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the study of theology. At the request of his friends, he left the university in 1719, to travel. In 1721, he was at Dresden filling an appointment of government. But neither the fascinations of foreign travel, nor of courtly favor could divest his mind of the impressions of his youth. In the year 1722, he purchased the manor of Bertholdsdorf; and soon after the coming of the Fulneck emigrants, having married the countess of Reuss, a woman "like minded," and in all respects suited to be a help-meet for him, he began to spend much of his time on his country estate.

Up to this period, he was a zealous Lutheran, and while showing all kindness to his Herrnhut protégés, with his own minister Rothe, he strove to have them adopt his sentiments and his Church. The effort failed and he himself, "on minute inquiry into their 'ancient history and distinguishing tenets, became himself a convert to their faith and discipline," and by the large influence he so long and ably exercised with and for them, entitled himself to the true fame of being, in historical strictness, the founder of the Moravian Brotherhood.

It is not designed further to follow this individual thread except as blended in that wondrous Moravian woof, which the weird sisters of Time henceforth began to weave in the loom of events, yet ere it is let fall entirely, perhaps it is fitting to gather up a few of the many chronological thrums all along frayed out of the web of that eventful life.

"I have but one passion," said Zinzendorf, "it is the love of Him; nothing but Him." This passion thus avowed, in the morning of his espousals by the beloved, was henceforth "fire shut up in his bones." On the 12th of May, 1727, after delivering to the dwellers at Herrnhut, an "appropriate and powerful discourse," he

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read a set of regulations mainly prepared by himself, yet known and obeyed by the Brethren, as 'Statutes of the Congregation." In 1734, under an assumed name, he was examined and licensed as a minister of the gospel, by the faculty of the University of Tubingen; in 1736, as a praying, preaching, innovating noble, he was banished from the country. The following year he was duly elected and consecrated Bishop of the Brethren's Church; while ostracised by government, he visited the Brethren's mission stations in the West Indies and among the North American Indians; everywhere teaching and preaching and enduring without a murmur incredible privations and perils. The decree of banishment was rescinded in 1747; but whether at home or abroad, he was ever about his Master's business; to further that, in connection with his beloved Brethren, he never spared himself or his fortune. His daily correspondence was prodigious, yet he found time to write over one hundred volumes of books. The collection of hymns he composed for the Brethren's use, is still found in all their churches. Some of his hymns, even when divested of their original aroma, by a translation—which is not always a transference-continue to be reproduced in our best collections of Psalmody: for example,

and

Jesus I know hath died for me:

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness

But this life of ceaseless toil and activities, at length fretted over much, and finally "loosed the silver chord." On the 9th of May, in the year 1760, at Herrnhut, worn and weary, but at his post with armor on, the brave old soldier of Christ heard the recall trumpet of the great Captain, with the touching exclamation, "Now rest will be sweet," and laid him down and slept.

And when they took up his body to lay it away in

The Garden, there followed as mourners from the forests of the new world-from far off tropic isles

From Greenland's icy mountains,
From India's coral strand,

From Afric's sunny fountains,

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Brethren who had borne there, or there first heard, the glad tidings, through his instrumentality. We commit," said one of them, "this grain of wheat to the earth, not without tears, but it will yield its fruit in due time, and He will joyfully gather in his harvest with thanksgiving and praise. Let all who desire this say Amen," and the volleyed response of four thousand hearts over that open grave, was more like the Resurrection welcome, than an In Memoriam lamentation over beloved dust.

On some future occasion we may recur to the Consesequents of these Antecedents, as developed in the missions of the Moravians.

ARTICLE IV.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1858.

THE sixty-fourth General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church was held in the Second Church, in Chicago, Illinois, beginning on the 20th of May and continuing nearly two weeks, the adjournment taking place on Wednesday, the 2d of June.

The Assembly was opened with an interesting discourse by the Rev. SAMUEL W. FISHER, D.D., the Moderator of the last Assembly, from Acts 9:31. The facts in our recent history were touched upon, and suitable instruction drawn from them.

The Rev. DR. THOMPSON, of Buffalo, N. Y., was chosen Moderator, and the Rev. G. F. WISWELL, of Wilmington, Delaware, and the Rev. C. E. LINDSLEY, of New Rochelle, N. Y., clerks.

One hundred and ninety-nine commissioners were present, including one hundred and eight ministers and ninety-one ruling elders, together with four delegates from corresponding bodies.

NEW SYNOD.

In accordance with a report from the Committee on Bills and Overtures, the Presbyteries of Minnesota, Blue Earth, and Dacotah, were formed into a new Synod, to be called the SYNOD OF MINNESOTA. This action was made conditional upon that of the Presbytery of Dacotah, which is not now in connection with our Church.

STATE OF RELIGION.

Much prominence was naturally given to the narratives of the state of religion. So interesting has been

the revival throughout our whole borders, that it was proposed and acceded to that the roll should be called, and each commissioner give an account of the state of religion in his Presbytery during the year. This was proceeded with until about forty Presbyteries were called. It was then ascertained that so exceedingly interesting was this subject that more time would be taken up by it than could possibly be spared. The personal narratives were accordingly suspended, and the written ones handed to the committee. The narrative of the committee, presented by Rev. GEORGE C. LUCAS, D.D., is exceedingly cheering. A very large number of our churches have shared in this work of grace, and between nine and ten thousand persons have already, as appears by the statistical table, been added to our churches on profession of their faith.

JUDICIAL CASES.

This Assembly has been in one respect an exception to all others since the division of our Church. A large part of its time was taken up with two judicial cases.

The first was that of the Rev. J. H. Shields. Mrs. Maria C. Cowles, it appears, was married to a man in Massachusetts, and had five children. Her husband, it was alleged, became intemperate and treated his wife badly. Mrs. Cowles accordingly, as is alleged, left him and her children, and came to the State of Iowa, where she has not been provided for by her husband. After residing there sixteen months, she obtained a divorce from her husband, and subsequently was married to Mr. Shields, a minister in good standing in our Church, and who had sustained a good character. It is proper to state that the facts in relation to Mrs. Cowles' history, in Massachusetts, were not so established by testimony as it was desirable that they should have been.

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