The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 14

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14

“Neither Do I.Condemn Thee.”

JOUN 8, 1—11.

They brought her to the Master,
This woman steeped in sin —
That He might judge her sternly
For what they knew had been.
Compassionate as ever

‘rhe sinner He forbore:

And this is what He answered,
“Go thou, and sin no more.”

The Pharisees were angry
To hear His chiding tone:
“Let him who is without sin
Be first to cast a stone.”
Then looking at the woman

As kindly as before,
He said in gentle pity,
“Go thou, and sin no more.”

And they that heard the Master
Went humbly one by one —
Convicted by their conscience

Of sins that they had done.
Then as they journeyed forward,
And each one left the door,
They heard the Master’s message,
“Go thou, and sin no more.”

Then turning to the woman

As they were left alone:

“Hath any man condemned thee?”
He asked in gentle tone.

“No man, dear Lord,” she answered,
Her penitent heart was sore.
“Neither do I condemn thee:

Go thou, and sin no more.”

So Christ, the loving Savior,
Showed mercy to this one,
Instead of judging harshly

As others would have done.

We, then, should heed this lesson,
As told in days of yore,

“Neither do I condemn thee:

Go thou, and sin no more.”

Oh, why are we so hasty

With those who've fallen low?

If we would show more pity

Their lives would better grow.

Reach out a hand to help them

On to the heavenly shore,

And tell them God’s sweet message,
“Go thou, and sin no more.”

ESTHER PETERSON.

*“‘Vengeance Is Mine.”

When General Jackson was a candidate for the
presidency in 1828, his opponents not only abused
him, but they also defamed the character of his

The Lutheran Pioneer.

wife. On one occasion a newspaper published in
Nashville was placed upon the General’s table. He
glanced over it, and his eyes fell upon an article
in which the character of Mrs. Jackson was violently
assailed. So soon as he had read it, he sent for his
trusty old servant, Dunwoodie.

“Saddle my horse,” said he to him in a whisper,
“and put my holsters on him.”

Mrs. Jackson watched her husband, and though
she heard not a word, she saw mischief in his eyes.
He went out after a few moments, when she took
up the paper and soon saw what was the matter.
She ran out to the gate which the General would
have to pass. She had been there but a few moments
when the General rode up with the countenance of
a madman.

She placed herself before the horse and cried
out: “O General, don’t go to Nashville! Let that
poor editor live! Let that poor editor live!”

“Let me alone,” he replied; “how came you to
know what I was going for?”

“T saw it in the paper after you went out; put
up your horse and go back.”

“But I will go — get out of my way!” was the
fierce reply.

As she now grasped the bridle with both hands,
he cried to her, “I say, let go my horse! The villain
that reviles my wife shall not live!”

She grasped the rein but the tighter and began
to reason earnestly with him, saying that she forgave
her persecutors and prayed for them, and that he
also should forgive if he hoped to be forgiven.

At last, by her entreaties and her tears, she so
moved her husband that he seemed to be quieted to
a certain extent.

She wound up by saying: “No, General, you
shall not take the life of even my reviler, you dare
not do it; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine,
I will repay, saith the Lord.’” (Rom. 12, 19.)

The iron-nerved hero gave way before the Word
of God. He turned his horse homeward, saying,
“T yield to the words of the Almighty.”

Do You Feel what You Give?

A missionary once asked a rich man for a mis-
sion gift. “QO yes,” replied the man, “I could give
ten dollars without feeling it at all.” “Oh, please
then give twenty dollars, so that you might feel
what you give for the Savior’s cause,” was the mis-
sionary’s reply. :