The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1932, Page 135

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER 135

yes, she was very poor, in this world’s goods. But
she was rich in faith. As a poor lost and con-
demned sinner she clung firmly to the Gospel of
Jesus, which at all times filled her heart with joy
and happiness. In that Gospel she found all her
riches and never wished to be anything else but
“a poor sinner saved by grace.” Her strong faith
and unclouded joy reminded one of that verse in the
Bible which says: “Hath not God chosen the poor
of this world rich in faith and heirs of the King-
dom which He had promised to them that love
Him?” Jas. 2, 5.

Aunt Judy was taken sick, very sick. There
was no hope of her: getting well again. A young
student of theology, who often visited the colored
folks in their cabins, came to see her on her dying-
bed. He found her quite happy at the thought that
she would soon be with her “blessed Lord” and
bright “in full assurance of faith.” So he thought
he would try her thoroughly and said to her: “Aunt
Judy, you will not think it unkind in me to say
that you are a poor, ignorant, old creature, and no-
body cares whether you live or die. When you are
gone, the overseers of the poor will place your body
in an unpainted coffin and bury it in the paupers’
corner of the graveyard, and there will not even
be a plank to mark where you lie. But God is
a very great God; He made the world, and the sun,
and the moon, and the stars, and all that is in the
world, and He has millions of’ people to look after,
some of them rich and mighty. You tell me you
are sure He has saved your soul; but what good
could it do this great God to save a worthless old
sinner like you?”

Aunt Judy understood the meaning of the ques-
tion in a moment, and looking up with a smile that
made her black and wrinkled features almost beau-
tiful, she raised her hand and, answering eagerly,
said: “Ah, my boy, God is gwin’ to pint de angels
to me and tell ’em to see what His grace can do.”
The student learned a good deal of theology that
day and sat with bowed head beside the dear old
saint as her soul passed away to her heavenly home
to bask forever in the smiles of her dear Savior.
How well she had learned the purpose of God in
saving us as given by the Apostle Paul: “That in
the ages to come He might show the exceeding
riches of His grace in His kindness toward us
through Christ Jesus,” Eph. 2, 7.

May all Christians look away from their own
miserable, doubting self and rejoice in remember-
ing that “God is going to point the angels to them

and tell them to see what His grace can do.” For
the end of our salvation is God’s glory. It is not
that man may be exalted, but that in the ages to
come God may show the exceeding riches of His
grace. He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
has said: “Except ye be converted and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom
of heaven,” Matt. 18,3. Many a great and learned
man who has failed to learn the lesson of simply
trusting in the exceeding riches of God’s grace in
Jesus will not be such an object of delight to the
angels as dear old Aunt Judy. R. A. B.

News-Letter from China.

Official acts of missionaries in April: Baptisms:
Ichang, one infant, baptized by Rev. Thode during
the month of March. Shasi, two baptisms, reported
by Rey. E. C. Zimmermann. Hankow, Hua Chin
Kai Chapel, one adult, baptized by Rey. H. Klein.
One infant was also baptized by Mr. Pi (one of our
evangelists) in the north. Rev. H. Klein mentions
one wedding ceremony performed at Hua Chin Kai
Chapel.

Rey. H. Klein states that the teachers under his
charge are holding a teachers’ conference once a
month. ‘The doctrinal discussions for these meet-
ings are prepared by the teachers themselves.
Mr. N. W. Nero reports that work in our school for
missionaries’ children is progressing and adds that
he may finish the course.

A report brings us the following news: “On
May 6 Evangelist Pi returned to Hankow by rail-
road from Peiping after an absence of four months.
His missionary trip was successful in that he found,
instructed, and comforted twelve of our members
and fifty catechumens besides preaching to the
heathen. Mr. Pi’s zeal is evidenced by the fact that
he undertook to learn to ride a bicycle at the age
of fifty-three solely the better to serve his Lord.
The second day on which he was learning to ride
he ran against a wall and dislocated his shoulder.
His shoulder was in a bandage for a whole month,
but he continued practising nevertheless and sub-
sequently on one trip "covered 540 li (180 miles)
over rough roads, visiting ten counties, preaching
the Gospel and teaching Luther’s Catechism.”

Work at our Wanhsien station is also going
ahead. Here Rev. E. N. Seltz is instructing nine
boys in preparation for baptism. Rev. E. Riedel
makes mention of ten persons who have decided to