Schleiermacher’s Father to his Brother-in-law.
[V.] Anhalt [no date].
… . About six weeks ago we returned home from a rather long journey, the object of which was our children, whose temporal and eternal welfare has for some time past weighed on my heart more than ever—particularly that of our two sons, as we were somewhat embarrassed what to do with them, in consequence of the rector, Mr. S——, having been recalled to his native city. But the promise of our Lord, “call on me in thy need,” has been mercifully fulfilled in regard to us. More than a year ago we had heard of an excellent educational institution, which was said to have been established by the Moravian Brethren at Niesky in Upper Lusatia, and in the autumn we determined in consequence to undertake a journey thither. We arrived in Upper Lusatia just at the time when not only the Directory from Barby, but a number of deputies, from the congregations of the Brethren throughout the world, were assembled in Synod at Berthelsdorf. Such an assembly was quite new to us, and we learnt there to know a number of worthy men, who are working together with one mind and one heart, for the most pious object man can entertain, viz., the founding and spreading of the kingdom of Jesus. Many of these worthy people were already known to me through their writings, and through the history of their missions, which I had read; and during my journeys since the last war, I had often visited their establishments, and witnessed their devotional exercises; but my dear wife was most forcibly impressed by what she saw of these excellent people with whom we at once felt at home, and with whom we harmonized as with bosom friends, so that it was not long before we whispered to each other, “Here it is good to be.” But it was not ordained that we should pitch our tent there, and consequently, after we had seen everything at Herrnhut, we journeyed on to Niesky, where we found the educational establishment in every respect excellent beyond expectation. The village is small but pleasant, and the air very pure. The educational establishment consists of the pædagogio and a child’s school;1 in the former, there are about forty young people, and in the latter more than sixty children. I visited as many of the classes as possible, and in all I found the instruction thorough-going. The supervision exercised in this institution, as also the economical arrangements, seem to me as perfect as any I have ever known. However, what to us was most satisfactory was, that the one great and important object of man, reconciliation with God, is here, as in all Moravian establishments, founded upon the only true basis, the bloody sacrifice of Christ, which— when, by the grace of God it has become active in the heart of man, and he has accepted it, and by true faith has made it his own—forms the sole source whence is derived every virtue of which man is capable, in time and in eternity. In all other schools with which I am acquainted, however good they may be, externals merely are worked at; all endeavours being directed, according to the parable of our Saviour, towards putting one new patch after the other, on the old coat. Under such circumstances happy is he, who discovers before the end of his days the great rent that runs through the whole, and who in his dismay, flies to Him who alone has the power of healing.
That our children have within the last year opened their eyes to this human corruption, and that they have, each in his or her own way, been enabled to discover it in themselves, we cannot but look upon as the work of God’s spirit in their hearts. These effects of divine grace became more and more evident throughout the winter; they were every day more impressed with the nature of true peace; and they became, in consequence, more and more anxious not to be sent away from us and out into the world, full of their natural corruption, but implored to be allowed to go to Niesky. We took them there on the 27th of March, and our children at once felt themselves at home. The heart of our dear daughter, more especially, sympathized so strongly with the arrangements and the form of divine service in the congregation, that she conceived, and also soon expressed, a warm desire to be permitted to remain there. Her mother, who was the one whom this wish most concerned, as she would thereby be deprived of a dear companion and assistant, nevertheless did not hesitate long before she determined to sacrifice her own interests to the true welfare of her child, should it be proved, after a time, that the wish of her daughter was not evanescent, but was based on a firm foundation, and would be acceptable to Him who governs all things.