The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1888, Page 22

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22

The Lutheran Pioneer.
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Paul Gerhardt.

Our picture represents Paul Gerhardt, the
great Lutheran hymn-writer. He was born in
the year 1606 and died in the year 1676. He
was a learned, devout, humble and conscientious
pastor of the Lutheran Church. His youth
and middle age fell in the period of the thirty
years’ war. For many years he had to wait
for a call to a congregation, and was forty-five
years old when he at last entered upon a pas-
torate. So firm was his adherence to the Con-
fessions of the Lutheran Church, that he pre-
ferred poverty and exile, rather than seem to
waver in their defense. ‘‘ Utterly destitute,
not knowing where to lay his head, or how to
provide for his helpless family, Gerhardt
left the home where he had passed so many
happy years. The journey performed on
foot was long and weary. Gerhardt bore
up manfully; his heart failed him only
when he gazed on his wife and little ones.
When night arrived, the travelers sought
repose in a little village-inn by the roadside,
where Gerhardt’s wife, unable to restrain
her anguish, gave way to a burst of natural
emotion. Her husband reminded her of
that beautiful verse of Scripture, ‘Trust —
in the Lord in’all thy ways; acknowledge
Him, and He shall direct thy paths.’
These words impressed his own mind so
deeply, that, seating himself in a little
arbor in the garden, he composed that
celebrated hymn:

“Commit thou all thy griefs and ways into
His hand.”’
_——_— <r e -

Africaner.

There was once a wild and savage chief in
South Africa whose name was Africaner.
He was the terror of the whole country, and
the English Government at ‘“‘The Cape”’ offered
a large sum of money toany one who should kill
him. But Africaner was taught by some mis-
sionaries to know and love the Lord, and then
he became good and gentle. The great Robert
Moffat, then a young missionary, wanted to
visit Africaner, and preach to his people, but
everybody said, ‘‘He will kill you.”” This did
not frighten Moffat. He made his way to
Africaner’s kraal, who gave him a kind wel-
come, and they were soon the hest of friends.

One day Africaner saw Moffat looking at him
and asked the reason. ;

“T was trying,” said Moffat, ‘‘to picture to

myself your carrying fire and sword through the

country; and I could not think how a man
with eyes like yours could, smilewit juman
woe.’ »  Africaner ie into tears. After a
time Moffat took Africaner with him on a jour-
ney to “‘The Cape.’’ He thought the Governor
would never believe what a changed man he
had become, unless he could see it with hffown
eyes. So he dressed Africaner as his servant,
they traveled on safely among people who

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would have been very much frightened if they himself that the terror of the country stood be-

had known who his servant was.

When they | fore him, gentle and lanfb-like, he raised his

came into the Dutch settlements some of the! eyes to heaven, and exclaimed, “OQ God, what

farmers said they were very glad that Moffat |

a miracle of thy power! What cannot Thy

had escaped from that terrible monster, Afri-| grace accomplish!”—L. IL

caner! Others said how absurd it was to think
that Africaner could be converted.

At one house, Moffat put out his hand to the
owner, saying, ‘‘I am glad to see you again.”
The man asked wildly, ‘‘Whoare you?”’ ‘“‘Have

you so soon forgotten me? Iam Moffat,’’ was}

. r |
theanswer. ‘‘Moffat!’’ cried the farmer. ‘You |
must.be his ghost! Don’t come near me! Every- |

body says Moffat was murdered; and a man}
| physician he had seen, and what treatment had

told me he had seen his hones.’’ Moffat tried

to quiet the farmer's fears, and at length he!

held out his trembling hand, saying, ‘‘When
did you rise from the dead?”’

Mr. Moffat gave him cheerful answers and
told him that Africaner was now a truly good
man. ‘‘Well,’’ said the farmer, ‘‘I can believe
almost anything you say; but that I cannot be-
lieve. There are seven wonders in the world;
but that would be the eighth.”” By this time
Africaner had seated himself at their feet,
smiling to hear this talk. J*inally, the farmer
said earnestly: “If what you say about the man
is true, I have only one wish, and that is to see
him before I die; and when you come here on
your way back to him, I will go with you to
see him, as sure as the'sun is over our heads,
though he killed my own uncle.’’ This startled
Moffat, who had not heard of it; but knowing
the farmer’s kind heart he said, ‘This, then, is
Africaner!”?

The farmer started back, and looked at him
as if he had dropped from the clouds. ‘‘Are
you Africaner?”’ he asked. ‘‘lam,’’ said Afri-
caner, uncovering hishead. The farmerseemed
thunderstruck. When he had really assured

——(j77 <> eo —-

Luther’s Way of Visiting the Sick. V

When Dr. Martin Luther came to visit a sick
person in his weakness, he was wont to speak
very gently to him; to bend down close to him,
and first to ask him about his sickness, what
ailed him, how long he had been ill, what

been prescribed for him.

Then he began to ask if he had been
patient toward God under his sickness,
And if he found that the sick person had
borne his sickness patiently, as sent to him
by the gracious and fatherly will of God,
that he felt he deserved this chastising for
his sins, and was willing, if it was the will
of God, to die, then Dr. Luther began
heartily to commend this Christian will
and disposition as the work of the Holy
Spirit. And he was wont to say it was a
great gift of God when any one attained
in this life the true knowledge of God and
faith in Jesus Christ, our only Saviour,
and could yield up his will to the will of

to keep steadfast in his faith, through the
help of the Holy Spirit, and would promise
himself to pray earnestly for him to God.

If the sufferer thanked him for this
kindness, and said he did not deserve that
he should visit him, the Doctor would say,
“Tt was his office and duty, and it was
needless to thank him;’’ and then would
comfort him, saying he should be of good
cheer, and fear nothing, for God was his
gracious God and Father, and had given
letters and seals to assure us, through His
Word and Sacraments, that we poor sinners
are redeemed from the devil and hell, because
the Son of God willingly gave Himself up to
death for us, and has reconciled us to God.—
Watchwords.

__ My Staff.

“Did ye ask if I had a Bible?” said a poor
old widow, ‘‘did ye ask me if I had a Bible?
Thank God I have a Bible. What should Ido
without my Bible! It was the guide of my
youth, and itis the staffof my age. It wounded
me, and it healed me; it condemned me, and
it acquitted me, to the Saviour! It has given
me comfort through life, and it will give me
hope in death.’’

= ———___~<4—~+ 0 <> 0 »

Tne Word of God moves along like a passing
shower; wherever it comes it must be received
at once, or it,willz:be gone. How soon a mans
“not now” es:a ‘‘never.”’”

God; and he would exhort the sick person ~

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