The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1917, Sheet 51

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A. MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PuBLisHED BY THE EvANGELICAL LuTHeraN SynopicAL ConFERENCE oF NortH AsIERICA.

' REY. F. J. LANKENAU, EpitTor.

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

Vol. XXXIX.

ST. LOUIS, MO., JULY, 1917.

No. 7.

Come All and Praise Ye.

Come all and praise ye

God’s everlasting love!
Christendom, raise ye

Jubilant hymns above!

Come, heed His gracious invitation,
Israel, praise Him with exultation!

His mercy reigneth

Far over land and sea;

What He sustaineth

Worships Him willingly,

While heavenly hosts on high are voicing
Anthems of glory with loud rejoicing.

Lo, every nation,

Hasten to Christ the Lord!

Here is salvation,

Sweet is the Gospel-word.

The quickening bread of life He gives thee;
Pardon and comfort and peace He leaves thee.

Kindly providing,

He granteth meat to all;

Guarding and guiding,.

He stilleth every call;

While sun and cloud obey His sending,
Blessing with blessing forever blending. *

Honor and glory

Let every creature bring!

Coming before Thee, ;

Let all Thy people sing:

Thy love and favor faileth never;
Great is Thy mercy, O Lord, forever!

Adapted from the German Nun preiset alle
by J. T. Muetten.

Three Miracles of Grace.

There is a wonderful transformation of nature
in spring. Instead of winter’s icy winds and
storms, soft and warm breezes are gently blowing
in this joyful season. The bare earth is covered

with a green turf, the trees and bushes are being
clothed with beautiful foliage. Flowers and blos-
soms display their glowing colors and perfume the
air with sweet odors. The good old summer time
and autumn bring additional wonders, viz., the
ripening of fruits, vegetables, and grain. ‘The
miracles of nature, however, serve as pictures of
higher wonders, which belong to the spiritual
world. ‘Three spiritual miracles will engage our
attention in this and the two following doctrinal
articles. These three miracles of grace are re-
generation, justification, and sanctification.

Regeneration, which we shall now consider,,. is
absolutely necessary for all that would reach heaven,
for Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God.” And again He said:
“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born
again.” Indeed, a man cannot be born a second
time in a natural way, by his mother, but he must
be born in a spiritual way; for the Lord said to
Nicodemus in explanation: “Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God.” If regeneration, which signifies a new,
spiritual birth, is so indispensable unto salvation,
it is indeed of vital importance for Christians to
have a clear understanding of this doctrine.

Why, then, is regeneration so needful? Christ
Himself answers this question, when He says to
Nicodemus: “That which is born of flesh is flesh ;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”
(John 3,6). By nature all men are flesh, wherein
“no good thing dwelleth” (Rom. 7,18). They all
were born of the flesh, having inherited the total
depravity of human nature by birth from their
parents. Not, merely the children of the unre-