The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1885, Page 11

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 11

“The Lord hath laid on Him the Iniquity
of us All.”

A pastor was asked to visit a dying person,
who was unknown to him. Arriving at the
house, he found an old man, seventy-six years
of age. In the early life he had been a soldier
in the British army, and afterward a seaman,
sharing for many years both in the dangers and
in the iniquities to which his calling exposed
him. Through these he had been preserved
by the mercy of God; but now a fatal sickness
had suddenly seized him.

After answering a few questions about the
illness that was carrying him to the grave, he
said in distinct tones, ‘‘I am the chief of sin-
ners, and unless there is a free pardon, there
is no hope for me.’’ ‘This is just what I have
come to tell you about,” was the reply; ‘‘a
free pardon, a free salvation; for the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.’’ Salvation through faith in the finished
work of the Redeemer was laid. before him, and
as passages of the Bible which speak of Christ's
sufferings for sinners were quoted, he would
frequently interrupt with the remark, “I re-
member that; I learned that years ago.’’ The
difficulty, however, in his way was to believe
that after such a life of wickedness he could be
forgiven, without doing something. He was
shown that he was ‘‘dead in trespasses and
sins,’ and that a dead man cannot do anything
until.he has.life, and that over and over again
it is said in God’s word, ‘‘He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life.’’ Still the
news seemed too good to be true.

At length it was said to him, ‘There is one
verse in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, which
you surely remember, and I beg you to fix
your mind upon it, as itis read. ‘All we like
sheep have gone astray’: God says that of you
and me. Do you believe it? Is it true?”
“Yes, sir, it is true” said the old man, ‘‘and
it describes me exactly; for I have gone astray
like a sheep all my life.’”’ ‘The next clause
says, ‘We have turned every one to his own
way’: God says that. Do you believe Him?”’
“Yes, I do,’’ was the reply; ‘‘I have turned
my own way, much to my sorrow now.”’ “The
next clause says, ‘And the Lord hath laid on
Him the iniquity of us all.’ God says that too.
Do you believe Him?’’ it was solemnly asked.
The dying man was silent for a moment, and
then the tears started to his eyes, as he looked

-up and said, “Yes, sir, I believe, and I am
satisfied.’’ ‘Well, if God is satisfied with the

_ work of His Son, and you are satisfied, there is
nothing more to be done, is there?’’ ‘‘Noth-
ing but to thank Him for His wonderful love to
the chief of sinners, and for a free pardon.” He
lived for more than a week after this, rejoicing
in the mercy that had plucked a brand out of
the fire, and then departed in peace through
faith in the finished work of the Redeemer.

More than fifteen years passed away, when|-

the same pastor was called upon to visit an old
lady, who was drawing near to the grave, and

desired to see him. Going to the house, which
had a familiar look, he was shown into“an up-
per room, and saw a white-haired old woman,
who was reclining in an easy chair. She was
totally deaf, but an open Bible lay upon her
lap, and she wrote upon a slate, ‘‘You called
to see my dying husband, and told him about
Jesus Christ, and read to him, ‘The Lord hath
laid on uot the iniquity of us all.’ I could
hear then, and the message was blessed to my
own soul. Since that time I have rejoiced to
believe that He bore my sins in His own
body on the tree, and I too am satisfied. As
Iam about to depart to be with Him, I thought
I would send for you, and tell you that the
same text which gave my husband peace gave
me peace also.”’

How many more have been saved by means
of the same text, eternity alone will reveal.
The soul that rests upon the assurances of
God’s unchanging word, will not be confounded
in the day of Jesus Christ.

many washerwomen that would buy soft water.
So I got all the buckets and cans I could col-
lect, and all the year I’ve been selling the soft
water for a halfpenny the bucket: that’s how
I got the money, sir.”’

The minister looked at the little girl who
had been working so long and patiently for her
Master, and his eyes glistened.

“My dear child,’’ he said, ‘‘Iam very thank-
ful that your love to your Saviour has led you
to do this work for Him; now I shall gladly
put down your name as a missionary sub-
scriber.”’

“O no, sir, not my name.’’

“Why not, Mary?”

“Please, sir, I'd rather no one know but
Him. If it must be put in, please to write,
‘Rain from Heaven.’’’—And so little Mary
went away. —Juvenile Instructor.

j++ oo oe

The Brave Sailor Lad.

A few days out from New York a great ship
was overtaken by a terrible storm which lasted
nearly a week.

One day at the height of the tempest the
rigging at the mainmast got tangled. Some
one had.to go up and straighten it. The mate
called a boy belonging to the ship and ordered
him aloft.

The lad touched his cap, but hesitated a
moment. He cast one frighted look at the
swaying mast, and then rushed down into the
forecastle.

In a couple minutes he appeared and seizing
the rope-ladders, hurried up the rigging like a
squirrel. With dizzy eyes the weather beaten
crew watched the poor boy at his fearful task.
‘He will never come down alive,’ they said to
each other.

But in twenty minutes the perilous job was
done and the boy safely down with a smile on
his face.

“What did you go below for when ordered
aloft?”’ asked a passenger of the brave boy.

“T went—to pray,” replied the boy witha
blush, and a quiver of the lip.

“They crucified Him, and two others with Him,
and Jesus in the midst,?? John 19, 18.

2 +o-< > oe

“Rain From Heaven.”

* Jesus “Take Poor Thief!”

‘What made your heart sing, Susan?’’ asked
a missionary in Western Africa, of one of the
people amongst whom he labored.

‘CAh! you see that poor thief you talk about;
he no good at all; he be bad when they hang
him on the cross. God teach; he show him
bad heart! he make him pray to Jesus Christ,
‘Lord, remember me.’ Jesus no say, ‘Me no
want you; you be too bad; thief too much.’
No, he no say so, but take and tell him, ‘To-
day thou shalt be with me in heaven.’ I see
Christ take poor sinner, made me glad too
much. He take poor thief; He take me—me
the same.’’ ;

—_-oP oe ——_

‘A BELIEVER’s dying day is his crowning day.

Once a little girl, who loved her Saviour
very much for having so loved her, came to
her. minister with some money for the Church
Missionary Society. He opened the paper and
found eighteen shillings.

‘“‘Bighteen shillings, Mary! How did you
collect so much—is it all your own?”’

“Yes, sir. Please, sir, I earned it.”’

“But how, Mary? You are so poor.”

‘Please, sir, when I thought how He had
died for me, I wanted to do something for him,
and I heard how money was wanted to send
the good news to the heathen.”’”

“Well, Mary?” ;

“Please, sir, I had no money of my own,
and I wanted to earn some, and I thought a
long time, and it came to me how there were