The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1911, Page 74

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44. -. “he Lutheran Pioneer.

laid me down and slept and rose again. The Holy
Ghost did the rest through the Gospel.”

Thus the work was dorie. Thus the victory was
won. We still reap its fruits and enjoy its blessings.
Let us joyfully celebrate the Reformation Festival,
giving thanks to God for His great goodness. It
is the festival of a restored Gospel. May we also
show our thanks.for the pure Gospel which” God
has so graciously committed to us by devoting our
prayers and our money to the support and to the
spread of that Gospel, the sinner’s only comfort in
life and in death.

-—— see -—

In God’s Protecting Care.

In the days of the Reformation there lived a
learned divine in Germany named Brentius. His
godly zeal for the pure Gospel had aroused his ene-
mies, who one day sent a band of soldiers to seize
him when they thought he would be off his guard.
The soldiers entered the town, but Brentius had
time to flee, not, however, without their seeing him.
As they chased him through several streets, he was
enabled to outstrip them a little. Then, turning
quickly into a lane, he found his way up a flight
of stairs, at the top of which was a rickety ladder
leading up to a hayloft. He was soon among the
hay, concealed and still. The soldiers ran hither
and thither, and, on coming to the sairs, sought for
him, even poking up the points of their bayonets
through the boards of the hayloft, to see if any one
moved. Brentius kept still, only shrinking back to
escape the touch of the bayonets, till the soldiers
turned away, concluding that no one was there.

So far this was a good hiding-place; but how
was he to live if he continued here? The same Lord
who had guided His servant to this retreat sent
him food; for every morning, during fourteen days,
a hen came to the hayloft and laid an egg in the
hay, which furnished Brentius with food sufficient
to keep him alive.

After the fourteenth day the supply failed, and
he was compelled to leave this shelter, and, accord-
ingly, he cautiously descended into the street. He
found that the soldiers had just left the town, so
that his friends had now full time and opportunity

_to have him taken away safely to another place.

How many ways God has of protecting His
people who trust in Him!

A FOE of the Bible is the foe of God.

A Lutheran Martyr.

The vicar of a parish in Bavaria, Leonhard Kai-
ser, was reported to the Romish bishop as a “here-
tic.” He was thrown into prison and not set free
until he had promised not to preach the evangelical
doctrines. In order not to act against his conscience
he gave up his office and went to Wittenberg, where
he heard the pure Bible doctrine from Luther’s
own mouth.

Two years after, he visited his sick father at his
former home. ‘There he himself fell ill, and was
betrayed by the priest of the place to the Romish
bishop. He was again thrown into prison, and many
attempts were made to induce him to recant his
Lutheran faith. But all in vain. “That which is
founded on the Holy Scriptures I cannot and never
will recant,” he replied.

After he had been condemned to ba burned at
the stake, princes and nobles earnestly interceded
for him with his persecutors in order to save him
from the flames. But in vain. On the 13th of
August, 1537, he was led forth, bound with chains,
to be burned as a “heretic.”

When the martyr came to the place of execution,
his dignified bearing and mild countenance made
such a deep impression upon the many people that
had flocked together that at his desire they began
to sing Luther’s hymn, “Come, Holy Spirit, God
and Lord.” During the singing of this favorite
hymn he was tied to the stake. .To the executioner,
who swore’ because the rope was entangled, he said
kindly, “Do not swear, dear brother! I shall not
escape you, and you can do me no more hurt than
Christ, my Lord, permits.” Then he prayed for
his enemies, praying also that he might die in a
firm Christian faith, __

The fagots were kindled, thick smoke arose, and
soon the flames, like fiery serpents, twined around
his body. The people heard him distinctly pray
with a loud voice, “Jesus, I am Thine; save me!”
A few minutes later his soul passed away to be with
his Lord and Savior for whose Gospel he gave up
his life.

Luther concludes his account of this noble mar-
tyr’s death with the words: “Praise be to God!
O that-I may be worthy of such a confession and
of such a death! What am I? What am I doing?
How ashamed I am that I have not long ago suf-
fered in like manner! Well, so be it! Thy will,
O Lord, be done!”