The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1913, Page 43

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The Lutheran Pioneer,

43

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Fading Flowers.

“The flowers which grow in earth’s garden wither
in our hands while we smell them.” ‘They are as
frail as they are fair. They grow out of the dust,
and to dust they must return. As Herbert says:

Their root is ever in the grave,

And they must die.
How speedy is their withering! They are gathered
by the hand, and laid before us, and they wilt, and
become sickly, fainting, decaying objects. At their
very best their lives smile through a day or two, and
all is over.

What joys of the earth are better and more last-
ing than her flowers? Healih flies, wealth takes to
itself wings, honor is a puff of air, and pleasure is
but a bubble. The earth has nothing lasting to offer
us, nothing. Only heaven can give us lasting things,
“pleasure forevermore,” and “everlasting joy.” ‘The
Rose of Sharon will never wither, and the Lily of
the Valley will never wilt; Jesus is the everlasting
flower that never will decay, for He only has immor-
tality. Such being the case, dear reader, is it not
foolish for you to seek for anything substantial in
the Jand of shadows, or to search for anything last-

ing where everything must decay? Earth’s choicest,

pleasures are but child’s play, and its greatest joys
are like the fading flowers. If you wish a posy that
will never wither, you must seck it in the garden of
God; there gather the Heart’s-ease which the Lord
offers, there pluck the Forget-me-nots from beds
which your Savior has planted, and there get your
Crown-Imperial that never will fade. Yes, dear
soul, seek that bliss which is lasting; turn to God,
the Fountain of all true and permanent joy, then
happiness will be yours in this life, and the per-
fection of bliss will be yours in that land where
fading and withering things are unknown.

Rev. David Koonts.

There were colored Lutherans in the South be-
fore the Civil War. The white Lutherans who kept
slaves provided for their spiritual wants. On the
galleries of the churches places were assigned to
them, and the pastors of the Lutheran congrega-
tions baptized and confirmed the children of the
slaves. After the white people had communed, the

Lutheran slaves, too, were admitted to the Lord’s

Supper. - ,
When emancipation came, however, they were

set adrift, were as sheep without a shepherd, and
were swallowed by the sects at their revival meetings.

But here and there some were found who re-
mained faithful to the Lutheran Church. Among
them was David Koonts, of Davidson Co., N. C.
He, more than any other, paved the way for the
energetic mission work of the Synodical Conference
among the colored people in North Carolina, and it
is meet that at the 25th anniversary of his ordina-
tion his services should be remembered.

When freedom dawned upon the fettered people,
David found himself, like tens of thousands of
others, in the darkness of ignorance; but, unlike
many others, he set about to acquire an education
in a small way. The Blueback Speller, which has
been instrumental in producing so many great men
in our country, helped to make of the ex-slave a
preacher. It was slow and hard work. Oil lamps
and candles were not often found in the cabins of
the poor negroes in those days, but the pine-knot
was cheap, it could be had for the chopping. In
the light of that pine-knot and in his leisure hours
during the day he pursued his studies of the Blue-
back Speller. By such perseverance he at length
mastered the art of spelling the words before read-
ing them.

From a Lutheran pastor he borrowed an old
Bible. This at first he used as a text-book; but
he soon found that it had spirit and life, and it
became to him the power of God unto salvation, for
it brought him to the knowledge of his sins and to
faith in his Savior. What he had read and learned
he loved to communicate to others. He became
prominent at religious meetings in his county. At
these meetings Brother Koonts was called on to lead
in prayer, start the “chune,” and say a few words
on the subject. If any one had a question to ask
“for information,” Brother Koonts was requested
to give the answer.

From prayer-leader and “chune-starter” he was
advanced to local preacher. ‘The people used to call
them “loafer” preachers, which was really more to
the point; for when one got the idea into his head
that he was called to preach he became disinclined
to do manual Jabor and inclined to loaf. Like other
local celebrities of his class, Brother Koonts put a
“Rey.” before"his name, and sported a long black
coat and a white tie. He preached to Baptists and
Methodists wherever an opportunity was afforded
him, but admitted frankly that he was a Lutheran.
from *way back before the war. He was not, how-
ever, a popular preacher at that time, and that for