# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juni 1859_S183
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

How should a pastor conduct himself at the sickbed of a member of his congregation? 183

should not be withheld — but to threaten with the Law, and through it to torment
a soul already so anxious, in order perhaps to work a supposedly more thorough
repentance, does not befit an evangelical preacher, who is a proclaimer
of peace with God through Christ. For who knows the measure of
repentance that is necessary? And is not everything about us,
consequently also our repentance for our sins, patchwork? Must
not Christ's satisfaction for us and his righteousness cover all our patchwork?
Is it not God's grace alone by which a sinner
lives? It is therefore rather a pastor's office and duty to depict
God's grace, won for us through Christ, rightly to the afflicted one,
how God does not will that even a single soul be lost; how therefore, in order
to put this loving counsel of God for mankind's salvation and life into effect,
the eternal Son of God appeared on earth in the form of a servant and through
his active and suffering obedience rendered satisfaction to divine
righteousness, so that now all sinners, great and small, might not be lost
but have eternal life. This is also praised by St. Paul, 1 Timothy
1:15, where he says: "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners"; and so that this mighty comfort might penetrate rightly, he sets
himself, who had been a murderer and persecutor of Christ and his congregation,
up as an example, and continues: "of whom [sinners] I
am chief. But for this reason I obtained mercy, that
in me first of all Jesus Christ might show forth all patience,
for an example to those who should believe on him to life everlasting." — In such and
similar ways shall the feet of the messengers who proclaim peace be lovely,
comforting, and refreshing.

It might be fitting here to raise the question: should a preacher
offer the sick the Holy Communion? That in public
preaching, according to Luther's admonition in the preface to the Small Catechism
and in many other places, he should diligently urge it, is certain; but to offer
the sacrament to the sick, who through their illness are already reminded
of death and eternity, and with whom the pastor indeed also speaks of it,
is in general not advisable. For if right faith
is kindled in the heart of the sick person, and he has a longing to be
united with Christ, he will without doubt himself express the wish
to receive the Holy Communion; whereas if the preacher offers it,
the sick will in most cases, indeed almost always,
accept it, whereby unfortunately it all too easily gives the appearance as if
they received the sacrament merely out of habit, because it is once the custom.
An exception to this would then be made by the afflicted,
who have definitely expressed the wish to be united with Christ and to find
rest and peace in him, but do not possess the courage to receive
his body and blood worthily. These weary and
heavy-laden ones one should refresh with the Holy Communion, and to them one should