The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1889, Page 47

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

47

Poor Joseph.

A poor weak-minded man, named Joseph,
whose employment was to go on errands and
carry parcels, passing through London streets
on Christmas day, heard the singing of Christ-
mas hymns in one of the churches. He went
into it, having a large parcel of yarn hanging
over his shoulders.

The pastor, after a while, read his text from
1. Tim. 1, 15: ‘This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, of whom
Tam chief.”

From this he preached, in the clearest man-
ner, the glad Christmas tidings, that there is
eternal salvation for the vilest sinner in the
Babe of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, who made all things.

Joseph, in rags, gazing with astonishment,
never took his eyes from the preacher, but drank
in with eagerness all he heard. Trudging home-
wards, he was overheard muttering to himself,
“Joseph never heard this before! Christ
Jesus, the Son of God, who made all things,
came into the world to save sinners like Joseph
—and this is true—and it is a faithful saying.”

Soon afterwards Joseph was seized with
fever, and was dangerously ill. As he tossed
upon his bed, his constant language was,
“Joseph is the chief of sinners; but Jesus
Christ came into the world to save sinners, and
Joseph loves Him for this.’’ His neighbors,
who came to see him, wondered on hearing him
always dwell on this subject. Some of them
asked him, ‘‘But is there no good in your
heart? Is there no good work that you have
done?’”” ‘‘Ah! no,’ said he, ‘Joseph can do
nothing; Joseph has nothing to say for him-

seeing that it is a faithful saying that Jesus,
He who made all things, came into the world
to save sinners, there is salvation for poor
Joseph.”

Some one finding out where he heard this

light, went and asked the pastor to come and
visit him. He came; but Joseph was now very
weak, and had not spoken for some time, and
though told of the pastor's arrival, he took no
notice of him; but when the pastor began to
speak to him, as soon as he heard the sound
of his voice, Joseph sprang upon his elbows,
and seizing his hands, exclaimed as loud as he
could, with his now feeble and trembling voice,
“Q sir! you are the friend ‘of the Lord Jesus,
whom I heard speak so well of Him. Joseph is
the chief of sinners; but it is a faithful saying,
that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who made
all things, came into the world to save sinners,
and why not Joseph?”? The. pastor prayed
with him, and when he concluded, Joseph
thanked him most kindly. He then put his.
hand under his pillow and took out an old rag,
in which were tied up a few pieces of money,
and putting it into the pastor's hand (which
he had kept all the while close in his), he said

age; take it, and divide it among the poor, and

self, but that he is the chief of sinners; yet

doctrine, on which he dwelt with so much de-|.

everybody was happy on Christmasday.”

home, for father’s been sick for three weeks,
and mother has had to work so hard to get us
something to eat, she’s all tired out. We only
had a slice of bread a piece for our breakfast

to him, ‘Joseph had laid this up to keep him
in his old age; but Joseph will never see old

this morning, and there isn’t even a crust left
for our dinner.”’

Hattie’s blue eyes opened with wonder at
this sad story, and her bright face was clouded
with sorrow. ‘‘Wait till I come back again,’
she said, and she flew up the steps and over
the house to seek her mamma. At length she
found her, and seizing her by the arm, ex-
claimed, ‘‘O mamma, there’sa poor boy on the
steps who says his father is sick, and they
haven’t a morsel in the house for dinner;
please, mamma, give him some money to buy
one, and I will add the half-dollar that uncle
Roy gave me this-morning.”’

“Don’t get so excited, Hattie; I will talk to
the boy and see what can be done.”

While Mrs. Allen was speaking with him,
her servant-man returned with some parcels,
and as he passed the boy he recognized him as
the son of a poor man whom he well knew.
The lady was quite satisfied that Johnny’s story
was true, and calling him into the kitchen, she
filled a basket with good things, and Hattie,
who stood by with a smiling face, slipped in an
envelope enclosing her half-dollar.

Johnny's mother went about her work that
morning with a sad heart; her husband was
growing weaker every day for the want of
nourishing food, and now they had actually
eaten their Jast crust.

“«What will become of us?’’ she asked her-
self again and again as her little ones came
crying around her for food.

Just then Johnny burst into the room, his
face aglow with pleasure, and setting the well-
filled basket upon the table, he exclaimed,
“Cheer up, mother, we'll have a Christmas
dinner yet; only see what I have here!”’

Mrs. Morris examined her treasure as well as
she could through the tears of joy that filled
her eyes. There were two fat chickens, some
vegetables, two or three pies, and some nice
jellies for the sick man.

While his grateful mother emptied the bas-
ket, Johnny told her how it came into his pos-
session, and that it was through little Hattie’s
influence, who had wished him a merry Christ-
mas, that all these good things had come.
Mrs. Morris found the envelope containing
Hattie’s half-dollar, and also another enclosing
a five-dollar bill, with these words:

“Accept these gifts for the sake of Him
whose birth we celebrate to-day, and may you
all learn to love him and trust him in your
hour of need.”

How changed was everything now in that
humble home! One of the chickens made
nourishing broth for the sick father, and the
other was roasted for dinner, and the Christmas
was indeed a bright and happy one, where all
was sadness before.

How many of the little ones, whose bright
eyes read this sketch, have, like Hattie, been
the means of making a merry Christmas for
others, by sharing some of their good things
with them?—A, MM. ,

tell them that Joseph gave it them for His
sake, who came into the world to save sinners
of whom he is the chief.’’ So saying, he re-
clined his head and soon passed from this life
to life eternal.

There is much to be learned from this story.
The congregation where Joseph heard the glad
Christmas tidings of salvation through Christ
was large and fashionable. Many of them
were, probably, occupied with themselves and
their own thoughts and persons. They went,
perhaps, to see and be seen, as is often the
case, and listened heedlessly to that which was
spoken. But not so with poor Joseph. He
listened as to a voice from heaven—he drank
in every word. With others, the word fell
like seed on strong ground, or by the way side.
Their minds were intent on other things; and
perhaps after leaving the door of the church,
they never once more thought of what they
had heard, although it was God’s Word; but
Joseph received it as God’s Word, and not as
man’s word, and treated it as such. He heard
it as. with the ears of his soul. He held it fast,
and thought upon it. Others cared for the
things of this world, and slighted the good
Christmas news of salvation; but Joseph after
he heard it, cared for nothing else. His mind
was intent on his salvation. He knew that be
was a sinner, and his soul clung to Jesus as the
Saviour of sinners; for he believed what is
written in the Word of God of the Saviour
born at Bethlehem. :

Joseph did not trust in himeelf. Simple-
minded as he was, he learned rapidly the lesson
which many are so slow to learn. He re-
nounced self in every form. He did not rely
on any thing he found in himself. He turned
away from himslf to rest solely on Jesus, his
Almighty Saviour. Reposing in Him, he could
not but die in peace.

—+ +o oe -

A Merry Christmas.

Hattie went out to take a walk on Christmas
morning, and as she reached the door-step on
her return, she saw 4 poor, ragged-looking boy
leaning upon the railing and looking wistfully
into the kitchen-window, where the cook was
preparing the dinner.

“J wish you a merry Christmas,’’ she said
brightly.

“Thank you, miss,” said the boy, lifting up
his torn cap and trying to make a polite bow;
“but I guess it won't be a very merry Christ-
mas at our house.”

“Why not?” said Hattie; ‘I thought

‘Well, there won’t be any good time at our