JUNE

Friday, the 1st of June. The time has come again to preach the word of the Lord to the German people in Savannah, and therefore I plan to depart toward noon. I would like to let my dear colleague undertake this journey this time, as I have felt quite weak and listless physically for several days. However, on my last visit I was unable to settle matters regarding our salary and some other bills, and I must also address in public the matter of the man who has recently married his whore¹ in Savannah, although he has a wife in Germany. In this regard I shall have to publicly declare the marriage null and void, impress on them from God’s word the serious sin committed through their fornication and adultery to this day, and again see whether it cannot be arranged to have these two disorderly people separated, whether through the intercession of the authorities or by the consent of their masters. May the Lord strengthen me and bless my undertaking.

Saturday, the 2nd of June. When I asked N. what the dear Lord had bestowed on her as a blessing on the Day of Ascension, she said that the dear Lord had much refreshed her, and she had felt as if she were already in heaven with our Lord Jesus. It can be seen from all her gestures that the Lord Jesus has especially refreshed her from what we have preached from the New Testament. She said she was especially happy that the dear Lord had brought her to this country. She had not wanted to go at all, and for that reason she had not wished to have herself inscribed for the voyage to America; but her husband had said that they should present their plans to the dear Lord, for He would arrange things according to His wisdom and for their benefit, and therefore it had gone well.

Sunday, the 3rd of June. Praised be the Lord, who on this day has given me strength to pronounce His word. He will surely not let this pass without His blessing. The Holy Spirit itself will bear witness of the Lord Jesus in our listeners’ hearts and thus they will learn to recognize Him. In the afternoon we were to consider the third article of the catechism, half of which I examined with my listeners; this fitted today’s text very well, as well as our preparation for the feast of Holy Whitsun. May the Lord bless all this in His great mercy!

Monday, the 4th of June. Having arranged my affairs in Savannah and in particular discharged the duties of my office with God’s help and blessing, I left there last night and returned to our Ebenezer shortly after lunch, in better health than when I left. May the dear Lord be praised in all humility for all His assistance, for the strength given me, and for His blessing; and may He give rich blessing to all which has been placed in the hearts of the people there in His name! As the German servants in Savannah had neither opportunity nor permission to celebrate the feast of Christ’s Ascension nor to hear something of the dear benefits of mercy which flow therefrom, I spent considerable time in the morning on the beautiful words of the 68th Psalm: “Thou hast ascended on high,” etc., so as to show my listeners the blessed fruits we stand to expect from the loving heart and hands of our glorious and splendid Savior. Every one could and should demand gifts according to his circumstances, and thus change from a renegade knave to a temple of our highly praised and ever-to-be-loved Lord.

From the text for Exaudi Sunday² I used the first verse as the basis for our edification and treated of the both important and comforting teaching of the divine nature and office of the Holy Ghost. As the time for treating and applying this weighty text was too short, we continued this necessary and instructive discourse in the afternoon. The dear Lord also let me realize that His word had found acceptance. Four weeks ago several people had asked for testaments and catechisms, which were distributed after the sermon, along with some primers for the children. The children are not permitted by their masters to attend school, and the schoolmaster who lives among them also is not permitted to use even a few hours of his time for the children. Instead, he must work like the other servants. So that they may not grow up entirely ignorant, some of the parents intend to instruct them as much as they can from the books they have received.

Some of the people who live out on the plantations are encountering difficulties in coming into town to attend church when we come to Savannah on their behalf. If Mr. Oglethorpe were told this, he would surely not be pleased. The people also complain much to us how ill they fare in regard to their food, clothing, and conditions of work; and, since there are a number of honest souls among them who are eager for the good, I have much sympathy for them and would like to help through my intercession, if only something could be done. In the meantime I shall do what I can once I return to Savannah and see Mr. Oglethorpe.

I dealt publicly with the wicked man who had married his maidservant, with whom he has committed fornication for some time. I declared the marriage, which had been obtained surreptitiously and, as it were, by theft, to be null and void and explained to the man the verse, “Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge,” and also Corinthians 6:9-10. I also admonished both him and her to do penance and to abstain from each other completely and entirely, and I finally admonished the other people there to remind these wretched people constantly to refrain from their wicked conduct and do sincere penance, and to pray for them. I also showed the seriousness of the sin which those people placed upon their consciences who had not said anything even though they had known something of the disorderly conduct of these people, for whom the banns had been pronounced and who had been publicly married.

After the afternoon service, the woman came to me with another man and showed her repentance and stated that she was willing to free herself of the man, if she were only given permission to go somewhere else instead of having to stay near him. I admonished her and let her go. I also spoke to some friends in this matter to have them intercede with the masters of these two people, since I as a stranger would not have their ear; however, I was told that I would have to wait for Mr. Oglethorpe, since nothing could be done without his authority.

Tuesday, the 5th of June. A woman to whom I spoke while she was at work in the fields responded to my greeting and wishes with a right lovely answer and testified with much joy and praise of the Lord that God had done much good to her soul. She also said that in passing a man had called to her, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me,” etc., and had admonished her not to forget the good the Savior had recently caused to be preached on these His very words.

This morning I married the locksmith Georg Bruckner, a young Salzburger, with the oldest daughter of the watchmaker Mueller, Johanna Margaretha. The text was taken from the words of the 68th Psalm, which had impressed and edified me when I recited them to the German people in Savannah. Whoever is or is called man shall have gifts from the Father through the hands of the mediator, and therefore also young newly married people, provided they seek them in the order in which they are instructed from the gospel.

Wednesday, the 6th of June. As our evening prayer meetings now end only toward nine o’clock and our listeners can therefore not come to our house afterwards for private prayer, they have begun to use the noon hours for this purpose, since they cannot work then because of the great heat. We sing a song, then read some Bible passages and use them for our edification, and then some speak a prayer. Everything on these occasions is conducted in a simple and heartfelt manner. I shall shortly go over the most edifying last sayings of our Lord Jesus from John 14 to 17, from verse to verse, with these dear friends in a simple manner. They will surely like this; for they have heard many a precious heart-penetrating truth from the recent Sunday sermons, which were based on this text.

When I read these chapters out loud today, I was reminded again of what I had read last week in Savannah in a printed sermon held and printed by N.N. in N.;³ this had seemed to me something new that was not founded upon the Scriptures. He speaks therein of the faith that justifies and saves and claims that this was not held by the apostles as long as they had been in the school of the Lord Christ prior to His passion. Here, he seems to confuse the verses that speak of the faith that justifies with those that deal with faith in miracles, nor does he touch upon the witness that the apostles themselves gave of their living faith in the Son of God, the Savior of the world, such as John 6:69 and Matthew 16:16-17, as did the Lord Jesus Himself in these His last speeches and in His high-priest’s prayer.

An honest man in N. had just recently told me that Mr. N. had changed much and had better learned to look the gospel in the eye; for he now sought nothing else but to obtain his justification in Christ and from sheer grace. I also see from Mr. N.’s letter that he no longer is an opinion-monger, no longer loses time with ancillary arguments, but keeps his eye on the heart of the matter in his Christianity.

One of the German servants⁴ in the orphanage became ill and had me called to his side, just as I was about to conduct the customary meeting in the orphanage. He bore witness that much had recently passed through his soul that had caused him much struggle and fear. His youthful sins were awakening, he said; and he had begun to realize that the Old Adam would have to pass and everything be renewed if he were to gain entrance into heaven. I hope that this will prove true for him. The Old Adam is completely degraded by the word of the Lord as it is preached among us, and he is referred to the cross of Christ; to this belongs also all self-made justification⁵ and piety, so that Christ might be all and everything. This man also has a sick son who is servant to a Salzburger; some time ago this boy had given signs that he would convert to the Lord, but his dishonesty has been revealed in some matters. However, we would gladly be patient with this if he were only to come to a serious change of heart in the end.

Thursday, the 7th of June. Today I received a gift of two beehives, which were brought from the woods by the herdsman and by a servant of the orphanage. Now that a start has been made to take the bees from trees in the woods and make them settle in barrels or chests, there will be many bees in our community. The more our people become acquainted with this country, the better they know how to use the things they find here, and they find that it is true that this country has many advantages over Germany in many respects. Recently I was told something about a kind of oats that grow in the woods, particularly in marshy spots.⁶ Some time ago, when travelling to Savannah, I saw this plant myself on the river banks and was much amazed by the grains, which are full of meal, and by their sweet taste. However, as these grains grow on long thin reeds, we did not think much about them because we thought they were seeds which were not good for anything else. We now have heard, however, that the Indians gather whole sacks full of this grain, that some people in Old Ebenezer fatten their hogs with it, and that a man in our congregation uses them for chicken feed, and therefore we will surely learn to make better use of these American oats in the future.

We are still having the most pleasant and convenient weather we could desire, and the crops in the fields are ripening better than ever before. Consequently we hear many of our people thank and praise the Lord for this benefaction. Oh, but that in these days the spiritual field in our congregation may also become green and fertile, so that young and old may grow like the grass, and like the willows on the water courses, for which end our faithful Lord has promised us His spirit as a refreshing and richly yielding water. During the evening prayer meetings the Bible stories also give us an occasion for preparing for the Holy Feast. May the Lord bless this in us! The dear souls who now come to me daily for their joint edification have been made eager for grace by the Lord; and the Savior who has called, “If any man thirst,” shall surely not let them go away empty.

Friday, the 8th of June. A woman cried and complained bitterly that things in her house were not going in such proper order as she wished. On Sundays her family would be guilty of much neglect and would miss the repetition from the sermons; everyone went his own way after the public service, etc. I resolved to speak in this regard to her husband and children, who were not home. In the meantime I admonished the woman to pray for her family, also to speak kindly to her husband to try to move him. I asked her to remind him of the verse: “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth,” etc. Oh that God, who is so fiery and ardent in His love for us sinners, may ignite in us a true fire of love for Him and among ourselves, so that it might burn hotly in Ebenezer and others might be ignited by this flame! A sick young man whom I visited again today said that he felt much better and stronger because I had visited him Wednesday and today, spoken to him from God’s word, and prayed with him. May God strengthen us in body and soul so that we may be useful to our listeners.

Saturday, the 9th of June. An English woman from Old Ebenezer brought a barrel of rendered beef fat for sale, both today and once before; however, since there is little money here, she probably earned little money. Our dear people use as little as possible for food and clothing so as not to make any debts. They are often offered credit both in Savannah and Purysburg, and the people there like trading with them; but they do well not to engage in borrowing. When God gives them much, they have much and praise Him for it; if He gives them little, they use that to good advantage; and, with God’s blessing and advice, they get as far with that as others with all their money and stores, but they remain without debts. The construction of my house has been of some help to many among them, and God is praised therefor. If only the dear Lord would provide me with something from the well of His grace so that I might pay all those workers who are still waiting patiently!

In preparation for Holy Whitsuntide we had the beautiful words of the Lord Jesus from John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the father,” etc., in connection with which we treated the inestimably precious gift of the Holy Ghost, in regard to (1) the giver, (2) the gift, and (3) the takers or recipients. May God bless all this for the sake of Christ, free us from the spirit of this world, and instead fill us and our hearts with His spirit! We held the preparation hour early, so that we might come together for our joint prayer at the time of the prayer meeting at the orphanage.

Sunday and Monday were the Feast of Holy Whitsuntide. Two German men from Old Ebenezer complained that orders had been given from Savannah that, except for Sundays, they were to have no other holidays but attend to their work every day. Their master had complained that they wished to come to our town for the service on Ascension Day; he had not permitted this, and in addition he had complained of them. These servants of the Trustees are given every Saturday for their own use and have offered to work on that day if they are given the opportunity to attend services on those feast days which occur throughout the year. If Mr. Oglethorpe were close by, we would talk to him on their behalf and inquire into this matter. Little or nothing is made in this country of the regular Sundays, so how can we expect that other holy days be honored? Only one day each is allotted for celebrating Christmas, Easter, and Whitsunday; and nothing is made of the other occasions, such as Christ’s Epiphany, His Ascension, etc. But through the grace of God we have again learned on the last two days what great use can be had from the celebration of such holy days for those who are serious about the salvation of their souls. The dear Lord has awakened us strongly by His precious gospel of the unspeakable love He holds for us sinners; and He has let us recognize how well He means with us and what we are still lacking, and that the path is wide open for us to become partakers of the grace and communion of the triune of God in truth. May He preserve this blessing in us and teach us never to forget the acts of mercy that He has done for our souls.

Even before the holy days, the Lord had made several souls hungry and eager for His grace; and these have waited upon the actual bestowal of this same and precious grace with a serious use of the means to salvation. Praise be to God, who has not let them wait and hope in vain. In the repetition hour our faithful Lord has bestowed such a blessing upon me that I cannot praise Him enough. May He only make me right faithful, so that I will receive more and more and so that, by His blessing, I shall become more and more capable for the praise of His glory and the salvation of our dear listeners. In the place of the catechism, my dear colleague had as a text two verses that are well suited for the occasion, i.e. Corinthians 13:13 and Numbers 6:22-27.

Tuesday, the 12th of June. After Sundays and holy days, it gives us great pleasure when our dear and kind Lord lets us realize while visiting our dear listeners that His word has been preached with His blessing, of which I experienced a beautiful example today. A man told me that he had believed he had previously celebrated Whitsunday with blessing, but this time the Lord has bestowed on him a special act of mercy so that he can well say that he had never before celebrated Whitsunday in such a manner. He would have gone to his plantation today, but he feared that he would be distracted; and therefore he wishes to let the gift he has received take root quietly. Also, a woman had been in much unnecessary distress and fear during the holy days, which had been caused by some careless neighbors who had made a groundless accusation. Therefore she had not benefited from the sermons as she should have done. I showed her the way she could come to peace of mind and to rest. Since several unpleasantnesses had occurred in her house with regard to her children, she remembered the conclusion of the Tenth Commandment, where God threatens to visit the sins of the parents on the children to the third and fourth generation; and on this occasion the sins of her youth had stirred strongly within her.

Another woman was much depressed and complained with tears that, despite the rich love of the Lord and His great and dear promises, her heart was still empty, so that she sometimes felt that she would never break through because she was so corrupted; her, too, I was able to lead on the right way with God’s grace. Because of her physical weakness she has not always been able to attend the public preaching of the divine word, and therefore her husband has faithfully and simply repeated to her what God has given him for his edification. We notice here and there that good people stress their Christianity more by exercising their Christian duties than by simply placing themselves at the breast of Christ in simple faith and sucking in His mercy and thereby being prepared for all good works. Then, upon realizing their weaknesses and their lack of strength, they are full of legalistic fears and distress and close to despair.⁷

A sick man recounted how he had sighed for grace on his sickbed and had gone to sleep with the grieving thought whether there was any grace left for him; and in his sleep it had appeared to him as if a door had opened in a large house and a virgin dressed in white had pointed out to him the 22nd Psalm; he himself had noticed on his right hand a bloody thick welt. He asked me what I thought of this dream. He had read the psalm by himself, and I showed him how he could use its glorious content according to his circumstances. He should continue to implore the Lord for a repentant recognition of his sins, so that he might see the truth; then the Healer and Savior of poor sinners, of whom such comforting words are said in this psalm, would become most dear and close to him. The psalm also says: “The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the lord that seek him,” etc. Also, he should cling not to a dream but to the Lord’s words.

Wednesday, the 13th of June. In yesterday’s evening prayer meeting we concluded the impressive story from the 7th chapter of Judges, where we heard that: (1) Gideon and his three hundred men were a beautiful prefiguration⁸ of Christ and His servants in the New Testament, who fought and vanquished the enemies of the church not with weapons of the flesh but with the sword of the Lord’s word, which had flown from their mouths and pens, and with the resounding sound of the gospel. They had contained their treasure, their light and their strength, but did great things. (2) It had always been God’s way to accomplish great deeds through little things despised in this world, and many a time a small beginning has finally come to a glorious and miraculous conclusion.

In explanation, and to show that even today God takes such paths with those who believe and whenever it is required for His glory and the well-being of His church, I told my listeners, to my own great joy, not only what the Lord had accomplished in the Halle Orphanage through the service of His dear and chosen fighting arm, the late Prof. Francke, in that he had caused the foundation to be laid for such large institutions at the expense of only a few guilders. I also recounted what I learned of the most honest Mr. Elers, who now rests in God, and his newly started bookstore, which set out with one printed sermon and had so expanded with the Lord’s blessing that now many poor, both within and without the Orphanage, are refreshed through it in many ways. I have been told that this blessed man, when he came to the Leipzig Fair for the first time, had his windows broken by his enemies during the night. His servant, whom he had with him as Gideon had the boy Pura, became quite fearful and aggrieved at this; but the blessed Elers calmed him with these words among others: “He should but be quiet and wait in the faith; the very people who now throw stones into my room will one day bring me money.” And this, in fact, occurred, as the bookstore prospered under the Lord’s blessing.

We have occasion to converse with our listeners both privately and publicly in the most simple manner, and we make use of many things serving their and our edification. On Whitsun Monday, we read publicly the 52nd chapter⁹ of Jeremiah, which followed in the order; and I was much impressed by its 50th verse: “Remember the Lord in a far land and let Jerusalem be in thy heart.” May the Lord himself remind us often of the good that we have enjoyed richly in Halle, both physically and spiritually, in which our congregation shares even now, in that much has flown from the blessings there to their benefit and that of the orphanage. May God be praised!

Thursday, the 14th of June. This morning I was visited by a smith from Savannah who had previously asked me to assign to him a 15-year-old boy from our community, to whom he wished loyally to teach his trade and whom he wished to keep as his own child. However, I could not propose such a child to him either the last time or today, because the parents here urgently need their grown children. Also, I cannot really advise them to remove their children from God’s word and proper supervision and let them go to a strange place among strangers. We are still hoping for the arrival of some much-needed artisans, so that the young among us may be instructed by and by in some of the useful trades. An Englishman told me that a week ago Saturday two ships had arrived in Charleston, one carrying German freemen who had been sent to this colony by the Lord Trustees and who were expected shortly in Savannah. If these are not the people destined for our community (as we always hope), we shall at least expect on this boat the gifts which have long been on the way and which would cause great joy to us and our dear listeners in this time of want.

While I was in school, the oldest Zuebli¹⁰ came to me and told me that the English servant who some months ago had stolen several things from their hut had returned and again stolen some items.¹¹ He had met him face to face; but, as his brother was out in the fields, he had not been able to do anything. This fellow has escaped from prison in Savannah and will again cause much damage. I immediately wrote to Old Ebenezer and asked the Englishman living there to send some of his people on horseback to search for the fellow. It has rained heavily this afternoon, and we also had a thunderstorm, so that our people were prevented from going out to look for him. Also, he has probably left our area, as he was surprised in the act of stealing. We are very sorry for the two Zuebli brothers, who already are among the poorest here, and I shall ask Mr. Oglethorpe to extend some help to them to make good for the loss they have suffered. It is not within our power to help them with anything more than what they have already received. It was their choice to seek out their plantation in an isolated spot on Ebenezer Creek; and, as they have no neighbors, nobody can help them in case of need.

I talked to some of our listeners and heard again that the good and pious Lord has bestowed a great blessing on them during the Feast of Whitsuntide, for which they praise the merciful Giver and vow to undertake their Christianity with greater seriousness thanks to His grace. A young man who has heretofore been confined by his fearful and legalistic ways gave witness that, by God’s grace, things were going much better with him these days; and he recognizes well that his legalistic efforts and works cannot really lead to a good end. He could not enjoy his Christian faith, he said, everything he did was done with resentment, he had no strength to resist sin, and, when he contemplated his weakness and previous sins, he experienced nothing but pain and fear, etc. I told him that he should turn around and become like a child and, like the small newborn infants, suck the unspeakable grace of the heavenly Father, which is open to all sinners, from the loving breast of Christ; also, he should make this grace his own in faith and humility as a poor repentant sinner, and not give way to the objections of his wicked faithless heart. If he should then become stronger in his grace and the love of Christ and continue to grow, he would also garner the strength to embrace his Savior with childlike affection and live in His glory. Thus he would also learn the great patience and forbearance which the Savior shows to His weak children and infants. In this connection, I referred him to the very evangelical sermon of the blessed Prof. Francke, which is so comforting to fearful sinners, wherein he speaks of the kindness of the Lord Jesus in accepting the sinners and which was held on the beautiful text in Matthew 9:9-13.

Friday, the 15th of June. Yesterday lightning struck two trees in two spots quite close to our town; one was completely demolished and large chunks of wood were strewn around. Praised be the Lord, who does not avert his kindness from us but renews it over us on each and every day. We are in His hands with our houses, huts, and all possessions, may He deal with us in the future not according to our sins but to His saving grace. The weather is quite fruitful now and most convenient for planting sweet potatoes. The beans have suffered in some spots from the heavy rains, but they will recover by and by. The deer invade our fields at night and eat off the young beans. All of this is happening for some good reason, and we look upon such things as a necessary exercise and trial of the faith.

The old carpenter who has been spending some time in our town has fallen ill; and, as he is already a man of some age, his end will not be far off. He can speak of true conversion to God, and today he told me of the mercy which the Lord has shown to his soul. He had been much attached to this world until his twenty-seventh year; and, because he was a man of natural understanding and skills, he had been dear and pleasant in the eyes of other worldly people with whom he had enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh. In particular, he had much sinned with his comrades by drinking, gambling, and such on the days of the Lord. But, in the very course of his sins, the Lord had dealt a harsh blow to his conscience, so that he had to leave the company in which he found himself. Later, he had wanted to rejoin his companions; but, whenever he had gone, he had been stricken with anxiety and had cried much. His sins and God’s anger at them had rested so heavily on his conscience that he had considered himself as lost and had spent three years as a despairing man in much fear and terror. A young preacher had become aware of his state, and this man had not only visited him constantly but had called him to his quarters twice a week. These ministrations had by and by been so blessed by the Lord that he had learned to believe that God wished to let this sinner, too, be redeemed in Christ. From this time on the work of the faith had started in his soul, but also tribulations and rejection, etc. This man is an eager and diligent hearer of the divine word among us and sets a good example for others, so that we have no reason to doubt the good foundation in him. He sends his only son to school, and this boy shows much promise and has good ability to learn.

Saturday, the 16th of June. The younger N.¹² has composed a supplication to General Oglethorpe in which he presents his and his brother’s great poverty as well as the theft that has afflicted them twice; he begs to be granted some help in the form of provisions from the storehouse. I accompanied this petition with a testimony on the good conduct of these two men among us and added my request for help on their behalf. Although we wish we could do something for them, this would exceed our means entirely, and we ourselves must wait upon the help of the Lord. A woman who had heard of the misfortune of the two brothers told me of her regret at being unable to help these and other poor people. However, since she is praying for them, this too is an act of love and a good work. The N.N. have planted some crops, to be sure, but it is little; and, as they have settled in the middle of the forest, the shade from the surrounding large trees hinders the growth of their crops. Nor have they had the time and the strength to fence their field, so that not only the deer but the pigs which run from our town into the woods have free access to their plantings; although they have not yet done any damage, they may yet do so. May the dear Lord have mercy on them and direct the heart of N.¹³ to open to their great need.

This afternoon I and the foremen of the community had the wicked and spiteful N. before us so as to refer him to his duties with good but serious words. Until now he has considered me too harsh because I was not able to overlook his offenses. Because he had been heard to say that others also felt that I had been too harsh and thus unjust toward him, he was asked to state, before these men of the congregation, what people he meant by this, so that I might talk to them myself and forestall a misunderstanding. However, he could not offer any names but the single one of N., who indeed often meddles in matters that are none of his concern and pretends to be very clever and is therefore not very highly regarded in our community. Inasmuch as he has harmed the boy N. with his idle talk and made him even more obstinate, there will surely be an opportunity to place this vexing matter on his conscience; although I prefer to be careful not to embitter him, since he already takes offense at the smallest thing. He moved to his plantation some time ago and is said to live in much discord with his wife, a fact which both of them keep quiet. May God convert him, although he puts many obstacles into his own path.

Sunday, the 17th of June. Last night I was afflicted by heavy vomiting, which made my throat quite too sore for talking and has enfeebled my entire body. Therefore I had to ask my dear colleague this morning to present in my stead what he had prepared with regard to the last part of the third Article. With God’s assistance I sufficiently regained my strength this afternoon to preach on the third verse of today’s gospel from John 3:1 ff., on rebirth, its necessity, nature, and blessing. May the Lord let me see the fruit of this and find it before His throne.

Monday, the 18th of June. The dear Lord has placed such a beautiful blessing on yesterday’s preaching of His word that some faithful and grace-hungry souls came to us this noon to continue their edification and seal everything with a prayer and the praise of the Lord. I read something to them from the beautiful little book¹⁴ of the late Dr. Richter concerning the rebirth of the soul, and our dear Lord graciously let mention be made therein of the evangelical growth in the received gift of the new birth. This is most important for some who tend to engage in mere legalistic activity with regard to the good received from the Lord. The verse: “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength,” etc., was most impressive for us.

Saturday a sick woman had asked for me; but, since I had been prevented from visiting her, I went to her today, which still served her well. She was suffering from fever and praised the Lord for revealing to her the sins of her youth and for working faithfully on her so as to make her into a new creature. When she has a little strength, she uses it to pray to her Savior, who also does not fail to hear her. When her husband and I fell on our knees before her bed to pray, she also moved to her weak and feeble knees in her bed; and when I admonished her to remain still, she said she would not wish to please the Old Adam by lying down; she, too, wished to humble herself, etc.

Tuesday, the 19th of June. The wicked fellow who has stolen several things from the Zuebli cottage is still said to be in our neighborhood. Many watermelons that have not even ripened have disappeared from the gardens, and surely this miserable man must be forced to eat these from hunger. We have had rain every day, so that our people have been prevented from searching the woods. But, as the sky cleared this afternoon, all of the men in the town who have guns have gone out, both to hunt for this man and to chase off the deer that are doing so much damage to the beans. After four o’clock we had a strong thunderstorm and much rain, which probably incommodated them greatly during their search.

The Lord knows what we need before we tell Him about it; and, since our fields need dry summer weather after all this rain, He will surely give us this grace if only we pray for it in faith and wait for it with patience. Beans, gourds, and melons all suffer much from this wet weather. Last year, the rains stayed away too long and the crops did not mature well; but God showed us that He can do abundantly more than we ask or understand, and many of the people still have food from the blessing we received in the last harvest.

I found a recently arrived married couple sick in bed and talked to them according to their circumstances. Things are still going badly with them; and, since they have brought many prejudices with themselves and have comfort to spare,¹⁵ it is difficult to convince them that they are rotten and damnable sinners and must crawl to the cross. May God bless all that which we have said to them in advice and prayer for the sake of their souls.

Wednesday, the 20th of June. Our men who went yesterday to look for the thief combed the entire woods for him, particularly in the vicinity of the Ebenezer Creek, but could not find him. I received news from Old Ebenezer today that we no longer have to fear anything from this thief, as he has left the area and gone his previous way. We also have everything well secured and do not need nightly watches, so that the toilers sleep under the shadow of the wings of the Lord after their daily labor, for He as the guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers; thus, they sleep quietly and securely after we have recommended ourselves to His saving grace in the prayer meeting before bedtime. Today and yesterday we have been unable to hold a prayer meeting because of the rainy weather.

Perhaps the dear Lord will bless the loving efforts of Mr. N.¹⁶ to collect some money for the construction of a church in our town, so that the church can be built in a location that is convenient for all our listeners. At present the meetings are still held in the old hut which Mr. von Reck had built by the joint labor of the Salzburgers on the Savannah river. This spot, however, is out of the way for most of the people and difficult to reach in the dark of the evening and during rainy weather.

Thursday, the 21st of June. In the afternoon hour between two and three, I have instructed the children who are to be prepared for Holy Communion in the larger Order of Salvation, ending with the appended Golden ABC.¹⁷ Now that I have finished this, I thank the dear Lord for all the help He has rendered in this regard and call upon him in the name of our Lord Jesus to place His grace on all the truths presented in this catechization, so that these children may not only grasp and retain this holy Order of Salvation, word by word and letter by letter, but accept it within their hearts so that they may become new creatures and children according to the heart and mind of the Lord. Three girls and one boy have been rendered quiet and attentive by the grace of the Lord, and I have much hope for the change of their hearts and their proper preparation. Provided they become and remain faithful to the Lord Jesus, I intend to let them go to the Lord’s Table on the next occasion, after previous examination and confirmation.

I kept the boy with me after the lesson and admonished him to use the means of salvation earnestly as well as to faithfully apply the grace he received; I also inquired into his company, and whether he visited his neighbors often to be edified by them, as I know that they are true Christians. Here I learned that there had been a misunderstanding between his mother and one of the neighbors, which had not yet been cleared up although the mother had sought peace and reconciliation. I shall look for an opportunity to inquire into the matter and make peace. The abovementioned children as well as the others could not come to the preparation hour during the planting season, as they must help their parents in the fields; but, since most of them did go to school several hours a day and all were made to attend the daily prayer meeting and the public services, they have never been without the opportunity for a true preparation. I therefore plan to repeat the dogma of the Holy Communion with them according to the instructions of the catechism, so that they may gain a full understanding of this most important sacrament and be all the more motivated by its importance and great helpfulness to prepare for it properly with eager and zealous prayer.

A little girl asked for some linen for some clothing and at the same time begged to be admitted to the orphanage, etc. On several previous occasions I had wished to accept her among the orphaned children, but her mother preferred me to make provision for helping her outside so that she could stay and help with her housekeeping tasks. This was not possible, however. Now that the mother is willing to let her go, the orphanage is so filled with children and other of the poor that we will have to refuse several applicants unless the Lord shows us new traces of His grace. Until now, the dear Lord has always provided, although the housekeeping in the orphanage had to be arranged along the most frugal lines, wherein the manager and his wife do the best they can.

Friday, the 22nd of June. The dear Lord granted me much edification today in the meeting, which is held twice weekly in my room. When he first arrived, Simon Reiter could not read a single word and appeared simple and maladroit to us and others; but after he turned to God from the bottom of his heart, he has not only learned how to read but utters the words of his prayers with such strength and impressiveness that they cannot be but edifying and joyful to all those who would listen with a devout heart. When I heard him pray today, I thought of our dear students of theology in Halle, and I wished to God that they would not be content with outward and literal scholarship, but would go to the school of the true instructor, the Holy Ghost, so that they may become theodidaktoi¹⁸ and thus make their talent right useful to their neighbor. At the time I was there, it was easy to see that, in many cases, both words and prayers came from the mind instead of flowing from the dear treasure of the heart, and this yields but little good. True Christianity, and the new birth that lies at the bottom of it, are an ornament that suits everyone, even the most simple, and renders him useful to both God and man. How much more will it not then befit a student of theology, and how much good would not flow therefrom for others if these were all to become thus.

Saturday, the 23rd of June. We have had rain every day for some time, and the ground has become quite soggy. I have not heard that much damage has been done to the crops so far, and we trust that the dear Lord will maintain and protect the blessing He has shown us. Doubtless, the honest members of the congregation call upon Him with much zeal in this regard, and they have the most certain assurance that they shall not pray in vain.

I found the manager of the orphanage in confident spirits today, and he told me for the praise of the Lord that He lends more and more of the grace that is required to cope with all circumstances that tend to arise in such an institution, however small it may be. He and his wife have learned, he said, to suffer want in the school of Christ and to acquiesce in everything the Lord ordains as His servant and bondsman. He knows how to show love and forbearance as well as strictness, each at its proper time, and God blesses his labors. It will be necessary for me to speak to the adults in the orphanage in the course of the next days, and I will do this more often in the future, so that all may agree with each other and each be obedient to the other in the love of God.

A small misunderstanding and some ill will had arisen among three pious souls because of a boy, which had prevented them from attending yesterday’s meeting in my house in the right spirit; and this had caused them grief and disquiet. But they soon talked about the matter in question in a friendly way and reconciled themselves on their knees before the Heavenly Father, so that my intercession was not necessary and I only learned of the matter after it had been settled. It is truly a great advantage if people do not forge ahead and insist on their imagined rights, but instead attempt to settle discord before the Lord; else, things get difficult and division arises.

Sunday, the 24th of June. Last evening after the prayer meeting we had the pleasure of receiving a goodly package of letters and other news from Europe. They had been waiting for us for several weeks in Charleston and Frederica; and, since they had reached the hands of Mr. Oglethorpe, he forwarded them to us with the following words: “God be praised, we have obtained £40 from Europe to be payd to you towards the Maintenance of Saltzburgher Widows & Orphans, & £30 to Mr. Gronau for to be laid out in Building him a Dwelling-House for his Ministry, have sent up the Money to Mr. Jones in the trustees Sola Bills by Mr. Kellaway, etc.”¹⁹ God be praised for this blessing, which we least anticipated at a time when money is quite rare in this colony.

The letters which we now received were from Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen, Secretary Newman, Prof. Francke, and Counsellor Walbaum; and all contained much that causes us to praise the Lord. Among other items, Mr. Newman advised that three honest merchants from N. had forwarded £10 sterling to the Honorable Society for the good of the Salzburgers, with the request that the Society see to it that the money be used for the good of our orphanage.²⁰ Oh how great is the mercy of the Lord! His fountains carry water in plenty, and He knows when to refresh us after all our want and trials. The manager of the orphanage and I had agreed some days ago to slaughter one of the oxen we bought recently, as there was a lack of meat in the orphanage and there was no money to buy anything in this time of want, when everything in Savannah is both rare and expensive. However, the horse needed for bringing in the oxen could not be found, and now the Lord lets us know that the money has arrived for the orphanage and therefore we can keep the ox until the heat has passed and it has been fattened in the pasture. We use even the smallest circumstance to strengthen our faith, for indeed all is within the providence of the Lord.

Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen confirmed Mr. Newman’s announcement that the dear Mr. N.²¹ is sparing no pain to act on behalf of us and is being quite successful in this; and therefore there is reason for hope that on his anticipated return to Savannah he will bring some money for the orphanage and for the construction of a church. Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen also mentioned Sanftleben and several women and a shoemaker, who were en route from Augsburg to Holland at the time of his writing. And today at noon I had a note from Sanftleben that he and several others had arrived in Port Royal last Tuesday from Charleston, whence he intends to travel to Savannah on the first occasion offered by water and asks us to fetch him shortly from the latter place. For this, too, praise be the Lord!

The letter of the court chaplain also mentions that the four chests with all sorts of gifts from Augsburg and Halle had not yet arrived in London, and that it must therefore be presumed that they were lost in or with the boat on which they had been sent. If this be true, we shall say in faith and humility, “The Lord gives and the Lord hath taken away,” and we hope that the dear Lord who restored his lost goods and children to Job after his many tribulations shall also find means and ways to let us partake of His blessing in some other way. In His government He doeth nothing without reason. A pious Salzburger to whom I recounted this story, upon learning how much had flown in physical blessings to the orphanage and with it to the entire congregation, remarked that God was wont to add salt to the sugar. Apart from this, Sanftleben’s arrival is bringing further blessing to us, the orphanage, and the whole congregation. Dear Prof. Francke as well is equally untiring in his concern for us and comes to our aid with all sorts of good inspiration, edifying news, and advice, and also material assistance, for which may the Lord Himself repay him. And our esteemed Counsellor Walbaum too has again thought of our congregation with renewed and tangible affection by forwarding us through Sanftleben the sum of 25 Reichstaler. May the dear Lord help us to receive His gifts not only as is written of the rich man in the gospel, but to cherish them in His praise and with heartfelt thanks and a new resolution to dedicate ourselves to His service with all our heart and soul, so that they may produce much useful good for the praise of the Giver and the best of our neighbors.

The poor among us had looked forward eagerly to the linen and other gifts of which Prof. Francke and Senior Urlsperger had made repeated mention in previous letters; now that their hope seems to have been in vain, they will feel some grief, as the shortage of linen in particular affects them much. I have tried to encourage them in today’s repetition hour wherein we read the edifying letters of Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen and Prof. Francke for the good of the congregation. For we have a Lord for whom nothing is impossible. If it should serve His glory and our good, He can bring up the lost presents from the bottom of the sea as easily as He can compensate for our loss in some other way. I reminded them that nobody would have dared hope that my lost gown and the box of letters would have been returned to me, as in fact occurred.²² In the repetition hour, I informed the congregation of the edifying content of the letters and of the beautiful blessing that is forthcoming for the orphanage, in which the community will also share; the Lord let this pass with great edification and strengthening of my faith. In the evening, we assembled in the orphanage to sum up all that we had heard from our letters in prayer and to present it to the dear redeeming God and Father in heaven, as did Jephta in Judges 11:11, whereof we have been dealing in our prayer meetings these very days. The children were more attentive than usual; and, as quite a crowd had assembled, we praised the Lord for His blessings, prayed for our dear benefactors and wished before the Lord that Sanftleben and his dear companions might arrive at our place in good health and spirit and for their and our furtherance in the faith.

Because of the continuing rainy weather, these dear people will be waiting for our arrival in Savannah with great impatience, so my dear colleague travelled down there in our small boat tonight, to welcome them kindly in the name of the Lord and to make arrangements for their needs and transportation. Tomorrow morning our Salzburgers will travel down with two boats to fetch them and their belongings, for which undertaking everyone has shown the greatest willingness. It seems that Sanftleben’s note reached me quite late, else we would have taken steps last week to wait for them and his people in Savannah, so that they could have been received immediately by our boats and brought up here without having to witness bad examples in Savannah and have their minds befuddled by all sorts of unfounded gossip from the wicked Germans there. I hope that Sanftleben has used all necessary precautions. The chances of being misled in this country are quite great.

At noon, I was visited by three Englishmen, who are on their way from Fort Augusta to Charleston on matters of commerce. They asked me to have two people in their boat married in my house; but I refused them, as I have done before with all such people. It is not my office to become involved in such marriages, which are usually surrounded by suspicious circumstances. I inquired from them of Mr. Falk, who once pretended both in Savannah and here to have been ordained by a bishop in Sweden and sent here to America as a minister. As he could not get anything accomplished in Savannah, he travelled to Savannah-Town; but, as one of these Englishmen told me, he never made it there and instead stayed for a while in Palachocolas, where he baptized children and tried to set up some kind of divine services for the English and the Negroes there. However, he proved somewhat dishonest, and therefore he was made to leave and travelled back to Charleston. Although the road leads past our town, he has never come back here.

Monday, the 25th of June. There is again a rumor that Mr. Oglethorpe intends to travel to the Indian Nations or to Savannah-Town, and for this purpose several strange Indians have come down the Savannah River. He will surely use this occasion to inspect the mill, as his itinerary will take him past Old Ebenezer by land.

H. Floerel’s wife was delivered of a young daughter this morning, who was baptized at noon. Two pious women assisted her in her hard labor, who jointly with her husband fell to their knees in the hour of greatest danger and prayed for the help of the Lord. Since the three had jointly promised the Lord to praise Him today in our meeting for the help rendered, they all came to my room for this purpose, where the husband prayed quite from the bottom of his heart and praised the Lord, as well as remembering, in moving words and before the face of the Lord, our dear fathers and benefactors in Europe; he was joined in this by others who were there for prayer. May God be praised for these blessed noon hours during which we meet Mondays and Fridays.

From a little letter of our dear Prof. Francke, we made good use of the news of the blessed departure of the dear servant of the Lord, Pastor Freylinghausen; and I told them what a treasure he had been to the Church of Christ and particularly the dear city of Halle, who are both now deprived of this noble jewel. I have learned from him and all his works with which I am familiar, the Lord be praised, what the Savior intended with these words: “Except ye be converted and become as little children,” etc. At the conclusion of our prayer we sang a few verses from the beautiful hymn by this very Freylinghausen: Wer ist wohl wie Du, etc., which touched me particularly on this occasion. In this connection, I am reminded of the devout expression of the late Pastor Mischke, as recounted in the story of his life, i.e.: “The closer he came to his end, the more impetuously he penetrated into Christ and His mercy,²³ so that he in truth accomplished what he used to answer in his days of health to the question: How would he act once the bridal coach which he so eagerly awaited would come? And he was wont to answer: I shall then once more cleanse myself thoroughly in the blood of Christ, and shall dress in a white shirt, which is the robe of Christ’s justification, and then I shall mount that coach joyously.” That truly means: to prepare oneself for glory!

Tuesday, the 26th of June. Among the unmarried women accompanying Sanftleben is the blood sister of our Mrs. Landfelder, by the name of Elisabeth Wassermann. Since she is being taken in by the Landfelder woman pending future arrangements, I admonished the latter well this morning, particularly with regard to working on her sister by word and example so that she might be led into that order of things from the very beginning in which she can please the Lord through Jesus Christ and become blessed. Outward quietness and proper demeanor, as well as an industrious use of the means of salvation, are not decisive in our work of grace. Instead, according to the meaning of the exordium of last Sunday, Deuteronomy 30:1920, a man must reach the point of believing in God and his Savior through the word of the gospel, and his faith must be proven through love, love through obedience, and obedience through an attachment to Christ, as we have seen in the example of the dear Apostles of the Lord. Thus one obtains the possession and enjoyment of the promised land and will partake of grace and life both here and in eternity. She was well pleased by these words and promised that she and her husband would pray diligently so that she too might partake of this grace.

Since I had communicated the contents of the edifying letters we received last Sunday in the repetition hour for the good of the departing members, I repeated the sermon on the regular text in yesterday’s prayer meeting. May God bless all this for the sake of Christ! After the prayer meeting, six girls visited me for prayer, whose hearts the dear Lord has touched these last days. I told them that the devil had much harmed them through frivolity and that they should watch their thoughts, eagerly sigh to the Lord, carry a good verse in their minds at all times, and pray to the Lord several times during the day, as well as visit me frequently. Then I would not doubt that God will continue and ground ever more firmly His work in them which He has commenced on several occasions. Upon their return, I shall tell them from the pleasing letter of the dear Mr. N. some things of the highborn children of the noble Count N., since I had mentioned something of their edifying example just yesterday. Mr. N. uses the following expression concerning these children so highly born in the Lord: “There is none left among the Count’s children who is not confidently enjoying the Lord, his Savior; and their number is now being augmented by the recent marriage of the young Count at N., with the most proper and demure Countess N. May our Lord be praised.”

Rauner well notices that the blessing of the Lord is not on his house and matters are retrogressing with him in many respects. I admonished him to see to his true conversion, for then he would partake of His blessing in both spiritual and material things, as he has now heard repeated several times. However, since he and his family have until now elected the sins and temptations of this world, he also has to bear the curse that is attached thereto and therefore must blame himself for all misfortune. I also admonished him regarding his disobedient and reckless son, whom I have ordered to come to me tomorrow to give him some necessary clothing from the orphanage and to admonish him on this occasion. I told him that I had noticed two external errors in his education of this wicked boy: (1) that he was never of one mind with his wife; (2) that he often failed to have the boy accompany him at work and indulged him too much in his will and in the use of his time. The major reason why their children have not turned out well, however, is the unrepentant and mistaken state of mind of the parents. In previous times, he spent much time in the company of some wicked people in Old Ebenezer; and I was glad to hear that he himself had realized that this had done him more harm than good and that he vowed he would dispense with such company altogether from now on.

N.’s wife had an edifying and warm conversation with me today which bears witness of her growth in Christianity. She also told me that her husband had recently returned home much moved and shed many tears over the words of the Lord that had penetrated his heart. He has left for Savannah with others of the men to fetch Sanftleben and his travel companions. Prior to the voyage, he prayed to the dear Lord to protect him from unnecessary gossip, since this was an easy temptation in the company of so many people and he might therefore sin easily. She told me that young people had come to the hut on several occasions and started gossiping, but she had chastised them for that and they had stayed away subsequently.

Wednesday, the 27th of June. Last night my dear colleague came back home and brought with him the new shoemaker,²⁴ who seems to be a most honest fellow. As he cannot have anything built now, he will use my old hut in the meantime, and a Salzburger woman in his neighborhood will wash and cook for him. The Lord Trustees have made him a present of leather and wax worth 19 shillings 10 pence, and he has obligated himself to make shoes for the orphanage from this for half price. Mr. Verelst is also bearing in mind the 40 pounds for the orphanage and the 30 pounds for my dear colleague’s house, which were mentioned in Mr. Oglethorpe’s letter a few days ago. May God be praised for all His munificence!

In the morning towards nine o’clock the two boats with Sanftleben and the unmarried women arrived. They first came to my house, where our first concern was to sing a joint song of praise and call upon the dear Lord in humble prayer for His blessing on our faith and our external professions, to praise Him for all divine assistance experienced on land and on water during the voyage, and to ask Him as well for forgiveness, in the name of His son, for all offenses and sinful weaknesses. Then a meal was prepared for them which everyone attended in good spirits and with much joy. The women soon found their friends here with whom they will stay until God shall provide for them in other ways. Mr. von Reck gave Sanftleben his hut, where we have until now held school; we will now have to move somewhere else for this. That which the dear Father in heaven has intended for us through the hands of some pious benefactors in Augsburg, i.e. linen and several items for clothing, as well as useful books, had to remain behind in London for the time, as the customs officials at first did not wish to let these goods pass; however, we have grounds to expect them later. Also, the letter of dear Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen gives us new hope regarding the four crates which we recently had given up for lost.

These good people came from Charleston to Savannah in an open petiagua²⁵ and therefore both they and their belongings have suffered much in the rainy weather. When they arrived in Savannah, the storekeeper, Mr. Jones, had just traveled to Frederica; and, since there was nothing in the storehouse anyway by way of provisions, all that was given them was a barrel of flour. In our letters, no mention is made of their sustenance during the first period after their arrival, except that Sanftleben told me that the Lord Trustees had promised to arrange things for them as had been done for the first Salzburgers. According to news received from the Court Chaplain, Mr. Vernon is said to have recommended them to Mr. Oglethorpe; and we will probably learn shortly what kind of provisions will be made for them from the storehouse. From the letter written to the Court Chaplain by Senior Urlsperger, which contains a complete listing of all things given to Sanftleben for us, we see that despite the pitiful conditions in Germany, where there is much want and expense, the Lord is remembering our congregation with His blessing and is bestowing one material blessing after the other on us through well-meaning hands and in accordance with our needs. The house of the esteemed N. is indefatigable in proving their true love and care for us, and we will eagerly call upon the heavenly Father in the name of His son so that He may place His blessing on them now and in eternity.

We have been honored by a most edifying letter of Lady N.;²⁶ may the Lord bless it, in us and ours. Also, the esteemed Mr. N. wrote us and gave us news of his charitable gift, which Sanftleben has brought with himself in the form of a sum of money. May the dear Lord strengthen the dear Mr. N.N. in his heavy burden of business at home and abroad and may He let him, as all His faithful servants, enjoy even here on earth the beautiful fruit of the precious divine prophecy in Isaiah 3:10: “Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with them: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” In the crates left behind in England there are said to be several other letters addressed to us which we would love to read soon. Sanftleben is quite busy today unpacking his belongings and being visited by the Salzburgers, who are eager to learn all the news from him; and we will therefore have little of his company today. We have had pleasant weather in the last few days, so that our dear guests have arrived safe and dry, but the rain is starting again. God will make all turn out well for us, including the weather.

Thursday, the 28th of June. I hear that useless people in Charleston have talked a lot with the women who arrived with Sanftleben and have tried to prevail on them not to continue on to Georgia, arguing that there was nothing but want and misery here; and this had caused some disquiet in several of them. I believe that they will like everything they find here, however, as they are being accepted with much love by Christian folk and are enjoying all sorts of good favors. Sanftleben has also brought a gift of money for the orphanage and the two of us. Praise be to God, who always knows the means to make good our want and to relieve us from misery. He told me that dear Mr. N.N. had told him I should have a room of my own, even if he had to have it built from his own money. May God repay him for his love!

The carpenters are again seriously at work finishing my house; and therefore I will not only have a good room for study, prayer, and conversation with my dear listeners but also a warm sickroom, since the walls are 5 inches thick and they will set up an iron stove, which has cost me 2 pounds 14 shillings and which can be conveniently arranged because the kitchen is right in the middle of the house. The cause of the long illnesses and frequent weakness among us is above all the fact that in the winter time it is difficult to raise a right strong sweat and maintain a constant light state of perspiration, as the huts are not built to keep out the cold. How much good I have already felt from the use, by day and night, of a proper living room, in which my family will be able to conduct their household affairs in the future, and how much my health and my office have benefited from it! May God be praised; may He also provide us with the costs for the house! At present I have only one window with two casements, each three feet high and two feet wide. If the dear Lord does not send glass from England at reasonable cost, for which I asked the dear Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen several months ago, we will have to see to buying something here, for without glass windows my purpose will not be served. The glass made here is of low quality and quite expensive.

The dear N.N. has sent us his portrait, which I showed to a woman who is seeking the Lord, without telling her whose likeness this was. However, at the very first glance she said, this one I know best, for he had done much good to me, etc. We hear that many other likewise well-intentioned Salzburgers have become quite worldly in Germany and that there is now little difference between them and other vain artisans or similar people. For this reason they are held in low regard and even mocked by their compatriots who have left the pleasant material conditions there and come here. Such people will cause much grief to faithful ministers in whose lap the Lord had delivered the souls from Salzburg.

We learn from a letter addressed to us that it would be well if we would not only make a general acknowledgment of the gifts received, but also render a more detailed account, for the pleasure of our benefactors, of how the individual gifts of money and other things are being used. I would dearly love to include such a detailed account of all moneys so far received in this diary or in our letters, if my time and my physical strength were only to permit it. Those sums that were intended for us as a gift we have not specifically reported in these diaries; and because, in accordance with the intention of the benefactors, we have used the money intended for the congregation whenever the circumstances required it, we have only acknowledged the proper receipt of such sums and recorded them in our ledger of income and expenses, without giving specific notice when and by whom these were sent. From now on, we intend to be more specific in recording all circumstances concerning receipt and disbursement; and we will attach our statements of account to these diaries in the same manner in which we have so far kept them for our own purposes.

In tonight’s prayer meeting, after a brief repetition of the story of Jephta, I read out the impressive passage from the letter of Mr. N. to Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen, wherein he lists the especial instances of divine providence for our congregation, in that God had awakened several generous hearts in N., who had eagerly collected beautiful gifts of books and clothing, although they had their hands full with their own affairs, all sorts of special levies, and the poor of the city. His manner of expression was most moving and touched my heart, as well, I hope, as that of our listeners. The blessing mentioned has not arrived yet but is still in London, and we will expect it as well as the other crates sent from Halle and Augsburg in faith and hope. Some people seem a bit dejected that Sanftleben has brought nothing for them to relieve their want, although they had been promised that recently. They will now expect with new hope the blessing that is always needed.

After the prayer meeting I distributed the fifty bottles of Schauer balm²⁷ of which Mr. Johann Schauer made a gift to our community. As he said in his fine letter, he was prompted to make this gift by my letter of thanks, from which he learned how highly the Salzburgers esteem this balm and with what good effect it has been used in many instances. In previous times, the esteemed Mr. N. had sent this balm to us on several occasions; and, since we had not been informed that these were his presents, I erroneously thanked Mr. Schauer for them, which error has turned to our best through God’s providence. There is more of this balm in a crate which remained in London, which Senior Urlsperger is sending for our own purposes. May the Lord be praised for everything! We have not received a letter from the most esteemed Mr. N. in either the previous or the present package; but we presume that something will be in the aforementioned crate, and we will be most pleased to receive it. Sanftleben told us that several letters were contained in it.

On several occasions in our meetings we have remembered the dear family N., which is indefatigable in their good deeds on our behalf and that of others. We again remembered them today, as their gentle gifts are again to refresh the poor. The children and adults have hardly used up what they received in previous times from their hands; and now they will again benefit from something, my own house included, praise be the Lord. Their letter is most impressive for me, and I shall read it tomorrow in the meeting at my house to those honest souls who appear with me before the Lord with prayers and thanks on behalf of our dear benefactors. May the gracious Lord crown them with His blessings, as with a shield, and let them savor the fruits of their works here and in eternity!

Friday, the 29th of June. In today’s meeting at my house several beautiful letters were read, which truly awakened us and encouraged us to the praise of the Lord and to prayers on behalf of others. As we again learned something of the munificence of some pious rich men toward us, I recalled the beautiful passage from Job 31:16-20 and showed those present that the example of Job should serve not only for the rich, but also for poor people, including therefore our Salzburgers, who could learn their duty from the example of the poor cared for by Job, namely, to bless our benefactors when enjoying the gifts received from them. We therefore again undertook today to remember their names before the Lord.

N.N. told me yesterday that in her physical and mental weakness, his wife sometimes upset herself unnecessarily about this or that matter so that, once she recovered and reflected on her conduct, she was all the more aggrieved by her faults. He, too, was at our house today and, because the beautiful letter of the esteemed Lady N. contained the saying of Psalms 91:14-16, which had been briefly applied to our joint edification, I made this sick woman, who is honest from the bottom of her heart, partake of this edification through her husband; and she is finding counsel and comfort therein for the condition of her soul and her body. A weaver from N., a journeyman called N., also wrote to us and gave us most edifying news of the blessing which the merciful Lord places on His servants there in the administration of their office. He seems to have a right good foundation, and he writes most edifyingly from the fullness of his heart. He is a weaver by trade and shows much eagerness to come here, if the Lord should ordain it. There is little he could do here in his profession, although he seems to believe differently. We have several weavers among us who have had to turn to field work. Once there is more hemp and flax planted in future years, then some weavers might well find work. We would have much liked to have Sanftleben with us to have him talk about his journey for our edification, but he missed the hour and will visit us shortly.

Saturday, the 30th of June. Last night the honest N. told me something about his sick wife, which prompted me to visit her today. She had recovered somewhat in body and spirit and told me that during her severe pains she had been in great fear of her conscience, for her conscience had told her that she had not so far been honest in her intentions toward God and, if she were to die now, as it had appeared to her, she would not have been able to find secure comfort in her Savior; and she cried bitterly when telling me this. Because I know her as a repentant soul eager for salvation who in her previous struggles has surely had only one goal of saving her soul and making sure of her salvation, I sought to encourage her wounded heart and fearful spirit by all possible means through the gospel. While talking to her, I was reminded of the words from 1 John 3 :20, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” I reminded her that she could consider what the dear Apostle says of himself and other believers, that is, that their hearts had reproached them as well, refused them the grace of the Lord, etc., but he had added: “God is greater than our heart, and His word should count more for us than the voice of our deceitful hearts.” Therefore, we should always examine all that our heart and mind tell us in the light of the Lord’s word, for what agrees with it is right. But, when our conscience tells us, “You are damned because of your great unfaithfulness and your weaknesses, Jesus and His merit do not touch you, you have waited too long,” etc., we must overcome and suppress such notions by means of the merciful promises of the Lord, which cover all sins and sinners through the merit of Christ. Let His word be your sure ground, even if your heart speaks more loudly, etc. I reminded her of the words which I had sent home with her husband yesterday: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Here the Savior does not describe how a sinner should look when he comes to Him (for if he were to come to Him better than a worthless sinner, he could never come), but rather He wishes to have all sinners; and it is His office, which He carries out with thousandfold joy, to bring to a state of grace all sinners, the arch sinners, and the villains, and to deliver them from sinning and all sins. And, if this word is prefaced by the words that only those come to Christ whom the Father pulls, then it is clear that this is the Father’s very means of doing so, namely to present the sinner as such to his conscience, and to convince him of his misery so that he will believe that he needs a Savior and is longing for him, etc.

I remembered the words from the Treasure Chest,²⁸ “When the dove did not see where to rest its foot,” and I read them to her with the verses printed underneath and said: “Such was the love of Noah for the dove that he took it in, for else it would have perished; how great then is the love of the Savior for saved mankind, and in particular for those in whom He has started His work, since He has used His divine blood for them and has laid down an eternally valid ransom for them. He will not let go of the soul, for He loves it too much.” She said that she felt like the Children of Israel in the desert, in whom spiritual and physical need came together because of their sins. I replied that she should not only use this but also another lesson as an example; that is that God, in His unspeakable mercy and despite the many sins of the Israelites, had given them a sign of grace in the form of the brazen snake, and thus a prefiguration²⁹ of the Savior (who became a worm for us and was to be hanged as a banner and sign of grace), etc. And now it is said from the mouth of the soul-hungry Savior, “Turn to me (with your snake bites and wounds), and you shall be saved until the end of the world,” etc. Finally, I prayed with her and recommended her to the mercy and care of the good Shepherd and Redeemer.

At present there is no meat to be had in Savannah; and, because the newly arrived people as well as the orphanage are suffering want, we had to butcher one of the recently acquired oxen, which we would otherwise have deferred until the fall. Not only did we distribute as much as will be necessary for the first time to those who arrived with Sanftleben, but in addition a meal was prepared for them today in the orphanage, so that we may show them also in this way the deep love that we feel for them. We have also let the sick have a little fresh meat.

JULY

Sunday, the 1st of July. I was alone today, since my dear colleague, Mr. Gronau, left yesterday for Savannah, where he will teach the word of the Lord to the Germans there. Despite my feeble physical condition, our merciful Lord so comforted me and made me so joyful during the preaching of His word that I could present to my dear listeners the sweet fatherly heart of God in Christ toward both Jews and heathen and all mankind. I also carried out the will of my Savior in beckoning and urging my dear flock, also the newly arrived among them, to come to Christ’s kingdom of mercy and God’s richly prepared table of grace, where everything is prepared for one and all according to the needs of each. I added that there was no reason for any among them to delay; for nothing is to be preferred to the call to the Lord’s Supper, not even the most important affairs pertaining to one’s daily profession.

My main intention was directed at an explanation of the exordium for today’s gospel for the 2nd Sunday after Trinity—namely, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God”—wherein I first treated of the important connections between this text and the preceding ones and then showed both what is meant by the words, eating one’s bread in the kingdom of God, and also who can actually enjoy it. In the exordium I explained the verses Matthew 8:11-12, “And I say to you that many shall come from the east, etc.” In the application I stressed the two verses from 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time”; also, Hebrews 12:15-17. The afternoon service had to start somewhat later than usual because of a strong rain; and this was very useful for me not only because it permitted me to regain my strength, but also because it was cool and agreeable in the church after the rain.

Our assemblies were well attended on both occasions; and, because I could not hold the repetition hour in addition to the afternoon catechization, I took the occasion to repeat the most important points at this time. Praise God who blessed this first in me and then, it is hoped, in the others. In the evening prayer meeting in the orphanage, where a large number had assembled, I used some time before the prayer to read some passages from the detailed reports from some Salzburgers in Prussia, whose names were given, those reports having been sent to us by Prof. Francke. In particular, much mention was made of old Mr. Rottenberger and his two sons. Rottenberger has an honest son here, who is skillful in many things and of great usefulness to us. He is much pleased by the Christian conduct of his loved ones, which serves as an example to be followed by others. Similarly, the names of several who were mentioned in this report are known to some of our listeners here.

Monday, the 2nd of July. Sanftleben and Ulich, the shoemaker, told us for the praise of the Lord that they had fared well during their passage at sea and had not lacked anything. The captain, a man called Hermann,¹ had shown them so much kindness that they could not have wished for more. Such reports are quite rare and would indicate that this captain had received favorable recommendations concerning these passengers. Two of the women, Lackner and Wassermann, who usually are of good health and a strong constitution, suffered much more from sea sickness, both in duration and severity, than others. An unhappy incident afflicted the Berenberg woman while they were at sea; one of the women spilled grease from a pan while they were cooking, almost setting the kitchen on fire. Because this caused much alarm, hurrying to and fro, and running about, the Berenberg woman attempted to climb down through the hatch from deck into the ship. In her confusion, she missed the steps and fell down head first, causing her to lose her speech and upsetting her mind. It is reported that nobody saw her fall and therefore nobody came to help her. In her confusion and loss of consciousness, she crawled into a dark hole somewhere in the boat; and, when she was missed, they looked for her everywhere. Finally she was found in a dark corner. As she looked quite ill and was unable to talk, Sanftleben had her bruises rubbed with Schauer balm, and the good Lord so blessed this application that she started talking again after twenty-four hours, and now she shows no signs of her injury. I have tried to persuade Sanftleben to write out his notes on the events of their voyage up to their arrival, first in Charleston and finally in our community, so that we may forward them to Europe next week with our letters. He has promised to do so.² He was with us today in our private meeting, and he told us several of his observations about the kingdom of the Lord, as noted in Halle, Saalfeld, Augsburg, Sorau and other places. Among other matters, I was much pleased to learn that, in the Orphanage in Halle, he had joined in prayer and the praise of the Lord with several pious students who still remembered me. He gave a pleasing testimony of their simple and honest ways. As the honorable Mr. B. E. showed himself particularly gracious and generous toward Sanftleben, and because he is among our most esteemed benefactors, our assembly wished that he and his entire family might realize the true goal of their faith, the salvation of their souls, and may be crowned forever at the end of all their struggles.

Shoemaker Ulich has taken on Zettler as an apprentice upon the latter’s request and wish and has promised to teach him the shoemaker’s trade within a year and a half, provided that he shows himself to be orderly, obedient, and industrious. He will not be charged for his apprenticeship, nor will he have to provide for his food. The boy is big and strong; and, because he had already learned some things from the previous shoemaker who was returned to Savannah, he can be expected to be of service to our new shoemaker and will have to serve only briefly; he will surely learn a right decent trade from this skillful man. The matter was agreed and decided in my house this morning and properly recorded.

Tuesday, the 3rd of July. We again have dry and warm weather which is very useful for our land after the long rains. It seems that the Lord will provide a good harvest this year except for the beans, which have been much damaged by the rain and have also been ravaged by the deer. There are several Indian families at our town, who will probably chase off the deer. These Indians had among them their king, an impressive man of obvious wisdom; and they all visited me upon their arrival. Since I had given them some food and drink for refreshments, they returned today with some meat and asked for our boat.

As much as our strength and time will permit, we shall write letters to our Fathers and benefactors this week so that they may be informed of the safe arrival of Sanftleben and the others. As there are apparently many letters in the box left behind by Sanftleben, we will have to be forgiven for not answering them at this time. With God’s help we will do so shortly, when we can announce the receipt and application of the gifts sent to us.

Wednesday, the 4th of July. I found three pious women with Mrs. N., who were helping her and her small child. I learned that the poor condition of the patient had improved; and, since many other children of the Lord had prayed for her (which she esteems highly), I told her that her improvement had been the fruit of her own prayers and those of other faithful souls. I also repeated to her the verse which God has blessed in me in connection with the story of Samson in Judges 13:8-9, “He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him,”³ which is surely a special privilege of those who fear the Lord and shows the magnificence of the love of the Father in Christ for His children. (John 17: 23, Sirach 10:27.) She replied in a low voice, “Oh, if only I were one who feared the Lord”; and I answered that it is written in Isaiah 65 concerning those who are the true servants of the Lord and upon whom the Lord looks with favor, “I will look even to him that is poor and of contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Then she could not object anymore, for this verse well expresses her honest but fearful and apprehensive mind.

A woman joined in and added that she had recently heard a verse from me and had seen that I liked it well and held it dear, i.e. “The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” She exclaimed that she would never forget this verse but would pass it on to all those dear to her. For even if we be poor and have nothing much in spirit or in flesh, we do have a rich God in Christ upon whom we can call, for He has enough to cure all our want. And I added that it was an error of all those who fear the Lord that, when God reveals to them their misery, want, and deficiencies, they are discouraged thereby and ready to despair, claiming that God will reject them for their utter lack of virtue, etc. However, they should instead recognize it for a special grace of the Lord that He stirs up the wickedness in their hearts and reveals it to them, for by this He wishes to drive them into the arms of His mercy and to the blood of conciliation shed by His son, as well as to render them right poor and small, so that they might humble themselves deeply before Him and search for His grace in hunger and thirst, for this is the surest way to heaven, etc.

I again repeated to the children in the orphanage what I recently proclaimed for the praise of the Lord in public assembly, namely, that this time the dear Lord had opened His generous hands so richly for the orphanage that even those children for whose sake this institution was established and is being continued would have ample cause to recognize the fatherly providence of the Lord in heaven and praise Him highly for it. Thus I sought to admonish them movingly to show gratitude to God and man, and in particular a true and honest fear of the Lord. In external matters as well, I made and recorded some arrangements for furthering the interests of the children and good order in the entire institution.

Once the patients have improved so that I can again instruct children and adults jointly, I shall take up all the matters in more detail that are necessary for the greater glory of the Lord and their own welfare. May God give us the wisdom to conduct ourselves in this respect in such a manner that the purpose for which this institution was erected, contrary to everyone’s thoughts and expectation, and maintained until now with His assistance, can be realized in both the young and the old. The statements of dear Professor Francke in his letter of 15 January of this year have been most impressive for us and our helpers in the orphanage; and through God’s grace they encourage us to continue working with our lambs, even if we do not immediately recognize the blessing that this involves. He writes thus: “May the Lord in His mercy direct that all the children who have been accepted in His name shall be reared in His praise and become plants of justice. With youth, one must needs work in the hope of the future, for in youth good resolutions quickly vanish again. However, the effort and work spent on them for the sake of the Lord is never in vain; and therefore we must continue and persevere in prayer and searching, with admonition and loyalty, while awaiting the blessing of the Lord in this as in all other things.”

Thursday, the 5th of July. This morning N. and his wife came to us for private communion. They are both weak because of the fever; and, as they cannot join the others in the congregation at the Lord’s Table next Sunday, they requested to be admitted today. They both humbled themselves abjectly before the dear Lord for the many sins committed since their youth and seemed most eager for salvation in Christ. They also showed great joy that God has bestowed on them such great mercy in the form of His Son’s Last Supper, and declared that they would be grateful for it for the rest of their lives.

A woman from the orphanage came to me afterwards and wished to speak to me in private. Her heart, she complained, stayed hard throughout her prayers and showed not the least sign of God’s grace. She crawls on the ground like a dog during her prayers, and coos like a dove;⁴ but nothing improves matters. She would have to confess to so many sins that it could not pass without many tears, and therefore she wished to be alone with me. God had shown her so much physical grace through the gifts that He had bestowed on the orphanage that this made her remember all her sins, and therefore she had to consider herself entirely unworthy. She did not deserve all the good she enjoyed, etc. I encouraged her spirit with the help of the gospel as much as possible. She listened to each comforting word with much eagerness, as if she wanted to devour it.

Friday, the 6th of July. This week a number of letters have been written to our Fathers and benefactors, i.e. Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen, Senior Urlsperger, Professor Francke, the Honorable Society, the Lord Trustees, Court Chaplain Butjenter, Counsellor Walbaum, and Mr. Manitius. Senior Urlsperger has been asked to render our thanks to the esteemed family N. and other benefactors for all the clear signs of their kindness and to apologize on our behalf for our present failure to write. We shall soon express our gratefulness personally, once we have received the things that were sent as presents, because then we will be able to report their condition at their arrival, whether they reached us in good shape or were damaged. Mrs. Landfelder, née Wassermann, and her sister, who recently arrived with Sanftleben, have asked me to thank both Mr. N. and Chaplain N. for all the favors shown to them, in particular for their offices in sending the sister here, accompanied by a pleasant gift of Pomesin⁵ for herself and Mrs. Kalcher. In their simplicity, they asked to have two verses sent, that is, Psalms 46:2 and Psalms 47:3; and they wish the Lord’s blessing on them⁶ and the honorable Mrs. S. in return.

During dinner time, my room was filled with the dear souls who, along with us, are preparing themselves with prayer and imploration for the intended partaking of Holy Communion. For our joint edification, I read to them before our prayer the refreshing letter of Mr. Manitius, who is working in grace with the Jews. Praised be the Lord, who awakens us from nearby and afar, to perceive our salvation. After the prayers, I gave each one a copy of the beautiful song, Mein Heyland nimmt die Sunder an, which has reached us this time in many printed copies. God willing, I shall use it for my benefit and that of the others in the preparation tomorrow, since it so well suits the glorious gospel for the coming 3rd Sunday after Trinity.

Saturday, the 7th of July. The living space in the orphanage is getting more and more crowded, and the manager told me that toward harvest time, in view of the rich rice harvest that is expected, he would require a threshing floor and a good storage space for the corn, beans, and other physical blessings, as well as for fodder. From the enclosed accounts our Fathers and benefactors can see that there is no money for this. If, however, we are forced to build something to accommodate our supplies, we will go ahead in the name of the Lord and wait for His blessing to defray the expenses.

Sunday, the 8th of July. We had a strong rain at night, as well as much wind and thunder, which prevented us from holding our repetition hour. Yesterday a strong rain fell during the preparation hour and forced me to stop my sermon, the noise of the water on the roof being so strong that one could not hear one’s own words. God will surely help us soon to find a better place for public assembly.

Monday, the 9th of July. Today we made a bundle of our letters and diaries, and we shall now give them into safe hands for delivery in Savannah. May God bless everything that has been written.

At noon, I had the men of the community come to my house to discuss various matters. As they still have much work close to the town, only very few will be in a position to begin their households on their plantations. In the meantime, those trees that throw too much shadow on their neighbors’ property will be cut down so that all those who have already moved out or are about to move will not incur any damage. A common fence was built already in the spring; and therefore all that is needed now is to prepare the land for planting. Those few who are already living on their plantations would like to have more people move out so that arrangements can be made to have public services held there on Sundays and once a week. In rainy weather the roads there are very poor; and therefore quite a number of arrangements would have to be made before one of us could go out every week and preach there. All beginning is hard, but with God’s grace things will arrange themselves in due course.

Tuesday, the 10th of July. Ulich, the shoemaker, announced that he wishes to join Margarethe Egger in wedlock; and for this he wishes to come to me with her this week once more and be married next week. N. [Pletter], a true Israelite in whose heart there is not a wicked thought, intends to marry N. [the Wassermann woman], for which reason he came to me today to get some advice. As weak as he may be physically, and as little as he seeks worldly matters, he has well arranged his household and suffers lack of neither cattle nor food, which he accepts as a blessing from the hand of His heavenly Father with much humility and praise.

I visited the Berenberg woman and found that, although she is a bit apprehensive now because she is new here, she likes our arrangements, in particular our divine services and the ample opportunities for edification, as had been promised to her by Senior Urlsperger. She was in service in N. [Ulm] and told many sad things she had observed among the wicked young people in church. I told her some instances of the Lord’s help that we have received in and after our many tribulations, and which had so advanced us that I did not think that she would hear anyone complaining of the decision to come here. She knows the Crause woman, who comes from the same jurisdiction as she, and I told her that she should look upon her as an example of what the Lord’s blessing can bring about for people whose first desire is the kingdom of the Lord. Not only have she and her husband been furthered in their Christianity, but within a little more than three years they have obtained for themselves a household so well furnished with many things that they would not have achieved one like it in many more years in Germany.

This Berenberg woman would much like to be able to read and has time to spare for learning it; she as well as another woman will soon be helped in this respect. She remarked that it hurts her to see others in church sing from their hymnals, while she has to sit with her hands in her lap. She praised Gschwandl, in whose house she lives, as well as his wife and his children for their industry in reading, praying, and singing, which I much liked to hear. I visited another woman in the neighborhood who told me that this Berenberg woman had been quite restless about having come here, but that she and her husband had so movingly reassured her from God’s word and their own experience that I was much pleased by her way of putting things. For this woman had previously been without much understanding and so full of prejudice that she now marvels and is shocked by her former blindness and the depth of her perdition, which the Lord has made her realize. She praises His mercy above all. Thus the Berenberg woman is in good company and with good neighbors, which is fortunate in view of her special needs.

Because I had a most important meeting with the men from the community yesterday afternoon, for which reason the hour set for private assembly in my house had to be cancelled, the hungry souls came today to present to the Lord that which had been omitted yesterday. God made me right useful to them; and I pray that my good and comfortable quarters, which will be fully finished this week, may be dedicated entirely to His praise and to the edification of our dear listeners. My dear colleague left for Savannah this morning, partly to deliver our letters and partly to fetch the money which the merciful and loving Lord has seen fit to provide for his house and for the orphanage. The storehouse manager, to whom Mr. Oglethorpe had forwarded it several weeks ago, had not been in Savannah for several weeks, and this caused the long delay in our receipt of these sums. In the meantime, we have expressed our deep-felt gratitude for these gifts in letters both to the Honorable Trustees and to the praiseworthy Society, and we also have given some news concerning the blessing with which the Lord has until now dignified our office. May God let everything redound to the glory of His name! Oh Father, Thy name be hallowed!

Wednesday, the 11th of July. Last Sunday, Gschwandl and another man relieved the herdsman of the other herd so that he could, as is usual, attend church with his family. He told me that out there where the cattle are kept there had been such a terrible thunderstorm accompanied by such heavy rains that he could only marvel at it, having not seen the like of it before. Everything had turned so dark and black that they could not see the cattle before them, which refused to budge but started milling around in confusion. This made him think of the events in Egypt. I reminded him of the future of Christ in judgment, where the faithful, disregarding all horrible happenings, shall look upward and lift their heads to their Immanuel, whereas the enemies shall wish and pray that mountains and hills should cover them. We had heavy rains here, too, but not nearly as heavy as out there. No bridge can be constructed there.

Two Indians visited my rooms today; and I again had occasion to observe a trait I had recently observed in some others: i.e. what is given to one of them, particularly the oldest, he shares in equal parts so that each may have a share, and this custom is observed for every little thing as long as it can at all be divided up. This particularly impressed me; no greed, egoism, or jealousy is noticeable in these people, but everyone wants his comrade to have as much as he himself wishes for.

Thursday, the 12th of July. I was much fortified by the report from a married couple that God had blessed in them the story from Judges, chapter 13, concerning Samson’s conception, childhood, and youth; this although I have felt myself much too thin in substance and not very edifying in most of the recent prayer meetings. Due to some difficulty in my throat [for which Mr. Thilo knows no medication] I have much trouble speaking. Praised be God, who has begun to strengthen me again yesterday and today, so that I no longer notice the aforesaid affliction. May He render me grateful and bless all my limbs and strength for the glory of His service and His honor.

My dear colleague brought the news that Mr. Oglethorpe is in Savannah and truly intends to travel up to the Indians at the beginning of next week. Therefore, he will probably inspect our community and bring the Honorable Trustees’ presents for the orphanage. There has been some conflict and misunderstanding in Savannah among those whom the Lord Trustees have commissioned to pay out the money both for my dear colleague’s house and for the orphanage; therefore, out of kindness to us, Mr. Oglethorpe is willing to pay said sums from his own money,⁷ and he already made arrangements for my dear colleague to receive the money for his house while he was in Savannah. No doubt the Lord, who has intended for us to be blessed with these gifts, will maintain and magnify him.

Today Simon Steiner’s wife delivered a very premature child. Since it had all human limbs and appearances and was alive, I did not hesitate to baptize it nonetheless in the name of the triune God. It died soon afterward and was buried toward evening. This woman has already aborted several times, so that she and her husband were recently admonished to observe all precautions that are required for a person in her special condition. They seem to have followed these admonitions, but the loss of the child seems not to have been preventable.

[Friday, the 13th of July.] We are now treating of the 14th chapter of the Book of Judges, which contains so many beautiful lessons for parents, children, and those who wish to get married, that I hope that they will be well noted and practiced by all. We are careful to treat each point at some length and to apply it to our circumstances so that everything among us may be done right honestly and properly and everyone may recognize that it is not a matter of stubbornness on our part when we do not always follow customs practiced in Germany but instead wish to prevent not only all that is bad but also that which could offer an opportunity for evil and cause offense.

In our private assembly, in addition to the last part of chapter 14 of the Gospel of St. John, we used special points of the beautiful narration that we received in our letters from Halle concerning the state of religion in Germany and other countries. We then thanked the Lord for His kindness, which is governing us, and prayed for ourselves and others that we and they might use the precious jewel of the gospel and a free exercise of religion well and that the Lord might hold back His judgment, which ungrateful Evangelical Christians have called upon themselves.

Saturday, the 14th of July. Praise the Lord! We have received more peaches in our garden than others in the community. The late frost had killed all blossoms on the new trees, but some survived on the old ones, such as ours. We were much surprised to find that the best kind of peaches, which are easily detached from the stone and have a pleasant taste like wine, do have a stone or hard shell inside, but no kernel,⁸ so that we will not be able to plant this pleasant species this year. The lesser ones, which are called wild or Indian peaches and which cannot be detached from the stone, on the other hand, have a fresh sound stone.⁹ This latter kind has a somewhat harder flesh, but they are nonetheless full of juice and of pleasant taste once they are fully ripe. The bursting of many of the peaches may be due to the heavy rains; and because of it they tend to rot quickly. We do not yet have apples, pears, or other cultivated fruit at our place; and the vines we planted are not bearing yet this year.

General Oglethorpe gave my colleague a full, fairly ripe bunch of grapes that had been grown in Savannah. I was much amazed at the size of the bunch and of the individual grapes, which indicate that this must be beautiful wine country indeed. Those grapes on our wild vines which gave us such hope of a good harvest in the spring have all fallen off. Mr. Oglethorpe advises our people to grow grapes and then to dry the grapes and use them only as raisins, since at this stage of our settlement, when the people have to look out for their sustenance, making wine would be too complicated and demanding a task for beginners.

Sunday, the 15th of July. An Englishman from Old Ebenezer addressed a letter to me in which he takes great pains to make strong excuses for a German family there whose disorderly ways we cannot consider acceptable. However, I pay little heed to such intercessions and apologies, as the disorderly mind of these people is obvious and they only try to disentangle themselves with lies and representations, which are merely a sign that they do not wish to repent. I hear that N. [Bach], who only advances such disorder and is no longer recognized as a member of our congregation, is intending to present his case to Mr. Oglethorpe and request to be reinstated as one of the inhabitants here. Mr. Oglethorpe will not accede to this, as he knows only too well how necessary it is to check evil people early and before there have been too many and too serious offenses and that it is better to cut off the rotten limbs than to let the healthy ones perish too.

We discussed a text from Luke 6:36 ff. today which is well suited for this point. As the words of the Savior in this pericopa¹⁰ as well as other passages of the gospel are often seriously misused by wicked people who dislike being counselled and punished, I used Leviticus 19:17 as an exordium and treated of the text dealing with love for our neighbors. Among other things, I showed that this not only involves real acts of beneficence and proofs of a positive good, but also all that which serves to further the physical and spiritual well-being of our neighbors. It is incumbent upon those in authority in all walks of life, as well as upon every Christian, to work toward this goal and to act from a merciful love to relieve the need of our neighbors, even if, in consideration of the circumstances, this includes serious measures. These do not then reflect a lack of love or a stubbornness, but the will of the Lord, as is shown in verse 42, as well as in Matthew 18:15 and Luke 17:3, cf. Psalms 141:5 and Proverbs 27:6.

Monday, the 16th of July. This morning I married two couples, that is, Ulich the shoemaker to Margarethe Egger, and the Austrian Pletter to Elisabeth Wassermann. For the ceremony, I used the text in Matthew 18:20 and dealt with the previous promise of Jesus to those who come together in His name. In the application, I showed that our assembly for this ceremony should not take place from mere habit but in the name of Jesus if a blessing is to follow and the marriage itself to be well performed. I said that it should be right comforting to them that the act now being performed was done in the name, upon the order, and by the strength of the Lord Jesus, cf. verse 18; also, that to be married in the Christian way, whereby two people are joined in marriage, was not displeasing to the Lord but most joyful, cf. John 2:2 and Genesis 2:18. Christian people who commence and continue their married state in His name can always take comfort in the precious promise that Jesus is not only among them but within them and lives there in His merciful and strong presence as within a sanctuary and temple. Here they were instructed, together with several others, to become of one mind in the conduct of their marriage and to agree among themselves, as prescribed in verse 19. For the benefit therefrom is obvious and will be theirs.

The marriage ceremony was performed in my room, which is quite spacious and in fact dedicated to the service of the congregation and the execution of my office, in that the members of my family have their own parlor and bedroom for their lodging and their household business. With the exception of the glass windows, everything is well finished now; I shall postpone the purchase of the windows, however, since the house has already cost much more than I had believed and guessed and more than the old and experienced carpenter had estimated. Even before beginning construction I had requested glass for the windows from Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen, who will surely do his best with the Honorable Society and the Lord Trustees to obtain some contribution to the construction costs. The Lord, who has directed the Lord Trustees to reimburse my dear colleague for the £30 sterling expended and thus to make him a gift of a total of £40 for his house is still alive and can easily direct them or other dear benefactors to make some contribution toward my house too, which, with His help, is to be the actual parsonage. For it is truly a great benefit that, as a result of the £30 sterling received, my dear colleague has been enabled to return to me the £14 sterling which the esteemed Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen and Senior Urlsperger lent for the construction of a parsonage or even intended as a gift if the Lord Trustees were not to see their way to bear the costs. With this repaid sum of money I shall be able to satisfy for some time at least my construction workers, who have much patience with me and are quite contented.

I also consider it a great benefaction that the manager of the storehouse, an honest man and our dear friend, has received permission from Mr. Oglethorpe to advance as much from the storehouse as I have felt I could request in nails and food supplies for the builders. Also, the funds expended on this building have remained in the community, among our dear listeners, who are glad and grateful to the Lord that they were thus able to earn some money toward their clothing and other needs, while not neglecting any of their planting and field work. For it is true that, as reported previously in connection with the building of the orphanage and my dear colleague’s house, they thank the Lord for every opportunity to earn some money in our town as much as if the money earned by their labors were given them as a gift. This is particularly true this year, since the Lord has preserved their bodies from fever and other accidents that have occurred previously and has noticeably strengthened them physically.

As for the high expenses we have incurred, I am comforted among other things by the thought that, after I was led to undertake this building despite much hesitation and almost against my own will, there have since been many signs that the Lord, the almighty Creator of heaven and earth and their King, has indeed given His consent to this undertaking. I also find strong and faithful intercession in those who come to me eagerly and often for their edification, and in others. Since God grants what is asked by those who fear Him, He will surely let the time come that this request will be heard and my house will be paid for. Everyone in the community is glad that my house has turned out so well and that it has been built so sturdily, durably, and comfortably that, in the opinion of knowledgeable people, little will have to be repaired or improved for some hundred years.¹¹ Thus, my successors as well will praise the Lord in this house for a comfortable lodging, as I and my family have much reason to praise Him after having spent some years learning how it feels to live in a hut. Er hat es alles wohl bedacht, und alles, alles recht gemacht, gebt unserm Gott die Ehre!¹²

Tuesday, the 17th of July. This morning, I married Mr. Thilo to Mrs. Helfenstein’s daughter. For the sermon, I used the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:1-12, from which the Lord granted me (and I hope others) much edification.

There are some Englishmen with horses in our town who have orders to await Mr. Oglethorpe here and accompany him to Old Ebenezer and thence to Palachocolas. Our dear Salzburgers are greatly pleased at the prospect of having this dear benefactor among us, for we have not had this honor so far. May God turn his arrival to the benefit and the best of our congregation and the orphanage, for which we shall pray to Him.

Wednesday, the 18th of July. The Berenberg woman is much upset and shows much fear; and therefore good friends and we ourselves are doing our utmost to quiet her. It has been arranged for her to go to school and improve her reading, a task to which she is much inclined. However, she has had an attack of fever today and must first get well. Hans Floerel is a pious, knowledgeable, and skillful man who knows how to deal with people in a true Christian manner and to make people accept his advice; and he wishes and is willing to give his time to the service of his neighbor and for the glory of the Lord, without any self-interest. We have made him the schoolmaster for the Berenberg woman and other adults who wish to learn how to read; and, for his pains, we will let him have some of the gifts that God has provided for the orphanage. For, as much as we would wish, our office and our strength do not permit our taking over this new task. May God look pleasantly upon this task in Christ.

We assume that Mr. Oglethorpe arrived in Purysburg today; and, since his boatsmen know neither the road to our town nor the sandbanks and other obstacles in the river, our Salzburgers wished to set out and meet this dear benefactor in Purysburg. I joined them in the boat toward five o’clock in the afternoon, and we had the pleasure of meeting him halfway, accompanied by his entourage of Englishmen and Indians. He asked me to join him in his boat, which I accepted as a sign of his affection. This afforded me the opportunity to present him with the largest part of the matters that I intended to discuss with him and submit for his resolution. Since it soon turned dark and the Englishmen did not know this part of the river, our Salzburgers were able to offer their services to good avail, which much pleased Mr. Oglethorpe. We arrived here at eight o’clock in the evening, and both my dear colleague and some other Salzburgers were waiting at the landing to receive Mr. Oglethorpe and light his path up the hill with torches. The first thing that much pleased Mr. Oglethorpe was my house, and he even decided to have a similar structure built in Palachocolas; he even summoned our carpenters to him that very evening to discuss the matter. However, the beginning of this work will have to be postponed until after his return from the Indian nations, and we are quite content with this, as the people do not only have to tend to their crops but have to build several things for the congregation, such as a threshing floor and a barn for the orphanage.

Thursday, the 19th of July. [Ortmann, the schoolmaster, and his wife have caused our dear Mr. Oglethorpe much displeasure and trouble this morning, thus depriving him of the time to take a good look at our town and its arrangements. He has again prepared a lengthy and miserably executed written presentation which is in fact directed against me but does not fail to include my dear colleague as well. In it, he defends to the last his wife as a poor innocent lamb, as he calls her, and makes me out as the most insufferable tyrant, ascribing to me the name of Nero to prove his point. As this is now the seventh time that he has importuned Mr. Oglethorpe with his letters and accusations, that gentleman took the pains to examine every point most carefully, to question witnesses extensively, and to give a judicial opinion. Notwithstanding, and as it could not be otherwise, all ended badly for Ortmann and his wife. And, since their offenses are quite undeniable, it has been made quite clear to them what they should expect from the worldly powers with regard to their misdeeds and in view of their ugly and obviously unjust accusations, were it not for the fact that they were to be spared out of pity.¹³

[When she could not prevail, Mrs. Ortmann conducted herself so impertinently and outrageously before Mr. Oglethorpe’s very face that her wicked heart became clear for everyone to see, and Mr. Oglethorpe saw ample evidence of how she tends to behave toward me. Both he and she have revealed themselves in all their true nature and offensive manners before everyone present, and it could not have been more embarrassing.

[Among other things, Ortmann complained that I had expelled him from the English classes and thus deprived him of his living. However, his written presentation had turned out so poorly that Mr. Oglethorpe showed it to the other gentlemen so that they might judge whether a man who writes such rambling and corrupted English is fit to be a schoolteacher. He then declared him entirely unsuited for this task and requested me to inform the Lord Trustees and the Honorable Society of his lack of skill and his ill manners and conduct. That I should have done long ago if I had not felt sorry for this old man, now that he has been living here for some time. Mr. Oglethorpe himself intends to report on the entire matter, which has been carefully investigated. Mrs. Ortmann was so forward as to loudly declare the judgment for invalid and unjust, to impugn the honesty and conscience of the witnesses, and to pretend that my standing among the members of the congregation was such that I could twist them around my finger and persuade them to do anything.

[With regard to this and the other annoying occurrences, we could not but admire the patience and most generous disposition and composure of Mr. Oglethorpe. As Mrs. Ortmann had taken in her servants¹⁴ on her own decision, she must now keep them and provide for them in sickness and health, in return for which they owe her their labor. Therefore I must return these people to her house from the orphanage, where they were accepted a fortnight ago as sick and rejected paupers. Ortmann claimed that Dr. Gerdes would pay for them and that he had written to him in this respect. At about noon, this unpleasant business was concluded whereupon] Mr. Oglethorpe visited our orphanage and was much pleased by all our arrangements, both there and in the rest of the town. He had the gift of the Lord Trustees for the orphanage disbursed to me and requested me to inform the Lord Trustees that, despite their commission, two magistrates had refused to sign the notes from London, so that he was obliged to return them and advance from his own funds the money for the orphanage and also for the house built for my dear colleague, as we could not do without it any longer. May the Lord be praised for this! Mr. Oglethorpe also lent me another £10 for my house costs and added the promise that he himself would write to the Lord Trustees that he thought my house was cheap enough. He is also willing to extend money for a water-driven flour mill; and, when he saw our present hand-operated mill, he declared that he wished to have two of this kind built for the people in Frederica as soon as he can obtain millstones.

Upon my repeated requests, he is also willing to let our people share the same benefits with regard to their present crops and on the same conditions as the people in Savannah so that, in addition to the normal price, he will add a bonus of two shillings sterling for each bushel that they do not need for themselves and can deliver to the storehouse. He cannot allow the full provisions formerly given to the Salzburgers to the new people who came over with Sanftleben, since the Lord Trustees did not send any instructions in this respect. However, he will assign to them the same amounts as allowed the new arrivals in Frederica, which is said to be little. I shall soon learn the exact amount in Savannah, and whether it is to be a present or advanced on credit. I understood from his words that the Lord Trustees will probably not send or support any more colonists on the old footing, rather they will have to pay their passage or work it off here. I would have much liked to persuade him to pay for the linen sent long ago by Mr. Schlatter in St. Gall, which I had turned over to Mr. Causton. However, he referred me to the accounts in Savannah which are still being examined and put in order; he assured me that, nonetheless, I would receive the money after all, if not from Mr. Causton then from the funds of the Lord Trustees.

After dinner Mr. Oglethorpe and his entourage rode off to Old Ebenezer and left a quantity of sugar and wine in my house as a present. Because the Salzburgers had assembled in front of my house in the big square to witness the departure of this dear benefactor, I had the men come in and offered them some of the wine. I took this occasion to tell them to their great joy of the good advantages that I had secured from Mr. Oglethorpe and how pleased and well disposed he had shown himself to us. [The men were not at all content that, by their annoying complaints, Ortmann and his wife had prevented Mr. Oglethorpe from taking a good look at our town and its institutions; and, as these poor people have already often invited the displeasure of the community and have now aggravated this situation, we would be much pleased if they were to leave us once and for all and fulfill their threats to sell their belongings here and move to Charleston. Mr. Oglethorpe ordered them to recognize their offenses for what they are and to make public apologies. I have been charged with observing their conduct carefully and reporting on it. If there is no improvement, punishment by the authorities is sure to follow.]

I had an occasion in Mr. Oglethorpe’s presence to purchase fifteen cows and their calves for the community and five oxen for the orphanage, all of which will have to be brought here. He was much pleased that the Salzburgers guard their money and use it to buy cattle, whereas others in this country make frivolous and ill advised use of their funds. The people have been rendered able to make this purchase, and somewhat more well off, by their work on my house.

Mrs. N. [Ortmann] had accused N. [Rauner] of hiding rum in his house, and Mr. Oglethorpe immediately dispatched some men to search it from top to bottom. Nothing was found there, but instead Mrs. N. [Ortmann] was shown guilty of this offense, exposing herself to rigorous punishment if one had wished to proceed secundum rigorem legis.¹⁵ Mr. Oglethorpe used this occasion to invest four tithings-men, who are to act against all offenses and therefore against the import of rum and who will assist me in all respects. He had this order executed on my and their behalf under his hand and seal.

Since there are now many Germans in Frederica and its surroundings who are in need of a minister, Mr. Oglethorpe expressed the desire to have one sent from Germany. I offered my services to write about securing a well-qualified candidate from Halle, if he could give me written orders and a power of attorney for this.¹⁶

Friday, the 20th of July. Yesterday, the Salzburgers agreed to undertake the joint construction of a shelter in the woods for the cattle so that they might be better protected during rainy weather. Today, they all went out; but in the meantime the wind, or some cows and horses, upset a length of fencing in the big field and the cows and hogs caused much damage, particularly since no one but a few women and one or two men were available to chase the cattle off. The corn is quite high everywhere and therefore one or the other hog may still be hiding in it, continuing and increasing the damage. The deer have left few of the beans untouched this year. As this summer has brought more rain than previous years, the summer is very pleasant and bearable.

A Salzburger woman told me in the praise of the Lord that her soul was feeling very well this Friday, for she was savoring the peace of the Lord. She said that it was most useful to get up right early and pray to the Lord for a blessing to last the whole day. She had done just that today; when she had heard the alarm ring at four in the morning in the orphanage (in whose vicinity she lives), she had encouraged her husband to rise and to fortify himself and her with prayer before starting on the business of the day. She told me of N. [Floerel] and his wife, and of the blessed marriage they were leading as an example for all married people. She is in and out of their house so as to assist the sick lying-in woman [Mrs. Floerel] and thus has an opportunity to learn much that has edified her from the Christian, humble, quiet, and contented manner of this couple. She used many good words to describe them. I am much pleased when people use to their good advantage the living examples of God’s children, for this is implied in the verse: “Let your good works so shine before men, that they may see,” etc.

Today, the private assembly in my room was attended only by some pious women, but it was nonetheless most edifying for me. One woman prayed for herself and others and in particular for our benefactors in a most earnest and moving manner and praised our Father in Christ so heartily for all previously bestowed benefits that it was most enjoyable for all of us who prayed with her.

Saturday, the 21st of July. Instead of the conference, today we held a praise, prayer, and thanksgiving meeting in the orphanage, which was attended by both old and young. I again informed my audience of the immense benefits that the Lord has bestowed upon us through what was sent by the Lord Trustees and paid out by Mr. Oglethorpe, as well as all other gifts that have recently flowed to the orphanage; and therefore much praise and thanks were owed to Him from all and everyone who finds his sustenance here. I admonished both adults and children to the diligent use of prayer, intercession on behalf of our benefactors, and a childlike praise of the Lord, as well as to the observance of Christian order and obedience toward the manager of the orphanage. We then fell on our knees before the throne of our Father reconciled in Christ, praised Him, and asked for us and others that which we need for our bodies and souls.

N. [Johann Christ] has been restless again for a few days now, and as late as yesterday he wished to leave the orphanage when he could not get his will in some matters. This would surely throw him into great need. This afternoon I admonished two pious Salzburgers to whom he tends to come first because they are old neighbors of his, to work on him with proper admonitions and remonstrations and make him stay in the orphanage, where he can find a pleasant life, for his salvation. God so blessed this undertaking that one of them brought him back to me. He begged me to forgive him for his haste and offensive conduct and promised to again observe the order imposed on him. He is treated like a child there, and he is burdened with neither work nor other matters; yet he will not refrain from being hardheaded. He is quite unhealthy and will probably live only a little longer. If he were only to prepare himself well!

[We have heard that Mrs. Ortmann has sold her cows and therefore is really about to carry out her threats and move away with her husband, perhaps even to return to London. There is not the slightest sign of a true conversion or improvement in either him or her; and now that they have fared so poorly with the proof of their right shameless accusations and charges, they will probably calumniate and malign me even more than they have done so far both publicly and secretly, regardless of how much we were prepared to serve them in all ways, even if not as they wished. We could not make five an even number or look through our fingers at their disorderly and offensive conduct. We are also afraid of an additional annoyance with regard to the sale of their cattle; yet it will be impossible to prevent it, for Mr. Oglethorpe has given orders that no one who moves away from here can take along the cattle given by the Lord Trustees but must turn them over to the orphanage. Since they have received a fat cow in addition to pigs and poultry, it will be difficult to persuade them to accept this arrangement. They can address Mr. Oglethorpe in this respect; if he is willing to make an exception in their case, we shall have no objections. I now recall that among many other unproven charges which Ortmann and his wife have brought against me, but of which I have learned only a few this time, there was one in the presentation to Mr. Oglethorpe that accused me of having driven away Mr. von Reck, Mr. Vat, and Mr. Zwiffler. This is an impertinent lie,¹⁷ which Mr. Oglethorpe found easy to refute from his own better knowledge without having to call on me for proof.]

Three of the German servants from Old Ebenezer have called on me and told me that Mr. Oglethorpe spent hardly an hour there but almost immediately left for Palachocolas. It is not known whether or not he approved of the mill there. I have learned that many boards are being cut there now, but nobody knows what to do with them. I have done my best to intercede with Mr. Oglethorpe on behalf of these three servants, who are faithful in their work but held in little regard by their masters, and he was prepared to lend an ear to their request. Now, much will depend on the administrator of the storehouse and the present stock of supplies there¹⁸ if they are to be helped in accordance with their wishes.

Sunday, the 22nd of July. In today’s gospel, Luke 5:1 ff., we dealt with a matter well suited for our congregation and which I commend to the Lord for His blessing. In the exordium, I dealt with the noteworthy judgment of the wise King Solomon on the work of natural unconverted people, Ecclesiastes 2:22-23, and the great difference between converted and unconverted workers was demonstrated by comparing it with 2 Chronicles 15:7. From this text I preached the best refreshment of the disciples and followers of Christ in their heavy work and the restlessness of this life. The dear Lord has ordained that our inhabitants, who are working in the sweat of their brow, continue to find refreshment in and from the benevolent word of the Lord. The more they taste it, the more willingly and eagerly they crowd to it, and they are kept away neither by their tiredness after their work nor by the long way from their plantations nor by any other obstacle that might prevent them from the eager attendance of the preaching of the Lord’s word. Nonetheless, they need to be encouraged ever more strongly by examples and evangelical admonition. Those who are indolent and neglectful are put to shame by the examples in the text and by living examples.

It is truly a refreshment for blessed workers in all the labor of this life that they can work in their calling with the word of Jesus and entrust the results of their labors to Him. And, if the profit and reward of their work is not as hoped and wished for, it is enough reward to have done one’s work with His word and thus in God; and it will yet be rewarded in its time, when it will be said from the Savior’s mouth, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful,” etc. Here, two verses were read which mean the same thing, and their strong and evangelical expressions were applied to those listeners who are not seeking profit in their work but are of an honest, simple mind, i.e. Ephesians 6:5-8 and Colossians 3:22-24. In both it is said, “Knowing,” and thus also in today’s text, 1 Peter 3, “Knowing that ye are thereunto called,” etc. Oh, may we only know this well and note and retain it.

Monday, the 23rd of July. Inasmuch as one of us will be traveling to Savannah on behalf of the German people, I am writing a few letters which may yet be forwarded with the recently delivered packet. It is necessary to inform Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen of a certain matter [which we do not wish to mention in this diary]. At the same time I am writing to the esteemed Mr. Vernon¹⁹ to inform him that my house is now fully completed, that the expenses therefor are high and getting higher than we have expected, but that it is of a most durable construction and most serviceable for my purposes. I am therefore asking him to recommend this matter highly to the Lord Trustees so that they might enable me to return with gratitude what Mr. Oglethorpe has advanced from the storehouse for payment of the building costs. In my letter to him I also mention that Mr. Oglethorpe has been here and has shown much affection for the Salzburgers and in particular for our orphanage; also, that out of his own pocket he paid the £40 sterling which was to have been paid to me for the orphanage at the Trustees’ order by two gentlemen in Savannah, who refused, however, to endorse the required promissory notes, which must therefore be returned to the Trustees as nonnegotiable. And, as Mr. Oglethorpe has instructed me to report the offensive conduct of some people [Schoolmaster Ortmann and his wife] to the Lord Trustees and the Society, I have made some mention in this respect in my letter to Mr. Vernon, for he, as a member of both the Society and the Lord Trustees, will be best placed to use this knowledge with both. May the Lord accompany everything with His blessing. We are also inclined to enclose the continuation of this diary, for much has happened since our last mailing that our Fathers should be aware of. [As soon as the long awaited crates have arrived, we expect to write more with God’s help.]

Tuesday, the 24th of July. [Ortmann and his wife have sold their cows and delivered them to the buyer for possession and use. Now they have regretted this deal, and last night they attempted to seize the cows by force. However, the owner was too strong for them and refused them in a right strict manner. They importuned me last night just before the prayer meeting, but I told them to wait until today. As is his custom, Ortmann again drew up a presentation which is so full of lies that they as good as jumped in one’s face. All his arguments are intended to show that the sale is to be declared void and the cows should be returned to him. But, as everything had been transacted in a most orderly fashion in the presence of a witness and a formal deal had been arranged, including the delivery of the cows and their use for three days, the sale had to stand and the present owner must keep the cows and the Ortmanns the purchase money. However, there is a reservation concerning the cow which was given by the Lord Trustees, pending Mr. Oglethorpe’s opinion.

[These people see nothing wrong in lies and tricks while all the time invoking their conscience and the all-knowing Lord. I fear that their judgment is drawing closer and closer. It has become known in Purysburg that Mr. Oglethorpe did not react favorably to their unconscionable accusations, and they have heard from three of their creditors from whom they had bought articles without which they could well have survived. They have right good crops in their fields; but, as they do not know how to economize but lead a wasteful life, that will not be enough.]

At the bedside of his sick wife a man told me today of the many gifts the Lord had bestowed on them in his illness; he had received much help in his spirit but had suffered no harm in his body. For, although he had been kept from his work for a long time and incurred many debts, God had now kept him in good health for so long and had given him the opportunity to earn some money so that he was now relieved of his debts. He complained of his bashfulness which prevented him from doing as others do, namely, from presenting his plight and that of other Christians in the prayer meeting at my house in his own words; and therefore he desired to become right simple and sincere toward the others, which would bring much blessing.

Wednesday, the 25th of July. The weather this year has been quite different from our previous experience. We have always had cool days so that the people could use almost all daylight hours for their work. True, it is becoming warmer now, but it is still quite bearable and very beneficial for the crops. The nights have been as cool as in spring and fall. On the plantations, the people are said to be much plagued by gnats during their work and at night, but we have none of that here. In a newly cleared forest there are always new difficulties. The fever is now attacking some of the people, particularly the recent arrivals; and at this time of the year it is almost always more noticeable than at others, but it tends to pass quickly for some and is not nearly as strong as in the first and second years.

[Ulich, the shoemaker, and his wife also suffer from the fever; I visited them and learned that Spielbiegler, who lives close by, had been involved in an ugly fight with his mother. I therefore went to his house and reminded him of the Fourth Commandment²⁰ and of his duty, likewise of what we shall hear in next Sunday’s text from the mouth of the Savior: “Whosoever is angry with his brother (let alone his mother) shall be in danger of the judgment,” etc. He could not deny his offense, but insisted on having been in the right, since the burden of housekeeping rested on him; and his mother, who is weak and almost childish, tended to do damage here and there. Then he would be seized by rage, but shortly would come back to his senses, etc. He is a poor, unbroken man who, like his mother, cannot be convinced of the need for a change of heart. They also attend the prayer meeting and the sermons only infrequently and can always give a heap of excuses when they are admonished.]

Thursday, the 26th of July. [The people in Old Ebenezer like to play tricks upon us whenever they can; but they rarely succeed, for the Lord will not let them. Last week, they abducted our horse, which has rendered such good service to the community. For this reason I wrote them a serious letter yesterday, and today the horse was returned, although in bad condition, by an Englishman. We are always ready to fulfill reasonable requests, so that they may have no reason to become embittered against us.] It is a great pleasure that, when we need people to do some work for us, they²¹ always carry out their tasks honestly and faithfully, nor do they demand the wages that are customary in this country. Our community is well provided with carpenters, tailor, shoemaker, and locksmith; and, once we have some flax, we will also not be wanting for weavers. God may even one day present us with a smith, who would have his hands full here, for the locksmith has neither the skill nor the strength to do a smith’s work. Some time ago we had an opportunity to have a German smith from Carolina come here, but he moved to Purysburg because we could not arrange for his redemption. His and his wife’s conduct, we have learned, is not much better than that of N. [Mrs. Rheinlaender], who used to live here; and therefore I am well pleased that I have had nothing to do with their moving here.

N.N. [Mrs. Rheinlaender] contacted Mr. Oglethorpe’s secretary on the occasion of his visit in Purysburg to complain of me and sought his help in being permitted to return here. However, I acquainted the secretary with her character, and at dinner I found occasion to mention her before Mr. Oglethorpe and the entire company; and I could well see that Mr. Oglethorpe does not like to hear about this type of people. He seems glad when they leave the country. [Her conduct in Purysburg is so offensive that we hear nothing but complaints about her and against her; her neighbors and all those who have become acquainted with her would be glad to see her go. It is said that through a false oath and contemptible hypocrisy she has moved the governor of Carolina to give her several hundred acres of land and also some money for provisions, as well as a house lot in Purysburg.]

Friday, the 27th of July. As the Salzburgers already own more than 250 head of cattle and again are about to buy some more from the Carolina area with the money they have earned so far, they are now busy making hay to provide fodder for the winter. They do not really have any meadows yet, but on fertilized ground some kind of sweet long grass grows so abundantly that they can cut it several times a year. They also break off the green leaves from the Indian corn at this time and on several other occasions throughout the year and dry them; this is better than the best hay for cows and horses, and probably also for sheep if we had them here. These leaves are to be found in plenty, and the corn is not damaged if the lower leaves are cut first and then the uppermost leaves and the head once the corn has become fully ripe and bent. Since there are no horses and wagons or well cut roads, they must carry the fodder home, which they do not mind doing as they are richly rewarded for their troubles later with milk and butter. The fodder is supplemented by plenty of straw from the rice, oats, and barley (the latter, though, was planted only by a few), and the cattle also seem to like the shells of the beans.

As time goes on, our dear people keep improving their arrangements, and everything goes more easily. We have no place in the orphanage to store fruit and crops or fodder, so we are compelled to build new barns for threshing the rice and storing the harvest; these are now under way. The threshing floor will also benefit those who help in its construction, and none are excluded who think that they may need it. True, this will cause new expenses; but, since this construction is quite indispensable, we trust in the Lord that, as in previous times, He will make the well of His grace flow on us.

N.N.’s [Simon Steiner’s] wife is still in bed after her miscarriage, but she is out of danger and has regained most of her strength. She told me that she counts this sickness among the blessings of the Lord and that it would not be good for her if the Lord were not to attack her thus. As she cannot work now, I admonished her to perform the necessary work on her soul, that is, to industrious prayer, so that she might thereby gather strength to prove more faithful in the future in her Christianity and her housekeeping. It was probably due to a lack of vigil and prayer that there had been several unpleasant things that upset them, too: now that she could not work, she would let the dear Lord work on her soul all the more strongly and then she would experience the most unspeakable benefit.

She told me that during the evening prayer meeting, when her husband was at church, she suffered from much temptation, great fear, and all sorts of fantasies that made her hear and see horrible things; but these disappeared when her husband returned. This gave me an occasion to point out to her the great blessing of the married state, wherein God has joined man and wife and given the woman, as the weakest tool that is subject to so many accidents, her husband as an advisor, protector, and helper. They should just take care that Satan might not pervert the Lord’s wise providence. I also showed her what a blessing it is to have a good conscience purified by Christ’s blood. For, if we are in good standing with the Lord as one’s father, then we need fear neither the devil nor anyone else, for no hair on our head can be harmed without the Father’s will and permission. And, because she had to admit that it was her bad conscience that arose in such circumstances, I admonished her to relieve herself thereof by living in the order of the Lord, of which the Lord Himself reminded her and to which He was goading her. I read her several pertinent verses.

Saturday, the 28th of July. My dear colleague, Mr. Boltzius, left for Savannah last evening; may the Lord strengthen him so that he may preach the gospel with much benefit. In the first days of last week, until Thursday, we did not know whether either of us could travel, since I have had several attacks of the fever and did not know whether it would decrease or become more virulent. On Thursday, however, the dear Lord so strengthened me even during the last attack of the fever that I believed my dear colleague would be able to make the journey. And the dear Lord has indeed shown how He can help, for today the fever did not return and I felt so well that I could hold the prayer meeting, which I had not felt capable of last night when my dear brother departed. May the Lord be praised for all His love and kindness which He has shown me during this small illness, in that it has served me to much good. May he also help me so that from now on I may use my time and my strength more fruitfully in His praise.

Sunday, the 29th of July. The dear Lord has strengthened me today to preach His gospel and to repeat that which I taught this morning in the afternoon and to support it with several verses. The proper text for the 6th Sunday after Trinity dealt with the one right way to heaven and to salvation. For the exordium, I took Isaiah 30:21, “This is the way, walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” May the Lord be praised for the blessing which He has bestowed on my soul by this, and may He also bless it in the others. Last night I visited the shoemaker, Ulich, during his fever, which has attacked him together with his wife. I repeated some of the truths we had heard about, and he could not marvel enough at the fact that the Lord Jesus had so far descended to man as to become his path. He made some further remarks that I shall apply for my own good with the grace of the Lord. May the Lord God strengthen this dear man again!

Monday, the 30th of July. I have visited Master Ulich a full three times today, but I could not talk to him, although it seemed that he had understood some of my words during the first visit.

I also visited N.N. [Bacher] who until now has just idled along and been content with good motions and fancies. Now the Lord is starting work on him through His spirit in earnest, so that he has realized that he is not yet well off. The sins of his youth oppress him, and he wishes for nothing more than to become truly repentant; and he is very sad that he cannot repent as strongly as he would wish. I showed him what a great mercy of the Lord it was to bring him to such recognition, and how He now wished him to turn toward Him with all the abominable sins he has committed, for else he will not be rid of them. It was such souls that the Lord Jesus desired, and he was not to wait until he recognized his sins in such and such a manner. It was enough for him to recognize them truly so that he would wish to be relieved of them and would ask for nothing more than a drop of His mercy, even if he were to forego everything else. He should just turn to the redeemer of all sins, the Lord Jesus, for He would make him so beautiful that the Father would not find a single sin upon him. And, since God was working on him now in earnest, he should not relent until he had persevered, for else he would find it harder and harder to convert to the Lord.

Tuesday, the 31st of July. Last night before the prayer meeting I returned, God be praised, in good health; and I found both my dear colleague and my family better off physically than I had left them. The faithful Lord be humbly praised for all the good He has shown to me and to them. The German servants in Savannah whom I visited in the performance of my office are mostly ill from the fever; and, since the weather was quite stormy both on Saturday and Sunday, few came in from the plantations. I treated the proper text for the 6th Sunday after Trinity, i.e. concerning the appearance and the power of a godly life, which I repeated briefly in the afternoon. I also read and applied the song, Du sagst, ich bin ein Christ, etc. May God lead these poor people to the proper recognition of themselves, so that they may see that they are still lacking the true essence of Christianity and that those who have achieved it once are most blessed. Some of the masters do not give permission for their servants and maids to come to church for fear they might reveal to the authorities their poverty, great want, and pitiable circumstances. I again heard much of their harsh and right barbarian treatment, and I felt obliged to make written and oral presentations to the authorities so that these poor people might not be completely ruined and driven to the utmost. For, when the masters treat them so cruelly and a maid or a servant commits an offense as a result, they turn matters around and claim that it was that very offense that led to the harsh and cruel treatment. For the greatest part the masters themselves have not much to eat and they want to have people who will do their work; but they give them neither food nor clothing so as to maintain their strength. Because the authorities know of the treatment of their servants by most masters, I was asked to return to Savannah next week, when masters and servants are to appear before them. I could not well refuse this request, as there is no one else to take up the cause of these poor people.

Mr. N. [Whitefield] has written to his very trusted friend N.N. [the schoolmaster, Mr. Habersham]; and in his letter he mentioned our letter to him and wrote that he had in fact received it. We had sent a large packet to Charleston at the same time, which has therefore been correctly delivered. These letters were from November and December of last year. Mr. N. [Whitefield] is now expected in Savannah every day on Captain Thomson’s ship. The present preacher in Savannah, Mr. Norris, showed me two letters from the Lord Trustees wherein he is asked to take on the office of minister in Frederica and thus make room for another [Mr. Whitefield], whom the Lord Trustees had appointed regular preacher in Savannah for a number of weighty reasons. He is not content with this arrangement, though, and intends to return to place a complaint with the Bishop of London. This good man imagines the Bishop to have greater power in this colony than the Lord Trustees have granted him, for they do not wish to relinquish the right to accept such chaplains or court preachers as please them and send them here—a privilege also enjoyed by other Lords in England. None of the provinces in America, with the exception of Carolina, acknowledges the power of the Bishop in ecclesiastical matters, as is shown by the fact that he has a commissarius nowhere else but in Charleston, who acts in his name and corresponds with him.

On Sunday it became known that a Spanish spy had made his way to Savannah by way of Purysburg and had been arrested that very evening with two servants.²² He was examined in the house of Mr. Jones, the storehouse manager, where we have the habit of staying when in Savannah; and both from him as well as from his two servants, who are right shiftless and prepared to shrink at no evil trick, the interrogators learned a number of quite suspicious things. The man’s face was of a black-brown color as if he were Indian, he spoke broken English, and he had a glib tongue; he was quite audacious and managed to give a good explanation for any contradiction he might be caught in. He produced a number of letters purporting, among other things, to show that he was an honest man practicing medicine and surgery who, in the course of his profession, had spent several years in a variety of places. He calls himself Anton Masig, but in his letters he went by a quite different name.

He first sought the acquaintance of the Jews in Savannah and pretended to be Jewish himself; but, when they saw him smoke tobacco in the inn on the Sabbath, they became suspicious. Later, he denied all this and said he was a Christian born in Cologne on the Rhine; however, it was established soon enough that he was born in Old Spain. He had looked around in South and North Carolina and now was on his way to the camp at Frederica, on the pretense of seeking work as a medical man and surgeon. As his intent became clear prematurely, he had his things brought to a secretly hired boat at night and was about to return to Purysburg when he was apprehended and carefully examined. He was put in jail at once during the night from Sunday to Monday, where he will be kept until Mr. Oglethorpe’s return.

Yesterday, after my arrival, I was called to shoemaker Ulich, who was already in his last throes and could neither talk nor hear a word. I prayed with his young wife by the side of his deathbed and tried to comfort her. He died between nine and ten and was buried tonight. In him we have lost a pious man, who was most useful and skilled in his profession; and his loss is much regretted by the entire community. The Lord has given, the Lord has taken, the name of the Lord be praised. Last week he was only suffering from the tertian fever and on good days was quite able to perform his work. When I saw him last week and found his wife in the paroxysm of the fever, I talked much about how a person afflicted with the fever, particularly in this country, should conduct himself, both as regards perspiring and diet. I told him how I had observed these rules in this very hut wherein I had long lain ill of the fever with my wife, and that God had blessed this regimen in me until my full recovery, whereas others, including my wife, who had failed to maintain a constant steady sweat or a light perspiration, had retained a hard swelling like a stone²³ in their side. He understood all this well and agreed, so that I do not know what caused the fever to turn and why he died so quickly. He could not take the final medication prescribed by Mr. Thilo. He had lost consciousness on Saturday, but then recovered slightly on Sunday.

[One of Count Zinzendorff’s missionaries, Mr. Schulius, died a week ago in Purysburg of a high fever. Mr. Thilo had been called to his side the previous Saturday, but the medicine he ordered had no effect. Mr. Boehler as well is afflicted by the fever and is bedridden in Purysburg.²⁴

[A young Salzburger had accompanied me to Savannah in order to settle his marriage to a woman there with her parents and herself. The family is Reformed and the Salzburger had above all made the condition that the daughter he is to marry would have to promise before God and witnesses to confess the Evangelical-Lutheran religion, for else he would not consent to this marriage. Both daughter and parents know us well and are aware of what we teach from the Lord’s word. However, they did not wish to yield on this point but remained in the old faith, and therefore the marriage will not take place.] A [another] young Salzburger wished to marry a German servant girl who is employed by a German Jew²⁵ and behaves well. He is prepared to pay the costs of her ocean travel, but the Jew does not wish to let her go and cannot be made to do so by law.

AUGUST

Wednesday, the 1st of August. Ruprecht Steiner is building a sturdy and spacious house for himself on his plantation and is being aided in this task by six helpers. He asked me to come out during the week and pray with the workers. We both went out and had much pleasure in the company of these people. After the prayer, I applied the beautiful words of the apostle from Romans 8: 1 to good use. Because of the lasting rains, the paths are quite bad; and, since I have been inconvenienced for some time now with internal heat and physical weakness, I was so tired from this trip back and forth that I was quite useless for any work all afternoon. Once the people live out there, it will be necessary for us to acquire a horse so as to visit them more often, for which purpose the Lord can easily provide the necessary funds.

Mr. Oglethorpe seemed inclined upon my request to have a flour mill built for us, and I was to inquire for this purpose into the availability of some millstones which are lying in the open air in Purysburg. They belong to the merchant Purry in Savannah,¹ a son of the deceased Mr. Purry. This man is usually quite reasonable in his transactions so that I was all the more surprised that he asked £60 sterling for these two stones. He wants to be rid of them, for he has no use for them; but who would be willing to pay such a large sum of money for them?

Thursday, the 2nd of August. We have had much rain this summer, so that until now it has been as agreeably cool both night and day as is customary here in the fall and the spring. Consequently, the weather has not bothered the people in their work. [The young Zuebli came to see me today and complained that the hogs have invaded his corn and other crops. He demanded that I should speak to the people, in particular Gschwandl, whose pig is doing most of the damage, to get rid of the hogs and remove them.² When I could not agree to this request, he was at first very upset. He has not built a fence and we therefore have long feared some unpleasantness like this. I am afraid of much harsh judgment and loveless criticism if the people will not agree to do as he wishes and pen in the hogs both day and night, which they can hardly be expected to do. The brother in Purysburg must have received good letters, so that he now conducts himself towards his brothers, who are living here, more kindly than formerly. This young Zuebli was on his plantation in Purysburg last week and is clearly hoping for some material benefits.]

Friday, the 3rd of August. Lackner’s sister, who recently arrived here with Sanftleben, is in bed in Gruber’s house with the fever; she usually stays with her brother on his plantation, where she would have little care in her present circumstances, and therefore she has done well to take lodging here. She is quite well cared for here, for she is not only being helped in all ways that affect her physical well-being, but is being edified as well with God’s word and prayer. She recalled with much pleasure yesterday’s prayer meeting, of which Mrs. Gruber had told her. The latter had said, among other things, that she was now faring as we did in the beginning and the Savior was calling to her, too, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter,” from which I gathered that Mrs. Gruber had predicted for her from her own experience much of the spiritual benefit that honest souls have garnered from their long illness. In the beginning her brother had also suffered from a long and severe illness, which the Lord blessed in his soul, and I have recently impressed her mind with this.

Saturday, the 4th of August. N.N. [Mrs. Ortmann] was ill in bed throughout this week; and, when I went to her house today, I told her and him about the true intent of the Lord in attacking man with physical afflictions, i.e. that they might all the better be reminded of their mortality and learn to pray with all salvation-happy souls. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom,” which spiritual wisdom consists in becoming certain of God’s grace in Christ and thus dying in joy. In this connection I briefly presented to them the whole order of salvation and showed them how to go about partaking of the grace of the Lord in Christ if they truly wished it. Imagined piety, self-assured comfort, and other human things will not suffice, etc. They outwardly agreed with my words, but I shortly thereafter noticed from the words of both that they lack the inclination and the desire to do true penance but feel that it has already been done. May God open their eyes!

[There have been some misunderstandings and errors with regard to the leather which was given to the deceased shoemaker, Ulich, by the Lord Trustees; and we used all the prudence at our disposal to prevent the young widow from becoming prejudiced against us. Sanftleben and she both say that the leather had been given to the late Ulich as a gift on the condition that he would make as many pairs of shoes for the orphanage at half price as there are people living there; for the rest, he was to use the leather as he wished. However, Mr. Verelst had put the matter in his letter of 2 April 1739 as follows: “At the Request of the Shoemaker, the Trustees have supplied him with Leather & Wax to the Amount of £10:19:10 Sterling, which he chose himself, & has the Possession of; in consideration whereof he has agreed to make shoes for your Orphan House to be delivered at half Price to that Amount, the Leather being thus pay’d for.” I do not wish to interpret these words myself, although they are quite clear and imply much more than Sanftleben and Mrs. Ulich claim. Rather, I will inquire with our superiors in Savannah and in particular with Mr. Oglethorpe into the precise meaning of these expressions, so that we may be certain on all counts. I also will take this occasion to inquire what is to be done with the leather, of which there is a plentiful amount of good quality, now that the shoemaker has died and cannot fulfill the above condition. In the meantime, the young widow is receiving all the money, without the slightest deduction, for all shoes that her deceased husband has made for the community from this leather. The remaining leather will be kept in a safe place. It is a difficult and weighty matter to be judge in propria causa,³ wherein we must include our orphanage; and we would wish to have a knowledgeable man in our community to whom we could entrust the arrangement of all material affairs.]

Sunday, the 5th of August. A few days ago I suffered an attack of jaundice; and, since I am taking medication, I was prevented from holding the sermon this morning. My dear colleague assumed this labor in the name of the Lord and, as I learned from a pious Salzburger, it was crowned with the blessing of the Lord. Instead of the repetition hour, I continued in contemplating the text in Judges 16, where it is told what happened to Samson, who had run into a labyrinth of misery because of his sins, both in prison and during the idolatrous thanksgiving and pleasure feast of the Philistines. I showed how this judgment on Samson was tempered with much mercy by the Lord, for he could as easily have lost his head as the hair on it. Which means: “The Lord hath patience with us and doth not wish for anyone to be lost, but that everyone repent,” etc., which he doubtless did during his imprisonment, as can be seen from the following circumstances. The quick and extraordinary growth of his hair was to show him that the Lord regarded his repentance, like that of the greatest sinner, Manassis, with grace because of the Messiah and had again accepted him as a Nazarene, confederate, and a child of God. In this connection I recalled the expression of the late Dr. Anton: “The miraculous Lord uses many a way to assure the repentant sinner of His grace, even where sometimes it takes the form of a testimonium paupertatis.”⁴ The example of Mrs. Krueger’s servant girl in Halle, who converted to the Lord, which is recounted in the Contributions to the Building of the Kingdom of God,⁵ belongs here. A pious Salzburger told me that he had formerly heard people make fun of the story of Samson and treat it frivolously, and only now did he appreciate its importance.

Monday, the 6th of August. My dear colleague told me of N.N.’s [Hans Floerel’s] wife that she was not only sick in her body but much depressed in her spirit because of her many sins committed in former times and the weaknesses still clinging to her. Even if a drop of comfort penetrates her heart now and then, it does not last long, but the deep recognition of her misery seems to her to render her undeserving and incapable of any comfort. May God bless all encouragement that she receives from His word. She has a very honest husband who is well experienced in Christian matters and has learned to pray in the school of the Holy Ghost; and he is faithfully assisting her with this gift. I have heard from others that, when other women came to her who were dejected and upset by their sins and complained to her of their situation, she was always able to comfort them strongly with words from the gospel and to direct them to the straight path; she herself, in contrast, finds it difficult to apply the grace of the Lord in Christ to herself. She considers herself below all Christians and the most miserable sinner, in whom there is much wickedness and whose repentance is not yet the truth.

Tuesday, the 7th of August. N.N. [Burgsteiner] had some business with Mr. Thilo because of his weak health and called on me to receive an admonition from the Lord’s word. He praised the merciful Lord for having extracted him from the many temptations which he suffered some years ago in Germany and in which he had become ever more embroiled, and for having brought him to the true recognition of the path to salvation. He well remembers the time when the dear Lord started to bless His word in him, whereas previously it had gone in one ear and out of the other and he had remained blind all the time. I just then had before me the Sixth Contribution⁶ and therein the beautiful example of the recently mentioned ignorant servant who was converted to the Lord (p. 655); I read this to him in a simple manner, as he too was brought up blindly and in ignorance, and then prayed with him. We cannot yet bring all our listeners to the point that they visit us diligently in our house, but we must instead visit them in their huts if we are to find an occasion for their edification. Those who come often well notice the benefit. May the Lord finally relieve me of my physical weakness and of the many material matters which force us to travel to Savannah often, and may He, for the sake of Christ, not make me account for the omissions which are occasioned thereby.

Wednesday, the 8th of August. Last night a couple of our friends from Savannah visited us so as to inspect our town and its arrangements, and for this purpose we had sent our little boat down last Monday. One of them was the schoolmaster and the other a merchant from Savannah⁷ [both very close friends of Pastor Whitefield, who is being expected any day now]. They were both quite happy here and joined us in thanking the Lord on our knees for all the good that He has done to us and them in His miraculous kindness. They are both God-fearing men and regard that which the Lord has done here with quite different eyes than natural people do. They were much pleased by the work of the Salzburgers, their harmoniousness, their economy, their fairness in demanding wages for their work, our orphanage and all other things that they found. They will surely use all that they have seen with their own eyes to good purpose. May God be praised, who still secures for us benefactors and well-wishers even in this country, and men who seek our best by intercession, good advice, and even through letters to other benefactors and friends.

Thursday, the 9th of August. To be sure, I had promised the authorities to be in Savannah yesterday or today so that some help and relief could be provided for the poor German servants there by my intercession. However, the physician does not advise travel in view of my still pending recovery, and therefore my dear colleague has gone down with our two friends. He will advise the authorities of my inability to travel and also take care of the provisions for the new arrivals and for Mr. Thilo, who has until now hardly claimed any of his provisions but who now seems to need them.

To this end, the large boat has been sent down. I only worry that there may not be as much provisions in the storehouse as the boat can carry. It is a great blessing of the Lord that our Salzburgers have now been able to eat their own bread for a year; for, if they had had to rely on Savannah for their food, the supplies would have been quite meager, as there have been many shortages in Savannah and no money has been available to purchase new provisions. True, Parliament has set aside £20,000 sterling for this colony, but this money must be spent in part on Mr. Oglethorpe’s regiment and in part for the payment of old debts, so that little will be left for new expenditures. The closer the harvest has come, the more our people have felt a lack of supplies, but they have managed as best they could. Now they are eating new corn already, and the giver of such blessings is being offered heartfelt praise by all honest souls. The rain has not done the damage to the corn which disbelief and reason have feared, rather it is more bountiful everywhere than in any previous year. There will be few beans, since the deer have caused much damage at night; but with God’s help the rice and potatoes will amply make up for the shortage in beans.

Friday, the 10th of August. The wife of the servant⁸ in the orphanage has been ill for some time now and in some respects causes much inconvenience to the others there. The house is provided with separate rooms for the manager and the children, as well as with separate quarters for both sexes; and in this initial period we have not been able to undertake any extensive planning, as we will eventually have to do for the best of the orphanage; and consequently there are no quarters for caring for the sick. However, occasionally there are several sick people whom, like this woman, we would wish to care for in a separate room so that the healthy will not be disturbed in their work, their meals, and their sleep. This is not possible now, though, in particular as the crops we have been blessed with in the fields urgently require the construction of a barn and threshing floor, for which the ground will be prepared next week with God’s help. It may well be that it will please the Lord to bestow on us, sooner or later, a new blessing of funds with which to pay for this barn and construct a sick room.

I visited some of the women whom Sanftleben has brought here. They all have the fever and do not yet know how to conduct themselves in their illness, and therefore they much need personal advice on the diet to be observed during a fever, particularly in this country. In particular I talked with them regarding the well known verse: “Come unto me all ye who . . .” and attempted to instruct them to recognize the burden of sin on their hearts and the kindness of the Lord Jesus towards repentant sinners, with regard to which their knowledge is still sadly lacking. Inasmuch as one of them [Sanftleben’s sister] has much prejudice against the truth and always uses her simplicity as an excuse, I recommended to her brother to read her the edifying example of Pastor Kusens and the ignorant servant girl who was nevertheless converted to God, of which we made recent mention, so that she could see that, however simple and ignorant these people might have been, they nonetheless became most knowledgeable and understanding in the work of salvation because they left room for the Holy Spirit in their soul through the word. I admonished the brother [Sanftleben] to show much seriousness and application in his Christianity, for his example would then by the grace of God all the more surely convince her that the honest exercise of the Christian faith is not only necessary but also possible.

Saturday, the 11th of August. My dear colleague returned from Savannah already this afternoon, although they did not travel on the big boat. The people, who had wished to return quickly because of their work, had travelled by night, in particular as this is more pleasant than during the day because of the heat. Only a portion of the desired provisions have arrived, since there was not much left in the storehouse. I now have hope that the money for the linen which the Swiss merchant, Mr. Schlatter,⁹ had sent to Mr. Causton for sale may indeed be paid shortly. The Lord Trustees have appointed three commissaries who are to examine all bills and debts of the storehouse incurred under Mr. Causton and make a report to them, so that later all debts found sound and justified can be paid.

The last few days have been veritable summer days, as they usually are here in this country, and they have been most beneficial for the ripening corn as well as the beans and other crops. May the Lord provide that this beautiful harvest may be received and enjoyed with a believing and thankful heart on the part of all, so that it may in fact be a true blessing!

Sunday, the 12th of August. Today we again had several listeners from Purysburg, who, together with others in the congregation, announced publicly their intention to go to the Lord’s Table next Sunday. Regarding the regular text for this Sunday, Matthew 7:15 ff., we presented a matter which is most necessary especially for these people from Purysburg and is exactly what I treated for the German people in Savannah concerning Matthew 5:20 ff. a fortnight ago, that is, the semblance and power of Christianity.¹⁰ In the afternoon, it was up to my dear colleague to treat of the dear truths that lie in the 5th Petition, wherein the fatherly intent of the Lord is most beautifully revealed to us through Christ His Son, for the comfort of all dejected sinners.

After the afternoon service Mr. Thilo was called to Old Ebenezer to care for a German servant of the Lord Trustees, who is said to lie gravely ill with colic. The people there derive much benefit from our town, and it is to be desired that they should be grateful therefor to God and men.

Monday, the 13th of August. Today the carpenters and other Salzburgers have made a start with preparing the wood for the barn of the orphanage, for which may the Lord bless them and assist them. To be sure, some of the people in the community were prepared to join in this labor without pay so as to have some claim to the use of the threshing floor later on, but it has been found to be better to have it built entirely at the expense of the orphanage so that the orphanage will have sole right of disposal. As circumstances permit, we will surely be willing and able to provide services for others, as has happened before with a number of things, but it should not be so much a right as a privilege and charitable service. Also, each of them needs his time badly these days, and if they can spare a day or two from their work, they should not be begrudged the little money they can earn in this construction. In the manner of the well kept and durable barns in the Salzburg area, this barn will be constructed entirely of solid wooden planks.

The threshing floor itself will be located in the middle and consist of thick and wide split and planed planks. On each side of the floor will be two large receptacles for corn, rice, beans and other crops, which are floored with thick boards, as in this country the high humidity forces us to store all grain and other produce fairly high off the ground. On the top we will store hay and other things necessary for housekeeping and farming. May the loving and merciful Lord let us feel His blessing in this construction, as in our other undertakings. The manager of the orphanage is full of faith and good hope and is constantly presenting, together with his family, this undertaking to the almighty and merciful Lord in his prayers.

A Salzburger woman had been late for our private edification and prayer meeting because of her sickly child; since this had happened on several occasions, she cried bitterly and told us of the great damage she suffered from her inability to attend services and prayer meetings as diligently as before. She also had less strength and fervor in her prayers, etc. I comforted her, especially with a beautiful saying from the Treasure Chest,¹¹ which fitted her circumstances well. I also advised her how to provide for her child in the future if she wished to come to my room Mondays and Fridays for prayer. In this meeting, I read aloud a most beautiful letter from the Contribution to the Building of the Kingdom of God,¹² wherein the writer shows, in an incomparably beautiful manner and based on his own experience, how we can reach the power of Christian belief and grow and flourish therein.

Tuesday, the 14th of August. [Rauner again pretends to many good intentions and is attempting to persuade me that I should admit him and his wife to Holy Communion. However, I am admonishing him to take time for a thorough preparation. Ortmann and his wife carry many grudges against him, although they themselves are not much better. He agreed to ask forgiveness for all his insults to them, but both refused to listen to him and showed him the door, and even threatened him with a beating. Mrs. Ortmann pretends sickness as an excuse for missing all services, yet she was nonetheless able to travel as far as Purysburg with the people from Old Ebenezer. He does not leave the house either but pretends a state of dizziness, for which reason the small children are made to come to his house for instruction. There is little hope with these people, who approve of the truth only to the extent that it is not applied to them and their circumstances. Sometimes, they accuse themselves of being the poorest and most forlorn sinners; but if one goes into detail with them, they think themselves so holy that there are few to compare with them.]

There was a quantity of flour on the petiaguer¹³ that brought Sanftleben and his people from Charleston to Savannah which had been sent by the Lord Trustees for the welfare of the colony. However, as there was much and heavy rain at the time, the flour has started to smell and is now almost beyond use. The storekeeper told me that it had been examined by the three commissaries and found to be unfit for human consumption. Since a barrel containing about 300 pounds is being sold for as little as five shillings, our Salzburgers have fetched a boatload of it and will travel to Savannah as long as there is some flour left at this low price. This flour, which would have been used in Savannah to feed the hogs, is a true blessing for our people; these poor folk are not choosy but know how to put everything to good use, even this flour, especially since they are now harvesting new corn.

Wednesday, the 15th of August. The merchant from Savannah who visited us last week with the schoolmaster borrowed our English translation of the book by the blessed Arndt on the true nature of Christianity. While still here, he had already found much pleasure in the preface by the late Boehme¹⁴ as well as in the book itself. Now our schoolmaster from Savannah writes us, among other news, that the dear Arndt is his and the merchant’s daily companion and is giving them as much comfort as any honest soul is bound to find therein who has a true taste for the right kind of riches. May God place His mercy on the reading of this beautiful book. [Zettler has again shown his displeasure at not being permitted to go to the Lord’s Table until his previous misconduct has been made up for; he refuses, however, to recognize its sinfulness, and much less is he willing to submit to discipline. He is a coarse unbroken man and he much needs someone to rough up his mind, for nothing is being achieved with kindness. The cowherd, Nett, and his wife are also unbroken people who do not know even the beginning of conversion.]

Thursday, the 16th of August. This morning after school I had something to discuss with the carpenters and other workers who are preparing the wood for the orphanage out in the forest. Because we were together in one place, we prayed together, as I found the people most ready and eager to do. We may well hope again for the Lord’s blessing on this construction, for the work is being done in God’s order. As often as they commence or end work, they first pray to the Lord and praise Him for His assistance.

The stories in the 18th and 19th chapters of Judges have been written as instruction and as warning to us, as we now recognize with the Lord’s help in our scheduled readings during the prayer meetings. Oh how much we need, like those others who came to a new land and enjoyed much material good under the Lord’s providence, to watch ourselves so that we may not forsake the living source after receiving all the blessings, but instead dig wells here and there which are full of holes and hold no water. It is easy for the heart to become sluggish and lukewarm after a while, to deviate from the Lord, and instead cling to the created world; as in the case of the Israelites and thousands of others in evangelical Christendom, this becomes so habitual that they are led to idolatry and do not even believe that it is so wicked. With God’s help, we have attempted to warn each other against idolatry in matters spiritual and of the sin of habit in matters material and in religious affairs; and we have learned from God’s word that leaving God and becoming faithless toward the blessings bestowed are the cause and reason for many a spiritual and physical judgment, as can be seen from the context of the 18th and 19th chapters. Cf. Romans 1:21-32.

Friday, the 17th of August. Last night saw the death of Held’s wife, who had been sick for some time, first of the fever and then of a tumor. She and her husband were among the last German servants to come here, and they had initially been given by Mr. Oglethorpe to an Englishman in Savannah. However, they were ill provided for there; and, upon their urgent request, they were taken into the service of the orphanage. The man told me at the funeral that she had had a special urge to come to America and had always been sad when he showed no real desire. When God had arranged for their arrival at our town, she had thanked Him many times from the bottom of her heart for having brought her to the pure word of the gospel and having so richly refreshed her with it, as would never have been possible in her homeland, where things are said to go quite badly. She much loved hearing the Lord’s word, and she assured me repeatedly that it had led her to the recognition of her sins and the faith in the Lord Jesus. On her deathbed, she highly praised her Jesus and His sweetness to her, and she looked forward to redemption. As we had assumed that she had not yet truly recognized the horror of sin and the great perdition of the heart and may have secretly comforted herself with her previous good conduct, eager prayers, etc., we bore much witness against self-justice and wrong comfort, and repeatedly pointed out to her that the Lord Jesus called to Himself and accepted only the poor, naked, and miserable sinners, and that self-made comfort would not serve her well on that final day. The manager of the orphanage and his wife give her a good testimony.

Toward evening the Englishman from Carolina brought the cows and oxen we had purchased a month ago.¹⁵ On his way he lost a few, partly in the water and partly in the forest, but he is nonetheless willing to bring us cattle as often as we demand, for here he receives his money in cash, whereas in Purysburg and in other places he is obliged to give credit for long periods of time, which causes him many losses. He has acted honestly and, in accordance with his promise, has brought our people cattle that are as good as they could wish for, yet not so expensive as in previous times. Our people have managed their money well and hope that the dear Lord will give them the occasion to earn some more. Cattle are indispensable to them in their housekeeping. May God be praised for this benefaction as well!

Saturday, the 18th of August. This afternoon eight people arrived from Purysburg to join the congregation tomorrow, if it pleases God, in Holy Communion. I prepared them in my room prior to the public act of repentance and confession, and I hope from the bottom of my heart that all may be led to a recognition of the truth and to the realization of the honest way that is in Christ, wherein most of them are still lacking. Those people who live in dissension and annoying discord with their neighbors have not come up with them, although they had intended to do so a week ago. We do not long for them, since they will not accept admonitions to be repentant. When people who have not yet been really converted to the Lord in truth push themselves to the Lord’s Table, we have much trouble with them.

A man from Old Ebenezer had his wife register him for Communion and did not come to see me, although I had asked him to. I spoke to him after confession and patiently admonished him for his cursing, which I myself had heard in Savannah. I asked him to repent this and all other sins. As a former soldier, he seems to think little of his cursing, but excuses it with his impatience, which was abetted by his difficult circumstances. Therefore he is far removed from conversion, and I asked him to abstain from the Lord’s Table until he should be in a better prepared state. He did not say anything to this and stayed away; may God give me wisdom, love, and seriousness to maintain the proper conduct with our listeners in the use of the means of salvation, so that forward and unconverted people may be kept away, but the weak not be rendered timid and scared away and so that no one will become embittered. Those who feel the burden of our office in regard to this point may well desire from the bottom of their heart to be rid of it, if possible. Oh, could I but give it to another, and care for my own soul only, how happy I would be!

Sunday, the 19th of August. In the morning we dealt with the example of the unjust householder, Luke 16:1 ff., as showing the love of the flesh as the true and main idol of the children of this world. In the prayer meetings last week the dear Lord had let us hear some necessary lessons from this material in the text of Judges, chapters 18 and 19; and, since He has thus prepared the minds of our listeners for today’s sermon, I am sure of some benefit in our dear listeners, who in large part have not known this idol in its full repulsiveness. In particular the Purysburg people need to be told what the love of the flesh is and that one cannot be saved while under its power and dominance. These people came to my room at night and let me read them an example of a carnally-minded man of the world and mammon who came to a sad ending, and therefore horribly experienced the fraud of sin in all eternity. In the repetition hour, the time went so quickly that I could not read it then, which is a shame, since it confirmed and clearly illustrated the preceding text.

Monday, the 20th of August. [I found the Berenberger woman much aggrieved and full of ill will against Sanftleben and the others in the community, although the reason for her displeasure is of little or no importance. I have asked her several times to come to me for advice and am fully prepared to make everything as easy as possible for her and to assist her wherever I can; however, so far she has not availed herself of this offer. She does not seem to have the best of dispositions. She told me of some instances of her masters and of the evil treatment she had received both in the bleachery in Ulm and in Augsburg, and in particular that she had been forced to work right hard, etc., which is not a good sign. In the presence of Mrs. Gschwandl, in whose house she is living, I sought earnestly to admonish her and to encourage her anew, in which the aforesaid honest woman is supporting me.]

Simon Steiner is complaining of his bashfulness, which is preventing him from praying aloud in our private meetings and from presenting the agony of his heart to the Lord before his brethren, as the others do. He is much edified, he said, by their unity, simplicity, and heartfelt conduct; and he is only worried that others might not turn their hearts to him and believe his prayers to be honest. He fears that they might remember, and still be offended by, some of the actions he took with his wife a year and even longer ago, when she had been most unreasonable and in need of serious discipline and admonishment. We had met in a right pleasant little group and prayed for ourselves and others most heartily in great poverty of spirit but nonetheless with much praise of the Lord, who is so merciful and kind in Christ. I take this as a sign that the Lord has blessed the reading of His word and the use of the Holy Supper.

N. [Leitner], who has until now been lazy and grouchy in all matters, as well as having been ill recently, finally recognizes better than ever before, by God’s grace, that he is lacking in the true and unpretending conversion to God. He has resolved to tackle matters seriously for once so that he might become a child of the Lord. Today, he came to our meeting for the first time.

[Mrs. Helfenstein is experiencing much unrest over her oldest son, which we would like to be able to relieve if at all possible. She had first placed him with the shoemaker of the Herrnhuters in Savannah; but, as he was used only for field and housework there, she took him away and believed to have found a better place for him with a German shoemaker in Purysburg, where she hoped he would learn the profession thoroughly. This man, too, however, uses him only for field work and some housework and provides him with nothing but his food, whereas the mother must provide his clothing. Now there is even the chance that this shoemaker, as many in Purysburg have done, may return to Germany; and therefore the boy will not learn his trade. On the other hand, he has forgotten all that he had learned here in school and has seen and heard many disorderly happenings, so she is forced to take him back here and use him for work in the fields. She also will make a trial to see whether she and he can undertake her husband’s profession, which was tanning both brown and white leather, so that they can support themselves.

[In this country children are not well provided for by their masters, and I would advise no one to place his child in Purysburg or Savannah; it is as if they were to be sacrificed to Moloch. The widow in question acted without my advice in this regard. At the time, we could not approve of her intentions with regard to her oldest daughter, and therefore she was much inclined against me. However, she has now learned that we are of honest intent toward her and try to seek the best material and spiritual arrangements for her and her children.]

Tuesday, the 21st of August. Last night I learned that N.’s [Floerel’s] wife is sick with quartan fever [which is quite common this year] and was thus prevented from coming to the Lord’s Table last Sunday. She is in need of evangelical comfort; and for this reason I visited her today and found her dejected and unhappy. When I asked her whether she was gaining more hope in her dear Savior and therefore finding comfort in Him, she put her head in her hands and cried for a long time. I gave her a number of comforting verses to contemplate, such as: “I will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her,” likewise: “Oh thou afflicted and not comforted,” etc. I opened her Treasure Chest,¹⁶ page 130, “Lord, turn our captivity,” where the divine answer is also given from Isaiah 49:89, regarding which I said only a few words according to the circumstances of her weakened spirit so that I might encourage her to find the Father reconciled in Christ. Finally she complained with a few words, which she let fall with many tears, concerning the great perdition of her heart which she felt less than the pains of her body; likewise concerning her impatience, whereupon I showed her that all this should not drive her away from, but towards, Christ, the Savior of the world. Moses and his law afforded her no peace, and she could hardly fare better, for this honor was Christ’s, who had extended His arms wide on the cross so as to grasp in them all sinners, as shown by the example of the great sinner, the thief. Finally, I prayed with her and left with the resolution to commend her to the Lord’s care in my private prayers and to visit her again soon.

[Those who must deal with Ernst still have much trouble with him, and we ourselves cannot get along with him. With regard to his material subsistance, we have tried to intercede on his behalf in Savannah, and we have also made an advance to him; but this only causes us to be calumniated all the more. I shall again mention him in Savannah, as I have been asked to by some in the community. He has a very fine plantation; and, since others have taken in a man and shared with him the profits from the good land, he should have done likewise, for such a man would have been able to help him build a fence. Others have had their land fenced in for a long time now, but he still has not done it, thus endangering his neighbors’ crops. He has often been asked to build his share of the fence, but he has always found an excuse and has become spiteful and argumentative. Now I will have to hear in Savannah what can be done in the case of such bad neighbors. His wife, who is not worth much either, is afraid to move out to the plantation; it seems he has threatened her to kill her or to beat her to a pulp and then to run away. And, since there is no one in the vicinity, she would have nowhere to beat a retreat. He also threatens others (as he has done me), and therefore nobody wishes to be his neighbor. Perhaps we shall be rid of him one day. He and his wife are both willfully blind and quite obdurate.]

Wednesday, the 22nd of August. N. [Grimmiger], whom I today admonished in my rooms to yield his heart to the dear and pious Lord, told me that N.N. [Ruprecht Steiner], whose plantation adjoins his, has given him much good instruction, particularly with regard to prayer, which had caused much good fruit in him. He was much ashamed; and he complained that he had prayed little or not at all in previous times and is now praising the Lord for not tearing him away in the state of sin. He is already noticing the benefit of prayer, which he no longer puts in mere recitation of prayer formulas but offers in his own words according to his own circumstances. I wish that R.S. [Ruprecht Steiner] would soon move out to his plantation, which would be most useful to this man, who cannot read and has little understanding.

I have again purchased a horse so that I may visit our listeners on the plantations several times weekly. Whenever I go out there on foot, my present poor physical state so tires and weakens me that I am not fit for my duties either here or out there. I hope that by and by several people will move out, as they have wished, so that we can then arrange for meetings during the week and on Sundays. Now, the few families who live there come in on Sundays; but this is most inconvenient for them because of their housework and the occasionally bad weather. May the dear Lord only see fit in His fatherly intent to strengthen my constitution, for I have been feeling quite sickly for some time now and have been hindered in the constant and eager exercise of my work. Perhaps the dear Lord will bless the exercise in us if we should visit our dear listeners frequently on horseback.

Thursday, the 23rd of August. It has not hurt at all that I have kept N.N. [Ruprecht Zittrauer] and his wife from taking Holy Communion. Rather it has even had a good effect on him, since we have continued, in God’s mercy, to show him our devotion and love. If we can visit him often on his plantations, we hope that good effects will follow. He does not yet have his neighbors, who are good people, out there; and, since neither he nor she can read and both are constitutionally incapable of grasping what they are told in church, they are badly off in their solitude, where they must also forego the daily prayer meeting.

The German man from Old Ebenezer whom I recently could not admit to the Lord’s Table because of the state of his mind misbehaved so grievously last night that he was brought to us today and will have to be sent to Savannah to face the authorities at the first opportunity. In a rage, he inflicted such a terrible wound on a most useful horse of the Lord Trustees that it is now lame in one foot and may well have been rendered unfit permanently. He is not admitting to the deed, but the circumstances are so evident that no one can be the evildoer except him and his wife.

Friday, the 24th of August. N. [Brandner] and his wife visited our private assembly, and I noticed in him that he is gaining beautifully in the blessing and the recognition of our dear Savior. I was much moved by his prayer, wherein he most touchingly recalled our dear benefactors in Europe and in this country. The Lord is showing us much mercy, both in the public services and in these hours which we spend before His face, for which we are praising and honoring Him.

In tonight’s prayer meeting we finished the Book of Judges with divine help, and we shall shortly set out to read the Book of Ruth. God be humbly praised for all His assistance and for the blessing He has bestowed on me and others in this reading, and may He let us find many fruits from the spiritual seed sown before His throne in blessed eternity. We have been able to gather, both from reports and from the prayers of our dear listeners, that the texts read and discussed heretofore have made a great impression in many instances. In the last chapter we were most seriously impressed, as in a mirror, with human perdition as first caused by the Fall of Adam. Here we referred to the 2nd and 41st chapters of book I of the blessed Arndt’s True Christianity.

If God pleases, I shall travel tomorrow to Savannah on official business, while my dear colleague will continue to read the New Testament in the evening prayer meetings, for which may the Lord bestow strength and wisdom on him.

Saturday, the 25th of August. The old N. [Bacher] continues on in the blessing of salvation. His heart is turning right soft, tender, and broken; he cries like a child and regrets that he did not obey his Lord earlier. “Oh,” he said today, “how good would it have been if I had left room and place in my heart for the mercy of the Lord as soon as I came to Ebenezer.” I showed him, however, that there was still time and that he was still welcome to the Lord, for He had reached His hands out to him. He should but be confident, for He would have mercy on him as there is much forgiveness in Him.

Sunday, the 26th of August. In today’s text for the 10th Sunday after Trinity the Lord Jesus has been presented to us as one who on this our day is attempting to seek all who are still lost in Ebenezer and to save them. Oh how great is the kindness of our Jesus! He wishes to let no one perish in his misery, nor will He abandon the sinner however much he might deserve it, but goes right close to his heart so that he might feel it clearly.

This day has seemed to me a special day of visitation by the Lord’s mercy, and I have tried to present it as such to our dear listeners, so as to see if they all would let themselves be won over once and for all. The Lord be praised for His help which He has shown to this poor worm, and may He bless it in His great mercy.

Monday, the 27th of August. Under God’s protection, I returned tonight from Savannah, arriving just when the people were in the prayer meeting. I am glad to be back home among our listeners and with my dear colleague, where I am much quieter and happier than in other places. In other places [in Savannah and Purysburg] one hears and sees almost nothing but unpleasant and sad stories; and, since one cannot help, one would rather stay home than be there. [In Savannah, there is much discord among those who are appointed as authorities above the people, and it has led to several annoying legal proceedings. If the authority of Mr. Oglethorpe, who is still among the Indians, cannot settle these matters, it will go from bad to worse.]

Among the German people, to whom I again preached the word of the Lord both morning and afternoon, there is nothing but envy, hatred, persecution, faithlessness, and voluptuousness, drunkenness, and rowdiness, and they consider none of these as sins, although we show them from clear passages of the Scriptures that they are indeed sinning. [The Reformed in particular are mainly very wicked people who bitterly hate those who belong to our church.] Things look quite pitiful, and the judgment of obstinacy seems to have been pronounced on the people there. As our office has accomplished little or nothing with them, we are longing to remain with our congregation at all times rather than preach there. They now prefer the English preacher for their baptisms and marriages, because we will not permit them their drinking, dancing, and other disorder. Also some [of the members of the government and some Englishmen] would rather not see us come to Savannah too often, since the servants, who are treated right harshly, bring their complaints to us and we have to speak for them to the authorities. They argue that every time their servants come into town, they are made rebellious; and one of them was so forward as to impute to me in front of several others that I had twice incited his servants to leave their masters and move to Ebenezer. I urged him to have the people fetched from the plantation, and when he pretended sickness and inability to travel on their part, I myself took steps to have one he had named brought before him: when he examined him in my presence, he heard the very opposite and was put to shame with his accusations.

In large part, the man and woman servants are treated right barbarously, against the will and intentions of the Lord Trustees; but then this may well be a judgment on these people, the majority of whom are entirely godless and impertinent. Those in the service of the Lord Trustees are well treated, but are mainly dishonest and selfish, so that the Lords suffer many losses in their affairs. It may well be that this was the last sermon I will preach for them. I preached to them on “The Punished Ingratitude for the Precious Offer of God’s Grace,” and as an exordium I took Deuteronomy 32:6, “Do ye thus requite the Lord,” etc. Also, our people are now beginning to make arrangements to have services held on the plantations; therefore our presence here will be necessary in any event.

Sunday afternoon letters arrived from the governor of New York and from a colonel from Charleston to the effect that 200 Frenchmen had joined forces with 500 Indians in the area of the Mississippi river and attacked a certain Indian nation who trade with the English in Carolina and Georgia and are friends of the English.¹⁷ It seems that they wished to vanquish these Indians and then invade the adjoining territory. It is being assumed that they are the Cherokee Indians, who have until now been feuding with the Creeks; Mr. Oglethorpe is exercising his utmost effort to reconcile these two tribes, for in these letters it is also mentioned that the Frenchman whom Mr. Oglethorpe had saved and ransomed from the Indians who were about to burn him alive as a French prisoner is now one of this troop and among their leaders.¹⁸ Just as this report had been sent express to Purysburg and Savannah, Mr. Oglethorpe was also informed from Charleston by messengers on horseback; it is assumed that he knows of the designs of the French long before the news reaches New York and Charleston.

Tuesday, the 28th of August. I learned here that the rains had been unusually heavy in our area last Saturday, while Savannah was not affected. In some of the low-lying spots, the water has risen so high that the herdsman could not assemble the cattle in the woods, and therefore almost half of the herd had been dispersed. Today, somebody has been sent out on horseback to drive them back together.

[A Reformed shoemaker from Purysburg let me know that he would like to move to our town so as to carry on his trade here if we would have him. The Reformed in Savannah are quite obstinate and contentious; and, although his neighbors have given this man a good testimony, it is difficult to agree to his request. True, we urgently need a shoemaker, for nothing much can be accomplished with Zettler, who has only half learned the trade. Maybe we will get somebody from Europe. We know of no opportunity of sending mail to England, so we will not be able to write and give news of Ulich’s death until Captain Thomson, who is expected every day now, has arrived.]

Wednesday, the 29th of August. I inquired of Mrs. N. [Floerel] how she was faring both in body and soul. Her reply was: “God is now fully uncovering my perdition to me; I am learning to understand fully the 2nd chapter of book I of Johann Arndt’s Of True Christianity; and I see ever more clearly why the Lord has seen fit to bring me to Ebenezer.” I talked to her partly about what I wish to present in connection with the 1st chapter of the Book of Ruth, and partly about the beautiful words of Zacharias in Luke 1:78-79—”Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to them,” etc.—which are a great blessing not only for the blind among Jews and heathen, but also for those souls who wish to recognize their perdition and consider themselves the most miserable and pitiful people worth only eternal darkness. For the Savior intervenes for these and shows that He is the light coming into the world so as to lighten the path of the darkest sinners, to refresh them and to make them blessed. There is salvation under the wings of this sun of grace.

[My dear colleague has talked to old Mrs. Spielbiegler and tried to relieve her of her erroneous assumptions concerning her faith and her salvation; however, as has happened to me on another occasion, he was ill received in that she not only offered all sorts of excuses and prevarications, but responded quite rudely and, after his departure, directed her wicked and rough temper against another in the most shameful manner. Her son had some business with me, and I told him of the conduct of his mother against the Lord’s word and against His servants and asked him to seek an occasion to impress this on her in love. I sent him on his way with the verse: “Obey and follow your ministers”¹⁹ and without complaining. He is as bad as she is, but I had to tell him the truth for once.]

I hear that the water in Old Ebenezer has risen so high that it has almost destroyed the milldam and the sawmill itself, so that there cannot be any attempt at repairing and restoring. This work costs a great sum of money, and therefore the Lord Trustees are again suffering a great loss. It is said that the servants there will be moved to another place, since the mill can no longer be maintained where it is. When we still lived there, we once had quite a heavy flood too, but it seems not to have been quite as bad as they are describing the present one to be.

The widow Arnsdorf has for quite some time now intended to take her two girls out of the orphanage, and today she brought them home. In today’s meeting, the two children were lovingly admonished in their mother’s presence to let that be accomplished in them that their dear Lord has intended through all the physical and spiritual benefits granted to them. In the end, we prayed with them and the others. It seems that the mother no longer needs to have her children in the orphanage, and we are not at all opposed to their making room for others. They have both conducted themselves well in the orphanage and have given us hope that they may one day become useful to the Lord and to men, provided that they continue to accept Christian discipline and admonitions.

Thursday, the 30th of August. Last night during the prayer meeting the man whom I had taken in as a servant for my household about eight months ago died against his and our expectations. His name was Peter Heinrich and he came from Württemberg. He had long been ill with the fever and used all the medical prescriptions faithfully; in the end, he suffered from swelling, which caused him much suffering, although he always remained patient and content. He was not only a right faithful worker, but has let himself be brought to the recognition of himself and of the Lord Jesus, his Savior, through the word of the gospel. Therefore he accepted with much gratitude our comfort from the Lord’s word and our words about the paths to salvation. He can therefore be said to have come to rest after what must have been much unrest. Since the swelling had receded from his arms and he had been able to breathe more freely, he had believed as late as yesterday that there was still hope for improvement, but in the evening he went as quickly as a snuffed-out light. His wife had died in Savannah a year ago from a similar swelling. He leaves three daughters in our town:²⁰ the middle one is going to marry a carpenter after the harvest; the oldest is quite weak and has often been ill with epilepsy and other symptoms, but is working in my house as much as her strength allows, all the while preparing herself for eternity and accepting good advice from us; the youngest is maid with one of the Salzburgers and is a faithful and industrious little thing. Apart from these children, there are a grown son and a daughter of the deceased in Savannah-Town, where they are in the service of an English merchant. We have not heard anything of them except for what this very merchant once told me.

Friday, the 31st of August. God is giving us such dry and beautiful weather that we could not wish for any better for the harvest. We have cool air now both at night and in the morning and evening, and it is not too hot during the day for workers. In yesterday’s prayer meeting we heard the beautiful expression of Ruth. Naomi had heard that the Lord had visited His people and given them bread, which will remind us of our duty to consider the present rich harvest as a merciful visitation of the Lord and to use it to better purpose than did the Jews, of whom the Lord Christ in the recently read gospel had to say, with tears in His eyes, that they had not known the time when they were visited, whereupon a terrible tribulation of rage had to be visited upon them. As the Lord in His wisdom has seen fit to report on this occurrence of Naomi and Ruth at such length, we shall use all of it to our advantage with His merciful help; and we can only marvel that in previous times we did not seek and find in this book that which the Lord has now revealed to us.

In today’s and yesterday’s prayer meeting we received much edification and food for thought from the deep love between this mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law, their willingness to render service to each other, their warm talk to each other on their journey, her edifying words when she took leave and her blessings, the good name which the Israelites gained by Naomi’s honest conduct with these two young widows and probably also with others—verse 10—as well as Naomi’s wise prudence with regard to the resolutions of the two daughters-in-law, the inconstancy and the dominant worldly mind and fear of the cross on the part of Orpah, and the deepfelt honesty and right holy resolution of Ruth. We also learned from Naomi’s wish and prayer, verses 8-9, which God did not let fall on the earth nor leave unfulfilled in Ruth (as shown in the following story), what a great benefaction it is that so many honest and faithful servants and children of the Lord wish us and ask for all the good in body and spirit before the Lord’s face, which wishes and prayers shall only benefit those, however, who, like Ruth, acquiesce in the divine order, whereas Orpah was left with empty hands because of her guilt.

SEPTEMBER

Saturday, the 1st of September. Yesterday between ten and eleven in the evening four gentlemen from Savannah arrived here and stayed with me, because they were acquainted with me and my dear colleague. They were Colonel Stephens, the storehouse manager Mr. Jones, and Mr. Oglethorpe’s secretary, Mr. Moore, who is also Adjutant-General of Mr. Oglethorpe’s regiment, and a doctor whom we did not know. They had received news that the flooding water had made the sawmill in Old Ebenezer entirely unusable, which great damage they wished to see with their own eyes and report to both Mr. Oglethorpe and the Trustees. They returned at about noon and travelled back to Savannah after lunch. They were pleased by everything they saw at our place and in the orphanage.

In Ebenezer¹ several oxen have been trained to pull, which have been used until now at the sawmill. Now that the sawmill has become unusable and can hardly be repaired, I have asked the storehouse manager for one or two oxen for a few weeks, because we in the orphanage are intending to train a pair of young oxen for the same purpose, and this is to be granted to us very shortly. The gentlemen can well see that, even if the sawmill had remained in a usable condition, the Lord Trustees would have had very little use from it. If we, who are the nearest neighbors, were to fetch our boards from there, they would cost more than if we had them sawn by a couple of people at our place.

Sunday, the 2nd of September. It rained a great deal yesterday and especially today, and this has caused some discomfort for our people who come in from the plantations to divine service. We treated today’s gospel for the 9th Sunday after Trinity, which was the same material we had treated on the 6th and 8th Sundays after Trinity, namely, “Appearance and power of Godliness.”² In the exordium we applied it to the first two brothers (Genesis 4) and in the tractation to the example of the pharisee and the poor publican. Oh, how necessary it is for this teaching to be taught diligently so that the people will be aroused from their sleep of complacency and self-deceit. In the catechization my dear colleague began the fourth major article of the catechism concerning baptism, and in the prayer meeting in the orphanage he read something about the treasure of baptism from Statius’ Treasure Chamber.³ May the Lord let children and adults highly value the grace that has come to them already in their tenderest childhood, without their deserving it or being worthy of it, yea, without their asking for it.

Monday, the 3rd of September. After the hour in which several members of the congregation had assembled in my house for prayers, a woman remained behind and complained to me with many tears about her sins and the plight of her soul. She is faring just as David confesses in the 38th Psalm, and she wishes to go with her sins to the Lord Jesus but cannot do it. She is finding no comfort and strength in her prayers; but the more she prays the more sins she remembers and the greater they become. However, she is somewhat comforted by hearing that many righteous people and children of God in this congregation are thinking of her in their prayers also, which God will surely look upon with mercy for the sake of Christ, even if her own prayer is not worthy of being heard. Among other things, I told her that penitent and humbled sinners could be comforted by the fact that the prayer of the poor publican, who was so low in his own eyes and also despised by the world, was cited by Christ himself as being a prayer heard by God, for otherwise it is written in the troubleladen hearts of penitent people: “God heareth no sinners.” God did not let her pray so far in vain, I added, for she should look upon her recognition of her deep perdition as an especial blessing of God. She should merely continue: the Lord would surely let His time and hour come when He would refresh her.

At the same time I explained to her the important word “faith” as found in Romans 4 in the example of Abraham, the father of all children of faith. I told her that, through the grace of God, she would have to practice following Him in trusting hope, since (according to reason) there is nothing to hope for. To be sure, it is hard to believe that God would be able and willing to show mercy to such a vile and wicked sinner as she acknowledges herself to be and would save her from her sins and bring her to salvation; yet He has promised this, and one must learn to trust. She had to admit that what Jesus says is true: “Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities”; yet she cannot believe the subsequent verse: “I shall blot out thy transgressions for mine own sake,” etc., which is joined to the foregoing and should not be separated from it. Because she is being tormented by some special sins and hopes to find rest only after certain conditions have been fulfilled, I cited a couple of Bible verses for her use and warned her against the error of not wishing to come to Christ before she has somewhat compensated for her wicked deed.

Mrs. N. was exceedingly pleased that I visited her. If we do not call on her for some time, she thinks we have something against her and therefore has less heart to visit us in our homes for private edification. It is a shortcoming of several of our parishioners that they refrain from coming to us and making use of our council and instruction either out of shyness or because they know how busy we are. We seldom find their husbands at home, and therefore such visits would be very useful to them. Because N. has planted a bit on his plantation and therefore must remain out there most of the week, his wife is much hindered by their small and always sickly child from coming to the prayer meeting. This causes her much worry and disquiet, which I tried to dispel by speaking to her. When I asked about her husband, she answered that his lack of faith showed itself rather clearly when want and trials occurred, but that he has been proving for some time to be much better than formerly; and I was very pleased to hear in what a loving, thorough, and scriptural way she is correcting him and reminding him of his Christian duty.

Tuesday, the 4th of September. The children who are being prepared for Holy Communion have not been worked on entirely in vain, rather they have revealed some of the good that the Lord has effected in them through His word. However, we have not wished to be too hasty in confirming them and letting them go to Holy Communion, but have given them many opportunities to prepare themselves better and better through a true conversion for this important undertaking. Today I learned that the little girls sometimes gather to pray together; and, because they have done it in the fields among the corn, I advised them to do it in a hut, even if it were only in a stall, so that they would be nearer to people.

I visited the widow N., who has been sick for some weeks with quartan fever and has hardly gone out because of it. I had occasion to discuss many edifying things with her and hope it will prove useful. God has prepared her spirit nicely to apply His word to the proper purpose; and for some time now we have observed she has more confidence in us than in former times. Because she is poor and has a heap of children,⁴ we try to help her in every way. When she is healthy and can work, she receives orders for spinning and knitting from the orphanage, especially since cold weather is gradually approaching.

Wednesday, the 5th of September. Mrs. N. visited me to tell me something about the state of her soul and to ask for advice. Her conversation and prayer truly strengthened my heart and caused me a new and very special awakening. She knows how to extol the mercy of God in Christ, which she has received for her conversion and continues to receive anew every day; and her heart and mouth are full of God’s praise. She bears in her heart all Christendom, especially our benefactors and benefactresses and also the condition of our congregation and orphanage; and in her conversations and prayers she wishes nothing more than for all people to be helped and brought to feel the dear mercy of Christ. She also prays diligently for those who have helped us to come to this place as ministers and to be maintained without any hardship to the congregation. The blessing of the ministry is very dear to her. Her children are very dear to her heart; and in her prayers she struggles right earnestly for their salvation. Not long ago it occurred to her with great clarity and to her unutterable joy that God would certainly have mercy on her children and bring them to salvation. She lives her entire Christianity in constant struggle and praise of God. She is a true jewel in the congregation.⁵

I had the men of the congregation in my room to discuss with them several things, which concern chiefly their cattle and some arrangements.

Those people who are brought into this colony as indentured servants behave very badly for the most part and cause all sorts of disorder when they have the chance. Some time ago we accepted a man and his family at our place purely out of compassion, and they have all been well provided for; yet their hypocrisy and laziness are becoming more and more apparent. Of these same German people we took someone into the orphanage at his fervent request but he has now become a burden to the manager and his wife.⁶ May the Lord let this and that person be impressed by the beautiful example of Ruth and Naomi, whom we are now treating in chapter 2. They were both quiet in their great poverty, content with the guidance of God, and not a burden on their wealthy friends; but they trusted in Elschadai that He would let His hour of help come and would let them find mercy and favor in someone’s eyes when it was useful for them. Ruth, as a new proselyte, was tested as to whether her departure from her country was done solely for the sake of God and her salvation; and she stood the test and thus gave a beautiful example of love and respect for her in-laws and of sincere humility and diligence, nor was she ashamed of the lowly task of gleaning. For this she was deemed worthy of divine providence and guidance, so that it is written of them: “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”

Thursday, the 6th of September. This morning I walked to Old Ebenezer for the exercise and at the same time visited four sick men of the German indentured servants, to whom I gave God’s counsel for their salvation according to the nature of their circumstances; and the well ones listened too. Like many others, these men hope for salvation for the mere reason that they are baptized Christians, pray with their mouths, and are, in their minds, sorry for their sins; and therefore we must show them publicly and privately that God demands of those who wish to be saved not only the name of Christian, the use of the means of salvation, and civil righteousness, but a true change of mind, in which I was well served, among other things, by the two verses in Matthew 7, “Not everyone who saith,” etc. and Hebrews 3:12-13, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be,” etc., compared with Ezechiel 36, “A new heart also will I give you,” etc., and likewise, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” etc.

Friday, the 7th of September. I unexpectedly came upon the biography of the late minister’s wife, Mrs. Majer in Halle, which I do not think I am reading only by chance but rather I believe that our dear Lord has been keeping the edification in it for me and my family for this particular period, in which we need it because of our domestic situation. This afternoon I read a bit from this edifying biography to the people who had assembled for private edification; I intend to continue with it at our next gathering, and I promise the Lord’s blessing from it for me and others. What simply edifies me in private, is doubly edifying when I use it again in a sermon or at a gathering. This can be attributed to the promise of the Lord Jesus, who says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I (the God of blessing, from whom power emanates) in the midst of them.” The dear Pastor Majer is often in my mind with the last conversation I had with him upon receiving my vocation; and for all his sincere affection and love I wish him thousandfold blessings from the Lord for the conduct of his office and the management of his house. I consider it an especial benefaction that he let me preach in his affiliated church at the time he went away for a few weeks; for our marvelous God mercifully wished to prepare me then for my present station.

Saturday, the 8th of September. We have had rainy weather for several days and hope that the Lord, who holdeth all things in His hand, will give us dry weather again in His time, since we need it greatly for this harvest. We have had a great deal of rain all summer, because of which the grass has, to be sure, remained green and continued to grow; but it is said to have become sour and very harmful for the cattle, for which reason several large calves have died. Also, a Salzburger found that a young cow he had slaughtered had the dropsy. The wet summer would not have hurt the beans on dry soil if they had not been devoured by the deer. Those people who wish to save their beans must watch them at night and scare away the game with shooting and shouting.

I inspected this and that in the orphanage and found everything in good order. The dear Lord is giving Kalcher and his wife grace to get along loyally and thriftily with the blessing that He has granted for maintaining His work; and they know how to make everything useful for their economy. The food is, to be sure, simple and common fare, but so well and purely prepared that no one could ask for anything better; and for this Mrs. Kalcher has a beautiful talent. They both are most careful not to let the least thing spoil so that it would be thrown away, or not to use everything faithfully; they observe the established order in every detail and earnestly pray the Lord for mercy and prudence in the execution of their task, wherein they find honest assistance and support in Mrs. N., that woman who knows how to pray so strongly and believingly.⁷ And though they fully merit anything used for their own welfare and sustenance by their unremitting, faithful, and industrious work, they consider themselves quite unworthy of any benefits that they may enjoy in the orphanage and thank the dear Lord from their heart that He has let them come to this house and provided for them in His fatherly fashion both in their spirits and their bodies. I wish I were in a position to recompense them somewhat for all their honesty and faithfulness, but the Lord can be trusted to do this in His time.

Sunday, the 9th of September. In the evening a young Salzburger called on me and told me, to my great pleasure, about the magnalia Dei⁸ that he has experienced today and at other times. In his conversion, God opened his eyes; and he cannot marvel enough at his former blindness and lack of understanding, which he himself could not believe. Even though it is still bitter for him in his daily struggle, God is nevertheless granting him much refreshment and comfort so that the word of God, which he hears on Sundays and workdays, is becoming ever sweeter and dearer. He pities his relatives who are still in Germany; for he rightfully assumes that they will be satisfied with the external appearance of Christianity and thus lose their salvation. He told me of several serious obstacles lying in the way of him and others in Germany so that he could not achieve any true change of heart, and this made no little impression on me.

May God give His servants and children wisdom to act correctly with the Salzburgers, in whom He has done great things by powerfully and miraculously saving them from Babel, so that their emigration will not consist in external matters but rather that they will all be delivered like little lambs into the loving arms of the Lord Jesus. May He be praised in that (as is written in today’s gospel) He has separated us from the people and has already begun His work in many; He shall also carry it to a glorious conclusion. This reminded me of the beautiful words of Hosea 2, “I will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.” The song Mein Schöpffer bilde mich, etc. was very impressive and comforting for me during today’s sermon while I was treating our reformation through Christ; and therefore I also recommended it to the listeners in the repetition hour.

A Reformed woman from Old Ebenezer requested for herself and her husband an Arndt’s True Christianity, which I had recently recommended to them as a very useful book when I visited them. These are the people whom Sanftleben recommended to Court Chaplain Ziegenhagen and whose redemption from the Lord Trustees’ service he requested. They depend upon external honesty and consider themselves better than other people. I recently tried to demonstrate to them their perdition and the inadequacy of civil righteousness and of a virtuous and quiet life and consequently of the inevitable necessity of a true conversion, all of which they will find even more clearly and thoroughly in the book I have given them, provided they read it without prejudice, as they have promised.

Monday, the 10th of September. Yesterday I received written permission from Savannah to fetch a yoke of oxen for the use of the orphanage for some time. This permission I had requested because necessity demanded it. They were brought here today and will be used tomorrow for bringing in the timber for construction, at which time two young oxen will be trained in drayage for the orphanage. That is a new blessing for the orphanage, for it would be very difficult for us to haul up the heavy lumber for building the barn, since there is only one horse in the community.

In today’s evening prayer meeting we repeated the sermon from yesterday morning, because the time was too short for it yesterday. Through the grace of God we are attentive to lay, for ourselves and for those who hear us, a firm foundation in the recognition of the deep perdition of human nature and to show the way a man can be saved from it and be renewed in the image of God and finally be brought back to the salvation he forfeited; this was the chief content of yesterday’s sermon. As long as man is blind in the recognition of himself, so long he will refuse to humble himself before God and have no real yearning for the Physician Christ and His dear medication.

Tuesday, the 11th of September. The community’s cattle have increased well in the past few years, since various Salzburgers have bought an occasional head with the money they have earned here. Because the pasturage is now becoming too scarce and the herdsmen are not proving truly loyal, the men decided today in my room to drive those cows into the woods that are not giving milk and will be of no immediate use, and then to seek them at a convenient time and bring them back. They will all be well marked with a brand and a cut in the ear and also on the horns⁹ so that we can distinguish them from the Trustees’ cattle and whatever else roams around in the forest. This practice is, to be sure, subject to many difficulties and to the danger of losing a few head; but, for the previously mentioned reasons, we know of no other solution.

Because the Lord Trustees have several hundred head in Old Ebenezer, our pasturage is very restricted; and Mr. Oglethorpe gives no permission to drive the cattle across Ebenezer Creek, because the land is supposed to belong to the Indians, even though the Englishmen in Old Ebenezer let their horses and draft-oxen graze across the creek. If the cattle that have been driven off are to be found again in the spring, or whenever it is necessary, we will need horses, for which, however, there is no money on hand. I hope to find some man in Carolina who is willing to give the people perhaps a half year’s credit for some horses. Meanwhile the dear Lord will grant a physical blessing. It would have been good for the cattle’s pasture if a village commons had been surveyed for the town, but the Lord Trustees’ plan did not allow for that. The still unoccupied plantations must serve the present colonists as pasture; and, when the land is fully occupied, everyone will have to graze his cattle on his own land, for which purpose forty-eight acres (since two acres are for the garden by the town) are rather small, to say nothing of the fact that there are no pastures or grassy areas at all in many places.

I came into a hut where the husband had just informed his wife that they had suffered the loss of a young cow, which had lost its calf and afterwards its milk, because it had run away from the herd. Although these people are very poor and the loss is consequently very great for them, their spirits remained composed, and they applied their loss to their greater faith. They complained about their hearts, which were revealing themselves as wicked and treacherous in their tribulations, and they lament to God in all simplicity. The wife asked about the song she had heard sung yesterday in the private gathering, which had impressed her and whose beginning she did not know. It was, Wie Gott mich führt, so will ich gehen, etc. I read it to her and her husband to their great refreshment and edification.

Wednesday, the 12th of September. I was told that two people had gotten into an angry altercation about some external matter, from which strife and discord had arisen. When I visited them today, I found them both sick. I mentioned the discord that had recently occurred between them and admonished them to penitence. They both lack a true recognition of their innate misery; so, when they speak of sins, they understand only external outbursts and, when they are not particularly aware of these, they consider themselves to be pious. However, if they misbehave coarsely, as previously mentioned, they call it an overhasty and human weakness, for which one must ask God’s pardon. One of the two has more recognition than the other and is more easily convinced, whereas the other is ignorant and has fancied her faith and comfort in Christ’s merits so firmly that she will live and die therein. In addition to being blind and ignorant, she is also lazy, does not come regularly to church, and will not visit us in our homes so that we can instruct her.

I spoke to another person, who is just as blind as she, and persists therein despite all the efforts we apply, in order to see whether I could reach her heart with the word of God. However, she began as usual to talk partly of external matters and partly of her diligent prayer, also of the great tribulations she had suffered all her life. I interrupted her, however, and cited the verse, “It is appointed that man will die, and after that the judgment”; I told her that she had more reason than other people to think diligently of both points: she could not avoid either of them; and, since she had to stand in judgment after death, she should reflect whether she would stand the test and be able to hear the joyful voice: “Come ye blessed of my Father.” Answer: “I pray diligently; and, because the Lord Jesus died for all men, He will take me as a poor sinner into heaven.” I then asked whether Jesus had not died for all men and all sinners and whether she thought that everyone would be saved. Answer: “Not all, because they do not believe.” She, however, did believe, and therefore she would be saved, for it is written, “He that believeth”; and, besides, she prayed diligently. I showed her that no one is saved through prayer, as she thinks, but rather we are directed to be brave and to pray, N.B., so that we may become worthy or come to a state of grace that pleases the Lord.

I asked her further whether she had not read that the devils also believe and thus tremble, as impudent Christians, who are frivolous and full of self-imagined comfort, do not even do. There are, accordingly, two kinds of faith, namely an historical, and at the same time self-made faith, which is found in all unconverted people who are Christian in name only, and also a true faith which God infuses into a penitent and contrite heart and which purifies the heart and makes pious and holy those who receive it. Since she made fun of saints and the holy life (and used improper words about them before my very ears), whereas faith makes sinners and Godless men into saints and pious people, as it was the purpose of the passion and death of the Lord Jesus that we might not only be saved in time and eternity but be reborn sanctified and in the image of God (John 17:17); and furthermore, as I said, since she knew nothing of all that, but did know about many outbursts of sin and about her frivolity, she should not hold it against me if I had to tell her from God’s word and my own recognition that her faith, which she imagined, was nothing but unbelief and that, if she remained in this condition, she would come to no good.

When she became disturbed by this, I asked her (1) whether she believed that I, as minister of this congregation, understood the way to heaven through Holy Scripture as well as she and others, (2) whether I meant well with her and their souls and would like to lead them to heaven, (3) whether I could not test the condition of my parishioners better than they themselves, etc. When she did not doubt this, I asked her to believe what I had told her from God’s word about her dangerous condition. Because of her prejudices and strong belief in her long-continued faith, I said, she could not believe that she had no faith and was consequently in an accursed condition; and therefore, among other prayers, she should begin to pray zealously as follows: “Dear God, my minister has told me that my faith is a conceit and unbelief and I cannot be saved in this condition. I do not yet recognize myself to be that way. I may well be blind in my self-recognition and in my recognition of the way to salvation. Oh, have mercy upon me so that I shall not deceive myself!” She promised to do this.

A Salzburger woman told me that the word of God in a sermon had so penetrated her heart that she could not stop weeping. The above-mentioned N. had been standing next to her outside of church and asked her why she was weeping, assuming she must be ill. When she answered that she had good grounds to weep, because she heard from God’s word that our Lord had suffered so greatly to redeem us and that she was still so wicked, frivolous, and ungrateful, the other woman thereupon said, “I won’t bother to cry about that. Our Lord has a broad back and can bear much,” and these dreadful and frivolous words caused her even more distress and sighs, whereupon she remembered the verse, “Then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts,” etc. May God have mercy on the miserable woman! After our exchange she called my attention to what had occurred recently between her and my dear colleague and confessed that it had vexed her greatly when he recited especially for her, and applied to her, the verse, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked.” Thereupon I reminded her earnestly of her rude and disgraceful behavior toward him and admonished her to recognition and penitent remorse for this grave sin, too, and also recited this verse for her again, “Obey your ministers,” etc. “and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

Thursday, the 13th of September. In yesterday’s evening prayer meeting we learned that, as indicated by time and circumstances, Boas had entertained his workers during and after the winnowing of the crops he had harvested, and had given them a feast of joy and thanksgiving. However, this feast has degenerated in Christendom, especially among the rural population, into great abuse and disorder, as is known to me especially in my native land of Lower Lusatia. Of the pious Boas, it is written that, when he had eaten and drunk, his heart was (according to the Hebrew) good and merry, and (as the Jews themselves interpret it) he, as housefather, praised the Lord his God for this good land and rich harvest as an example and encouragement for the others;¹⁰ and we applied this and other things to our circumstances during this harvest season, as we have received many good housekeeping and harvest rules from this good book. The manager of the orphanage was still in my room after the prayer meeting and requested me to praise the Lord with him and the people of the orphanage in a special ceremony after they have brought in the crops which the Lord has granted the orphanage, and to awaken ourselves to a truly grateful and God-pleasing use of those gifts; and this shall be done with God’s help.

The oxen we borrowed from Old Ebenezer to help in hauling wood are being sent back today because they are too old and incapable of pulling, although they are trained. In this country, people undertake many things wrongly, and the people who are employed by the Lord Trustees in their business seek nothing but their monthly wages and their regular provisions. Therefore the desired purpose is achieved in few things. The yokes and whatever else pertain to drayage are so clumsy that the oxen suffer great harm and are hindered in their work. One of our carpenters is making us a yoke like those used in the Salzburg area, which the oxen carry not on their necks but on their horns. We hope to accomplish more in one day with our young oxen, which are very tame, than in several days with theirs; and with theirs you have to use a horse in front of them because they are trained not to take a step or to pull anything without a horse.

Friday, the 14th of September. A woman called on me and accused herself greatly because of her lack of faith in her Christianity. She complained of herself and the sloth and wickedness of her heart, but also of her sorrow and heartbreak because of her family, who are so little concerned with their Christianity. Her husband is often powerfully moved, and she sees that he prays and acts as if he wishes to be saved; but, as soon as he leaves his prayers, he becomes vexed and angry over any little thing, and that is a sign that his prayer has helped him but little. I read something to her and my family from Arndt’s True Christianity and prayed with her.

Another man thanked me, in the presence of other people, for the little book or sermon by the late Professor Francke, which had been given to him. It is called Concerning the True Essence of Christianity (Trinity Sunday, John 3).¹¹ It showed him the way to heaven, he said, and did him much good; so he respects it highly. He complained that he and his family lack a zealous and serious prayer, otherwise things would go better for them. I told him where many people go wrong in their prayers: (1) They do not seek a silent place and do not turn inward, but are either too busy with other people or lost in distractions. (2) Their prayer is not truly penetrating and forceful, and it is generally looked upon as a part of the divine service one must perform, or else one would not be a Christian, whereas it should be used as a means to receive the grace of God from the abundance of Christ. Most people who pray do not truly recognize their lack and do not hunger for the means of salvation. (3) Even if they have prayed earnestly and their hearts have been warmed by it, they do not remain right before the Lord like David; and in doing their business they do not wait for the gift they have prayed for but distract their senses again and do not reflect that prayer must be connected to vigil. He who prays earnestly will find some obstacle in his path that wishes to rob him of the strength and blessing of his prayer. But if they remained right still before God, then they would remember their requests and afterwards run up quickly and thank God for it. That is the way, I said, that He will show us His salvation.

Saturday, the 15th of September. I kindly showed N. that she had no recognition of herself and of her lack and of the danger to her soul, which are more easily recognized in her by others who have begun to tread the narrow path to heaven than by herself. Therefore she should, I said, gladly accept and learn to believe what others tell her about her salvation. It costs more to be saved than people usually imagine; and therefore it shall come to pass that (as the Savior Himself assures us in Matthew 7 and Luke 13) many will be deceived on that day of judgment and find themselves at a very unblessed place, as we can see in the example of the rich man whose eyes were opened only too late.¹² If anyone had told him during his life that he was on the broad way and would be lost, he would have taken it badly in his blindness, just as people, and also she, are doing. She had no grounds (I added) to be disquieted because she did not have such heavy work now as in N.N., for it will soon come. God is now giving her time to care all the better for her soul. And, since she is lacking greatly in recognition, I offered myself to instruct her if only she wished to come to me (however, she has no desire for this, or to learn to read, although she had begun to learn to read in N.).

I warned her against acquaintanceship with wicked people, instead I advised her to become acquainted with honest women who will tell her what the Lord has done for their souls in this wilderness and how He has brought them to recognition of their previous blindness, disbelief, etc. These women thank God sincerely for bringing them here; and this is the way it will gradually go with her too, finally, if she will only accept good advice and become another person through the grace of God. Because she will not come to me herself, I shall visit her often and undertake something with her for the salvation of her soul. She is very ignorant and needs instruction. Because of her fever she has come to church and prayer meeting only occasionally so far. To be sure, she is pleased with our divine service, but not with this place and this strange country, because she cannot be with as many people as she was accustomed to since childhood. She does not wish to continue learning to read, which she began in N.

We are finishing the fourth and last chapter of the book of Ruth; and I thank God on my part for all the dear truths that He, in His great mercy, has let me recognize in contemplating this story. God has so gloriously blessed the sermons in some of those with whom I have had a chance to speak recently that I hope we will again find a joyful fruit from it in blessed eternity. This evening during the last part of this story several verses became very clear and living for us, such as “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory,” etc. Before this it is written, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways,” etc., which verses were excellently illustrated by the example of Ruth, likewise Psalms 113:5-9. With what expressions our dear David must actually have looked upon his dear great-grandmother! This cannot be other than comforting for bowed souls who have been humbled under God’s hand. Concerning Boas we heard that he was not only a wealthy man but also kindhearted with his wealth (chapter 3:7); and therefore he applied his temporal wealth to the good of widows, orphans, and miserable people and does not belong among the rich of whom the Lord says, “How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven,” etc.

Ruth, although a Moabite and a stranger to the people of Israel, achieved the honor of being an ancestress of the Lord Jesus; and Christ says in Matthew 12, “Whosoever doeth the will of my Father in heaven, he is my mother,” etc., to which is added the verse, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself (like Ruth) and take up his cross every day (like Ruth) and follow me” (as Ruth did too, chapter 2:12). In this order one will become a servant and even a mother, brother, and sister of the Lord Jesus. Oh, great honor! It can be clearly recognized that the behavior of present-day Christians at weddings, baptisms, and other public gatherings differs greatly from that which is described in this chapter; and we admonished them of what is most important in this matter.

Sunday, the 16th of September. Last week during my visits to the people in the congregation I noticed that some of them, both men and women, persist in their obstinate ignorance, which stems from their carelessness and laziness, since we give them opportunity enough to reach a recognition of the truth. There are people of both sexes in the congregation who have advanced not only in the literal but also in the spiritually salutary recognition of the truths of the law and of the gospel. Today’s gospel, Luke 10:23 ff., gave me an opportunity to direct my sermon to this¹³ frame of mind in some of my parishioners, which is so odious to me. The exordium was from 2 Timothy 3:7 (cf. verse 15). Because the hearts of such frivolous people are filled partly with desires and partly with theoretical and practical errors, none of the divine and salutary truths can enter in or stick to them.

The sermon itself treated of the recognition of truth for godliness, (1) that the divine truth and recognition of it are a great and dear blessing of God, and (2) that they must be applied for a practice of godliness. During the sermon I had to pour forth my sorrow at the people’s willful ignorance; and I did this again during the repetition hour, revealing not only its causes but also its danger and pointing out means to escape from it. I also had to indicate that I was planning to examine the people about the basic truths of Christianity and would not allow the willfully ignorant to take Holy Communion. For the clarification and confirmation of my sermon during the repetition hour I was served excellently by the beautiful example of Henning Kusen, who was at first ignorant but was later taught by God. I read this example as far as time would allow, after having briefly repeated the chief themes of the sermon. May our gracious Lord grant His blessing to our imperfect efforts! Because good examples make strong impressions on the spirit and reveal not only the necessity but also the possibility of an active Christianity, I referred in the repetition hour to the beautiful conduct of some Salzburgers in Prussia,¹⁴ some of whom have learned to read in their old age and have come to a beautiful recognition.

Monday, the 17th of September. This morning I found several men at a very necessary communal task, which I had, to be sure, recommended at the end of last week but had not expected them to accomplish so quickly. Because there is so much to do now during the harvest season, I look upon this willingness as a fruit of the word of God that was preached yesterday; and I thank God for it in my heart, just as we once saw in the example of the prophetess Deborah (Judges 5:2).

N. received one of the best plantations by lot; and people have hoped from the beginning that he would share it with someone who lacked good land, since he could not use so much good land anyway. Therefore he is voluntarily sharing with N.; and he considers it more of a blessing than an obligation to divide his plantation. In exchange he is receiving half of N.’s plantation near the city, which, to be sure, has no good land but all the more good timber. N. had not wished to take up farming, and therefore he selected a plantation that lay nearby and had a quantity of timber for himself and his profession. However, when he saw that most of the congregation are supplied with good land along Abercorn Creek, he developed a desire for some too; and I am pleased that he has been able to be provided for in a good manner. I and my dear colleague still have no plantations, otherwise ours would have been at his disposal. No one suits this neighborhood better than N.; for he is always compliant, never gets angry, and has courage to resist public wickedness and impudence. He called on me yesterday; and I must admit, to the praise of God, that I received much edification from him. He is earnestly seeking the salvation of his soul.

In our private gathering we had a right hearty refreshment together from the extremely beautiful song Herr Jesu Christ mein Fleisch und Blut, which was first read aloud to our hearts and then sung; and by it we were again reminded of the virtues and righteousness of the pious Ruth. In both parts of our hymnal there is such a treasure of old and new hymns that it can only be regretted that they are so little known among Christians. Therefore it might be wished that people would become familiar with them for their own and other people’s edification and apply them to the proper purpose before they make up new hymns, through which the old strength-giving hymns fall into oblivion for those people who like novelty and change. It has pleased the dear Lord to afflict me for the last half year with a soreness in my mouth and throat that hinders me in singing, although not in speaking. Consequently, our singing practice has been interrupted. If the dear Lord who liveth among the praise of Israel should strengthen me, I should give our listeners continued opportunity to further this lovely and edifying undertaking.

After the prayer a woman remained with me and told me with tears that God had again let her hear many edifying things yesterday that had penetrated to her heart and that she was greatly worried because she could not yet apply to herself the treasures that Christ had merited and offered in the gospels to the faithful. She is still thoroughly worthless, she said; she must begin all over if she is ever to know how she can come to an understanding of the mercy of God and the forgiveness of sins. Last week she had spoken about Christianity with a pious man who had told her it was easier to deny the whole world than one’s self. This drove her, as soon as she reached home, to pray to God to give her recognition of herself so that she would not deceive herself: perhaps her lack of self-denial was the reason she could not come to any strength and experience in her Christianity. She noticed that she had previously regretted her sins only out of fear of hell and not out of sincere love for God and had let herself thus be deterred from doing evil. That was, she said, impure. Yesterday in church during the reading of the second chapter of the prophet Daniel, she had heard that, in answer to his prayer, God revealed to Daniel the things hidden in King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart that had appeared to him at night in a dream: I should now ask God on her behalf to reveal to me the reason she cannot break through¹⁵ and achieve the taste of God’s grace.

This woman is honest at heart and has great poverty of spirit; and, because she loaded a great mass of sins on her conscience in her youth and has also inclined greatly toward frivolity, pride, etc., the Lord is leading her on ways that are hard on the flesh in order to lead her all the better to a recognition of her corruption. However, at His own time, He does not leave her without comfort and hope of grace, which, nevertheless, disappear again to her humiliation and further deep brooding. I made a distinction between having God’s grace and feeling it, and I showed her that such divine guidance as she was experiencing is salutary and necessary. However, it behooves her not to be so embarrassed before the Lord Jesus, who looks out for lowly and miserable people, and not to consider the grace of God, which she experiences from time to time, to be slight or herself to be incapable of it. I asked her what she thought of some other women with whom she consorts and prays; and, when I learned that she recognized a great measure of grace in them, whereas they felt themselves, in their great humility and lowliness, to be the greatest sinners, I showed her that where grace is, there are humility and poverty of spirit too and that, as long as a man continues on this path full of hunger and thirst, he is going surely, straight, and well, etc.

Tuesday, the 18th of September. For a rather long time the Lackner woman has had a series of attacks of quotidian fever and has been greatly weakened by them. She has proved herself in this sickness as a Christian should; and today I received much edification from her behavior and words. She herself recognizes that God means well with her in these external sufferings and that she has had no loss but only gain for her soul from them. Now she is worried (but surely without need) that, if her sickness should last longer and her strength decrease and her pains increase, she might become impatient and thus sin against God. However, the honest Mrs. Gruber (in whose hut she is lying sick and in whom she has a true spiritual and physical fostermother) comforted her in this with a verse, “But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted,” etc. I directed her to James 1:17. This very Mrs. Gruber and her husband often tell her that, soon after our arrival in this country, it pleased God to test them like others and pour out manifold physical woe for us, but that He had so blessed it in their souls that they still thank Him for it. They now understand from experience the verse, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous,” etc.

In this connection I told her again of the paths of trial and humiliation on which God led Ruth soon after her arrival in the land of Israel, which paths, however, had finally led to such a splendid and blessed end. I also repeated what we had heard in yesterday’s prayer meeting about the godly Hannah in 1 Samuel 1, who had both inner and outer pain, dragged herself around with it for a while, had nothing but disquiet as a reward, and finally, at her husband’s urging, reflected about it and went with her problem to the right door, poured out her trouble-laden heart before God, and found relief and, finally, the complete hearing of her prayer. Therefore, according to this example, the following admonition is salutary: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee,” etc., likewise, “And call upon me in the day of trouble,” etc. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,” etc.

I also visited Elisabeth Wassermann, who is married to Pletter. I noticed that the dear Lord is working on her powerfully through her long-lasting sickness. Her husband is honest and encourages her sincerely from God’s word. He is very zealous in hearing God’s word and feels its worth abundantly. He says that not a prayer meeting passes without his gaining something from it for his heart. In the presence of a single woman another man praised our dear Lord for the good opportunity He gives him in the prayer meeting to learn to understand His word better. He looks forward to the stories in the first part of the book of Samuel in a right childish way and wishes that he and others could be right grateful to the dear Lord for them.

Wednesday, the 19th of September. Before dawn today Mrs. Schneider, whose child was baptized yesterday, died unexpectedly. She has had fever up to now and got it again yesterday evening, but after the heat was gone she changed suddenly, lost understanding and speech, and lay that way until this morning. With the approval of the doctor, the child, who is also very weak, was given to Mrs. Landfelder to bring up.

For a long time Eischberger has had a withered arm; and, since none of the medicines he used internally and externally would help, someone has lent him a strap of human skin, which he has tied around his very thin arm, and he has already noted a marked improvement because of it. Previously we have considered such a cure as superstition, and I shall see how it eventually turns out. He also has holes on his chest and shoulders, which are now healing better than formerly. He has borne his cross so far with patience and has always believed that the hour of help, which is ordained by God, will finally come; and it is his resolution never to forget what the Lord has done for him.

I found N.N. at home alone and asked about his wife’s Christianity, of which he could not approve. He said that she does, indeed, recognize herself as sinful and worthless; but she uses no seriousness to become better. He could not persuade her to ask him about God’s word or about the sermon, even though he wished so very much to edify himself simply with her. He wishes to send her to me in the lesson that is to be scheduled for the ignorant and negligent. I also admonished N. and his wife to visit this lesson; and, because the man is irregular in visiting the prayer hour and both of them are in discord in their marriage, I told them from yesterday’s prayer hour that Elkana had gone with his family from his city as far as Silo and attended divine services diligently and had tried to control the discord and disunity in his family through good means, particularly by bringing peace offerings. He himself was no quarreler and blusterer but knew how to bear Hannah’s weakness with patience and love.

N. accused herself bitterly because of her sloth and said that God was working on her husband powerfully in His mercy, as she had noticed in him several times. However, because he was not keeping vigil, he soon loses his reawakening and good resolutions again. She could not persuade him to visit the prayer meetings in my house with her. He claims that the people who know that he is not yet righteous would think that he is not sincere and that it is merely hypocrisy.

Thursday, the 20th of September. This morning I again visited N. in order to give her a friendly invitation to visit the instruction in my house. She was sick and lying in bed. I asked her whether she had carried out what I had recently told her from God’s word for her salvation, and she affirmed it. In order to remind her of what I had recently said and to confirm her in it even more, I read her the 8th chapter from book I of Arndt’s True Christianity, in which is clearly and thoroughly shown that there can be no comfort from Christ’s merits in an impenitent life, but rather that all who wish to have a share in Christ must convert themselves and hate and renounce sin, by which the order of salvation is demonstrated beautifully. Several points, which are especially necessary for her to note, I read out with short additions and explanations. She approved of all this, thanked me for my efforts, and promised to reflect further; and she also had me mark down the chapter.

I had scheduled the hour from one to two for giving instruction to the parishioners for the literal and spiritual recognition of the truth; and it gave me much pleasure that they overfilled my room, were very eager, and answered simply, freely, and sincerely to the questions I posed. At the beginning of the hour I had a part of the catechism recited several times so that they could gradually grasp it verbally or retain it better. However, I actually laid the so-called interrogatory parts at the end of the catechism as a basis for the catechization, because I intend to prepare the ignorant parishioners for Holy Communion. Yet the questions give me very beautiful material for instructing them in various important articles of the Christian religion: e.g., in the first question we cover the article of the state of innocence and the image of God, and after de lapsu & peccato;¹⁶ likewise in question 2 concerning the law and how we should use it, in question 3 concerning penitence, etc., and in the following one concerning God and especially concerning Christ our Savior. Even though some necessary articles in our interrogatory part are not mentioned at all, the connection that the articles of faith have with one another leads me to the point that I hope, with divine assistance, to acquaint my listeners with the most necessary articles of Christian dogma. May God be pleased by this mean effort on behalf of Christ and bless it!

Friday, the 21st of September. The weather is still dry and therefore convenient for bringing in the crops, and this encourages us to praise the Lord. The rice is becoming ever riper; and, whereas in previous years it was damaged and devoured by a great multitude of little birds, we have been left in peace in this regard. On the other hand, the deer have been all the more harmful to the beans at night. They hardly turn any more when we shout and sound our clappers, and we do not accomplish much at night by shooting between the cornstalks. We are also lacking powder. Now, since our loving God has given our Salzburgers enough bread and foodstuffs this year, He will know how to provide for their clothes too, of which some of them have a right great need. Today, during our communal prayer in my room, a pious man mentioned in particular those blessings that should long since have been dispatched and at sea. May God keep everything from harm and give us joy by their early arrival. We need some winter clothing for our orphans and other workers in the orphanage but have postponed buying them until we receive a blessing from the Lord, who clothes the flowers in the field and gives each animal his hide, hair, and wool as a cover, but who has granted us men His Son and, with Him, has promised to bestow all things.

Saturday, the 22nd of September. Kalcher has been very busy this week with some helpers in hauling up the lumber for the barn, and two oxen have been trained for drayage. To be sure, it cost a great deal of effort and trouble; but, because many men from the congregation have voluntarily lent their hands and strength, everything has proceeded without harm; and the oxen, especially one of them, have not been able to balk or shake off the yoke. In putting on the yoke our people have a very good method, which is bearable for the oxen and which I have never seen before and is not customary in this country. When several join together with counsel and deed, everything is made easier and the purpose is achieved all the sooner. May God grant whatever is required for this construction! His rivers have an abundance of water, well for us if we trust in it and persevere!

This morning my dear colleague travelled to Savannah to preach the word of God to the people there, and for this we wish him divine aid and blessing.

At three o’clock in the afternoon we had the pleasure of seeing General Oglethorpe at our place. He came down the river in a trading boat with his retinue and remained for a few hours in my house, which again pleased him very much. He was delighted with our arrangements and with the industry of the Salzburgers; and, because he has received letters that the Lord Trustees are inclined to accept more Salzburgers and other persecuted Protestants, arrangements will be made to lodge them here according to their needs. The Lord Trustees no longer plan to maintain a storehouse and therefore he is pleased that our people have such a rich harvest and will gradually have oxen and hogs for slaughtering. He left six muskets and some powder and lead here; because a number of Negroes or Moorish slaves in Carolina have taken up arms, plundered and burned many houses, and slain the people, it is feared that they may cross the Savannah River into this colony.¹⁷ Since we have no midwives and I could recommend a German woman in Savannah, he will send her up in Mr. Gronau’s boat for the service of the congregation; I consider this a very great benefaction.¹⁸

Mr. Oglethorpe told me with what great honor and joy he had been received by the Indian nations and how peace had been instituted between some of them who had long been waging war against each other. The remote nations had sent deputies to him to renew their friendship with the English and to help them in every way in case the land they received from the Indians should be disputed.¹⁹ He does not believe (as rumor now has it) that the Spaniards will try to accomplish anything against this colony; for they have more to fear from us than we from them, unless the Lord has ordained some misfortune for us. He departed from us at five o’clock and assured us of his continued affection. May God accompany him!

Sunday, the 23rd of September. N.’s wife, whom he brought from N.,²⁰ is now coming to a better recognition of the truth and is striving, with God’s grace, to become what she has not yet been, namely a true Christian, and today she used some very fine expressions about this.

This afternoon I briefly repeated the morning’s sermon on the faith of the Samaritan as a model for us; and afterwards I catechized concerning the keys to the kingdom, which follow in order in the catechism. Now that Holy Communion is again approaching, we are occupied with some disobedient and impenitent persons, who have once again heard the evangelical dogma in regard to church discipline; and at the same time they were shown that it is more of a blessing than a punishment if we do not allow them to go to Holy Communion in their impenitent condition, but rather work in advance for their improvement with love and seriousness. And, since the keys to the kingdom, the spiritual power to forgive or retain sins, has been granted by Christ to the entire church, then the congregation should not leave everything up to the ministers but should do their best not only to refuse to participate in the conduct of disorderly people, but also to help work on them. On the other hand, it is a great mistake if impenitent people not only harden themselves against evangelical church discipline and become angry but also seek refuge in other parishioners and become strengthened in their wickedness and disobedience, which merely makes it more difficult for the servants of the church to perform their office.

Tuesday, the 25th of September. Yesterday evening, just as the prayer meeting was to be held, the dear Lord brought me back to Ebenezer. We were ready to depart from Savannah on Sunday evening; but, when I heard from Colonel Stephens that his maid was to be given to us as midwife, I postponed the journey until yesterday morning. However, she could not leave because she was tending a woman in a hard and long-lasting labor. My dear colleague travelled to Savannah last night in order to discuss various matters with Mr. Oglethorpe, who will not remain there for long; and we hope he will bring her back, if the Lord has destined her for us. Colonel Stephens has great need of her as a maid in his house, yet he is gladly giving her to us because Mr. Oglethorpe has asked him to and because he can thereby show us his kindness and affection. From this we can see how the dear Lord is still inclining the hearts of the authorities to us so that they are zealous on such occasions to show us their affection. May the Lord repay them for this! This time, using the Gospel of St. Luke 17:11 ff., I preached to the Germans in Savannah on “The Lord Jesus as the free and open well-spring against sin and impurity.” All of them, even the greatest sinners, were invited to be made right beautiful and glorious, if only they would let themselves be brought into divine order.

In the afternoon I preached on the so glorious and comforting dogma of holy baptism; and I asked them to convert themselves with the prodigal son and to renew their baptismal covenant so that they would again be so blessed as when they were lifted from their baptism, and thus they would be able to gain much for themselves from holy baptism. The Lord be praised for all His aid, and may He bless everything for the sake of His kindness!

Wednesday, the 26th of September. This morning a person was in my house because of some external business, and at her departure I read her something from page 17 of the Treasure Chest.²¹ When I visited someone in her house this afternoon, I had to recite the last words for her a couple of times so she could note them well and also recite them to her husband. She had wished to do it at noon, but she had not been able to remember the words during her work. They are: “If all together turn against me, Thou art my salvation. Who will damn me? Love hath accepted me.” She was full of joy and also said these words: “They are dwelling on earth and living in heaven,” also, “They are tasting of peace despite all confusion.” Even though she cannot read, she takes note of such special expressions. She remembered her former legalistic condition, when she had always wished to feel an emotion; for, as long as she felt that she was happy; but, if she could not feel it anymore, then everything seemed over. My dear colleague had called on her, she said, and had encouraged her; and she had felt good during his encouragement, but afterwards she had lost everything. When she acted very frightened because of it, a Christian man had asked her about the cause of such anxious behavior; and, when he heard this, he said she should just be comforted; when things get very bad, then the time of help is not far, as he himself had experienced.

During the period of her legalistic condition²² she had always thought, whenever the sermon in church did not go to her heart so that she had to weep because of it, then it was nothing and she had gained nothing from the preaching of the divine word. She had been in such a condition for a long time; but now she was, to put it briefly, in a condition of rest, as her expression was. She had not yet told anyone about it because she was afraid she might lose it again. She cannot praise the dear Lord enough for bringing her into this land and not somewhere else. She is looking forward with pleasure to Holy Communion, which will be held soon; and she could not marvel enough at the precious food and drink that the Lord Jesus would bestow on her. Her desire was that the Lord Jesus might prepare her properly for them. She said other things, but not everything can be written down.

Thursday, the 27th of September. This afternoon I returned from Savannah, and we have reason to thank the Lord for again giving His blessing to this trip. This time I was able to talk with Mr. Oglethorpe in more detail and to present the congregation’s circumstances orally and in writing better than at other times. He will now earnestly see to it that the Lord Trustees pay the merchant in St. Gall²³ for the linen that was sent to the storehouse. In the spring he promised the people of Savannah to reward them for their industry in the field with two shillings per bushel of corn and beans; but (as he said this time) he did not wish to extend this beyond Savannah. However, when he learned that the community would be satisfied with one shilling per bushel, he allowed himself to be persuaded to grant us such a benefaction too.²⁴ Previously there was the condition that all the corn and beans that our people could spare had to be delivered to the storehouse, and then they would be paid the reward for their industry in addition to the going price that year; but now the people can keep their corn and can sell it how and where they wish, and they will still receive one shilling sterling for all the corn and beans they harvest. God be thanked for this!

Pichler asked through me whether he might utilize the land that he had obtained in Carolina, not far from us, through his marriage; but Mr. Oglethorpe would rather let him move away than to consent to this, because it would be prejudicial for our community.²⁵ It might also be a matter of consequence, so it is probably good that the judgment went that way. Among the benefactions that the Lord is now showing to my family and the congregation through Mr. Oglethorpe, I rightfully count the widow whom he has given to me as a maid and to the community as a midwife. The last time he was here and happened to hear something about my helpmeet’s dangerous circumstances and to learn that we were not provided in our village with a midwife or any other woman experienced in these matters, he offered to take care of the matter in earnest. Because I could suggest an honest German woman, who had long yearned for Ebenezer, he promised to send her here, which he has now done with the consent of her recent master. Our Father in heaven knoweth what His children need.

My previous maid,²⁶ who has been very loyal (something that is very rare in this country), is going to marry a Salzburger. Her righteous and very industrious father, who was a servant in my home, died here a short time ago. The servant Bischof, who was sent from London five years ago for my service, will receive his freedom after the present harvest and, with Mr. Oglethorpe’s approval, he will begin his own household.²⁷ We two are now often sick and could not do without help; and now the Lord has ordained for us to receive so useful and skillful a person in our house.

Mr. Oglethorpe showed me a letter written in French, which Mr. N. had written to him on behalf of the Salzburgers. It was dated in April of this year. Its contents were very pleasing for Mr. Oglethorpe, since he holds Mr. N. in great esteem; and recently at dinner at our place he used very fine words before his travelling companions about his important office and his praiseworthy efforts to extend the kingdom of Christ. Praise be to the Lord, who still grants to this His dear servant wisdom and strength to take care of us and the congregation before God and man!

A warship has arrived and explained why Captain Thomson’s long-expected ship has remained away for so long. The reason is that the King of England is going to declare war on the King of Spain, before which it should be announced to all his Majesty’s subjects in America so that they can arm themselves, take precautions, and take revenge at sea, which they have not been able to do yet after suffering so many losses. In order that the planned declaration of war might not be made known to the Spaniards by merchant vessels before it is known to the English, an embargo, or general prohibition against going to sea, has been placed on all ships ready to sail until the warship that has been dispatched has arrived in the American colonies. The Lord Trustees are said to have made the effort to obtain a license from the King for Captain Thomson, and therefore he is expected any day.²⁸

Friday, the 28th of September. My dear colleague travelled to Old Ebenezer today to speak with a woman who had let her husband register her with me for Holy Communion. She is expecting to give birth shortly and therefore wishes, as she expressed it, to reconcile herself with God in Holy Communion beforehand. I showed her that she would have to prepare herself first through a true conversion if she wished to partake of Holy Communion to her profit rather than to her harm. So far, she has not been at all regular at our divine services, for which she gives excuses. In Savannah we got to know her and her family as very wicked and godless people.

A man brought the news that the Negroes or Moorish slaves are not yet pacified but are roaming around in gangs in the Carolina forests and that ten of them had come as far as the border of this country just two days ago. In answer to the request of the inhabitants of Savannah to use Moorish slaves for their work, the Lord Trustees have given the simple negative answer that they will never permit a single Black to come into the country, for which they have sufficient grounds that aim at happiness of the subjects. Mr. Oglethorpe told us here that the misfortune with the Negro rebellion had begun on the day of the Lord, which these slaves must desecrate with work and in other ways at the desire, command, and compulsion of their masters and that we could recognize a jus talionis in it.²⁹ I, however, ponder the fact that the mill in Old Ebenezer was also ruined by a flood on Sunday and that the work that was done then through necessity by the servants did no good.

Saturday, the 29th of September. N.’s wife was hesitant to go to Holy Communion because she has not learned the catechism completely with questions and answers. To be sure, she does not have its exact words in her memory, but she has its content in her heart. God has let her recognize the entire order of salvation from earlier sermons, and she can find herself in them; and therefore I could not let her remain behind because of the above-mentioned reason, even though we usually insist upon the learning and repeating of the catechism. I also gave her the advice, since she herself cannot read, to let her husband or her little girl read to her every day, and then she will gradually grasp it better, which is necessary and useful. She requested an ABC book and will try to see whether she can still learn to read. Grown people who have delayed and have a poor memory are advised to learn only those words in the first five main parts of the catechism that are taken from the Bible. When they have finished with them, they can acquaint themselves with the explanation of each of the main parts and of the twenty questions for those who wish to go to Holy Communion.

During this week I was prevented by my trip and by bodily weakness from continuing with the catechism lessons and from speaking diligently with the people who wish to go to Holy Communion. Those who still lack recognition and proper preparation I advised to wait until next time, and they have agreed. In Savannah we have not been able to hold Holy Communion with the German people there for a long time because they have shown no real improvement. As often as we go there we hear people complain not only that most of them are disloyal to their masters but also very disunited among themselves. They quarrel, fight, and make themselves unworthy of this feast.

Sunday, the 30th of September. Last week my dear colleague had to hold the prayer meeting and the preparation for Holy Communion, and today he had to preach for me, because I was prevented from it by a certain painful eruption on my body. With God’s help I was able to speak again during the prayer meeting with our dear listeners, who had again gathered in a large number. Today there were forty at the Lord’s Table, and I hope that all of them came here as penitent and grace-hungry sinners and were refreshed by Christ.