The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1884, Page 19

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‘The Lutheran Pioneer. /

19

Hindoo Idols.

Our picture shows us three idols worshiped
by the heathen of India. In costly temples
these images are sometimes richly ornamented,
even if rudely carved. It is by no means rare
to find their eyes made of diamonds or other
precious stones. Besides these large images
made by the natives for the temples of India,
there are smaller images intended for household
use. And it is sad to hear that whilst mission-
aries are at work to bring the poor people of
India from the worship of dumb idols to the}
service of the true and living God, English
merchants in Birmingham furnish these smaller |
idols for household use to Hindoo idolaters. It
is a shameful business to which they are driven |
by the Jove of money which they have made}
their idol.

Looking * at our
picture, dear reader,
you will be glad that
such images are not
worshiped

in our
country. But re-
member, there are

many other idols in
the world. Every
thing which man
puts in the place of
God and in which
he trusts is an idol
—a false god. Let
me tell you a story.
The Rev. Dr. Can-
dee was want to illus-
trate his sermons by
exhibiting the var-
ious idols which men
worship in heathen
lands. ; On one occa-
sion he held up a dollar and cried out: “Here
is the American idol!”’

—_——- o~< 0 ae

Envying A Rich Man.

Some years ago there lived a man in Phila-
delphia who was envied by hundreds. Jacob
Ridgeway was worth five or six millions of dol-
lars, 2 fortune which was then exceeded only
by Girard’s and Astor’s, Now the most selfish
sort of envy is that which makes a man un-
happy in view of the wealth of another, and
scores of men thus made themselves unhappy
whenever they came in contact with Mr. Ridge-
way. The following story shows how he re-
proved one who openly expressed this feeling:

“Mr. Ridgeway,” said a young man with
whom the millionaire was conversing, “‘you are
more to be envied than any gentleman I know.”

‘“Why so?”? responded Mr. Ridgeway, “I am
not aware of any cause for which I should be
particularly envied.’’

“What, sir!’? exclaimed the young man in
astonishment. ‘Why, you are a millionaire!
Think of the thousands your income brings
every month!’’ :

|
“Well, what of that?’’ replied Mr. Ridge- |
way. ‘‘All I get out of it is my victuals and
clothes, and I can’t eat more than one man’s
allowance and wear more than a suit at a time.
Pray, can’t you do as much?’’
“Ah, but,’ said the youth, ‘‘think of the

they bring you.”

“What better off am I for that?’’ replied | fidel through the reading of Ingersoll’s wretched

the rich man. ‘‘I can only live in one house
at a time; as for the money I receive for rents,
why I can’t eat it or wear it; I can only use it
to buy other houses for people to live in; they
are the beneficiaries, not I.’’

“But you can buy splendid furniture, and
costly pictures, and fine carriages and horses—
in fact, anything you desire.’’

“And after I have bought them,’’ responded

Mr. Ridgeway, “what then? I can look at the
furniture and pictures, and the poorest man
who is not blind, can do the same.

“J can ride no easier in a fine carringe than
you can in an omnibus for five cents, without
the trouble of attending to drivers, footmen
and hostlers; and as to anything I ‘desire,’ I
can tell you, young man, that the less we desire
in this world, the happier we shall be.

“All my wealth can’t buy a single day more
of life—cannot buy back my youth—cannot
procure me power to keep afar off the hour of
death, and then, what will all avail, when in a
few ‘short years at most, I lie down in the
grave and leave it all forever? Young man,
you have no cause to envy me.”

———— ++ oo oe -

An Infidel’s Prayer.

The following incident has just been related
by a minister, whose veracity will not be ques-
tioned by any who know him. It occurred
under his personal observation, and hence it is
not a story manufactured to illustrate » point.
He has no objection to the use of his name, nor

would he hesitate to give the name of the per-
son who was most concerned. He is ready also
to furnish the precise date and locality of an
event in the history of a young man, that speaks

| in thunder tones to those who deliberately make

| light of God and of His word.
hundreds of fine houses you own, and the rentals |

This young man, just entering upon the
practice of medicine, had become a scoffing in-

books, and other vile productions of hell. He
seized every opportunity to pour forth a tide
of shocking blasphemy against Christ, and held
up the Bible among his companions to coarse
and obscene ridicule. At length he went so
far in his desperate wickedness that he uttered
| a wilful lie, and perpetrated a monstrous fraud,
| in order to express his contempt for Christianity.
| He pretended to be converted, and asked per-
mission in a meeting
of Christian young
men to confess the
Lord Jesus publicly
by leading in prayer.

His request was
gladly granted, but
meanwhile he had
carefully prepared a
prayer filled with
horrible irreverence,

and thoughtfully
planned insult of the
Saviour. Spreading
the manuscript be-
fore him on aseat, he
kneeled down, and
commenced to read
his ribaldry, when
his voice was sud-
denly hushed, and
his body was heard
to fall upon the floor.
The young men who were present hastened to
him, but found that he was dead, and in un-
speakable awe they carried forth the corpse,
the ghastly pallor of the face and the stony
stare of the eyes haunting them, as they
bore all that was left of the scoffer to his
home.

Ever and anon God causes his voice to be
heard, and lets his hand be seen, among: the
children of men, at least enough to show that
His eye is still upon them. If there are not
many such instances, it only proves the long
suffering of God, but that long suffering, de-
spised and set at nought, may give place, and
sometimes it dces give place to sudden and
overwhelming judgment. ‘‘God shall shoot at
them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be
wounded,” (Ps. 64, 7.). ‘‘He that being often
reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly
be destroyed, and that without remedy,’”
(Prov. 29, 1.).

It is a serious thing to belittle the claims of
Jesus Christ to our faith, respect and obedience.
Alas! alas! alas! for the doom that shall
sooner or later overtake the despisers of His
offered grace. —James H. Brookes,