The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 74

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74

these things had continued, I would have tortured
myself to death. The more I sought to support my
doubting, weak, and troubled conscience by human
ordinances, the more its doubts and weakness and
trouble increased from day to day.”

When Luther struggled with despair, God opened
to him the Bible, in which book he found the Gospel.
He learned that salvation is not by works, but by
grace through faith in Jesus, ‘‘in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of His grace.’’ In this
Gospel he found peace and salvation, and his soul
was filled with joy. He says, ‘‘I felt as if I were
new-born; I had found the gates of paradise wide
open.’’

This Gospel he proclaimed and defended against
the pope and all its enemies. In his sermons, in
his lectures, in his hymns, in all his writings his
aim was to make known the Gospel of God’s grace
in Christ for the salvation of sinners. He himself
says: ‘‘In my heart reigns, and shall ever reign,
this one article alone — faith in my Lord Jesus
Christ, which is the beginning, middle, and end of
all my religious thoughts, by day and by night.”
Thousands greeted the pure Gospel light with joy
and praised God for the great blessing they received
through the service of Dr. Luther.

Westill have the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ,
which is ‘‘the power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth.”’ Well may we every year cele-
brate the Reformation Festival with joy and thanks-
giving. The more we prize the great treasure re-
stored to the Church by Dr. Luther, the more anxious
we will be to make others partakers of its wealth.
Reformation Day should stir us up to greater zeal
in our mission work, by which we make known the
Gospel of salvation, not by works, but by grace.
This Gospel is the sinner’s only hope.

On Praying to the Saints.

A Roman Catholic woman in Germany one Sun-
day went with her Lutheran neighbor to hear a Lu-
theran sermon. The subject of the sermon was
prayer, and the preacher showed from God’s Word
that we should pray to God alone, and not to the
Virgin Mary and other saints, as the people are
taught to do in the Romish church contrary to the
plain words of the Bible: ‘‘Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and Him alone shalt thou serve,’’
Matt. 4, 10; ‘‘O Thou that hearest prayer, unto
Thee shall all flesh come,” Ps. 65, 2; ‘“‘Doubtless
Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant

The Lutheran Pioneer.

of us, and Israe] acknowledge us not; Thou, O Lord,
art our Father, our Redeemer,”’ Is. 63, 16.

The preacher spoke of the great privilege and
sweet comfort which God’s Word gives us by assur-
ing us that God’s children may in all their troubles
and trials go direct to their heavenly Father in prayer
and may with all boldness and confidence ask Him
for help, as dear children ask their dear father.

After services the woman was asked how she
liked the sermon. ‘‘Quite well,’’ she replied; ‘‘I
shall never in all my life forget it. I poor sinner
have been taught by my parents and the priests
that we are too unworthy to speak to God in prayer,
and that we must ask the saints in heaven to pray
for us. But now I know from God’s Word that we
ourselves have the right to pray to God for help in
the time of trouble and need. What a great com-
fort that is! The saints cannot bring all my need
before God. Oh, how often have I in days of sor-
row wished that I myself could go to God in prayer
and pour out my heart before Him! Now I rejoice’
that I can trustingly go to my heavenly Father as
dear children go to their dear father.”’

— ee _

Luther’s Writings.

Luther made known the pure doctrines of God’s
Word, not only in his lectures and sermons, but
also by many powerful writings that came from his
able and prolific pen. Of the time after 1522 it is
said: ‘‘The writings of Luther were now spread far
and wide. Three presses were fully at work print-
ingthem. His books. passed from hand to hand;
they were carried into quiet valleys and over some
of the highest mountains. They were read in the
palaces of princes, in places of learning, and in the
homes of the poor. Ships carried them over wide
seas, and they were reprinted in England, France,
Switzerland, and other countries, until thousands

of people were made to rejoice in the good news of —

salvation.’’

Luther’s Brief Confession of Faith.

In the year 1537 Luther was taken very sick in
the city of Smalcald. He thought his end had
come, and on leaving the city for home, he com-
mended himself to the prayers of the Church and
made this brief confession of faith: ‘‘I cling to the
Lord Jesus and His Word, and in my heart know
of no other righteousness than the precious blood of
Christ, which graciously cleanses me, and all who
believe, from every sin, as this is freely confessed
in my books and in the Augsburg Confession.’?