“Luther felt that the disposition to dishonesty and the practice of it was extremely prevalent in his day. He says: ‘God has commanded that no one damage or curtail the possessions of his neighbor. To steal signifies nothing else than to obtain another’s property by unjust means. It briefly embraces every method, in all lines of business, by which advantage is taken of our neighbor. Stealing is a widespread, universal vice. But it is so little regarded and seriously dealt with that it exceeds all bounds. Should all be executed who are thieves, and yet resent being called so, there would soon be desolation, and there would not be executioners and gallows enough… In short, thieving is a universal art, the largest guild on earth.’
Moved with a feeling of compassion, and imbued with the missionary spirit, they were willing to forsake the comforts of home, the endearments of society, to make any sacrifice, and to submit to any toil, that they might subserve the cause of Christ, and be instrumental in the salvation of souls. Their energetic devotion to the principles they professed, their faithful and self-denying efforts for the extension of the Redeemer’s kingdom, beautifully illustrate their Christian character, and furnish unequivocal proof of their qualifications for the work in which they longed to engage.
“God puts His emphasis on the primary things, where it belongs; but he is not unmindful of anything that concerns his people. He says: ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness;’ but at the right time and with becoming eagerness, we may also seek the creature things, which, if used aright, will help us on our heavenward way, though they be but the perishing things of the earth. God created us with physical needs. He created this wonderful world in just such a way as to meet our physical needs and furnish us the opportunity of working out our Divinely appointed destiny. As God’s children we are to use God’s gifts for the purposes for which He has given them, and in accordance with the principles He has laid down.”
John Schaum was one of the first ministers, who immigrated to this country in our early history. His heart had been touched by the state of things, which existed among his countrymen in America. He burned with an ardent desire to do them good, to minister to their spiritual wants.
“Christ speaks of the course of life through this world as a way: the broad way and the narrow way. With special emphasis do the inspired writers speak of those who live in violation of the Sixth Commandment as followers of a way, a wicked way. In the second chapter of Proverbs we read these words of warning concerning the strange woman, who has forsaken the guide of her youth and forgotten the covenant of her God: ‘Her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.’
Few men gave brighter promise of efficiency than the subject of the present sketch; few have there been, whose premature removal from scenes of usefulness, was the occasion of deeper and more earnest grief. Young and ardent, endowed by nature with more than ordinary gifts, with a mind highly disciplined, and richly stored with knowledge, and a heart wholly consecrated to God, occupying an important position in the church, and discharging its duties with distinguished success, much was expected from his future career. These fond expectations, in the providence of God, were frustrated, the sanguine hopes of the church were disappointed! In the pride and vigor of early manhood, in the midst of active usefulness, when the church was crying, “the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few,” he was stricken down and called away from earth to heaven!
“In spite of the loathing which this subject brings to pure, modest souls it is a seductive sin. The world makes light of it. It smiles complacently at the violation of the law of chastity. Because of this, as well as for other reasons, we need to watch and pray that we be not led into temptation.”
“Twenty-three years have passed since I first met and beheld the lively, intelligent and pleasant countenance of this well beloved friend. Gettysburg was made the more dear to me on his account. As a poor student, I often found comfort in his presence, because he knew how to sympathize with me. More than once was my heart made glad, when he met me with a fatherly smile, asking me, ‘how are you getting along, young friend? Have you means wherewith to live?’ If I answered,‘No!’ he said, ‘I’ll see to it.’ The impressions I received from his conversation and godly walk, have ever been of much use to me, and will never be forgotten.”
“In thinking and speaking of murder, the average person usually has in mind only the actual and direct taking of human life, — as, for instance, with poison, a revolver, a dirk or some similarly deadly instrument. This probably accounts for the complacency so many exhibit when it comes to considering the command which says: ‘Thou shalt do no murder.’ Most people, on hearing these words, will at once say — that does not condemn me.”
“He was an original man, and said and did things differently from other persons… A very good man, he suffered persecution for his zeal for the truth.” Table of Contents John Christopher Hartwig (1716-1796) Language Conflicts in New York City Attacked for His Orthodoxy at Rhinebeck, New York Hiatus in Pennsylvania Return to New York A Very Good and Most Eccentric Man Publication Information John Christopher Hartwig (1716-1796) Of the early history of this individual we have no information. He came to this country when quite a young man, in the capacity of Chaplain to a German regiment in the service of England, during the first French war, as it is called. He was intimate with our Lutheran ministers in Pennsylvania, and sympathized with them in their difficulties. He aided them in their efforts to build up the Lutheran church in this country, and seemed interested in the extension of Christ’s kingdom. He was a member of the first Lutheran Synod held in this country, in 1748, and preached the sermon on the occasion of Mr. Kurtz’s ordination, from the words, “His blood will I require at thy hands.”
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