The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1892, Page 42

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Collection for the day: $13.35.

With hearts filled with gratitude do we
thank the Hon. Board of the Synodical Con-
ference and friends throughout the North and
South for the kind help given us in our strug-
gles to build .a house in which we can worship
our Heavenly Father.

May God awaken and increase within us
love to God and His Word and to our dear
old Lutheran Church! W. P. Puirer.

This is a sight that gladdens the heart of the
Missionary. The baptized membership is 43,
of which 26 are communicants. After such

Letter from Concord, N. C.

Dear PioneER :—A year ago your Mission-
ary began work among the colored people of | an outpour of blessing we go on our way re-

No. G township, Cabarrus Co., about eight joicing.
‘miles from Concord. The services were held} The chapel is a plain but neat frame build-
in a small uninviting fifty-dollar schoolhouse, |ing, measuring 32 X 20 with a steeple 10 feet
where the colored youth of the township for| high, and costs, including an acre of land,
et two or three months a year are initiated in the | about $400.00. The well-known organ build-
art of reading and writing. The beginning|ers Hinners & Albertsen of Pekin, Ill., pre-
was not very auspicious. Neither the white}sented the chapel with a good second-hand
nor the colored people took kindly to the|organ, for which grateful acknowledgment is
stranger. A white man preaching the Gos- | herewith tendered. The church in Concord
pel to the negroes is not an every day sight donated the little bell that hung idle on the
in this State, and he is looked upon with sus-| roof of the store in which we worship, and it
picion by some and as a crank by others. |is now doing active and greatly appreciated
The Gospel, however, when rightly set forth, |services for the people of No. 6 township.
gradually breaks down prejudices and makes | An unknown friend in Pittsburgh, Pa., sent
friends when other means fail. The most $10.00, which went towards the furnishing of
stubborn enemies of Jesus and the most zeal-|the chapel. Mr. Sam. Propst, a member,
ous persecutors of His holy name have fallen | with his three score years and ten gave much
before the sword of the Spirit, which is the|of his time and labor to the building.—May
Word of God. It proved so here. The Word|the Triune God, who has set up His taber-
was preached regularly in that little school-}nacle with His people, continue to come to
honse, and after the sermon catechetical in |them, bless and save them, and thus shape
struction was given to the entire congrega-|them for that temple not made with hands
tion. The Lord so blessed the Word that like | eternal in the heavens. Missronary.
Lydia the hearers attended unto the things ——> + oo
that were spoken. But here as elsewhere the (For the ‘‘Lutheran Ploneer.’”)
enemy was busy in sowing his tares and suc-| The Dedication of St. Paul’s Evangelical
ceeded too well in his nefarious work. While Lutheran Church at Charlotte, N. C.
, the Missionary was absent, a ‘‘hallelujah meet-
hes ing,’”’ or revival, was opened, the proceedings| The building is a neat frame 47 x 28 ft.
of which according to trustworthy witnesses | with corner tower and is a great credit to the
were anything but decent and orderly. Anj| well-known contractor, Capt. F. W. Ahrens
excitement, as is usually the case, was created | of St. Mark’s Ev. Luth. Church.
" which deluded souls mistook for religion.} October 16th this church was solemnly ded-
Ve Many of those that walked with us attended |icated to the worship of the Triune God. Rev.
oe that religious ‘“‘show.’” It may have been cu-|N. J. Bakke, Superintendent of the work
ex riosity that brought them there, but they be-| among the colored in this State, Prof. W. H.
Bees came unnerved by the prolonged harangues/T. Dau, President of Concordia College, and
| of the converting medium, the preacher, and | the writer took part in the solemn services.
by the enthusiasm, the gymnastics and the |The dedication-sermon by Rev. N. J. Bakke
heartrending articulation of those undergoing | was based on Ex. 20, 24. The discourse was
- the process of conversion or ‘‘getting relig-| able, appropriate and practical and made a
_ ion,”’ so that they too joined in and professed | profound impression upon a very large and
religion. But as this sort of religion vanishes|deeply interested congregation which em-
with the enthusiasm, it is to be hoped that] braced the more intelligent and refined mem-
some of these misguided people after a sober | bers of our race in the city. Never was there
thought will return. such a day of festive joy in the ‘*Queen City”
_ Notwithstanding this serious break in our| before among my people. May such days
ranks, we have reason to thank God for what} come often to our dear church!
_ He has been pleased to add to His church.| In the afternoon Rev. Prof. W. H. I. Dau
“Our most sanguine anticipation has been sur-| preached on Psalm 84, 1—3. Theme: ‘‘A
passed and our littleness of faith shamed. On| Lutheran’s Love for his dear old Church.”
the occasion of the cornerstone laying, July|I. Why he loves her, II. How dearly he
17th, three adults were baptized and eight} loves her.
confirmed. ‘Two months later, September 11th, | His sermon was not only able but in every
he elwas dedicated. Divine services were | particular excellent. It came from a true
eld both in the morning and in the afternoon | Lutheran’s heart and could not fail to awaken
i © assemblies. The cliurch in Con-jand increase a Lutheran’s love for his church
and to fill his heart with the profoundest grat-

A Heavenly Message.

During the early ministry of Charles H.
Spurgeon, he was invited to preach in the
vast Crystal Palace at Sydenham. He queried
whether his voice would fill the immense area,
and resolving to test it, he went in the morn-
ing to the palace, and thinking for a passage
of Scripture to repeat as he reached the stage,
this came to his mind: ‘‘It is a faithful say-
ing, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”’
Pronouncing the words, he felt sure that he
would be heard, and then repeated the verse
in a softer tone. More than a quarter of a
century later, Mr. Spurgeon’s brother and co-
worker was called to the bedside of a man, an
artisan, who was near his end.

‘tAre you ready?’’ asked the minister.

‘Oh, yes!’’ answered the man with assur-
ance. ‘

‘*Can you tell me how you obtained the sal-
vation of your soul?’’

“It is very simple,’’ said the artisan, his
face radiant with joy. ‘‘I am a plumber by
trade. Some years ago I was working under
the dome of the Crystal Palace, and thought
myself entirely alone. I was without God and
without hope.

‘*All at once I heard a voice coming from
heaven which said, ‘It is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners.’ By the
meaning of these words I was convinced of
sin; Jesus Christ appeared to me as my Say-
iour. I accepted Him in my heart as such at
the same moment, and I have served Him ever
since.’”

This voice was from heaven, though human
lips uttered it; and God’s Word shall not re-
turn to Him void, but shall prosper in the
thing therein He sends it.

“Why, Sir, | Begged.”’

A little boy, one of the Sunday-school chil-
dren in Jamaica, called upon the missionary
and stated that he had lately been very ill,
and in his sickness often wished his minister
were present to pray with him. ‘But Tho-
mas,’’ said the missionary, ‘‘I hope you
prayed.”” ‘‘Oh yes, sir.” Did you repeat the
collect (prayer) I taught you?” ‘‘I prayed.”’
“Well, but how did you pray??? ‘Why, sir,
|Z begged.”?—Arvine’s Cyclopedia.

In the evening there was preaching by the
writer on John 14, 6. Theme: ‘Christ the
Way.”’ - . . .