The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1917, Page 9

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The Lutheran Pioneer,

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

Pouvuisuep By Tue EvancenicaL Lurueran Synopican CoNrerence or Norrit AMERICA.
Rev. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Entered at the Post Office nt St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XXXIX. — ST.

LOUIS, MO., FEBRUARY, 1917.

Our Children.
Gov'’s Besr Temvorat Girts.®
Ps. 127 and 12s.
Children? Yes, they’re gifts from heaven,
In our wedlock here below,
By the great Creator given

Holy Baptism.

What is Baptism? A Sunday-school- pin is a
sign that the child that wears it is a member of
a certain Sunday-school.
merely a sign which shows that a person has en-
tered the Church of Christ, but it is an efficacious

Baptism, however, is not_

When He favors would bestow; cans am herebveiperconen cain tiene tr a. a
pastlofiall good! pifish'the Giver means whereby a person actually gains, entrance a
Sardsachontorourtcarthiveliomne: into the Kingdom of Grace. It is a means whereby ;

They have souls to live forever
In the glorious world to come.

It is true, they're born imperfect,
Tainted, stained by Adam’s sin;

But the Christ-child was born perfect,
Thus to make them pure within.

He took from them their offenses,
Shed for them His precious blood;
When baptized, the Spirit cleanses
Them as in a mighty flood.

Jesus knows what things are needed,
Since He, too, was once a child;

Now for them He intercedeth,

He would keep them undefiled.

Bring them to this loving Savior,

Seck His blessings for them all,

Teach them well to serve Him ever
Who would save them, large and small.

Guide them, Lord, ’midst all their ailings
In the everlasting way,

Pray for them, forgive their failings,
And from harm keep them each day;
Teach them to obey Thee ever,

Loving, faithful, true to be.

Savior, oh, forsake them never, —

Save us all eternally!

* Read in the New School at Lafayette, Ind., at an
entertainment of the Walther League in honor of the
Northern Indiana Pastoral Conference, by R. KretzMAny,
| Corunna, Ind.

- saved.”

grace is given us, a means of grace like the Gospel.
It is a Sacrament like the Lord’s Supper, whereby
grace is not only offered and conveyed, but also
sealed to every recipient individually. Those that
are baptized are united with God, for Christ con
manded that all nations should be baptized in —

or, to be more exact, into — the name of the Father ~

and the Son and the Holy Ghost. (Matt. 28, 19.)
By Baptism man enters info communion with the
Triune God.

To His command Christ added. the promise;
which clearly shows the benefit and power of Bap-
iism: “He that believeth and is baptized shall. be
(Mark 16, 16.) Indeed, the benefit and
power of Baptism are unspeakably great. Because
the water of Baptism is connected with the Word
and comprehended in the command of God, this
Sacrament “does three great things.” In the first

place, it works forgiveness of sins. Peter preached

on Pentecost: “Repent, and be baptized, every one

of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis-

sion of sins.’ Ananias said to penitent Saul: “Be
baptized, and wash away thy sins’ As Naaman

was cured of his leprosy by washing seven tinies in

Jordan, so Baptism has cleansed us from sin. Paul

writes: _ “Christ loved the Church, . . . that He
might cleanse tt with the washing of water by the —
Word.” From this it follows that Baptism also —