The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1882, Page 39

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- doctrine throughout Germany. The armies of

‘The Lutheran Pioneer. 39

Battle Song of the Church.

—_

Better Poor than Unfaithful. }

Fear not, O little flock, the foe
Who madly seeks your overthrow;
Dread not his rage and power:
What though your courage sometimes faints,
His seeming triumph o’er God’s saints
Lasts but a little hour.

When Duke George of Saxony, the great
enemy of the Lutheran doctrine, was on his
death-bed, he desired to make his brother
Henry heir of his land, on condition that Duke
Henry, who was a Lutheran, would not permit
the Gospel to be preached in the land. If he
were not willing to agree to this, the Emperor
was to receive the country. The nobility under-
took to speak to Duke Henry about it, and put
forth every effort to induce him to agree to the
condition. Among other things they told him,
that besides the beautiful country, there was
also on hand much money and silver, which
would be his if he agreed to his brother’s wish.
But the honest Lutheran Prince replied: “You
remind me of Christ’s temptation in the wilder-
ness, when the devil approached Him and said,
All these things will I give thee of thou wilt fall
down and worship me. If my brother can, with
a good conscience, disinherit me, he may do so.
But do not think that for the sake of money
and property I will hinder God’s Word in its
course. I will rather remain poor, than to give
up God and His Word.”

But, what occurred? Duke George died
before his testament was completed, and Duke
Henry was the lawful heir. He assumed the
government, and at once permitted the preach-
ing of the Gospel in his country.— Church Mes-
senger. :

Be of good cheer; your cause belongs

To Him who can ‘avenge your wrongs;
Leave it to Him, our Lord.

Though hidden yet from mortal eyes,

His Gideon shall for you arise,
Uphold you and His word.

As true as God’s own word is true,
Not earth nor hell with all their crew
Against us shall prevail.
A jest and byword are they grown;
God is with us; we are His own:
Our victory cannot fail.
(Gustavus Adolphus.)
——s- +o

The Lutheran Hero King.

Gustavus Adolphus,

called Wallenstein to the chief command, who,
having gathered a new army, met the Swedes
at Luetzen. On the 6th of November, 1682,
the battle began. In the morning Gustavus
conducted the service in his camp. The whole
army sang Luther's great hymn, ‘“‘A mighty
Fortress is our God,’’ and Gustavus’ own battle
hymn, ‘Fear not, O little Flock, the Foe.’
The king and his army kneeled down and
offered prayer. After the service the king
mounted his horse and placed his army in
battle array. He gave the watchword, ‘Gop
WITH vs,’’ then swinging his sword above his
head he uttered the word of command, and
with the cry of ‘Onward!’ he rushed forward
followed by the ‘eager troops. The Romish
army was completely defeated and the Luther-
ans were victorious. This victory, however,
was dearly bought. Gustavus Adolphus fell
in this battle. The Swedish soldies carried the
disfigured body of their beloved king from the
battlefield. It was laid to rest in the Lutheran
Church at Stockholm.

This year brings us the 250th anniversary
of the battle of Luetzen, where Gustavus
Adolphus, the great Lutheran hero king, laid
down his life for the cause of Protestantism in
Europe.

In the year 1618 a terrible war broke out in
Germany which lasted till 1648 and is there-
fore called the Thirty Years’ War. The pa-
pists, who began the war, intended to destroy
Protestantism and to suppress the Lutheran

the Romish emperor, under the command of
the able but cruel Generals Wallenstein and
Tilly, overran both Germany and Denmark
and everywhere defeated the Evangelical
Princes. Romish darkness again threatened
to cover the Church, and it seemed as if relig-
ious liberty were totally crushed. But in this
time of great need God came to the aid of His
‘Church. He moved the heart of Gustavus
Adolphus, the Lutheran King of Sweden, to
‘come to the rescue of his brethren in Ger-
many. In June, 1680, he entered Germany with
15,000 men. They were brave and noble sol-
diers. In the army of Gustavus Adolphus no
cursing was heard, but prayers and hymns of
praise. Daily morning and evening services
were held in the camp, and in all things the
king himself set his people a good example. 2

Upon reaching German soil he hastened to the A. i
relief of ceo city of Magdeburg. Not Head Off.
But before he arrived Tilly, the Romish Gen-
eral, had stormed the city and slaughtered
thirty thousand men. Not even the children
were spared. The Romish soldiers fastened
them on their spears and held them in the
flames. ‘The city was plundered and: set on
fire, and of one of the finest cities of Germany
nothing remained but the cathedral and a few
fishermen’s huts. Tilly gloried over his cruelty,
but it was the last victory he won. Gustavus
Adolphus met him near Leipzig and pone
defeated the “‘ victor of thirty-six battles.’’ He
followed him into Southern Germany and
there again defeated him. Tn this battle Tilly
was mortally wounded. Thus the Swedish
king advanced victoriously and everywhere
freed the Protestants from the oppression under
which they had so long groaned. But the war
was not yet ended. The Romish emperor again

A Warning.

At the time of the Reformation a Romish
priest in Bautzen, Saxony, Urban Nicolai by
name, came to a knowledge of the truth of
the Lutheran doctrine, and publicly confessed it.
Not very long afterward, hankering after the
flesh-pots of Egypt, he fell away from what he
knew to be the truth, and denied the Lutheran
faith. On Trinity Sunday, in the year 1537, he
ascended the pulpit, denounced the truth, and
at last declared, that if Luther’s doctrine were
true, thunder and lightning should kill him. The
same evening a tremendous thunder storm
arose. Flash of lightning followed flash, and
like a thousand voices of divine wrath the
thunders rolled along. Calling to mind his
bold challenge of divine justice, he ordered the
ringing of all the bells, hastened to church and
cast himself before the altar, with trembling
and in prayer. But a flash of lightning struck
him and rendered him insensible. The citizens
of the place came and carried him away, A
second flash then struck him and killed him
on the spot.. The. bearers of his body, al-
though themselves unharmed, ran away in
great fright. This terrible judgment of God
made so deep an impression that thousands be-
came Lutherans and the mouths of many blas-
phemers were stopped.—From the German.

oe

THe world says, ‘Much giving makes an
empty purse.’” But the Lord says, ‘Give and
it shall be given unto you.” :

June 15, 1530, the emperor Charles V. en-
tered Augsburg. He desired that the Lu-
theran princes should take part in a Roman
Catholic procession on the following day. The
princes, however, refused, as they were not
willing to encourage what is opposed to the
Word of God. The Emperor insisted on his
demand. Then the Evangelical Lutheran
Count George of Brandenburg (a member of
the family from which the present Emperor
William of Germany is descended) solemnly
declared, ‘‘Rather than deny my God and His
Gospel, I would kneel here before your Maj-
esty and have my head severed from my body.’’
The Emperor graciously replied, ‘‘ Dear prince,
not head off! not head off!”

% ——_s toe

Hz who speaks, sows; he who listens, reaps,