DAVID ZEISBERGER.
REV. JOHN GREENFIELD.
Memorial delivered Sunday, Nov. 15,
1908, in Nazareth, Pa.
"That ye be not slothful, but
followers of them who through
faith and patience inherit the
promises."- Hebrews 6:12.
Our congregation celebrates today a
threefold festival.
We commemorate, first of all, "the
powerful experience" made
by our Fathers, November 13, 1741,
"that Jesus Christ is the
Chief Shepherd and Head of the
Church." We celebrate, in
the second place, our annual
congregation festival, for it was
on November 13, 1756, that "the
consecration of the Chapel in
Nazareth Hall" took place, it being
apparently the first house of
worship which was built and set apart
for this exclusive pur-
pose. We observe furthermore today the
David Zeisberger Cen-
tennial, for it was on November 17, 1808, that this
"Moravian
Apostle to the Indians" died at
Goshen, Ohio, after a service of
sixty-three years.
The town in which we live was founded in
the year 1740
by eleven Moravian immigrants, under the
leadership of Bishop
Peter Boehler. One of the eleven, and
perhaps the youngest
of the party, was the man whose
triumphant death a century
ago we today commemorate. David
Zeisberger, in 1740, then a
youth of nineteen, was one of the
Moravian woodsmen and car-
penters sent to Nazareth by the great
English evangelist, George
Whitefield, to build here a school for
negro children. These
early Moravians, in more than one sense,
builded better than
they knew. That structure which they
began in 1740 still stands
and bears the name of its illustrious
founder, being known as
the "Whitefield House."
David Zeisberger, whose happy departure
we today "call
to mind with joy," and who was one
of the first founders of this
town and congregation, is also the best
practical illustration of
one to whom Christ has become Chief
Shepherd, Head and
Elder. Let us briefly consider I. His
Decisive Conversion; II.
His Evangelistic Zeal; III. His
Triumphant Death.
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Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
I. HIS DECISIVE CONVERSION.
David Zeisberger's conversion stands out
as clearly and
strongly as does that of John Wesley. in
January, 1743, a lit-
tle company stood on the deck of the
"James," ready to leave for
Europe. It was a group of Moravian
Brethren, most of whom
had come to take leave of their beloved
leader, Count Zinzen-
dorf. Belonging to this company was a
young man, twenty-
two years of age, who had been appointed
to return with the
Count to Germany. He stood alone and
looked mournfully
upon the land of his choice. "Cast
off the cable!" commanded
Captain Garrison. At that moment Bishop
Nitschmann, who
had been the last to take leave of Count
Zinzendorf, passed by,
and, observing the young man's dejected
looks, stopped short.
"David," said he, "do you
not return to Europe willingly?"
"No, indeed!" was Zeisberger's
reply. "I would much
rather remain in America."
"For what reason?"
"I long to be truly converted to
God and to serve Him in
this country."
This declaration deserves our careful
consideration. David
Zeisberger was a "born
Moravian" both nationally and denomi-
nationally. His birthplace was
Zauchtenthal in Moravia, where
he first saw the light of day on Good
Friday, April II, 1721.
His parents belonged to the Ancient
Church of the Bohemian
and Moravian Brethren. They were
evidently most godly peo-
ple, for in July, 1726, they left their
large earthly possessions,
forsaking all for Christ's sake, and
sought a refuge in the new
settlement in Saxony called Herrnhut.
And yet, born Moravian
that Zeisberger was, and brought up in a
pious home, he him-
self apparently remained unchanged by
the Divine grace and
Spirit. Heredity was not sufficient. Not
that he despised his
birthright; far from it! He prized his
privileges and oppor-
tunities. With the great Scotch preacher
and poet, Horatius
Bonar, he would have said:
"I thank Thee for a holy ancestry;
I bless Thee for a godly parentage;
For seeds of truth and light and purity,
Sown in this heart from childhood's
earliest age."
David Zeisberger. 191
Another circumstance to be noted is
this: David Zeisberger
passed through the great revival of 1727
and the following years
in Herrnhut. Ten years he spent in that
place of which John
Wesley wrote: "God has given me at
length the desire of my
heart. I am with a church whose
conversation is in heaven, in
whom is the mind that was in Christ, and
who so walk as He
walked." In this congregation David
Zeisberger lived during
the most impressionable years of a
person's life, from five to
fifteen, and yet without being
"converted to God." He
listened
to the strong Scriptural preaching of
the Moravian carpenter,
Christian David; he heard the joyful
testimonies of that "little
preacher of righteousness,"
Susannah Kuehnel; he witnessed
the remarkable prayer-meetings of the
children when they spent
hours in supplication and praise; yet,
though deeply impressed
by all he saw and heard, there was in
his case no definite de-
cision, no absolute surrender. He still
was not "converted to
God."
Let us learn from this that neither heredity
nor environment
can save a soul. Zeisberger's
opportunities were certainly of
the best. Pious Moravian parentage,
godly Moravian training
and education were all enjoyed by him,
and not without much
profit. It is a matter of record that he
was the "brightest Latin
scholar of his class, a diligent student
who showed a natural
facility for acquiring languages."
Moreover, he lived a morally
pure and clean life. He was a truthful,
honest and industrious
lad. The first year spent in America,
1739, he acted as a trav-
eling companion and assistant of Peter
Boehler, that masterful
preacher and soul-winner, just arrived
from England, where he
had been the means in the hand of God
for the conversion of
hundreds, among them being John and
Charles Wesley. With
him David Zeisberger spent upwards of a
year and yet was not
"converted to God." In later
years when speaking of this period
of his life he said: "At that time
my heart was not yet con-
verted to God, but I longed to enjoy His
grace and that fully."
On board the vessel, therefore, Bishop
Nitschmann advised the
young man to leave the ship and return
to Bethlehem. Zeis-
berger did not wait to be told a second
time. He returned to
Bethlehem in a state of deep spiritual
concern and of longing
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Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
for the assurance of the pardon of his
sins. A Brother by the
name of Buettner, four years his senior,
acted the part of An-
drew and Philip in bringing the young
man to Jesus. "Some
days thereafter, during the singing, by
a company of young men
in the Single Brethren's House at
Bethlehem, of a familiar hymn
of praise to Jesus, the Saviour of
sinners, a great light came
into his soul, and Zeisberger
realized the joy of thorough con-
version in the assurance that the
Saviour had taken all his sins
away."
This great change was such a distinct
and unique experi-
ence in his life that Zeisberger might
truly with few variations
have adopted John Wesley's words, who
described his own con-
version at a little Moravian meeting in
London as follows:
"About a quarter before nine, while
he was describing the change
which God works in the heart through
faith in Christ, I felt my
heart strangely warmed. I felt I did
trust in Christ, Christ
alone, for salvation; and an
assurance was given me, that He
had taken away my sins, even mine, and
saved me from the law
of sin and death."
II. HIS EVANGELISTIC ZEAL.
David Zeisberger at once became an
evangelist. The old
martyr-spirit of the Ancient Bohemian and
Moravian Church
was both in name and in fact the
"witness-spirit" of the Re-
newed Brethren's Church. Zeisberger put
at once into practice
what another young Moravian in Europe
was doing at the same
time, viz., John Cennick, who testified:
"Then will I tell to sinners round
What a dear Savior I have found,
I'll point to the atoning Blood
And say: Behold the way to God!"
Zeisberger, like his Master, practiced
both personal and
public evangelism. In John's Gospel,
chapter 4, we are told
how Jesus dealt with one poor sinner in
such a way as to lead
her to repentance and faith. This might
be called personal
evangelism. It led into a larger field.
This woman became
such a witness, that Christ was invited
to spend several days
David Zeisberger. 193
in her town, and to conduct there a
public evangelistic campaign
resulting in the conversion of hundreds.
Some one has called
it "The Revival at Sychar."
Following in the footsteps of the
Savior, young Zeisberger
felt his heart drawn out in pity towards
the lowest and poorest
of mankind. He began to speak to some
Indians near Bethlehem
and Nazareth of "Jesus and His
love." Proceeding further
through the wilds of Pennsylvania he
preached to the Indians in
the Mohawk Valley of New York. When he
and a brother-
missionary were arrested as spies and
asked by Governor Clinton
at Albany, N. Y., as to their designs,
they made this truly
Moravian and Scriptural reply: "We
hope to get liberty to
preach among the Indians the Gospel of
our Crucified Savior,
and to declare to them what we have
personally experienced of
His grace in our own hearts." This
became the supreme pas-
sion of his life-"to declare to the
Indians what he had per-
sonally experienced of Christ's grace in
his own heart." In
order to do this, he mastered their
languages and dialects, tran-
lated the Holy Scriptures. Litanies and
Sacred Songs, prepared
school-books, grammars, dictionaries,
etc., and spent sixty-three
years of his life amongst his brown
brethren, often in pathless
forests, frequently exposed to
privations, hardships and death,
all with one object in view, viz.,
"to declare to them what he had
personally experienced of Christ's grace
in his own heart." He
became a plodding student, a thorough
scholar, a famous lin-
guist, a noted writer, an accomplished
administrator, in order
that he might be a successful
evangelist. Frequent revivals ac-
companied his faithful testimony.
The famous picture of Zeisberger preaching
to the Indians
well illustrates the supernatural power
of the Gospel which he
preached "with the Holy Ghost sent
down from heaven" At
one time when laboring in Central
Pennsylvania Zeisberger
wrote:
"For several months a great revival
has been prevailing
among the Indians who visit us. All who
attend our services
are deeply impressed and listen as
though they never had enough
of the message of the Savior. Often
while I am preaching the
power of the gospel message makes them
tremble with emotion
Vol. XVIII-13.
194
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
and shake with fear, until they almost
lose consciousness and
seem about to faint. This shows with
what violence the powers
of evil within them oppose the work of
the Cross. As a rule
when such a paroxysm is over they weep
in silence."
Special methods and meetings were found
to be necessary
in dealing with those under conviction
of sin. Zeisberger's
biographer tells us; "A revival
broke out at the new mission,
named Friedenstadt, in Western
Pennsylvania. In the house
of Abraham, the Helper, inquiry meetings
were held every even-
ing, sometimes lasting until midnight.
Even the children were
impressed and talked of Jesus." St.
Paul's maxim or rule of
methods had evidently been adopted by David
Zeisberger: "By
all means save some." Like Alleine he was "insatiably greedy
after souls." With David Brainerd
he could say: "I had no
notion of joy from this world; I care,
not where or how I live,
or what hardships I went through, so
that I could but gain
souls for Christ."
Brainerd finished his course with joy
after five years' service;
Zeisberger toiled in the vineyard
sixty-three years. A biographer
thus describes one of his many journeys:
"For two days, amid
drenching rain, in the pathless forests
and swamps of the Broad
Mountain, in what is now Monroe County,
these two mes-
sengers of Jesus crept for miles on
hands and feet, beneath and
between laurel bushes whose tangled
mazes made walking im-
possible. Their only guide was a pocket
compass. After two
days they struck the trail to Wyoming.
Although thoroughly
exhausted by the toil of their journey,
Zeisberger at once began
to preach the gospel. The Indians
flocked from every side to
hear his blessed message. Next morning,
after a short night's
rest, the work was resumed, and for
three days he preached
Christ with great power. Tears rolled
down the cheeks of his
hearers and their whole frames were
convulsed with emotion."
"He is wise that winneth
souls," said Israel's royal sage,
and David Zeisberger was indeed a wise
soul-winner, for, like
John Wesley, he organized the newly
converted into societies
and drew up rules and regulations for
their guidance. One of
two articles of their "brotherly
agreement" may well be heeded
in thesetimes:
David Zeisberger. 195
"We will rest from work on the
Lord's day and attend
public service."
"We will have nothing to do with
thieves, murderers,
whoremongers, adulterers or drunkards.
We will not take part
in dances, sacrifices, heathenish
festivals or games."
"We will not admit rum or any other
intoxicating liquor
into our towns. If strangers or traders
shall bring intoxicating
liquors, our Helpers shall take it from
them and not restore
it until the owners are ready to leave
the place."
No wonder in view of all this that one
of Zeisberger's ad-
mirers exclaims: "Rich fruitage of
the veteran missionary's life
labor! Happy indeed amid all the
countless trials and poignant
sorrows that clouded his career, in the
triumph of the Savior's
grace over the powers of darkness, in
the salvation of hundreds
and thousands of precious souls!"
III. HIS TRIUMPHANT DEATH.
A century ago this valiant soldier of
the Cross stood face
to face with "the last enemy."
In spirit let us gather around
that death-bed. The historian tells us:
"Zeisberger lay calm,
without pain and perfectly conscious.
The converts sang hymns,
treating of Jesus, the Prince of Life,
of death swallowed up in
victory, and of Jerusalem, the Church
above. He occasionally
responded by signs expressive of his joy
and peace. Amid such
strains, at half past three o'clock in
the afternoon, he breathed
his last, without a struggle, and went
to God. All present im-
mediately fell on their knees."
"Oh may I triumph so,
When all my warfare's past;
And dying find my latest foe
Under my feet at last!"
What now was the secret of Zeisberger's
peace in death, of
his victory over the mighty conqueror?
What-was the ground
of his serene confidence? Did he rest on
his own achievements?
He might with reason have been tempted
to do so. What a
career could he look back upon! Measured
by length of service,
by absolute consecration to Christ, by
self-denial and self-sacrifice
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Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
for the sake of the gospel, no name
stands higher in the history
of Christian Missions than that of David
Zeisberger. With the
Apostle Paul he might have said: "Are they ministers of
Christ?
(I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more
abundant, in prisons more frequent, in
deaths oft. In journey-
ings often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils
by mine own countrymen, in perils by the
heathen, in perils in
the wilderness. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings
often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings
often, in cold and naked-
ness." II Cor. II:23-27. Yet all
these toils, trials and suffer-
ings, so cheerfully borne for Christ's
sake during nearly seven
decades, did not form Zeisberger's
ground of confidence in the
hour of death.
Was it then perhaps his seemingly
perfect character? To
us at this distance as well as to his
contemporaries David Zeis-
berger appears well-nigh faultless. His
famous companion in
labors, John Heckewelder, said of him:
"He was endowed with
a good understanding and a sound
judgment; a friend and
benefactor of mankind, and justly
beloved by all who knew
him, with perhaps the exception of those
who were enemies of
the Gospel which he preached."
"Experience invariably proved
the correctness of his judgment.
Receiving, as it were, a glimpse
of the future, through the deep thoughts
and silent prayers in
which he engaged, he stood up, on most
occasions, full of con-
fidence and knew no fear." "He
would never consent to have
his name put down on a salary-list or
become a 'hireling,' as he
termed it; saying that although a salary
might be both agree-
able and proper for some missionaries,
yet in his case it would
be the contrary."
The language used by the noted Unitarian
preacher, Theo-
dore Parker, in his eulogy of the famous
missionary, Adoniram
Judson, might with equal truth be
applied to David Zeisberger:
"If the Foreign Missionary
enterprise had accomplished nothing
more than to produce such a character it
had been well worth
all its costs and sacrifices."
But Zeisberger's hope for eternity was
built on a better and
stronger foundation than that of his
wonderful character. A
few days before his death he gave his
last testimony, and the
David Zeisberger. 197
words form the, sum and substance of his
creed and experiences:
"As my weakness is continually
increasing and my appetite gone,
I believe that the Saviour intends to
take me to Himself. Ly-
ing here, often sleepless, on my bed, I
have employed the time
in reviewing my whole past life, and I
find so many faults,
and so much cause for forgiveness, that
nothing remains to me
but His grace. Nevertheless I know that
I am His. I trust
in the efficiency of His atoning blood,
which makes one clean
from all sin. The Saviour is mine. The
Saviour's merits are
mine. Some Christians die rejoicing,
with joy unspeakable and
full of glory. This is not my case. I
leave the world as a poor
sinner. My spirit God will receive. I am
certain of that. This
mortal, with all its sinfulness, I leave
behind."
And thus the greatest of Moravian
missionaries passed into
the presence of the King and entered the
joy of his Lord. The
Christian Church does well to observe
the Centennial of his
death. We, of this place, would
affectionately call to mind the
heroic youth who helped to found our
town and congregation.
Often has he trod this ground on errands
of mercy for his
Master. How times have changed! The very
soil which his
weary feet frequently pressed has become
a source of untold
material wealth. Where nestled some of
his mission-stations
huge cement plants are now located. But
his name and fame
are far more imperishable even than the
products of those great
industries. The wild mountain regions of
Pennsylvania which
he so willingly traversed on foot for
many years, searching out
and shepherding his brown brethren, for
whom Christ died, have
yielded up incalculable treasures of
coal, iron and oil, and made
some of his fellow mortals
multi-millionaires and "kings of
finance;" but none of them can for
a moment compare with him
who coveted only "souls for his
hire and as seals of his ministry."
The Territory of Ohio, in which he
achieved some of his
mightiest missionary triumphs, has
become a great State, and
the so-called "mother of
presidents;" but the fame of none of
them will equal his who a century ago
left her clime for the
Paradise of God, who having "turned
many to righteousness
shall shine as the stars for ever and
ever."
Let us not, however, spend our lives and
waste our breath
198 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
in mere idle admiration, but let us
follow him even as he followed
Christ. Be it ours to seek and find that
"full assurance" of our
pardon in the "precious
blood;" be it ours to bear witness "to
sinners round" of what "we
have personally experienced of
God's grace in our own hearts;" be
it ours to turn our backs
upon the world with its treasures and
pleasures, "to seek and
to save the lost;" in order that
there may be said of us what
was so truthfully affirmed of David
Zeisberger in the text of his
funeral sermon a century ago: "They
overcame by the blood
of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony, and they loved
not their lives even unto death." (Rev. 12:11.)
"Soldier of Christ, Well done!
Thy glorious warfare's past!
The battle's fought, the victory won,
And thou art crowned at last!"