The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 77

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

v7

the setting forth of writings contrary to the truth,
which I now renounce and refuse, — those things
written with my own hand contrary to the truth
I thought in my heart, and writ for fear of death
and to save my life. And forasmuch as my hand
offended in writing conirary to my heart, therefore
niy hand shall first be punished; for if I come to
the fire, it shall first be burned. As for the pope,
I denounce him as Christ’s enemy and Antichrist,
with all his false doctrines.”

Then Cranmer was carried away to be burned,
followed by a great multitude. A Catholic eye-
witness says: “Coming to the stake with a cheerful
countenance and willing mind, he took off his gar-
ments in haste and stood upright in his shirt. Fire
being applied, he stretched forth his right hand and
thrust it into the flame, before the fire came to any
other part of his body; when his hand was to be
seen sensibly burning, he cried with a loud voice,
‘This hand hath offended’ ”

-Not a word of complaint did Cranmer utter as
the fire consumed his body. ‘The last words he
spoke looking up to heaven were the words of
prayer: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

Thus died Cranmer, in the sixty-seventh year
of his age, in the full assurance of forgiveness and
eternal blessedness in heaven.

——____+ o-+—__-_--—_

Longing for the Lord’s Supper.

Missionaries from Germany have labored for
many years among the Hereros in Southwest Af-
rica, and their labors have been richly blessed.
When, some years ago, war broke out in the Herero
district, many Herero Christians fled from that
country and sought a new home in another part of
Africa. Last year two missionaries looked up these
people to see what could be done for their spiritual
welfare. ‘They were received with songs of praise
by the Herero Christians, who rejoiced that mis-
sionaries of the “Luther church” had come to them,
“the sheep in the desert.” Very touching was
their prayer for the Lord’s Supper. When the mis-
sionaries had their misgivings and seemed to hesi-
tate to administer the Sacrament during their first
visit, one of the Herero Christians said: “We know
that the Sacrament of the Holy Supper is a solemn
and sacred thing, and that no one should come to

the Lord’s table unprepared and with a deceitful ;

heart. ‘The distress and troubles of the past years
haye made our souls hungry and thirsty. Many

Christians we had to leave in the desert —a prey
to wild animals. Many more perished from fever
and other causes. They passed away without the
blessing of the Holy Supper. To-day the fountain
of God’s Word and Sacrament has again been
opened; let us drink and quench our thirst. Ah,
if you knew what it means to long for the Holy
Supper four long years, facing death every day!”

These black Christians put to shame many white
Christians: who think lightly of the comforting
blessing of the Lord’s Supper and neglect God’s
means of grace.

The Power of God’s Word.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century
there: lived in Westphalia a Jew by the name of
Gerson. He was a bitter enemy of Jesus and of
the Christian Church. One day a poor widow
pawned a copy of the New Testament in his shop
for a small sum of money. Gerson invited two of
his Jewish friends to his house and began to read
to them “the book of the Christians ;” they together
made merry over what was read. But the ‘farther
Gerson read the more restless he became. The
power of God’s Word took hold of his heart, and
he was convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, the
promised Savior. He himself says, “There I found
such a light that I must ever give thanks to God.”

Wishing to bring others to the same blessed
light, he became a preacher of the Gospel and
thankfully devoted his life to the service of Christ
and His Church. He died as a Christian preacher
in the year 1627.

Luther and the General.

As Luther was on his way’ to Worms, he met
the great General Frundsberg at an inn. “Are you
the man,” said the General, “who has undertaken
the work of reforming? How will, how can you
accomplish that?” “Yes,” said Luther, “I am the
man, and I rely upon Almighty God, whose: voca-
tion and Word I have with me? ‘his terrified
the General, and looking at Luther with affection
he said: “Dear friend, there is something in what
you say. I am a servant of the great lord, the Em-
peror Charles, and at his command “have made
many heayy marches: But you have a greater mas-
ter than the Emperor Charles is. He also will help
you and stand by you.”—From the German.