The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1881, Page 14

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

14

The Lutheran Pioneer.

(For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer.’’)
Eternal Redemption.

“Christ being come a high priest of good
things to come—entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption.’’
These inspired words, written by the Apostle,
Heb. 9, 11., not only look forward to what re-
demption shall prove to be, but also back unto
the time when provision for it was made, which
provision was made in Christ before time began
to be; for Christ, as Redeemer, was set up
from everlasting. Hence St. Peter tells us
that Christ as the Savior of His people was
verily fore-ordained before the foundation of
the world, 1 Pet. 1, 20:, that is to say, He was
by the Father appointed or fixed on to fill the
glorious office of a Savior in order to perform
the great work of man’s redemption, which
work He effectually accomplished in the fulness
of time. Of this work the Apostle is speaking,
saying that Christ, our High-priest, has ob-
tained eternal redemption. Redemption may
be said to be eternal for two reasons. First,
because the appointment of Christ to be the
Redeemer of lost mankind, was before the
foundation of the world, from all eternity.

Thus provision for such redemption was made
by the Father before time. Moreover, the Son
of God, as Redeemer, was infinitely approved

by Divine justice from eternity. Inasmuch as

Christ is the fore-ordained Lamb of God, He is
also the fore-approved Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sins of the world. Hence
St. Paul tells us, that grace was given us in
Christ before the world began, and St. John
Rev. 18, 8. proclaims Christ ‘‘the Lamb, slain
from the foundation of the world.’’ Being ap-
pointed in the Divine purpose to redeem man
by His blood, and approved by Divine justice
before the creation of the world, Christ was the
Savior before time commenced. And for this
reason, redemption may be called eternal: the
appointment and approvement of Christ as
Redeemer is from eternity, the Savior was
provided before sin was committed, the plan of
man’s recovery was appointed before his ruin
took place, and the Gospel which proclaims
grace and peace in Christ Jesus was ordained
before the world for our glory.

The second reason why the redemption is
eternal is, because it is everlasting in its merits
and efficacy. By His blood Christ entered in
once into the holy of holies. ‘“Once,’’ that is to
say, once for all. The price once offered is
good for ever, there is no other sacrifice needed
for the pardon of sin and reconciliation of God;
our Lord’s once suffering is sufficient proof
that it was complete and that it shall last for-
ever, Heb. 10, 12. 14.

‘The price once paid and once accepted never
can, never will be declared void or insufficient;
once offered, once received from the hands of
the bondsman—it stands good to all eternity.
‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to-day
and for ever,’—the redemption, obtained by
Him, the same yesterday and to-day and for-

ever! Precious truth! Glorious Gospel! Lord,

give us faith and make us partakers of Thy

salvation! G. R.
——?- +o o>

(For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioncer’’.)

Luther in the Pulpit.

The editor of the Lurmeran PIoneER tells
us in a late number that “a colored friend, who
read the ‘Life of Luther’ in the PronekEr,
lately said to him: ‘I never knew that Luther
was such a great man’” &c. &c. There area
great many people, colored and white, who are
ignorant of the fact that Dr. M. Luther was
a great man—and also a great and powerful
preacher.—We shall not detain the reader by
any general observations of our own upon the
characteristics of Luther’s preaching, but pro-
ceed at once to give him specimens, from which
he may form a judgment for himself. The
first specimen, which represents the great Re-
former in one of his more vehement moods, is
a passage in which he denounces the popis
idea of good works: ’

**O for a voice louder} than thunder, that
I might make myself heard through the whole
world, and at once banish this word Goop
works from the hearts, the lips, the ears, and
the writings of all men; or succeed at last in
convincing them what it means! The universal
world thinks, speaks, sings, writes of good works.
Not a sermon is delivered, but the theme of
commendation must be good works. All our
halls and all our universities boast of nothing
else than good works. In every man’s mouth
we shall find this word, good works. And yet
nowhere are good works done; nor is there a
man who knows what good works really are.
Would to God, that all the pulpits throughout
the world were burned with fire and reduced
to ashes, that a wretched population might no
more be deceived and ruined, in a manner
which one shudders to contemplate, by these
good works! They give that name to works
which God never prescribed: going pilgrimage
to the places of their canonized saints; fasting
in honor to them; building and decorating
temples; bargaining for masses and vigils, as
they call them; endless mutterings and un-
seemly vociferations within their shrines; .
observing distinctions of food and raiment. . .
—but I despair of enumerating all their de-
testable abominations—their foul and most
pernicious impostures. And this, forsooth, is
that authority of the pope which we must
tremble to reject—that sanctity which we must
fall down and adore!! Is there an individual
whom I now address, who has an ear to hear,
and a heart to understand?—then I adjure him
by the living God to hear me when I tell him
what works alone are entitled to the name of
good works. That, then, is a good work which
is of use, and profits the person for whom it is
done. Otherwise why give it the designation?
Good works are not splendid, dazzling, and im-
posing works. If I pitch a heavy stone to a
distance, that is a great’ work; but where is

the use of it? Or say that I excel in leaping,
in the race, or in the tournament; these may
be fine and graceful exercises, but what prac-

tical benefit do they confer? I parade a rich
vestment, or rear 2 magnificent chapel, and
who is the better of it? To bring the point
home, I Jine the walls of our temples, and the
statues, stones, or beams of this building, in
which we are now met, with silver and gold;
but who benefits by the action when it is done?
.... Who is the better of your fasting to
St. Catharine or St. Martin? Of what earthly
consequence is it whether you be whole shaven
or half—whether you be clothed in black or
white? Tell me of what use it were that all
men should join in celebrating mass every
hour in succession.... Mere dreams are all
such works together, and unspeakably per-
nicious impostures! One and all of them we
owe to men’s lying inventions. They forge
them, then they call them good works, and
preach that they merit divine favor and pro-
cure the remission of sins. Just as if God
cared for such works, or the saints needed them!
Stocks and stones are not so senseless and stupid
as we are. May I not say, rather, that the
very trees of the field teach us what good works
are? They bear fruit, not for themselves, but
for man and beast. And these are their good
works, O stupidity! O frenzy! O incon-
ceivable madness! Ay, and bishops and
princes, who should countermand such mad
follies, are the first to run into them! Blind,
and leaders of the blind! What shall I com-
pare them to? Girls playing with puppy dogs,
and boys riding upon a stick?» Truly they are
nothing better than players with puppy dogs
and riders upon a stick. The maid-servant
who waits upon the mill, if she have faith,
does more good, when she but takes the corn
from the beast’s back, or does some like servile
work, than all the clergy and monks taken to-
gether, though they should even chant whole
days and months, and mangle themselves till
they vomited blood. O your starkfolly, ye
Papists!—your absolute madness! Ye, then,
will save men by your ceremonies! ye will give
to others of your merits, and your spiritual
benefits! when there is not in the wide world

.|@ more miserable set of men—more devoid of

the Spirit—more destitute of all that is spirit-
ually good!—Then steps forward the pope, and
sells you his parchments and carries you right
to heaven—not God’s heaven, but his own—
that is the deepest hell! ... This is the reward
we have earned for having the Gospel, and
suffering it to lie hid under the benches, while

we give prominence to the doctrines of men.’’
OBE.

0 0

I BEARD of a very old man like myself, who
was asked what his age was. He answered,
“The right side of eighty.’? ‘‘I thought you
were more than eighty,” said the inquirer.
“Yes, I am beyond it,” he replied, ‘‘and that
is the right side, for I’m nearer to my eternal
rest.’’—Rowland Hill.

td areeenleneeenenenr sme ant ences nnenentaaapey neve

a