The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1884, Page 17

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PuBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LutruEraN SynopicAL CoNnFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. VI.

St. Louis, Mo., May, 1884.

No. 5.

A Little While.

Hebrews 10, 37.

"fA little while’? our Lord shall come,
And we shall wander here no more;
He’!l take us to our Father’s home,
Where He for us has gone before—
To dwell with Him, to see His face,
And sing the glories of His grace.

‘C4 little while’’—He’ll come again!
Let us the precious hours redeem;

Our only grief to give Him pain,
Our joy to serve and follow Him.

Watching and ready may we be,

As those who long their Lord to see.

“A little while’”—'twill soon be past;
Why should we shun the shame and cross?
Oh, let us in His footsteps haste,
Counting for Him all else but loss!
Oh, how we’ll recompense His smile,
The sufferings of this “little while!”

6A little while’’—come, Saviour, come!
For Thee Thy bride has tarried long;
Take Thy poor wearied pilgrims home,
To sing the new cternal song.
To see Thy glory, and to be
In everything conformed to Thee.
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Our Ascended Saviour.

Forty days after His resurrection Christ as-
cended into heaven. This event we commem-
orate on Ascension Day. It is a day of re-
joicing; for He who ascended into heaven is
our Saviour. St. Paul says, ‘‘He that de-
scended is the same also that ascended up far
above all heavens, that He might fill all
things.’’? The Son of God came into the world
as our Saviour to redeem us lost and con-
demned sinners. From His ascension we learn
that He really is our Saviour; for His ascen-
sion gives us the assurance that the work of
redemption, to accomplish which He came into
this world, is perfectly finished. Therefore the
Psalmist cries out rejoicingly: ‘“Thou hast as-
cended on high, Thou hast led captivity cap-
tive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea,
for the rebellious also,’’ Ps. 68, 18. The cap-
tivity in which all men are held by nature is
the captivity of sin, death, devil and hell.

All men by nature are the captives and slaves
of these cruel tyrants. Christ in His great love
came into the world as our Deliverer to snap
our bonds and to set us free. He took our
place and in our stead was thrown into prison.
But, behold! our enemies could not hold Him
captive. He, the powerful God-man, broke
the prison. Rising from the grave, He came
forth as the conqueror over all our enemies;
and ascending into heaven He led our captivity
captive, He made our enemies captives and
slaves. He was crowned as the great Hero
and as the Lord over all things: our enemies
were put under His feet. Through Him de-
liverance, forgiveness of sins, and life everlast-
ing are procured for all sinners. These are the
gifts which He received, not for Himself, but
for men, for all men, yea, for the rebellious
also. These gifts He offers to every captive
sinner in the Gospel. They who accept this
Gospel in true faith enjoy the gifts which
Christ received for all men. They are no
longer captives, but masters over sin, death,
devil and hell. Their captivity is led captive,
and as their enemies are put under the feet of
Christ, their representative, so those enemies
are also put under their feet: they are Lords
and kings. ;

Ascension day is a day of rejoicing; for the
ascended One is our Saviour. Let us therefore
sing with the Psalmist: ‘“‘God is gone up with
a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises
unto our King, sing praises. For God is the
King of all the earth,” Ps. 47.

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Christ’s Blessing.

By Dr. MARTIN LUTHER.

St. Luke in his Gospel says of Christ:
‘While He blessed them He was parted from
them, and was carried up into heaven.” This
blessing was not a mere expression of good will,
a parting wish, such as we employ when bid-
ding each other farewell. He wished them
success and joy in the holy office which He had
intrusted unto them, of preaching the Gospel
unto all creatures throughout the world. This

preaching was not ordained in behalf of trees,
stones, birds or fishes, but in behalf of man-
kind, as is clearly evident from what follows:
‘‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved.’’ Stone and wood cannot believe, nor
did Christ give a command to baptize them.
As therefore faith and baptism pertain alone to
men, so does also the preaching of the Gospel.
To such preaching Christ ordains His apostles;
when He lifts up His hands He blesses them.
He thus not only wishes them success, but
helps them and grants them prosperity, and
bestows His blessing in the administration of
their office.

This benediction of our Lord Jesus Christ
still continues, and is fficacious wherever the
holy Gospel is preac’ ed in its purity, so that
this preaching is not in vain. This blessing
bestowed upon the disciples by the Lord, at
the very time of His ascension on high, is full
of consolation for us. He thereby invites us to
keep in mind His going to the Father, and to
rest assured under all tribulation that the bless-
ing of His ascension is with us, and that He
will employ its glorious effects for our benefit.
If His purpose were otherwise, if He were
angry with us and would not use us in His
kingdom, He would certainly not have de-
parted on high with these tokens of love to-
wards us. The fact of His raising His hands
in blessing over His disciples, thereby promis- °
ing them all success and prosperity in their
holy office, to which He had called them, is an
assurance unto us that the Lord is our faithful,
true Friend, whose blessing is ever upon us as
long as the Gospel is preached.

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How to Have Peace.

A friend once asked Prof. Franke how it was
that he maintained so constant a peace of mind.
“By stirring up my mind a hundred times o
day. Wherever lam, whatever I do, I say,
‘Blessed Jesus! I have truly a share in Thy
redemption; Thou hast forgiven my sins, and
art guiding me by Thy Spirit. Thine I am;
wash me again and again.’ By this constant
converse with Jesus I enjoy serenity of mind
and a settled peace in my soul.”