The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1902, Page 46

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46

The Lutheran Pioneer.

The First Article.

Tue Goop ANGELS.

Moses says Gen. 1, 1: ‘‘In the beginning
God created heaven and earth,’’ and St. Paul
writes Col. 1, 16: ‘‘By Him were all things
created that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible.’’ Following the
example of the apostle, we are accustomed to
divide the creatures of God into two classes,
the visible and the invisible creatures. Visible
creatures are those which can be seen, invisible
creatures, those which cannot be seen, Among
the visible creatures man occupies the first
place, but among the invisible creatures the
angels are the most important. Among the
angels, however, a distinction must be made,
for there are good angels and bad angels.
We shall in this article concern ourselves with
what the Bible teaches us of the good angels.

Hebr. 1, 4 the good angels are called spirits.
They are beings that have no body, no flesh
and bone, as we have, yet they have a mind
and will of their own. Such being the case,
the good angels are invisible to us, though
there are instances recorded in the Bible where
they, for a short space of time and for a par-
ticular purpose, assumed ahuman shape. Thus
Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce to her
that she was to be the mother of the Saviour,
and so did angels appear to the holy women on
Easter Day to tell them that Jesus was risen.

We likewise learn from Scripture that the
angels are holy spirits, Matt. 25, 31. And Matt.
18, 10 it is written: ‘‘In heaven their angels
do always behold the face of my Father which
is in heayen.’’ They are not only sinless and
spotless now, but ever will be perfect, since
only one who never will sin can always behold
God’s face. But as looking upon God’s face
is the height of all bliss and happiness, it is
also plain that the good angels must be per-
fectly happy, that they are enjoying the full-
ness of joy. Their bliss is never marred by
the thought that it may some day come to an
end, for they are confirmed in their happiness,
and will always behold God’s face.

God’s Word furthermore tells us that the
good angels excel in strength, Ps. 103, 20.
We know that one angel during the short
‘hours of one night slew 185,000 soldiers be-
longing to the army of the Assyrian king Sen-
nacherib, and that an angel of the Lord slew
all the firstborn in Egypt, man and beast, in
an equally brief space of time.

That the number of good angels must be
‘great we may conclude from the words of our
Saviour, who declared that His Father could
‘send Him at once more than twelve legions
‘of angels, and from the words of Daniel, who
‘us that thousand thousands angels min-
er unto God. So the Bible speaks of the
nly host, and of God as the Lord of hosts.
8 to the office and duties of the holy angels,
earn from the Bible that they praise God
Magnify His glory. When God created
d earth these sons of God shouted

for joy, and when the Saviour was born the
multitude of the heavenly host sang their
“Glory to God in the highest.’’

But the angels do more than praise God.
They are ministering spirits, serving God and
man. They are God’s messengers. An angel
announced to Zacharias the birth of John, and
the same angel brings Mary the message that
of her the Son of God should be born. When
the Saviour was born, the angel of the Lord
brought the tidings to the shepherds on Beth-
lehem’s plains, and the heavenly hosts came
down to earth to fill the air with their melodi-
ous song. The first tidings of the Lord’s res-
urrection were brought by angels, and when
He had ascended to heaven, two angels stood
by the astonished disciples to cheer and com-
fort them.

“When Daniel was in the lion’s den an angel
protected him; and when Peter lay languish-
ing in prison an angel led him out. But to us
is also promised the protection of the holy
angels. When walking in the ways of our
calling, we may be sure of the presence of
God’s angels; and when in danger, we should
remember that ‘‘the angel of the Lord en-
campeth round about them that fear Him,
and delivereth them,’’ Ps. 34, 7.

As there is joy in the presence of the angels
of God over the sinner that repents, so there
is joy among them when the soul is released
by a blessed death from the mortal coil of
the body and they may carry it, as they did
Lazarus’, into Abraham’s bosom. And when,
on the last day, the Son of Man will come in
the clouds of heaven, all the holy angels will
be with Him, ready to lead us upward into
our eternal home, there to share with them
everlasting pleasure at the right hand of God,
and to help them fill the glad halls of heaven
with the melody of ao neyerending hymn of

praise. F. J. L.
——— + mo

Christmas Joy.

Some years ago, on Christmas Day, a young
German merchant was sitting in his room in
New York City sad and downhearted, as he
thought of his loved ones far away in his na-
tive country. His employer entered the room,
and wishing him a merry Christmas, told him
that next New Year’s Day his salary would be
raised two hundred dollars. The young man
thanked his employer, but the news did not
drive away his sadness; it eould not give him
true Christmas joy.

Soon the young man was called to the Christ-
mas dinner. The colored waiter who tended to
the table noticed his sadness, and whilst hand-
ing him something, whispered to him: ‘‘Sir,
this day the Saviour is born!’? ‘The words
entered the young man’s heart and took away
allsadness. Hesaid to himself: ‘‘*Now I haye
Christmas.’”

The colored man was God’s messenger,
bringing to the sad young man the message
which filled his heart with Christmas joy.

A Beautiful Custom.

The feeding of the birds at Christmas is still
prevalent in many of the provinces of Norway
and Sweden. Bunches of oats are placed on
the roofs of houses, on trees and fences, to
furnish them with their share of the Christmas
bounty. Two or three days before, cartloads
of sheaves are brought into the towns for this
purpose, and both rich and poor buy and place
them everywhere. Every poor man and every
head of a family has saved a penny or two, or
even one farthing, to buy a bunch of oats for
the birds to have their Christmas. On this
day, on many farms, the dear old horse, the
young colt, the cattle, the sheep, the goats,
and even the pig receive double their usual
amount of food. It is a beautiful custom, in
which the children take an active part. —Za.

—____~2- owe 9 ae =

The Death-Grip.

A weatherbeaten, graybearded captain in
speaking of the so-called death-grip told the
following: We were cruising in the Caribbean
Sea, when one day a sailor fell overboard.

‘*Man overboard!’’ shouted somebody, and
at the cry every face became grave with fear.

Those waters are alive with sharks, and even
though the lad was a good swimmer, we knew
that while his strength and skill might keep
him above water for some time, it would never
enable him to escape the sharks. :

One of the men threw out a line, and with
a few strokes the boy reached it. He had just
managed to get his head and arms through the
loop, when suddenly a few yards behind him a
great shark appeared and, quick as lightning,
turned on his back to make for the poor lad.

Hearing the splash behind him and know-
ing, without seeing, what had caused it, the
boy gave a shriek and grabbed the line with
both hands. At the same time the men hauled
in and by running along deck managed to get
their comrade safely aboard.

The lad lay there in a dazed condition. We
tried to remove the rope from his body, but
could not open his hands. His whole body
was stiff and tense. Jven after he came to
again, his hands still held the rope with a grip
of iron, and it was hours before he finally
gained enough control over his muscles to be
able to-let go his hold on the line. That was
the death-grip!—So far the captain’s story.

That is the grip that you, my friend, should
have on the life-line that Christ throws out to
you when He offers His grace to those who
are drowning in sin. You are in danger of
losing your life and your soul’s salvation in
the jaws of the hellish shark. Can you, then,
stop to think whether it would be advisable
to save yourself or not? ‘You dare not be so
foolish. Here’s the line! Don’t tarry! Grasp
it with the death-grip ! —Sel.

.——<— a oe

Sr. Aucusrinx, in his dying hour, prayed:
“Tet me die, my God, that I may live.”