The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 67

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 67

hiding of any sins from the confessor precludes
absolution. ‘Thus confession is made a torture and
a torment, and poor sinners are never certain of
forgiveness. On the other hand, where private con-
fession is free and voluntary, it brings comfort to
the sinner and strengthens his faith, for it assures
him that God is his loving and gracious Father in
Christ Jesus.

It requires but little thought to see what great

.comfort Absolution must afford every poor sinner,

whether it be private or general, and we should,
therefore, never neglect to make diligent use of this
institution. F. J. L.

-—_——_—--.,_>- 0-2 —_

Hold Up Your Light.

We can always do something, be it ever so little,
for our neighbor when in need and distress. And
that little something may be a very great thing
without our knowing it. A pastor writes:

“During a voyage to India, I sat, one dark even-
ing, in my cabin, feeling unwell. Suddenly the cry
of ‘Man overboard!’ made me spring to my feet.
I heard a trampling overhead, but resolved not to
go on deck, lest I should interfere with the crew
in their efforts to save the poor man. ‘What can
I do? I asked myself, and unhooking my lamp,
I held it near the top of my cabin and close to my

_ bull’s-eye window, that its light might shine on the
“sea and as near as possible to the ship. In half a

minute’s time I heard the joyful cry, ‘It’s all right,
he’s safe,’ upon which I put my lamp in its place.
The next day, however, I was told that my little
lamp was the means of saving the man’s life; it
was by the timely light which shone upon him that
the knotted rope could be thrown so as to reach
him.”

————_oeo———_

The Difference between Belief and Unbelief.

A Norwegian Lutheran missionary in Zululand,
Africa, usually meets with his native helpers on
Saturdays to review with them the Sunday texts
as they on Sundays go out to teach among their
people. On one occasion, when speaking on the
history recorded in Mark 9, 14—29, he asked one
of the teachers: “What is belief, and what is un-
belief? And how would you explain both to your
hearers ?”

The following answer was given: “Belief means
holding fast to Christ and His Word; unbelief
means getting away from Christ and His Word.”

And this the native teacher tried to explain thus:
“We know that at certain fords in Zululand there
are strong men who carry the people over when
the rivers are high. Before they go through the
river, they tell those who are to be carried over to
cling to them and hold fast. He who has confidence
in the carrier -and does what he says, gets over,
whilst he who loses his trust and lets go, perishes
in the river. Here we have belief and unbelief.
He that believes in Christ holds fast to Him, no
matter what happens to him in life; he holds fast
to Christ and does what He says. He passes well
through this world and lands on the beautiful shore
beyond the river of death. The unbeliever, how-
ever, perishes on the way because he has no guide,
no leader, no carrier.”

The missionary was pleased and satisfied with
the answer given by the native teacher.

A Silent Peacemaker.

“T was a peacemaker to-day,” said little Annie
happily, on her return from school’ one Monday
afternoon. The Sunday school lesson the day be-
fore had been on the Savior’s words: .“Blessed are
the peacemakers; for they shall be called the chil-
dren of God.” The text had greatly impressed little
Annie, and she had evidently been trying to carry
its teachings into effect. “I know I was a peace-
maker,” she said.

- “What makes you think so?” asked some one
in a teasing tone.

“?Cause there was something I didn’t tell,” re-
plied Annie.

The answer provoked a smile; a was not the
child right? There is a good deal of peacemaking
in’ not ‘telling things — things that we hear and
that would cause ill feeling, and enmity, and strife
when repeated.

Prayer for Missions.

Prayer is a great power in the kingdom of God.
In missions, in particular, we need the strengthen-
ing that is in, prayer. It-is much more difficult to
pray for missions than to give ‘to them. As far as
I can see there are five principal Points to be. in-
cluded in the content of prayer for missions: mis-
sionary workers, converts, those in authority in mis-
sion fields, ea of missions, and thanksgiving.

Dr. Warneck.