# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1885_S5 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer. A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PusuisHeD BY THE EvancenicaL Lurneran SynopicaAL ConFERENCE or Nort AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., 2s second-class matter. Vol. VII. St. Louis, Mo., Hebruary, 1885. No. 2. Only Trust Him. “BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT TRUSTETIL IN HIM.” Psalm 34, 8. Trust in the Loving One, Jesus, thy Friend, Who loyeth thee always, And loves to the end. John 13, 1. Trust in the Dying One: Atonement He made: The wrath He has borne, Thy debt He has paid. Rom. 5, 6. Trust in the Risen One, Mighty to save; ¥or He did destroy Both death and the grave. 1 Cor. 15, 55—57. Trust the Ascended One, Seated on high; Through Him to the Father Alone we draw nigh. Heb. 4, 14—16. Trust in the Living One: None can thee sever . From Him who was dead, But now liveth ever. John 14, 19. Trust in the Coming One, Coming for thee; Soon with Him in glory Safe home thou shalt be. John 14, 3. Trust in the Reigning One, Never to fall; Trust, love, and praise Him, Christ, All in All. Col, 3, 11. —Selected. ————+ +e o> oe - Salvation Prepared. In Christ salvation is fully prepared for all sinners. In the second chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke we read that Simeon, a just and devout man, waiting for the conso- lation of Israel, took the child Jesus up in his arms, and blessed God, and said: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, ac- cording ‘to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”’ The sinner is not to prepare his salvation. It is prepared already. Neither is he to add any- thing in order to make it perfect or suited to his need. It is a salvation which God has prepared, and hence it must be perfect, and exactly suited to the need of every sinner. Simeon taking the Christ-child up in his arms in true faith; and the outcast woman, weeping at the feet of Jesus; and the chief of publicans, welcoming the Saviour to his home and to his heart; and the dying thief, looking to the Cru- cified One, found salvation prepared in Him and rejoiced. Not only for the Jews, but also for the Gen- tiles—for all sinners this salvation is prepared in Christ, who united our human nature with His divine nature in His own Person. There- fore all sinners are called to the marriage feast of the Son of God. The Father invites all. ‘‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: Come unto the marriage,’ (Matt. 22, 4.). The dinner is already prepared; the sacrifice has been offered and accepted; the Father's arms are ready to welcome the sinner; the Holy Spirit is ready to comfort him; the angels are ready to minister unto him; all heaven is ready to receive him. Reader, how can you escape if you neglect this great sal- vation? If you make light of it, you will be speechless with shame and confusion and ter- ror, when the King comes. Do not reject this salvation in unbelief or in selfrighteousness. God is satisfied only with the salvation pre- pared in His beloved Son. Be you also satis- fied with this full and free salvation and rejoice over it. An old saint was asked by a skeptic, ‘What is the Gospel you believe, and how do you believe it?”? The answer was, “‘God is satisfied with the work of His Son; this is what I believe, and I am satisfied with it; this is how I believe.” —_s +o o oe . Communion with God. The editor was busy in his study, when his “sweet pet’? suddenly came into the room. ‘‘What do you want, little one?’’ he asked, as he raised his eyes. ‘‘Nothing, papa,’’ she answered, ‘‘I just want to be with you.”’ She did not come to ask for something, but simply wanted to be with him, and this sent a joyful thrill through his heart. It is the sweet privilege of every child of God, not only to come to our heavenly Father in supplication, but to be in constant com- munion with Him. And what is the ground of this communion? Jesus Christ in whom God is well pleased as His beloved Son, and when we are well pleased with Him as our beloved Saviour, God and we have 4 common interest and delight, there is Communion with God. We will then just want to be with Him, apart from all thought of personal advantage. A story of the excellent commentator Bengel is going the rounds that is in illustration of a true Christian’s communion with God. ‘An American minister was once a guest at Bengel’s house, and had an intense curiosity to see and know more of the secret life of the man whose simple and saintly piety was even more remark- able than his learning. One night after he had taken leave of his host, he lingered in an adjoining apartment with the door ajar so that he could hear the last words of his evening devotions. In a little while Bengel put aside his papers and books, and closing his Bible knelt down and uttered this simple prayer: ‘Lord Jesus, things are still the same between us;’ and then retired for the night.’’ : Beautiful fellowship! The childlike Christian walked so closely and constantly with his Lord that neither business nor conversation could interrupt his communion, and life was all one service and devotion. ee Children. ‘These are my jewels,” said a poor Roman lady, pointing to her two boys, when she was asked by a rich lady to show her treasures. Her children were not baptized. How much more may the Christians look upon their children as treasures after they have been baptized and made heirs of heaven. ee Gop is more willing to give than we are to ask.