The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1903, Page 47

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‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

47

| still you will be glad; for the journey will
| soon end and you will be at home, where your

Little Annie was not a very strong child, | Father, and Christ, your Saviour, and thou-|
and when she was ten years old, she was| sands of angels and the children of God who}
taken to live with her uncle to improve her | by faith have already entered heaven, are
health. Her uncle was pastor in a mountain| waiting for you. There will be an everlast- |
village, far away from Annie’s home. He|ing Christmas. And no matter how long the |
treated Annie as he would his own child, and} journey is, do not fear. He that was sent
she felt quite at home and soon improved in the | to fetch you home will always be with you to|
healthy mountain air. When, however, Christ-| care for you and to protect you. He Himself,
mas time drew near, she thought of her dis-| says to those who trust in Him, ‘‘Lo, I am}
tant home and longed to be with her parents| with you alway, even unto the end of the}
and brothers and sister on Christmas Eve. _| world.”’ |

The Christmas Message.

But how could this be done? Annie was
too young to make the long journey alone,
and her uncle had no time to go with her. |
As she was thinking about the matter, there |
one day came a telegram from her father tell- |
ing her that a messenger had left to fetch her |
home for Christmas time. The message was |
from her father, and Annie did not
in the least doubt, but believed the
joyful news. She was sure that the
messenger was on the way and that
she would be at home with her
parents and brothers and sister on
Christmas Eve. Her heart was
filled with joy, and she sang, and
jumped, and smiled, and was glad
allday. When her uncle asked her
if it would not be very hard for her
tomake that long journey, she said,
‘Not at all. I shall always think
of the dear home-to which I am
traveling, and of father and mother
and brothers and sister with whom
I shall be glad on Christmas Eve
by the lighted Christmas tree and
the Christmas presents.”’

“And what will be the best of
all?’’ asked her uncle.

“To be at home,”’ said Annie.

The pastor saw what joy is, and
learned from little Annie a Christmas sermon.
When on Christmas Eve he addressed the chil-
dren at the children’s services, he told them all
about Annie’s Christmas joy and then added:
And now, dear children, I bring you a mes-
sage from heaven. This is the message, “Be-
hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
“which shall be to all people. For unto you is
‘born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.’? Your heavenly
Father knew that you could never find the way
home or by your own strength journey on that
way. So He sent some one to prepare the way
for you and to fetch you home. He whom He
sent is His only-begotten Son, who came into
this world to open the way to heaven for you
as your Saviour, so that all that believe in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This message is from your Father, and it is
true. Believe it, and you will rejoice like little
Annie, and will sing and jump and smile and
be glad, and willsay, «Now Lam going home.”’
‘And when the journey through this cold and
dreary world seems long and full of hardships,

Know ye that Friend ?—In Him a man you see,

Yet more than man, more than all men is He;
God’s Son He is, who conquered every foe,
And came to save us from eternal woe.
Know ye Him well?

His hand, His hand
Will safely bring us to the Fatherland.

The Birth of Christ.

Christmas in Sweden.

A writer in the Religious Telescope, a for-
eigner who came to this country some years
ago, has given a beautiful illustration of the
way Christmas is observed in Sweden. He
says:

Permit me to take you up to Northern
Europe. People there are Lutherans, and
when Christmas is nearing the stores are deco-
rated and the glad, the holy Yuletide is an-
nounced. Mark, I said ‘‘holy,’’ because in
all instances the children are told that it is the
little Child Jesus that moves the friends and
parents to give the presents, and that Christ-
mas is Christ’s birthday. On Christmas Eve
there are stockings hung up, but on the even-
ing of Christmas Day the pine tree, even if it
be a twig only, is hung with candles, some-
times only one tallow candle, and fruits, maybe
a nut and one apple only. On the top of the
tree is always a bright silver or golden star
representing the star of Bethlehem ; the candy

bears the blessing, ‘Peace on earth, good will

to men.’’ The cakes are called Yule cakes;
and when the family and friends gather around
the tree, they take each other by the hand and
slowly walk around the Yule tree, singing,
“For us a Christ was born to-day,’’ and,
‘Beautiful Yule, holy Yule; thanks to God
in the highest!’’

I remember old, stalwart men on Christ-
mas Eve blending their strong voices with the
children’s ‘‘Hallelujah! unto us to-day a Sav-
iour is born! Hallelujah in the highest!’’
and, ‘“‘To God be thanks for holy Yule, the
Christ-child’s blessed birthday!’’ And again,
“Thanks, O God, for all Thy gifts; thanks
for the Saviour dear.’’

s+ or eo

Daily Singing.

I cannot do without singing in the morning.
The night is gone; I awake from my slumber
-in health and strength; the house

is still standing on the old spot,
and all it contains is unhurt; the
holy angels have watched over me
and shielded me from all harm.
When I think of this I must sing,
whether I will or not. Again, I
have safely ended the day; my
day’s work is finished; I have re-
ceived my portion of daily bread,
and enjoyed the spiritual fruit of
the Word of God, and the angels
have again been my protection.
When I consider this, I am con-
strained to say: All this is a gift
of God which I have received,
although a great sinner. A Chris-
tian, under such circumstances,
will sing, for how canhe help it? It
seems to me, otherwise, his breast
would burst. Or, when I have come
to the close of a holy Lord’s day,
and the Lord has poured over me
streams of blessing from His precious Word,
and my heart is full of the goodness of the
Lord, then the singing I have donein the church
is not sufficient, but I must strike up beautiful
hymns with my family at home. — Harms.

+ oo

Christmas Night.

All my heart this night rejoices,
As I hear, *
Far and near,
Sweetest angel voices;
“Christ is born,” their choirs are singing:
Till the air,
Everywhere,
Now with joy is ringing.

—_—s ~~ oo

Heaven a Gift of God’s Mercy.

of our good works? No, never!
§ pure mercy.

Luther.