The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1911, Page 82

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is none other than the perfect righteousness of
Christ secured for all sinners. It is brought and
offered to all in the Gospel to be taken by faith.
The moment the sinner in true faith accepts the
Gospel and trusts in the righteousness of Christ, he
comes into possession of this righteousness; he is
clothed in this righteousness as in a beautiful, spot-
less dress; all his sins are covered and forgiven; he
is a child of God, enjoying all the blessings of
Christ’s work for sinners. “Blessed are they whose
iniquities:are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not im-
pute sin,” says the Bible. The believer, trusting in
the perfect righteousness of Christ, may in his last
hour even welcome death, and may say in the con-
fidence of a simple and unquestioning faith:
_ I fall asleep in Jesus’ wounds,
* There pardon for my sins abounds;
Yea, Jesus’ “blood and righteousness
My jewel_are, my glorious dress,
.. Wherein before my God J stand
When I shall reach the heavenly land. ,
With peace and joy I now depart,
God's child I am with all my heart;
I thank thee, Death, thou leadest me
To that true life where 1 would be.
So, cleansed by Christ, I fear not death.
Lord’ Jesus, strengthen Thou my faith!

A Word in Season.

In a little cottage on Staten Island, overlooking
the entrance to New York, there lived, some years
ago, an old. retired sea captain. Hundreds of times
he had crossed the stormy: Atlantic, and now, in his
old age, his delight was to sit on the hillside and
watch the incoming and outgoing vessels. He was
a man highly esteemed for his noble character, but,
like many others, he had been indifferent to reli-
gion. The aged pastor of the place called to sce
him one beautiful afternoon in October,-and as
they sat and talked in the sunshine, a great ocean
steamer came up the bay.

The pastor said, “Captain, I suppose that you
have brought your ship up Bat course hundreds of
times ?”

The captain quickly replied; “No, never... You
know that the pilot always met us outside and came
aboard. Had I ever attempted to bring the vessel
in, my company, in case of pscident, could have re-
covered no-insurance.”

The pastor asked, roe the » epi came aboasd :

what did you.do?” |:.;.:.,. :

The Lutheran Pioneer.

“T simply turned the ship over to him and was
obedient to his orders. I trusted in him to bring
us safe into the harbor.”

Then the aged pastor quietly grasped the old
captain’s hand, and looking tenderly into his face,
said, “Captain, you are getting on in years; you
are nearing the harbor; don’t you think that it is

_time that you allowed the Great Pilot to come

aboard and take charge?” He then spoke to him
of man’s sin and God’s grace, and told him the way
of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, the
Savior of sinners.

The captain listened attentively. ‘he pastor,
pressing his hand, at last said, “Trust in Jesus!
He alone can bring you safe into the harbor of
everlasting life.”

There was silence for a few moments. ‘The cap-
tain.seemed to be lost in deep thought. Soon tears
began to flow down the furrows of the old weather-
beaten face. He lifted his head, and a new light
came into his eyes as he said, “Pastor, I see it.
The Lord Jesus shall be my Pilot. I trust in Him
for salvation. He will bring me safe into harbor.”

The pastor’s words proved a word in-season.

os.

Seek the Lost Sheep.

We once heard a preacher tell the story of an
artificial bee that would buzz and fly around. ‘The
man who made it placed it on a table beside a real
bee and then challenged any one in a large com-
pany of people to tell the difference. A man secured
a drop of honey, and placed it upon'the table. ‘The
real bee went directly for the honey, while the arti-

* ficial bee continued to buzz and fly around.

‘So, said the preacher, there are those who pro-
fess to love God buzzing around in what they call
church activities “cumbered with much’ serving.”
but who will not feed His sheep. They profess to
be Christians; but they do not care much for mis-
sion work by which ‘the lost sheep are sought and
brought to the fold. A real child of God goes after
the lost sheep. He is a follower of Him who came
to seek and to save that which is lost, and who said,
“My meat is to do the: will of Him that sent me,
and to finish His work.”

““YHANKSGIVING makes our prayers bold and
strong and sweet; feeds and sokindlee them as with
coals of fire.” — Lather.