The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1902, Page 17

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— Che Lutheran Pitoneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PuBLIsHED BY THE HvancELIcAL LutHEran SynopicAL ConrERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. XXIV.

St. Louis, Mo., May, 1902.

No. 5.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Spirit of mercy, truth, and love,
O shed Thine influence from above:
And still from aye to aye convey
The wonders of this sacred day.

In every clime, by every tongue,

Be God’s surpassing glory sung;

Let all the listening earth be taught
The wonders by our Saviour wrought.

Unfailing Comfort, Heavenly Guide,
Still o’er Thy Holy Church preside;
Still let mankind Thy blessings prove,
Spirit of mercy, truth, and love.

Sel.
——s+ <P oe oe

Pentecost.

“Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
not many days hence.’’ Thus had the risen
Saviour said to His apostles. This promise
of the Lord was fulfilled on the day of Pente-
cost, when the Holy Ghost was outpoured
upon the apostles. By this wonderful out-
pouring of the Holy Spirit upon them the
apostles were fitted out for their great work
as infallible teachers of men, preachers of the
Gospel of Christ unto the nations of the world,
and founders of the Christian Church.

But the outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon
the apostles was the opening of a fountain
from which gushed forth a mighty stream, and
which has continued till now, as it will con-
tinue to flow till the end of days. This out-
pouring of the Spirit upon the apostles was
but the beginning of that which shall continue
till the last day. For though the extraordi-
nary gifts, such as the power to do miracles
and to speak with other tongues, has since
ceased, the outpouring of the Holy Ghost has
continued throughout all past centuries, and
will continue till heaven and earth will have
passed away. Not only to the apostles, but to
all the Holy Ghost comes and must come if
they are tobesaved. Only through the blessed
working of the Holy Ghost can we become
partakers of that which Christ has gained for
us by His suffering and death.

But while the Holy Ghost, on the first day
of Pentecost, came upon the apostles in such
an extraordinary manner, He now comes to

us and works in us by certain means, namely,
the Word of God and the holy Sacraments.
As a carpenter in building a house uses cer-
tain tools, so the Holy Ghost in His wisdom
likewise makes use of the Word snd the Sac-
raments as instruments by means of which He
performs His blessed work in us.

But is the Holy Ghost really so indispen-
sable to us? Yes, indeed; for not only must
He begin the good work in us, but He must
likewise complete it. Thus we confess in our
Catechism: ‘‘I believe that I cannot by my
own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ,
my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost
has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me
with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the
true faith.’? And this our confession is based
on plain words of Holy Scripture. Referring
to their natural state Paul says to the Ephe-
sians: ‘‘Ye were dead in trespasses and sins.’’
This is true of all the unconverted. As he that
is physically dead is blind, deaf, dumb, and
wholly powerless to move a limb, so, by na-
ture, we are impotent in all spiritual things —
all our knowledge, sense, and sight lie in deep-
est darkness shrouded. Man is, by nature,
dead, dead in sins—able to sin only. In
short, it is absolutely impossible for the nat-
ural man to think or do aught but what is
sinful.

. How, then, are we to be helped from our
sinful state? How are we to get to Christ?
St. Paul gives us the answer: ‘‘No man can
say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy
Ghost,’? 1 Cor. 12, 3. When a person by
means of God’s Law has come to a knowledge
of his sins and wretchedness; when he sees
that by his sins he has cast himself into the
flames of God’s wrath, into death and hell;
when fear and anguish fills his soul, and he,
despairing, cries out: “‘Is, then, no help to
be found for me?’ and when, thereupon, the
Gospel of Christ, the Saviour of sinners, is
preached to him, then the Holy Ghost by
means of this light enkindles faith in his heart,
so that he confidently grasps the blessed prom-
ises of the Gospel and says: ‘Yes, Jesus is
my Saviour, He shed His blood for me, my
sinsare atoned for, God ismy Father. Through
Christ I am justified before God, heaven is

opened unto me.’’ Thus the Holy Ghost
works faith in man by means of the Gospel,
and so begins a new life in him.

As soon as the Holy Ghost enkindles in us
the true faith we become new creatures, hat-
ing what we before loved, and loving what we
before hated. Through the Gospel the Holy
Ghost regenerates us, gives us a new heart—
we no longer walk in the ways of the flesh,
but in the ways of the Spirit, serving God and
drowning the old Adam. By the Gospel the
Holy Ghost makes the proud humble, the un-
chaste chaste, the unmerciful merciful, the
selfish man active in the service of God and
his neighbor. If before a man’s mouth was
full of blasphemy, he now speaks to the glory
of God. The slave of sin has become a serv-
ant of God, the unfruitful tree has become
fruitful; the obedient child of the devil is now
a true child of God.

Here, however, the Holy Ghost does not
tease His blessed work. Nay, He comes and
abides with us. The good work He has begun
in us, He will perform until the day of Jesus
Christ. He will continue to lead us in the
path of righteousness. He will keep us in
His truth and in faith. When dangers gather
around us, He will uphold, strengthen, and
defend us. By the blessed Gospel and the
holy Sacraments He will increase our strength
day by day, and help us to fight the good fight
of faith. Yea, even in the dread hour of death
He will be with us. Then, when fear comes
upon us and the prince of this world makes
the last and most terrific onslaughts, the Holy
Ghost will stand by us and give us strength
to gain the victory. :

Holy Ghost, Strength of the simple,
O make Thine abode in me,

Let me ever be Thy temple:
Cheerfully I welcome Thee.

Do Thou purify my heart,

Cast out all things that might part
Me from these sweet joys of heaven
Which by Thee to faith are given.

Yr. J. L.

—_——- <P oe

Tue only thing, as well as sure thing, to
remove the stains of sin, is—the blood of
Christ.