1910

“The Lutheran minister has three special activities. He is, first of all, a preacher of the Word, the whole Word, its Law and its Gospel. He is always and everywhere a seelsorger, a pastor, an under-shepherd, seeking the lost, feeding and caring for those in the fold, knowing them by name, carrying on his heart their woes, their wants and their welfare, looking after them individually and collectively.

“This volume on Genesis follows the first volume on the Psalms because the volumes ought to be published first that are needed most and will do the most good… While both these volumes will be a healthy corrective to the Old Testament critics, their contribution to the biblical knowledge and the devotional life of Protestantism cannot be exaggerated.

“The first thing that Dixie could remember was of being cuddled up to some one who was soft and comfortable and gave her sweet warm milk to drink. Somehow, she knew that this was her mother, and that her mother would feed her when she was hungry and keep her warm and take care of her and not let anything hurt her.

“By this time Tommy was six months old, and as full of pranks as a six-months-old kitten well could be. His education had begun the very moment he entered the Hartford postoffice, so it is not surprising that by the time he had spent half a year there he was really remarkable.

“You mean to say,” he said in good Arabic to the leader of the gang who surrounded him and the grey-bearded man by his side, “that my life will he spared if I renounce Christianity and accept your faith?

Learning to love is a long lesson. It takes all of the longest life to learn it. The most inveterate obstacle in mastering the lesson is self, which persists with an energy which nothing but divine grace can overcome.