The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1884, Page 43

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‘The Lutheran Pioneer. 43

The Signed Agreement.

I was driving over our rugged hills in a des-
ponding state of mind some time ago, when a
man roused me from my gloomy thoughts by

calling out:
“Will your honor give me a lift? I've walked

nigh unto twenty miles, and have got eight

more ’afore I get home.’’

Looking him squarely in the face, and find-

ing him of an open countenance, I said: ‘‘By

all means, my good man, come up into the
trap’’ (as the English call some vehicles), at
the same time inwardly praying I might be

able to drop a word by the wayside that should
result in his blessing.

‘You are a stranger in these parts,” said I.

“What brings you over the hills in this

weather?’’ for the wind was bitterly cold.
“Tm going to change houses, or I wanted to,

and as the landlord of the house I want to take

lives at H——, I and my missus thought I had

better see to it at once, and get the agreement
paper signed, as there's only a fortnight to

Christmas.”’

“So you believe in making things as sure as

you can?”’ said I.

“Well, yes; you see, sir, we had agreed by
word of mouth, but I thought he might run
word afore Lady Day; but ’tis all right now,

’tis signed too,’’ said he, with evident satis-

faction.

“What about that other house you have had
notice to quit?”’ I asked.

“Other house?’’ said the man, with great

astonishment. ‘‘I don’t rent more than one;
leastwise, I don’t live in more than one.’’

“Oh, yes, you do,” Isaid. ‘You live in
two houses. One made of bricks and mortar,
the other of flesh and blood—your body.

Where are you going when you leave that?
Have you a building of God, eternal in the
heavens?”

“T’m afraid I have not,’’ said he; “that’s
just what I want, but I’m afraid ’tis too late.”

“No,” said I, ‘it is not; I can assure you it
is just the right time, for now is the accepted
time, the day of salvation. But why do you
think it is too late?’’ I asked.

“Why, sir,’”’ he replied, “it was nigh on to
eighteen years ago any one spoke to me as you
have on the subject, and then my mother lay
dying, and she made me promise I would turn
to God and meet her in heaven. I promised
her, but I never kept it, and I’m afraid ’tis too
late;’”? and he seemed deeply moved.

“No,’’ said I, “it is not too late for ‘to-day,
if ye will hear his voice,’ is God’s word and
God desires your salvation, and has made every
preparation for it, and nothing remains but for
you to accept it.’’

“JT wish I could be sure of it,’’ he said.

“How are you sure you are going to live in
the new house?”’ I asked.

“Why, ’tis signed to,”’ said the man, wonder-
ing at my apparent ignorance.

‘<Who signed to it?’’ I again asked.

“Why, both of us; leastways, I put my
mark, as I can’t write,’’ he replied.

“The landlord agreed to let the house under
certain conditions, and signed to it. Was that
it?”’ T asked.

“Yes, sir.’”’

“Did his signing make you a tenant?’’

“No, I had to sign as well,’’ he replied.

“Just so,’’ said I. ‘God has agreed to give
everlasting life to certain individuals because
of certain conditions having been fulfilled by
His Son, and has signed to it by raising Him
from the dead—for He was ‘delivered for our
offences, and raised again for our justification ;’
and He has further given proof of His willing-
ness and power by sending the Holy Ghost to
convince us of the truth. Now, just as your
agreement required your signature to put you
into possession, so God’s agreement requires
your signature to give you the benefit, ‘for He
that hath received His testimony hath set to
his seal that God is true;’ in other words, He
that believeth what God says accepts the gift
of salvation, ‘hath everlasting life.’’”

“Ts it like that?”’ said the astonished man;
“then, by God’s help, I'll sign to it now.’’

And as we drove along the country Jane he
lifted his eyes to heaven, as the tears coursed
down his cheeks, and said aloud: ‘‘O God, I
do accept Thy blessed Son as my Saviour.
I will sign the ’greement. Thou has promised
to give everlasting life to those who believe.
I do believe, praise God!’’ and, turning to me,
he said: ‘*Oh, sir, I never felt so happy in my
life. Ishall have good news to tell my wife
to-night.”

He repeated several texts of Scripture ere I
parted from him (for he could not read), which
he learnt, and on leaving he grasped my hand
with both his, saying:

“God bless you, sir; I shall have to thank
God to all eternity for my ride in this trap.
Believe me, sir, when I put my foot on the
step of your trap, I felt as I had never felt for
eighteen years before. I thought to myself:
‘That man is a Christian—like my mother.’
My first step on your trap was my first step
toward heaven, and if we never meet on earth
we shall meet there, sir. And now, sir, I’ve
no fear whenever the notice of quit comes to
me’’—striking his breast—‘‘I have a better
house sure and certain above, for ’tis signed to.””

I have never met.him since, but I believe I
shall meet him in heaven. I need scarcely say
[returned that day to the ‘‘plants and hedges’
with a joy somewhat akin to the “joy among
the angels,” feeling that, though but a simple
conversation, God could and did use it to his
glory.”— Word and Work.

s+ oa or oe

A Dying Cardinal's Lamentation.

nothing out.’’ A courtier, loitering without
leave in the apartments of the sick statesman,
heard a slippered foot dragging itself with dif-
ficulty along the carpet of an adjoining room,
and hastily hid himself behind some tapestry.
He saw Mazarin creep feebly in, awaiting the
summons of the angel of death, who was about
to transfix him with his fatal dart, and gaze
around, little suspecting that he was himself
being watched. From all sides shone on him
the art treasures he had collected—the only ob-
jects except wealth and power he was capable
of caring for. He looked on them long and
regretfully; his eye wandered from picture to
picture, from statue to statue, till at last his
anguish vented itself in words. ‘I must leave
all that. What pains it cost me to acquire
these things! I shall never see them where I
am going!’’ The courtier, Count Louis de
Brienne, whose ears caught that dying groan,
remembered the speech, and when Mazarin was
dead, put it in print, unconsciously as a warn-
ing to all those who lay up treasure for them-
selves, but are not rich toward God.

oo

Conversion of Count Gasparin.

Adolph Monod, at Lyons, one Lord’s day
was preaching from the text, ‘‘God so loved
the world,’”’ ete. He spoke of Christ as the
true God-man, and announced that the next
Sunday he would show how men could be saved
by faith in this God-man. But the Romish
authorities of this church were opposed to a
dectrine so purely evangelical, and informed
Monod that if he did not omit the sermon he
had announced they would have him arrested
and brought before the prefect, and dismissed
from his office. Monod, notwithstanding,
preached his sermon, and the authorities made
their complaint. The prefect demanded the
two sermons, and Monod sent them to him.
The prefect was a Catholic,—Count de Gaspa-
rin. He came home at evening to his wife,
and found the sermons. He never liked ser-
mons, especially evangelical sermons. But he
was a man who discharged faithfully the duties
of his office. It was necessary the sermons
should be read. He came to his wife with the
manuscripts in his hand, complaining that he
would have to give up the whole evening to.
this irksome and protracted labor. She offered,
as her husband’s worthy helpmeet, to read them
with him. They began. With every page
they grew more interested. They forgot that
it was evening and night. That which at first
was an official duty became a service of the
heart. They finished the first, and: eagerly
grasped the second. And what was the result?
He and his wife became evangelical Christians, -
—living, joyful and happy believers in Christ:
They found that night ‘“‘the pearl of great
price,” and it has remained in the family.
Their son, Count Agenor de Gasparin, has long
been the head and pillar of the: evangelical
party in France.

Cardinal Mazarin, the great minister of
Louis XLV. in France, afforded in his Jast hours
a striking and melancholy illustration of the
Apostolic statement, ‘We brought nothing into
this world, and it is certain that we can carry