The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 70

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70

Sweet Peace.

Ofttimes I am compassed
With troubles and grief;

My soul cries in anguish,

Will I find relief?

I look to the Savior

My sadness to ease.

There comes to my weary soul
Sweet rest and peace.

I feel so unhappy,

My heart fills with pain,
My soul fills with longing
Again and again.

T cannot describe it,

My soul is distressed.

But God in compassion
Gives peace and rest.

In God’s Holy City
There’s never a care;
No shadow can enter
That place bright and fair.
When God bids us welcome,
Our sorrows will cease:
He gives to His children
Sweet rest and peace.
ESTHER PETERSON.

Faithful.

The Emperor Constantine at one time desired
to test his courtiers as to whether they were sincere
in the profession of the Christian religion. He
therefore permitted a proclamation to go forth stat-
ing, that whoever would not, on the following day,
sacrifice to the gods should be dismissed from his
service. Soon a number of loose and characierless
fellows reported to him that they felt it their duty
to comply: with his demand. But there were also
some honest God-fearing souls who came to him
and said, “Most gracious Master and Emperor, next
to God there is no one dearer to us than your maj-
esty. If asked to die for the welfare of your
majesty, we will cheerfully do so, only do not de-
mand of us to do-this, for it is against God and
our consciences.”
ing to the faithless and wavering ones, said, “Ye
unfaithful knaves! how would you prove faithful
to me when you are untrue to your own souls, your
salvation, your God, your conscience, your religion,
and your-own hearts? Leave my royal court at
once, or I’ will severely punish you.” But those
‘who were not ashamed of their religion he raised
to great honor, and declared that they were more
precious to him than large treasures of gold.

Whereupon the Emperor, turn-~

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Resigned to God’s Will.

A Christian gentleman who took great interest
in works of charity made it his aim while traveling
through the country to visit the Christian institu-
tions of mercy whenever possible. In a Deaf and
Dumb Asylum his attention was attracted to a deaf
and dumb boy with a bright and pleasant look.
Wishing to put a few questions to the boy, he asked
for slate and pencil.

The first question that the gentleman wrote
down was this: “Who created the world?”

In answer to this question the boy wrote the
first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God
created the heaven and the earth.”

The second question was this: “How do you
hope to be saved ?”

In answer to this question the boy wrote the
Bible passage: “This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners.”

The last question was this: “How is it that
God let you be born deaf and dumb while many
around, you can hear and speak?” -

- The boy at first was perplexed and puzzled; but
he soon collected himself, quickly took the pencil,
and wrote in answer to the question the words of
Christ: “Even so, Father; for so’it seemed good
in Thy sight.” :

_ 2

Faithfulness in Small Things.

A poor lame, weak-minded man worked twelve

hours daily in a close hot room as a saddler’s ap-
prentice. He had heard a minister say that the
humblest work could be performed to God’s praise,
but he had never understood the meaning of his
words. .
One day he looked out of the window and.saw a
runaway horse passing by drawing a wagon in
which sat a pale, frightened woman and her child.
A gentleman ran up to it from the pavement, caught
and held the bridle till the horse stopped, and
mother and child were saved.

Then the poor old cobbler thought: What if the
bridle on that horse had not been sewed well or poor
thread had been used? ‘The bridle would have
broken and three human beings would have been
made unhappy. Who knows but what I sewed that
bridle!

Filled with this thought he performed his work
with special diligence and faithfulness after this.