On Monday Dec. 5th, the services were all conducted in the German language, because the majority of the members of the congregation are natives of Germany. We subsequently had reason to regret, that the address on Sunday morning had not been given in the English language, inasmuch as quite a number of our English friends had attended, in expectation of hearing a discourse. in the language familiar to them. On our way home, we met Mrs. Ray, a lady from Philadelphia and her son, who has established himself in the lumber business near Hopedale church ; they had been greatly edified, they said, by the English services on Sunday afternoon, but were much disappointed, that not a word of English was spoken in the evening.-At 10 o'clock A. M., the choir opened the meeting by singing an appropriate anthem, (sr. Smith, with her interesting babe in her arm, leading the choir, and her father, with three other violin players, accompanying the chorus), and after the congregation had sung a hymn, and the blessing of the Lord had been invoked upon our meeting, I preached a sermon from Gen. 32, 11; whereupon br. Lennert, addressed the congregation at the table, and then baptized the infant Jacob Eli Baetzel, into the death of Jesus. The house was well filled by deeply attentive hearers, every time we met in this new sanctuary. We afterwards partook of an excellent dinner, prepared by sister Salathe, who, with her husband and rising family, resides in a low cottage, built by father Straub, who was also one of the guests. The inmates of the house, whom we had formerly known as residents of Bethlehem, appear ed to be doing well on their little farm, although its cultivation is attended with no small labor and hardship, most of the fields be ing situated on a pretty abrupt declivity. At two o'clock P. M., the congregation met to celebrate the holy supper of the Lord, about 100 communicants participating, brn. Ricksecker and Lennert administering the elements, and myself leading the services. Sr. Smith sat near the communion table with her little Lizzie on her lap, who kept very quiet all the time the service lasted.-Br. Lennert had engaged to keep the evening service; but as the hour for meeting was approaching, both he and br. Ricksecker insisted on my again addressing the people. After demurring for a long time against the request, we finally agreed, to leave it to the lot to decide, who should hold forth; when it turned out, that I must speak on the occasion. The sky having been overcast all day, towards evening the sun suddenly shone forth in all its splendour, gloriously illuminating the whole face of nature; when in the course of our fraternal conversation in the dusk of the evening, we were reminded by these circumstances of that sweet promise: Zech. 14. 7. "At evening time it shall be light." In the monthly missionary prayer-meeting, I accordingly adopted these words as the basis of my discourse; and having taken occasion, during this address, to allude to my son Edwin's birthday on this day, (he being brother-in-law to br. David Smith, and engaged with his wife, on the negro mission in Jamaica). Br. Lennert also commended him and his suffering partner, to the mercy and care of our Saviour, in the fervent and appropriate prayer he afterwards addressed to a throne of grace. Br. Ricksecker next briefly addressed the meeting, thanking us, for coming and serving them, and exhorting the people to a diligent attendance at the house and worship of God. In conclusion we sang: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ &c.," and the congregation was dismissed with the bene diction: "Grace be with all them, that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen." Such was the termination of these two most delightful days, wherein the presence of our blessed Lord was sensibly realized by all that waited upon him with an humble and believing heart. Great joy, love and concord appeared to reign among the brethren and sisters, and the attention of the people in general to the discourses delivered, was wrapt, and highly encouraging to the ministers. We were indeed as happy as children among these plain and unsophisticated sons of the forest.-After the concluding service, the Committee, consisting of the Brethren Schwartz, John Bean, Theodore Martin, H. E. Wolf, and Ernst Salathe met, when the latter, in their name and behalf, returned thanks to us, for the services rendered to them during these never to be forgotten days. On Tuesday morning at nine o'clock, we took a most affectionate leave of the dear family residing at the parsonage, and returned our cordial acknowledgments for all the kindness they had shown unto us. In crossing the Broad Mountain, we had to face the wind, in the midst of a cold and dense fog, and hence had no chance of enjoying the splendid and extensive view from the summit of the mountain, looking towards the South. After dining at the Stanhope hotel, at the base of the mountain, we travelled on till dusk, when we put up for the night at Saylor's hotel, and on Wednesday, towards noon, reached Nazareth. After dinner, br. Lennert kindly consented to take me on to Bethlehem in a onehorse conveyance, where we arrived safe and sound, thankful to the Lord for all the temporal and spiritual mercies vouchsafed to us, during our pleasant trip to and from Hopedale. SAMUEL REINKE. My dear brother: A LETTER TO BR. S GREEN-BAY, Wis., Oct. 3d, 1853. Having just returned from a visit to the settlement of our Norwegian brethren, who have, after so many trials and disappointe ments, at last found a resting place at Eagle Harbor; although unknown to you heretofore as a correspondent, I take up my pen to give you some slight account of their position and progress. You will no doubt feel a particular interest concerning them. And first, permit me my dear br. to offer my heartfelt congratulations that it has pleased Him who has pleasure in those who relieve and protect the poor and oppressed, to put it into your mind to assist these distressed brethren of ours. The whole of their trials, dispersions, and faithful adherence to their covenant, and to the Church which they might well have been tempted to forsake altogether, would form a most instructive history.-Some few, it is true, have been lost to us; but they have had a faithful servant of the Lord to watch over and pray for them, whose courageous endurance of no common discomforts has set them an excellent example. At Eagle Harbor there is as yet but a portion of the original congregation which was collected by the labors of br. Iversen, and to minister to which he received ordination; but I was well pleased with the prospects of the place. The situation is delightful and salubrious: the pure and transparent waters of the upper part of Lake Michigan, on both sides of the peninsula on which they have entered upon the task of making the requisite clearances, would, I am sure, be a pleasing picture to you, who have been to them a benefactor. On Sunday the 23d ult., br. Iverson preached to a small congregation at the Island, where he is residing till a house is erected for him at the settlement, and as the same voice of prayer or praise is common to all assemblies of the Brethren's Unity, of whatsoev er name or nation, it was easy for me to unite with them in spirit. As there is a great independence of judgment and candour in the Norwegian character naturally, and as others as well as br. Iversen's congregation are already settling around Eagle Harbor, and additional numbers may be expected, there can be little doubt of his finding an extensive sphere of usefulness. May the word of life triumph to the soul's salvation and spiritual health of many who may come into connection with our brethren at Eagle Harbor. I would that it were in my power to give as encouraging an account of the labors of our dear br. Fett in this place. His pòsition has been, and still is, a trying one indeed. The door of access to the hearts of the German people here, has been, in a great measure, shut up to him; and when the gospel of Christ might have been the means of deliverance from the thraldom of sin into the glorious liberty of the children of God, licentiousness and infidelity, and the dominion of the destroyer of souls, have reigned rampant and unchecked. Br. and sr. Fett have still not been left without encouragement; and prosperity and increasing numbers in their Sunday school lead them to hope, that when the benign influences of the gospel light may be denied to the parent, that a good seed may be sown in the heart of the child. As the blood of the martyrs has been the seed of the church in former ages, perhaps suffering for conscience' sake, and patient continuance in well doing under unmerited reproach and unjust aspersion, is the most powerful agent for extending the conquests of the truth in this. Let us hope, therefore, that br. Fett may eventually see much good fruit from his labor; and even the turning away from lying vanities to the consecration of themselves to the Savior of some of those who may now the most withstand his work. As regards br. Fett's difficulty, I need not do further, than for one thing, allude to the unfavorable impression which has unhappily been produced here concerning the church to which he belongs. Amongst a people so gregarious in opinion as the Germans, it is a hard matter to subdue a prejudice once established, and many unfavorable influences have been at work. Perhaps, however, the time is not far distant, when things may take a turn in the opposite direction. When we do indeed witness a desire to return to their simplicity of life and purity of zeal of our forefathers? when we see the spirit of an age at once so sordid and so extravagant in its pretentions, less closely followed; and when again the welfare of one member is the welfare of the whole, and we shall thus, in truth, deserve the name of brethren; then shall we have a different account to render of our state. And then, and not till then, will our church be again that beacon light, against the subtleties of the father of lies, by which he seeks to deprive the soul of man of all that Christ hath wrought for it; which is now, perhaps, with all the boasted advancement of the age, more necessary than ever. Now, my dear brother, allow me in conclusion to reccommend the case of the brn. Fett and Iversen to the kindest consideration of the brethren at Bethlehem. The former has had to stand unsupported under circumstances the most painful and discouraging, but surely his work will be acknowledged and rewarded; the congregation of the latter can do but little for him at preseut. Many of them having lost heavily by non-payment of wages, others by sickness; and for the time being they are unavoidably occupied upon non-remunerating, though necessary, employments. Hoping that you may be yourself an abundant partaker of all those blessings which we mutually look for in the Redeemer, and which we desire to see extended to all mankind, I am Yours faithfully, J. M. W. Subscriptions received by Rev. Charles F. Seidel. Bethlehem.-Jacob Rice, R. Luckenbach, G. Dixon, Amb. Rauch, Levin Krause, J. Leibert, C. F. Beckel, L. F. Beckel, Sam. Yost, J. T. Sievers, Aug. Wolle, R. P. Krause, James Wolle, J. F. Rauch, Wm. Brown, Mrs. Josephine Rice, Mrs. C. Zorn, Miss S. Horsfield, Miss Lilliendahl, each for 1854. Jacob Wolle, '52 and '53, Mrs. C. Schropp, '53, Mrs. Stout, '51 to '54, $4, Mrs. Bleck, '55. Graceham.-Mrs. A. Rea, Mrs. Suess, Miss Gernand, each for '54. Gnadenhuetten.-Theod. Fox, '53, Gust. Fox, Abr. Shamel, Adam Dell, Joshua Miksch, each for '54. Nazareth.-Wm. Beitel, Dr. Ph. Walter, Jac. F. Beck, Joseph Albright, Mrs. Elis. Christ, each for '54, Hope.-Wm. Chitty, '53, Martin Strack, H. Weinland, David Reed, Abr. Butner, '54. Camden.-Levi Gray, Wm. Gray, Mrs. M'Nish, M. Horton, each for '54. York.-Rev. A. Rondthaler, Sam. Rudy, Miss Louisa Miller, Mrs. A. Weiser, Mrs. M. Himes, each for '54. Bethania.-Rev. E. Grunert, '53 and '54, Mrs. Jul. Jones, '52 and '53. Mrs. Willey, E. 1854. Mrs. E. Stuart, '54. Salem Subscribers, $3. 95, 1854. Litiz.-Nath. S. Wolle, Ferd. D. Rickert, G. A. Thomas, Francis W. Christ, C. H. Rauch, Dan. Kreiter, Jacob Greider, each for 1853 and '54. Litiz Congr. Rev. Eug. A Frueauff, $12, Rev. J. T. Bechler, $4 for '53 and '54, Rev. Peter Wolle, Matilda Zitzman for '53. Donations towards Home Misions. From a sr. in Bethlehem From Moravian Sunday School at Bethlehem From the Home Mission Sewing Society at Lancaster |