The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1899, Page 25

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— The Lutheran Pioneer,

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

Pusuisnep By THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SynopicaL ConFERENCE OF NorTH AMERICA.
R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. XXI. St. Louis, Mo., July, 1899. 3 No. 7.

death. For that very purpose He came into
this world. ‘‘Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners,” 1 Tim. 1, 15. For the sal-
vation of sinners He died for their sins. He
bore poverty, and shame, and agony, and
death, to redeem our immortal souls and res-
cue them from endless damnation. For this,
He bore our sins in His own body on the tree;
for this He drank the bitter cup of the wrath
of God to its very drys, leaving not one drop
for us to drink, and think you that He is not
willing and anxious to save the souls of sin-
ners, for whom He suffered and died? Why,
their salvation is His greatest joy. Therefore
He so graciously invites them to come unto
Him for rest and salvation. ‘‘Come unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest,’’ Matt. 11, 28. ‘‘If any
man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink,’’
John 7,37. ‘‘Him that cometh’’—no matter
who he is or what he is—‘‘Him that cometh,
I will in no wise cast out,’’ John 6, 37. No
sinner that came to Jesus for forgiveness and
salvation was ever cast out. His enemies
called Him the friend of sinners, because He
received all, even the greatest sinner. The
despised publican, the outcast woman—they
found a hearty welcome when they came to
Jesus for pardon, rest and peace. Remember
the dying thief, nailed to the cross; his feet,
while he had the use of them, had trodden
the highway of sin; his hands, while he had
the use of them, had been stretched forth in
deeds of violence; a moment before, he had
joined with the rest in their bitter revilings of
Christ, yet through the grace and mercy of
God, the light of the truth entered his wretched
heart in his dying hour, and when he, repent-
ing of his many sins, turned to Jesus with the
prayer of faith, ‘“‘Lord remember me, when
Thou comest into Thy kingdom,” he instantly
received that gracious reply, ‘To-day shalt
thou be with me in paradise,” Luke 28, 43.
Blessed Saviour! How willing and how quick
to save, even in the midst of His own great
agony! But this is Christ, the Lord from
heaven, the Redeemer of men, the Saviour of
sinners. And He is the same willing Jesus
to-day. ~There is no change in Him. Come
unto'‘Him, and'do not doubt His willingness

The Invitation. to receive you, even you. For of Him it is
written, ‘‘Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday,

and to-day, and forever,’’ Hebr. 13, 8.

Come unto Me, ye weary,
And I will give you rest;
O, blessed voice of Jesus,
Which comes to hearts oppressed.
It tells of benediction,
Of pardon, grace and peace;
Of joy that hath no ending,
Of life which can not cease.

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Christ is Mine.

Happy is the believer who can say in
simple faith, “‘My beloved is mine, and I
am His;’’ for then he can exclaim with the
apostle, ‘‘Having nothing, and yet possessing
all things.”’ In Christ all is ours. The Holy
Ghost says to believers, ‘‘All things are yours;
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, ‘or the
world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come; all are yours; and ye
are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s,’’ 1 Cor. 3,
21—23. Again, ‘the Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the chil-
dren of God: and if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,”
Rom. 8, 16. 17. Child of God, what more
canst thou ask, what more canst thou desire,
than to say in simple faith, Christ is mine?

Come unto Me, ye fainting,
And I will give you life;
O, cheering voice of Jesus,
Which comes to aid our strife.
The foe is stern and eager,
The fight is flerce and long;
But He has made us mighty,
And stronger than the strong.

And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out;

O, welcome voice of Jesus,
Which drives away our doubt.

‘ Which calls us very sinners,

Unworthy though we be,

Of life so free and boundless,
To come, dear Lord, to Thee.

Selected.

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Christ’s Willingness. Faithfulness in Small -Things.

A poor lame, weak-minded man worked
twelve hours daily in a close hot room as 4
saddler’s apprentice. He had heard a min-
ister say that the humblest work could be
performed to God’s praise, but he had never
understood the meaning of his words.

One day he looked out of the window and
saw a runaway horse passing by drawing a
wagon in which sat a pale, frightened woman
and her child. A gentleman ran up to it from
the pavement, caught and held the bridle till
the horse stopped, and mother and child were
saved.

Then the poor old cobbler thought: What
if the bridle on that horse had not been sewed
well or poor thread had been used? The bridle
would have broken and three human beings
would have been made unhappy. Who knows
but what I sewed that bridle! ~

Filled with this thought he performed his
work with special diligence’ and faithfulness
after this time. ~ i

How great was Christ’s willingness to help
-all that were in distress! They brought unto
‘Him great numbers afflicted with all manner
of diseases; and ‘‘He healed them all,’”’ Matt.
12, 15. ‘All they that had any sick with
divers diseases brought them unto Him, and
‘He laid His hands on every one of them, and
healed them,’’ Luke 4, 40. He healed them
tall,” “every one.’? When the poor leper
came to Him saying, ‘‘Lord, if Thou wilt,
‘Thou canst make me clean,’?—me the incur-
‘able, me that men look upon with shuddering,
‘even me, —instantly came the gracious reply,
“Twill; be thou clean.’’? Never did any poor
creature, no matter how vile, how undeserv-
ing}icome for help to our blessed Saviour,
‘when He was on the earth, that He did not
grant it.

* Now; these were all bodily afflictions, and
+Christ’s willingness to help all that were bodily
‘afflicted is:but an image of His great willing-
ness to rescue all from sin and everlasting