The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 77

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

The Lutheran Pioneer. ae

“Accept the glad tidings,

The warnings and chidings,
Found in this volume of heavenly lore.
With faith that’s unfailing,

And love all-prevailing,
Trust in its promise of life evermore.
“May this message of love
From the Father above
Unto all nations and kindreds be given,
Till the ransomed shall raise
Joyous anthems of praise,
Hallelujahs in earth and in heaven.”’

ee

A Story of Luther’s Hymn.

‘‘Out of the depths I cry to Thee.”’ This is the
first line of one of Luther’s grand hymns, in which
the great doctrine of free grace and of justification
by faith is proclaimed.

In the year 1524, the year in which the hymn
was composed, a certain weaver sang it with a loud
voice on the market of the city of Magdeburg.
Under his arm he carried a roll of slips upon which
the hymn was printed and which he distributed to
the passers-by, who at once stopped and joined in
the singing. The city being Catholic, the authori-
ties had the man arrested for singing one of Luther’s
hymns. But the churches St. Ulrich and St. Jobn
insisted upon the man’s release with the declara-
tion: ‘‘We want to be on the side of the Shepherd
and Bishop, Jesus Christ, who has been confirmed
by a divine oath. He is our Captain, and at His
side we will fight heroically.”’

The Bible is God’s Word.

A fruit seller of a Romish city is said to have
received and read the Word of God with joy. A
Romish priest passing by her shop, where she im-
-proved every leisure moment in studying the holy
Book, asked, ‘‘What are you reading?”’ :

“Tt is the Word of God, sir,’”’ was the reply.

“Word of God! «Who told you so?”’

“God Himself,’ said the woman.

_ ‘Himself! What folly! Has God spoken to
you? What proofs of it have you?”

‘“Sir,’? said the woman, “‘prove to me that the
_ sun is there over our heads.”

“Tt lights and warms us, is the proof,’’.said the
priest. ;

‘Ah!’ cried the woman triumphantly, ‘‘that is
the proof that the Bible is the Word of God. It
lights and warms my soul.”

The priest could say no more; he went away
angry. — Watch Tower.

Love for the Bible.

A blind girl who had received a copy of the Bible
in raised letters read it so eagerly and constantly
with her fingers that they were soon so worn, that
every line she read was marked with blood; and ere
long her fingers became so sore, that she could no

longer use them. Thinking that for weeks she could *

not read her Bible again, she raised it to her lips for
a loving good-bye kiss. As the raised letters of the
page touched her lips, a thrill of surprise flushed
her face, for she found she could read the page with
her lips; and so, while her fingers recovered, she
moved the pages across her lips, with greater relish
than for physical food. ‘‘God’s words were found,
and she did eat them, and they were unto her the
joy and rejoicing of her heart’’— ‘‘sweeter also than
honey and the honeycomb.”

~~. — =

Back to Her Church.

In an African village an aged widow was on her
dying bed. She was restless and very much trou-
bled because in her youth she had left the Lutheran
church and joined the Catholics. Her husband had
compelled her to attend the Romish services regu-
larly. But when she became a widow she could no
longer bear to worship the saints and the Virgin
Mary, and refused to do so. The black Catholic
priest then cursed her, and the Catholic children
would no longer have anything to do with her. In

her great trouble the poor widow sent for the Lu--

theran missionary. As he sat beside her bed, she
said, ‘‘Let me die in my dear Lutheran church. I
believe that I am saved only through the blood of
my Saviour.’? The missionary comforted her and

received her back into the Lutheran church. With’

great joy she partook of the Lord’s Supper for the
forgiveness of her sins, and the next day she peace-
fully fell asleep in Jesus.

The Fortress Still Stands.

A Roman Catholic Duke of high distinction ac-

companied Emperor Charles V to Germany in 1547.
He heard the Lutherans sing, “‘A mighty fortress is
our God,’’ and mockingly said, ‘‘I’ll blow up their

mighty fortress, or I will die.”? The story goes that
-on the third day after he unexpectedly died.

The fortress still stands.

—_—_——_+- e-s —___—___—__

Ir you try to ride to heaven on the pope’s wax .

and parchment, your carriage will soon break down,
and you will fall into hell. — Luther.