# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1900_S15 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer. 15 sacrifices for us that which is dearest to Him, how can we for a moment doubt His willing- ness to give us those necessaries which are in- finitely less? And as to His ability to help us, how can we doubt that! He is omniscient, He knows all our needs; He is omnipotent, He can do what He will. And still, for all this, how often must we say to ourselves: ‘‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me ?’’ How often must we lift up our drooping spirits and exhort our fainting heart: ‘““Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God!’’ And how many examples have we to prove that they who trust in God shall not be put to shame! David went forth against Goliath, trusting in the help of the Lord,.and he trusted notin vain. ‘he three Hebrew men who would not bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s image trusted in God's deliverance, and wonderfully did God preserve them. Abraham trusted in God’s promise and left his home and country, and he was not put to shame..- Luther sang: ‘‘A mighty fortress is our God,’’ when dangers beset him upon all sides, and never did he have to retract his words, for God did indeed help him free from every need that had over- taken him. Paul Gerhardt, when without shel- ter and food, sang: ‘‘Wait thou His time, so shall this night soon end in joyous day,’’ and while his words were yet echoing in the air, the darkness was dispelled by the dawn of day. How passing strange, then, that despite move us to stand fast in the faith, to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. A native Christian, a lady physician, in Cal- cutta was offered $2500, if she would accom- pany her patient, a princess, when she would go to worship her gods and offer sacrifices to idols. But the Christian declined the offer for Christ’s sake. There is a little kingdom in the Khasia Hills. The king’s son had become a Christian in his youth. His wife also was a Christian. When the old king died, his subjects came to the heir and said, ‘‘We like and respect you very much indeed; but we dare not allow you to be king, as long as you are a Christian. We must offer sacrifices to all our gods, lest they will send plagues on us, kill our children, and ruin our crops. You are aChristian, and there- fore cannot sacrifice. Give up your faith and we will receive you with open arms.’’ But the prince steadfastly refused to comply with their entreaties; he gave up all his claims to the throne and became a private citizen for Christ’s sake. This young man was a true prince after the order of Moses, who chose ‘‘rather to suffer aflliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.”” How many Christians are willing to forego easy gain, to suffer loss, to endure reproach for Christ’s sake? It is a good thing that the heart be established by grace. May God increase our faith and make us steadfast. In the divine service at night Rev. W. P. Phifer preached on 2 Pet. 3, 18. After serv- ices the discussion on the Fourth Command- ment was continued and the following points were treated: 1. The promise of the Com- mandment, and, 2. That as according to the Fourth Commandment children should honor their parents, it follows that parents should prove themselves worthy of this honor. This Commandment therefore implies certain duties of parents towards their children. Saturday morning conference again met in private session. A name was adopted, namely: ‘Immanuel Conference.’’ Also a constitution was adopted and the programme for next con- ference. Whereupon the admittance of lay delegates to conference was discussed. It was resolved that the congregations be encouraged to send delegates, but that only one from each pastorate could vote. — The necessity of home visits was also discussed. In the afternoon divine services were held, with sermon by Rev. J. C. Schmidt on John 15, 14. After services a treatise on Baptism was read by Rey. N. J. Bakke. He showed, 1. That the command and promise of God added to the water make it a baptism, and, 2. he enumerated the benefits of baptism. Saturday night divine services were held, Rev. Geo. Schutes preaching on Matt. 25, 1—13. After services, Rev. N. J. Bakke con- tinued his treatise on baptism, in which he refuted the arguments of the Baptists against infant baptism. Sunday morning Rev. Geo. Schutes preached all God’s promises and despite His faithful help in the past, we are so faint-hearted and despondent! God says: ‘Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee,’’ and yet how dejected we are in the day of trouble! May God drive out all faint-heartedness from us, and by the workings of His Holy Spirit, through the blessed Gospel of Christ, teach us to say, even in our darkest days: “In God, my faithful God, I trust when dark my road; Though many woes o’ertake me, Yet He will not forsake me; His love it is doth send them, And when ’tis best will end them.” ¥. J. L. ++ or oe - Be Steadfast. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable,”’ says the apostle. That is a much needed exhortation, especially for those that on Confirmation Day promise faith- fulness to Christ and His church. Alas! among the trials of pastors and missionaries are to be found the ineonsistent lives, the instability, the backslidings of so many of their converts. But the story of missions also present many cheering and even striking examples of stead- fastness and loyalty to Christ. These exam- ples show the power of the Gospel to establish Souls in the grace of God, and they may well (<8 9 (For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.) Conference of Missionaries in North Carolina. From Feb. 2d to 5th the missionaries work- ing among the colored people met in con- ference at Concord, N. C., by invitation of Grace Church of that city. Friday morning a private session was held and the following oflicers were elected: Rev. N. J. Bakke, Pres. ; Rev. J. C. Schmidt, Vice Pres. ; Rev. Geo. Schutes, Secr.; Mr. E. F. Rolf, Treas. Rey. N. J. Bakke then took the chair, and after a short, but appropriate ad- dress, delivered a discourse on ‘‘The require- ments of applicants for membership in our ‘| congregations.’’ He said in short: Generally we require the applicant to know the six chief parts of the catechism; the least, however, that we require is a thorough understanding of the Law and Gospel, or sin and grace. In the public session, Friday afternoon, Rev. Geo. Schutes read his paper on the Fourth Commandment. He showed, 1. That the re- quired honor of children for parents includes respect, reverence, obedience; 2. that by parents are meant not only parents according to the flesh, but also persons who, by a divine ordinance, are placed over us, as our supe- riors; as, guardians, civil government, pas- tors, teachers, masters, etc. theConfessional sermon, and Rev. J.C.Schmidt a mission sermon on Matt. 28, 18. In the afternoon Rey. N. J. Bakke preached the pastoral sermon on Acts 8, 35: ‘‘And he preached unto him Jesus.’’ At night divine services were held with ser- - mon by Rev. P. Engelbert on Matt. 13, 24—30. After services, the members of conference delivered brief addresses to the congregation. Monday morning conference was taken out by Mr. Coleman, a wealthy colored man of Concord, to look at a site which he had prom- ised to give for the erection of a college. In the afternoon conference met in private session and passed the resolution to establish a Theological-Normal-Industrial college for the colored people snd to kindly petition the Board of Mission to advocate the same, so that this much needed institution might be erected in the near future. The public sessions of conference were all well attended, also the services. Members of our congregations had come from far and near, from Elon College, Greensboro, Salis- bury, Gold Hill, and Rockwell. They all took great interest in the discussions. Grace church of Concord especially deserves our heartiest thanks for the hospitality it has shown. Immanuel— God with us! P. ENGELBERT.