The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1889, Page 5

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Ghe Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

Pousuisuep py tue EvancenicaL Lurneran SynopicaL Conrerence or Nort AMERICA.
R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Ofiice at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XI. St. Louis, Mo., February, 18SS9. No. 2.

The Mother’s Cradle Song. sin, and they therefore reject the Saviour and
pay no heed to the Gospel call, Come to Jesus!

There are many, however, that do not deny
their sinfulness; they know they are sinners,
and yet they donot come to Jesus. What is
the matter with them? They will not come
just as they are. They think they must make
themselves better before coming to Jesus. But
that isasad mistake. They are like the man
who tried to lift himself over the fence by the
straps of his boots. No man can make him-
self better by his own strength. Why not?
Because we are sinners by nature. The Bible
teaches this all’ the way through. We are
“dead in trespasses and sin,’’ says the apostle.
“We are as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags,’” says the
prophet. Our whole nature is corrupt, and
rotten, and sinful. Do not try to patch up
that old sinful nature of yours, but come to
Jesus just as you are. He will make you whole.

Are you afraid of coming just as you are?
Do you fear lest He will cast you out? Listen
to what Jesus says: ‘‘Him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out,’’ John 6, 37. ‘Him
that cometh’—be he high or low, colored or
white, rich or poor, yea, the greatest of all
sinners, the chief of sinners—‘‘I will in no wise
cast him out.”’

Behold Jesus sitting at the table of Simon
the Pharisee. A poor woman who had been
a dreadful sinner comes behind Him weeping,
and stooping down washes His feet with her
tears and wipes them with her long locks of
hair. The Pharisee’s eye is upon Him to see
how He will act. Does He spurn the guilty
woman, and crush with despair the heart already
broken with sorrow? Ah, no! ‘Woman,’
saith Jesus, “thy sins are forgiven thee! Go
in peace!”’—‘I will in no wise cast out.’’—

Behold Him nailed to the cross. A wretched
thief, hanging over the mouth of hell, turns
to Him his dying eyes. ‘‘Lord!”” he cries,
‘remember me when Thou comest into Thy
kingdom.’? Did Christ answer, “T cannot hear
you now—I am in pain; besides, it is too late
—too late!???, No; but He turned upon him a
look of love and enid, ‘‘Verily, I say unto thee,
to-day thou shalt be with me in paradise!’’—
“J will in no wise cast out.’’—

Come, then, thou child of sin! in all thy
sinfulness, come to Jesus, who is brought to
you in the Gospel! He will receive you as
He received such of old! Come, then, thou
outeast sinner! in all thy misery, come to
Jesus! He will suffer -thee to kneel beside
Him, and wash His feet with tears, and will
pardon all thy guilt, and bid thee to go in
peace!

The following beautiful hymn is a translation from the
*¢IJome Songs’? of Sweden. It is crooned by the mother as
she is putting her litle one to sleep.
Oh, little child, lic still and sleep;
Jesus is near, thou needst not fear;
No one need fear whom God doth keep
By day or night.

Then lay thee down in slumber deep
Till morning light.

Oh, little child, be still and rest;

He sweetly sleeps whom Jesus keeps;

And in the morning wake so blest
His child to be.

Love every one, but love Him best— +
He first loved thee.

Bread.

In one of the newly-settled portions of the
country, a child was one day missed by his
mother. She sought him in vain; and when
the shades of evening-were gathering in, as the
father returned from his labor, she said to him,
“Qur little child is missing, and I do not know
where he is.”

They went out immediately to seek the lost,
and all through the night they searched and
hunted, but did not find the little boy. The
search was continued on the morrow, and the
neighbors joined the parents, and looked in
every direction for the lost child.

Toward the close of the third day, the
wearied father came into the house, and on
looking out of the window, saw a company of
men approaching, one of whom appeared to
have something in his arms. He strained his
eyes to discern what it was, and weary and
worn as he was with searching, he rushed to
meet them, and found that they were bringing
home his little boy. The neighbors placed him
in his father's arms; he drew him to his bosom,
when the little fellow, pale, feeble, looked up-
and faintly said: ‘‘Give me some bread).
father.’” :

No doubt that father was a sinful, erring,.
and, perhaps, selfish man, but think you that
he needed to be urged and entreated to give
bread to the little wearied, famishing child?
Think you that he hesitated and delayed to
grant such a request? “ If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your chil-
dren, how much more shall your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
Him?”’—Selected.

Oh, little child, when thou must die,
Fear nothing then, but say ‘‘Amen”
To God’s demand, and quiet lic
In Ilis kind hand,
Till He shall say, ‘Dear child, come, fly
To heayen’s bright land.”

Then when thy work on earth is done
Thou shalt ascend to meet thy friend;
Jesus the little child will own,
Safe at His side;
And thou shalt dwell before the throne,
For He hath died.

—=_- <= o ——_

Come to Jesus!

This is the Gospel call. Jesus says, ‘‘Come:
unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest,’” Matt. 11, 28. What
does that little word ‘‘come’’ mean? It means
believe, trust in Jesus. This is plainly seen
from the following passage, ‘‘And Jesus said
unto them, I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on me shall never thirst,’’ John 6, 35.
Coming to Jesus is the same as believing or
trusting in Jesus. Now, no man will cume to
Jesus, no man will put his trust in that Saviour,
except he be convinced of his sin by the law
of God, and feel that he is a sinner and needs
a Saviour. A man that does not think him-
self sick will not call for the doctor, and a man
that does not think himeelf a sinner will not
come to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. Most
men do not feel themselves ‘‘heavy-laden”” with