# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1906_S33 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer, A MISSIONARY ——- MOONTHLY. PusBuisnep BY THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SyNODICAL CONFERENCE or Norvit AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. Vol. XXVIII. Our Lord’s Ascension. Golden harps are sounding, Angel voices sing, Pearly gates are opened, Opened. for the King. Christ, the King of glory, Jesus, King of Love, Is gone up in triumph To His throne above. All His work is ended, Joyfully we sing: Jesus hath ascended! Glory to our King! He who came to save us, He who bled and died, Now is crowned with gladness At His Father’s side — Never more to suffer, Never more to die, Jesus, King of Glory, Is gone up on high. All His work is ended, Joyfully we sing: Jesus hath ascended! Glory to our King! Praying for His children In that blessed place, Calling them to glory, Sending them His grace; His bright home preparing, Christians, O for you, Jesus ever liveth, Even loveth, too. All His work is ended, Joyfully we sing: Jesus hath ascended! Glory to our King! Selected. A Precious Truth. After a sermon on Christ’s ascension, preached by our city missionary in a St. Louis hospital, one of the sick exclaimed, “Thank God for this precious truth of Christ’s ascension !” a “St. Louis, Mo., May, 1906. me.” The man was right. Christ’s ascension is a precious truth for which we may well give thanks to God. It is a truth full of comfort, as it strength- ens the Christian’s faith, love, and hope. The Christian’s faith rests upon Christ and His work. It embraces Christ as a divine Savior. Only such a Savior can be of any help to sinners. The Christian believes that Christ is not a mere man, but “true God, begotten of the Father from eter- nity.” This faith is strengthened by the precious truth of Christ’s ascension; for in His ascension He returned to the Father, with whom He was from all eternity. He said to His disciples, “Ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before.” ‘To His enemies He said, “I go unto Him that sent He was sent by the Father, and so He was with the Father before He became man by taking our human nature into His divine person. He that ascended is the same that descended. He had come down from heaven, hence He was there before His incarnation. He was there from all eternity — the almighty Son of the living God. He that ascended was not a mere man. The psalmist, speaking of Christ’s ascension, says: “God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.” The Savior in whom we believe is a divine Savior, and the Advocate who is gone to the Father to plead for us is a divine Advocate. We may safely trust in Him. : “Now all His Christians can rejoice And sing His praise with cheerful voice: Glory to God in heaven’s high throne, Our Brother is God’s only Son.” * * oo The Christian’s faith rests upon the work of Christ as a finished work. Only in such a work there can be salvation for sinners. If the least part