The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 3

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 3

this prepared city which made Abraham a happy
wanderer, living in tents all his life, ‘‘for he looked
for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.’’ It was the shining and beauty
of this city which he and other patriarchs saw afar
off as they journeyed on, confessing ‘‘that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”’

All God’s children are strangers and pilgrims
on the earth, journeying to that better country, far
better than an earthly Canaan, though flowing with
milk and honey. It is the country where ‘‘God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain; for the former
things are passed away,’’ Rey. 21, 4.

As the years pass by God’s pilgrims rejoice that
every closing year brings them nearer to that better
country.

Not in Vain.

The believer’s work for Christ is not in vain.
Says an aged divine: ‘‘In that great day no honor
done to Christ on earth shall be found to be for-
gotten. Nota single kind word or deed, not a cup
of cold water, or a box of ointment, shall be omit-
ted from the record. Do we know what it is to
work for Christ? If we do, let us take courage and
work on. We may be laughed at by the world;
our motives may be misunderstood; our conduct
may be misrepresented; our sacrifices for Christ’s
sake may be called ‘waste’— waste of time, waste
of money, waste of strength. Let none of these
things move us. ‘he eye of Him who sat in
Simon’s house in Bethany is upon us. He notes
all we do out of love to Him, and is well pleased.
Let us be ‘steadfast, unmovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as we know that
our labor is not in vain in the Lord.’”’

A Pious King.

King Frederick William III of Prussia was ac-
customed to say: ‘‘Sunday makes the week, and if
I were not to go to church the festival character and
the best of the whole day would be lost to me.’”’ He,
therefore, with his family regularly attended the
Sunday services of God’s house, and knew how to
remove everything which would keep him from
going to church. Though very much engaged, and
taxed on all sides, he still knew how to find time
for this pleasant duty. He, therefore, strongly re-
buked the neglect of the church on the part of his

officers, and called their pretense of want of time
‘fa miserable excuse.’’ He often said, ‘‘The time
which is passed in the church for our edification is
not lost. Refreshed and strengthened we can do our
work far better and easier.’

—____+-e eo —____

Christ Our High Priest.

Christ was anointed to be our Prophet, Priest,
and King. As the true Prophet, anointed by the
Holy Ghost, the Oil of Gladness, He,-in the days
of His flesh, went up and down throughout the land
of the Jews, preaching good tidings, binding up the
broken-hearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives,
and opening the prison unto them that lay in the
bondage of sin and Satan; and this same office He
still performs through the preaching of His Gospel
and the administration of the Sacraments. As the
true High Priest, appointed by God, He fulfilled all
the demands of the Law for us, took our sins upon
Himself, and died for them upon the cursed wood
of the cross; and this highpriestly office He still
performs at the right hand of His Father, where,
as our Advocate, He makes intercession for us.

It is of Christ as our High Priest that we will
now hear a little more.

To better understand this office of our Saviour,
it will be necessary for us to hear something of the
duties of the Jewish high priest on the great Day of
Atonement. On that day the high priest would take
of the blood of the sacrifice offered for himself and
the people, and enter into the Holy of Holies, which
was hidden from all the other people by a heavy
curtain. In this Holy Place stood the mercy seat,
the visible dwelling place of God upon earth. Tak-
ing of the blood, he would sprinkle it upon the
mercy seat seven times. This was to atone for the
sins and transgressions of the people and to reconcile
God. Such was the office of the high priest in the
days before Christ’s coming into the flesh, and in
performing this duty of his office, he foreshadowed
the office of Christ, the true High Priest, who has
reconciled us unto God.

We had called down upon us God’s wrath and
displeasure by our sins. The Law of God had been
transgressed by us in all its points. But this Law
must be fulfilled. And Christ did it for us. ‘‘When
the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth
His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law,
to redeem them that were under the Law, that we
might receive the adoption of sons,”’ Gal. 4, 4. 5.
Like a heavy, crushing load the Law lay upon us;
unbearable it was for us. Then Christ came and