The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 76

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76

away and write all about it to my little son, John,
and tell him to be fond of saying his prayers, and
learn well, and be good, so that he may come into
the garden; but he has a cousin Lene, whom he
must bring along with him.” The man said, “Very
well, go write to him.” Now, my dear little son,
love your lessons, and your prayers, and tell Philip
and Jocelin to do so too, that you may all come to
the garden. May God bless you. Give cousin Lene
my love, and kiss her for me. ;

Your dear father,

Martin LutTHer.

On one occasion, when his wife brought one of
his children to him, Luther said, “I wish I had died
when I was as old as this child. For that I would
give all the honor I have, and may yet receive, in
this world.”

Twice Luther had to mourn the death of one of
his children. His second child, Elizabeth, born
December 12, 1527, died August 3, 1528. After
her death, he wrote: “She has left me with a won-
derfully sick, almost womanly heart. I never would

have thought that a father’s heart could become so

soft towards children.” Again he wrote: “Eliza-
beth has said farewell to us, in order to go to Christ,
to life through death.” -

Her place was filled by Magdalena, Luther’s
“dearly beloved Lena,” born May 4, 1529. She
grew up a very pious and gentle child. But she was
taken by death in the bloom of her youth, after a
long and severe sickness, September 20, 1542.
While she was lying sick, Luther said, “I love her
dearly; but, O God, if it is Thy will to take her
hence, I will be content to have her with Thee.”
And to her he said, “Lenchen, my dear daughter,
you would like to remain with your father here, and
still would like to depart to the Father beyond ;”
and she answered, “Yes, my dear father, as God
wills.” And when she was in her last moments, he
kneeled before her bed, wept bitterly, and prayed
for her salvation, upon which she departed in his
arms. When she was lying in her coffin, he looked
at her and said, “O dearest Lenchen, you will arise
again and shine like a star, yes, like the sun;” and
again: “In my spirit I am indeed joyful, but ac-
cording to the flesh I am full of grief; the flesh
will not be content; the separation pains me ex-
ceedingly. It is a strange thing that although she
certainly is at rest and it is well with her, we are
yet so sorrowful.” To the many who were mourn-
ing, he said, “I have sent a saint to heaven. O that

'TThe Lutheran Pioneer.

we would have such a death! Such a death I would
welcome this very hour.”

As in all other troubles, so also in the sorrows
that came to darken his home Luther found com-
fort and strength in God’s Word.

oe

The Synodical Conference and Our Colored Missions.

The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Confer-
ence, at its recent meeting in Chicago, III., devoted
much time to the cause of missions among the
colored people. The Mission Board, through its
chairman, the Rev. C. F. Obermeyer of St. Louis,
presented an encouraging report on the work done
during the past two years. From this report it
was seen that God has richly blessed the labors of
the missionaries in church and school, and that the
mission has been specially strengthened and more
firmly established for the future by the opening of
Luther College in New Orleans and of Immanuel
College in Greensboro, N. C., for the training of
colored laborers for mission work among their own
people. The treasurer’s report showed that during
the past two years the receipts had been $62,522, of
which sum $3685.80 were contributed by our mis-
sion stations.

After hearing the written report, which was
supplemented by the oral report of the active chair-
man of the Mission Board, who had recently visited
the mission field, Conference resolved to continue
the blessed work with vigor, and the Board was
empowered to‘erect chapels at Salisbury, The Rocks,
and Mount Pleasant, N. C., and at Napoleonville,
La., also to enlarge the St. Paul’s school building
in New Orleans, and to erect a president’s residence
and later on professors’ residences at Greensboro.
For colored students who wish to enter the ministry
a practical-theological course is to be opened in
Immanuel College, for which a theological pro-
fessor is to be ‘called. Two professors are also to
be called to Luther College. These additional pro-
fessors are sorely needed, as the present teaching
force is already overburdened and cannot undertake
any additional work.

As by the blessing of God the work in the mis-
sion field is increased and extended, larger contri-
butions will be needed to carry on the work, and it
is to be hoped that in the future more money will
be placed at the disposal of the Mission Board. May
God continue to prosper our missions among the
colored people and make the Christians of the Syn-
odical Conference willing to help in this important
and blessed work.