# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1898_S2 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer. The Presentation of the Child Jesu . In the second chapter of St. Luke we read that Joseph and Mary brought the child Jesus to the temple at Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to the law: A pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons. And there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, waiting for the con- solation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, he took Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ‘‘Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast pre- pared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.’’ On these beauti- ful words of the aged Simeon Dr. Luther writes: **Simeon means exactly what he says: ‘My eyes have seen Thy sal- vation,’ the salva- tion which God in - heayen has or- dained. The world death; for against these very foes we have this Helper. Whoever wishes to escape death and to be freed from sin must trust in this Saviour, whom God Himself has appointed to carry our sins and to purchase our redemp- tion by His blood. He who has this confi- dence can under all circumstances, even amid dangers and death exclaim with Simeon: ‘Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,’ while he who places his hope on something else will ever be without peace and full of fear; he has no Saviour and re- mains in death and condemnation. ‘‘Simeon also says of this Saviour: ‘Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people.’ He says: Not for me alone did God do this; there are many others that be- will persist in the creation of other fancied saviours from sin and death. The Jew expects to obtain mercy from God if he refrains from eating pork, if he keeps the Sabbath and is circumcised, etc. The monk regards his monastic life as a guarantee of heaven for him. There is no end to the ab- surd penances and idolatrous ceremonies in the pope’s church. Faithful Simeon wished to warn all against such grievous mistakes and to teach us to accept the only true Sav- jour of whom we stand in need, and whom God Himself ordained to be our Helper. If we have Him, we are safe; for God, the Father in heaven, did send this Child Jesus to be a Saviour and to bring us salvation. **It is, therefore, necessary that we look to this Child, that we take Him upon our arms, as Simeon did; and this we will do if we make Him the only joy, comfort, and consolation of our heart. If our hearts are once firm in the conviction that this Child is the salvation of God for us, it must follow that we become contented and fearless in the presence of The Presentation of the Child Jesus. long to the happy number thus blessed of God. This Saviour is prepared before the face of all people, and for the entire world. “Simeon, Mary, Peter, and Paul were not the only ones to have a Saviour, but all the nations of the earth shallown Him. To make the meaning of the words perfectly plain, Simeon adds: ‘A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.’ Here we have the reason why God gave this Sav- iour, namely, that He should be a Redeemer for all nations, for Jews and for Gentiles.” May God, in the new year, make us more zealous in our mission work, by which we make known this salvation, which He has pre- pared for all people. ——_ ~~ ae Care is God’s business, not ours. Ours is to work and pray and trust. We are never nearer peace and rest than when we allow Him to care for us. ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?”” A New Year’s Prayer. The fishermen of Brittany utter this simple prayer when they launch their boats upon the deep: ‘Keep me, my God; my boat is small and the ocean is wide.’’ How beautiful the words, the thought. At the beginning of 3 new year the prayer might be uttered by God’s children, journeying on the Sea of Life. My boat is small, I am so weak, so helpless. Tossed to and fro I perish, unless Thou dost help me. Keep me, my God; ‘Thy ocean is so wide’? —the voyage so long —the days and the years so many. ‘In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.” Only One Day at a Time. God gives His children strength to bear the troubles of the day. They are not to borrow the troubles of to- morrow. They are not to try to bear all the load of to- morrow’s anxie- ties. When the morrow comes, grace and strength will come sufficient for its tasks and for its troubles. “Take therefore n0 thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.’’ A Christian lady had met with a very seri- ous accident, which made necessary 2 painfal operation and many months of confinement to her bed. When the doctor had finished his work and was taking his leave, the lady asked, ‘‘Doctor, how long shall I have to lie here helpless ?”” “Oh, only one day at a time,’? was the cheery answer, and the poor sufferer was com- forted as she thought that God had promised strength sufficient for the day. “As thy day thy strength shall be! This should be hear for thee; He who knows thy frame will spare Burdens more than thou canst bear.” —_—»>—-o-P o> oe A New Year’s Wish. “May God, our Father, ever be your guide; Jesus, our Saylour, be close by your side; The Holy Spirit in your heart abide — 4 Then peace will be your guest whate’er betide: