STIEl^
1024
STIER
gebraisi Itc stood on the shouKlers of Cliristoph Riiitolph, aiul rc'iiilereil imriiorioiis st-rvice in ixiiiuling I lie area of the sttuly of algebra iu Germany. — llerzog, litul-En- cykiiij). s. V.
Stier, KrnoLK Ew.vi.d, an eminent German com- roeniator, was born at Fraustiult, March 17, IKOO. He receiveil a very inailetiuate iireparatory training at the gymnasium of Neusteitin, in Toinerania. In his six- teenth year he mairieiilatod at IJerlin with the inten- tion of stnilying law. lie soon, however, tired of that pursuit, and, after overconnng the reluctance of his fa- ther, an inspector of taxes at Fraustadt, he had himself enrolled among the students of theology in the winter term of lyiO. The principal ins])iration of his being, nevertheless, was not theology, but poetry and an en- thnsiastn for liberty, lie exulted when permitted for the first time to enjoy the privileges of Ikrlin, and he spent eiuire days in roaming through tields and for- ests, alleging in defence of his conduct that to spend such days behind the study table evinced in<;ratitude towarils the tJiver of the breath of spring and the sun of summer. He also entered into correspon<lence with Jean Taul, and made that romantic author his model. Essays and pamphlets flowed from his pen, all giving evidence of a bold and sprightly, but also of an expect- ant and yearning spirit. His Krokodileier, Trdume uml Mdrclini, and numerous attempts at poetry, belong to this period. In 1818 he removed to Halle, and at once entered info the Bnrscheuschoft, becoming its head on Oct. 27 ; but the liurschenschtift being dissolved in February, 1819, he left Halle, and, after a brief sojourn at home, returnetl to Berlin. During the interval, he had experienced a thorough conversion, and Christ had come to be the all-absorbing object of his life. His mind had been jirofoundly agitated by the death of a yoinig girl belonging to the family, whom he ferventlj' Iove<l, and the event turned all the ardor of his passion- ate nature from :csthetics and nationality into the chan- nel of religion. Having returned to Herlin, Stier came under the intluence of an ascetical coterie, which de- cided him to break with all his earlier literary career and to commit not only his plans for further labors, but even his copies of the German classics, to the fire. He gave himself wholly to the stuily of theology, but in a spirit which permitted him to depreciate his professors, e. g. Neander and Liicke, as not sufficiently devoted, and as exalting themselves at)ove the aiiostles whom they expounded. A copy of Von Meyer's exposition of the llible, given him by TholucU for the purpose of encour- aging a persistent study of the Scriptures, caused a de- cided change in his views, however, and delivered him from his supercilious tendencies. A|>ril 2, 1821, Stier entered the Preachers' Seminary at Wittenberg, where Nitzscli, S<dilens>ner and Heubner were in the faculty, and Krummaclier, Tholiuk, and Uothe among tl)e stu- dents. Heul>ner, especially, contributed greatly towards the clarifying of .Sfier's theology and to the settling of his faith. He became indefatigable in Bible study, noting in a (piarto Bilde of several volumes everything that coidd in any way assist in the exf)osition, especial- ly a list of selected parallel passages; and when the (piarto proveil inaileipnite. he substituted for it a folio which bet.ame a perfect treasure-house of Biblical learn- ing. After having completed his studies, he taught a year in the Teachers' .Seminary at Karalene, and then followed a rail in 1824 to the Mission Institute at Basle. Kxcessivi! application exhausted his sfrengih and com- p<lled him, after four years, to retire. He went to \Vit- tenlM-rg, wIh>1i iia,| become a second home to liim in con.-M-.iuence of his marriage with a sister of Karl Im- manuel .N'itzsch, aii<l lived in (•om|)aralive seclusion im- til called in |N21t to lie pastor at Frankleben, near Merse- buru, where he spent ten years of fruitful stnily and of- ficial labor. His wrmouH aftra<fed hearers from be- yonil the boinids of his own parish, and his )iastoral care was ble-tsed to many individual soids and to the prosiMTiiv ,,i 1 1,., entire parish. The impression made
by him is illustrated by an anecdote which relates tliat he was once declared to be a mystic by one of a com- pany gathered at an iim, and that on the question be- ing asked what kind of persons mystics were, the speak- er responded that they were preachers who lived as they [ireachcd. From these labors Stier was transfer- red in 1838 to Wichlinghausen, in the Wuppcrthal. His physical strength proved nnetiiial to the task of man- aging so large a parish (o50() souls), and his siiirit chafed under the rigid |)resbyterial control exercised in the Ulienish churches. He also desired to devote him- self to literary labor ; and, in addition, his wife, who had been a constant solace and help, died. He accordinirly resigned his post in 1840. and retired once more to Wit- tenberg, where he spent three years in literary seclusion. Before his return the University of Bonn had conferred on him the honorary degree of doctor of divinity. His next position was the superintendency of Schkeuditz, where he exercised a beneficial supervision over his diocesans, but was not popular as a preacher. Fre- quently only fifteen to twenty persons attended the ser- vices, even on festival days. His sermons were said to be dry and his personal bearing brusque and unsocia- ble. A similar experience awaited him at Eisleben, whither he was transferred to the same office in 1859. His " Bible hours," however, were highlj- esteemc<] by a limited circle of earnest Christians in either place. Stier was afflicted all his life with many and severe cor- poreal ailments, a chronic afifection of the throat being the last; but his death was wholly unexpected when he fell the victim of apoplexy-, on Uec. 16, 1802.