# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1903_S2 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 2 ‘The Lutheran Pioneer. The First Article. Or THE Evit ANGELS. Of all that God made we hear that it was good. And yet the Bible speaks of evil angels. That God made these evil angels is sure, but it is equally certain that they were not evil when they left His creative hands. They be- came evil afterwards, just as man sinned after his creation. This we learn from Jude 6: ‘tAnd the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains'under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.’’ In what particular way these angels sinned against God we do not know, since God’s Word does not tell us; only this is certain, they sinned and therefore had to leave their habitation to make their home in hell, which God prepared for them. There in hell they are bound in everlasting chains under darkness. They are castaways and have no hope of deliverance; the day of judgment will but confirm the sentence already passed upon them. These evil angels have a chief who is called the devil, or Satan, and among them there are such as once occu- pied a high rank among the angels of God ; for Eph. 6, 12 they are referred to as ‘‘prin- cipalities and powers.”’ Of their attributes the Bible also speaks. Thus Peter com- pares the devil to a lion in strength, and Paul warns us against his wiles. Deep guile and great might Aré his dread arms in fight; On earth is not his equal. Scripture also does not leave us uncertain as to the occupation of the devil and his angels. They are ever busy in opposing God and His kingdom. The devil is anxious to spread out his own kingdom. He is truly called the tempter. No sooner did the devil see the bliss of our first parents than he tempted them to disobey God and eat of the forbidden fruit. He envied them their happiness and was anx- jous to make them evil, that they might be cast out of God’s kingdom and become his subjects. As the father of lies he deceived them and seduced them into misbelief and disobedience. Thus did sin and the wages of sin, death, come into the world through _ the devil. And as he then began, so has he continued. The deyil is always at work taking the good _ seed of God’s Word from men’s hearts, lest they believe and be saved. He does not want any of us to be saved, and so he is busy night ind day to prevent our salvation: tempting, ‘and seducing men. And oh, how the is in most cases! How many vent from ever entering into God’s kingdom, and how many of those who had al- ready been rescued out of his power has he succeeded in bringing back again into his king- dom of darkness! How are we to protect ourselves against his temptations and murderous attacks? ‘‘Watch and pray,’’ says Christ to Peter and to us. ‘Be sober, be vigilant,’’ says Peter. Christ overcame Satan by the power of the Word, and thereby calls our attention to the only means wherewith we can successfully with- stand the devil. With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected; But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected. Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is, Of Sabaoth Lord, And there’s none other God, He holds the field forever. F. J. L. The Wise Men from the East. “From the Eastern mountains Pressing on they come, Wise men in their wisdom To His humble home, Stirr’d by deep devotion, Hasting from afar, Ever journeying onward, Guided by a star. Light of light that shineth Ere the worlds began, Draw Thou near and lighten Every heart of man.’ ———2 ~~ oo > While the Day Lasts. will bring its own duties. Let the work of to- day be done to-day, and then we may calmly await the coming of the morrow, if the morrow shall ever come. “The time is short — If thou wouldst work for God, it must be now.” T. C. Even in Affliction. A girl, belonging to a church society, went to call upon a cripple, taking some sweet spring flowers to the invalid. After a little conver- sation the visitor asked: “Don’t you get tired of béing tied to that bed day and night, Miss Grey, week after week ?”’ ‘Yes, I think I do sometimes; that is, I grow bodily tired,’’ was the response. ‘But I try not to think of that. I only want to remember that God is good and merciful. In His love He spared me, even though I am a cripple, to live that I might learn to know Him here. You see, before I was hurt, I never thought about Him as being a real Friend and Helper. But since I have been compelled to lie here quiet and helpless, I can even find joy and thank- fulness in my aflliction;—I live to serve Him, and that crowds out almost every other thought.’’ And the one who had come to minister went away feel- ing that she had received more than she had given dur- ing that brief visit. ‘‘Joy and thankfulness in affliction.”’ Truly, only those who know Him for the loving Saviour that He is, can say this. —————s+c< oe + oe Count Your Mercies. “Count your mercies, count your mercies, my dear,’? was good old Grandmother Com- fort’s neverfailing advice when things went wrong with those around her. She was not unsympathetic or unkindly —quite the re- verse; but she knew that, if she could only get people to count their ‘‘mercies,’’ the list would be so long that it would crowd out altogether the ill that at first sight loomed up It will not last long. Your day, my day, 80 large. It is a simple remedy for real or the world’s day, the day of opportunity, the day of salvation, all days are swiftly passing away, and the great day, the last day, will surely and speedily come. portunity for us to work, by and by the time will be past. The neglect of to-day may never be repaired. The morrow will bring the work for to-morrow, and every day and every year Now there is op- fancied ills, and easily applied, —‘-Count your mercies.’” —_——_-