Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-09-18

third day after our arrival, company of en-
igrants from Red River of t1e North came
along, from whom we obtained -four sufficient
to serve us for nearly year, as also oxen and
mich cows of which we were in great need,
on much more reasonable terms than they
could have been got elsewhere.
When his servant, S. w. Pond, after fast
ing for four days and four nights had reason
to think that the man whom he had hired for
a guide had thoughts of killing and eating him
and to get away from him, FASTENED through
the deep SHOWS till his strength was exhaust
ed, while yet eight miles from house, he
came to horses on the prairie, and seating HIM
self on rock, though he had never seen them
before, when he called them one came to him.
and without saddle or bride soon brought him
to his destination, the mission station at Lac
qui Parle.
If, at times to teach us to sympathize with
| our neighbours, our food has not satisfied the
demands of our stomach, it has nevertheless
given us strength for the work we had to do.
But even when our food has been such as
we had not been accustomed to, and such as
| we might have apprehended would be inju-
| rious to health, we have eaten it with good
| relish and felt well satisfied The winter af-
| ter brother Riggs arrived at Lac qui Parle,
| the supply of -four was small, very sour, and
| part of it musty, and most of our bread was
| made of corn killed by frost in the roast ear
state, and so rotten that a well fed horse
would not touch it, yet we had excellent
| health.
Thus he has ever fulfilled the promise, GAS
thy days so shall thy strength be-"
When assaed by deadly weapons, hand
not ours has arrested or turned aside the
knife or arrow intended to reach our vitals.
The powder in the gun has not kindled, or if
| the lead has reached us, it has inflicted no
serious wound and we have been kept from
violence and enabled to return good for the
evil intended to be done to us.
Further, when all about us have been
alarmed, and we advised to flee for our lives,
he has fulfilled the promise, Thou shalt not
be afraid for the terror by night nor for the ar
rows that file by day." and when our neigh
bors have been unable to sleep protected by a
guard of armed men, we have slept soundly,
guarded only by the Shepherd of Israel.
| Those of us who were parents, on leaving
Christian land dreaded nothing so much as
bringing up our children among the heather,
and here | must testify that God has not on
|
better than our hopes. We have no reason
better if we had brought them up in the
churches whence we came. There are about
forty-fve living children of those who have
labored among the Dakotas in connection with
the American Board of Foreign Missions and
call Minnesota their native land Not quite
half of them are over Ia years of age and
rather more than half are hopefully pious.
| The Israelites were required to remember
all the way in which the Lord led them through
the sea and the wilderness, to humble them,
prove them, and make known what was in
their hearts, and He has probably had similar
design in his dealings with us, at least con-
Sideration of his dealings with us and our
shortcomings is we'll suited to humble us.
The remembrance of the way in which
God had led them, was well suited to impress
their minds with sense, not only of their
own vileness but of all Gods glorious perfec-
tons, that having their hearts filled with
gratitude and love to Jehovah they might
trust in him and march fearlessly on to take
possession of the promised land. Is not a
remembrance of the way in which he has
led us well calculated to impress the same
truths on our minds? AS He has led some
|
| Himself to be still the same powerful, loving,
gracious, faithful, prayer-hearing God who
led Israel through the desert and the sea-
Shall we hesitate to follow the cloudy pillar,
the leadngs of His word and providence
Minnesota is a part of the inheritance of our
| Captain. He has brought us here to take
possession of it for Him. Shall we through
sloth or cowardice neglect to do so?
L., al Al
planted in Minnesota were Presby terrain
churches, and while we rejoice and thank
God for what other evangelical denominations
Of christians are doing to subdue the pOpula-
ton of Minnesota to Christ, we must not for
get large part of this work belongs to us.
Let us remember, also, that the heather
are promised to the Son of God for his mher-
itance as well as the uttermost parts of the
earth for his possession. We are not called
on as were the Israelites, to destroy the abo-
rhymes of the land to which he has sent us,
but to convert them to christianity. Efforts
to do this will not at all retard the evangelical
ton of our cOuntrymen, but the contrary
| When Italy was invaded by Hannibal,
Rome was saved by carrying the war into
Africa. The Christian church is strengthen
ed by invading the realms of darkness. Some
tell us that we should make all right at home
before taking the gospel to the heather, but
this does not seem to consist with the Divine
| plan. We are commanded to preach the Cos
pei to all nations, and till this is done, we have
no assurance that his ancient people, the
| Jews, shall! be brought in with the fulness of
the Gentle nations-that every people shall
be all neighbOrs. Statistics show that on an
average in modern times more converts are
made by the same number of years of min
isterial labor among the heather than in what
are called christian lands and even those mis-
sions to the heather which are least success
FIJI in this respect, strengthen the churches
which sustain them. We are required to
preach the gospel to every creature in every
land, but especially in Minnesota We are
sent to contend with infidclity and intemper-
ance of every form, selfshncss, covetous-
ness, and every species of idolatry and I'M
godncss-to fight with all the host of the
prince of darkness Ours is the noblest work
in which mortal men were ever called to en-
gage. Let us labor faithfully and fight man
fully against sin in ourselves as well as others.
| We indeed are feeble and unable in our own
| strength to subdue our adversaaies, but our
| Leader is mighty. He who is faithful has
promised us the victory. Let us then con-
stantly, ferventy, confidently look and pray
for all the aid we need, to Him whose is the
wisdom and power, and goodness, and mercy
and TRUTH and to whom alone shall be ascrib
ed all the honor, glory and blessing, now and