The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1888, Page 3

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

* Christ higher than you have always said to me

z and wish to be saved through him, it is idolatry

The Lutheran Pioneer. 3

Jesus Sinners Will Receive. and self-deception.’’ “No, no,’’ interrupted the

physician, ‘‘do not tell me that again. Listen
to me: Two months ago I treated the old
Widow N., a member of your congregation.
The meekness, peace and patience with which
she bore her afflictions impressed me deeply,
and I was compelled to acknowledge that the
source whence she drew such comfort for her
soul was unknown to me. One day she earn-
estly desired that I might tell her what I thought
of her condition, I did so, frankly declaring
that she had only a few more days to live.
Thereupon she grew quite joyous; her face
shone with a heavenly lustre at the thought of
the approach of death. The like I had never
before seen. ‘Dear doctor,’ said the dying
woman, ‘I wish to tell you one thing more be-
fore I die. You are a Jew and do not know
theSaviour.’ Without him you cannot be saved.
Oh, seek Jesus, the Saviour of sinners!’ I was
surprised and asked: ‘How do you know that
salvation is alone to be found in Jesus for me?’
‘I know that,’ answered the dying woman, ‘as
certainly as the sun shines to-day, as certainly
as there is a God in heaven, and as truly as
His Word is true.’ She then handed me her
Bible, saying: ‘Dear doctor, I thank you for
the kindness you have shown me, for I am but
a poor woman. The only thing I can give you
is my Bible. Take it as a gift, read it prayer-
fully, and you will find Jesus as your Saviour,
and die a peaceful and happy death.’ I took
it from her trembling hands, deeply affected,
and hastened home. My soul was agitated.
On the following morning, as I passed the
widow’s house, I involuntarily entered it. Upon
reaching the hall, I heard a voice coming from
the sick chamber like that of an angel. It was
that of her adoptéd child Emily, who was
singing to the dying woman her favorite hymn,
‘Jesus sinners will receive.’ I distinctly heard
the words, and they still ring in my ears. At
once the scales fell from my eyes, and I saw
how miserable and worthless my soul’s works
were to me. I saw that I had deceived myself.
The ideal Christ is of: no avail in the hour of
death, when help and comfort are so much
needed. I now believe on Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, the Saviour of sinners, who died
not alone for my sins, but also for my good
works. In his name I want to be baptized.”
Thus the physician spoke. To the joy of his
heart the preacher saw that the Holy Ghost
had at length brought this proud Pharisee to a
knowledge of his sins and the need of the true
Saviour, and, in the presence of a number of
other Jews who had been invited, he was hap-
tized that same night. On the following day
he calmly fell asleep in Jesus, murmuring the
words: “Jesus sinners will receive.”
Church Messenger.

——<0- + 00

ConsmER the uncertainty, mutability and
inconsistency of all things under the sun. All
temporals are as transitory as a hasty torrent,
a shadow, a bird, or an arrow in flight, as a post
that passeth by: ‘‘the fashion of this world
passeth away.”

Father Knows the Way.

In one of the cities of Germany there lived
an old Jewish physician, who, on account of
his eminence and amiability, was respected and
beloved by many. He regarded himself as a
virtuous man, and was a most zealous opponent
of Christianity. He had a nephew, whom he
loved very dearly, and whom he expected to
make his heir, as he himself had never been
married. This nephew, upon a certain occa-
sion, in company with a friend, a student, went
to hear the Rey. Gurland preach. Each one
asks himself, ‘‘To what eminence shall I at-
tain?’’ and each one desires to become great;
but the chief question is: ‘‘ What shall I do to
inherit eternal life?’? And this no one shall
inherit except through Jesus alone.’’ Gurland
was not conscious at the time how deeply the
hearts of these young Israelites were touched
by the sermon. At the close of the service,
the nephew went to his uncle, who, as he had
often done before, asked him: ‘Well, what
do you wish to make of yourself?’ The young
man, still pondering the sermon in his heart,
answered with emphasis: ‘‘I want to become
a Christian.’’ The anger of the uncle was
aroused, for he could not at all understand this
answer, but thought that Gurland had, by pri-
vate conversation, influenced his nephew. He
asked further: ‘‘Why do you desire to become
a Christian?’’ He received the devout answer:
‘‘T wish above all to be saved, therefore I de-
sire to become a Christian.’? MHereupon the
young man told his uncle what he had retained
of the sermon he had heard.

The doctor sent for Gurland, and took him
to task for thus influencing his nephew. Gur-
land advised the doctor not to interfere with
the convictions of his nephew, unless he wished
to bring great guilt upon himself. The doctor
soon saw the fruits in the life of his nephew,
and, much as he was opposed to it at first, he
was compelled to acknowledge that the young
man was only following the deepest convictions
of his own heart and conscience by desiring to
become Christ’s own.

The nephew and his friend, having been
properly instructed were baptized in 1869.
Thereafter the physician frequently attended
the services of the church, and gladly heard
of the Christian religion, but not of a Saviour
of sinners. Christ was to him only a model
of virtue, and ideal man. One night he sent
for Gurland, and thus addressed him: ‘‘ Dear
brother, I am sick, and will never recover.
I have lived as a Jew, but I wish to die as a
Christian. Will you baptize me?” ‘‘ Dear
doctor,”’ replied Gurland, ‘‘if you do not esteem

Two little children were returning with their
father from spending an evening with some
friends at a distance. They stayed longer at
their friend’s house than they at first intended.
The shades of evening had fallen, night was
coming on, and before they proceeded far a
heavy curtain of murky cloud seemed drawn
about them. They had to cross a marshy place,
pleasant enough in broad day-light, but not so
pleasant with darkness around. A silence fell
on all, as the father, busy with his own
thoughts, took a little hand in each of his,
and pressed forward.

‘‘Hugo,’”’ whispered Amy's timid voice, in
her brother's ear, ‘‘are you frightened?”’

“No,’’ replied the little man, as a little man
should, ‘‘not at all.’’

“Why, Hugo, it is awful dark,’’ again mur-
mured the timid voice, this time almost with
a sob.

“ But you see,’ returned the boy, confidently,
“*father knows the way.”

The father had heard the low conversation,
and stooping down, he lifted Amy into his
strong arms, while he clasped his boy’s hand
more tightly.

“Thank you, my children,” he said, ‘“‘you
have taught me a lesson. I, too, am going
home to my Father’s house, above. It is but
a little way, yet often dark and dreary, so that
my heart gets afraid. Still, it is the best path,
and when I get home I shall be constrained to
declare, ‘He led me by the right way.’’’

Amy did not understand her father’s words,
but she knew she was clasped to his loving
breast, held securely in his strong arms, and
that hushed every fear. Hugo felt his father
was pleased with this simple confidence, so in
faith they all pressed on together through the
gloom. Soon they reached the light and warmth
and joy of home.

As Amy’s mother laid her down to rest that
night, the little girl murmured very contentedly:

‘‘Mamma, I was not one bit frightened when
I ’membered father knew the way.”

at 0

Jessie’s Advice to Grandma.

‘‘What would I do if I were to be blind?”
cried grandmother, rubbing her eyes.

“Tl tell you what to do, grandmother,”
said Jessie, jumping up from her playthings.

“\WWhat?”’ asked grandma.

*€Go and tell Jesus,” said Jessie; “that is
what I would do.”

‘‘Perhaps He would not cure me,” said
grandmother.

«Then He would help you to say ‘Thy will
be done,’ and then you would not mind it,
grandma,” said the little girl.

you did, it is impossible for me to baptize you,
for what can a mere ideal man, a hero of virtue
help you; for no one can by any means redeem
his brother, for the redemption of their soul is
precious, and it ceaseth forever. If we regard
Christ as a mere man and yet pray to him,

—— + 0

Tyre truest end of a life is to know the life
| that never ends. $