# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1882_S30 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 30 The Lutheran Pioneer. (For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer’’.) 0 God, forsake me not! e O God, forsake me not, But lead, full of compassion, With loving hands Thy child, That I may gain salvation, When here my course is run. Be Thou my Light, my Lot, My Staff, my Rock, my Shield. O God, forsake me not! O God, forsake me not! Guide me, while here 4 wander; Grant that in sin and shame My days I may not squander. Thy Spirit send to me; My faith, which Thou hast wrought, Increase; be Thou my strength; O God, forsake me not! O God, forsake me not! Lord, hear my supplication! In every evil hour ‘Help me o’ercome temptation; And when the Prince of hell My conscience sceks to blot, Then do not fail me, Lord! O God, forsake me not! O God, forsake me not! Thy mercy I’m addressing. O Father, God of love, Grant me Thy richest blessing, To do the duty which To me Thou didst allot, To do what pleaseth Thee. O God, forsake me not! O God, forsake me not! . Lord, I am Thine forever. Grant me true faith in Thee; Grant that I leave Thee never; Grant me a blessed end, When my good fight is fought; Help me in life and death. O God, forsake me not! ; (Solomon Frank, 1725. Tr. by A. Crull, 1882.) ~~ oo + (For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer.’’) Death of Thomas Bransford. It was a sad, sad scene our little mission- chapel witnessed on the 13th of July. The low and solemn singing of the congregation, their sad faces and tearful eyes, the mourning mother, the coffin strewed with flowers, preached the powerful sermon of Ps. 103: ‘As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, 80 he flowrisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall - know it no more.” And the flower over the whithering of which so many eyes wept that day, was not one easily to be forgotten. The coffin held the remains of one who had been a widow’s only son, the joy and comfort of her lonely days, of one upon whom we looked as one of the best among the younger members of our little flock. 5 His name was Thomas Bransford, born at Louisville, Ark., on November 18th, 1864. His mother was for twenty-six years, in slavery and in freedom, an inmate of the house of Col. Johnson of Little Rock. Though well cared for by his kind master, it was Tom’s ambition to buy for his mother and himself a little home- stead, and to gain this he labored without re- Jaxing. He began by carrying papers for the two dailies of this city, and after he had won the love and favor of his employers by his in- dustry, he was allowed, shortly before his death, to enter one of the printing-offices to learn the trade. Meanwhile his education was not neglected. He visited our mission-school regularly, and under the instruction of Rev. Berg and Mr. Jeske made good progress. Not content, how- ever, with what he learned in the day-time, he employed his spare hours at night in visiting an evening-school. But not only. worldly knowledge did Tom seek. Through God’s grace, his heart soon be- gan to wish for the wisdom that beareth the fruit of eternal life. By Rev. Berg’s instruc- tion, he became thoroughly acquainted with our Lutheran catechism. He soon learned the truth of what the Gospel says, that sinners cannot be saved but by faith in Christ Jesus, and though almost all his comrades thanklessly and faithlessly left the church where the Word of God is taught in its purity, Tom remained faithful to the last day of his life. Every Sun- day morning he could .be seen reciting his cat- echism with the children, while at night he was in his pew, a regular and attentive hearer of what God had to say to him. Among the people of his color, he was a most faithful and earnest missionary, inviting his friends and ac- quaintances to our chapel, anxious that they also should enjoy the sweetness of the Gospel. Need we fear, then, that the sudden call of death found him unprepared? Is it doubtful whether or not the soul held sweet communion with its God, while the body was lying un- conscious in that last, fatal illness? No, we doubt not, that Tom was found well prepared to stand before his Lord, that his sins were found to be covered up with the blood of Christ, and that he is now, and forever will be, chanting the Saviour’s glory and praise with the angelic choirs. Space does not permit us to speak fully of all the kindness Col. Johnson and his family showed to the poor colored boy during his last ilJness, and which they continue to show to the grief-stricken mother. May God bless them for their kindness! Neither shall we speak of the grief of the afflicted widow. May the Lord comfort her with the sweet hope of a resurrec- tion unto eternal life! But this one question, kind reader, let us finally ask of you: Do you not find this one example of a saved soul reason enough to thank our God, who has shed his blessings bountifully on our poor work and shown us such fruits of our labors? Surely, if angels rejoice over the salvation of one soul, we must praise the Lord for having used our weak endeavors to bring this sinner into His heavenly paradise. May He continue to be with us as he has been until now, to the eternal honor and glory of His name. —ER, Little Rock, Ark. (For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioncer.’’) The Latest News from our Colored Mission at Little Rock. On the 6th Sunday after Trinity, Rev. E. Meilaender, the new missionary, was ordained and introduced to his future hearers. Rey. Herzberger officiated at the ordination and preached on Isa. 41, 5., from which text he showed how God will help those that work in the field of mission. At night, the regular services were held at the St. Paul’s.Chapel. The colored people who had signed a call to Mr. Meilaender had all assembled, besides a great number of others, the meeting almost completely filling the chapel. The sermon showed from Isa. 40, 1. 2. what comforting news God wishes to be preached by his minis- ters to all sinners, also to our colored fellow- men. After the services, Mr. Meilaender ad- dressed the assembly in a few words, commit- ting himself to their earnest prayer. Then Mr. C. Craemer, a student from St. Louis, who had labored in the mission with great success for several months, took his leave from those who had been his attentive hearers and who had grown dear to his heart. Altogether, the day was one not easily to be forgotten by all who partook in the services. May this short notice of the event be productive of renewed warmth wherever the zeal for our colored mis- sion has waxed cold. 18. ———- To love anything more than we love the liv- ing and true God, is to make that thing our god.