The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1883, Page 19

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‘The Lutheran Pioneer. 19

Luther Created Doctor of the Holy
Scriptures.

That is what our picture shows us. Luther
was called from the, cloister of Erfurt to Wit-
tenberg, in the year 1508, as Professor in the
new University of that city. He soon rose to
high honors and gained the respect and cen-
fidence of all that knew hjm. In 1510, he
was sent to Rome on some business of the mon-
astery. He rejoiced to have an opportunity
of seeing that ‘“‘holy’’ city. But he was sadly
disappointed in his expectations. He found
the city of Rome to be the very seat
of wickedness and sin. In vain did
he try to find peace by visiting all
the churches, by hearing and saying
masses, and by creeping up the so-
called Pilate’s Stairs with his bare
knees. That passage from the Bible:
“The just shall live by faith,’ broke
upon his soul like a voice of thunder.
God, in His mercy, opened to him
the full understanding of that pas-
sage, and Luther's heart was filled
with joy when he at last fully under-
stood the simple Gospel way of sal-
Yation, when he learned that the
poor sinner is made just and is saved,
not by any righteousness of his own,
but by the righteousness of Christ
received through faith in the Gospel.
On his return to Wittenberg this
precious truth shone forth in all his
lectures and sermons.

Soon after Luther’s return, his
friend Staupitz urged him to accept
the title and office of Doctor of the
Holy Scriptures. Luther at first re-
fused to do this. He did not con-
sider himself able to fill that high
office. But he was at last compelled
to yield to the wishes of his friends.
And so Luther was created Doctor of
the Holy Scriptures in the year 1512.
It was one of the important events in
his life. For in that title and office he in after
years found much comfort, when in the midst
of the battle of the Reformation the question
came to his mind who had called him to wage war
against the papacy. He himself says: ‘‘I, Doc-
tor Martin Luther, was called and forced to be-
come a Doctor from mere obedience, without
any choice of mine. I was compelled to ac-

cept the title and office of a Doctor, and to,

swear allegiance to my beloved Holy Scrip-
tures, and to vow that I would preach them
faithfully and purely. While doing this, pop-
ery obstructed my path and desired to stop me;
* but you see what has happened to it, and worse
still will befall it; it shall not hinder me.’’

—_—s o-oo

Wny?—A president judge was asked why

it was that by far more men than women were

put into prison. ‘‘ Because more women than
men go to church,” was the judge's reply.

The Farmer and the Townsman. Bettie, Lie Still.

A farmer, whose fields lay near the city, suf-| Old Bettie was a match-seller. She was

fered many a loss at the hands of the people | brought in her old age to believe in Jesus as
from town, who, when walking through his|her Saviour, and from that time thought she
fields, would take whatever pleased them. One|never could do enough for Him who had

|day, before harvest, he met a fashionably | washed her from her sins in His own blood.

dressed person with a Jarge handful of ears of | Ever ready to speak of her Master to all she
wheat, taken from his fields. The farmer sa-| met, and of unwearied kindness, she was ‘‘al-
luted the stranger respectfully and admired the | ways abounding in the work of the Lord.’
beauty of the wheat. ‘‘Yes,’’ said the gentle-| But in the midst of her labors she caught cold
man, ‘‘it is truly a fine sample, and does the | with rheumatism, and was confined to her bed
farmer great credit who grew it.” The farmer | for days and weeks.

One day a minister called on her.
He was surprised to see his old active
friend and neighbor so happy in her
bed, and said, ‘‘I little expected to
find you so patient in bed, when you
have always led such an active life.
It must be a trial to lie there so
long.”’

“Not at all, sir, not at all, sir,’
said Bettie; ‘‘when I was well I
used to hear the Lord say to me
daily, ‘Bettie, go here; Bettie, go
there; Bettie, do this; Bettie, do
that’; and I did as well as I could.
Now it seems as if I hear Him say
daily, ‘ Bettie, lie still and cough.’”’

The poor woman had not only
‘learned in whatsoever state she
was therewith to be content,’’ but
her homely words showed that she
understood the service of patience.

—Selected.

———_+ <a o -

In May,
1849, the cholera raged fiercely in
St. Louis, Mo., and fear and tremb-
ling laid hold upon the people. On
the morning of Ascension day the
German newspaper announced mock-
ingly: ‘‘In many of the churches
this day is to be observed as a day
of prayer—that God may cause the

| acknowledged the compliment, and asked the|cholera to abate. We'll see whether it will

stranger from which of his fields he took it. |do any good. As for ourselves we prefer keep-
The stranger pointed out the field and assured |ing a fire day instead of a holy day, and all

the farmer that he always liked to take a good | the citizens are invited to burn pitch upon the _

sample home, as it interested the ladies. Upon |streets.’’ In the evening of that same day a
this the farmer admired the style of the gentle-|fire broke out, 24 steamboats, 428 houses in
man’s coat and asked him to allow him to look |the best and richest portion of the city, and
at the skirt. The man readily did so, and the} many thousand cords of wood were consumed,

farmer quietly took out his penknife and cut a while a number of people also lost their lives, .

large piece from the tail of the coat. The but the churches remained unharmed.
gentleman bounced and grew very angry; but

the farmer told him he always took samples of | Nar Gone toy cannot anderstmed tieaid
cloth, as he found they greatly interested his|, jjttIe boy, i: eeanenG ane Ghai
wife. He further told the gentleman that he} God takes them away.”’

had no more right to take his wheat than he} ‘When you do asum, Willie, and take the
had to take his coat, and that he wished the | sponge and wipe your slate, what becomes of
public to bear this truth in mind. the figures?

It was a rather dear school in which the

«Oh, Isee now,’’ he said, ‘‘they are all gone.””
gentleman thus learned the lesson: ‘‘Thou Andjao) Godissya)Heywill blotient onnians,
shalt not steal !”” 43, 25

———s +o or oe

gressions, and will not remember our sins. Isa.