The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1886, Page 30

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30 The Lutheran Pioneer.

SSS ee ———
Our Mission at Meherrin, Va. one by one, they struggle over and make a safe | Christian’s patience reveals the fact that there
landing. Notice those little lambs. They re-|is a ‘‘rest for the people of God,’ that there ig
fuse to enter and must be driven into the stream |a ‘‘victory that overcometh the world, eyen
by the shepherd’s dog, mentioned by Job in| our faith.”’
his “‘parable.”” Poor things! how they leap,| Christians are sometimes put into places
and plunge, and bleat in terror! That weak | where nothing active is required, where indeed
one will be swept quite away, and perish in the|it would seem unfitting. But if we cannot
sea. But the shepherd himself leaps into the | speak or work for Jesus, one thing we can do,
stream, lifts it into his bosom, and bears it|we can shine for Him. ‘Ye are the light of
trembling to the shore. All now are safely | the world,’’ said Christ. We can never be so
over, and how happy they appear! The lambs | situated that we cannot ‘show forth the praise
frisk and gambol about, while the older ones |of Him who has called us out of darkness into
gather round their faithful shepherd and look | His marvellous light.’’
up to him in subdued but expressive thankful-| The mother in the seclusion of her home, the
ness. domestic in the kitchen, the day-laborer at his
Can you watch such a scene and not think | toil, the invalid on the couch of weariness and
of that Shepherd who leadeth Joseph like a] pain, may often preach more eloquently, by
flock, and of another river which all His sheep | patience, by long suffering, by kindness, by
must cross? He, too, goes before, and as in|love unfeigned, without the articulation of an
the case of this flock, they who keep near Him | idea, than the scholarly divine by his most
fear no evil. They hear His encouraging voice | finished discourse. Is not this the apostle’s
saying: thought when he says, “That ye may prove
“When thou passest through the waters, I] what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will be with thee; and through the rivers, they | will of God.”’
shall not overflow thee.”’ Without words! A voiceless testimony for
With their eyes fastened on Him, they| Christ! Possible everywhere, always; ever
scarcely heed the stream, or feel its cold and | beautiful and acceptable in the sight of God,
threatening current. Many, however, “linger | offending and effective with those about us.
shivering on the brink and fear to launch
away.’ Then they cry for help, and not in
vain. The good Shepherd hastens to their
rescue, and none of all His flock ever perish.
Even the weakest Jambkins are carried safely
over. I once saw flocks crossing the Jordan
“to Canaan’s fair and happy land,” and there
the scene was even more striking and impres-
sive. The river was broader, the current
stronger, and the flocks larger, while the shep-
herds were moré picturesque, and their occu-
pation more Biblical. The danger, too, with
which many poor sheep were threatened—of
being swept down into that mysterious sea of
Death, which swallows up the Jordan itself—
was more certain and suggestive.’’

From Thompson’s ‘‘Land and the Book.”

Our mission among the colored people at
Meherrin, Va., has not been as successful as
many expected. Yet our work has not been
in vain. For several months the mission has
been in charge of Mr. Hoernicke, a student of
our Seminary in Springfield, Il]. From a letter
of his we clip the following: —

It might be of interest to Lutherans to sce
what zeal their colored brethren show for the
pure doctrine of God’s word. The mission at
Meherrin had made very little progress and the
colored people were therefore told that the
mission might be discontinued in the near
future. Upon hearing this they all expressed
great anxiety, but also their willingness to
work together with the missionary and to try
their utmost that they might not lose the
preaching of the Gospel by which their souls
were rescued from the way of sin and from the
darkness of unbelief. An old colored auntie,
who is a fervent Christian and a zealous worker,
said: ‘We will pray to the dear Lord that this

"may never happen. I am certain that He will
hear our prayer. He will not forsake us and
will not let us fall back into the darkness from
which we were rescued.” Then she added:
“Tf you quit mission work here, all these chil-
dren around us, who now are baptized, will
grow up in darkness as we once did. No, I
know the Lord will not forsake us. We must
pray to Him.” ¢

Another one, who is not yet a member of
our mission church, said: ‘‘I can’t understand
these people out West; they send us mission-
aries: they have sent us an organ, papers and
Christmas gifts; and we don’t give them any-
thing for it, and so they don’t gain anything
by it. I see, they must be true followers of
Christ, because they do just like He did and
as He taught us to do.” From this we see
that the colored people appreciate the pure
doctrine of the Gospel and that they are thank-
ful for all that is done for them. May the bless-
ing of God that is resting upon our work move
us to greater zeal in our mission among the col-
ored people.

—+- ~<a o

The Shepherd and the Sheep.

<=> eo -

A Child’s Faith.

In the town of Holland there lived a very
poor widow. One night her children asked her
in vain to give them bread, for she had none.
The poor woman loved the Lord, and knew
that He was good; so, with her little ones
around her, she earnestly prayed to Him for
food. On rising from their knees her eldest
child, a boy about eight years of age, said
softly, ‘‘Dear mother, we are told in the Holy
Book that God supplied His prophet with food
brought by the ravens.’’ ‘Yes, my son,” the
mother answered, ‘“‘but that was a very long
time ago.”” ‘But, mother, what God has done
once may He not do again? I will go and un-
close the door to let the birds fly in.””? Then
dear little Dirk, in simple faith, threw the door
wide open, so that the light of their lamp fell
on the path outside. Soon afterward the
burgomaster passed by, and noticing the light,
paused, and thinking it very strange, he en-
tered the cottage and inquired why they left
the door open at night. The widow replied,
“My little Dirk did it, sir, that the ravens
might fly in to bring bread to my hungry chil-
dren.”’ ‘‘Indeed,’’ cried the burgomaster, ‘‘then
here’s a raven, my boy. Come to my home,
and you shall see where bread. may soon be
had.”? So he quickly led the boy to his own
house, and then sent him back: with food that
filled his humble home with joy. After supper
little Dirk went to the open door, and looking
up, he said: ‘‘Many thanks, good Lord,” and
shut it fast again; for, though no birds had
come, he knew that God had heard his mother’s
prayer, and sent this timely help.

—— soo oe
Without Words.

Ina letter giving an account of the trials of
a Christian laborer, in an obscure position, the
writer says, ‘‘His three children were sick with
scarlatina, his wife ill, and he himself Jaid up
for severai days; but his faith and patience
never gave way, and he preached his best dis-
course without words; so that his physician, a
downright infidel, one day could not help seiz-
ing his hand and saying with tears in his eyes,
‘J wish I had your faith.’”’

Christians are witnesses for Christ; but in
this witnessing, words are not always needed.
The life that is within can make itself known

“That shepherd is about to lead his flock
through the river;’”’ as our Lord says of the
good shepherd, “‘he goeth before them, and
the sheep follow him; for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not fullow.’’ They
follow, but not all in the same manner. Some

enter boldly or come straight across. Those
are the favored ones of the flock, who keep
"hard by the footsteps of the shepherd through
mn meadows, by the still waters, feeding
‘upon the mountains, or resting at noon beneath
. “the shadow of great rocks. And now others| without the utterance of the lips. Eyes, hands,
en tf in doubt and alarm. Far from| feet, the whole carriage and deportment of the
they miss the ford and are carried} individual may testify of the faith and hope,
rer, some farther than others, yet,| the joy and peace reigning in the soul. ‘The

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