The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1907, Page 79

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Lord’s Corn.

The mission station in the Indian Territory,
says a missionary, was at one time my house. ‘T’o-
baccowell, one of our neighbors, was a member of
the little mission church, and like many a white
professor, was spasmodically zealous for the glory
of God. One Sunday he listened to a sermon from
Gen. 28, 22, “And of all that thou shalt give me,
I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.” At the
close of the service he said to the missionary, “Me
plant big corn field next week. Me make it ten
pieces; plant it all, then one piece be the Lord’s
corn.”

He did so; the part of the field to be devoted
to the Lord was plowed and planted with great care.
But when the time for hoeing had arrived, our
neighbor hoed his own corn, but did not find it con-
venient to hoe the Lord’s. As the season advanced,
the Lord’s corn, uncultivated and dwarfed, and
Tobaccowell’s well hoed, tall and thrifty, produced
a sad and striking contrast.

The sight of that cornfield has been a life-long
lesson to me; and whenever I find myself more de-
voted to my own personal interests than to the glory
of God, I say to myself, I am neglecting the Lord’s
corn.

—- ee

Avoid Temptation!

Secker wisely says —“‘T'o pray against tempta-
tion, and yet to rush into occasions, is to thrust
your fingers into the fire, and then pray that they
may not be burned. ‘The fable saith, ‘that the but-
terfly enquired of the owl what she should do with
the candle which had singed her wings. The owl
counseled her not so much as to behold smoke.’
If you hold the stirrup, no wonder Satan gets into
the saddle.”

ee

Comfort in Death.

On a certain occasion Valerius Herberger, the
well-known ‘Lutheran pastor at Fraustadt, was
called to visit a dying man who had grown up in
the Romish church, but who for a long time had
been attending Herberger’s preaching. As he was
about breathing his last, he said to the pastor:
“TI have never been rightly on your side, for I was
brought up in the papacy; but now, on my death-
bed, I feel that in your Gospel alone I can find com-
fort and peace for my soul.”

79

A Mighty Fortress.

The Elector Frederick II, when asked why he
did not build more fortresses in his country, replied,
“*A Mighty Fortress is our God.’ I have faithful
subjects, well-disposed neighbors, and, in case of
need, a goodly number of such warriors as will not
only resist my foes with armor of steel, but espe-
cially with prayers to Almighty God.” .

Luther’s Modesty.

Luther closes a letter to Hans von Taubenheim
thus: “Although I am nothing, and am now of
almost no account anywhere, yet Christ must have
such a poor, frail, patched-up instrument, and must
tolerate me behind the door in His kingdom. May
God help me to be worthy of this! Herewith I com-
mend you to God. Martinus LurHer.”

——

NOTES.

Conrirmation at Eton Coxtrce, N. C. —
August .25th was Confirmation Sunday at Elon
College. In the presence of a large assemblage the
Rev. J. C. Schmidt confirmed three girls, two of
them being grandchildren of the Rev. Sam ffolt,
the colored Lutheran preacher who was helpful in
bringing our mission to North Carolina.

CoNFIRMATION AT GREENSBORO, N. C.—On
the evening of August 28, five persons were added
to the church at Greensboro by confirmation. Three
of these had been pupils in our parochial school and
two were married women, who had for some years
attended our Lutheran services.

FAREWELL Service At GREENSBORO, N. C. —
Sunday, September 1, the Rev. J. C. Schmidt, who,
after thirteen years’ faithful service in the North
Carolina mission field, accepted a call as city mis-
sionary to Pittsburg, Pa., held a farewell service
at Greensboro, N. C., and in the presence of a large
gathering preached his farewell sermon on Acts
20, 27. May God’s richest blessings attend his labors
in the new mission field!

TnnraNuEen ConLLecr.— Speaking of our Col-
lege at Greensboro, N. C., the Philadelphia Zu-
theran says: “If we can judge from the Catalogue,
Tmmanuel Lutheran College for Colored Boys and
Girls is a most creditable institution which is
equipped to do excellent work for the colored race