# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1890_S25 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) «The Lutheran Pioneer, — A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PosuisHeD BY THE EVANGELICAL LuTHERAN SyNopicaL ConFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Oftice at St. Lonis, Mo., as second-class matter. Vol. XII. St. Louis, Mo., July, 1890. No. 7. The Day of Satisfaction. free ride on the railroad. And so the ‘hero of many a battlefield” was put off the train at the next station, and as he left, the passengers in the train could hear him grumble about an ungrateful Republic. We were reminded of this incident on read- ing the speech of a ‘‘ Protestant minister’’ de- livered on Decoration day. The speaker said to the old soldiers, that had assembled to deco- rate the graves of their fallen comrades: ‘‘All those heroes that fell on the bloody battlefield have entered the fields of everlasting glory and heavenly rest. ‘They now answer to the roll- call of heaven.’’ Well, fighting for one’s coun- try may entitle 2 man to a pension, but it surely will not entitle him to a seat in heaven. The Bible plainly tells us that they who be- lieve in Jesus will be saved, and they who believe not will be condemned, no matter whether they die on the battlefield or at any other place. Again we recently read a speech delivered by a Superintendent of public schools on Com- -|mencement day. The speaker told the gradu- ating class of the High School to live an up- right and virtuous life and thereby gain heaven as their reward. This is bosh. If it were true that man can gain heaven by an upright and virtuous life, then the Bible would be a book of lies and the sufferings of Christ a farce. But the Bible is not a book of lies; it is the eternal truth of God. And the suffering of Christ is not a farce; it is our only comfort, the only ground of our hope in life and in the hour of death. Because all men are sinners and can never gain heaven by their own doings, therefore Christ became the Saviour of sinners and by His sufferings and death opened heaven for us. . We are saved through Jesus alone, because He is the “‘propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world.” ‘‘He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” John 3, 36. Patriotism is not our saviour; our virtuous life is not our saviour. No! Jesus alone is our Saviour. ‘Neither is there sal- vation in any other: for there is NONE OTHER NAME under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,’’ Actsa’4, 12. “Out of the Mouth of Babes.” When I shall wake on that fair morn of morns, After whose dawning never night returns, And with whose glory day eternal burns, I shall be satisfied. Very often in life we are permitted to see the little child’s faith taking firm hold of God’s love. I was forcibly reminded of this not long since on being told of the words spoken by a little child whom I knew. Only five summers had passed over her young head. At the end of last year this little one fell ill, and was very weak and suffering. One day, when her father was sitting by her in her ill- ness, she said to him, ‘‘ God knows what is best for little children.” What simple faith, what unquestioning trust of the little child in weakness, suffering and pain! She had grasped by a simple faith the glorious truth, ‘‘God knows what is best.’’ And shall we not learn of the little child, and ask for the childlike faith to trust as she trusted? “God knows.’’ Oh, to grasp that truth! He knows; He who loves us; He who can tell the end from the beginning; He who will lead us and guide us to the end. One of old said, ‘He knoweth the way that I take;’’ and then not only ‘‘ He knows,” but ‘‘He knows what is best.’? How that thought grasped by faith would calm and quiet these restless hearts of ours, which are so often full of unrest and disquiet, instead of calmly resting, as He wills we should, on His perfect love! And then one other thought. This little one grasped the truth, ‘‘God knows what is best,’’ not when she was full of life and health, but : when she was weak and suffering, she so calmly rested on the thought, ‘‘God knows what is best for little children.’” What sweet, unquestioning faith! May God, by the power of His Spirit, carry it home to many a tempest-tossed soul, weary with suffer- ing, unrest and conflict. And in that blessed assurance that ‘‘God knows what is best,’’ may we each go forward, leaning on His arm of strength, knowing that He does all things } well and will lead onward day by day those who trust Him until they reach the haven where they would be. —_——>