The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1897, Page 31

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 31

Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the
Lord thy God in Vain.

When Oberlin, the blessed preacher of
Steinthal, was married, his wife’s mother, a
beloved, faithful child of God, moved with
them into the parsonage. Here on earth,
however, God’s children have their frailties
and infirmities, and the Father in heaven
must have a great deal of patience with His
children, and with much long-suffering and
great mercy bear them.

Oberlin’s mother-in-law had an infirmity
with which many of God’s children are
afilicted. She well knew the second com-
mandment, yet in spite of this she, on every
occasion when she heard news, or was fright-
ened or surprised, would cry out: ‘*O God!’’
or, ‘‘O Lord Jesus!’’

Upon hearing this Oberlin kindly talked
with the mother, reminding her that she was
thereby violating the second commandment,
using the Lord’s name in vain. She, how-
ever, would excuse herself by saying that she
meant no evil by it, that it was only a habit,
the Lord would not impute this to her, for He
knew that she loved Him, ete. Oberlin often
talked with her, and entreated her to over-
come this bad habit. Yet all to no purpose;
she would always excuse herself by saying
that she meant no evil by it. This was for
Oberlin very hard to bear, especially on ac-
eount of the domestics and children, who
would have the bad example before them
every day. He sought ways and means by
which to free the mother from this habit.

' Back of the house was the garden with an
elder arbor. ‘This was the mother’s favorite
spot. Oberlin had green cabbage in the gar-
den that was much infested with worms.
A happy thought occurred to him. After
dinner the mother had again resorted to her
place under the elder arbor, when Oberlin
appeared and began to look after the worms
on the cabbage. On finding the first worm
he called out: ‘‘Mother, I found a worm.’’
The mother said, ‘Kill it!’’ When he found
the second worm, he called: ‘‘Mother, already
another worm,’’ and tramped on it. So he
called every time he found a worm. Here the
mother said: ‘‘But, dear Oberlin, just kill
the worms, and do not call me every time you
find one.’? Oberlin kindly replied: ‘‘Dear
mother, I mean no evil by it; you neverthe-
less know that I love you. Mother, already
another one.’? On this the mother, being
Provoked, said: ‘Oberlin, I beg you to de-
sist. What do the worms concern me?”
Oberlin kindly answered: ‘‘Dear mother, I
certainly mean no evil by it; you neverthe-
less know that I love you. Mother, already
another worm!’? But here the mother, being
greatly provoked, got up, took her foot-stool
and went into the house. Oberlin, following
her, kindly asked her what was the matter,
and why she appeared vexed and dissatisfied.
Giving vent'to her sadness, she now said that

she was an old woman, and would not allow

| herself to be trifled with. Oberlin, as a pastor

and son, should be ashamed to allow himself
such jests with his mother, that she could not
at all understand his manner of action, since
he otherwise treated her with respect and kind-
ness; but she could not bear that he should
make her an object of his scofling, and call
her name every time he found a worm: this
he could see himself, and it was but just in
her to get provoked, etc. Oberlin permitted
her to finish speaking, then grasping her by
the hand, he said, that it was not his inten-
tion to grieve her, yet if she, a poor, sinful
creature, could not bear to have her name
used in vain, how then could the King of
heaven and earth submit to it, that she should
daily, from the beginning to the end of the
year, times innumerable, utter and vainly use
His name. Here she gratefully offered him
her hand, and promised henceforth to strive
against that sin. And she actually strove
valiantly and with success, and if now and then
she uttered the name of the Lord in a thought-
less manner, Oberlin only said: ‘‘O mother!’’
and it was suflicient; until finally she over-
came that vicious enemy.

Dear reader, if you have to contend with

this sin, think of Oberlin’s mother-in-law.
From the German.
° << ——

That Settled Him.

A conceited student, fresh from a Semi-
nary, tried to convince an old farmer that
many things in the Bible must give way be-
fore the advance of modern science. He
assured him that astronomy, geology, and
higher criticism had. completely routed the
ideas that prevailed in the dark ages, and
that no intelligent person now believes in
the literal truth of the Old Testament stories.

Finding the old farmer unmoved, he at
last said with some impatience, ‘‘You will
admit that it was at least strange for an ass
to open his mouth and speak like a man, as
we read in one of the Old Testament stories.’

‘“No,’’ replied the old Christian farmer,
“J don’t think it was very strange; for it
was not a bit stranger than for a man to
open his mouth, and speak like an ass, as
you are doing now.”’

That settled the silly student.

Another silly wiseacre was silenced by the
simple answer of a plain Christian. ‘‘We
know nothing of a personal God among the
facts of consciousness and nature,’’ he said
to a quiet old Christian grand-mother.

“Don’t you?” she replied, as she looked
at him a long tim in compassion through her
large spectacles. ‘*J’m sorry for you,’’ she
then added, ‘‘but I hope you'll not put your
ignorance in the place of other people’s
kmowledge. Bless the Lord, there are some
other people who do know something of a
personal God.’

That settled him.

Another boasting infidel, was silenced in
the following way. He said to a large com-
pany at a watering place, ‘‘I have done with
all the ministers; I have not been inside a
church for the last ten years.’’ Then he
straightened himself and looked proudly in
his wine-glass.

An elderly gentleman who, seated apart, had
silently listened to the conversation, stepped
up to the group, saying, ‘‘Oh, sir, only for ten
years not in church?—that amounts to noth-
ing at all. There isa man in my neighbor-
hood who is forty-six years old, and he has
been in church only once in his life, and that
was when he was baptized.’”

All looked astonished. ‘What is the rea-
son?’’ asked the boaster.

“The reason is,”’ replied the stranger, tap-
ping his forehead significantly, ‘‘the poor
fellow is not right here.’’

That settled the boasting infidel.

~~ + em e- oe

A Lesson for Habitual Complainers.

Rey. Max Frommel, a noted German divine,
relates the following instructive incident from
his pastoral experience: I once asked a woman
in my first charge: ‘How are you getting
along?’’ She forthwith began to pour forth
a volley of complaints about all her difficulties
and trials. I allowed her to finish, and then
said to her: ‘‘Well, my dear woman, I guess
we will have to repeat the catechism together.
T’ll ask, and you answer.’’

“Do you believe that you are a sinner?’’

**Yes, I believe it, I am a sinner.’’

“How do you know this?’’

‘*From the ten commandments; these I have
not kept.’’

‘What have you deserved of God by your
sins?”’

‘His wrath and displeasure, temporal death,
and eternal damnation.’’

“Ts what you have just said true?”’

‘Why certainly it is true, pastor!’’

‘cAnd still I see that you have daily bread,
haye clothing and shoes, house and home,
have a kind husband and healthy children,
have Jesus for your comfort and the Holy
Spirit for your light, have baptism and the
Lord’s Supper, forgiveness of sin and the hope
of eternal life. Let me tell you something:
Your Jot is much better than you deserve.”

With these words I departed. After a few
weeks I passed the house again. ‘‘Well, how
are you getting along now?”’ With a beam-
ing face she replied: ‘‘Oh, much better than
I deserve, pastor.’”

a 00 a

The Catechism.

“J wish,”’ says Dr. Luther, “the people to
be well taught in the Catechism. I found
myself upon it in all my sermons, and I
preach as simply as possible. I want the
common people, and children, and servants
to understand me.’’ ;

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