The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1888, Page 26

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26 The Lutheran Pioneer. :

were now on the earth He would teach and act
otherwise than He did 1800 years ago. Let us
Protestant Christians watch and pray lest our
Bible be closed before our eyes by the Satarlic
spirit of unbelief that so largely prevails. Let
us keep an open Bible.—Lachange.

> - <->

Dialogue between Bell, People, and
Conscience.

to her for investigation, as it was to the Bereans.
Now she has again returned to her old place
and sings: ;
" Let Thy word feed me all my way,
Therewith my soul to nourish;
Me to defend that I may stay,

When atfilictions come this way.
During the time that she was with her parents,
she labored diligently- with-her brothers and
sisters, and so far convinced them that they
would willingly be instructed and confirmed by
us if they could obtain the consent of their
wavering parents. She esteemed it as one of
the greatest favors that the “tracious God
awakened our fathers and so many patrons in
Europe, that they cared for the poor scattered
sheep and sent them shepherds and assistance.

No Better Saviour.

(From Pastor Muhlenberg’s Report on the Lutheran Church-in
Pennsylvania, in the year 1747.)

A woman in Providence gradually lost her
sight, but through God’s grace, attained a clear
knowledge of Jesus Christ and faith in Him.
She worked with the Mennonites at Skippack
or Motecha, where one of our wardens lived.
When the Mennonites saw that she walked
honorably and worked diligently, they sought
to persuade her to be re-baptized. The Lu-
therans in Providence were without a pastor at
this time, so on Sundays the warden read a
sermon for his family. The woman regularly
attended these readings. After the congrega-
tion at Providence was gathered, she connected
herself with it and by a faithful use of the means
of grace, obtained more knowledge of her in-
ward corruption and of the salvation in Christ.
Her parents had associated themselves with the
Herrnhuters, and desired her to join them also.
But she said she could receive no benefit from
moving hither and thither, from one party to
another. She knew on whom she believed,
and would keep herself to His word, and not
sell her faith and her birth-right for a dish of
Yentils. She had no need to seek the Lord
Jesus here or there in the wilderness, or in the
chamber; for he was in His church and with
each believing member of it especially, every
day until the end of the world. She had five
miles to church, and two streams to cross each
time, but not like others, the convenience of
riding. Yet, without necessity, she neglected

no sermon or opportunity for edification; and
when there was no other way, rather waded
through the water. At the instance of our
dear warden a long tree was at last laid over
the one stream to clamber over, and a canoe
provided for the other. This poor person had
received much injury by wading through the
cold water, and entirely lost her sight. Now,
as she had to support herself by the labor of
her hands, and was hindered in it by this acci-
dent, she took her mite, and friends added
thereto, that she might employ a physician in
the city; but it availed her nothing. After-
wards her parents took her away, and traveled
with her several hundred miles to a mineral
spring in Virginia, which indeed has a great
reputation, but produced little effect. On her
_ return she had to remain with her parents for
atime. She was obliged to hear it often, that
she lost her sight entirely in the Lutheran
Church. ‘The Moravians endeavored to make
her mistrustful of her faith, and, according to
‘their manner of speaking, to lead her to the
Saviour. But she insisted that they could show
her no better Saviour than Him on whom she
had believed, who is the corner stone in the
writings of the prophets and apostles. Among
other things, a Moravian had said, that from a
blind love to me she was unable to distinguish
between the truths and falsehoods I preached.
But she answered, the scripture remained open

The quiet of a Sunday morning was broken
by the tones of a church bell. Over the town
floated its full, rich music, and then came back
again in faint echoes. The bell seemed charged
with a message to the people, which it was tell-
ing with allits might, and the message ran thus:

“«Come—come. Come—come. Come—
come.’’ But although well understood, it was
not heeded by many, and this is what the
“people said who did not heed it, and what con-
science said to them:

Bell—‘‘Come.”’

People—‘‘ We do not feel well to-day.”

Consciénce—‘‘Isn’t it strange there are’ so
many sick people on Sundays? Many who are
well enough on Saturday night are unable to
go out Sunday, and those who are so sick on ,
Sunday recover when Monday morning comes.’’

Bell—‘Come—come.”’

People—‘‘The weather is too unpleasant to-
day.” —

Conscience—‘' Yes, the weather on Sundays

The Two Bibles.

Two women each bought a family Bible.
One of the women is a Protestant Jady and the
other Roman Catholic. For short we will name
the one Mrs. P. and the other Mrs. R. Roman
Catholic people are not permitted to read the
Bible. So Mrs. P. said to Mrs. R., ‘‘ You will
not be permitted to keep your Bible when the
priest knows that you have one.”’

“QO yes,” said Mrs. R. ‘‘All intelligent
Roman Catholics are permitted to read the
Bible. Only the ignorant are not permitted
to read it.’’- is always wrong—too hot, too cold, too wet,

Not very long after this however, Mrs. P.| too cloudy, or too windy. Sunday heats are
saw Mrs. R. take her Bible to the butcher and | so exhaustive, Sunday rains are so penetrating,
exchange it for meat. She immediately called | Sunday colds so piercing, that no one but min-
on Mrs. R. and reminded her of her statement| ister and sexton should go out to church.”
concerning intelligent Roman Catholics, saying,| © Bell—‘‘Come—come.”’

‘Did I not tell you that you could keep your| People—‘‘ We have company.”’
Bible only until the priest would forbid your} Conscienee—‘‘Isn’t there something said about
keeping it?”’ the stranger within thy gates keeping the Sab-

Mrs. R. was constrained to admit that her| bath holy?”’
priest had forbidden -her to keep it, but only| Bell—‘tCome—come.”’
on account of the bad example for others, tell-| © People—‘Ourgarmentsare not good enough.”
ing her that she was intelligent enough to read| | Conscience—‘‘There are a great many direc-
it, but that it would not do to have her ignorant tions in the Bible about how we should come
neighbors find the Bible in her house. before our Lord, but the style and quality of

This true story shows the spirit of the Romish| our clothes are not mentioned. The church
Church. As long as her poor souls can be kept| isn’t a millinery establishment or a show-room.
ignorant they will believe her errors and remain | In old times the rich and poor met together,
attached to her skirts. The Bible would give} for the Lord is the maker of them all.”
them light and truth and the truth would make| Bell—‘‘Come—come.”’
them free. How very grateful we should be,| People—‘‘ We are better than some who go
that since the days of Luther and the Refor-| to church.’’
mation we have an open Bible. For us the|  Conscience—‘‘ You may be much better than
devil is trying to shut it in another way. Hej some, but are you satisfied with that? Will it
seeks in many ways to bring its precious truths| do to tell the Lord so? ‘There is something in
into discredit. He casts the shadow of doubt| the parable of the Pharisee and publican beat-
over certain portions of Scripture, causing men | ing upon this point.”’
to think that it is only partly true. He instills} And so the church bell kept ringing out its
the opinion that the Bible may have been good| message ‘‘Come—come;’’ and some heeded
enough for days long since gone by, but that] the message, came, thanked God for the priV-
it is too far behind the ‘‘advanced thought’’| ilege of coming, and resolved to come always:
of this great and progressive age. He talks to| others still refused and conscience went t0
us as though Christ, the omni&cient God, had | sleep, murmuring ere it slept: “‘ What shall it
not known before what sort of sins men would| profit a man if he shall gain the whole worl¢
commit in these days, and therefore, if He|and lose his own soul?’’—Selected. | .

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