The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1899, Page 1

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

Pus.isHeD BY THE EyaNcELicaAL Lutaeran SynopicaL CoNFERENCE OF NortH AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. XXI.

St. Louis, Mo., January, 1899.

No. 1.

New Year’s Hymn.

Saviour, let Thy light appear,

On our path-way gleaming,
Through the portals of the year,
*Mid our darkness streaming.

Day by day,
Lord, we pray,
Keep us, lest our foot-steps stray,
Where false lights are beaming.

Clouds and sunbeams, smiles and tears
Lie before us blended;
Hopes of youth, old age’s fears,
Visions sad or splendid.
Day by day,
Still we pray,
Lord, be Thou our strength and stay
Till our course is ended.

Cleans’d and pardon’d may we live,
Let not fears appal us;
Strength to do our duty give
Whatsoe’er befall us.
Day by day,
This we pray,
Lead us, Father, in Thy way,
Till at last Thou call us!

Thus sustained by Thee alone,
Happy in Thy guiding,
Bravely may we follow on,
In Thy love confiding:
Day by day,
All the way,
Be Thy cross our hope and stay,

Safe in Thee abiding. Pie
elected.

0°

“His Name Was Called Jesus.”’

“His Name was called Jesus.”’ What a
Sweet message that is brought to us in the
gospel lesson of New Year’s Day! That gos-
pel lesson is the shortest of the church-year,
but it holds forth the Name which includes
all the Gospel and brightens all the days of
our earthly pilgrimage. ‘His name was called
Jesus.’? That is the source and ground of all
our happiness. There is no true happiness
without Jesus; for without Him there is no
forgiveness of sin and no salvation. The
apostle says, ‘‘Neither is there salvation in
any other; for there is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must
be saved.”” Therefore all that believe not in

the name of Jesus reject their only salvation.
Their life is but a journey to endless woe.
“Fe that believeth not shall not see life; but
the wrath of God abideth on him,’’ says the
Bible. How can man be happy as long as he
is under the wrath of God? All the joys, and
all the honors, and all the riches of the world
can not give him true happiness. They can
not take away sin, they can not take away
the wrath of God, they can not save from hell.
Salvation, and therefore true happiness, is
found in Jesus only. For why was His name
called Jesus? The angel said, ‘‘Thou shalt
call His name Jesus; for He shall save His
people from their sin.’’ For this purpose He,
the Son of God, became man. He was ‘‘made
under the law’’ and fulfilled every command-
ment of the law and bore every curse of the
law in our stead. Thus He became our Jesus,
our Saviour, redeeming us from sin and all
its woe. ‘They that believe in Him have re-
demption through His blood, namely the for-
giveness of sins. They are made the children
of God and heirs of heaven. Their pilgrimage
through this world is a journey to everlasting
bliss. They have a Father in heaven who loves
them, and protects them, and guides them,
and will never forsake them. Therefore they
are happy amidst all the troubles and sorrows
that may befall them as the years pass by.
All this they enjoy through faith in Jesus.
“His name was called Jesus.”” That is the
source and the ground of all their happiness.

“His name was called Jesus.’’ ‘That is also
the motive and inspiration, the hope and
promise, of all our mission work. They that
have found happiness in Jesus can not but
make known that name to those that are still
in the misery of sin. As the years pass by,
thousands are hastening to the grave and to
eternity, and have no hope; for they know
not the Saviour. ‘Tell these hopeless ones of
Him whose name was called Jesus, and in
whom alone they can find happiness and sal-
vation. Our mission among the colored people
requires new and greater liberality, new and
greater efforts in the new year. Let us pray
more fervently and give more liberally, know-
ing that our labor will not be in vain. ‘‘His

name was called Jesus.’’ That is the hope
and promise of our mission work. He was
not in vain called Jesus. No. Until the end
of time there will always be souls that will
find happiness and salvation in Him. As in
the past so in the future He will ‘bless the
work done in His name. In His name the
laborers in the mission field, ofttimes dis-
couraged, may take new heart again and work
on for the salvation of souls and for the glory
of Him whose name was called Jesus. In His
name let us all, as soldiers of the cross, move
on, conquering and to conquer. Our trust is
in Him whose name was called Jesus.

— ~~ Po oe

“Commit Thy Way unto the Lord.”

God does not intend that any of His chil-
dren should be guided by their own wisdom,
supported by their own strength, or walk in
their own light. He has not left them in their
times of ignorance dependent upon their own
powers, or in their perplexity to find the path
they should pursue. He teaches them to look
to Himself, as a child would look to a parent,
for the guidance, the protection, the encour-
agement, the support they constantly need.
“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He
shall direct thy paths.” ‘Commit thy way
unto the Lord.” ‘'He-careth for thee.” We
are to relieve ourselves of our cares and bur-
dens by laying them upon the Lord. However
dark our way may be, by laying our hand in
God’s hand and letting Him lead us the dark-
ness will be turned into light.

‘4 tender child of summers three,
Seeking her little bed at night,
Paused on the dark stairs timidly,
‘Oh, mother, take my hand,’ said she,
‘And then the dark will be all light.’
‘We older children grope our way,
From dark behind to dark before:
And only when our hands we lay,
Dear Lord, in Thine, the night is day,
And there is darkness nevermore.’”

— oo oe

“When thou hast thanked thy God for every bless-
ing sent,
What time will then remain for murmurs or la-
ment???