The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 82

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82 i The Lutheran Pioneer.

Many similar passages did the happy servant
read from his Bible, for he was “deeply read in the

~ oracles of God.” He showed clearly that we are

saved, not by doing, but by believing, and that by
believing in the work of Christ alone, without the
addition of feelings or anything else, we have a
present and certain salvation, of which we are
assured by the infallible Word of God. The Gospel
which he brought to his sick master proved a power
of God unto salvation. It brought comfort and
assurance to his heart, and soon master and servant
rejoiced together in the common salvation.

Thus the poor, humble coachman proved a faith-
ful witness for Christ, and by his testimony became
the instrument in God’s hand to bring the soul of
his master into the way of life.

Every Christian should be a faithful witness.
Having found salvation in Jesus, he should be
diligent in bringing to others the message of Him

who is the sinner’s only hope. Jesus is still saying ©
to every one whom He has delivered from the *

power of the devil, “Tell how great things the
Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion
on thee.” Every child of God is a witness of the
heavenly Father’s love. Every believer in Jesus
can bear testimony to the grace which brought him
comfort and peace. He who has heard and accepted
the Gospel call to salvation will consider it his
duty and his privilege to bring that Gospel to
others. “The Spirit and the bride say, Come!
And let him that heareth say, Come!” Rev. 22, 17.

There Is a God.

All nature tells us that there isa God who has
made and ordered everything so wisely. “The
heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament
showeth His handiwork,” Ps. 19, 1. “O Lord, how
manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou
made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches,”
Ps. 104, 24. ;

He, therefore, that studies the mysteries and
wonders of nature must behold behind them all an

all-wise God, who has made and who governs all —

things.

There has been no greater practical scientist in
these latter days than Thomas A. Edison, who has
been called the “Wizard of Menlo Park” for the
wonderful things he has done with electricity. He
is reported as saying recently, after many years of
study and work: “No person can be brought into
close contact with the mysteries of nature, or make

a study of chemistry, or of the laws of growth,
without being convinced that behind it all there
is a Supreme Intelligence.”

Yes, it is only the fool that says, “There is no
God.” (Ps. 14, 1.) ‘The infidel, who boastingly
asserts his disbelief in the existence of God, and
the modern agnostic, or know-nothing, who says,
“There may be a God, but we do not know whether
there is or not,’— they are both fools, and as
fools they “despise wisdom and instruction,” Prov.
1, 7, no matter how wise they think themselves in
their self-conceit.

Such a self-conceited infidel one day laid open
his folly by arguing against the Christian religion.
Among other things he boastingly said he did not
believe there is a God.

An old preacher, standing near by and listen-
ing to the infidel’s harangue, at last said, “Yes,
yes; I’ve read all about you, sir, a good many
times.”

“Where, please?” the infidel asked in delighted
surprise, thinking himself a celebrated man men-
tioned in the writings of others. But he looked
rather surprised when the old preacher replied:

“Tn the Bible, sir, which you despise. . It says:
‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no
God.”

God’s Word.

If aman wishes to become wise, says Luther,
he must fear God, he must fear the Word as God’s
Word. For this is the chief reason why many people
hear the Word of God (which is nothing but God’s
wisdom), and yet do not learn anything from it,
namely, that they regard it as a word, but not as
God’s Word. ‘They think they understand it as
soon as they have heard it; but if they had respect
of it as the Word of God, they would certainly think

thus: Very well, God is, wiser than you are; He

will also speak greater things.

Submission to God’s Will.

“Are you sanguine of the result of the war?” °
asked Bishop Wilmer of General Lee in the closing
days of the Civil War.

The Christian soldier’s reply was: “At present
I am not concerned with results. God’s will ought
to be our aim, and I am quite contented that His
designs should be accomplished and not mine.”