# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1903_S42 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 42 The Lutheran Pioneer. From the above, then, you may see how necessary it is that our Redeemer is true God and true man. Had Jesus Christ been true God only, He could not have redeemed us; had He been true man only, our redemption through Him would also not have been pos- sible. But now that He is true God and true man we can joyfully confess our faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God, and Mary’s Son, Who descended from His throne, And for us salvation won; By whose blood and death are we Rescued from all misery. Jesus Christ, the God-man. (Concluded.) Why was it necessary for the Son of God to receive the human nature into His person? The simple answer is, to redeem and save us sinners. As Christ Himself says, ‘‘The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.’’ To save lost sinners is His purpose; to do this, however, He must come, come into the flesh, the Son of God must becomeatrue man. But was it not possible for God’s Son to save us without becoming incarnate? No; for God had given His holy Law to man, and man was to keep it. But man, sinful man, could not meet the demands of God’s Law himself. Yet, the Law must be fulfilled; if not by us, then F. J. L. ————> + oo - __ A Lesson. by a substitute, by one who would take our This substitute, however, must be a Our place. man, since the Law was given to man. Redeemer must therefore be a man to be ac- ceptable to God as our Substitute. Let us further bear in mind that man’s dis- obedience brought down upon him God’s wrath and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal damnation. This awful punishment must also be removed from hin, if he was to be redeemed. Our Substitute must appease God’s wrath, re- move from us divine displeasure, overcome death, and close the gates of hell. How could He do this? Scriptures tell us, by His sufferings and death. Our Substitute must suffer and die forus. This, however, God’s Son could not do unless He also be true man. Therefore the holy writer says, Hebr. 2, 14: ‘‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same ; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”’ So, then, we see that our Saviour must be a true man in order that He might fulfill the Law, suffer and die for us as our Substitute. On the other hand, it was equally necessary that our Redeemer betrue God. InPs.49,7.8 we read: ‘None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him; for the redemption of their soul is precious, and ceaseth for ever.”” Taking it for granted that there could be found a holy and righteous man, such a man could not re- deem his brother, nor give a ransom for him; he could not fulfill the Law in his stead, nor bear the punishment of his sins. Why not? Simply because he could only keep the Law for himself; his perfect obedience of God’s commandments would be no more than just what God would demand of him. ’ It is equally plain that such a mere man’s ‘death could nevermore appease God’s wrath “bear the punishment of all men’s sins. it this God could do. His keeping of the In the South we have seen trees ruined or well-nigh strangled by large coils of ivy, which are wound about them like snakes. ‘There is no untwisting the folds, they are too giant- like and fast fixed, and every hour the roots of the climber are sucking the life out of the unhappy tree. Yet there was a day when the ivy was a tiny plant, only seeking a little help in its climbing; had it been denied then, the tree had never become its victim, but by de- grees the weak plant grew in strength, and at last became master, and the tall tree be- came the prey of the creeping, insinuating destroyer. E 0 There is a lesson for all. Sorrowfully do we remember many, many noble characters which-have- been ruined-little by little-by-in- sinuating habits. Drink has been the ivy in many cases. ———>—- 0-0 - eo Heathen Cruelty to Children. Children, you should thank God that you have Christian parents, and live in a Chris- tian land. Here we love children, and almost everybody tries to make the boys and girls happy. Heathens, however, seem to have very little love for their children. Let me tell you something. Hundreds of thousands of infants are cruelly put to death in heathen countries. Once a chief, having become a Christian, said: ‘‘I am the father of 19 chil- dren; all of them I have murdered; now my heart longs for them.”’ In Madagascar, a large island off the east coast of Africa, they strangle or drown or bury alive children that are born on what is considered an unlucky day. In India, many little girls are left in the woods or jungles to be eaten by jackals or to starve. In China, many are drowned in warm water and buried as soon as born. In the city of Pekin, in China, many are thrown into the streets at night to be gathered in the morning, hundreds of children were being fattened to be slaughtered. In some of the large islands the people are cannibals, that is, they eat one another. At one feast,in the Fejee Islands, it is said that two hundred human bodies were baked and served up. Mr. Moffat, a missionary to Africa, one day heard a lady say that she heard a babe cry as she passed a certain bush along the way. Mr. Moffat went to the bush but could see nothing. At last he heard a faint cry. It was under the ground. He dug up the earth and came to a flat stone. Under this stone he found a little girl babe, still alive. —The mother had dug a hole, put her child into it, and then threw a stone in, intending to kill the child. But the stone was too large for the hole, and did not hurt the little one. Mr. Moffat took care of the child, and it lived to grow up. When we think of such cruelty as heathens show to their children, let us be thankful to God that we live where the Gospel is known, and let us do all we can’to help along mission work. —Little Missionary. 2 eo > Patience. The nearer time approaches its end, the more need there is of patience. Let us strengthen our patience by confidence and by a life con- secrated to God. An early Christian martyr wrote in his last hours to the Christian church at Rome, ‘‘Fare ye well in the patience of Christ until the end.’”’ The apostle sends us the same blessed greeting in the words, ‘‘The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting of Christ, 2 Thess. 3,5.— W. C. Unspoken Prayers. “Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble,’’ says the psalmist. God hears the desires, wishes, heart-longings, soul-hunger- ings and thirstings of His children. Do not grieve, then, if you cannot find words in which to tell God what you want, if you cannot put into well-defined thoughts the desires and hungers of your hearts. When words fail, pray in silent yearnings, in unutterable long- ings, and your heavenly Father will under- stand just as well as if you spoke in common language. Much of our best praying is done when we sit at God’s feet and do not speak at all, but only let our hearts talk. “Longing is prayer, and it is heard of Him Who loves His child and hears its faint desires.”” —__——-o~< oo A wittLe child was busy with his lessons, and they were more than he could manage; and buried in a common hole. Sometimes little girls in China have their eyes put out, and are sent to beg. In some heathen countries people are killed and offered in sacrifice to their idols. A few years ago in the Goom Soar country, in India, uld be accepted as a full substitute for 6 obedience which we owed the Law. His death could free us from all punishment, His divi wer could successfully cope with all ies. The blood of Christ Jesus, God’s ses us from all sin. the tears came, and he burst out weeping. The father soon came to him, and said, ‘‘Lad- die, does crying help you with your lessons?” The little fellow replied, ‘‘No; but crying brings some one that helps me.” That is just what prayer does for us. — Sél.