The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 33

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PusuisuEp BY THE EvanGenicaAL Lurneran Synopicat ConrerENCcE oF Nortit AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Eprror.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

ST. LOUIS, MO., MAY,

1909.

No. 5.

Christian Assurance.

“Forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain
in the Lord.” / Cor. 15, 58.

Go when the skies are brightest,
And smoothest is the road;

Go where the fields are whitest,
And gather sheaves for God.

To cheerful toil inviting,

O what a best employ,

When, all our powers exciting,
God’s service is our joy.

Go when the way is dreary,

And fears the bosom thrill;

When heart and steps grow weary,
God guides and guards thee still.
O dally not with seasons,

The weakness nor the pain;

Ask not the Savior’s reasons —

Ye cannot toil in vain.

What though thy foes ure strongest,
And cruel be their rage,

The day of conflict longest,

And none thy wounds assuage;
Though fainting now, and bleeding,
Doubt not thy strength and shield;
The Savior ‘still is leading,

And all thy foes shall yield.

O blest, divine assurance!

Our weary toil and tears

But sweeten faith’s endurance —

A day of triumph nears,

When Christ, His trophies bringing,
Will call from pain and strife,
And we, victorious singing,

Receive the crown of life!
8. Dyer.

The Debt Paid.

Henry Clay, the great American statesman, was
at one time greatly troubled by a debt of $10,000
due to the Northern Bank of Kentucky at Lexing-
ton. Some of his friends in different parts of the
country heard of his condition, and quietly raised
the money and paid off the debt.

Not knowirig what had been going on, Clay
went to the bank one day and, addressing the
cashier, said: “TI have called to see you in reference
to that debt of mine to the bank.”

“You don’t owe us anything,’ replied the
cashier. ;

“Why!” said Clay; “how am I to understand
you?”

“A number of friends have paid off the debt,
and you do not owe this bank one dollar,” was
the reply. .

The tears rushed to Mr. Clay’s eyes, and, unable
to speak, he turned and walked out of the bank.

This is a faint image of what Jesus has done
for us. Our sins in thoughts, words, and deeds
form a debt, and that debt is so large that we could
never pay it. And yet that debt must be paid if we
are to escape punishment. If not paid, we would
be cast into the prison-house of hell to stay there
till we had paid the uttermost farthing, that is,
for all eternity; for we could never pay that debt.

And now behold the greatness of God’s love!
God so loved the world that He gave His only-
begotten Son to pay the debt for us, and thus to
redeem us from everlasting damnation. The Son
of God-became man and took our place under the“
Law and paid our debt with His own precious blood
and with His innocent sufferings and death. When