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AMERICAN

REGISTER OF DEATHS.

DIED on the 17th Decem-
ber, 1808, at Goshen, on the river
Muskingum, state of Ohio, the
Rev. David Zeisberger, senior
missionary of the united brethren
among the Indians, aged eighty
seven years and nearly seven
months.

He wae a native of Moravia, in
Germany, from whence he emi-
grated with his parents at an early
age, to Herrnhuth, in Upper Lu-
satia, for the sake of obtaining re-
ligious liberty. In 1738 he came
to this country, landed in Geor-
gia, where at that time, some of
the united brethren had begun a
settlement, merely for the pur-
pose of preaching the gospel to
the Creek nation. From thence
he removed to Pennsylvania, and
assisted at the commencement of
the settlements of Bethlehem and
Nazareth. Ever since the year
1746, a period of sixty-two years,
he has, with few and short inter-
vals, been a missionary among the

Indians, making himself master
of sundry of their languages.

He was blessed with a cool, ac-
tive, intrepid spirit, not appalled
at any danger of difficulties, and
a sound judgment to discern the
best means of meeting and over-
coming them. Having once de-
voted himself to the service of
God among the Indians, he stea-
dily, from the most voluntary
choice, and with the purest mo-
tives, pursued his object, namely,
the glory of his Redeemer, in the
salvation of his fellow men, whom
he found sunk in heathenish dark-
ness, and error. Never was he
so happy as when he could be-
lieve, that the souls to whom he
preached, had sought and found
forgiveness of their sins, and
could truly rejoice in their savi-
our; he then rejoiced with them,
as if he had gained the utmost
object of his wishes, for with the
apostle Paul, he counted all things
but lost, in comparison of the ex-

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cellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus our Lord and the be-
ing found in him. (Phil. III. 8—9.)
and it may truly be added, that
the gaining over one soul to this
excellent knowledge and expe-
rience, was with him of more es-
timation, than if he had acquired
possession of the whole world.
His endeavours for the conver-
sion of the Indians, were crowned
with very signal success, as may
be seen at large in Loskiel's his-
tory of the mission of the United
Brethren among the North Ame-
rican Indians.

In the course of a long life, thus
spent among savages, he was, of
course, exposed to innumerable
hardships and privations. In additi-
on to these, he had at times to suffer
much persecution from the ene-
mies of the truth, and was fre-
quently in imminent danger of
his life. Nothing, however, of
this kind, dismayed him for a
moment, but only served to whet
his zeal; and he has, more than
once had the pleasure to baptise
those of his converts, who had
not long before lifted up some
weapon of death to destroy him.
In reliance upon his God, in whom
alone he trusted, and not in man,
he had always good courage, in
the carrying on of His work. At
the same time he was of an humble,
meek spirit, and always thought
lowly of himself. Self was the
least of all his considerations that
occupied his mind:—universal
love filled his bosom. He was a
most affectionate husband; a faith-
ful and never-failing friend; and
every lineament of his character;
shewed a sincere, upright, bene-
volent, and generous soul, with
perhaps as few blemishes, as can
be expected in the best of men,
on this side the grave. This is

no studied eulogium, to give an
exalted opinion of a departed,
much esteemed friend: it is a free
description of that genuine worth,
which every one well acquainted
with Mr. Zeisberger, must have
perceived and found in him, and
which must therefore long en-
dear his memory among them.

It deserves still to be particu-
larly noticed that Mr. Zeisberger
probably was one of the oldest
white settlers in the state of O-
hio; and that perhaps no man has
ever preached the gospel among
the Indians for such a long suc-
cession of years, and amidst so
great a variety of trials. In ac-
commodating himself to the state
of things among them, it would
be difficult to recount his jour-
nies, or how often he had to
change his place of residence. In
the last forty years of his life, he
never was at any one time, six
months absent from his Indian
flock, and during which long pe-
riod, he only paid three visits to
his friends and acquaintances in
the Atlantic states. His last jour-
ney to Bethlehem was in the year
1781, from which time to his
death (full twenty-seven years) he
has continually been and dwelt
with his Indian congregation, in
the western country, wherever
their respective settlements were.

In the evening of his days, as
his faculties began to fail him,
his desire to depart and be with
Christ encreased more and more.
At the same time he awaited the
dissolution of his mortal frame
with an uniform, calm, dignified
resignation to the will of his Ma-
ker, and with the sure and certain
hope of leaving this world for a
better. His last words were—
“Lord Jesus, I pray thee, come,
and take my spirit to thyself!”

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And again, “Thou hast never yet
forsaken me in any trial: thou
wilt not forsake me now.” A very
respectable company attended his
funeral. The solemn service was
performed in the English, Dela-
ware and German languages, to
suit the different auditors. The
sermons were from Rev. xii. 11.
and Prov. x. 7. A summary
written account of the principal
occurrences in his remarkable
life, was communicated, and heard
with particular interest and atten-
tion.