# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1890_S33 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Che Lutheran Pioneer. A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PusLIsHED BY THE EvanceLicaL LuraeraN SynopicaL ConrERENCE oF NortH AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. Vol. XII. St. Louis, Mo., September, 1890. No. 9. “God so loved the World, that He gave His| become before God will have pity ‘on me?’ only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth | Of course she was silent. in Him should not perish, but have ever- lasting life.” John 3, 16. Yes, Jesus, Saviour, Thou hast died for me, From sin and judgment Thou hast set me free; For, blessed Saviour, who believes on Thee Hath now eternal life. God laid my sins on Jesus long ago, And it is written, so that I may know, "He that believeth,” yes, the Word says so, “Hath everlasting life.”’ Come; then, poor sinner! Jesus wants you to, How can you treat His loving message so! Accept the Saviour, and you’ll surely know You have eternal life. Naught can you bring Him but a sinful heart; But if you do, He’ll surely take your part, And in return, I know He will impart, Now, everlasting life. God says, ‘‘Believe,’’ and “I will” surely ‘‘give;” God says, “I love,’’ and therefore “will I save.” Sinner, just look to Jesus and receive, Now, everlasting life. Selected. OE 0 What must I do? An aged Christian, worn out by sickness, was travelling to the sea coast with the hope _ of regaining his health. Behind him in the car sat an elderly Indy and her daughter. The mother, observing the pale face of the man, ex- pressed her concern for him in language he could overhear, and then said she would like to know if the man was a Christian. She was for 2 moment confused, when he turned and thanked her for her sympathy and at once confessed that he felt the deepest interest in his soul’s eternal welfare. ‘‘Since you have been so kind,”’ he said, ‘‘to speak of the subject, will you be kind enough also to tell me what I must do to be saved?””’ ‘Oh, yes,’ was her reply, ‘‘I will gladly tell you: you must pray to God.”” “But,” he asked, “chow long must I pray, before God will be merciful to me, and how can I know when I am forgiven?’’ She seemed to be a little per- plexed, and then said, ‘‘ Well, you must be- _ come a better man.’”’ ‘‘Again allow me to . ask,’’ he gently answered, ‘‘how good must I After a pause he said, ‘‘Have you no -book that can show a poor man, drawing near to the grave, how he can be saved?’’ She at once drew from her bag a tract which she placed in his hands. It was carefully read, and he turned once more with the remark, ‘‘This does not contain one word about the way of sal- vation for a lost sinner; have you no Bible?”’ She had none, and he drew forth his own pre- cious Bible, and handed it to her with the earnest inquiry, ‘‘ Will you be so good as to show me where we are told to pray and to be- come better in order to be saved?’’ She took the book of God and having turned over the leaves for a while, she impatiently said, ‘“I can not find the place now, but when you reach — call on the Rev. Dr. — and he will tell you where to find it.’’ “No,” he solemnly replied, “the Rev. Dr. — can not tell me, nor can any other Rev. Dr. — tell me, for there is no such place in the Bible. But this I find, ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3, 16); ‘To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever BELIEVETH in him shall receive re- mission of sins (Acts 10, 43); ‘By him all that BELIEVE ARE justified from ALL things’ (Acts 18, 89); ‘Beteve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved’ (Acts 16, 31); ‘To him that worketh not, but BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the uNcopty, his faith is counted for righteousness’’’ (Rom. 4, 5). Many other passages were read, and with a joyful heart the lady listened to the aged Christian, as he unfolded to her the blessed truth of salvation through faith alone. 2 1 oe “Fither,’—" Or.” Dear reader, these two words are charged with an emphasis of momentous truth for you. You are either with Christ, or against Christ, Matt. 12, 30. Either on the Lord’s side, or on the devil's side, 1 John 5, 19. Either a child of God or a child of the wicked one, 1 John 3, 10. Either a soldier of the cross of Christ, or an enemy of the cross of Christ, 2 Tim. 2, 3; Philip. 3, 18. Either a subject of divine grace, or the slave of self and sin, Rom. 6, 19. Either in the kingdom of God’s dear Son, or under the dominion and ‘‘power of darkness,’’ Col. 1, 138. Either in Christ, and “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” or ‘‘without Christ, having no hope,’’ Col. 1, 27; Eph. 2, 12. Either “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord,” or ‘‘dead in trespasses and sin,’’ Rom. 7, 11; Eph. 2, 1. Either in the narrow way, which ‘‘leadeth unto life,”’ or in the broad way, which ‘‘leadeth to destruction,’’ Matt. 7, 13. 14. ——> + 2 The Precious Promises. Does your spirit faint? They are a drooping honeycomb, better than Jonathan’s. Dip your pilgrim staff into their richness, and put your hand to your mouth, like him, and your faint- ness shall pass away. Are you thirsty? They are the flowing stream of the Water of Life, of which you may drink by the way, and lift up your head. Are you overcome by the sultry burden of the day? They are as the shadow of a cloud to bring down the heat; as the cool shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Have your steps well nigh slipped? They are a staff in your hand, on top of which, betimes, like Jacob, you may lean, and worship God. Are you sad? ‘There are no such songs to beguile the road, and to bear you on with gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord. Put but a promise under your head by night, and were your pillow a stone like that at Bethel, you shall have Jacob's vision. The thirstiest wilder- ness will become Elim, with palm trees and wells of water.—0. G. Ir Christians realized the danger of the un- converted, they would be more earnest in prayer and labor. ‘Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”