# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_October 1859_S298
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

298 Correspondence to Germany.

influence. But now it must flee. And that is caused only by the flashing eye of him who sits on the throne. In chapter 6:14ff. the rocky gate merely sprang open, through which eternity looks into the narrow valley of the earthly pilgrimage: only now do we step over its threshold.

N.B. — The earth has drunk Christ's blood: that is now avenged.

So far everything rhymes well enough. But now "heaven" too comes up for its turn. What, then, has it done wrong? Its sun has shone upon too many abominations. Did it not, indeed, even though it withheld its service so long as the Lamb of God had to bleed on the cross, give its light to the spectacle of death that was Satan's greatest feast day? And then, under the semblance of the visible firmament, there hides the deceitful game that the serpent's seed has always played with what is holy (compare chapter 6:14). That has gone on the whole time still. "Heaven" has resisted the countenance of Christ more defiantly than the earth has. Therefore it belongs to the LORD's victory that it too, together with everything that has made a show under its name at "holy" places, must flee.

The earth goes first: that is the right order of the old world, which stepped outside the bounds the Creator had assigned to it.

Unsettled and fugitive they now become — like Cain: a place could no longer be found for them, least of all a holy one, to crowd out the LORD. In short: this throne will stand fast.

Verses 12ff. need no exposition. We ourselves are indeed among those who appear here. And we see it goes the same for all: one stands like another, small or great, before the throne of him of whom we confess: "and he will come again to judge the living and the dead." At this point, then, everyone holds the commentary in his own hand, for they "were judged according to their works." In any case, other glosses are now called for than I am able to make.

So I now take my leave, and, to make a good close after all, stammer along after our Luther:

"My presumption, however — I leave freely to everyone's own good judgment to decide. For not to me, but to God alone be praise and honor without end. Amen."

(Contributed.)

Correspondence to Germany.

Without doubt the readers of "Lehre und Wehre" have been glad to read, in the July number of this volume, the warm, heartfelt lines in which the dear brother in Germany, with whom we stand in correspondence, expresses his brotherly disposition toward us and his position regarding the Lutheran Church. All the same, as has already been noted, he still has some misgivings about our practice, which he could not have if