# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1888_S13 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Che Lutheran Proneer, A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PusuisueED BY THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SyNopicaAL CoNFERENCE oF Nortu AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. Vol. X. St. Louis, Mo., April, 1888. No. 4. “He Liveth.” “T know that my Redeemer lives!”’ What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead, He lives, my ever-living Head. He lives to bless me with His love, He lives to plead for me above, He lives, my hungry soul to feed, He lives to help in time of need. He lives to grant me*rich supply, He lives to guide me with His eye, He lives to comfort me when faint, He lives to hear my soul’s complaint. He lives to silence all my fears, He lives to wipe away my tears, He lives to calm my troubled heart, He lives, all blessings to impart. He lives, and grants me daily breath, He lives, and I shall conquer death; He lives, my mansion to prepare, He lives to bring me safely there. He lives, all glory to His name! He lives, my Jesus, still the same! O heavenly joy this sentence gives: “T know that my Redeemer lives!’ S. Medley. ——_—_+>~ emo pe Glad Easter Tidings. The Easter tidings are indeed glad tidings.| over the grave. He is our Substitute, and Christ is risen! What gladder tidings were ever made known to men? P That was a blessed message brought by the angel at the Saviour’s birth, ‘‘ Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” But what would this message that «Christ is born’’ signify if it could not be said of the same Christ, ‘‘ He is risen’? If we had no Easter we could have no Christmas. If we had no Easter we could have no Gospel. St. Paul says, ‘“‘If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”” But the Easter tidings tell us that Christ is risen, and the resurrection of Christ is the seal which God has set to the truth of the Gospel. Hear the glad tidings! Christ is risen! His resurrection proves Him to be the Son of God. | also rise from the grave. For He rose as the | might take itagain. No man taketh it from He Himself said, ‘‘I lay down my life, that I} first fruits of our resurrection. He lives, and He gives the blessed assurance, ‘‘ Because I live ye shall live also.’? Thus forever has death been robbed of its sting, and the grave of its victory. Blessed Easter tidings! No wonder that they sent a thrill of joy to the hearts of the dis- ciples, and that that joy filled the hearts of millions who heard and believed the Easter tid- ings in all the ages since. May the glad Easter tidings fill our hearts also with Easter joy! -__—- o~<—mo What is Faith. me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.’’ The grave could not keep the Lord of life. The Lord is risen! He is risen, in- deed! Christ conquered death and came forth triumphantly from the grave, thereby proving Himself to be the Son of God. St. Paul there- fore says of Jesus that He was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead,’’ Rom. 1, 4. Hear the glad tidings! Christ is risen! There- fore the atonement for sin is complete. The work of our redemption is finished. St. Paul says, ‘‘He was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification.” As our Surety He bore the pains and sorrows recorded in His life—a life saddened with the burden of our sins; as our Surety He hung upon the tree and became a curse for us, and as our Surety He bowed His head before the fell en- emy of mortals, and died. But when He rose from the grave the perfection and completeness of His work is seen. The debt was paid and justice was seen to be satisfied when our Sub- stitute broke the bands of death and triumphed A poor wild Irish boy, taught in a mission- school in Ireland, was asked what was meant by saying faith. He replied, ‘‘Grasping Christ with the heart.’’ A young Portuguese convert, being asked what she meant by faith, replied: ‘‘Me think this: God say to me, ‘Maria, I promise you something very, very good.’ Me not know what it is; me wait perhaps long, long time; but me sure God tell not story." Me quite happy. God say He give, and me quite sure God will give; that me think faith. God says, ‘Maria, Me do it;’ me quite sure; no want to see. God says, and that enough for Maria. That's faith, is it not?”’ “Without faith it is impossible to please’ God.” therefore His victory is our victory, His triumph is our triumph. All sinners that accept this finished work of redemption by true faith may now cry out triumphantly, ‘‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth, Who is he that con- demneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again.’’ Rom. 8, 33. 34. Hear the glad tidings! Christ is risen! There- fore the believer need not fear death and the grave. In the light of Easter morning the Christian recognizes that death is no longer a punishment, . because Christ has paid the pen- alty, and we stand in Him. To us death comes as the gentle friend, taking us to better scenes, to higher joys. To this the dying saints of all ages have borne testimony. Having found that to live is Christ, they have proved that to die is gnin, and have met the king of terrors with- out fear. Christ is risen! Therefore we shall ——————s- +o o Precious Saviour. He is very happy who is able to set his Say- iour above all. To every Christian He should be the “‘precious’”’ one, the one “altogether lovely.”” The trouble often is, that fixing our minds devotedly on earthly objects, we forget Jesus and the supreme love with which we ought to regard Him. And when, in any, case, we permit ourselves to make Him subordinate to another interest, we are dishonoring Him and robbing ourselves. —_—_2 oe Tue difficulty in the way of believing the resurrection of Jesus is not found in the head, but in the state of the heart as deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, as in itself enmity against God.