The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1903, Page 42

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42

The Lutheran Pioneer.

From the above, then, you may see how
necessary it is that our Redeemer is true God
and true man. Had Jesus Christ been true
God only, He could not have redeemed us;
had He been true man only, our redemption
through Him would also not have been pos-
sible. But now that He is true God and true
man we can joyfully confess our faith

in Jesus Christ,
Son of God, and Mary’s Son,
Who descended from His throne,
And for us salvation won;
By whose blood and death are we
Rescued from all misery.

Jesus Christ, the God-man.

(Concluded.)

Why was it necessary for the Son of God
to receive the human nature into His person?
The simple answer is, to redeem and save us
sinners. As Christ Himself says, ‘‘The Son
of Man is come to save that which was lost.’’
To save lost sinners is His purpose; to do this,
however, He must come, come into the flesh,
the Son of God must becomeatrue man. But
was it not possible for God’s Son to save us
without becoming incarnate? No; for God
had given His holy Law to man, and man was
to keep it. But man, sinful man, could not
meet the demands of God’s Law himself. Yet,
the Law must be fulfilled; if not by us, then

F. J. L.
————> + oo - __

A Lesson.

by a substitute, by one who would take our
This substitute, however, must be a
Our

place.
man, since the Law was given to man.
Redeemer must therefore be a man to be ac-
ceptable to God as our Substitute.

Let us further bear in mind that man’s dis-
obedience brought down upon him God’s wrath
and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal
damnation. This awful punishment must also
be removed from hin, if he was to be redeemed.
Our Substitute must appease God’s wrath, re-
move from us divine displeasure, overcome
death, and close the gates of hell. How could
He do this? Scriptures tell us, by His sufferings
and death. Our Substitute must suffer and
die forus. This, however, God’s Son could not
do unless He also be true man. Therefore the
holy writer says, Hebr. 2, 14: ‘‘Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, He also Himself likewise took part of
the same ; that through death He might destroy
him that had the power of death, that is, the
devil.”’ So, then, we see that our Saviour must
be a true man in order that He might fulfill the
Law, suffer and die for us as our Substitute.

On the other hand, it was equally necessary
that our Redeemer betrue God. InPs.49,7.8
we read: ‘None of them can by any means
redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom

for him; for the redemption of their soul is
precious, and ceaseth for ever.”” Taking it
for granted that there could be found a holy
and righteous man, such a man could not re-
deem his brother, nor give a ransom for him;
he could not fulfill the Law in his stead, nor
bear the punishment of his sins. Why not?
Simply because he could only keep the Law
for himself; his perfect obedience of God’s
commandments would be no more than just
what God would demand of him.
’ It is equally plain that such a mere man’s
‘death could nevermore appease God’s wrath
“bear the punishment of all men’s sins.
it this God could do. His keeping of the

In the South we have seen trees ruined or
well-nigh strangled by large coils of ivy, which
are wound about them like snakes. ‘There is
no untwisting the folds, they are too giant-
like and fast fixed, and every hour the roots
of the climber are sucking the life out of the
unhappy tree. Yet there was a day when the
ivy was a tiny plant, only seeking a little help
in its climbing; had it been denied then, the
tree had never become its victim, but by de-
grees the weak plant grew in strength, and
at last became master, and the tall tree be-
came the prey of the creeping, insinuating
destroyer. E 0

There is a lesson for all. Sorrowfully do
we remember many, many noble characters
which-have- been ruined-little by little-by-in-
sinuating habits. Drink has been the ivy in
many cases.

———>—- 0-0 - eo

Heathen Cruelty to Children.

Children, you should thank God that you
have Christian parents, and live in a Chris-
tian land. Here we love children, and almost
everybody tries to make the boys and girls
happy. Heathens, however, seem to have
very little love for their children. Let me tell

you something. Hundreds of thousands of

infants are cruelly put to death in heathen
countries. Once a chief, having become a
Christian, said: ‘‘I am the father of 19 chil-
dren; all of them I have murdered; now my
heart longs for them.”’ In Madagascar, a large
island off the east coast of Africa, they strangle
or drown or bury alive children that are born
on what is considered an unlucky day. In
India, many little girls are left in the woods
or jungles to be eaten by jackals or to starve.
In China, many are drowned in warm water
and buried as soon as born. In the city of
Pekin, in China, many are thrown into the
streets at night to be gathered in the morning,

hundreds of children were being fattened to
be slaughtered.

In some of the large islands the people are
cannibals, that is, they eat one another. At
one feast,in the Fejee Islands, it is said that
two hundred human bodies were baked and
served up.

Mr. Moffat, a missionary to Africa, one day
heard a lady say that she heard a babe cry
as she passed a certain bush along the way.
Mr. Moffat went to the bush but could see
nothing. At last he heard a faint cry. It was
under the ground. He dug up the earth and
came to a flat stone. Under this stone he
found a little girl babe, still alive. —The mother
had dug a hole, put her child into it, and then
threw a stone in, intending to kill the child.
But the stone was too large for the hole, and
did not hurt the little one. Mr. Moffat took
care of the child, and it lived to grow up.

When we think of such cruelty as heathens
show to their children, let us be thankful to
God that we live where the Gospel is known,
and let us do all we can’to help along mission
work. —Little Missionary.

2 eo >

Patience.

The nearer time approaches its end, the more
need there is of patience. Let us strengthen
our patience by confidence and by a life con-
secrated to God. An early Christian martyr
wrote in his last hours to the Christian church
at Rome, ‘‘Fare ye well in the patience of
Christ until the end.’”’ The apostle sends us
the same blessed greeting in the words, ‘‘The
Lord direct your hearts into the love of God,
and into the patient waiting of Christ, 2 Thess.
3,5.— W. C.

Unspoken Prayers.

“Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the
humble,’’ says the psalmist. God hears the
desires, wishes, heart-longings, soul-hunger-
ings and thirstings of His children. Do not
grieve, then, if you cannot find words in which
to tell God what you want, if you cannot put
into well-defined thoughts the desires and
hungers of your hearts. When words fail,
pray in silent yearnings, in unutterable long-
ings, and your heavenly Father will under-
stand just as well as if you spoke in common
language. Much of our best praying is done
when we sit at God’s feet and do not speak at
all, but only let our hearts talk.

“Longing is prayer, and it is heard of Him
Who loves His child and hears its faint desires.””

—__——-o~< oo
A wittLe child was busy with his lessons,
and they were more than he could manage;

and buried in a common hole. Sometimes
little girls in China have their eyes put out,
and are sent to beg.

In some heathen countries people are killed
and offered in sacrifice to their idols. A few
years ago in the Goom Soar country, in India,

uld be accepted as a full substitute for
6 obedience which we owed the Law. His

death could free us from all punishment, His
divi wer could successfully cope with all
ies. The blood of Christ Jesus, God’s
ses us from all sin.

the tears came, and he burst out weeping.
The father soon came to him, and said, ‘‘Lad-
die, does crying help you with your lessons?”
The little fellow replied, ‘‘No; but crying
brings some one that helps me.” That is just
what prayer does for us. — Sél.