on preachers who are heavily plagued and overloaded with work, if
they are sometimes unable to prepare for their preaching with the
desirable care; such men God will help. This is said, rather, against
comfortable preachers who spare their own dear flesh and busy themselves
with all sorts of trifles [*Allotria*, idle pursuits]. One should devote and
make use of all one's time, all one's reading and study, for the sake of
preaching.

Here it was remarked that a tendency exists also among us not to
preach God's law, or at least not to preach it thoroughly; this tendency
may also be found among us for the reason that, where the law is preached,
much cross and affliction follows as well. This antinomian tendency is
certainly most dangerous; all young preachers are therefore earnestly
urged to read Luther's writings against the Antinomians.

Here the expression "tendency," "antinomian tendency," was judged too
strong; but, it was explained, one could indeed say that the danger exists of
falling into antinomian preaching. Yes, although it may happen now and
then that the law is preached too little, it happens perhaps even more often
that there is a lack of the free, pure, abundant preaching of grace and
proclamation of the gospel without any legalistic aftertaste. If things are
not as they should be in the congregations, this frequently stems from the
fact that the gospel is not preached as abundantly as is fitting; for the
gospel alone can first make people willing toward all that is good. True
spiritual life comes, after all, from the gospel alone. Through the remark
just made about the antinomian tendency, however, many a young preacher
might be led to hold back the preaching of the gospel and to preach only,
or predominantly, the law — whereas Luther himself declared that one
cannot preach too much forgiveness of sins and gospel.

As a further shortcoming in the composing of sermons, it was also
censured that the text is often treated in so mechanical a fashion, without
any living connection to the circumstances of the congregation and to real
life. Proper preparation certainly also requires diligent study and
consulting of references, through which one grows richer not only in
knowledge but also more skillful in the application and use of the word of
God.

Finally, the closing remark was made that all this was said against a
spreading spirit of carelessness. We preachers should all recognize that
preaching is the chief work that is laid upon us.