The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 89

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The Lutheran Aioncer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PuBuLiswEeD BY THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SyNopICAL CONFERENCE OF NortH AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Ofice at St. Louls, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XXVIII.

St. Louis, Mo., iDY2eaaalser, 1906.

No. 12.

Christmas Hymn.

Rejoice, O soul!
Thy burden roll
Upon the arms extended;
His natal day
Returns to say
Thy God hath thee befriended.

Sing loud and elear,
Uproot thy fear,

Joy without bound or measure
Should {ill thy heart,
If thou hast part

In this glad Christmas treasure.

Let on thy face
The smile of grace
Speak of the heart’s thanksgiving.
The Father's gift
Thy soul should lift
And show in all thy living.

Jesus the Lord,
Our own Adored,
Brought only joy from heaven.
There is no gloom
Within the tomb
For those who are forgiven.

Then sigh no more,
But from thy store
Bring sunshine to the weary.
Each child of God
Who has the Word |
Should make some life less dreary.
” Selected.

———__ +> ___—_

True Christmas Joy.

Christmas is coming. Day of gladness and of
joy! At no season of the year is there such general
joy among all classes of people as in the merry
Christmas season. But not all this Christmas joy

is of the right kind. Much of it is only earthly joy.
Much of it is even sinful; for there are those who
look upon Christmas merely as a good time for grat-
ifying the desires of the flesh, and who give them-
selves up to sinful pleasures, which injure both body
and soul.

True Christmas joy is joy in the Lord. It is joy
over the birth of a Savior. _ The angel who brought
the Christmas message said, “I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day, in the city of David,
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” The tidings
made known the birth of a Savior, and that is what
made them tidings of great joy. So true Christmas
joy is joy over the birth of this Savior. “Unto you
is born a Savior!” ‘That is the source and ground
of all true Christmas joy.

True Christmas joy is therefore experienced by
those only who feel the need of a Savior. They have
come to the knowledge of their sin and of God’s
wrath over sin. To them there can be no greater
joy than the joy over the Savior born at Bethlehem.
In Him they have the Redeemer from sin and wrath,
the Deliverer from death and every woe, the Com-
forter in all sorrows and afflictions. As helpless,
lost, and condemned sinners they come to this
Savior and find in Him help for the helpless, salva-
tion for the lost, heaven for the condemned. Believ-
ing in this Savior, they have nothing to fear. “For
God so loved the world that He gave His only-
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This true Christmas joy is intended for all. The |
angel said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.” ‘To all classes, all
ages, all colors, all races —to all people. It is the