The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 20

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

GETHSEMANE.

“In the still garden, dark and lone,
See Him in pray’r—the Sinless One.
His lov’d disciples sadly sleep;

The Lord, alone, a watch doth keep.

“Soon comes the hour of cruel pain;

Soon must the Lamb of God be slain;

Look how He pleads new strength and pow’r,
To bear alone dark Calv’ry’s hour. —

'
‘‘Within the garden still and lone,
Ere yet the midnight watch is done,
‘ Hark to the sound of angel wings
For One from Heav’n sweet comfort brings.

“Hark to the clamor of the crowd!
Hark to those voices strange and loud!
They bear Him to the Cross of pain,
And lo! for us the Lord is slain!

“‘O Lamb of God! O Sinless One!
Such love as Thine was never known;
O Love divine that suffered so—
That bore for ts such weight of woe!”’

Two Good Fridays.

is

It was Good Friday morning. The bells of
the Lutheran church in a German village were
ringing and calling the people to the services
in God’s house. The congregation was already
assembled, when a Roman Catholic entered the
church. He had some time ago come to the
Lutheran village and found work. Although he
strictly lived according to the instructions of the
Romish church, he was restless and could find
no peace for his soul.. Upon the advice of a
Lutheran neighbor he began to read the Bible
and soon saw that what he had been taught by
Romish priests was contrary to the teachings of
God’s Word. On that Good Friday morning
he had read the words of St. Paul: ‘‘There is
one God and one Mediator between God and
men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself
a ransom for all,’ 1 Tim. 2, 5.6. These words
arrested his attention. He said to himself, ‘‘So
my own righteousness, of which I was so proud,
and the Virgin Mary and the saints, to whom
I have prayed, cannot save me; here it is plainly
written that there is:but one Mediator, Christ
Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all.’’? He
sighed to God, ‘‘Lord, show me Thy truth!”’
And as he thus prayed, he heard the ringing of
the church bells. He left his home, walked
down the village street, and soon entered the Lu-
theran church.

When he entered, the congregation had just
begun singing the hymn, ‘‘O bleeding Head and
wounded, And full of pain and scorn.’’?’ The hymn,
which was not quite unknown to him, made a deep
impression upon him that morning. It called to |
his mind the cross on Calvary, and the only Me-
diator, nailed to that accursed tree, forsaken by
God, and in bitter sufferings and great agony giving .
Himself a ransom for sinners. The congregation
sang:

My burden, in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,

For it was my transgression
Which brought this woe on Thee.

As our friend listened, it seemed to him as if
the Saviour, in His crown of thorns, said to him,
“I was wounded for your transgressions, I was
bruised for your iniquities; the chastisement of .
your peace was upon me, and with my stripes you
are healed. Do you still want to be saved by your
own righteousness?’’ His heart was won by the
love of the crucified Saviour, and it cried out, ‘‘No,