# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 10 13_S32
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

In the "Apologete," No. 457, we read: "The faculty of McKendree College has conferred upon Brother Wilhelm Nast the degree of Doctor of Theology." We mention this belatedly in our own justification; for we, too, learned of it only after our article on the Holy Supper had already been set in type.

(Submitted.)
To the one weary of life, with his lament:
"Oh, that I were in heaven!"
(See "Lutheraner" IV, 2.)

O dear brother, hold back,
it is not yet time to die;
there is still more struggle to be waged
for other heirs of heaven.

Gladly would I share your heart's desire
to depart from this world,
and, without sin, to feast
upon the breast of sweet Jesus.

But, dear one, it is still too soon
to lay down the sword already;
my wish is that you may yet long
stand here in blessing.

Look about you! What a great field
your Lord has given you to work!
You have been chosen for his service:
be undaunted, without fear.

He gives the weary new strength,
to fly up as eagles do;
he grants you the gift of faith,
to be victorious in every struggle.

Though your enemies be many,
swarming sectarian spirits,
if Christ's truth remains your goal,
they shall not master you.

To the Hirtenstimme (or Kirchenbote) and the Katholische Kirchenzeitung in Baltimore.

For a long time now these exchange papers of ours have no longer been arriving. We certainly can and will not force them to continue exchanging with us; but since both of them have hitherto continually accepted, without refusal, the paper we regularly sent them, we find ourselves obliged to remind them of their duty, with reference to the Seventh Commandment (or, according to the Reformed numbering, the Eighth). R.

The Collapse of a Church Building.

Not long ago, in the first issue of this volume, we brought our dear readers the joyful news that in the small town of Palmyra, Marion County, Missouri, a small German Lutheran congregation was flourishing under its pastor, Mr. Best, and that on the 8th Sunday after Trinity it had the joy of holding worship for the first time in its newly built little church. We are now prompted to mention this congregation again — this time, however, to call upon the sympathy of our brethren for a misfortune which has recently befallen it. On the 18th Sunday after Trinity, early in the morning, it happened that the roof of the newly built church collapsed and, in falling, forced the side walls apart. It was the work of a single moment, and the once-pleasant church presented the sight of a desolate ruin. Nothing but the gable walls remained standing. The cause of this is said to be the poor quality of the timber used in the construction; the main tie-beam had broken clean in two in the middle. This small, poor congregation has been placed by this event in no small distress. It does indeed praise God for the gracious preservation it experienced in this, for had the collapse occurred only a few hours later, the whole assembled congregation would have been buried beneath the ruins of their house of God. But it asks anxiously where it shall find the means to rebuild the little church now lying in rubble. It had not yet paid even half of the original cost, and the rebuilding, according to the estimate of experts, will require about $350. — Little as we are otherwise inclined to burden others with the needs of a congregation, especially in matters of church building, we nevertheless feel compelled in the present case to appeal to the love of our brethren, and hereby to ask them for support for the congregation at Palmyra toward the restoration of their little church. We offer to receive any contributions sent to us and to acknowledge them in the Lutheraner; but they may also be sent directly to the congregation concerned, at the address: Rev. J. P. Best, Palmyra, Marion Co., Mo.

Church News.

Bremen, August 10. Last month 300 Prussians departed for South Australia on the ship "Beckerath," and this will be followed by the new mail ship "Gellert," carrying an even larger number of Prussian Lutherans who, under the leadership of their pastor, the Rev. Oster of Posen, intend to found a colony there, for which special support has also been held out to them by the South Australian Company in London. The "Beckerath" took with it a German press for the founding of a German newspaper in the city of Adelaide. Two German Lutheran preachers, Kavel and Fritzsche, have already been living there for ten years.

The Solemn Hour of Prayer.

M. Martin Rinkart, the author of the glorious hymn "Now Thank We All Our God," etc., was archdeacon in his native city of Eilenburg. The storms of the Thirty Years' War, which devastated Germany, had also drawn near to this city. Its citizens had already been plunged into misery by plague, famine, hostile troop movements, and plundering, when on February 21, 1639, the Swedish lieutenant colonel von Dörfling advanced before the gates of Eilenburg and demanded 30,000 thalers, with the threat that if the city did not pay this sum, all the citizens would have to come out bearing white staves. The devout Rinkart, who in these harsh trials had already often saved his native city from utter ruin through his vigorous intercession, approached Dörfling's quarters, accompanied by representatives of the citizenry, to venture a plea on their behalf. But however humbly and urgently he presented it, it was nonetheless coldly refused by Dörfling. Deeply grieved, yet lifted up again in courage by looking to the Lord, he turned to the citizens following him with the words: "Come, my dear children, we can find no hearing or mercy among men anymore; let us speak with God!" He had the bell rung for a prayer service; lamenting and wailing, the unfortunate people streamed to the church, and soon its rooms were filled. Then Rinkart stepped before the altar and, with joyful trust, struck up the hymn "When We Are in Greatest Need," etc.; after it ended, he knelt down with his congregation, prayed the Lord's Prayer, and, with fervent supplication and many tears, laid the fate of the unfortunate citizens into the hand of the Almighty. The "Amen" of this fervent supplication had not yet died away in the crowded rooms of the church when word of this solemn hour of prayer reached the Swedish commander. It deeply shook the cold heart of the warrior; Dörfling reduced his demands so much that the already heavily burdened citizenry was able to make the payment, without the city being given over to complete ruin.

Can a single prayer
of a believing soul,
when it reaches the heart of God,
fail of its purpose?
What then will it do
when all of them together
step before him
and pray as one!

How the True Church Is to Be Recognized.

It is well, and to be carefully noted, that the Church is never perfectly holy, without any blemish or offense. The right, true Church is the one that prays, and prays out of faith and in earnest: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us." The Church is the one that continually grows and improves from day to day, that day by day puts on the new man and takes hold of him, and puts off the old. The Church is the one that receives, in this life, the firstfruits of the Spirit, but not the tithe, much less the fullness. We are not yet entirely free and released from the flesh, but are still in the process of putting it off, and of growing or becoming better. Whatever sin still remains offends the spiritual Donatists, Manichaeans, and Papists, but it does not offend God, for he forgives and pardons it for the sake of faith in Christ. Therefore, if you wish to recognize the Church, you must not simply look to where there are no vices or offenses, but rather to where the pure Word is and the sacraments are rightly administered, where people love the Word of God and confess it before the world: wherever you find these things, conclude that there the Church is. Whether those who have and do these things be few or many in number, it is nonetheless certain that some are there. (Luther, in his exposition of the 90th Psalm.)

Paid.

2nd half of the 3rd volume: Mr. Brockschmidt, Sr.

3rd volume: Messrs. P. Schmidt (Ann Arbor), P. Hattstädt (2 copies), Dr. Hunger.

1st half of the 4th volume: Messrs. Ph. Ellinger and Kreutel.

4th volume: Messrs. Biermann, Fr. Brockschmidt, Hilskötter, Jac. Harlos, Joh. Hoffmann, P. Hattstädt (7 copies), Dr. Hunger, Carl Jung, Jac. Knirr, P. Lochner, P. Löber, J. H. Landwehr, Fr. Sperber, Stullken, Jac. Träger, P. Wier, H. Wiesehan.

Printed by Arthur Olshausen, publisher of the Anzeiger des Westens.