The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 37

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Having finished the work of our redemption, He
ascended into heaven and “is set on the right hand
of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a min-
ister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle,”
Hebr. 8, 1. 2, making intercession for us, Hebr.

eS

‘Jesus, Lover of My Soul.”’

During the Civil War, the Rey. Mr. Rankin was
serving under the Christian Commission and was
often called to minister to the wounded and dying.
After one of the battles he was bending over a dying
soldier. Ife had ministered to the physical wants
of the brave sufferer as best he could, and then
offered a brief prayer commending him to the merci-
ful Savior. “Is there anything more I can do for
you?” said the minister as he was about to go to
the help of others. “Yes,” said the dying soldier,
“please sing to me ‘Jesus, Lover of My Soul.’”
Softly and tenderly the minister sang, as never be-
fore, with the thought that it was comforting a
human soul in its extremity. As the words floated
out in the darkness, where the dead and the wounded
lay, a strange quiet fell upon all, and the dying
man clasped the hand of the singer with a heart full
of gratitude, while he sang on:

Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide,

O receive my soul at last!

With the closing strains there seemed to come
a sweet peace over the dread battle-plain. The sol-
dier relaxed his grasp; the prayer was heard; he
had’ gone to be with the Savior.

i.

“Was There Some Bran There?’’

John Frederick, the pious Elector of Saxony
and friend:of Luther, once spoke with a rich noble-
- man about the Gospel and its blessings. The noble-
man, whose only concern was how to get more
money, said, “What do I care about the Gospel!
Most gracious lord, what does the Gospel con-
cern me?” :

Some one told Dr. Luther this, and the Doctor
said: “The good man is right.
bran there?” And then he told the fable of the
lion who, once upon a time, prepared a great and
costly feast, and invited all the beasts to be present.
‘The hog was also invited. Now when the excellent
food was placed before the guests, and they were

Was there some ~

34

invited to eat freely, the hog threw up his snout
and asked, “Is there some bran here?”

Thus, said Luther, it is with our worldly-minded
men. We ministers place before them in our
churches the best and most precious food, forgive-
ness of sin, the grace of God, and eternal life, but
they throw up their snouts, scratch around, and ask
after dollars, or some other worldly treasure.

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also,” says Christ.

Right Over It.

One Sunday morning an old gentleman was on
his way to church. He was a happy, cheerful Chris-
tian, but somewhat singular in his manner of giv-
ing reproof. As-he was going along, he met a man
driving a heavily loaded cart through the town.

When the old gentleman came opposite the cart,
he suddenly stopped, and lifting up both hands, as
if in alarm, he exclaimed, as he gazed under the
cart:

“There, there, you are going ovér it; you have
gone right over it!”

The driver was each: and instantly cried
out, “Whoa, whoa!” He then looked under the

“wheels, expecting to see the mangled remains of

some innocent child, or at least some poor dog or
cat that had been crushed to death.

But after gazing about and not seeing anything
under the wheels, he looked at the gentleman who
had so strangely arrested his attention, and anx-
iously asked, “What have I gone over, sir?”

“Over the Third Commandment, my friend:
‘Thow shalt sanctify the holy-day!”’ was the slow
reply of the aged friend.

—_-_—__« e--_____—__

A Child’s Prayer.

. There is a touching story told of a little girl
who was to undergo an operation. The physician
said to her as he was about to place her upon the
operating table, “Before we can make you well, we.
must put you to sleep.” The little girl looked up
and, smiling, said, “Oh, if you are going to put me
to sleep, I must say my prayers first.” Then she
kmelt down beside the table and said:

Now I lay me down tossleep, _

I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,

I pray Thee, Lord, my soul to take.