The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1895, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 19

Paul Gerhardt.

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth
for you.””—1 PETER 5, 7.

Paul Gerhardt, known as one of the finest
hymn writers in Germany, was pastor at Ber-
lin from 1657—1666. In the latter year the
Government issued a decree that all Luther-
ans and Reformed should enter into a church
union. But Gerhardt, who was devoted with
all his heart to the doctrines of Luther, pub-
licly and boldly declared that he could not,
on conscientious grounds, obey this decree.

Hereby he incurred the displeasure of his
king, was deposed from his ministry, and sent
into exile. Still he did not lose courage, but
as a good Christian, put his confidence in
Him, who always had shown Himself so good
and gracious.

In such child-like faith and confidence, he
took his family out into the wide world to
seek his bread wherever he could find it.

On their journey, while they were at a
hotel in a strange city, his wife was so over-
come with grief at the thought of their trouble
that she burst into tears. Gerhardt sought, as
best he could, to cheer and comfort his trou-
bled helpmeet by quoting to her the words of
the Psalmist: ‘‘Commit thy way unto the
Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring
it to pass.”” But in vain; she could not feel
that these promises were meant for her.,

Thereupon he went out into the garden to
be alone with his God, to commune with Him
of the burden which weighed on his heart.
There he sat down under an arbor, drew out
his note book, and at once wrote down, in the
quiet solemn place of nature, the excellent,
Comforting hymn, of which the first verse is
as follows:

“Commit thou all thy griefs

And ways into His hand.

To His sure truth and tender care
Who earth and heaven commands:
Who points the clouds their course,
Whom winds and seas obey,

He shall direct thy wandring feet,
He shall prepare thy way.”’

When Paul Gerhardt had finished this hymn,
he brought it to his wife and read it to her
in a strong clear voice. She listened with at-
tention to the loving and faith-inspired words
that fell from the lips of her pious and devoted
husband, and they did not fail of their pur-
pose. For at once she became quiet; her
tears ceased to flow and she resolved to com-
mit her ways to the Lord and cast all her
Cares upon Him. But there were two men
Outside the door who, unseen, had listened
to the singer’s gentle words and who, when
the hymn was finished, stepped into the room
like messengers from the Lord in the hour of
Reed and trial. These men reported that
they had been sent by Duke Kristian of
Merseburg to search for a preacher at Berlin
by the name of Paul Gerhardt recently dis-
missed from the ministry there, and to invite
him to come and live with their Duke who

had often read his hymns with pleasure and
profit.

What a joy and surprise to this pious hus-
band and wife! All at once a new light
dawned upon the darkness of their sorrow
and trial which for a while had rested upon
them. Their merciful Father had kept His
promises and He filled their hearts with His
tender grace.

Gerhardt thereupon went to Merseburg
where at first he received a pension, and after-
wards a call to a church in Lybben, at which
place he remained till his death in 1676.

The hymn beginning: ‘‘Commit thou all
thy griefs,’’ afterwards came to the notice of
Elector Frederick Wilhelm of Prussia and
made a deep impression on him. He asked
his minister of State who it was that had com-
posed it, and when told that it was the Paul
Gerhardt whom he himself had dismissed and
exiled, the Elector was dismayed and over-
come by the injustice he had inflicted on the

pastor and poet.
——s—~<+o- or oe

A Child of God.

There was a ripple of excitement all through
the orphan asylum; for a great lady had come
in her carriage to take little Jane home with
her.

Jane herself was bewildered with the
thought. The kind matron led her down the
wide-stairway,and as she passed the hall door
she saw the shining carriage, the fine horses,
the liveried servants, and it seemed like a
dream. ;

“T hope she is glad to go,’’ said the great
lady in a gentle tone. ‘‘Do you want to go
home with me and be my child, my dear?’’

“J don’t know,”’ said Jane, timidly.

“But I am going to give you beautiful
clothes and a gold ring, and‘a box of candy,
and books, and dolls, and blocks, and a swing.
Now, do you want to go?”’

“J don’t know,”’ said the child, still fright-
ened.

‘You shall have a little room of your own,
with a beautiful bed, and table, and chair;
you shall have a bird in a cage, and a little
dog with a silver collar. Don’t you want to
go with me, Jane?’’

There was 2 moment’s silence, and then the
little one said; anxiously, ‘‘But what am I to
do for all this?’”’

The lady burst into tears. ‘Only to love

me and be my child,’’ she said ; and she folded
the little girl in her arms. ;
God finds us orphaned, and desolate, and
defiled with sin, and poor, and naked, and
blind ; He adopts us into His family, and gives
us all that we need in this life, with care and
protection, and His own name, and forgive-
ness, and the companionship of the Holy
Spirit, and an inheritance in, glory, and sil
that He asks is that we should love Him and
be His children. ‘‘We love Him, because He
first loved us.””

A Little Girl’s Logic.

A little girl six years old was on a visit to
her grandfather, who was a New England di-
vine celebrated for his logical powers.

“Only think, grandpa, what Uncle Robert
says.”’

‘What does he say, my dear?’

“Why, he says the moon is made of green
cheese. It isn’t at all, is it?”’

‘Well, child, suppose you find out for your-
self.’’

‘*How can I, grandpa?’’

‘*Get your Bible, and see what it says.”’

‘*Where shall I begin?”’

‘Begin at the beginning.’’

The child sat down to read the Bible. Be-
fore she got more than half through the second
chapter of Genesis, and had read about the
creation of the stars and the animals, she
came back to her grandfather, her eyes all
bright withthe excitement of discovery: ‘‘I’ve
found it, grandpa. It isn’t true; for God
made the moon before he made cows.”’

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‘ Prayer.

When I feel that I am become cold and in-

disposed to prayer, by reason of other busi-
ness and thought, I take my psalter and run
into my chamber, or, if day and season serve,
into the church to the multitude, and begin to
repeat to myself—just as children use—the
ten commandments, the ereed, and, according
as I haye time, some sayings of Christ or of
Paul, or some psalms. Therefore it is well to
let prayer be the first employment in the early
morning, and the last in the evening. Avoid
diligently those false and deceptive thoughts
which say, ‘Wait a little and I will pray an
hour hence; I must perform this or that.”
For with such thoughts a man quits prayer
for business, which lays hold of and entangles
him, so that he comes net to pray the whole
day long. — Martin Luter.

9

Jesus.

‘Talk to me of Jesus,’’ said an aged Chris-
tian, when nearing the last days of his life.
“Tell me of Him whom my soul loveth, and
of the many mansions where he dwells with
His own in glory, and where I shall soon see
Him as Heis. It is the news of the Master’s
household I long to hear; the advancement
of His cause, the progress of His kingdom.
Do not tell me of things that are passing
away. Icare notforthem. This world and
all its possessions must soon be burned up,

and wherefore should they dwell in my affec- ~

tion? Ihave a home that fire can not touch;
a kingdom and a crown that fade not away;
and why should I be concerned about the
affairs of the day?’’