i LI BIiARY O F C MKESS. i 
 \ — * 
 
 ^UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.* 
 
 * 
 
PASTOR LOUIS HARMS. 
 
dfotetgn jg|wt0ft I 
 Pastor LOUIS HARMS, 
 
 CHUECH AT HERMANSBURG. 
 
 REV. E. GREENWALD, D.D., 
 
 Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Easton, Pa. 
 
 08 . 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 LUTHEKAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
 
 42 NORTH NINTH STREET. 
 
 1807. 
 
35 Vz Si-o 
 
 •«7 
 
 This volume is electrotyped through the liberality of the 
 children of the Sunday School of Christ's Church, Easton, 
 Pa., Rev. E. Greenwald, D. D., Pastor, and thereby per- 
 petuated. 
 
 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by 
 
 The Lutheran Publication Board. 
 
 i the Clerk's Office of the District Court, for the Eastern District 
 
 of Pennsylvania. 
 
 Jas. B. Rodgers, 
 
 Llectrotyper and Printer, 
 
 Philadelphia. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 For the materials of this little volume, the author is 
 mainly indebted to Mr. Stevenson's very interesting 
 ■work, entitled: "Working and Praying." That work 
 should be widely circulated, and every where read. 
 That God may employ this little book as a humble in- 
 strument to awaken a deeper instrument in the minds 
 of our church members in behalf of Foreign Missions, 
 is the prayer of the writer. 
 
 E. G. 
 Easton, Pa., March 2,0th, 1867. 
 
THE 
 
 FOREIGN MISSION WORK. 
 
 "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT!"— Numbers xxiii : 23. 
 
 The work of Missions is the work of God. 
 Christ has commanded His church to preach 
 the Gospel to every creature. His grace en- 
 ables His church to do the work which His 
 word commands. It is, therefore, His work. 
 
 But God works by means. He uses hu- 
 man hands to do His work. Human hands 
 move, but it is God that moves them. In all 
 that good men accomplish for the cause of 
 Christ and the happiness of mankind, the 
 hand of the Lord is to be recognized and 
 traced. Men go forth to preach the Gospel 
 to the heathen, but in them, and through them, 
 
b THE FOREIGN 
 
 it is God that is working. In what they 
 have done, we see what God hath wrought. 
 
 It will throw light upon our duty, when we 
 consider what God, by others, has done, and 
 is doing. Many of us have no proper con- 
 ception of the awakened interest that is felt 
 by others, in all parts of the Church, in be- 
 half of the evangelization of the world. 
 When we notice the active movements of oth- 
 ers, we become ourselves incited to activity. 
 What God does by others, he may also do by 
 us. 
 
 It may serve to give our thoughts a whole- 
 some direction, if we contemplate what one 
 congregation of true-hearted men and women 
 can do, and have done. We may learn what 
 God hath wrought through human hands, by 
 reading a narrative of what human hands 
 have wrought by the help of God. 
 
 Many of the readers of these pages have, 
 no doubt, heard and read of Louis Harms, 
 
MISSION WORK. 7 
 
 the Lutheran pastor of the town of Her- 
 mansburg, Germany, whose loss by death the 
 Church has recently been called to mourn. 
 He was the beloved pastor of a plain, but 
 pious congregation. The congregation was 
 not always what it is now. Before his con- 
 nection with it, it had little practical religious 
 life. His success at reformation at home, is 
 as marked as his wonderful missionary 
 . achievements abroad, He was a Lutheran of 
 the old sort, like those of the earlier days of 
 our Church in Germany. He believed firmly 
 the doctrines of Luther, and held tenaciously 
 to the old forms and customs of the Church. 
 He was plain and unassuming in his manners; 
 a man of the people, with strong sympathies 
 for the poor and outcast, and he lived among 
 his people as a father. He was at the same 
 time highly educated, refined in his inter- 
 course with cultivated society, and very genial, 
 and even jocund in his feelings. He was 
 
8 THE FOREIGN 
 
 self-denying and whole-souled, with strong 
 faith, and great activity in doing good. He 
 was a godly and earnest man, and by his 
 teachings, his influence, and his example, a 
 wonderful improvement was effected in his 
 congregation, of which he was the honored 
 and useful pastor. Adhering most strictly 
 to the venerable doctrines and usages of the 
 church of his fathers, he was sound in doc- 
 trine, churchly in practice, spiritual in feel- 
 ing, and active in duty. There was a fresh- 
 ness and vitality about all the services of the 
 church as conducted by him ; and his mem- 
 bers, coming up as one man, to the spirit and 
 order which he introduced, the church at 
 Hermansburg became a model of what every 
 church ought to be. 
 
 It is said, that, in every house family de- 
 votions are regularly held, and that no one 
 is ever absent from the stated services of the 
 church, either on Sunday or on week-day, 
 
MISSION WORK. 9 
 
 except when prevented by sickness. The 
 Lord's Supper is administered once every 
 month, and at each communion nearly all 
 the members commune. Prayer is habit- 
 ual, and is practised by the laborer at his 
 work, a3 well as his family, and the "grand 
 old hymns" are sung by old and young, 
 instead of obscene ballads, so common else- 
 where. The most wonderful harmony pre- 
 vails among the people, who live together 
 as one family, and the influence of their ex- 
 ample has elevated, in a remarkable degree, 
 the tone of morals in all the surrounding re- 
 gion. Order and neatness are everywhere 
 observed ; vice and dissipation seem banished 
 from the community ; and whilst none are 
 really wealthy, poverty is, likewise, the con- 
 dition of none. Peace prevails almost uni- 
 versally among them ; they take pleasure in 
 rendering kindness to each other; and, 
 though, for the most part, humble peasants, 
 
10 THE FOREIGN 
 
 their circumstances are comfortable, and such 
 as enable them to live well. 
 
 Such is the plain and pious congregation 
 of Pastor Harms, at Hermansburg. A peo- 
 ple so fully imbued with the spirit of the 
 Gospel, and of the Lutheran Church, would 
 necessarily feel strongly the claims of the 
 world in 'darkness and sin, outside of them. 
 Christianity is an aggressive religion. It 
 aims to bring all else under its influence, to 
 war against error, falsehood, and sin, and to 
 enlighten and convert the world. All who 
 have truly imbibed its spirit, are missionaries 
 of the cross. They labor to make accessions 
 to Christ from far and near ; from those in 
 heathen lands as well as from those at home. 
 So the pious and single-hearted members of 
 the Church at Hermansburg felt. When 
 the proposition to start, and support, a mis- 
 sion to the heathen, was made to them by 
 their pastor, there were no hard words or 
 
MISSION WORK. 11 
 
 cold looks, or severe criticism; they were 
 not full of excuses that it would cost too much, 
 that the heathen were too far away, that they 
 had nothing to do with them, that whether 
 saved or not was no concern of theirs, that 
 it would be sending the money out of the 
 country, that they had enough to do to con- 
 vert the heathen at their own doors, and a 
 thousand other like objections that are urged 
 so readily by unwilling minds in other places. 
 Instead of this, the suggestion was welcomed 
 with joy, and adopted at once. And more 
 than this. They did not look elsewhere, and 
 ask, "Where shall we get the missionaries 
 from other places? What other congrega- 
 tion will furnish the men ?" But they asked, 
 "Who from among ourselves will go? We 
 will go ourselves — here we are, send us !" 
 Strange as it may appear to our cold and un- 
 believing hearts, twelve of the members of 
 that Church offered themselves as missiona- 
 
12 THE FOREIGN 
 
 ries to the heathen, to go where it would 
 please God to show that there was the great- 
 est need. They were accepted. But they 
 were not sent without being first fully quali- 
 fied for their great work. 
 
 In order to afford all necessary facilities, 
 a sort of Theological Seminary, or Mis- 
 sionary Institute was established. A suita- 
 ble house was prepared, and a brother of 
 Pastor Harms was placed in charge of it. 
 Being a Divine of high attainments and im- 
 bued with an earnest missionary spirit, he 
 was in all respects qualified for the responsi- 
 ble position of Teacher of the Candidates for 
 the Mission Work. The course of study laid 
 down, was a four years term, and included a 
 pretty thorough Theological education. The 
 branches required to be studied, were : — In- 
 troduction to the Old and New Testaments, 
 Exegesis, Dogmatic Theology, Church His- 
 tory, History of Doctrines, History of Mis- 
 
MISSION WORK. 13 
 
 sions, Homiletics, and Cateclietics. It was 
 plain to be seen that Pastor Harms did not 
 intend to cend out ignorant men. They must 
 be well equiped for their work. In addi- 
 tion to their daily studies, they labored with 
 their hands, to aid in earning their bread, to 
 preserve vigorous health, to keep them hum- 
 ble, and to induce them to feel that physical 
 labor was no dishonor. They were reminded 
 that, like Peter, whose circumstances com- 
 pelled him to earn his subsistence by fishing, 
 and like Paul, who was sometimes necessi- 
 tated to follow tent-making, they must not 
 be ashamed, if necessary, to labor for their 
 support with their own hands. They were 
 to be workers, in every sense. 
 
 At the same time, they must not neglect 
 the cultivation of the spirit of fervent devo- 
 tion. The furnishing of the head would 
 make them poor missionaries, if the piety of 
 the heart was neglected. Therefore, habits 
 
14 THE FOREIGN 
 
 of prayer were strictly enjoined, and sedu- 
 lously fostered. They were men of strong faith, 
 and ardent piety. Harms said to them, "Be 
 diligent in your studies ; but also remember 
 Luther's saying, "Well prayed, is more than 
 half learned." " Therefore, pray diligently. 
 I do not mean your common prayer only, 
 when assembled for your daily prayers in the 
 chapel, but pray diligently in your rooms, 
 daily, for the Holy Spirit's help." Such 
 men were most likely to become, of all 
 others, the most laborious, self-denying, and 
 successful missionaries of the cross. 
 
 Now, the question came up, "Where shalt 
 we go ? Among what heathen tribe shall we 
 locate our mission?" After much thought 
 and prayer, the East Coast of Africa was 
 fixed upon as the region of country, and then 
 the tribes of the Gallas, living North- west of 
 the Zanzibar river, were selected, as the sub- 
 jects for whose conversion to Christianity 
 
MISSION WORK. 15 
 
 these Missionaries were to labor. They ap- 
 parently selected the worst possible cases up- 
 on which to operate. The Gallas tribes were 
 fierce and savage, and spread terror along 
 the whole East Coast. Hardy and strong, 
 they robbed and murdered almost with im- 
 punity. No Missionary ever attempted their 
 conversion before. For these very reasons, 
 these tribes of heathens were selected. 
 
 Where is there another congregation of 
 Christians that could educate, equip, and 
 send out twelve of their own number, on 
 such an errand ? Where, since the Church 
 at Antioch sent out Barnabas and Paul as 
 their Missionaries to the Jews and heathen 
 of Asia Minor, do we find such a congrega- 
 tion of faithful, prayerful, self-denying, and 
 devoted men ? It seemed like a revival of 
 primitive Christianity, and that apostolic 
 times had returned again. 
 
 On still further reflection, it was resolved, 
 
16 THE FOUEIGN 
 
 that not only preachers and teachers, but also 
 farmers, mechanics, and artisans, should be 
 sent ; because the permanent success of the 
 Mission required that the wild, roving, and 
 indolent tribes of Africa, should be taught 
 the industrious arts of civilized life. This 
 reasoning was sound. The entire order of 
 society must be reconstructed. Without this, 
 no permanent benefit from the Mission could 
 be hoped for. When the plan was suggested, 
 sixty persons offered themselves for the self- 
 sacrificing service. It was not deemed advis- 
 able to send the entire number, and eight 
 only out of the sixty were selected to accom- 
 pany the others. 
 
 But now a new, although not unforeseen, 
 perplexity arose. How were all these people 
 to be sent out ? Where was the money to 
 come from ? Harms was a man of prayer, 
 and this trouble, like all the others, only 
 drove him the more fervently to the Throne 
 
MISSION WOKE. 17 
 
 of Grace. But a praying man, as he him- 
 self said, dare not sit with his hands in his 
 lap, awaiting the blessing. He must work, 
 as well as pray. He, therefore, applied to 
 the owners and captains of vessels trading 
 to the East Coast of Africa for a passage 
 for his Missionaries to the scene of their ex- 
 pected operations. But his application was 
 not successful, as various difficulties inter- 
 vened. He, also, corresponded with other 
 Missionary Stations, in order to obtain in- 
 formation and aid in getting his laborers to 
 their new field, but to no purpose. His situ- 
 ation was embarrassing enough. 
 
 It was then suggested by a pious sailor, 
 who designed accompanying the party, that 
 they should build a ship, and own it, and 
 thus be independent of all ship-owners, and 
 be in a situation to send out as many people, 
 .and sail as often as there was need. Pastor 
 Harms acted at once on this suggestion. It, 
 
18 THE FOREIGN 
 
 of course, increased, almost immeasurably, 
 the magnitude and expense of the under- 
 taking ; but his faith and energy were equal 
 to the occasion. Few, however, encouraged 
 him. Even his best friends hinted, that he 
 was not quite in his senses. But feeling that 
 he was right, he prayed and worked. The 
 ship-building was commenced at Harburg. 
 Pastor Harms prayed, held Missionary Festi- 
 vals, the people gave cheerfully of their 
 money, and were no poorer for all that, and, 
 although the brig cost a great deal more 
 than their first estimates, yet it was finished 
 and paid for. His people were poor, but 
 they had great faith ; their hearts were in the 
 work, they co-operated kindly as one man ; 
 and when there is a will, there is always a 
 way. In due time the ship was completed, 
 and named The Candace ; the name of the 
 Queen of Ethiopia, whose eunuch Phillip 
 baptized in the desert of Gaza. It was sol- 
 
MISSION WORK. 19 
 
 cmnly dedicated by prayer and other reli- 
 gious services to the sacred work of carrying 
 the Gospel to the dark Ethiopian tribes of 
 men. Everything was done to get it ready 
 for its first voyage. The congregation felt 
 that it was their ship, and smiths, and tailors, 
 and carpenters, and shoemakers, and coopers, 
 and upholsterers — all, male and female, old 
 and young, parents and children, were alive 
 with excitement, and active in fitting, and 
 furnishing, and getting the vessel into trim 
 for her benevolent Christian work. The 
 farmers brought loads of provisions of all 
 kinds for the use of the voyagers on their 
 way to the Mission-field, and for their sup- 
 port when there. The women and young 
 girls of the congregation were active, day 
 and night, in sewing, and knitting, and get- 
 ting ready suitable clothes for the service of 
 the Mission. All had their part to perform, 
 
20 THE FOREIGN 
 
 and all labored with cheerfulness, for their 
 hearts were in their work. 
 
 The Missionaries, having completed their 
 prescribed course of study, passed their ex- 
 amination, and were regularly ordained. 
 The number was only eight ; as of the origi- 
 nal twelve two had died before the four years 
 had expired, and two had proved unworthy, 
 and were set aside. Besides these eight or- 
 dained Missionaries, there were eight colo- 
 nists. There were by profession two smiths, 
 a tailor, a butcher, a dyer, and three farm 
 laborers. The vessel was ready, the captain 
 and crew were in their places, the provisions 
 were on board, and the day had arrived when 
 they were to embark. Before leaving Her- 
 mansburg, a solemn farewell service was held 
 in the Church. A scene of such interest, at- 
 tracted, as may well be supposed, an immense 
 congregation of people from far and near, 
 that crowded the Church, and blocked up the 
 
MISSION WORK. 21 
 
 doors and windows. A suitable sermon was 
 preached by the younger Harms, who had 
 been the instructor of the Missionaries, and 
 then the eight ordained Missionaries, and the 
 eight colonists, sixteen in all, came forward 
 and stood before the altar. A solemn prayer 
 was offered, commending them and their work 
 to God, and invoking his gracious guidance 
 and blessing, when the sixteen joined "with 
 hearty, manly voices, in singing as their 
 parting hymn, Luther's well-known hymn, 
 il Uinfeste Burg ist unser G-ott." ("A safe 
 strong hold our God is still ; Our shield and 
 surest weapon.") "Leave-taking, like every- 
 thing else in Hermansburg," says Dr. Ste- 
 venson, "is peculiar. But it was a pious 
 thought to part by singing such a song. 
 There is no music so rousing and sublime as 
 that master-piece of Luther, sung with the 
 proper four parts, and at firm marching step. 
 It is a very hero-psalm ; and there is some- 
 
22 THE FOREIGN 
 
 thing noble in these humble men setting their 
 faces towards the savages in Africa, and 
 flinging back their lofty music out of brave, 
 composed hearts." 
 
 On the next day, they bade a final adieu 
 to Hermansburg, and went to Hamburg, the 
 sea-port city where their ship lay. It may 
 well be supposed, that the people of that un- 
 godly city, gazed in astonishment at the pro- 
 cession of humble peasants, headed by their 
 Pastor, as they passed along their streets in 
 the direction of the harbor. The curious 
 crowd followed them, and filled the wharves and 
 vessels in the vicinity, where the Candace 
 lay at anchor. On the quarter deck a table 
 was set, and the pious Pastor held a final re- 
 ligious service, and uttered his parting ad- 
 monitions to his devoted Missionary company. 
 It was a solemn moment, both for him and 
 for them. His earnest words sunk deep into 
 their hearts. He particularly insisted upon 
 
MISSION WORK. 23 
 
 the cultivation by them, of the spirit of 
 prayer. " Begin all your work," said he, 
 "with prayer. And when the storm-wind 
 rises, pray ; and when the billows roll around 
 the ship, pray ; and when sin comes, pray ; 
 and when the devil tempts you, pray. So 
 long as you pray, all, pertaining to body and 
 soul, will go well with you." On the 28th 
 of October, 1853, the anchor was raised, 
 and the Missionary ship embarked on her 
 voyage of love and mercy to the heathen 
 world. 
 
 We stand on the shore, and gaze after her 
 with feelings of admiration, as we call to 
 mind that a congregation of plain and poor 
 people, were enabled, by the grace of God, 
 to entertain such enlarged views of duty, 
 and carry them out so promptly. And, since 
 such a noble Missionary spirit is so rare in 
 the Churches, the example of Pastor Harms' 
 congregation, at Hermansburg, is everywhere 
 
24 THE FOREIGN 
 
 cited and lauded, by writers and speakers, 
 throughout the entire Christian world. And 
 well they may be. Their example, too, has 
 excited, far and wide, a largely increased 
 missionary spirit, and a much more compre- 
 hensive view of personal and congregational 
 duty, than existed before. 
 
 Let us now follow the good ship Candace, 
 on her sacred errand. During the voyage, 
 the missionaries kept up regular religious 
 services, and prosecuted their studies. As 
 all on board, including passengers and crew, 
 were men of high religious principle, and 
 devout Christian spirit, the Candace resem- 
 bled a church afloat on the ocean. After a 
 voyage of several months in duration, they 
 reached the East coast of Africa in safety. 
 But here their real difficulties commenced. 
 The Mohammedans had control of the coast, 
 and on various pretexts would not permit 
 them to go to the Gallas, who were an inte- 
 
MISSION WORK. t 25 
 
 rior tribe, nor even to disembark on the 
 main land. After some vexatious delay, and 
 many attempts at negotiation, they were 
 compelled to set sail from the vicinity of 
 Zanzibar, and coast far to the south, to Fort 
 Natal. Here, too, embarrassments were 
 thrown in their way, and the English 
 Governor refused them permission to settl 
 on Government land. They were, therefore, 
 compelled to purchase ground for a colony. 
 This they did, and secured a good position 
 for their settlement. They paid three thou- 
 sand dollars for six thousand acres of land. 
 It is watered by a river which flows through 
 it; the soil is fertile; lime, coal, and stone 
 exist in sufficient quantities; but it is nearly 
 destitute of timber. Being within English 
 jurisdiction, they enjoy English protection. 
 Though not on the coast, they are not in- 
 conveniently far from the ocean. Many 
 tribes of Africans are near. The Zulu Kaf- 
 
26 THE FOREIGN 
 
 firs, the Zulus, under the chieftainship of 
 Umpanda, the Matahela, the Bechuanas, and 
 even the distant Gallas, are all accessible 
 from the colony. There was, therefore, • 
 heathen material enough around them, on 
 which to commence missionary operations. 
 
 They at once commenced to build, and in 
 a short time, they had a little settlement 
 erected, which they called- New Hermans- 
 burg. They also applied themselves dili- 
 gently to the study of the language, so as to 
 be able, as soon as possible, to preach, and 
 teach the heathen tribes among whom they 
 were located, in the native tongue. When 
 this knowledge was acquired, they entered 
 with indefatigable zeal, and self-denying 
 diligence upon their proper missionary work r 
 which they have prosecuted in the same 
 •spirit, and with remarkable success, up to 
 the present time. 
 
 It would be exceedingly interesting to 
 
MISSION WORK. 27 
 
 enter into details regarding their labors; 
 but the space, to which we have limited our- 
 selves, forbids. They prayed, and taught, 
 and preached, and made explorations far 
 and near, and gradually gained influence and 
 power with the native tribes. They, too, 
 taught the people the arts of civilized life, 
 and inculcated, by precept and example, 
 habits of industry, cleanliness, and order. 
 Soon, their operations had extended so much, 
 that reinforcements were needed. The good 
 ship, Candace, had been dispatched home, 
 and in 1856, fifteen more persons were sent 
 out, and among them four brides for as 
 many of the missionaries in Africa. In 
 1857, twelve more missionaries, together 
 with fourteen colonists, and their wives and 
 children, forty-four persons in all, went out, 
 whose several callings were tailors, weavers, 
 ropemakcrs, a saddler, turner, joiner, carpen- 
 ter, wheelwright, smith, shepherd, and sailor. 
 
28 THE FOREIGN 
 
 All these were necessary to give their labors 
 a firm and permanent character, and im- 
 prove the condition of the natives temporally, 
 as well as spiritually. So widely had the 
 knowledge and renown of the wonderful Mis- 
 sion-work of this devoted congregation ex- 
 tended, that when these twelve missionaries 
 were ordained, the King and Queen of 
 Hanover, and their children, honored the 
 occasion by their presence ; the ministers of 
 the city where it occurred, all assisted ; and 
 the next day they were sent for to the palace, 
 where the King expressed the deepest in- 
 terest in their work, and encouraged them 
 by giving them the assurance that they would 
 be remembered by himself and family in their 
 daily prayers. 
 
 It is a remarkable fact, that, while these 
 last missionaries were on board the Candace, 
 and before they had left the shores of Ger- 
 many, twenty-one more young men had offer- 
 
MISSION WOKE. 29 
 
 ed their services as missionaries, and had 
 entered the Mission-Seminary to be educated 
 for their work. In 1859, a fourth voyage, 
 with reinforcements, was made to the coast 
 of Africa. In the autumn of 1860, the ship 
 was sent on her fifth voyage with additional 
 laborers; and in 1861, twenty-two more 
 missionaries were sent out. And so, almost 
 every year since, this ship, built, and owned, 
 and employed, by that devoted band of 
 Christians, bearing our own name, has been 
 regularly plying as a missionary ship between 
 Germany and the heathen tribes of Africa, 
 carrying to them reinforcements, and all the 
 necessary material to enable them success- 
 fully to carry on their good work. It is now 
 little more than ten years since those devoted 
 men first entered upon their holy work, and 
 the result is wonderful. They have, per- 
 haps, a dozen stations where they carry on 
 their missionary operations. At each sta- 
 
30 THE FOREIGN 
 
 tion they have dwelling-houses work-shops, 
 farms, gardens, schools and churches. More 
 than a hundred missionaries that preach and 
 teach, are in the field, and still more me- 
 chanics and farmers, who keep up the settle- 
 ments, and exert a most powerful influence 
 in training the wild, roving tribes to habits 
 of industry and social order. Perhaps 
 several hundred heathen have been baptized 
 and added to the churches — the precise 
 number we are unable to give — and their 
 influence extends from the Zulus, on the 
 coast, to the Bechuanas, in the centre of 
 Africa — or over a territory of more than ten 
 degrees of latitude. The number of con- 
 verts from among the heathen is larger, for 
 the time employed, than at any other mis- 
 sion, located anywhere among the heathen, 
 and the preparatory work which they have 
 performed, has laid the foundation for much 
 greater, and more rapid, and largely aug- 
 
MISSION WORK. 31 
 
 merited, beneficial results in the future. In- 
 deed, up to this date, their whole work may 
 be regarded as preparatory, and as only 
 laying, deep and broad, the foundation, and 
 acquiring vantage ground for future success. 
 That which is especially deserving our at- 
 tention in it, is not so much what it has al- 
 ready accomplished — although that is really 
 wonderful — but it is the origin, the mode, 
 the spirit of the mission, and the plain and 
 poor men by whom it has been commenced 
 and carried on, that distinguish it above all 
 others. Its success is undoubted and mar- 
 vellous. Its teachers are scattered over an 
 immense territory, and among the largest 
 and most important African tribes. They 
 occupy, not an inferior, but the highest, po- 
 sition; they have free access everywhere; 
 and they are everywhere respected and suc- 
 cessful. No other mission has more impor- 
 tant openings; invitations to visit other 
 
32 THE FOREIGN 
 
 tribes and other localities are constantly re- 
 ceived, which thej are compelled to decline, 
 and everywhere they are welcomed and re- 
 ceived with gladness. Hundreds of precious 
 souls are already gathered into the Christian 
 Church, and have been brought to the know- 
 ledge of the way of salvation. In many lo- 
 calities, where formerly heathen rites were 
 performed, there are now plain Christian 
 Churches, where multitudes gather to wor- 
 ship God, and hear His word, and learn the 
 duties of piety and virtue. It is a great 
 success. Its success in the future will be 
 greater still. 
 
 But now, it is time to ask the question, 
 Where did, and does, the money come from, 
 that pays for all this ? Pastor Harm's expen- 
 ditures are necessarily large. The building 
 and furnishing of his ship cost about $22,000. 
 The land in Africa cost more than $3000. 
 The support of the mission required in one 
 
MISSION WORK. 33 
 
 year $8000, and in another $24,000. The 
 expenses of his Mission-seminary, and other 
 benevolent operations at home, are not less 
 than $7000 annually. Indeed, from 1854 to 
 1859 he expended in his noble work the large 
 sum of $140,000. How was this amount of 
 money collected ? His people are necessarily 
 very liberal. Though not suffering from 
 poverty, they are nevertheless not rich. They 
 are not gentlemen with fine estates, but most- 
 ly peasants, who earn their bread by daily 
 toil. But they are wonderfully imbued with 
 the Spirit of Christ, and are, therefore, extra- 
 ordinarily large-hearted and liberal in giving. 
 Poor men have come forward, and at one 
 donation put $G00 into his hands. They 
 willingly deprive themselves of luxuries, and 
 sometimes even of the necessaries of life, in 
 order to have money to contribute to the 
 good work. We have no proper conception 
 of the liberality of thc.se people, or of the 
 
34 THE FOREIGN 
 
 ready and cheerful spirit with which they lay 
 their money as an offering on God's altar. 
 They shame our cold-heartedness out of all 
 countenance. 
 
 But what is most wonderful in all this, 
 Pastor Harms does neither force, nor com- 
 pel, nor even urge them to give. He has no 
 agents in the field importuning the people 
 for money. He does not in any way beg for 
 funds. He never uses this word, and will 
 have no begging or beggars of any kind about 
 him, except those who beg of God. In the 
 columns of his monthly missionary paper 
 money matters and money perplexities are 
 kept in the background altogether, and are 
 rarely, if ever, mentioned. When, at his 
 great annual missionary festivals, the people 
 come by thousands, and would, and do, cheer- 
 fully give large sums, he makes no appeal, 
 and does not even mention that he has need 
 of money, or expects them to contribute any. 
 
MISSION WORK. 35 
 
 His conduct would be pronounced by us as 
 most singular in this respect. He makes no 
 effort to move their hearts. He leaves their 
 hearts to be moved by a greater than himself. 
 What, then, is his resource ? It is prayer. 
 He has made the wonderful discovery, that 
 God has the hearts and the purses of men in 
 His hand, and can move and open them at 
 pleasure. He, therefore, tells his wants to 
 God, and asks Him to provide the means to 
 relieve them. And what may seem, to our 
 unbelieving hearts, not only singular, but 
 even absurd, he has found this resource al- 
 ways sufficient. It has never failed him. 
 The prayer of faith has always been heard 
 and answered. It seems wonderful. From 
 far and near donations come, in answer to 
 prayer. They are sent across continents, 
 and over the ocean, by persons, whom he 
 never saw, nor heard of. Let us cite a few 
 
36 THE FOREIGN 
 
 examples from some statements published in 
 his monthly "Missions Blatt." 
 
 "A short time ago," he writes, "I had to 
 pay a merchant in behalf of the missions five 
 hundred and fifty crowns, and when the day 
 was near I had only four hundred. Then I 
 prayed to the Lord Jesus, that He would pro- 
 vide me with the deficiency. On the day 
 before, three letters were brought, one from 
 Schwerin with twenty, one from Biicksburg 
 with twenty-five, and one from Berlin with 
 one hundred crowns. The donors were anon- 
 ymous. On the evening of the same day, 
 a laborer brought me ten crowns, so that I 
 had not only enough, but five over." In 
 another statement he says: "I must tell you 
 what brought tears into my eyes, and con- 
 firmed me anew in that word, < Before they 
 call I will answer.' A medicine chest was 
 urgently wanted for the Mission. I reckoned 
 up to see if there was enough left to supply 
 
MISSION WORK. 37 
 
 it. Before I had finished, and when I had 
 not yet well begun to commend this matter 
 to the Lord, a letter was brought, in which 
 the anonymous writer stated that for some 
 time he had been collecting for the mission, 
 and had determined to purchase a medicine 
 chest. The chest accompanied the letter; 
 he only begged it might soon be sent out for 
 the heathen." At one time, when he was 
 revolving in his mind the erection of a House 
 of Refuge for discharged convicts, in which 
 to prepare them to become useful members 
 of society, the great obstacle was the want 
 of money. For some days it was thought 
 of, and prayed over. Going out, after having 
 been more than ordinarily solemn in his de- 
 votions, he met one of the peasants of his 
 congregation, who approached, and inquired 
 in what way he could render him any assist- 
 ance in his benevolent work. "I took it," 
 says he, "asa sign from the Lord, and men- 
 
38 THE FOREIGN 
 
 tioned to him what was in my heart. He 
 sent me, through his wife, who was of one 
 mind with him, five hundred crowns. Im- 
 mediately afterward a merchant sent me ten, 
 a pastor one hundred, and then came anony- 
 mously one hundred crowns. Meanwhile I 
 had not made my intention known." God 
 answered his prayers, and sent him the means 
 to carry on his good work, through men who 
 knew nothing of the special object for which 
 the money was wanted. In the year 1858, 
 when reviewing his affairs, he wrote: "Last 
 year, I needed for the mission fifteen thou- 
 sand crowns, and the Lord gave me that, and 
 sixty over. This year I needed double, and 
 the Lord has given me double, and one hun- 
 dred and forty over." 
 
 These quotations afford a clue to the way 
 in which his mission is supported. He does 
 not beg, nor urge, nor threaten; he only 
 prays, and works, and the hearts of the people, 
 
MISSION WORK. 39 
 
 opened by the Lord, and made full of love 
 to Him and His cause, respond. He can 
 say, and has always said, "See, what hath 
 God wrought!'' 
 
 Now, what are some of the lessons which 
 this history of the mission work of Pastor 
 Louis Harms, and the Church at Hermans- 
 burg, teaches us? 
 
 1. God ivories He has the hearts of the 
 people in His hand. Whatever is done for 
 good on the earth, is done by Him. He 
 works by means of human hearts and hands. 
 What men do in His name, is done by Him. 
 Men are the instruments, the agent is God. 
 Never is the glory ours, but always God's. 
 It is God's work, and He does it. In look- 
 ing over the great and wonderful result, as 
 well as the method, of the Mission work of 
 the church at Ilermansburg, we can do no 
 otherwise than say, in devout and humble 
 
40 TITE FOREIGN 
 
 acknowledgment of God's power and good- 
 ness, "See, what hath God wrought!" 
 
 2. Men offer themselves unto the Lord. 
 The church at Hermansburg did not look 
 for others to go and preach the Gospel to the 
 heathen, whilst they staid at home. But they 
 went themselves. Each one felt his indivi- 
 dual obligation to obey Christ's command, 
 "Go, preach the Gospel to every creature." 
 Men are prone to shift responsibility upon 
 others. They are willing that others should 
 do the work that they themselves should do. 
 Others may be missionaries to the heathen, 
 but they themselves will not go. Other con- 
 gregations may furnish men to plant the 
 standard of the cross in the remote regions 
 of the earth, but they are content that their 
 own congregation should furnish none. They 
 seem to view Christ's parting command to 
 " Go and teach all nations," as meaning every 
 one in general, but no one in particular. 
 
MISSION WORK. 41 
 
 But the church at Herraansburg made a per- 
 sonal application of that command to them- 
 selves. The Gospel must be preached, and 
 they must preach it. That church must do 
 it. Its members must go. Each individual 
 was ready to go. Each one seemed to say, 
 "Here am I, send me." Oh, that this spirit 
 of self-devotion, and this acknowledgment of 
 personal responsibility, were more common 
 in the Church ! How soon, then, would our 
 missions be crowded with laborers, and how 
 rapidly would the ark of salvation be borne 
 over the earth! 
 
 3. It is not the wealthy, but the willing, 
 that accomplish most for God. Most persons, 
 in view of such a mission work as that which 
 we have been contemplating, would deem, at 
 the outset, that a large amount of wealth was 
 indispensable on the part of those who would 
 undertake it. But here it is most success- 
 fully undertaken, where not a single indivi- 
 
42 THE FOREIGN 
 
 dual of the whole number has any wealth at 
 all. It is not wealth, so much as the will, 
 that executes great things. If a wealthy 
 man is also a willing man, he can do a vast 
 work ; but, if a wealthy man has not the will 
 to do it, he is as inefficient as the poorest of 
 men. On the other hand, if willing men 
 have not wealth, their will is in stead of 
 wealth ; and such men, though of small means, 
 do an amount of good work, at which we 
 gaze with gratified amazement. It is the 
 will that executes great undertakings. If 
 the heart is wrong, or not right, all the wealth 
 of the Indies will be of no benefit to the 
 cause of Christianity. Give us willing minds. 
 Give us men whose hearts are in the right 
 place. " Where there's a will, there's a way." 
 4. A single congregation can sustain an 
 entire mission. There is no grander specta- 
 cle in the history of the whole Church, than 
 this noble work of that one congregation of 
 
MISSION WORK. 43 
 
 plain peasant Lutherans at Hermansburg. 
 One congregation, single-handed, organize 
 and support a mission thousands of miles 
 away from home, consisting of more than a 
 hundred missionaries, and an equal number 
 of mechanics and farmers sent to constitute 
 a Christian settlement. It is almost incredi- 
 ble. Judging by the unwillingness and want 
 of large liberality displayed on such subjects 
 everywhere about us, we would almost re- 
 fuse to believe the accounts, if the facts were 
 not so well supported. This one congrega- 
 tion of Lutherans at Hermanslurg does more 
 for Foreign 3fi$sio?is, single-handed, than is 
 done by the whole Lutheran Church in the 
 United States, coiisisting of forty -one Synods, 
 one thousand six hundred and fifty ministers, 
 three thousand congregations, and more than ^ 
 three hundred thousand communicants. 
 
 With all the combined force of the church 
 in the United States, our Foreign Missionary 
 
44 THE FOREIGN 
 
 Society has, at this present writing, one mis- 
 sionary and his wife in India, and one mis- 
 sionary and his wife in Africa; and when 
 this is told, all is told. This may he regarded 
 as a very humiliating statement, but it is the 
 truth, and the truth ought to be known. We 
 do not come up to our responsibilities. We 
 are not doing our whole duty. We are not 
 lacking in opportunity, but we are greatly 
 lacking in the measure of our performances. 
 We must acquire a much more thorough 
 missionary spirit. Let the example of our 
 brethren of Hermansburg incite us to go and 
 do likewise. Let each pastor and congrega- 
 tion come up to the true measure of duty in 
 reference to the evangelization of the world. 
 The world must be evangelized, and the 
 church must do it. Each congregation, as 
 constituting a part of the whole church, is 
 responsible for the doing of this great work. 
 Every Christian congregation should have 
 
MISSION WORK. 45 
 
 one, or many, representatives personally in 
 the field of missionary labor. The laborers 
 must be there, and must go from some con- 
 gregation; why not from this? Why not 
 from that ? Why not from all ? Why should 
 one congregation send a messenger of good 
 tidings to the heathen, and others not do the 
 same? Is that congregation of Christians 
 faithful to their solemn trust, to the love they 
 owe to Christ, and to the affection they 
 should bear to the souls for whom He died, 
 from among whom no herald has gone forth, 
 carrying light and salvation to enlighten and 
 save the world as it lies in darkness and 
 death? Shall not our pastors and congre- 
 gations — our students and young members — 
 ask as before God, to whom in the great day 
 they must give an account for all that they 
 have done, or refused to do, in the way of 
 duty: Why am not I a missionary in the 
 foreign field, and why is there none from the 
 
4<) . THE FOREIGN 
 
 congregation with which I am connected, 
 preaching Christ and Him crucified among 
 the heathen tribes of men ? Is it not time 
 that this shrinking from duty — this shift- 
 ing responsibility from ourselves to others, 
 should have an end ? And shall not all our 
 churches do all in their power, and much 
 more than they have done heretofore, by 
 their liberal contributions, their fervent 
 prayers, and their whole-hearted approval, 
 to support those who do go, to extend our 
 mission fields, to increase our missionary 
 force, to multiply our mission schools, and in 
 all respects, to make our mission work more 
 efficient and successful! A new era must 
 dawn upon our mission work. All must 
 work, and work together. Where one now 
 goes forth in sad loneliness, almost in the 
 feeling with which a martyr goes to the stake, 
 there must be scores and hundreds marching 
 forth, like the missionaries from Hermans- 
 
MISSION WORK. 47 
 
 burg, with music and song, animating and 
 being animated, glad to be God's chosen 
 heralds to announce a Saviour to a perishing 
 world. 
 
 5. The missionary spirit is the outgroivth 
 of a truly believing and devotional spirit. — 
 This is the grand secret of the mission work 
 inaugurated and carried on by the church at 
 Ilermansburg. It is the outgrowth of faith 
 and prayer. Their faith, works, and their 
 prayers are followed by deeds. They have 
 strong faith, and this leads to great works. 
 They have much love for Christ, and because 
 they love Him, they would honor Him by 
 spreading His glory over the earth. They 
 love the souls of men, because Christ died for 
 them. The flame of devotion, in their hearts, 
 kindles therein zeal in behalf of the souls that 
 are perishing. Their missionary spirit is not 
 fanaticism, nor mere enthusiasm ; but strong 
 religious principle. There is no fanaticism 
 
48 THE FOREIGN 
 
 about them. They are profoundly religious; 
 are sincerely devout ; are strongly attached 
 to the doctrines and usages of the church; 
 are Lutherans of the old order; are plain, 
 practical Christians. They have enlarged 
 views of their duty, and are liberal in giving 
 their money, and devoting their personal ser- 
 vices for the honor of Christ, and the good 
 of souls. Their large hearts devise large 
 things. They do not prefer their ease to the 
 glory of the Lord, nor love their money more 
 than the word of Jesus. As they are, so 
 should all Christians be. They are models 
 for us. Their piety should set us to earnest 
 self-examination, and awake the candid in- 
 quiry, whether in the presence of such great 
 faith, and fervent prayer, and active benevo- 
 lence, we are Christians at all? Have we 
 any faith? Do we really love the Lord? 
 Have we actually done any thing to prove 
 that we are imbued with the spirit of our 
 
MISSION WORK. 49 
 
 Master ? If we feel so little interest in the 
 progress of Christ's cause, and do so little to 
 promote it, have we any title at all to be con- 
 sidered His followers ? If we have so little 
 love for the souls for whom Jesus shed His 
 blood, do we really love Him ? If Christ is 
 to be honored by the spread of His name to 
 the uttermost ends of the earth, do we love 
 His name if we feel small concern, and will 
 do little or nothing that His name may be 
 thus honored? Will we be saved at all our- 
 selves, if we are unwilling to contribute to 
 the salvation of others? 
 
 The work of missions must go on. It dare 
 not stop. It is the only method known, or 
 that can be devised, to accomplish the result 
 desired. The whole world must be evan- 
 gelized, and the only agency to do it, is the 
 Bible, with the living preacher, sent forth 
 and sustained by the church. It is a noble 
 work. It is the peaceful messenger bearing 
 
50 THE FOREIGN 
 
 with him light, civilization, Christianity, and 
 everlasting salvation, to the benighted, de- 
 graded, barbarous, and lost tribes of men. 
 What a blessed work ! What a privilege is 
 it to help on, and contribute in any degree to 
 the progress and accomplishment of such a 
 work ! Are there not many among us who 
 will go forth, like the noble Hermansburgers, 
 and devote their lives cheerfully to the great 
 and apostolic work of preaching the Gospel 
 to the destitute? And will not the rich give 
 of their wealth, and the poor of their pittance, 
 so that the funds cast into the Lord's treasury 
 for the Lord's work, shall reach a magnitude 
 which it has never attained before? 
 
 Dear Reader! The Lord is working, and 
 will work without us ; but it is of the highest 
 importance to us that He should work by us. 
 It will, and must be said at the consumma- 
 tion of all things, "See, ivliat hath God 
 wrought!" But blessed will we be if ours 
 
MISSION WORK. 51 
 
 were the hearts and hands through which He 
 hath wrought. Sad will it be for us, if He 
 hath wrought with other hands, but not with 
 ours. Shall we not offer our hearts and 
 hands, and say, "Lord, our hearts are Thine, 
 rule them; our hands are Thine, use them; 
 our substance is Thine, employ it; our lives 
 are Thine, serve Thyself with them according 
 to Thy good pleasure?" 
 
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