# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1881_S6 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) ee 6 The Lutheran Pioneer. Slow Pay—Poor Pay—No Pay. Slow pay—poor pay—no pay—what is it? In many cases it is the minister's salary. We know this is a very delicate subject to write upon, and if we were a pastor we might lay down our pen for fear that our congregation “might think we were not satisfied with our salary. But we have no congregation that could think anything of the kind, and so we may just as well say something on this subject. We were reminded of it lately when reading in one of our exchanges that an Eastern editor was asked the following question: ‘‘Mr. Editor, since editors ‘know everything,’ please tell us why so many Christian people don’t pay their pastors as promptly, as they pay debts contracted with other men.’” Yes, why such slow pay? But slow pay is perhaps better than poor pay. A Southern paper says that in one of the States ‘‘the ministry is not properly supported. There is scarcely a pastor in the State who is getting a fair living. Living is becoming more and more dear, while in many instances salaries are steadily falling off. There is consequently a feeling of uneasiness among the ministers that is hurtful to the cause of religion. The charges are as able to live well, to dress, to buy and sell as they ever were—able in every thing except the Church.”” There must be something foul in such congregations. But in some cases the minister’s salary is— no pay. That is a queer salary, is it not? We heard of such a salary some years ago down in Virginia. An excellent old Christian lady, a pastor's widow, told us that in the first years of her married life her husband had charge of a large country congregation. ‘The congre- gation,’’ the lady said, ‘thad promised a salary, but after we had been there a short time we found out that the salary was—no pay. The people thought we could get our living from the little farm that belonged to the parsonage. We suffered a great deal in those years, but my husband bore it all with great patience. I many a time wished I could give those people a piece of my mind.” ‘Not a piece of your mind,” we said, “but the plain word of God. The people perhaps knew no better, and they ought to have been instructed from God’s Word in regard to the duty of every Christian con- gregation.”” A pastor should devote his time entirely to the duties of his calling. He should not ‘‘en- tangle himself with the affairs of this life’’ (2 Tim. 2, 4.), but he should “‘give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” (1 Tim. 4, 18.) Therefore “hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.’’ (1 Cor. 9,14.) ‘‘If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” says the Apostle. (1 Cor. 9, 7.) From these and other passages of God’s Word we learn that it is the plain‘duty of all the members of the congregation to give something towards the minister's salary according to their means. And to this St. Paul adds in the 7th verse: ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked.’ manner Christ says to His apostles in Luke and drinking such things as they give; for the laborer is worthy of his hire’.’’ need and want. and rejoice when their pastors suffer, and with- such faithfulness as they ought, it is a plain Saviour Christ teacheth the same thing in the such things as they have, for the laborer is not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with of the Gospel,’ 1 Cor. 9, 13. 14.’ must be slow pay—poor pay—no pay? Take, eat, this is my Body.—Drink ye all only as a memorial of His death. Dr. Luther therefore says: ‘‘There is no doubt that it is our duty to support the pastors and ministers of the Church, and if we give nothing towards their support, God’s Word will condemn us, and we will bring shame upon ourselves. It is God's will that ‘he that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.’ Gal. 6, 6. In like 10, 7.: ‘And in the same house remain, eating Again Luther says: ‘‘It is impossible that true Christians should let their pastors live in But since some even laugh hold from them their living, or give it not with token they are worse than the heathen.” And again Luther says: ‘The people must be admonished of their duty, that they may know that they ought to yield unto their pas- tors both reverence and a necessary living. Our tenth chapter of Luke: ‘Eating and drinking worthy of his hire.’ And Paul saith, ‘Do ye the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel ‘should live Is it not wrong to think the minister's salary (For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer.’’) of it, this is my Blood. Matth. 26, 26. 28. DEAR READER:—Perhaps you.are in a strait as to the proper meaning of these words, your soul being darkened by the error of sectarians who say that our Saviour did not mean His body and blood, but instituted the Holy Supper To make this seem clear they direct you to John 6, 68.: “Tt is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.’”’ Now, that in these words our Saviour did not mean His flesh but ours can be clearly seen from the context; but I will also direct you to Rom. 8, 1.: ‘There is there- fore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit’; and to Gal. 5, 16.: “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” ‘There is nothing in our sinful flesh that profiteth any- thing, nothing that would merit salvation; no, we must wholly rely on the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Verily, His flesh and blood profiteth us much. ~ x. —s- +e - seize it then. Under his Wings. Under his wings shalt thou trust.—Ps. 91, 4. That means to-day, not some other time! Under his wings, the shadowing wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust to-day. When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall down on the rocks and be dashed to pieces. “under his wings,’ “nothing shall by any means hurt you’’ there. So safe shall you be When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be kept ‘under his wings,’’ when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness. “Under his wings shalt thou trust!’? Not “shalt thou see!”’ If one of the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm, The sharp wind would chill it, and the cruel hand might So you are to trust, rest quietly and peacefully, ‘‘under his wings;”’ stay there, not be peeping out and wondering whether God really is taking care of you! You may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for ‘in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge.” Happy, for ‘‘in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.”’ Remember, too, that it’is a command as well as a promise; it is what you are to do to-day, all day long: ‘Under his wings shalt thou trust!” “T am trusting thee, Lord-Jesus, Trusting only thee! Trusting thee for full salvation, Great and free. “T am trusting thee to guide me, Thou alone shalt lead! Every day and hour supplying All my need.” F. R, Havergal. —s~- oo oe “Goop works do not make a Christian; but one must bea Christian to do good works. ‘The tree bringeth forth the fruit, not the fruit the tree. None is made a Christian by works, but by Christ; and being in Christ, he brings forth fruit for Him.’’—JZnither. —— ~