The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1882, Page 33

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PuBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LuTHERAN SyNnopIcAL ConFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.
R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. IV. St. Louis, Mo., October, 1882. No. 10.

made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters.’’

This everlasting Gospel we still enjoy. And
knowing what an unspeakable blessing it is, we
celebrate Reformation Day and praise God for
the great blessing which He conferred to the
Church through the Reformation of Dr. Martin
Luther. Such gratitude will also move our
hearts to work for the spread of this Gospel.
The Lutheran Church must be a mission
church. The everlasting Gospel which she
proclaims must be preached to ‘‘every nation,
and kindred, and tongue, and people.’’ Our
Church has a noble mission and a great work
to do in this country. Let us remember this
as we gather in our churches on Reformation
Day. If we are true children of the Reforma-
tion, if we prize the pure Gospel which God
has graciously committed to us, then let us de-
vote our prayers and our money to the support
and to the spread of that Gospel.

—— + oe +

The Right Company.

Reformation Day. tude did not encourage him, for they were the
noble army of martyrs. He could not go with
them, nor wave their palm-branches. He
waited still, and saw that the next was a com-
pany of godly ministers and officers of Christ-
ian churches; but he could not go with them.
At last, as he walked, he saw a larger host
then all the rest put together, marching and
singing most melodiously, and in front walked
the woman that was a sinner; and the thief
that died upon the cross hard by the Saviour;
and he looked long, and saw there such as Ma-
nasseh and the like; and when they entered he
could see who they were, and he thought—
‘There will be no shouting about them.”

But to his astonishment, it seemed as if all
heaven was rent with seven-fold shouts as they
passed in. And the angels said to him: ‘‘These
are they that are mighty sinners, saved by {
mighty grace.’’ And then he said: ‘‘ Blessed |
be God! Ican‘go in with them.”

And so he awoke.

—_——s—- oo oo

Who is My Neighbor?

The last day of this month is Reformation
Day. It is a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving
in the Lutheran Church. On that day, in the
year 1517, Dr. Martin Luther nailed his ninety-
five Theses against the door of the Castle
Church at Wittenberg. This was the begin-
ning of the Reformation by which God re-
stored the pure Gospel to mankind. For ages
before Luther’s time this Gospel was buried
under the rubbish of human, souldestroying
doctrines taught by the pope and his priests.
The anxious sinner was pointed to his own
works and to the works of the saints for salva-
tion. He was not told of the work of Christ,
the Saviour, in whom alone forgiveness of sins
can be found. The Bible, in which the sweet
tidings of salvation are revealed, was hidden
from the people. The darkness of superstition
and Romish corruption had spread ever Chris-
tendom. Men who lifted their voices against
this corruption were put to death. At last
God’s set time for the deliverance of His people
had come. And the instrument which He had
prepared and which He used for this great
work was Dr. Martin Luther. After many
years of anxiety and trouble of soul Luther
had at last found peace and rest in the sweet
Gospel of Jesus. This Gospel he now pro-
claimed to the world. It was the precious
jewel which he brought forth from under the
rubbish of Romish errors, and it shone forth in
all its purity and brilliancy, and was hailed by
thousands with joy and thanksgiving. From
the Bible, which Luther restored to the people,
it was seen that the Gospel which he proclaimed
was not a new doctrine, but that it was the doc-
trine of the prophets and apostles, the doctrine
in which the Christians of old had found for-
giveness of sins and life everlasting. It was
seen that Luther was God’s messenger of whom
it is written in the fourteenth chapter of the

I have read, said a pastor, of one who
dreamed when in great distress of mind about
his religious state. He thought he stood in
the outer court of heaven, and saw a glorious
host marching up, singing sweet hymns, and
bearing the banners of victory, they passed by
him through the gate, and when they vanished
he heard in the distance sweet strains of music.

‘Who are they?”’ he asked.

“They are the goodly fellowship of the:
prophets, who have gone to be with God.”’

And he heaved a deep sigh as he said, ‘‘Alas!
I am not one of them, and never shall be, and
I cannot enter there.”

By-and-by there came another band, equally
lovely in appearance, and equally triumphant,
and robed in white. They passed within the
portals, and again were heard shouts of wel-
come within.

A minister was soliciting aid to foreign mis-
sions, and applied to a gentleman who refused
him, with the reply, ‘‘I don’t believe in foreign
missions. I want what I give to benefit my
neighbors.’’

“Well,’’ replied he, ‘‘whom do you regard
as your neighbors?’”

‘Why, those around me.”

“Do you mean those whose land joins
yours?’ inquired the minister.

“Yes.”

‘Well,’ said the minister, ‘“how much land
do you own?”’

‘““A bout five hundred acres.’’

‘How far down do you own?”

‘Why, I never thought of it before, but I
suppose I own about half way through.”

“Pxactly,”’ said the clergyman; ‘I suppose

Book of Revelation: ‘‘I saw another angel fly} ‘‘Who are they?”’ you do, and I want this money for the New
in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting] ‘‘They are the goodly fellowship of the|Zealanders—the men whose land joins yours
Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the | apostles.” on the bottom.’

——s> obo oe

‘Alas!’ he said, ‘I belong not to that fel-
lowship, and I cannot enter there.”

He still waited and lingered, in the hope
that he might yet goin; but the next multi-

earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and
tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice,
Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour
‘of his judgment is come; and worship him that

THERE are many who know their own wis-
dom, but there are few who know their own
folly.