The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 62

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62

Barley Loaves.

Only five barley loaves!
Only two fishes small!
And shall I offer these poor gifts
To Christ, the Lord of all?
To Him whose mighty word
Can still the angry sea,
Can cleanse the lepers, raise the dead?
He hath no need of me.

Yes, He hath need of thee;
Then bring thy loaves of bread;
Behold, with them, when Jesus speaks,
The multitudes are fed.
“Two hundred pennyworth,”’
Saith one, ‘‘had not sufliced.”’
Ah, true! what is abundance worth,
Unless ’tis blessed by Christ?

Only one talent small,
Scarce worthy to be named;
Truly, He hath no need of this;
O soul, art thou ashamed?
He gave that talent first;
Then use it in His strength;
Thereby— thou know’st not— He may work
A miracle at length.

Many the starving souls
Now waiting to be fed.
Needing, though knowing not their need,
Of Christ, the living Bread.
Oh, hast thou known His love?
To others make it known;
Receiving blessings, others bless;
No seed abides alone.

And. when thine eyes shall see
The holy, ransomed throng,
In heavenly fields, by living streams,
By Jesus led along, ss
Unspeakable thy joy shall be,
And glorious thy reward,
If, by thy darley loaves, one soul

Has been brought home to God. aay

The Lord’s Prayer as a Peace Maker.

“There was once a husband and wife who could
not, it seemed, live together in peace. They were
continually quarreling and jangling together. One
day the man went to his pastor and told him all
about the unhappy life he was leading. He said
that he had tried very hard to keep peace, but did
‘not succeed. The pastor asked, “Well, have you
‘and your wife ever prayed together??? The hus-
band shook his head sadly, and added that he did
not think his wife would join in prayer with him.

One evening, after this conversation with the
pastor, the wife said, “‘I cannot live with you any
longer, I intend to try to get a divorce.”? The hus-

in his ear.

The Lutheran Pioneer.

band replied that he, too, did not care to continue
such a miserable life. ‘‘All right,’’ said the wife,
‘to-morrow we will part.”’

‘Very well,’ said the man, ‘‘I have nothing
against it. But before we separate let us pray to-
gether; for that is something we have never yet
done.’’ Before the wife had time to reply he knelt
down. He could think of nothing but the Lord’s
Prayer. He began repeating it aloud and with so
much earnestness that he himself was surprised.
When he came to the fifth petition his wife sobbed
aloud, and when he repeated the seventh petition
the wife was entirely overcome. She threw her
arms around his neck, and asked his forgiveness.
They did not part. They never after forgot that
evening, and their first family prayer, and many a
quarrel was avoided by calling it to mind.

——————_->-+—___-

Bad Company.

A-young lady of sixteen, who had been piously
brought up, was invited to a party at which certain
persons of infidel sentiments and evil habits were
expected to be present. Her father objected to her
going.

“‘T know, papa,’ she said, “that they speak
against the Bible and against J esus, but you may
be quite sure they will do me no harm. I shall not
allow them to affect me in the least.’’

“My child,’”’ said her father, inventing an ex-
cuse for the sudden request, ‘‘my work can’t be in-
terrupted; I have need of a coal; will you be kind
enough to fetch me one?”’

‘Do you want a live coal, papa?”

“No, one that is dead—pburnt out.’’

The coal was brought. The young lady had
brought it in her hand. .

“Didn’t it burn you, my child?’’ asked the
father.

‘“Why, no, papa. Howcould it? It’s dead!’’

““Of course, it COREE but look at your hand,
Florence.’’

“Oh, how black my pagers are! I must go and
wash inet u.

‘‘Wait a moment, Flossie; here is a lesson for
you while you are washing them. It is this: ‘Com-
panionship with the wicked and the world will cer-
tainly soil you.’ Remember all your lifetime what
the apostle says: ‘Evil communications corrupt good

manners.’’?’
1

LurueEr says, ‘‘The slanderer has the devil on
his tongue, and he who listens to him has the devil
There is very little difference.’’