The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 20

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20 The Lutheran Pioneer.

who dragged him along, tied to his horse’s tail.
Late in the evening, when they thought themselves
secure from the Christian army, the Turks made
a halt in the woods, resolved to take a special re-
venge on the captured Christian; for they had seen
him cut down a great number of Turks during
the battle. They first laid two sticks together in
the form of a cross, spit upon the cross, and tried
by blows and torturings to force the Christian also
to spit upon it. The Christian soldier, however,
who had been loosened from the horse, bravely

name of Mahomet, their false prophet. But as
often as the ‘Turks spoke the name of the false
prophet, the Christian said, “Jesus Christ.”

Then Christ determined to
kindle a fire under their prisoner’s feet, and by
this means either to make him deny his Lord or
to put him to death.

As the Christian now saw that his death was
near, he repeated in a devout manner the Lord’s
Prayer and the Creed. And the Lord gave the
brave soldier sueh a peace in his heart that he

these enemies of

THE SUFFERING SAVIOR.

“Heartless scoffers did surround Thee,
Treating Thee with cruel scorn,

E’en with piercing thorns they crowned Thee;

All disgrace Thou, Lord, hast borne,

That as Thine Thou mightest own me,
And with heavenly glory crown me.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.”

boxed the ears of every Turk whom he had seen
spitting on the cross.

His enemies then bound him again, hand and
foot, and stabbed him with knives and daggers,
in order to force him to spit on the cross.

When all this helped them nothing, they nailed
both his hands over his head to the trunk of a tree,
and by striking him with lashes and staves tried
to make him pronounce in a reverent manner the

prayed also for his enemies as the Lord and Stephen,
had done. After he had prayed, he sang with loud
and devout voice the grand old Passion hymn: —

“QO Lamb of God, most holy!

Who on the cross didst languish,

E’er patient, meek, and lowly,

Though mocked amid Thine anguish;

Our sins Thou bearest for us,

Else would despair reign o’er us;

Haye mercy on us, O Jesus!”