The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 74

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74

I pray Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, receive my poor
soul into Thy hands. O heavenly Father, although
I must quit this body and be torn away from this
life, I nevertheless know assuredly that I shall be
with Thee forever, and that no one shall pluck me
out of Thy hands.” Then three times he repeated
from the Bible the Gospel passage: “God so loved
the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life.”

The Lutheran Church still rejoices in the pos-
session of the pure Gospel, which God restored to
us through His servant Dr. Martin Luther, and
well may we as children of the Reformation cele-
brate the Reformation festival with thanksgiving
to God for His great blessing. The Reformation
festival also admonishes us to new diligence in hold-
ing fast what we have, and to greater zeal in bring-
ing to others the great treasure. The Gospel of
Jesus is the sinner’s only hope, and the spreading
of that Gospel must be the inspiration and aim of
all our mission work.

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Plainness of Speech.

Many years ago, students of Princeton Seminary
were in the habit of preaching at a station some
distance from that place. Among their regular
hearers was a sincere and humble,- but uneducated

. Christian colored slave, called Uncle Sam. On his

return home, he would try to tell his mistress what
he could remember of the sermon, but .complained
that the students were too deep and learned for
him. One day, however, he came home in great
good humor, saying that a poor “unlarnt” old man,
just like himself, had preached that day, who, he
supposed, was hardly fit to preach to the white
people; but he was glad he came, for his sake, for
_ he could remember everything he had said. On in-
quiry it was found that Uncle Sam’s “unlarnt” old
‘preacher was the learned Rey. Dr. Archibald Alex-
ander, who, when he heard the criticism, considered
it a high compliment. E

A similar compliment was paid to the celebrated
Dr. Whately, as we learn from Arthur Helps, who
tells the story of an illiterate soldier at the chapel
of Lord Morpeth’s castle in Ireland. Whenever the
learned Archbishop Whately came to preach, it was
noticed that this somewhat rough soldier was always
in his place, mouth open, listening attentively.
Some of the gentlemen teased him, thinking that

_his keen attention was due to the vulgar admiration

“better reason, and was able to give it.

‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

of a celebrated man. But the rough soldier had a
He said:
“That isn’t it at all. The Archbishop is easy to
understand. There are no fine words in him. A fel-
low like me can follow along and take every bit of
it in.”

It was one of America’s greatest speakers that
said: “Speak so that the lowest may understand,
and the rest will have no trouble.”

Luther said: “I preach as simply as” possible.
I want the common people, and children, and sery-
ants to understand me.”

eee

A Confession.

The Rev. J. T. Finn, formerly a Romish
priest, explained in a lengthy letter to his old
parishioners why he felt compelled to leave the
Romish Church. Among other things he said:
“Christ is not, as Rome represents, a cruel and hard
Judge who needs to be appeased. The Scriptures
represent Him as a loving, sympathizing Savior
and the Friend of sinners, ever willing to hear the
cry of the penitent.” At the close of his letter he
said: “I never had rest of soul while I remained
in the Church of Rome. There was a feeling of
dissatisfaction all along, for the affections of a
pious Roman Catholic are divided between the
church, the saints, and other objects of devotion;
but I now see that the heart can never find true rest
till its affections are centered in One — the Lord
Jesus Christ.”

~~» eS

Teaching the Catechism.

Dr. Christian Scriver entered the Lutheran min-
istry in the year 1653, soon after the terrible Thirty
Years’ War, which brought much suffering and ruin
to the Church in Germany. He was a very con-
scientious and self-denying pastor. In regard to
the importance of teaching the Catechism he writes:

“I have again introduced the instruction of the
young and the teaching of the holy Catechism, which
had been obstructed and abandoned on account of
the disturbed condition of the Church. I often have
left the pulpit tired and exhausted, and yet have
not let it annoy me to stand half an hour longer
among the children, and explain the Catechism to
them in simple language. It is to be wished that

the congregations which have hitherto been neg-

ligent in this might at last see their mistake, and
at ‘once introduce the teaching of the Catechism.”