The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1912, Page 31

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

A Missionary’s Last Words.

The Lutheran missionary Bartholomew Ziegen-
balg, the pioneer Protestant missionary to India,
died in that country, February 23, 1719, after hav-
_ ing translated the Bible into the language of the
natives among whom he faithfully labored amid
many difficulties and hardships. is last words
were: “I can speak no more. May God make that
a blessing which I have written. —TI have daily
resigned myself to the will of my God.— Christ
says: ‘Where I am, there shall also my servant be.’
How bright it is growing before my eyes, just as
if the dear sun were shining into my eyes!”

These were his last words. Then, upon his re-
quest, his favorite hymn was sung:

: Jesus Christ, my sure Defense
And my Savior, ever liveth.

During the singing of that Easter hymn he

passed away to be forever with the Lord.

o-oo

Our Sinless High Priest.

God alone is without sin, and the only man
without sin is Christ, because Christ is also God.
“For such a High Priest became us who is holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens; who needeth not
daily, as those high priests [in the Old Testament]
to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then
forthe people’s; for this He did once, when He
offered up Himself,” Hebr. 7, 26. 27.

For Christ’s Sake.

Sir Charles Eliot, Governor of Bengal, India,
relates the following : —
“The next heir to the chieftain, or king, was
a quiet man, making no outward show, but he and
his wife had turned from the idols to serve the
living God. As I got to know him more and more,
I saw how honest and true a man he was. The
chieftain died, and this man was the next heir. The
people came to him and said, ‘We like you very
much, but if you are to be our king, you must
sacrifice to the gods of the valleys, the forests, the
mountains, the rain god, the cholera god, and the
other evil spirits who have power to hurt us. If
not, we must choose another man.”
* «Fis answer at once was, ‘I cannot do it. I serve
the true God.’ And so he had to earn his living

31

by keeping a little shop and working on his own
little field. He never spoke of this great deed
abroad, and yet he was perhaps the only man living
in the world who had given up a kingdom for
Christ’s sake.”

a

NOTES.

Mrnerrty, Va. — On the morning of February
17, death paid a visit to our congregation, and
claimed as his victim “Mamma” Rachel Arvine, an
old, tired, but faithful member. “Mamma” Rachel
was about eighty-six years old. She was stricken
with paralysis february 3. — Although the deceased
was well advanced in years, her seat in church was
never empty. She was minded as David was, who
says: “Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy
house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth.”
— The congregation feels its loss very much in hav-
ing to give up such a faithful member; but then,
“Lord, Z'hy will be done!’ The funeral services
were attended by a large gathering of both white
and colored. R. 0. Lynn.

Statistics. —In a report of our Colored Mis-
sions it is said: At the close of last year there were
31 congregations and preaching places in 8 different
states. These were served by 13 white and 8 colored
pastors. ‘The mission numbered 2,171 baptized
souls; communicant members, 851; voting mem-
bers, 233. As to property, they own 23 chapels, .
9 schoolhouses, 3 parsonages, 2 colleges, and 2 resi-
dences for professors. . The support of the work, if
only to be continued as hitherto, amounts annually
to $20,400.

Brste Work. — It is reported that in one year
the New York Bible Society has distributed 56,386
copies of the Scriptures in thirty languages to ini-
migrants landing at Ellis Island; 14,616 volumes
to sailors on vessels of all kinds; 10,505 Bibles have
been placed in hotels of the city; 97 humane and
criminal institutions, missions and hoépitals have
been supplied. Over 60,000 volumes have been dis-
tributed through pastors, missionaries, and church
visitors. A total of over 150,000 volumes has been

- circulated.

.A Grvrxc Sunpay-ScHoot.— There is, in a
yery poor part of London, a Sunday-school with an
average attendance of 300, which supports: 1. Its
own lady missionary in China, $400 a year; 2. its

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