The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 74

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74

The victory has been won, and we are reaping
its fruits and enjoying its blessings. Therefore
Reformation Day is to us a day of rejoicing, a day
on which we give thanks to God for the great
things He has done for His Church through His
faithful servant, Dr. Martin Luther. It is also a
day which reminds us of our duty to preserve and
to spread the pure Bible doctrines of our Church.
Owing to the Reformation, we now have the pure
Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus.
The more we appreciate its blessings, the more
zealous we should be to make known that Gospel
for the salvation of others. We would be unworthy
children of the Reformation, if we were unwilling
to sacrifice something for the spread of the Gospel
which God restored to His Church through the
Reformation of Dr. Luther and for which Luther
and his colaborers sacrificed so much.

A Farewell Letter.

About the year 1650, Christopher Love, a Prot-
estant preacher, “that faithful and painful servant
of Jesus,” died as a martyr to the cause of Christ.
He was executed at the block for his loyalty to the
Gospel. ; ; .
The night before his execution, the following
sadly touching farewell letter was written to him in
prison by his heroic Christian wife:

“My heavenly dear:—TI call thee so, because
God hath put heaven into thee before He hath taken
thee to heaven. Thou now beholdest God, Christ,
and glory as in a glass; but to-morrow heaven’s
gate will be opened, and thou shalt be in the full
enjoyment of all those glories which eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither can the heart of man
understand. God-hath now swallowed up thy heart
in the thoughts of heaven; but ere long thou shalt
be swallowed up in the enjoyment of heaven! And
no marvel there should be such quietness and calm-
ness in thy spirit, whilst thou art sailing in this
tempestuous sea, because thou perceivest by the eye
of faith a haven of rest, where thou shalt be richly
laden with all the glories of heaven! Oh! lift up
thy heart with joy, when thou layest thy dear head
on the block, in the thought of this, that thou art
laying thy head to rest in thy Father’s bosom;
which, when thou dost awake, shall be crowned, not
with an earthly, fading crown, but with a heavenly,
eternal crown of glory. Be not troubled when thou
shalt see a guard of soldiers triumphing with their

The Lutheran Pioneer.

trumpets about thee, but lift up thy head, and thou

shalt behold God with’ a guard of holy angels tri-
umphing to receive thee to glory. Be not dismayed
at the scoffs and reproaches thou mayest meet with
in thy short way to heaven; for, be assured, God
will not only glorify thy body and soul in heaven,
but He will also make the memory of thee to be
glorious on earth! Oh, let not one troubled thought
for thy wife and babes rise within thee; thy God
will be our God and our portion. He will be a
husband to thy widow, and a father to thy children;
the grace of thy God will be sufficient for us. Now,
my dear, I desire willingly and cheerfully to resign
my right in thee to thy Father and my Father,
who hath the greater interest in thee; and con-
fident I am, though men have separated us for a
time, yet God will ere long bring us together again,
where we shall eternally enjoy one another, never
to part more.

“Oh, let me hear how God bears up thy heart,
and let me taste of those comforts which support
thee, that they may be as pillars of marble to bear
up my sinking spirit. Farewell, farewell, my dear,
till we meet where we shall never bid farewell more;
till which time I leave thee in the bosom of a loy-
ing, tender-hearted Father, and so I rest,

“Till I shall forever rest in heaven,

“Mary Love.”
—_—_———_“o- o-oo”

Original Sin.

Luther was one day being shaved in presence
of his friend Dr. Jonas. He said to his friend:
“Original sin is in us like the beard. We are
shaved to-day and look clean, and have a smooth
chin; to-morrow our: beard’ has grown again, nor
does it stop growing while we remain on earth.
In like manner original sin cannot be rooted out.
Nevertheless, we are bound to resist it to the utmost
of our strength, and to cut it down continually.”

Luther’s Gentle and Modest Spirit.

John Mathesius, who for many years was a
guest at Luther’s table and had daily intercourse
with him, says of Luther: “He was sharp with
those who were sharp; but any who were about
him, and had the benefit of his consolations, kind
offices, and prayers, can testify with truth that his
was a gentle and modest spirit.” Again he says:
“T have never heard a coarse word from his lips.”