arht Juthtran finntt~. A MISSIONARY
PUBLISHED BY THE
EvANGELICAL
MONTHLY.
LUTHERAN SYNODICAL CONFERENCE OF NORTH A:&IERICA. R, A, BISCHOFF, Editor.
Entered at the Post omcc nt St. Louis, Mo., ns sccond-clnu matter.
Vol. XXII.
No. 1.
St. Louis, Mo., Ja1~uary, 1900.
New Year's Wishes. \\Thnt shall I wis h thee? Treas ures of earth? Songs iu the Springtime, Plcns urc or mirth ? Flowers on Lhy pnthway, Skies ever clear? Woulcl this iusurc thee A Happy New Year? Whnt s hall I wish thee? What can be found Bringing thee sunshine All the year round? Where is the trcnsure, Lasting nnd dear, That shnll insure thee A Happy New Year? Peace In the SaYlour, Rest at His feet: Smile of His countenance, Uadiant ancl sweet: ,Toy In His presence, Christ eYcr nearThese will Insure thee A Happy New Year.
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F. R. 11.
New Year's Message. --' 'His name was called Jesus.'' Thia is the message that greets us as we enter the new year, What a blessed message it is I It speaks of Him in whom alone we can have a happy new year. ·There is no true happiness without Jesus. He who does not own Him as his Saviour .has no forgiveness of siu. Therefore the wrath of God is still upon him, and his life is but a journey to everlasting woe. He may not believe it, but that does not change the fact. The Bible plainly says, "He that believeth not the Son is condemned already." And again it says, "He tha.t believeth not shall not see life; but tho wrath of God abideth on him." Such a person can not enjoy true happiness. He may imagine to fincl happiness in the joys, and pleasures, and riches of this world, but he 1rlll never find true happiness in these things. They can not take away sin the fountain of all misery. They can not ta~e away the wrath of God; they can give no comfort in the days
of sorrow and trouble; they can give no hope iu the hour of death. In J es11s only we find true happiness ; for in Him only we have redemption from sin and all its woe. Jesus means Saviour; ancl He wns called Jesus, because He saves His people from their sins. Jesus saves, ancl He alone. ''There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," Acts 4, 12. Man's works, and man's righteousness, and man's feelings, and man's prayers, and the virgin l\iary, and the saints in heaven-they were not callecl Jesus. They can not save us. The Son of God, who became man and was born of the virgin Mary, was called Jesus. He saves, and He alone. He took our place 11nclcr the law, and fulfilled all its demands, and bore its curse, which we deserved by our transgressions. Thus He redeemed us from sin, and wrath, and eternal damnation. They 1Vho believe in Him as their Saviour have forgiveness of sins. "'ro Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever belicveth in Him shall receive remission S ,y . f • of sins," Acts 10, 1 . ' our sms are org1ven you for His name's sake," 1 John 2, 12. They who believe in Him have everlasting life. "God so loved the world that He gave His onlybegotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John 3, 16. "These things have I written unto you that believe on ·the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life," 1 John 5, 18. Well may the believer enter the new year without fear. By faith in Him whose name was called Jesus he enjoys true happiness i for his sins are nil forgiven, ancl he is ori the way to heaven. It is true, be does ilot know what the new year will bring him. It may bring sorrows, and trials, and even death · Bot this does not ·take away his happiness, for it can not take away Jesus. The believer knows that Jesus will never forsake him, aD d that it will be well with him while He is his guicle, In Him he will have comfort in all sonows, strength in all trials, life in the midSt of death. In the name of Jesus he enters the new year without fear, and goes on hie .way rejoicing until his journey is ended, and
he shall be for ever with Him whom his ~oul loves. In the blessed name of Jesus we wish all our readers a Happy Ne~ Year.
Everlasting. Another year is gone, never to return ; and with it many things are gone, never to be recovered. So many things fail and pass away with the flying months of the year! What a comfort it is for the children of God that there is One who will never fail them, One who is everlasling and who does not change! It is "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever," Hebr. 18, 8. There is no change in Him. He is all in all to His people now, and He is nil in all to them for ever. It is He in whom by faith they ha,·e found life, and it is "E\"ERL,\STl'SG LIFE," John 3, 16. It is His love which has drawn them and still draws them to Himself, and it is "EnmLASTING LO\'E,'' Jer. 31, 8. It is His way on which they walk, and it is "THE E\'ERL,\STING WAY," Ps. 189, 24. It is His light whiqh guides them, and it is "AN EVERL,\STING LIGHT," Is. 60, 19. It is His strength which helps them, and it is "E\'ERLASTING STRENGTH," Is. 26, 4. His arms they are which bear them, and they are "THE E\'ERL,\STINO Anirs," neut. 88, 27. It is His consolation which comforts them in nil their sorrows, and it is "E\'ERLASTINO CONSOI.ATION," 2'Thess. 2, 16. It is His kindness which pities the~ and supplies them wit.h all they need, and it is "EVEltLASTING KU."DNF.SS," ls. 54:, 8, It is His mercy which surrounds them, and it is "E\'ERLASTING llERCJ'," Ps. 100, 5. It. is His joy which gladdens them, and it is "EVERLASTING JOY," ls. 35, 10, , It is His salvation-which saves them, and it is "EVERLASTING SALVATION," Is. 45, 17. It is His kingdom into wh~ch He receives them, and it is an "EVERLASTING EDl'Gl>OX," Ps. 145, 13. "Jesus Christ. the same yesterday, and todayI and for ever I"