# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1893_S17 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Che Lutheran Pioneer. A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PuBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LuTHERAN SynopicaL CoNnFERENCE OF NortH AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Of_ice at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. St. Louis, Mo., May, 1893. Vol. XV. No. 5. Pentecost. reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit hath called me through the Gospel, enlightened me by His gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith.’’ And in the Larger Catechism Dr. Luther says: ‘‘Neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, nor be- lieve in Him or have Him for our Lord, except as it is offered to us, and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. ‘The work is finished and accom- plished; for Christ, by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc., has acquired and gained the treasure for us. But if the work remain con- cealed, so that no one knew of it, then it were in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be taken and en- joyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and apply it unto us.’’ How important is this work of the Holy Spirit! Only they that believe shall be saved. Only by the work of the Holy Spirit through the means of grace we are brought to this faith and kept in this faith until the end. As we call to mind the important work of the Holy Spirit, and praise the mercy of our God for His mission, may we also be urged to greater earnestness in the use of the means of grace by which the Spirit works, and to greater zeal in bringing those means of grace to them that are still sitting in the darkness and misery of sin without Christ and without hope in this world. ; Some one told Dr. Luther this, and the Doctor said: ‘‘The good man is right. Was there some bran there?’’ And then he told the fable of a lion who, once upon a time, pre- pared a great and costly feast, and invited all the beasts to be present. The hog was also invited. Now when the excellent food was placed before the guests, and they were in- vited to eat freely, the hog threw up his snout and asked, ‘‘Is there also some bran here?’’ Thus, said Luther, it is with our worldly minded men. We'ministers place before them in our churches the best and most precious food, as, forgiveness of sin, the grace of God, and eternal life, but they throw up their snouts, scratch around, and ask after dollars or some other worldly treasure. Well may it be said: Does the cow relish nutmegs? She readily eats oats straw! Dear reader, where is your treasure? ‘‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,’’ says Christ. The Christian’s treasure is in heaven. He seeks those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. He, therefore, is heavenly minded. The as- cended Saviour draws his thoughts heaven- ward, and his affections are set on things above, not on things on the earth. He passes through this world as a pilgrim and a stranger who can tarry but a while. He knows that he is a child of God and an heir of the heavenly glory. In the light of that glory the things of this world dwindle into nothing. Let songs of praises fill the sky: Christ, our ascended Lord, Sends down His Spirit from on high, According to His Word: All hail the day of Pentecost, The coming of the Holy Ghost! The Spirit, by His heav’nly breath, Creates new life within; He quickens sinners from the death - Of trespasses and sin: All hail the day of Pentecost, The coming of the Holy Ghost! The things of Christ the Spirit takes, And shows them unto men: The fallen soul His temple makes; God’s image stamps again: All hail the day of Pentecost, The coming of the Holy Ghost! Come, Holy Spirit, from above, With Thy celestial fire; Come, and with flames of zeal and love Our hearts and tongues inspire! Be this our day of Pentecost, The coming of the Holy Ghost! Selected. The Holy Spirit’s Work. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples in an extraordinary manner, but He still continues His work on earth, though now by ordinary means—by the word of God and the holy sacraments. By these means of grace the Spirit brings to us the salvation which Christ procured for all sinners, and works in our hearts true faith by which we take that salvation as our own. Man by nature is ‘‘dead in trespasses and sin,’? and there is not the least particle of strength in him by which he could bring him- self to spiritual life or in any wise assist in this work. It is wholly the work of the Holy Spirit. ‘‘The natural man receiveth not the 6‘ child of God! and can this earth’s vain pleasures Be aught to one for whom the Saviour died? Rise, rise above them all! its worthless treasures, Its soul-destroying joys, its pomp and pride! ‘‘Be His in all! Let soul and eye be single, Fixed on the glory that surrounds the throne; Seek not Christ’s service with the world to mingle, Remember God hath sealed thee for His own.’? s+ or oe Where is your Treasure? The treasures of the worldly minded are in this world, and therefore his heart is set on the things of this present life. He does not concern himself about the things which are a + 0 a + ee things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned,”’ 1 Cor. 2, 14. ‘*No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost,’’ 1 Cor. 12,8. Such are the plain statements of God’s Word. We therefore confess in our Cate- chism: ‘‘I believe that I can not by my own above. He despises the heavenly treasures offered to him in the Gospel. He is like that rich nobleman with whom John Frederick, the Elector of Saxony, once spoke about the Gos- pel. The nobleman, whose only concern was how to get more money, said, ‘*What do I care about the Gospel! Most gracious Lord, what does the Gospel concern us??? The Alarm of Fire. *