The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1915, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

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19

ply.” On the sixth day He created cattle, creeping
things, and the other animals. God called all this
into being oul of nothing by His almighty word.
Not by virtue of human reason, but “through faith
we understand that the worlds were framed by the
word of God,
not made of things which do appear.”

After
at last
dust of

so that things which are seen were
(Heb. 11, 3
having finished all other creatures, God
made man, carefully forming him of
the ground, and then breathing
nostrils the breath of life, thus giving him a won-
derfully organized body and a rational soul. Above
all, the Lord showed His kindness by making man
in the divine image, which consists in blissful knowl-
edge of God and in perfect righteousness and holi-
ness, and which, alas! was lost by the fall. How-
ever, a beginning of its renewal is made in believers,
while will be fully
to come.

the
into his

restored in the blessed life
all of whom were
Later, many, under the
Jeadership of Satan, fell away from their heavenly
King, and, rebelling against Him, “kept not their
first estate, but left their own habitation.” These
evil spirits have been permanently, forever, rejected
by God, “reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day.”
(Jude 6.) As the wily, raging, irreconcilable foes
of the Most High they make it their point to hurt
and ruin the body and, especially, the soul of man,
God's creature.

The good angels, on the other hand, the strong
heroes that always behold the heavenly Father's
face, do not only serve and glorify the Lord of
Hosts, but also minister to us, guarding us against
physical and spiritual danger. In Luther’s beau-
tiful morning and evening prayer, we therefore
ask God: “Let Thy holy angel be with me, that
the wicked Foe may have no power over me.”

God also preserves and governs all things for
the welfare of His children. He gives us all that
we need for our subsistence, and protects us from
harm and evil. How innumerable the gifts are
that He continually bestows upon us! At present
we ought to be especially thankful for the preser-
vation of peace and prosperity within the borders
of our beloved country.

God also made the angels,
at first holy and perfect.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

H. Osterius.

Women and Missions.

In the book of Exodus (35, 25—29) we are
told of the active part which the women of Israel
took in preparing the tabernacle in the wilderness.
We there read that it was not an insignificant part
which the women took in the furnishing of the
temple of Jehovah, working diligently to complete
the work Moses had directed to be done. They
spun cloth with their hands and brought that which

they had spun. And the fact is emphasized that
they did all this with very willing hearts.

This was many thousands of years
ago. But we may see the same beautiful picture
to-day in our churches. Many are the sacrifices
which the good women in our churches are making
in money, time, and .strength for the cause of
Christ in the home land and abroad. ‘The story
of the part women have had in the development
and the conquests of missions is thrilling and in-
spiring, For the Negro, for the red man, for the
immigrant, for the poor, for the outcast, for the
neglected children in our own country, as well as
for the heathen abroad —the noble women of our
churches have toiled, collecting and distributing
funds, preparing mission boxes, finding time in
the midst of their many household cares to send
help and the Gospel message to those who are
in need.

The women have indeed had their part in build-
ing churches, in saving the ignorant and vicious,
and in caring for the orphans and widows. Those
laboring in the Colored Mission field know and
can tell much about the noble work done by our
Christian women, and the laborers in the foreign
and other fields can do so no less. ‘The women
of ancient Israel have many imitators among us.
God bless them for their unselfish labors, and gra-
ciously reward them for their work of love! —

years ago,

—_—_——_—————

“Ain’t It the Truth?”

On Friday, February 5, the last charter member
of our Little Rock Colored Mission fell asleep in
Jesus. When, on July 3, “1878, as already stated
in the last number of the PioNEER, a congregation
was organized, there were four members: Tosco
Lewis, Leaborn Jones, Leah Jones, and Mary
Williams. ‘Three of these passed away long ago, —
but good old Aunt Leah Jones was still with us.

She was a faithful old soul, remaining true to her