The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1917, Sheet 75

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NOTICE TO READER.

When you finish reading this magazine, place a 1-cent stamp on this
notice, hand same to any postal employee, and it will be placed in the
hands of our soldiers or sailors at ne front,

No Wrapping — No Address,

. 8S, BURLESON, Postmaster-General.

The Lutheran Pioneer, —

A. MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

Pusiisuep By THE Hyancenican, LuruERAN SynopicaL ConrERENcE or NortH AMERICA.

ReEv. F. J. LANKENAD, EDITOR.

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

Vol. XXXIX,

ST. LOUIS, MO., OCTOBER, 1917.

No. 10.

Luther, the Angel of the Reformation.
(Rev. 14, 6. 7.)

“T Saw an angel in mid-heaven fly,
Proelaiming the eternal Gospel truth
To every tribe and tongue, to age and youth,
To all that dwell on earth, both far and nigh.

“‘Fear God,’ he cried, ‘and praise Him lest ye weep;
His judgment-hour is come; and bow the knee
Before the Lord that made the foaming sea
And earth and heay’n and water fountains deep.’”

Our Luther was this angel! —Let us, then,

As children of the Reformation, prize

And spread the Gospel, and with holy joys

Show forth God’s praises to the world of men.
H, Osternus.

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The Watchword of the Reformation:
All Glory to God!

The glory of God is the end and aim of our
creation, redemption, and sanctification. David
sings in the 19th Psalm: “The heavens declare
the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His
handiwork.”
angelic host descended from on high and, in an-
ticipation of the great work of redemption to be
performed by the new-born Savior, sang: “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
will toward men.” Referring to our sanctification,
Peter writes: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a peculiar people, an holy nation, that
ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath
called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light.”

When the Redeemer was born, the -

The glory of God was also the purpose of the
Reformation; its end and aim from beginning to
end was the praise and exaltation of God. From
the penning of the very first of his Ninety-five
Theses to his last breath Luther’s watchword was,
“All Glory be to God!” This is most plainly to
be seen from the fact that the fundamental teach-
ing of the Reformation was that the Bible, as the
written Word of God, is the only standard of faith
and life.

When Luther, four hundred years ago, posted
his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle
Church at Wittenberg, he by no means thought
that he would be lauded for this deed after the
lapse of four centuries by many millions of people.
It was not the wish paramount in his heart to call
attention to himself and his deed. His first and
chief consideration, in fact, his only purpose in
publishing the document, became apparent at once
from: his first thesis, which begins with the words,
“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ says.”
His one desire was that the Holy Scriptures, as
God’s revealed Word, be unreservedly accepted as
the only rule and guide of faith and life. It was
the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the
Bible that Luther wanted to rule supreme in all
spiritual matters. With Samuel Luther said:
“Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth.” Much rather
would he have his right hand lose its cunning and
his tongue cleaye to the root of his mouth than
that he should depart from the truth as revealed
in the Bible. For he knew and realized that it is
only by strict adherence to Scripture that all honor
and glory is given to God. As sure as it is true
what Samuel said to King Saul, that obedience is