"Early in the morning, before sunrise, I went to the Hutberg, to observe the exhalation of vapours. I repeated this the next morning, the weather being on both occasions uncommonly fine. The observations I made satisfied me that water might be procured. I now took courage; there was not a person near me; I knelt down and most fervently prayed to God for help. I represented to him the misery of the poor exiles, and their eagerness to obtain an asylum; and besought him, that the good hand of the Lord might be upon me, and prevent me doing any thing displeasing to Him. I added, 'On this spot I will, in thy name, build for them the first house.'

"I now brought the emigrants to the place, and informed them of my design: but it did not by any means accord with their wishes. The same day I took Mr. Marche to see the place, pointing out to him, how, in time, a regular square might be laid out and inclosed, in the middle of which a well might be dug, &c. This pleased him, and both he and Christian David, who was present, began to prophecy about the place. Mr. Marche chose a spot for the erection of an orphan-house,* where the emigrants would be his nearest neighbours."

The place chosen for building was on the declivity of the Hutberg, on the high-road from Loebau to Zittau. It was then a dreary wilderness, covered with forest-trees and bushes, and the ground a complete swamp, with not a human habitation in the neighbourhood. The objection of Augustin Neisser's wife, therefore, was well founded, who exclaimed: "Whence shall we get bread in this desert?" But she was silenced by Mr. Marche, who in a tone of firm confidence replied: "If thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God." Christian David, full of faith and courage, striking his axe into a tree, repeated the words of the Psalmist: "Here, the sparrow has found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God." Ps. lxxxiv. 3.

* On a ride, which Mr. Marche took with count Zinzendorf in 1717, they passed by this place. Being engaged in a conversation about the excellent orphan-house founded by the celebrated Mr. Franke, în Halle, Mr. Marche said to the count; "on this spot your Lordship may erect a similar institution, when you are put in possession of the estate."

On the 17th of June, 1722, the first tree was felled for the building of the first house of the new settlement. Amidst great poverty and many difficulties, and exposed to the taunts of travellers, the Moravian emigrants continued their work in faith and hope, and by the end of October had so far finished their building that it could be inhabited. Mr. Heitz, who all along had cherished the opinion, that the undertaking was a divine work, determined that it should be solemnly dedicated to God. A day being appointed for this, he read the 21st chapter of the Revelation of St. John, and delivered a discourse, in which he considered the glory of the city (the new Jerusalem,) and the holiness and happiness of its inhabitants, applying the subject to the erection of the new settlement, deducing several inferences for doctrine, exhortation and comfort. He concluded his address with fervent prayer, that Jehovah would erect his tabernacle, and dwell in that place, and shower down upon its inhabitants the blessings promised to his Church. Christian David added another earnest prayer. All present were greatly affected, and the solemnity was concluded with the singing of a hymn. The name of HERRNHUT was given to the new settlement by Mr. Heitz, before the first house was erected, in a communication he made to count Zinzendorf, wherein he says: "We have called this place HERRNHUT, to remind us, on the one hand, that the Lord is our protector and keeper,‡ and on the other, that it is our duty to stand in the watch-tower and keep ward."||

* On the spot where this tree stood a stone monument has since been erected, perpetuating the event.

This hymn may be found in the Hymn-book, published at Halle, Part I. page 852, and begins thus: Jerusalem du Gottesstadt. It was well suited to the occasion, reminding those present of the ruin of the ancient Brethren's Church, and inspiring them with hopes of its revival.

Psal. cxxi. 4.

|| Isai. xxi. 8. In the above extract there is an allusion to the meaning of the name Herrnhut, which has a double signification, and may be translated, either the object of the Lord's protection, or, the watch of the Lord, the place where his servants stand waiting to receive, and ready to execute his commands. To this twofold meaning of the word, Christian David alludes in the following passage: "This place shall be called the WATCH OF THE LORD, (die Hut des Herrn), and you,

While the builders of Herrnhut rejoiced in what the Lord had done for them, and confidently anticipated future and greater blessings; their neighbours derided the undertaking, and scornfully remarked, that though the house had been finished, it could not stand. "They became more lavish of their taunts," says Mr. Heitz, "when I began digging the well. Having employed two labourers for fourteen days without any success, there being as yet no sign of water, I found it difficult to prevail on them to continue the work. At length they consented, on my promise that if they did not succeed in two or three days, I would give them other employment. After this, on the second day, appearances were favourable, and the next day there was a plentiful supply of water."

A successful beginning was thus made with the building of Herrnhut. Count Zinzendorf, who was then at Ebersdorf, received the first intelligence of it through the Rev. Mr. Rothe, who transmitted to him a letter from the three Moravian emigrants, Christian David, Augustin Neisser and Jacob Neisser, in which they commend themselves to his favor and patronage. Returning towards the end of the year to his estate in Upper Lusatia, the count, in travelling through the wood, observed the new built house. Being informed that it was inhabited by the Moravian exiles, he alighted from his carriage, went in and welcomed them with much cordiality. Having knelt down and with much fervour implored the blessing of God, he encouraged them confidently to rely on the grace and faithfulness of the Lord.

On a review of the circumstances now related, it is impossible not to discern the hand of God in the whole undertaking. It was truly a work purely of faith, to lay the foundation of a new colony in a place, which then appeared far more likely to become the haunt of a gang of thieves, than the residence of a Christian society. But God gave them courage and strengthened their feeble faith, having wise purposes in view by di

who dwell here, must watch day and night, and see to it, that the work of grace, here begun,, be uninterruptedly continued. May God grant that this place may exist no longer than while the work of God's grace remains the principal object of its inhabitants.

recting their separation from the inhabitants of the village. Of his design it was indeed impossible for them to form any distinct idea, yet that their minds were more or less impressed with a belief, that God would in some way or other signally display his power and grace in and by them, is evident from facts already related, and to these may be added one or two more.

While the house was building, baron von Gersdorf, a relation of count Zinzendorf, paid a visit to Mr. Heitz, who, accompanied by Mr. Marche, conducted the baron to the buildingground. Having seated themselves on some of the timber, Christian David pointed out the streets, with their houses, which, in process of time, might and would be laid out. This appeared so exceedingly improbable, that the baron observed, God must act in a very wonderful manner indeed, if it were ever realized. Yet he confessed that his incredulity was considerably shaken, by the tone of firm confidence, in which Mr. Marche insisted on his opinion, that God would certainly display his glory in this place. Not less singular was the opinion delivered by the Rev. Mr. Schaeffer of Goerlitz, in a sermon preached on August 22d, 1722, at Bertholsdorf, by occasion of the induction of the Rev. Mr. Rothe as minister of that parish. With great emphasis he delivered the following sentence: "God will place a light on these hills, which will illumine the whole land; of this I am assured by living faith.”

Whatever may be thought of these circumstances, it is hardly probable, that either the Moravian exiles, or their friends, could have proceeded with so much alacrity and courage in an undertaking attended with almost insurmountable difficulties, if they had not been supported by an inward conviction that it was right in the sight of the Lord. And no Christian viewing the whole transaction in connection with its consequences, can refuse gratefully to acknowledge, that the work was of God. He overruled the whole proceeding even in its minuter details, of which the pious reader will find many proofs in the subsequent part of this history. One fact is self-evident. Had the builders of Herrnhut consulted only their temporal advantage, they would never have chosen the situation for the new settlement in a place, which was perhaps the most forbidding in

the whole neighbourhood. Yet this very isolated situation of the settlement, afforded facilities to the Brethren for reviving and organizing their Church, which under the existing civil and ecclesiastical constitution of Germany, they could not have enjoyed, had they settled within the precincts of Bertholsdorf, or any other town.

SECTION II.

Biographical Notices of COUNT ZINZENDORF, BARON VON WATTEVILLE, the REV. MR. ROTHE, and others, who were mainly instrumental in renewing the Brethren's Church.

BEFORE We continue the narrative of Herrnhut and its first inhabitants, it seems proper to give the reader some information of the principal agents, whom God employed as instruments for developing and advancing his designs with the renewed Church of the Brethren.

Among these, count ZINZENDORF, for many reasons, deserves to be first mentioned. He was descended from a very ancient noble family, which as early as the eleventh century ranked among the barons of Germany, and in 1662, was raised to the rank and title of count of the holy Roman empire, having very considerable possessions in Austria and other parts of Germany. At the time of the Reformation the family embraced Protestantism, and became its zealous promoters; and four Protestant congregations were collected and provided with ministers on their estates. While the Protestants enjoyed religious liberty, several members of the family held high offices, both civil and military, under the house of Austria. After the abolition of religious liberty, the grandfather of our count, Maximilian Erasmus, left Austria, with the loss of all his possessions in that country, retired into Franconia, and settled on an estate near Nurnberg. His two sons went into Saxony, and filled several high offices under the Electoral government.

The elder of these sons, George Louis, prime minister of Saxony, was the father of our count. He was a man of considerable talents and sincere piety, and a warm friend and patron of all who were engaged in advancing the interests of true