The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1883, Page 14

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14

The Lutheran Pioneer.

(For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer.’’)
Missionary Work.

It is our sacred duty to lay hold of mission-
ary work. We must not keep the heavenly
treasures we have received to our ownselves,
but bring them to others also. If our hearts
are glowing with the love of Christ, if we truly
rejoice in His blessings, which are bestowed
upon us by the means of grace, we can not but
sympathize with those that are destitute of all
that cheers our souls and gives us the surety
of a blessed life to come.

How can we comply with our duty and how
can we promote the glorious work of instruct-
ing the ignorant heathen near and abroad, that
they may know the way of life? By sending
them missionaries and by supporting such serv-
ants of God as are willing to sacrifice their
ownselves for their fellow-beings. The Gospel
must be preached to the heathen if they are to
be saved. Our Saviour prayed: Sanctify them
through Thy Zruth. This Truth is the
Word, the Gospel. Into this Word the
holy Spirit guides sinners unto their sal-
vation. Another Word than recorded in
the Scriptures, the Spirit does not teach.
This sacred book the heathen too must
read, search and understand, and it is our
duty to bring or send it tohim. Orshould
we, who have received this Word, who
have experienced its saving power, refuse
or be reluctant, to communicate the same
to those who are still in want thereof?

Would we, by thus giving what we have,
lose anything? Do we not rather gain?
—Those err grievously, who imagine that
the heathen can do without the Gospel,
and that it be of no concern to the
Church whether those that are outside,
ever or never hear that Christ suffered and
died for them. Why were the apostles charged
with that grand commission, to preach the
Gospel unto all nations? Why does St. Paul
_ declare, Whosoever shall call‘upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved? Why does he
ask: How shall they call on Him, in whom
they have not believed? How shall they be-
lieve in Him, of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be
sent?—It is God’s will that the sinners be
saved through the Gospel. This Gospel ‘the
Holy Ghost employs as His instrument, as the
means, by which He creates faith, love and
hope within the heart of the hearer. How
beautiful, then, are the feet of them that preach
the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of
good things! How blessed the work of a Chris-
tian, who helps the heathen to hear and to re-
ceive these glad tidings, that Christ crucified
may be glorified amongst, in, and by them!—
If the heathen could gain heaven by some other
device, by their own wisdom, deeds or merit,
then, as a matter of course, it would be an un-
necessary thing for us to help them by sending

them missionaries. But if they can do without} ments expressed by the words. Walther, Lu-

the Gospel, why do not we do without it like-

wise? Would you part with your spiritual
blessings and embrace unbelief or superstition
instead? Never! say you. Then lay hold of
missionary work! Do your duty regarding
home and foreign mission. G. R.

oe

Luther’s Love of Music.

Luther, says the Musical Million, was a great
lover of music. He was early known as a me-
lodious singer, and by his good singing won the
kind regards of Madam Cotta, who took him
to her home when he was a school-boy. His
last. evening before entering the cloister was
devoted to musical pleasures. It was to be ex-
pected that when the work of the Reformation
was moving successfully on, sacred music should
be called to its aid. Luther early employed his
poetical talents in composing original hymns,
and in translating and adapting to his use the

Mount Zion’s Colored Lutheran Church in New Orleans.

better Latin hymns. In 1524, the first hymn-
book of Luther, accompanied by the music set
to words, in which Walther lent his assistance,
was published. Within twenty years from that
time, one hundred and seventeen collections of.
hymns, by Luther and his friends, were printed.
‘«These hymns,” Luther says in the preface,
‘are set to music in four parts, for no other
reason than because of my desire that the
young, who ought to be ‘educated in music as
well as in other arts, might have something to
take the place of worldly and amorous songs,
and so learn something useful and practical,
something virtuous as becometh the youth.
I would be glad to see all arts, and especially
music, employed in the service of Him who
created and made them.’’

This book was used in families and social
circles and schools, as well as in churches. In
the history of the city of Hanover we read
that the Reformation was first introduced there
by the hymns of Luther, which the people
sang with delight. ;

Luther himself composed music for several
of his hymns, which was not only good in
jitself, but agreed beautifully with the senti-

:

ther’s musical friend, says: ‘‘I have spent
many hours in singing with him, and have
often seen the dear man so happy and joyful in
spirit, while singing, that he could neither tire,
nor be satisfied. He conversed splendidly on
music.”

We select the following from a large mass of
Luther’s sayings in regard to music: ‘‘It is a
beautiful and lovely gift of God; it hath often
so excited and moved me, as to give me a de-
sire to preach. I have always been fond of
music. He who understandeth this art is the
right sort of man, and is fit for anything else,
It is needful that music be taught in our
schools. A school-master must be able to sing,
or I do not think much of him. Music cometh
near to theology; I would not give my little
knowledge of it for much money. The young
should be constantly exercised in this art; it
refines and improves men. Singing is the best
of arts and exercises; it is not of a worldly
character, and is an antidote for all contentions
and quarrels. Singers are not gloomy,
but joyful, and sing their cares away.
There can be no doubt that, in minds
that are affected by music, are the seeds
of much that is good; and those that are
not affected by it, I regard as stocks and

stones.”
——_— -o<2-o >

The Bible ‘By Heart.”

We know a dear Christian woman, for
many years an invalid.and great sufferer,
to whom many sleepless nights are ap-
pointed, who, many years ago, ‘‘got by
heart’’ the book of Psalms and so she
can say, with the Psalmist, ‘‘In the night
His song shall be with me’’; ‘‘My soul
shall be satisfied as with marrow and fat-
ness, and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful
lips, when I remember Thee upon my bed, and
meditate on Thee in the night-watches”; ‘‘Mine
eyes prevent the night-watches, that I might
meditate on Thy word.’”’? How would she spend
her dark vigils without this midnight lamp?
And was it not well for that boy, of Romish
parents, but taught in a Protestant Sunday
school, whose New Testament the priest sub-
jected to inquisitorial fires, that he was able to
say, ‘‘Thank God, I have seven chapters of
St. Matthew that he could not burn!’’

Trust Your God.

Ask the cherry-tree how from a dry, dead
twig can spring a little living eye, and from
that eye, cherries. Go into the house and ask
the matron, how from the lifeless egg can come
the living bird. And since God does such
wonders with cherries and eggs, canst thou not
give Him the glory of believing that if He suf-
fers the winter to come over thee, if He suffers
thee to die and be imprisoned in the earth, thee
also, when His summer comes, will He bring
forth again, and awaken from the dead?—

Tnither.