Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-09-28

waste region around with the means Of
grace; and those means, by the Divine
Spirit, have apparently won over to our
holy King more than thousand souls
Besides, God has designed through Ober-
lin agencies, to urge on extensively the
mighty moral enterprises, by which he is
overturning that Christ may reign univer-
SAL Alfthis, and more Also our gracious
Master has wrought through an infant
colony and institution Graded in the midst
Of stagnant pools of Indifference, and
taunts of opposing prejudice. Therefore,
beloved, am here, with dear member
of our faculty, and hundred brethren of
this state sent food, we trust, to find the
place where he will continue his precious
Oberln work. Mark our circumstances.
1t is the holy Sabbath, and we rest from
our exploring labors in an Indian wig
wan on the banks of the Cedar, whose
narrow but deep waters meander by US as
now the Indians highway only; but soon
to be the highway of civilization and COM
merce. Our Sabbath lodge is also Access
sibIe only, Ton land, by the Indians trail;
but soon will he passed by multitudes on
a national road. We also rest on fertile,
delightful lands, looking eastward upon
our track of yesterday for seventy miles,
and westward upon our trail of tomorrow
for twenty miles, without, as the Indian
says, a Chemokomop's (white man's)
wigwam; and yet much of it bought and
soon, very soon, to be occupied by white
men, while the noble but injured sons of
the forest recede toward the setting sun,
indicative of their decline. Nav God
grant that its rising may, in time and glo-
ry, indica,e their resurrection to what be-
comes them as beings made in the image
of the Eternal. This, dear brethren and
sisters, would be your PRAYER also, if you
sat, as do, writing on their bark table,
under their bark roof trying as we do, in
vain, to tell them of Jesus as they call at
our wigwam ; or as they float in their
light bark on the river before us, signing
forth to God our prayer that they also may
through us and with US be borne on the
river of eternal life
Now, beloved; to these red men, so
wronged by us as a nation and church,
! and to the white men who so ra pidIy sue
coed them, IRE are debtors. And what
can we do for them2 Give them not
merely little of our property and an oc-
casional missionary; but all our property,
ourselves, our wives, our children and our
all. But how! The Great Head of the
Church has given US precedent in Ober-
lin; where we may see how we may give
most in our power, and yet receive for or
selves and ours according to what we
give. Oberlin first can be excelled, and
in its light Oberlin second should excel
it,; but it clearly shows the most efectual
means by which this Valley can be Bless
ed and occupied in the name of the Lord,
and Tor the worlds conversion AS re-
ceiying and forwarding house, the Ober-
lin Institute will fill as many new institu-
tons as we can build and through
Christian Consecration of ourselves to God
in this glorious work, with present advan-
tages in purchasing western lands, we
can, throu gh favoring Providence, build
enough to supply the 2lenteous harvest
with laborerS, and make this Valley as
the garden of the Lord. / have found
some brethren, land trust some/of you
will add to their number who will pur-
chase sites for institutions and colonies,
provided colonists will pay such an ad-
vance. on those lands as will endow the in
st!tutions, which many Of you can do,
thus aPproprlating much to build the house
of the Lord, and bless a multitude; and
| still bless Yourselves and households.
We trust Providence will soon furnish
site for OberIin second, and some dear
brethren and sisters who have shared in
the tolls and blessings of OberlIn first are
waiting to occupy it in part as pioneer COL
onists. Hundreds Of families and youth
of both sexes besides, are needed to fill out
our plan of Christian education in the
west. Who of you, beloved, will be Of
their blessed number? Ask God the priv
ilege of being their co-workers and Ia
borers together with him, and having OBJ
tainedit, write you please to his unwor-
thy servant favored with an agency in
this great and good work, and to your af-
fectionate brother.
JOHN ]. SHEPHERD.
NIB. My post office address is still
OberIin, Lorraine Co.. Ohio.
AS nv Oberlin brethren concurrcd with
me in the beliefthat could be more use
full as pioneer in planting other colonies
and institutions, and have necessarily
left that institution for this work, while it
is yet immature greatly needing funds, let
me commend to your christian benefcence,
my worthy and beloved successor in its
agency, Rev. John Keep; saying before
God, brethren, believe he yet draws on
you for the support Of his work at Ober-
lin, and praying that you will as his faith
ful. stewards cash his drafts.
This communication having been de-
laycd till this date, Aug 9th, am happy
to state that site has been secured on