The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1902, Page 29

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Ghe Lutheran Pioneer,

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE EvanceLicaL Lutweran SynopicaL ConFERENCE or NortH America.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

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

Vol. XXIV.

Trust.

God holds the key to all unknown,
And I am glad;

If other hands should hold the key,

Or if He trusted it to me,
I might be sad.

What if to-morrow’s cares were here,
Without its rest?

I’d rather He unlocked the day,

And, as its hours swung open, say,
“My will is best.’’

I cannot read His future plans,
But this I know,

I have the smiling of His face

And all the refuge of His grace
While here below.

Enough, this covers all my needs,
And so I rest.

For what I cannot He can see,

And in His love I e’er shall be

Forever blest.
; Selected.

—__—> - oo

The Certain Guide. er

A traveler going home must pass through a
great forest and loses his way. He knows not
which way to turn. Now he goes forward;
now he turns backward. Hither and thither
he turns, till, finally, he finds himself again
on the same spot where he first noticed that
he had lost his way. His courage forsakes
him and gives place to despair. ‘The shadows
under the trees deepen and change into the
darkness of night. Once more he makes an
. attempt to find his way, though his heart is
in the clutches of despondency. Soon, how-
ever, fatigue overwhelms him, and he sinks
to the ground. For some time he sits there
in abject despair, when, suddenly, s hard ob-
ject in his vest-pocket draws his attention.
What is it? Thank God! it is his compass.
He strikes a light, and is rejoiced over the
sight of his new-found guide. Hope swells
his breast, fear and despondency are cast to
the winds, he quickly rises, and with elastic
step directs his way toward home.

But as he is quickly walking along accord-
ing to the directions of his compass, several
persons come up to him with offers of their
services. The one shows him a clearing to the
right and uses all his powers of persuasion to

induce the traveler to turn his footsteps in that

direction. Another shows him a broad, level
road to the left, and would persuade our wan-
derer to walk on it. But the traveler refuses
to listen to either, and continues, as before,
to go in the direction which his compass tells
him to be right, and so he succeeds in getting
out of the forest and reaching home in safety.

This is a parable. The forest is the world;
the traveler is man; home, heaven; the com-
pass, God’s Word; the deceitful guides are
the false prophets and teachers. Because of
sin the darkness of spiritual ignorance and the
shadows of death fill the world. Everywhere
are to be found snares and pits, dangers, pain,
and death! The desire for true happiness in
his breast, man travels on his way in uncer-
tainty as to whether his desire will ever be
realized. What shall he do, whither leads his
way? He knows not. Life is full of disap-
pointments, death is the king of terrors. That
there is a God he knows, but how can he serve
Him? That there is an eternity beyond the
grave is certain, but what will be his lot in
yonder world?

In such a wretched state of uncertainty he
passes his days, without a guide, without light,
without hope—lost! In the anguish of his
soul he cries out, ‘‘ Whither shall I turn??? —
God has mercy upon him, He gives him His
Word. Man hears it, hereadsit. This Word
tells him of the darkness, what it is, and its
cause. It also tells him of a Sun which is able
to dispel the darkness, Jesus Christ, who is the
Light of the world. It points out the snares
and pitfalls, and tells him how to avoid them.
It tells him who he is, what he is todo. It
tells him of this life and its purpose ; of death,
and how he is to prepare for it. It reveals
God, who is almighty, holy, just, but likewise
full of grace and mercy. It shows man his
sinfulneas, but also reveals the Saviour from
sin. It convinces man of his unworthiness and
helplessness, but also reveals the Spirit of
power and strength. In short, the Word of
God is for man acertain guide and a lamp unto
his feet on the way through this world’s dark-
ness to heayen’s eternal light and gladness.

But as soon as a man has found the right
way and is traveling on it, false guides will offer

him their services. Satan sends his servants
to seduce him from the narrow way on to the
broad road to perdition. All kinds of luring
temptations will be put before him to draw
him from the right path. The siren voice of
reason will do its utmost to make him doubt as

to the correctness of his compass—the Word

of God.

But the true Bible Christian will not be de-
ceived nor seduced, for he has not forgotten
the wretchedness of his former state, and he
will say to the tempters: ‘‘The Word of God
is my compass, my certain and infallible guide,
no other leader or guide will I follow.’’

Thus the Bible Christian will firmly cling to
God’s Word, which will safely lead him past
the sloughs of sin, through the waters of sor-
row, over’ the mountains of distress, and
through all the storms of this present life into
his Father’s house.

God grant that we also may ever say: ‘“‘Thy
Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light upon
my way.” F. J. L.

—_——s +o oro

Hid with Christ.

In the second century they brought a martyr
before a king, and the king wanted him to re-
cant and give up Christ and Christianity; but
the man spurned the proposition. The king
said: ‘‘If you donot doit, I shall banish you.””
The man smiled and answered: ‘‘You cannot
banish me from Christ; for He says He will
never leave me nor forsake me.’’ The king
became angry, and said: ‘‘Well, I will con-
fiscate your property, and take it all from
you.’ And the man replied: ‘‘My treasures
are laid up on high; you cannot get them.’”’
The king became still more angry, and said:
Twill kill you.””? ‘*Why,’’ the man answered,
‘tT have been dead forty years; I have been
dead with Christ; dead to the world; my life
is hid with Christ in God, and you cannot
touch it.’? — Selected.

——s-o-ab eo

TuoucH I be not called to royal office and
honor, yet I am called to be a Christian!
What greater or more honorable thing could
I desire?—Zuther.

eS a a eS Ny Ee a a ee

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