The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1910, Page 30

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30

‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

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A Humble Worker.

Some years ago, a young Oxford student gave
up brilliant prospects at home to take up mission
work at one of the missionary stations in darkest
Africa. Before he could do any active service in
the mission field, he was stricken with the fever. All
that was possible was done to save his life, but in
vain. He was humble and well contented with God’s
ways. A few hours before his death, he said to those
gathered about his bedside:

“T do not regret that my life is taken in the
very beginning of this work. We all know how
many stones must be buried in the bed of a stream
before the completed bridge can span the waters.
They do not show, and nobody ever thinks of them,
but their part is as important as that of the stones
in the arch of the bridge which all can see and ad-
mire. Iam content to be one of those stones buried
in the bed of the stream, if upon my grave can be
built a Christianized Africa.”

Let us be humble in God’s service and contented,
if we are but “stones in the bed of the stream,” un-
seen by men.

A Faithful Witness.

Of a faithful witness unto Christ in a heathen
land a missionary in India gives the following
report:

During the last few months there was much
distress at the mission station, also among the mem-
bers of our church. There was sickness in almost
every family, and death carried off many victims.

Among these was also Luke, my old faithful
hostler. As such he faithfully served our mission
for almost sixteen years. Though he had but little
learning and was not well practiced in reading and
writing, he knew a large part of the Holy Scripture,
both of the Old and the New Testament. He also
made good use of his Bible knowledge, and wher-
ever opportunity offered testified of Jesus, the Sav-
ior of souls. Through his untiring efforts many of
his countrymen were led to Christ and His Chureh.

He also brought up his family in the nurture .

and admonition of the Lord. His sons are pious
men, who haye never given me occasion for com-

plaint. -They lead a godly life in this heathen -

Sodom.

I was-also very much surprised at the Christian
conduct of Luke’s wife after her hushand’s death.
When I some years ago buried one of Luke’s chil-

dren, we had much trouble in keeping the mother
from throwing herself into her child’s grave. But
now, at the grave of her husband, she was so calm,
so resigned to God’s will. When, before the burial,
T came near the house, I heard some one pray, and
as I came nearer the room where the corpse was,
I saw Luke’s widow standing with her daughters-
in-law and their mothers before the corpse and
heard her thanking God in a calm, loud voice for
having given her such a Christian husband. She
prayed God for His comfort, and also for grace to
find her husband again in heaven. It was the first
time that I heard a native Christian offer such a
prayer. I listened to it all without being observed
by her, else I should surely have missed what was to
me so strengthening and comforting. “No,” adds
the missionary, “we do not labor in vain. This I
have again learned from the blessed death of our
dear brother Luke, the faithful witness of Jesus.”

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Keep the Fire Burning.

At Pandur, a mission station near Madras in
India, there lived in a miserable hut, some years
ago, a poor Christian known among the people as
“poor Jacob.” ‘I'o the missionary, who one day
visited him, he said, “Father, is not Christianity
somewhat like the ricepot on the fire? As long as
the fire of. faith and love burns, all is well; the
heart grows wiser and better. But when the fire
is out, then evil thoughts and lusts creep into the
heart and corrupt it as ants and other insects creep
into the rice.”

The Greatest Service.

If my brother comes to me, saying: “Dear
brother, I am troubled in my conscience, give me
a word of absolution,” I am free to do this and
to tell him the Gospel, how that he should take
hold of Christ’s work, believing that the rightcous-

ness of Christ is truly his own; and that his own’

sins are truly Christ’s. ‘This is, indeed, the greatest
service I may do to my fellovmen. — Luther.
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Christ Only. .

The whole world shall and can have no other
light by which it may be lightened than Christ only.
This faith and confession is the right foundation on
which the Christian Church is built. — Luther.