The Lutheran Pioneer 1887

Page 1

~tllUtt~. A MISSION AR -Y MON 'F Bi LY.

••• j

PUBLISHED BY THE

EvANGELICAL

LUTHERAN SYNODICAL CONFERENCE OF NORTH A.MERICA.

R. A, BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post O.mce at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. IX.

No. 1.

S~ Lou.is, Mo., January, i887.

Jesus, Loving Saviour. Jesus, loving Saviour, Only Thou dost know All that may befall us, As we onward go. So we humbly pray Thee, Take us by the hand, Lead us ever upward, To the Better Land.

The New Vear. Another year has passed away, and as we begin a new volume of our paper and enter upon another period of time we wish our readers, one and all, a Happy New Year. There is, however, no happiness without Jesus. We have in ourselves nothing bu·t sin, and God has said, "The wages of sin is death." If God would deal with us after our deserts and reward us according to our iniquity, we could look into the future only with terror, and there would be no happiness for us in the coming year. But God has had compassion upon us. The Saviour has come, and his very name expresses the work He undertook. "HU3 name shall be caJ1,erJ, JESUS, because He shall save H°'l8 people f-rom their sins." He took our sin and curse upon Himself, so that through faith in His name we have pardon and life. All that flee for refuge to Hi"m, are safe and happy, wh9:tever may befall them in the coming year. They have a reconciled Father, who loves them and will never, never forsake them. "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access to this grace wherein ,ve stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God," Rom. 5, 1. 2. . The experience of this true happiness through faith in Jesus will render us willing to do more towards spreading the Gospel of this Saviour over the earth for the salvation of others. The work of our mission among the colored people requires new l~berality and new eff'ort _in the new year. The selfishness which is satisfied with having the Gospel for self, without much concern for others, we should willingly let die with the old year. Let us pray more fervently

can tell 13xactly how long he lived in this world of ours. But God's mercies "have no date_,., You cannot fix a time wl1en they began, for they are "from everlasting." You cannot fix a time when they will end, for they are "to everlasting." They are like God Himself, "from everlasting to everlasting." He was a God of love•in all eternity past, and He will be a God of love Are You Tired? throughout all ~ternity to come. Reader, there are many persons who, as the Have you any share in His mercy? Then years pass by, grow weary and tired of every- you may rejoice and give thanks, because His thing in this life, and yet have nothing to cheer mercy endureth forever. them in looking forward to the world to come. Are you one? Our Pilot. There are many who are thoroughly unBY DR. LUTHER. happy in their own hearts, although they will not confess it-unhappy because they know Our life is like unto the saili_ng of a ship~ for they are unfit to die. Are you one? like as the mariners in the ship have before There is rest for the weary even in this world. There is repose for the tired and heavy laden. them a port or haven, towards which they diThere is real, solid, lasting happiness to be had rect their course, and where. they shall be secure from all danger; even so the promise of on this side of the grave. Where i!I this rest? Where is this repose? everlasting life is made unto us; that we in the Where is this happiness? It is found in Him same, as in a safe port, or haven, should rest whose name was called Jesus because He should calmly_and secure. But seeing the ship wheresave His people from their sins. It is enjoyed in we are is ,veak, and the winds and wave.'! do by all who bear His voice in the Gospel and beat into and upon us, as though they would follow Him in true faith. "Come unto Me," overwhelm us, therefore we have truly need of He says, "all ye that labor and are heavy la- an understanding and experienced pilot, who den,, and I will give you rest." "We which with his counsel and advice might rule and have believed," says St. Paul, "do enter into govern the ship that it run not on a rock, or utterly sink and go down. Such a pilot is our rest." blessed Saviour Christ Jesus. Reader, do you want to be happy in all the years of your life and in all eternity? Come to rt · · - · · .. Jesus and be His disciple. Cease to seek happiStep by Step. ness in the vain things of this world. Give up the pride, the _self-will, the sinful stubbornness Step by step God leads His people on. He of your own ways. Come to Jesus as a bumhie knows the way that leads to blessedness, and sinner, cast your· soul on Him, and then true H~ desires us to tr~st Him. It does not plea,s~ rest and true happiness shall be yours. Him to show us at once all th.a t lies between us and the appointed goal. It would not be well for us to have such an extended view. We "Thy Mercies Have no Date." live by faith, not by sight; and to see one step When you write a letter you put a date to at a time in our onward journey is enough. it, which shO\'l'S the day and month and year God is our guiae and support, and it suffices when it was written. If you kno,v the date of that He sees it ·all. Let Him choose the path: a man's birth and the date of his death, you do thou follow in quietness and in confidence. &led.ed. can take the one from the other, and then you and give more liberally for the welfare of other souls that need the bread of life. To labor for God's glory and the salvation of perishing men-what nobler work could there be? Let us then, by the grace of God, be more faithful in the work which He has given us to do, and God's presence and blessing will make the new year happy.

. ·-· .


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
The Lutheran Pioneer 1887 by hasse_library - Issuu