The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 21

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The Lutheran Pioneer. ° 21

no, my dear Lord Jesus; not saved by my own right-
eousness, but by Thee; Thou art my righteousness
and my salvyation;’’ and with tears he joined the
congregation in singing:

I cast me down before Thee,

Wrath were my rightful lot,

Have mercy, I implore Thee,

Redeemer, spurn me not!

With a glad and thankful heart he listened to
the sermon, which followed the hymn, and which
presented Christ as the only Mediator, who was
made sin for us, that we might be made the right-
eousness of God in Him. Later on, he sought
further instruction from the pastor, and soon be-
came a member of the Lutheran church.

II.

Years have passed by. Itis again Good Friday,
and we find our friend on his dying bed. He has
grown old since that first Good Iriday, and has
passed through many troubles and tribulations, but
he remained faithful to his Saviour. His trials only
served to strengthen his faith, to increase his love,
and to brighten his hope. He is glad that the time
of his departure is. at hand; the doctor has told him
that he has only a few hours to live. He is done
with this world and .is thinking of heaven only.
Upon his request his loved ones sing his favorite
hymn, ‘‘O bleeding Head, and wounded.” With
-a happy smile he listens, and soon his lips begin to
move and he whispers, ‘‘Jesus, the only Mediator,
my Lord and my God.”’

When they began the last verse, ‘‘Be Thou my
Consolation And Shield when I must die,’’ he, with
a last effort, raised bimself in his bed and prayed:

Yea, Jesus’ blood and righteousness
My jewels are, my glorious dress,
Wherein before my God I stand
When I shall reach the heavenly land.

He then fell back upon his pillow, and while his
eyelids closed in death and his soul went home to
be with Jesus, his loved ones sang,

Who dieth thus, dies well!

For him the two Good Fridays were indeed good
Fridays. On the first, he was brought to believe in
Jesus; and on the second, he was taken to see Him
in whom he believed and whom his soul loved.

——___~+-2->—_—_——-

Giving and Praying.

Two Christian farmers in Scotland met one day
at market, and were soon engaged in a conversa-
tion upon church matters. Referring to a certain

‘ contribution to the mission fund.

mission fund, A— asked B— what he was doing
for it. B—’'replied that he was always careful to
note the day when the collector would come around,
that he kept his contribution in readiness, so that,
if he should not be at home himself, his wife or one
of the children might pay it.

‘‘Very good,’? remarked A—, ‘‘but is that all
you do?”

‘‘What more should I do?’? asked B—, ‘‘do
you do more than that?’

A— replied: ‘‘No, I do just as you do; but
when I lay the money aside I kneel down and thank
God for the church in which I enjoy the means of
grace, for our pastors who do so much for us. I
thank Him also that He has made me willing to
bring this offering for, His glory, and pray Him
graciously to accept it and let His blessing rest
upon it. I never want to give the collector an offer-
ing that I have not first given unto the Lord.”’

Three months later these farmers met again,
and it was not long before B— began to relate his
experience:

“T tried to follow your example in regard to my
When I had the
money ready I knelt down to pray. But I could not
pray. I felt that my offering was far too small in
proportion to the means which the Lord had given
me, and much too small also-in view of the bless-
ings that I enjoy in church. SoTI arose, thought
the matter over, and ‘doubled’ my contribution.
Then I was enabled to pray. And when the col-
lector came and I handed him the money, it was
done with ten times more joyfulness than ever be-
fore; I thank you most heartily for your good ad-
vice and example.”’

Dear reader, go thou and do likewise.

LOSS

Not Afraid.

“Afraid of meeting my Saviour?’’ exclaimed a
poor old dying man in a workhouse infirmary to
his nurse, “nay, nay; old William Jones has walked
along with his Saviour too many years to be afraid
of Him now. When I was eighteen I said to Him,
‘Lord, I’m only a poor ignorant farm lad, and I’m
a bad sinner; but do please to honor Thy Word, and
save me; and what’s more, please keep me all along,
or I shall never get safe to heaven.’ And I bless
Him, that is just what He has done these sixty-one
years, and now He’s calling me up to Him.’’

Te Christian bears the cross fora moment; the —
promise is that he shall wear a crown forever. — Sel.