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Joe Millionaire and the love of his life have already broken up after the
young lady he picked out of 25, discovered that Joe just can't stop living
the "bachelor" life. It would be cruel to deprive all those
other women?
The whole nation has discovered that the Bachloret has slept with at least
one man before she cut the field down to the final two out, of 25 future
husbands. She then slept with each of the final two candidates to
learn which one she really loved.
Most American's today, wouldn't think of marrying someone they had not slept
with. The culture of experimentation and adultery/fornication is now
accepted American practice. You never know which "partner"
you will fall in love with.
There is one thing Americans understand about love and marriage: You can't
trust anyone too much because nothing lasts forever.
The following letter is by C. F. W. Walther to the woman he wanted to
marry, but whom he never dated. He was 30 years old when he wrote this
letter. This is the love letter written by the future President of the LCMS
to his future bride.
To Emilie Buenger,
Perry County, MO
St. Louis, Aug. 10, 1841
Dear, heartily beloved Emilie,
As little as I have till now had the right to write to you, and particularly
with such a greeting, yet I cannot do otherwise if I am to be honest with
you. Nearly two years have gone by, as you will perhaps recall, since
through your dear brother Fritz I at least indicated from afar a precious,
sublime wish of my heart which no one in the world but you can fulfill.
But how wonderful have been the ways on which our heavenly Father has led me
during the past two years! I do not need to tell you anything of this;
my life has been an open book for you. Only this much I must confess,
that I often, with deep misery of soul, felt forced to believe that God's
dark leadings were a sign that it was not His holy will to grant me the
fulfillment of the dearest wish I have in this world.
However, also in me the promise of Psalm 103 has been fulfilled:
"He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever."
God has turned His friendly countenance toward me once more, and trustfully
I have therefore again laid my old wish down at the feet of my God and
Savior. I have also today poured out my heart to your dear mother.
So you alone remain, whose yes or no will reveal to me the will of my
gracious God.
Therefore I cannot wait any longer to express this my wish frankly also to
you. It is this: Will you, dearest Emilie, become my life's
companion? Can you return, at least in some degree, the love which, as I now
confidently hope, God has enkindled in my heart for you? Do you
believe that you can live with me happily, contentedly, and God-pleasingly
in a union as intimate and inseparable unto death as the holy estate of
matrimony is?
I do not believe that any explanations on my part are necessary, as if you
first had to become acquainted with me. You know me, my character, my
faith, my failings and weaknesses, my outward position; you know that you
will find no temporal fortune, no honor before the world, no assured future
with me. I can therefore only add my pledge that you will have in me a
spouse who will love you dearly and by God's grace faithfully. I have
no one whom I could ask to speak for me to you; I have therefore prayed the
dear Lord Himself to be my Eliezer and to direct your heart according to His
holy will and to our mutual temporal and eternal welfare. Follow His
guidance and then inform me by return messenger of your God-directed
decision.
As communication between here and Perry County is often long interrupted,
you will not, as I hope for your love, think ill of me for making the
following suggestion. If you can, in God's name, say yes to my
question, then we shall look upon your declaration as the completion of our
betrothal, since your dear mother today and my good mother already in
Germany in advance have given their parental consent thereto. I would
therefore in this event not come to Perry County before our marriage.
If this is agreeable to you, I should like to have the publication of the
banns of marriage made in Frohna and here on the 13th, 14th and 15th Sundays
after Trinity (5th, 12th and 19th of September) and the marriage ensue
perhaps on the Monday after the last date, namely Sept. 20, in the church at
Frohna. The day of my arrival and that of your dear mother would be, if you
accept my suggestion, God willing, on the 15th or 16th of September.
The enclosed letter, addressed to my dear brother-in-law, contains the
request to publish the banns on the suggested days and to perform the
marriage ceremony; I beg you, therefore, not to deliver this letter to my
dear brother-in-law before you can also announce to him that you have given
me your dear yes.
I am almost surprised at myself for daring, in this first letter, to speak
so freely of betrothal, of publishing the banns, of marriage, etc.; how much
more will you perhaps be astonished! May you, however, recognize this
as nothing else than my wholehearted confidence in you, that you will, even
if you could not give me your hand, certainly grant me the privilege of
having at least vividly imagined myself out of pure grace, without my merit
or worthiness, in the position of seeing you as my God-given, dearly beloved
bride!
Now, may all my wishing and hoping be commended to the Lord and to the
guidance of His love and grace! May He give you a joyous decision and
then make your heart firm, sure, and certain that you rest in His grace and
under His holy benevolence; and if God brings us together, we will mutually
serve Him day and night, without ceasing, faithfully, until death, by the
power of His omnipotent grace in Christ Jesus, your and my Savior.
Amen.
Please give my hearty greetings to dear Ernst and Lyddie and tell them that
I hope to see them very soon if God wills.
Your daily intercessor with God,
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther
If you are wondering what happened, Emilie agreed to marry C. F. W. Walther.
There are additional letters about the event in "Selected Letters"
of "Selected Writings" of C. F. W. Walther Published by Concordia
Publishing House in St. Louis.
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