The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1887, Page 43

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 43

The Wicked Heart.

< Some years ago there lived a man who was

very irritable and passionate, but he soon re-
* pented of his anger. Upon thinking over the
matter he concluded: ‘‘This comes from my
being with wicked persons; if they would leave
me alone, I would not become so angry. I will
go into some secluded spot and not be so an-
noyed: there I will neither hear nor see any
one, and so will not be overcome by my pas-
sions.’ Then he went into the forest, and
sought a place where there was cool water drip-
ping from the rocks. Having found such a spot,
he said: ‘‘Here I will build myself a hut.’’
He began the work, and growing thirsty he
took his pitcher to the rock, and placed
it beneath the dripping stream that it
might become filled; but the pitcher
toppled over, and he placed it on the
spot the second time; in a few mo-
ments the pitcher again turned over,
whereupon the man became so over-
come with anger that he snatched it
up, and smote it upon the rock, break-
ing it into a thousand pieces. Nothing
- but the handle remained in his hand.
Seeing what he had done he said: ‘‘Oh!
foolish man that Iam, I thought that
anger came upon me from without, but
I perceive now that it comes from with-
in me. I will, therefore, no longer re-
main a recluse, but will return to my
brethren, that they may give me good
advice, and help me to pray that my
own heart may be bettered.”’

~~ 4 ome oh ee

Power of the Gospel.

A European mechanic had started an indus-
try in New Zealand, a country whose people
are blood-thirsty and revengeful. A New Zea-
lander who had been in the employ of this me-
chanic one day entered the work-shop in order
to draw the wages due him. The mechanic
spake haughtily to him, and ordered him to
leave the shop at once. The man replied quite
calmly, ‘‘I do not wish to be troublesome,’’
whereupon the enraged European seized him,
gave him a kick, and’struck him a blow with
his fist. All this was borne with patience; but

» when the European had ceased his violence, the

man grasped him with his hand, cast him to
the floor as though he were a child, seized the
hatchet, and swung it over hishead. ‘‘ Now,”
said he, ‘‘you perceive that your life is in my
hands. You can thank the Gospel of Christ.
You see my arm is strong enough to kill you;
my arm wants to kill you, but my heart says,

power of the Gospel! -

Our Thoughts When in Trouble.

good to see the bed-ridden saint, so she took her
down to the house. She lived up in the gar-

A little boy six years old, having been very| ret, five stories up, and when they had got to
naughty one day, was ‘‘put into the corner’’| the first story the lady drew up her dress and
by his governess. After a time, she said, ‘‘Come| said, ‘‘ How dark and filthy it is!” ‘‘It’s bet-
here. Now what have you been thinking about) ter higher up,’”’ said her friend. They got to

whilst you were in the corner?”’
** About coming out,’’ was the answer.

the next story, and it was no better; the lady
|complained again, but her friend replied, ‘‘It’s

Are we not sometimes like this little boy?| better higher up.’’ At the third floor it seemed
Our heavenly Father sends us some punish-| still worse, and the lady kept complaining, but
ment, and, instead of thinking with sorrow| her friend kept saying, “It’s better higher up.”’
over our fault, and how we will try in future| At last they got to the fifth story, and when
to overcome it, we are only thinking ‘‘how|they went into the sick room, there was a nice

soon will this trouble be over?’’

A Child’s Evening-Prayer.

‘(Dear loving Saviour, to Thy throne of grace
A little child draws near to seek Thy face;
Though very sinful, may Thy precious blood

Cleanse me from guilt, and bring me nigh to God.

Forgive what I have done‘amiss to-day,
And give me grace to walk the narrow way;
Help me behave, and speak, and live aright,
That I may be a bright and shining light.

Help me to follow in Thy footsteps here;
Help me to serve Thee with a godly fear;
Help me to learn the story of Thy love;

Help me Thy precious promises to prove.

carpet on the floor, there were flowering plants
in the window, and little birds singing. And
there they found this bed-ridden saint—one of
those saints whom God is polishing for
Hisown temple—just beaming with joy. ~
The lady said to her, ‘‘It must be very
hard for you to lie here.’’ She smiled,
and said, ‘‘It’s better higher up.’’ Yes!
And if things go against us, my friends,
let us remember that ‘‘It’s better
higher up.’’

Lending to the Lord.

In Bavaria there lived a minister by
the name of Fenneberg. He was so
very liberal, that he sometimes was in
great want himself. On a certain occa-
sion he needed some money, but did
not know where to get it. Then he
remembered that some time before he
had presented a poor person who had
complained of want, with two crowns.
He said: ‘‘Dear Lord, Thou knowest
that I lent Thee the two crowns, a
short time ago. Now I need them so much;
beso kind—I earnestly pray Thee—pay them
back to me.’ When he had thus ended his
simple prayer, some one wrapped at the door.
—‘‘Come in!’’—It was the letter carrier with
a package of 200 florins for the minister. The
poor person who had received the two crowns
had spoken of the liberality of the poor pastor
to her employer, whose heart was moved by |
the Lord to send the minister 100 florins for
each of the two crowns he had ‘given to the
poor servant.

“He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth
_| unto the Lord; and that which he hath given,

Watch o'er me through the night, and when I wake | will He pay him again.’’ (Prov. 19, 17.)
Stay with me through the day, for Jesus’ sake;

Thus every hour protect me with Thy care,

And for Thy heavenly home my soul prepare.’’

‘It’s Better Higher Up.”

The Master Always In.

“Johnnie,” said 2 man, winking slyly to a
clerk of his acquaintance in a dry goods store,
“you must give me an extra measure; your

Not long ago there lived an old bed-ridden| master is not in.”’

no; for I have heard the Christian missionaries| saint, and a Christian lady who visited her| Johnnie looked up in the man’s face very
preach. If my heart were still as dark as it] found her always very cheerful. This visitor | seriously and said, ‘‘ My master 13 akoays in?
was before I had heard the Gospel, I would at|had a lady friend of wealth who constantly| Johnnie’s Master was the all-seeing God.
‘once kill you.”” _He thereupon let him go, with-|}ooked on the dark side of things, and was al- Let us all, when we are tempted to do wrong, —
out doing him. the least harm. Behold the} ways cast down, although she was a professed | adopt Johnnie's motto—© My master is always

Christian. She thought it would do this lady }in.” —