The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1890, Page 25

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«The Lutheran Pioneer, —

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PosuisHeD BY THE EVANGELICAL LuTHERAN SyNopicaL ConFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.
R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Oftice at St. Lonis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XII. St. Louis, Mo., July, 1890. No. 7.

The Day of Satisfaction. free ride on the railroad. And so the ‘hero
of many a battlefield” was put off the train at
the next station, and as he left, the passengers
in the train could hear him grumble about an
ungrateful Republic.

We were reminded of this incident on read-
ing the speech of a ‘‘ Protestant minister’’ de-
livered on Decoration day. The speaker said
to the old soldiers, that had assembled to deco-
rate the graves of their fallen comrades: ‘‘All
those heroes that fell on the bloody battlefield
have entered the fields of everlasting glory and
heavenly rest. ‘They now answer to the roll-
call of heaven.’’ Well, fighting for one’s coun-
try may entitle 2 man to a pension, but it
surely will not entitle him to a seat in heaven.
The Bible plainly tells us that they who be-
lieve in Jesus will be saved, and they who
believe not will be condemned, no matter
whether they die on the battlefield or at any
other place.

Again we recently read a speech delivered
by a Superintendent of public schools on Com-
-|mencement day. The speaker told the gradu-
ating class of the High School to live an up-
right and virtuous life and thereby gain heaven
as their reward. This is bosh. If it were true
that man can gain heaven by an upright and
virtuous life, then the Bible would be a book
of lies and the sufferings of Christ a farce.
But the Bible is not a book of lies; it is the
eternal truth of God. And the suffering of
Christ is not a farce; it is our only comfort,
the only ground of our hope in life and in the
hour of death. Because all men are sinners
and can never gain heaven by their own doings,
therefore Christ became the Saviour of sinners
and by His sufferings and death opened heaven
for us. . We are saved through Jesus alone,
because He is the “‘propitiation for our sins
and for the sins of the whole world.” ‘‘He
that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son, shall not
see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,”
John 3, 36. Patriotism is not our saviour;
our virtuous life is not our saviour. No! Jesus
alone is our Saviour. ‘Neither is there sal-
vation in any other: for there is NONE OTHER
NAME under heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved,’’ Actsa’4, 12.

“Out of the Mouth of Babes.”

When I shall wake on that fair morn of morns,
After whose dawning never night returns,
And with whose glory day eternal burns,

I shall be satisfied.

Very often in life we are permitted to see
the little child’s faith taking firm hold of God’s
love. I was forcibly reminded of this not long
since on being told of the words spoken by a
little child whom I knew. Only five summers
had passed over her young head.

At the end of last year this little one fell ill,
and was very weak and suffering. One day,
when her father was sitting by her in her ill-
ness, she said to him, ‘‘ God knows what is best
for little children.”

What simple faith, what unquestioning trust
of the little child in weakness, suffering and
pain! She had grasped by a simple faith the
glorious truth, ‘‘God knows what is best.’’
And shall we not learn of the little child, and
ask for the childlike faith to trust as she trusted?

“God knows.’’ Oh, to grasp that truth! He
knows; He who loves us; He who can tell the
end from the beginning; He who will lead us
and guide us to the end. One of old said,
‘He knoweth the way that I take;’’ and then
not only ‘‘ He knows,” but ‘‘He knows what
is best.’? How that thought grasped by faith
would calm and quiet these restless hearts of
ours, which are so often full of unrest and
disquiet, instead of calmly resting, as He wills
we should, on His perfect love!

And then one other thought. This little one
grasped the truth, ‘‘God knows what is best,’’
not when she was full of life and health, but :
when she was weak and suffering, she so calmly
rested on the thought, ‘‘God knows what is
best for little children.’”

What sweet, unquestioning faith! May God,
by the power of His Spirit, carry it home to
many a tempest-tossed soul, weary with suffer-
ing, unrest and conflict. And in that blessed
assurance that ‘‘God knows what is best,’’
may we each go forward, leaning on His arm
of strength, knowing that He does all things }
well and will lead onward day by day those
who trust Him until they reach the haven
where they would be.

—_——><o or o-

To ask God for a promised blessing and not
expect to receive it, is either to doubt His faith-
fulness or His power. - :

When I shall see Thy glory face to face,
When in Thine arms Thou wilt Thy child embrace,
When Thou shalt open all Thy stores of grace,

I shall be satisfied.

When I shall meet with those whom I have loved,
Clasp in my arms the long-removed,
And find how faithful Thou hast proved,

I shall be satisfled.

When this vile body shall arise again,
Purged by Thy power from every taint and stain,
Delivered from all weakness and all pain,

T shall be satisfied.

When I shall gaze upon the face of Him

Who for me died, with eye no longer dim,

And praise Him in the everlasting hymn,
I shall be satisfied.

When I shall call to mind the long, long past,
With clouds and storms and shadows overcast,
And know that I am saved and blest at last,

I shall be satisfied.

When every enemy shall disappear,

The unbelief, the darkness, and the fear;

When Thou shalt smooth the brow and wipe the tear,
I shall be satisfied.

When every vanity shall pass away,
And all be real, all without decay,
In that sweet dawning of the cloudless day,
I shall be satisfied. H. B.

——- oo

“None other Name.”

As we were traveling to a distant city some
time ago, an old soldier boarded the train at
one of the many “‘saw-mill stations’’ that line
the road. The conductor came around to take
the tickets, but the veteran had no ticket and
was told that he would have to leave the train
jot the next station. He grew rather angry
and said that he had fought for his country on
many a battlefield and that he thought an old
soldier ought to have a free ride on the train.
The conductor simply told him that his fight-
ing for his country may entitle him to a pen-
sion, but it surely would not entitle him to a