The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1895, Page 25

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SyNODICAL CONFERENCE or NORTH AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XVII.

The Missionaries.

Blest are ye, ye chosen bearers
Of God’s Word to lands afar.
Bidding all men to be sharers
Of the joyful news ye bear.
Onward, onward, boldly pressing _
Through the howling desert speed,
God will crown your work with blessing,
And give increase to the seed.

High your Saviour’s banner waving,
Tell it forth, intrepid band,
That His name alone is saving,
That all power is in His hand.
Be to all the world a witness
Of the everlasting Word,
Teaching all to taste its sweetness,
And confess that He is Lord.

Arm, ye soldiers, though your weapons
Be not spears or glittering swords,
Press on still, though danger threatens,
For the whole earth is the Lord’s.
He who sent you will defend you,
And: your King and Shepherd be,
Though like sheep ’mid wolves He send you
Ye shall wander glad and free.

Love it was for one another
Which first moved and urged you on,
That to tell to your poor brother
Which the Lord for him hath done.
Therefore seek ye neither pleasure,
Honor, wealth, nor earthly good,
No! ye bear a nobler treasure,
Peace through Jesus’ precious blood.

Bear all hardships unrepining,
Scoffed at, answer not a word;
Heathen lands shall soon be shining
With the glory of the Lord.

Blest are ye, brave standard-bearers,
Witnesses for Christ to men,

Ye shall in His joy be sharers,
When your Lord shall come again.

After all their tribulations,
Thousands shall Hosanna sing,
And the heavens with acclamations
To their God and Saviour ring.
Thousands then shall hail the teachers
Who first brought them to the Lord;
Then shall be, ye faithful preachers,
Your bright crown and sweet reward.
From the German.
oro

‘CA FAITHFUL trial of God’s Word will always
Prove that He is behind it.”

St. Louis, Mo., July, 1895.

Peace in Death.

The unbeliever has no peace in death. To
him death is the entrance into everlasting
damnation. ‘‘The wages of sin is death.’’
Therefore he that has not forgiveness of sin
must fear death as the terrible enemy that
will lead him to everlasting punishment. He
has no peace in death.

The believer has peace through faith in the
Saviour, who has redeemed us from sin and
death and hell. He knows his sins are for-
given and has no fear of death. That terrible
enemy is turned into a friend. Death is the
door-keeper that opens to let. him into his
Father’s house.

Many have enjoyed this peace in Christ at
the time of death. They left this world filled
with a sure hope and happy in mind. A mis-
sionary, who has stood by many a dying-bed,
mentions the following instances from the mis-
sion field.

There was a Brahmin. in India. His name
was Kolias Chondro Mookerjea. He accepted
Christ while attending the mission school. At
the age of twenty-four he was attacked by a
fatal sickness. When he knew he must soon
die, he was filled with hope and joy, and said,
‘cT have peace. My sickness will be over
soon. I am altogether glad.’”” A friend asked
him, ‘‘How is it you enjoy such peace?”’ and
he replied, ‘‘I have a Saviour and I know for
certain he will give me a place at His feet.”’
This was the root of his peace: he knew that
Jesus was his Saviour and that the blood of
Jesus had removed his sins.

Dorshi, another believer, said at death,
«(How far I wandered for happiness! At last
Jesus found me; and, leaving all, I took ref-
uge in Him.’’ One of the first Christians in
Bengal said, when dying, “‘Life is good; but
death is better. I have peace in my Lord Jesus
Christ.’ Another, named Nondo Kishor, said,
“J do not fear because I am dying. I am
ready to die. I am a great sinner, but the
blood of Jesus has washed my sins away-
Peace reigns in my heart. Jesus died for me.”

There was another, named Krishna Das,
who said, ‘‘I am well. I am going to my
Father’s house. Blessed be the Lord Jesus

No. 7.

Christ, the Saviour of sinners! Blessed is
He!’ The first Bengali Christian was asked
on his death-bed, ‘‘Do you love the Lord?’’
He answered, ‘‘Yes, but He loves me far more
than I can love Him.’’

Sorjat Ali was born a Mahommedan. He
became a believer in 1824 and departed to the
other world in 1865. He served the Lord faith-
fully all these years. Hindus, Mussulmans,
and Christians all respected him. His last
words were, ‘‘The door of heaven has opened
to receive me.’’

“On whom is your hope?’’ asked the mis-
sionary of an old woman, and she replied,
““T am a great sinner; but the Lord Jesus is
my hepe.’’ Afterwards she said to her son,
‘‘Why do you grieve for me? I have no grief.
Look to Christ. Did He not suffer for us?”’

Simon, an orphan seven years of age, died.
The missionary said, ‘‘Simon, are you afraid ?”’
and he answered, ‘‘No, I am going home.
What is there to fear?’’ ‘* Where is your
home?’ was asked. Lifting his hand, he
said, ‘‘Look, there is my Father’s house!’”
“Are you a sinner?’’ ‘‘Yes,’” he replied,
‘‘T know I am; but my Father sent His only
Son to die for sinners. He is calling me.
What have I to fear?’

Joanna was an orphan girl, five years old.
She died happy, saying, ‘‘Jesus has saved
me!’’? Hemangini was another, and on her
dying-bed she said, ‘‘Victory! Victory to the
name of Jesus! All of you say it—Victdry
to the name of Jesus!”’

Wages and Gift.

The meaning of the word ‘‘wages’’ is well
understood. It is that which a man receives
in payment for services rendered another. Of
course, he has a perfect right to it, and can
claim it as being earned: ‘“THE WAGES OF SIN
Is DEATH.’? A free gift is the very reverse of
‘twages,’” for it is something provided by the
kindness and liberality of another. It is not
earned, and can not be claimed upon the
ground of having been earned. It is free,
costing us nothing. Ours it will be, upon
acceptance. ‘‘Tse GIFT or Gop Js ETERNAL
LIFE, THROUGH JEsus Curist ovuR Lorp.’? —