The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 84

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84

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Heavenly Guest.

See, O soul, there standeth at thy lowly door
One whom all the angels worship and adore,
Condescension wondrous, love and grace Divine.

- Lo, He seeks to enter that poor heart of thine.

‘And if any open,” that is what He saith,

He whose love is stronger, stronger e’en than death,
"J will gladly enter, I will be ‘his guest.”

Hasten, soul, to open! Spread for Him thy best.

“Ah! Thou Lord of glory, naught bave I for fare.
Lo, the house is empty, and my table bare;
Long my soul hath eaten only husks of sin.”’
Still He standeth, calling, ‘‘Fain would I come in.”

“Let not this thy straitness thee at all distress,
I who fed the thousands in the wilderness,
I who turned the water into purple wine,
I will spread to fullness that scant board of thine.

* “(He shall never hunger, ne’er by want be prest,

He hath treasures endless who hath me for guest;
He whose heart I enter heir of God shall be.
Soul, what is thine answer, what say’st thou to me?”

Lord, I bid Thee welcome, while the flowing tears
Tell my grief and sorrow for the sin-spent years;
Lord, Thou hast been waiting long outside the door,
Enter now, to leave me never, never more. .
R. M. Offord.

The Deacon’s Soliloquy.

It was Sunday evening when Deacon Daniel
was sitting at his table looking at the pledges
taken during the day for contributions to the
mission treasury. Whilst looking at the figures,
he said to himself: ‘It’s curious who give.
There’s Squire Wood; he’s put down two dol-
lars; his farm is worth 10,000 dollars, and he
has money at interest.

‘And there’s Mrs. Brown; she’s put down
five dollars; and I don’t believe she’s had a new
| gown in two years, and her bonnet ain’t none of
3 the newest, and she has them three grandchil-
dren to support since her son was killed in the
army. Well, she’ll have to scrimp on butter
and tea for awhile, but she’ll pay it. She reads
the mission paper, and she just loves the cause ;
that’s why she gives.

‘‘There’s Maria Hill; she’s put down five
dollars; she don’t have but twenty dollars a
month, and pays her board, and she has to help
support her mother. But I knew the Lord had
done a work in her soul, and where He works,
you’ll generally see the fruit in giving for the
spread of His kingdom.

“And there’s John Baker; he put down
50 cents; and he’ll chew more than that worth
of tobacco in a week. .

“Cyrus Dunning—four dollars. Well, he’ll
have to do some extra painting with his crippled
hand, but he’ll do it, and sing the Lord’s songs
while he’s at work.

“‘C. Williams—ten dollars. Good for him. He
said the other night that he’d been reading his Bible
more than usually lately. Maybe he read about the
rich young man who went away sorrowful, and he
didn’t want to be in his company.”’

And as the old deacon laid down his spectacles,
he again said, ‘‘It’s curious who give.”
eo 0

Faith in God’s Promises.

That was a good illustration on God’s promises
given by old Uncle Jim. Pointing to a brick wall
he said, “Dar is a brick wall, and de Lord He
stands dar and He says to me, ‘Jim, now I want
you to go troo dat.’ I ain’t gwine to say, ‘Lord,
I can’t.’ I got nuffin to do about it. All I have
to do is to butt against de wall, and it’s de Lord’s
business to put me troo.”?

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ConTENTMENT consists in thanking God for what

we have, and not in having what we wish for.

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