The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1881, Page 9

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PusuisueD BY THE EvancEeLicAL Lurneran SynopicaL Conrerence or Nortn AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. Ill.

St. Louis, Mo., March, 1881.

No. 3.

Whosoever.

God’s Word comes to every one with the
solemn words, ‘“Thou art the man;’’ and in its
great WHOSOEVER leaves no room for any man
to doubt that he is meant. It condemns you
and every sinner with those solemn words:
‘““WHOSOEVER committeth sin is the servant of
sin’ (John 8, 34.); ‘‘Wuosorver shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he
is guilty of all’’ (James 2, 10.); ‘‘WaosorveR
committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for
sin is the transgression of the law.’’ (1 John
8, 4.) Thus the law of God condemns you.
Your name is not found there. It does not
say, ‘‘Mr. Jones,’ or “Mrs. Smith.’ If it did,
there might be some doubt, which Mr. Jones
and which Mrs, Smith is meant. So you see
there is something far better there than your
name. No matter what your name is, it is
wrapt up in that great Waosorver. Thou
art the man; the law condemns you. This is
the ‘‘WuosoEver”’ of God's law. It is a ter-
rible ‘WHOSOEVER,’ more terrible than all
the cries and groans of the lost in hell!

How, then, can I hope to be saved?

Your hope must be in the mercy of God
through Christ Jesus. Salvation is of pure
grace. No mortal deserves it.

But God is a holy and righteous Judge, and
He is angry with sin.

Yes; but He loves the sinner; and in order
that the sinner might be saved, He has sent
His only-begotten Son into the world to die,
“the just for the unjust.’’ God has judged, con-
demned, and punished sin in the person of our
Substitute, who has fully redeemed us from the
curse of the law and the punishment of sin.
And in the Gospel God stretches forth His hand
of love, and offers pardon and eternal salvation

to all sinners, and is ready to receive every

sinner. Believe, that is, simply trust with all
your heart in that Gospel and you are saved.

- But how may I know that God will receive
me? My name is not there.

Ah, my friend, there is something far better
there than your name. It is the great Wuo-
SOEVER of the Gospel. Listen to it: ‘‘God so
loveth the world, that he gave his only-begotten
Son, that WHosorver believeth in him should

not perish, but have everlasting life’’ (John
38, 16.); ‘‘Wxosoever believeth in him shall
receive remission of sins (Acts 10, 43.); ‘*Waxo-
SOEVER believeth on him shall not be ashamed’’
(Romans 10, 11.); ‘‘WHosorver will, let him
take the water of life freely’? (Rev. 22, 17.)
Does not that ‘‘whosoever"’ of the Gospel take
in your case? Can you receive the word,
“Whosoever,” and shut yourself out? You
cannot, my friend. Your name is wrapt up in
that great “WHOSOEVER,” and by trusting in
that Gospel-word you can be surer of your sal-
vation than if your name were written plainly
in flashing letters across the sky, as one whom
Jesus will receive. How sweet is that ‘‘Wuo-
SOEVER”’ of the Gospel! Sweeter, far sweeter
than all the songs of angels! In it God throws
His arms wide open, and welcomes any, every
sinner, that will take eternal life at His hands
as a free gift. He welcomes you, for He speaks
to you in that great ‘‘WHOSOEVER.”’
——s +e o> oe

Mr. Gold.

At a missionary meeting at Hamilton, On-
tario, John Sunday, an Indian preacher, in
closing an address, spoke as follows: ‘“There
is a gentleman who, I suppose, is now in this
house. He is a very fine gentleman, but a
very modest one. He does not like to show
himself at these meetings. I do not know
how long it is since I have seen him, he comes
out so little. Iam very much afraid that he
sleeps a good deal of his time when he ought
to be out doing good. His name is Gold. Mr.
Gold, are you here to-night, or are you sleeping
in your iron chest? Come out, Mr. Gold;
come out and help us do this great work, to
preach the gospel to every creature. Ah, Mr.
Gold! you ought to be ashamed of yourself to
sleep so much in your iron chest. Look at your
white brother, Mr. Silver; he does a great deal
of good while you are sleeping. Come out,
Mr. Gold. Look, too, at your brown little
brother, Mr. Copper; he is everywhere. Your
poor little brown brother is running about,
doing all that he can to help us. Why don’t
you come out, Mr. Gold? Well, if you won't
show yourself, send us your shirt, that is a bank
note. That is all I have to say.”’ John Sun-

day’s call is very timely and may well be re-
echoed in the hope that it may reach the ears
of Mr. Gold or those who have him in custody.
“The silver and the gold are mine, saith the
Lord of Hosts,’’ but the gold seems to be ob-
tained with much more difficulty than the sil-
ver or the copper.

> - oa ee

“Pardon for Nothing.’’

Some time since, when visiting an old man
who seemed anxious about salvation, I found
great difficulty in making him understand that
pardon is the free gift of God, through the pre-
cious blood of Christ.

At last I said to him: ‘‘Now, suppose I were
to go toa shop, and buy something for you,
and pay for it, and send it to you, need you
pay any money for it?’’

“No,” said the old man, brightening up; ‘“‘it
would be paid for.’’

“Need you make any promise to pay at some
future time?’’ I then asked.

“‘No,”’? he replied; ‘I should have it for
nothing.” ;

“‘So,’”’ I continued, “‘it is with forgiveness of
sins—the Lord Jesus has paid the full price for
it. He has had the groans, the sighs, the
tears, the wrath, the pain, the punishment;
yea, all that sin deserved. He bore it all. He
paid the whole. Yes, He bought forgiveness
with his precious blood, and now He gives it
as a gift to all who will accept it.”

‘*Yes,’’ said the old man, as his eyes filled
with tears, ‘‘I see it now; it is pardon for noth-
ing! pardon for nothing! Christ has bought
it, and gives it to me.’”

Dear reader, you may also believe that Christ
alone saves; that neither your tears nor groans,
nor prayers nor works, can secure forgiveness
for you. Christ alone has secured that, by the
shedding of his blood, and you must accept it
in faith. ‘‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved.” x.

———o + oa o>

A REMARK of an old minister is commended
to all preachers who are tempted to complain
of a small congregation: —“‘It is as large a con-
gregation, perhaps, as you will want toaccount
for at the day of judgment.’”