The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1884, Page 33

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LuTHERAN SynopicAL CONFERENCE oF Nort AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. VI.

Dead in Sin.

The Bible speaks of the unconverted as dead
in sin. St. Paul writes to the Ephesians that
in their natural state they were ‘‘dead in tres-
passes and sins.’’ Eph, 2, 1. To the Colossians
he says, ‘‘Being dead in your sins,” Col. 2, 13.
Of an unconverted woman who has made
worldly pleasure the aim and end of her exist-
ence it is written, “She that liveth in pleasure
is dead while she liveth,’ 1 Tim. 5, 6. St.
John says, ‘‘He that hath not. the Son of God
hath not life,’’ 1 John 5, 12. Of those who
profess to be Christians whilst they are still in
their natural state it is said, ““He that loveth
not his brother abideth in death,’ 1 John
8, 14.; “Thou hast a name that thou livest,
and art dead,’’ Rev. 3, 1. Of all the children
of Adam, old and young, rich and poor, edu-
cated and uneducated it is thus plainly said in
the word of God, that apart from Christ, or
until Christ is received, they have uo life—
they are spiritually dead. There is not a spark
of spiritual life in that nature with which every
man is born into this world. That nature is
called ‘‘the flesh,’’ and it is said of it that it
“ig death,’’ ‘‘enmity against God,’’ ‘‘not sub-
ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
Hence our Saviour’s solemn testimony, ‘That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye musr be born
again,” John 3, 6.7. “They that are in the
flesh can not please God,” Rom. 8, 8. They
may run the round of the sciences, they may
explore the depths of philosophy, they may
become familiar with the fine arts, but if they
are in the flesh, if they have only the nature
inherited from fallen Adam, if they are not
born again, if they are not made spiritually
alive, they can not enter the heavenly king-
dom, they can not please God, for “without
faith it is impossible to please Him,”’ Heb. 11, 6.

“© dead in sin!
Wilt thou still choose to die
The death of deaths eternally?
Dost thou not feel the gloom
Of the eternal tomb?

“Q dead to life! _-
Wilt thou the life from heaven
Reject the life so freely given?
Wilt thou choose sin and tears
Through everlasting years? 9 *

St. Louis, Mo., September, 1884.

“O dead to Christ!
Wilt thou despise the love
Of Him who stooped from joy above
To skame on earth for thee,
That He might set thee free?

“O dead to God!
Wilt thou not seck His face?
Wilt thou not turn and own the grace?
Wilt thou not take the heaven
So freely to thee given?”’

oa 0 - ee

What Christ is to Us.

We are condemned and killed by the law,
but by Christ we are justified and restored to
life. ‘The law astonisheth us and driveth us
from God; but Christ reconcileth us to God
and maketh for us an entrance, that we may
boldly come to Him. For He is the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sin of the world.
Now, if the sin of the world be taken away,
then it is taken away from us also which do
believe in Him. If sin be taken away, then is
the wrath of God, death and damnation taken
away also. And in place of sin succeedeth
righteousness; in place of wrath, reconciliation
and grace; in place of death, life; in place of
damnation, salvation. Let us learn to practice
this distinction, not in words only, but in life,
and in lively experience, and with an inward
feeling. For where Christ is, must needs be
joy of heart and peace of conscience; for Christ
is our reconciliation, peace, life, and salvation.

—Inither on Galatians.

Taught of God.

If all the blind men in the kingdom should
endeavor to bear me down that the sun is not
bright, or that the rainbow has no colors, I
would still believe my own eyes. I have seen
them both; they have not. I cannot prove to
their satisfaction what I assert, because they
are destitute of sight, the necessary medium;
they would not—they could not—hesitate a
single moment, if they were not blind. Just
so they who have been taught of God, who
have tasted that the Lord is gracious, have an
experimental perception of the truth which
renders them proof against all the sophistry of
the infidel.—Newton.

No. 9.

Freethinkers.

Free thinking has for its result free acting.
A man who does not believe in God will act
according to the sinful desires of his corrupt
heart. An old gentleman once said to a visitor,
‘Do you believe in God, sir?’’ The reply was,
“God is a mere notion of some superstitious
people, which men of thought have long since
abandoned.’’ ‘‘Very good, sir; and may I ask
if you believe in the ten commandments?’’
“No, sir,’ was the reply; ‘‘they can be de-
monstrated to be the offspring of a barbarous
age.” The old gentleman rang his bell, and
when the servant appeared, said, ‘John, stand
by the hat rack until this person goes. Noth-
ing is safe when a man neither believes 2 God
nor the devil.”’

And one day two French freethinkers dined
with Voltaire and began to speak against the
existence of God. But Voltaire, who himself
was a scoffing freethinker, stopped them at
once. ‘Wait,’ said he, ‘‘till my servants have
withdrawn; I do not wish to have my throat
cut to-night.’ .

<2 -——

The Endless Rest.

There are no weary heads or weary hearts
on the other side of Jordan. The rest of heaven
will be the sweeter for the toils of earth. The
value of eternal rest will be enhanced by the
troubles of time. Jesus now allows us to rest
upon his bosom. He will soon bring us to rest ~
in His Father's house. His rest will be glo-
rious. A rest from sin; a rest from suffering;
a rest from sorrow—the very rest that Jesus
himself enjoys. We shall rest, not only with
Him, but like Him. Thanks be unto God for
the rest we now enjoy. Ten thousand thanks
to God for the rest we shall enjoy with Christ!
Wearied one, look away from the cause of thy
present suffering, and remember theré is rest
remaining for thee. A while and thou shalt
enter into rest.

—_—2~< eo

To ask God for a promised blessing and not
expect to receive it, is either to doubt His faith-
fulness or His power.