The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1894, Page 26

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

Our Mission Station at Meherrin, Va.

: D Onur picture presents the church, school, and
om parsonage of our Colored Lutheran Mission
Station at Meherrin, Va. How richly has God
blessed our work at Melierrin!’ There was a
time when it seemed as if our mission there
should be discontinued. This was in the year
1886. We clip the following from a letter we at
that time received from Meherrin: ‘*‘The mis-
sion at Meherrin had made very little progress
and the colored people were therefore told that
the mission might be discontinued in the near
future. Upon hearing this they all expressed
great anxiety, but also their willingness to
work together with the missionary and to try
their utmost that they might not lose the
~ preaching of the Gospel, by which their souls
were rescued from the way of sin and from the
darkness of unbelief. An old colored auntie,
who is afervent Christian and a zealous worker,
said: ‘We will pray to the Lord
that this may never happen. I
am sure that He will hear our
prayer. He-will not forsake
us and will not let us fall back
tees into the darkness from which
we were rescued.’ Then she
added: ‘If you quit mission
work here, all these children
is around us, who now are bap-
tized, will grow up in darkness
as we once did. No, I know
the Lord will not forsake us.
: _ We must pray to Him. He will
hear our prayer.’’’ Old auntie
« was right. God did hear the
prayers of His people. Although
the Synodical Conference had
already resolved to discontinue
mission work at Meherrin, our

Ta

study the lives and labors of the early Chris-
tians. Those were trying times just after the
days of Christ and the apostles. Very much
hard work had to be done, and many sacri-
fices made in building up the Church of Christ,
with the world and the devil as busy as they
then were.

The apostles were earnest workers, and their
faith and example were inspiring. Holy and
devout men and women arose who were willing
to give up all their property, and yield their
dearest interests, and lay down 2B very lives
for Christ and His cause.

The enemies of the Christian Church looked
upon this wonderful display of zeal and heroism
in the Lord’s service with amazement.

Julian, the apostate, a bitter foe of Chris-
tianity in those early days writes to a pagan
priest as follows:

‘**Let us consider that nothing has so much
contributed to the progress of the superstition

ii i

Colored Lutheran Church and School at Meherrin, Va.

adorned them with their best habits, and
carried them on their shoulders to the grave,
they have been glad to receive the same kind
oflice from others who have imitated their zeal
and charity.”’

When the heathen Emperor Decius asked
the Church of Rome for her treasures, a deacon
assembled all the blind and Jame and sick that
were supported by the Church and said to the
tyrant: ‘‘These are the riches of the Church ;
these are its revenue and treasure.”’

Little Missionary.

— =o

“‘Why are you not a Christian?”

Some one answers the question in the follow-
ing succinct and practical manner:

1. Is it because you are afraid of ridicule,
and what others may say of you?

‘Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me, and
My words, of him shall the Son
of man be ashamed.’’

2. Is it because of the incon-
sistencies of professing Chris-
tians?

‘‘Every man shall give an
account of himself to God.’’

3. Is it because you are not
willing to give all to Christ?

‘What shall it profit 2 man
if he gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul?”?

4. Isit because you are afraid
you will not be accepted? °

‘*Him that cometh unto Me
I will in no wise cast out.’’

5. Is it because you fear you
are too great a sinner?

“The blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth from all sin.’’

6. Is it because you are afraid you will not

Mission Board was soon compelled to take up
again the work which God has now so richly
blessed. The buildings which you see in our
picture have been erected by the people them-
selves under the able and efficient leadership
of their faithful missionary, the Rey. D. H.
Schooff. The church last year numbered
48 communicant members, the day schoql was

_attended by 60 children, and the Sunday School

by 100. Ten were baptized, nine were con-
firmed, and 177 partook of the Lord’s Supper.

_ Besides, our missionary at Meherrin has begun
" mission work at Keysville, where his labors are

alsorichly blessed. May God continue to bless
our work! And may His blessing move us to

“greater zeal in our mission among the colored

Se oriteite pearls blame preachers for their neglecting their own health through an ex.

lasting begging. They begin to consider j cess of charity, have brought upon themsel :

artyrs—as persons imposed maladies’ and cae
oe __ | they had held in their arms the d

i ‘good, and especially those } after they had closed their Te ae

Ihave pss referted ‘to go. back and | after they had embraced, kissed, washed a

of the Christians as their charity to strangers. . .

hold out?
**He that hath begun a good work in you

The impious Galileans— thus he called Chris-

tians—provide not only for their own poor,
but also for ours.’” will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.’’

Concerning Chrysostom it is written: ‘‘He| 7. Is it because you are thinking that you
assembled men full of zeal, and sent them toj will do as well as you can, and that God ought
preach the Gospel in Phoenicia; and having| to be satisfied with that?
understood that there were people dispersed ‘¢Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
along the banks of the Danube, -who thirsted yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.’’
for the waters of grace, he sought out men of} 8. Is it because you are postponing the
ardent zeal, whom he sent to labor, like the matter, without any definite reason?
apostles, in the propagation of the faith.’’ ‘*Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou

-Here is a lesson in missionary activity, that | knowest not what a day may bring forth.’’
we will do well to learn. It is a matter of
history, too, that the early Christians were
very attentive to the sick. Hospitals were
established and nurses trained, and asylums
founded, and the work engaged in with a
hearty good will.

Eusebius writes: ‘Many of our brethren,

Charity and Faith.

it ‘‘suffereth all
ace; yet it
2g faith, we

Charity giveth place, for i
things.” But faith giveth no pl
can suffer nothing. As concernin te
ought to be invincible and more hard, if 1
might be, than the adamant stone- Boe na
touching charity we ought to be sor ae
more flexible than the reed or leaf a io
shaken by the wind and ceady to’y!

everything. — Luther.

misfortunes of others. After

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