# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1881_S9 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Che Lutheran Pioneer. A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PusuisueD BY THE EvancEeLicAL Lurneran SynopicaL Conrerence or Nortn AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. Vol. Ill. St. Louis, Mo., March, 1881. No. 3. Whosoever. God’s Word comes to every one with the solemn words, ‘“Thou art the man;’’ and in its great WHOSOEVER leaves no room for any man to doubt that he is meant. It condemns you and every sinner with those solemn words: ‘““WHOSOEVER committeth sin is the servant of sin’ (John 8, 34.); ‘‘Wuosorver shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all’’ (James 2, 10.); ‘‘WaosorveR committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.’’ (1 John 8, 4.) Thus the law of God condemns you. Your name is not found there. It does not say, ‘‘Mr. Jones,’ or “Mrs. Smith.’ If it did, there might be some doubt, which Mr. Jones and which Mrs, Smith is meant. So you see there is something far better there than your name. No matter what your name is, it is wrapt up in that great Waosorver. Thou art the man; the law condemns you. This is the ‘‘WuosoEver”’ of God's law. It is a ter- rible ‘WHOSOEVER,’ more terrible than all the cries and groans of the lost in hell! How, then, can I hope to be saved? Your hope must be in the mercy of God through Christ Jesus. Salvation is of pure grace. No mortal deserves it. But God is a holy and righteous Judge, and He is angry with sin. Yes; but He loves the sinner; and in order that the sinner might be saved, He has sent His only-begotten Son into the world to die, “the just for the unjust.’’ God has judged, con- demned, and punished sin in the person of our Substitute, who has fully redeemed us from the curse of the law and the punishment of sin. And in the Gospel God stretches forth His hand of love, and offers pardon and eternal salvation to all sinners, and is ready to receive every sinner. Believe, that is, simply trust with all your heart in that Gospel and you are saved. - But how may I know that God will receive me? My name is not there. Ah, my friend, there is something far better there than your name. It is the great Wuo- SOEVER of the Gospel. Listen to it: ‘‘God so loveth the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that WHosorver believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’’ (John 38, 16.); ‘‘Wxosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 10, 43.); ‘*Waxo- SOEVER believeth on him shall not be ashamed’’ (Romans 10, 11.); ‘‘WHosorver will, let him take the water of life freely’? (Rev. 22, 17.) Does not that ‘‘whosoever"’ of the Gospel take in your case? Can you receive the word, “Whosoever,” and shut yourself out? You cannot, my friend. Your name is wrapt up in that great “WHOSOEVER,” and by trusting in that Gospel-word you can be surer of your sal- vation than if your name were written plainly in flashing letters across the sky, as one whom Jesus will receive. How sweet is that ‘‘Wuo- SOEVER”’ of the Gospel! Sweeter, far sweeter than all the songs of angels! In it God throws His arms wide open, and welcomes any, every sinner, that will take eternal life at His hands as a free gift. He welcomes you, for He speaks to you in that great ‘‘WHOSOEVER.”’ ——s +e o> oe Mr. Gold. At a missionary meeting at Hamilton, On- tario, John Sunday, an Indian preacher, in closing an address, spoke as follows: ‘“There is a gentleman who, I suppose, is now in this house. He is a very fine gentleman, but a very modest one. He does not like to show himself at these meetings. I do not know how long it is since I have seen him, he comes out so little. Iam very much afraid that he sleeps a good deal of his time when he ought to be out doing good. His name is Gold. Mr. Gold, are you here to-night, or are you sleeping in your iron chest? Come out, Mr. Gold; come out and help us do this great work, to preach the gospel to every creature. Ah, Mr. Gold! you ought to be ashamed of yourself to sleep so much in your iron chest. Look at your white brother, Mr. Silver; he does a great deal of good while you are sleeping. Come out, Mr. Gold. Look, too, at your brown little brother, Mr. Copper; he is everywhere. Your poor little brown brother is running about, doing all that he can to help us. Why don’t you come out, Mr. Gold? Well, if you won't show yourself, send us your shirt, that is a bank note. That is all I have to say.”’ John Sun- day’s call is very timely and may well be re- echoed in the hope that it may reach the ears of Mr. Gold or those who have him in custody. “The silver and the gold are mine, saith the Lord of Hosts,’’ but the gold seems to be ob- tained with much more difficulty than the sil- ver or the copper. > - oa ee “Pardon for Nothing.’’ Some time since, when visiting an old man who seemed anxious about salvation, I found great difficulty in making him understand that pardon is the free gift of God, through the pre- cious blood of Christ. At last I said to him: ‘‘Now, suppose I were to go toa shop, and buy something for you, and pay for it, and send it to you, need you pay any money for it?’’ “No,” said the old man, brightening up; ‘“‘it would be paid for.’’ “Need you make any promise to pay at some future time?’’ I then asked. “‘No,”’? he replied; ‘I should have it for nothing.” ; “‘So,’”’ I continued, “‘it is with forgiveness of sins—the Lord Jesus has paid the full price for it. He has had the groans, the sighs, the tears, the wrath, the pain, the punishment; yea, all that sin deserved. He bore it all. He paid the whole. Yes, He bought forgiveness with his precious blood, and now He gives it as a gift to all who will accept it.” ‘*Yes,’’ said the old man, as his eyes filled with tears, ‘‘I see it now; it is pardon for noth- ing! pardon for nothing! Christ has bought it, and gives it to me.’” Dear reader, you may also believe that Christ alone saves; that neither your tears nor groans, nor prayers nor works, can secure forgiveness for you. Christ alone has secured that, by the shedding of his blood, and you must accept it in faith. ‘‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” x. ———o + oa o> A REMARK of an old minister is commended to all preachers who are tempted to complain of a small congregation: —“‘It is as large a con- gregation, perhaps, as you will want toaccount for at the day of judgment.’”