The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1894, Page 38

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38.

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Letter from New Orleans.

‘Let mount Zion rejoice,’’ the Psalmist
calls out, and, indeed, our Mount Zion in New
Orleans can rejoice and does rejoice after
hearing of the resolution adopted at the late
session of the Synodical Conference at Mil-
waukee, according to which, in place of the

old time-worn building, a new church will soon
be erected to the honor and praise of God.
But the great Head of the Church has pro-

vided for the people of Mount Zion also in an- ;

other direction. The heavenly Shepherd gave
us another proof that He cares not only for
the sheep, but also for the lambs of His flock.
Already the thought was creeping into some
hearts that He was deserting the lambs of
Mount Zion, but it is now made evident, that
He is not a listless spectator of their wants.

> He who “gave to some, apostles, and to some,
prophets, and to some, evangelists, and to
some, pastors and teachers,’’ has also given
our second class a teacher in the person of
Mr. Meibohm. About a year ago he left the
North for the Queen of the South, where he
took charge of the second class of Mount Zion
school, at first only on trial, not knowing how
the southern climate would agree with him.
With the end of the term, however, he had

' definitely accepted the call which the honor-
able Mission Board extended to him, and since
September 3d he with Mr. Vix, one of the pio-
neer workers in the Colored Mission, is hard
at work instructing the children for time and
eternity.

Yes, the Lord is still at the head of His flock,
His eyes never slumber, His hands never rest,
and His heart never ceases to beat with love.
Though His flock is scattered wide, He gives
them all their portion in due season. ‘Let
us give thanks unto the Lord, for Héis good;
for His mercy endureth forever.” KE. W.K.

~
—>~-o-4 o-

A Tribute to the Memory of Martin Luther. '

No one since the time of the Apostles has
ever taught more clearly and faithfully the
article of justification.

No one has ever opposed the Roman Anti-
christ and his members, even to the last breath,
more courageously, and more clearly exposed
its fraud to the world.

None of the fathers have taught with such

' devotion and according to the mind of the
| Spirit concerning living good works, viz: those

that flow from living faith and advance the
‘welfare of one’s neighbor.
_ No one has explained Holy Scripture so

_ purely and more happily, with such energy,

nd so many penctrating arguments, especi-

are the duties of the civil magistrate in regard | Lutheran doctrine and publicly confessed it.
to both tables of the law. . Not very long afterward, hankering after the
The incredible success of the greatest works | flesh-pots of Egypt, he fell away from what he
in the Church, an example of which is the] knew to be the truth, and denied the Lutheran
Augsburg Confession, in which he aided. faith. On Trinity Sunday, in the year 1537,
He was the author of eflicacious prayers, | he ascended the pulpit, denounced the truth,
psalms, hymns, and chants. As he prayed, |and at last declared that if Luther’s doctrine
so also has he well equipped the Church with | were true, thunder and lightning should kill
devout songs and hymns. — MV. Bucer, quoted|him. ‘Che same evening a tremendous thun-
by J. Gerhard. der storm arose. Flash of lightning followed
flash, and like a thousand yoices of divine
wrath the thunders rolled along. Calling to
. mind his bold challenge of divine justice, he
‘Luther is, it seems to me, such an excel-| ordered the ringing of all the bells, hastened
lent champion of God, who has examined the | to church and cast himself before the altar,
Scriptures with so great a zeal that he has no | with trembling and in prayer. But a flash of
equal on earth for thousands of years, and in| }ightning struck him and rendered him insen-
the manly, undaunted spirit with which he] sible. ‘The citizens of the place came and car-
attacked the Pope at Rome, no one has ever/rjed him away._ A second flash then struck
been his equal. But to whom may we ascribe | him and killed him on the spot. The bearers
such a deed? To God, or to Luther? Ask | of his body, although themselves unharmed,
Luther himself, and I am sure he will answer, | ran away in great fright. This terrible judg-
to God. Why then do you attribute other! ment of God made so deep an impression that
men’s doctrine to Luther, when he himself at-| thousands became Lutherans and the mouths
tributes it to God, and submits nothing new but | of many blasphemers were stopped.
what is contained in the eternally unalterable
Word of God? This he teaches freely, and
points poor, misled Christians to this heavenly
treasure; and he does not care what the ene--
mies of God may plan to oppose, nor does he
care for their rebuke and threats. What of| ©02¢ of Melanchthon’s correspondents de-
his writings I have read I find to be so well scribes Luther thus: ‘‘I can not enough admire
substantiated and grounded upon the Word of the extraordinary cheerfulness, constancy,

<_<

What U. Zwingli said of M. Luther.

From the German.

Luther’s Prayers.

God, that it is impossible for any man to per-
vert it. Blessed be God, there are unspeak-
ably more souls led to God through him than
through me and others. I am not to be com-

pared with him.’’
—_—_—_2_- o<am

John Calvin’s Tribute to Luther.

John Calvin says: ‘‘Luther is the trumpet,
or rather he is the thunder, —he is the light-
ning which has aroused the world from its
lethargy —it is not so much Luther who speaks,
as God whose lightnings burst from his lips.”’

Again, writing to Bullinger, Zwingli’s suc-
cessor, he says: ‘‘I beg that you may con-
sider how great a man Luther is; with what
gifts he has been endowed; with what power,
with what steadfastness, with what address,
with what learning he has been fighting against
the kingdom of Antichrist, and for the propa-
gation of the true doctrine of our salvation.
I shall always show him becoming honor, and
recognize him as an extraordinary servant of
God.”’ Again: 3

‘*We sincerely testify that we regard him as
a noble apostle of Christ, by whose labor and
ministry the purity of the Gospel has been re-
stored in our times.’’

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_A Warning.

At the time of the Reformation a Romish
priest in Bautzen; Saxony, Urban Nicolai by
name, came to a knowledge of the truth of the

faith and hope of the man in these trying
and vexatious times. He constantly feeds
these gracious affections by a very diligent
study of the Word of God. Then, not a day
passes in which he does not employ in prayer
at least three of his very best hours. Once
I happend to hear him at prayer. Gracjous
God! what spirit and what faith is there in
his expressions! He petitions God with as
much reverence as if he was in the Divine
presence, and yet with as firm a hope and
confidence as he would address a father or
a friend. ‘I know,’ said he, “Thou art our
Father and our God, and therefore I am sure
Thou wilt bring to nought the persecuters of
Thy children. For shouldest Thou fail to do
this, Thine own cause, being connected with
ours, would be endangered. It is entirely
Thine own concern. We, by Thy Providence,
have been compelled to take a part. Thou,
therefore, wilt be our defence.’ Whilst I was
listening to Luther praying in this manner at
a distance, my soul seemed on fire within me
—to hear the man address God so like a friend,
and-yet with so much gravity and reverence,
and also to hear him, in the course of his
prayer, insisting upon the promises contained
in the Psalms as if he was sure his petitions
would be granted.”’

i OE 8

Ir we are calumniated, let us have patience
—God knows. If we are misunderstood, let
us be resigned—God sees. If we are for-
gotten, Jet us have hope—God remembers.