The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1918, Page 81

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When you finish reading this magazine, place a 1-cent"a'
notice, mail the ma;

NOTICE TO READER, Saae
on this
ine, and it will be placed in the hands of our sol-

diers or sailors destined to proceed overseas.

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A.. S. BURLESON, Postmaater-General.

The Lutheran Pioneer,

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

Popstisuep By THE Evancenican Lutneran SynopicaL CoNFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.

Rev. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

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

Acceptance for malling at special rate of postage provided for In section 1103,
Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5, 1918.

Vol. XL.

The Christian’s Cross and Crown.

Each Christian trav’ling through the ling'ring years
Upon the way that leads to heav’n’s abode,

A cross must carry, oft with bitter tears,

While bleeding footsteps mark the rocky road.

The cross is heavy; oft its weary weight
Too great a burden seems for me to bear;
And as I travel on to heaven's gate,

I’m tempted oft a lighter load to share.

For siren voices sound on ev'ry side,
Intoning notes enchanting to entice
Unwary bearers into pathways wide,
That lead to sinful pleasures, shame, and vice.

And when these lurking temptresses are passed,
ub Despair in terrifying shape appears,
Who fain his nets about eacli soul would ors
And lead them on to doom through doubts and fears.

Each year brings dangers new, each day a foe,
To sap the strength from out my burdened heart.
3 “Lord God, do help Thy servant here below;
¥ Help bear the slipping cross, Thy strength impart!”

I lift mine eyes, and, lo!. there looms to view,

Far down the narrow path, a cross of gold,

Which bears these wondrous words: He Diep ror You!
: . They're blood-stained, yes, but glorious to behold.

These words give life: I grip my cross,
Pass by all sinful pleasures, worldly gain,

. And look to Christ —all else is worthless dross.
For Him V’ll gladly suffer scorn and pain.

In splendor now another message saith,
In words of promise for cternity,
Above His cross: “Be faithful unto death,
And T a crown of life will give to thee.”
H.C. nate!

‘ST. LOUIS, ‘MO, ANE 1918.

No. 11.

Confession.
1 Joun 1, 8—10.

The old Lutheran theologian Urbanus Regius
(1490—1541) in his once famous booklet, “How
to Speak Cautiously and without Giving Offense
of the Foremost Articles of Christian Doctrine,’
also touches upon the false doctrines and practises
of the Roman Catholic Church with regard to con-
fession. He ‘censures the practise of forcing the
laity to enumerate all their sins in confession,
which is impossible. He also condemns the per-
nicious and injurious delusion as if sins were for-
given on account of the human works of contrition
and confession, which entirely passes over Christ’s
merits. May God preserve us from such errors!

Our Catechism, which teaches the chief parts
of Christ’s religion, speaks indeed “cautiously and
without giving offense,” according to His Word.
Concerning confession, the special service which
prepares us for the reception of the Lord’s Supper,
we read in our Catechism: “Confession embraces
two parts: one is that we confess our sins; the
other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness.”

We should confess our sins. In 1 John1,8 we
read: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” There are

many that say, “We have no sin.” Modern disbe--

lievers assert that “there has been no transgression
in the proper sense, but only an upward movement
from a half-brute existence to civilization and en-
lightenment, the last step of advancement being the

discovery that sin is not guilt, but only a point of ,

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