The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1882, Page 43

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

43

The Cobbler of Hamburgh.
An Advent Story.

On a fine summer evening in the city of
Hamburgh, «2 shoemaker sat at work beneath
an awning in front of his shopwindow. Crowds
of artisans were passing in the street, and above
his head was a starling, which seemed to keep
up a busy talk with its kind owner; for while
it sang and chattered, he would sing one of his
fine old German psalm tunes.

While thus engaged, a young Jewish student
stopped, and said: “ Well, friend, you seem a
merry fellow.’? Hans looked up, and replied:
“‘Merry! to be sure. Iam right merry, my
friend; and why should I not be so?”’ ‘All
are not so,’’ replied the student with a sigh;
“‘and your poverty might afford a sufficient
excuse for sadness. I confess, friend, I am
surprised to see a poor man like you so cheer-
ful.’”’ ‘‘Poor!’’ exclaimed Hans; ‘‘ how know-
est thou, friend, how my account stands with
the bank? Poor! Iam richer than thou know-
est.’’ ‘It may be so,’’ said the student with
asmile. ‘I must have heard of thy name in
the Exchange, or of thy ships, but I have for-
gotten when.’’ ‘Enough, ”’ said Hans; ‘‘thou
hast confessed thine ignorance of me’’; and
then stopping his work, he said calmly and
solemnly, “Stranger, I am not poor; Lama
King’s Son!’’? The Jewish student, with a
smile, made a low bow, and went upon his way.

It was even so; though the world knew him
not, no more than it knew his Elder Brother,
that poor artisan was an adopted son of the
Great King; his name was known among the
courtiers of the palace of the Golden City, and
his prayers and alms had come up as memorials
to his honor. He had much wealth laid up
where thieves could not break through and
steal. He had his Father's will in his hand,
which he had read attentively from day to day,
and thought often of his mansion, his crown,
his titles and his enduring possessions. Like
Peter the Great working as an obscure me-
chanie, or Alfred the Mighty working as a menial
in a miserable hovel, this cobbler was fulfilling
the good pleasure of his Father till the time
to receive his inheritance should come. Dr.
Payson said that if Christians realized their re-
lation to God as children, each could not avoid
crying in the streets, “I am a son of God!”
So Hans communed as a son with his heavenly
Father, and sung because he was happy.

A week passed away, the student came again
to the cobbler’s door, and making a low bow

evening to your royal highness. ”’
friend!’ cried Hans; “I am glad to see you
again. You left me abruptly the other evening.
I suppose you thought me mad. I am not so.
I tell you again I am a King’s son. When
you interrupted me I was singing © song about
my kingdom. Would you like to hear it?’”’
“Surely, if it pleases your royal highness, ”’

replied the Jew, doubting the cobbler’s sanity.
Hans sung a hymn on “‘Thy kingdom come,’’
and then asked the student if he understood its
meaning. His reply was a shake of the head.
Upon which Hans began to pour out his soul
in explanation of the kingdom of his Messiah,
about the promise in Eden, its fulfillment in the
coming, death, resurrection, and reign of Christ,
of whose kingdom every subject was a son, and
joint heir to all its riches and honors.

The Jew sat as a child at his feet, gazing
upon him with his full black eye, and so ab-
sorbed with all he heard that he was only
aroused as from a waking dream by Hans tak-
ing him by the arm, and saying: ‘Now thou
seest I am a King’s son, and why I am happy;
for I know and love this Jesus, and all things
are mine, whether life or death, things present
or things tocome; and, young man,”’ he asked
with emphasis, ‘‘ believest thou the prophets?
I know that thou believest. For unless I
mistake thy countenance greatly, thy fathers
did; and thou, my son, believing in them,
must also believe in Him whom they have
foretold, and whom God hath sent to perform
the mercy promised to thy fathers, and to re-
member his holy covenant, the oath which he
sware to thy father Abraham.”’

The Jew was silent before the truth of God.
Unutterable thoughts passed through his mind.
From curiosity he was led to inquiry to knowl-
edge. Like Moses beholding the miracle of
the burning bush, he felt that he must turn
aside and examine. ‘‘Where,’’ he asked
meekly, ‘can I learn more of this; for I see
that thow believest and hast peace?’’ ‘‘ From
this book,’’ said Hans, handing him a Bible.
“©Go home and read there about the kingdom,
and return to me when thou hast studied the
passages I shall point out to thee. I shall, like
Moses, pray for thee, and ask One to pray for
thee whom thou knowest not, but who knoweth
thee, and who is greater than Moses.’? The
young Jew grasped the hand of the cobbler,
made a respectful bow, and departed.

He had seen something wonderful, and he re-
solved to know more about it. He had seen a
man in humble life happier than any noble or
king. This cobbler enjoyed all the privileges
of his Father's house. So the Jewish student
read and weighed the evidences of the New
Testament in comparison with the Old. He
came to Hans and conversed about his doubts,
discoveries and expectations; and the poor
disciple became the teacher of the lettered stu-
dent. ‘The result was his conversion to the
faith of Christ. He became the Rey. Mr. N—,
for many years an eminent and successful

; missionary to his Jewish brethren in Siberia.

Let every Christian remember his rank; see
that he does not dishonor it; but in every way
recommend it to the attention of the world. It
does not become a king’s son to adopt the man-
ners of aclown. ‘The sons of God should shine
as lights in the world, putting always first the
interests of their Saviour’s Kingdom.

Are Rich Men Happy?

On one of the last days of his earthly exist-
ence, Mr. Hopkins, the late Baltimore million-
aire, called his devoted gardener to him and
said: ‘‘I am beginning to hate this place, be-
cause it does not bring in money. I hate
everything that does not bring in money. Did
you ever feed hogs? Have you not observed
that the strong animals bear away the ears of
corn, and that the weaker ones pursue them
squealingly, in hopes that all or some of the
treasure will be lost or dropped?”’

The gardener replied that the sketch was a
true one.

‘Well, then,’’ said Mr. Hopkins, ‘“‘I am that
strong hog. I have that big ear of corn, and
every piggish rascal in Baltimore is intent upon
stealing it or wresting it from me. Sir,’ he
said, turning brusquely to the gardener, ‘‘do
you think a rich man happy?”’

The gardener answered: ‘‘The extreme of
poverty is asad thing. The extreme of wealth,
no doubt, bears with it many tribulations.’’

Mr. Hopkins rejoined: ‘‘You are right, my
friend; next to the hell of being utterly bereft
of money is the purgatory of possessing a vast
amount of it. I have a mission and under its
shadow I have accumulated wealth but not
happiness.

——.> ~ << 2

Jerome of Prague.

Jerome of Prague was a Christian martyr.
He was sentenced to be burned to death. He
was fastened to the stake. The wood was piled
up around him, and the executioner was going
to set fire to the pile.

‘©Come here,” said the brave martyr, ‘‘and
kindle the fire before my eyes. Iam not afraid
to look upon it.”

As the fire blazed up he began to sing a
hymn, and kept on singing till the flames
stopped him. He had the precious Bible jewel
of hope in his heart and how courageous it
made him!

And this blessed hope of heaven, which is
given to all who put their trust in Jesus, can
make people just as courageous now as they
used to be in former times.

——s +o o> oe

Crying for Help.

-Several children of a family were playing in
a garden, when one fell into a tank. When
the father heard of it he asked each what
means they thought of to rescue their brother
from his perilous situation. Inquiring of the
youngest he said, ‘‘John, what did you do to
rescue your brother?’”” The boy answered,
‘Father, what could I do? I am so young
that I could not de anything, but I stood and
cried as loud as I could.’”” But in crying for
help he did his part, and did well. If we can-
not bring a ladder or a rope, we can at least (
cry to God in prayer for Him fo halptand Blea p