Print of Luther-Ecclesiastical, &c. Notices.—Obituary. bear the thought of keeping back 23 Stone Arabia, Minden and Palatine, Montgomery co.; and taken charge of the Evan. Luth. Church at Sandlake, Rensselaer co. The Rev. JOHN EISENLORD, Jun. The Rev. JOHN D. LAWYER has from my countrymen that knowledge also dissolved his pastoral connexion which it may be in my power to with the Evan. Luth. Churches at communicate. He, who has given He, who has given me this desire, will, of a surety, bless and prosper my undertaking. He, who has worked such signs and wonders in heathen lands, will, peradventure, rouse even us Swedes from our lethargy; and awaken that spirit of zeal and love, which shall have has assumed the temporary charge of for its result, what I have earnestly the churches vacated by the removal hoped and prayed for a Swedish of the Rev. Mr. Cole, under the diMissionary Society! Then shall we rection of the Missionary Society of no longer neglect our own heathen countrymen, far up in the North, in our own woods and mountains, where the Cross is, indeed, raised, but only as a guide-post! the Lutheran Church in this state. MISSIONARY SOCIETY. "In furtherance of this design, I The second annual meeting of the am endeavoring to establish in Stock- Domestic Missionary and Education holm, a Reading Society, consisting Society of the Lutheran Church in of such well-disposed persons as have the State of New-York, will be held both the ability and desire to extend in the Church at Canajoharie, on their reading beyond a small Swe dish publication, and for this end to Tuesday, the 4th inst. The Report supply them with as many foreign of the Board of Directors will be missionary publications, as possible. read, and several Addresses are exBy these means, even those whose pected to be delivered by Clergymen hearts are not yet with us, because and Laymen of our church. A genthey do not as yet believe, may be eral attendance of the friends of the constrained at length to confess that God still worketh wonders in the missionary cause, is solicited. earth, and may even be brought to rejoice in the privilege of preparing the way of the Lord."-[N. Y. Obs. Print of Luther.-A very beautiful lithographic print, has just been published at Worms, representing Martin Luther pleading his cause before the Emperor, Charles V. at the Diet of Worms. ECCLESIASTICAL NOTICES. OBITUARY. Died, at Schoharie, Dec. 21, 1829, Johannes Haelzel, a native of Elsace, Germany, aged 74 years. In Sharon, Schoharie co., February 1830, Lawrence Frantz, aged 50. At Canajoharie, Montgomery co., Feb. 17, 1830, Mrs. Maria Shoemaker, aged 46. March 8, John Peter The Rev. PERRY G. COLE has Dunckel, aged 80. March 24, Elecrelinquished the pastoral charge of ta Doty, consort of Doct. Lebbeus the Evan. Luth. Churches at Sum-Doty, aged 38. At Palatine, Nancy mit, Schoharie co., and Davenport, Dockstader, wife of F. G. DockstaDelaware co., and removed to the der, aged 21. Evan. Luth. Churches at West-Camp and Woodstock, Ulster co. The above named persons were all members of the Evan. Luth. Church. war. "Twas the great God of Israel riding on high, Whose footstool is earth, and whose throne is the sky; He stood in his glory, unseen and alone, And with letters of fire traced the tablets of stone. The Eagle may soar to the sun in his might, But say, who may look upon God, the Most Oh! Israel! turn back from his glory, or die!.. The sun in its splendor, the fire in its might, Which devours, and withers, and wastes from the sight, Is dim to the glory which beams from His eye: Then, Israel, turn back-Oh! return! or ye die! I shall long remember that funeral hymn.”- There went a dirge thro' the forest gloom! Brother!" (so the chant was sung moan gone.* Seemed thro' the cedars to murmur"Brother! by the rolling Rhyne Stands the home that once was thine; Brother! now thy dwelling lies Where the Indian's arrow flies! He that bless'd thine infant head Fills a distant greensward bed; She that heard thy lisping prayer Slumbers low beside him there; They that earliest with thee played, Rest beneath their own oak-shade, Far, far hence!-yet sea nor shore Haply, Brother! part you more; God hath call'd thee to the band In the immortal Father-land!" "The Father-land!" with that sweet word A burst of tears midst the strain was heard. "Brother! were we there with thee, Rich would many a meeting be! Many a broken garland bound; Many a mourn'd one lost and found! But our task is still to bear, Still to breathe in changeful air; Lov'd and bright things to resign, As even now this dust of thine: Yet to hope!-to hope in heaven, "I attended a funeral where there were a Though flowers fall and trees be riven; number of the German settlers present. AfYet to pray-and wait the hand ter I had performed such service as is usual Beckoning to the Father-land." on similar occasions, a venerable looking man And the requiem died in the forest's gloom came forward, and asked me, if I were wil-They had reach'd the Exile's lonely tomb. ling that he should perform some of their peculiar rites. He opened an ancient version of Luther's Hymns, and they all began to sing in German so loud that the woods echoed the strain. There was something affecting in the singing of these ancient people, carrying one of their brethren to his last home, and using the language and rites which they had brought with them over the sea from the Vaterland'-a word which often occurred in this hymn. It was a long, slow and mournful air, which they sang as they bore the body along. The words, Mein Gott! mein bruder!' and 'Vaterland!' died away in distant echoes among the woods. THE EXILE'S DIRGE. By Mrs. Hemans. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The History of the Rise and Progress of Protestantism in Spain, continued from a former number, is on file, and will be attended to in our next. A Conversation, between Almosen and his Neighbor, is also received, and necessarily deferred, to make room for previous commu nications. M., on the Atonement, will be continued in our next number. LUTHERAN MAGAZINE. VOL. 4.] Original. EULOGY, JUNE, 1830. On the Rev. J. P. GEORTNER, delivered before the Theological Society of Hartwick Seminary, August 24th, 1829. By C. A. SMITH. [NO. 2. and the capability of appreciating the benefactions of the righteous, shall be no longer considered a feature in the character of man. Various are the honors which are paid to the memory of the departed It is delightful to contemplate the dead. The Conqueror, who has built actions of the virtuous dead. Im- his fame on the ruins of empires, pelled by an almost irresistible in- reclines amid the regal pomp and citement, we dwell with pleasure on splendor of his dear-earned glory.these illustrious examples of moral The Philosopher retires, accompaniexcellence, until our feelings are ed by the plaudits of an admiring wrought up to a state of wondering world. But the Christian, elevated and astonished admiration. When by the inspiring recollection of his we behold the imperishable monu- immortal destiny, spurns the thought ments of literary greatness, we revert to the exaltation of the mind that conceived them. When we reflect on the magnificent achievements of the Hero and the Patriot, we lament the termination of their earthly existence. When we observe the effects which have been produced by the united operations of the Philanthropist and the Christian, we rejoice that man's original purity has not been totally destroyed. of senseless ostentation-soars to the regions of celestial glory—and enters heaven amid the shouts and rapturous acclamations of angels, who rejoice over one sinner that repenteth. Such was the subject of our present mournful celebration. As a friend, he exhibited the warmest and most disinterested affection. As a member of society, he was one of its brightest ornaments. As a christian, he verified, by his actions, the sin The great, the wise, and the good, are alike doomed to leave this world-cerity of the principles he professed. ly habitation: But though their mor- Of the early part of his life, I tal remains must be conveyed to their know but little. Yet of this I am final resting place, and moulder into certain, that it was characterized by dust; yet their names, immortalized a love of virtue, a detestation of vice, by the deeds of a well-spent and glo- and a seriousness of mind, which afrious career, shall live-and live-terwards induced him to embrace the and live-until the elevating senti- profession of a minister of the gospel. ments of respect and veneration, shall My acquaintance with him commenhave become seared by ingratitude; ced about five years since, whilst he tion. We learn this, from the tragic scene that was acted on the plains of Bethlehem, when maternal hearts bled for the untimely fate of their lovely innocents—when a mo was pursuing his studies in my na-||reared on high, and her pathway was strew tive city And as this was doubtless ed with the offerings of a ruthless persecuthe most interesting portion of his useful career, I shall dwell, for a few moments, on that period more particularly, which intervened between ther's woes and a mother's wrongs, were our first acquaintance, and the mo-groaned only to the passing breeze, but awakened no throb of sympathy in the obdurate ment that terminated his sublunary heart of the cold-blooded destroyer. We existence. learn it from the heights of Calvary, where the badge of our redemption stands, encrimsoned with the blood of a Saviour. We learn it from the tales of persecution that stain the I remember well, the spot on which I beheld, for the first time, our departed brother. It was one of pecu- annals of antiquity. We learn it from the liar interest. It was in the sanctua-moral convulsions of a once flourishing nary of the Most High. Methinks, Ition, which, under the influence of infuriate see him now, so noble, and yet so infidelity,raised its blasphemous voice against unassuming. Methinks, I see him, Omnipotence itself, and by a solemn decree, as he stood with all the conscious would have banished Jehovah from his Empire and his Throne-deprived the soul of immortality-and declared death an everlasting sleep." dignity, which a sense of his exalted station must have naturally inspired, and as he pronounced a blessing, in He described the righteous, as ofhis own feeling and impressive man- ten sacrificed by the daring insinuaner, upon the multitude which was tions of this fell destroyer. He proassembled for the worship of Jeho-ved the truth of the assertion, that vah. But the substance of his dis- their salvation was often with difficourse was not less affecting, than culty secured. And then, following the manner in which it was deliver- the train of the Apostle's reasoning, ed. He addressed us, on the doom he exclaimed: If, after all this care of the ungodly. He spoke of the and perseverance, the righteous are danger to which the righteous were scarcely saved, where shall the unexposed. He denounced the temp-godly and the sinner appear ?— tations of the world, and the powers Gloomy, indeed, was the picture of of darkness, as conspirators against future retribution. He placed bethe happiness of the upright, which fore us, the scene which would octoo often baffle his best intentions, cur at that awful day, in which the and shake his firmest resolutions. wicked shall be separated from the He pointed to infidelity, as holding good. He described the feelings of the a conspicuous rank among the ene- sinner, whilst he listened to the senmies of the cross; and perhaps I can-tence of the Judge. He spoke of the not give you a better idea of the man- agonizing moment, in which he shall ner in which he described its destructive influence, than to substitute his own forcible language. be doomed to rankle in the miseries of the damned. But he left us not in doubt or despair. He encouraged us to retrace those steps, which had led many to the brink of eternal ruin "From Herod to Nero," continued he, "and from Nero to the Eropean conspiracy, the blood-stained banner of infidelity was-to persevere in the path of virtue Eulogy on the Rev. J. P. Geortner. 27 -and to participate in the joy of an- and beloved, he obtained an ascengels, through the merits of our Re-dency over the hearts of his hearers, deemer. which could only be effected by maThis was the foundation of that in-nifesting a sincere desire to promote timacy, which afterwards existed be- their eternal interests. He fearlessYou may, perhaps, smile ly declared to them, the solemn and important truths of that gospel, which tween us. at its novelty ;-but when I listened to that pure and simple reasoning- he was commissioned to preach. He He that powerful and persuasive elo- described the sinfulness and inconquence-that ardent love and devot- sistency of the heart of man. ed affection, which he evinced in his viewed that heart as standing in need desire for the salvation of his fellow of some renovating influence-and creatures,—I felt that his was a spi- when the inquiring sinner demanded rit, which could kneel at the shrine the source from whence this influof friendship, and mingle its offerings ence was to proceed, he adverted to with some kindred soul. He com- the inspiring promises of the Repleted his studies in New-York, and deemer, the blessed author of our was received as a licentiate, by the triumphant religion. He described Evangelical Lutheran Synod of this the dignity of the character which State, on the 5th of October, 1824. they had assumed as christians. He After having performed a missionary illustrated the duties that are contour to the west, he accepted a call nected with this glorious profession. from the congregation in Johnstown, He declared the shortness of life, and and on January 3d, 1827, was in- the certainty of death;—and when stalled as their pastor. Here, his he reverted from these, to the future success was greater, than had been destiny of the faithful believer, lananticipated by his most sanguine guage was too feeble to give utterfriends. Appointed to superintend aance to his feelings. Yes, he spoke congregation literally crumbling into of heaven! heaven, as it presents itruins, he collected the loose frag-self to the mind of the righteous, ments of which it was composed;||whose enraptured soul already wanand though the extreme shortness of ders in joyous anticipation, through his ministration, did not permit him to complete the work which he had undertaken to perform, yet it obtained a degree of consistency, which was astonishing, if not unparalleled.ted to recline in sweet repose, on the Impressed with a knowledge of the bosom of his Saviour. These were immense responsibility which was the inspiring themes which engaged connected with his office as a minis- his attention; but he was not long ter of the gospel, he left no means permitted to announce them in his unemployed, which might produce a capacity as minister of this congrechange in the unpropitious affairs of gation. In a few short months, a the church which had been entrust-disease, generally fatal in its effects, ed to his care. Admired, respected was evidently preying upon his sys those resplendent glories which eternity shall present, when the trials and tribulations of earth shall be no more, and when he shall be permit |
