The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

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19

ODS

bers of the Church, only where the seed of the
Gospel is sown. No Gospel, no Christians, no holy
Christian Church.

But ‘does it not sometimes happen that the seed
altogether fails to come up? Do not farmers at
times sow seed that brings forth nothing? May
it not happen that the seed of the Gospel be sown
with the same bad result? In answer I would say
that it does indeed happen that wheat, rye, oats,
and such seed sometimes bring no return, but this
is never the case with the seed of God’s Word. You
may plant a field with corn, and for some reason
or other not a single stalk may come up, much less
a single ear of corn be formed; but whenever the
seed of the Gospel is sown, some of the seed, and
be it ever so little, will come up, grow, and bear
fruit. This comforting and blessed fact we learn
from Is. 55, 10. 11: “As the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not
thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower,
and bread to the eater: so shall my Word be that
goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return
to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I
please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto
I sent it.’ Here God Himself tells us that His
Word is never preached in vain. It will not return
to Him void, but will accomplish its purpose.
Wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, there some
hearts will believe and be saved. Wherever God
calls, there are also some chosen. Wherever the
Gospel is in use, there we know the holy Christian
Church is to be found.

Wherever people are told that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world. unto Himself, there some
souls will be reconciled unto God. Wherever the
news is proclaimed that Christ died, the Just for
the unjust, some will be brought to God. Wherever
it is preached that Jesus made atonement for sin,
there some hearts will believe in the Savior’s merits
and he saved. Wherever Jesus is preached as the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world, there sinners will lay their sins on Jesus,
the spotless Lamb of God. Wherever it is declared
that Jesus rose again, there some will trust in Him
for their justification: Let it be proclaimed that
Christ has gone into heaven to take possession of
the inheritance for His people, and we may be
certain that there souls will be added to the num-
ber of His people. The Gospel bears fruit —it
must bear fruit, according to God’s promise.

F. J. BL.

Forgiving Enemies.

It is said that Louis XII, of France, had many
enemies before he succeeded to the throne. When
he became king, he marked against each of their
names a large black cross. When this became
known, the enemies of the king fled, because they
thought it was a sign that he intended to punish
them. But the king hearing of their fear, had
them recalled with an assurance of pardon, saying
that he had put a cross beside each name to remind
him of the example of Christ who on the cross
prayed for His murderers and said, “Father, for-
give them !”

Christ bore our sins in His own body on the
tree and suffered the punishment of our offenses,
that we might have redemption through His blood,
even the forgiveness of sins. Every Christian
should therefore use the cross as a reason for par-
doning those who have offended him.

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The Death of Christ.

Dost thou believe that thou canst not be saved
but by the death of Christ? Yes. Go, then, and
whilst thy soul abideth in thee put all thy confi-
dence in His death alone. Place thy trust in no
other thing. Commit thyself wholly to His death.
Cover thyself wholly with His blood alone. And
if God would judge thee, say: Lord, I place the
death of my Lord Jesus Christ between me and
Thy judgment; otherwise I will not contend or
enter into judgment with Thee.

And if He shall say unto thee that thou art a
sinner, say: I place the death of my Lord Jesus
Christ between me and my sins.

If He shall say unto thee that thou hast de-
served damnation, say: Lord, I put the death of
my Lord Jesus: Christ between Thee and all my
sins; and I offer His merits for my own which I
should have, and have not. :

Whosoever of us ¢an thus speak, the promise is:
This Christ, the Lamb of God, the true Sacrifice,
shall be accepted for thee, to make atonement for
thee. — Extract from Anselm of Canterbury.

A Faithful Soldier of the Cross.
‘In the Turkish war, at the beginning of the

18th century, a Christian soldier from Germany

fought, together with many others, under the ban-
ner of the famous general Prince Eugene. In one
of the battles he was made prisoner by the Turks,