Letter of Rev. Jacob Vonbrunn
VONBRUNN’S VILLE, Dec. 22nd, 1859
Rev. J. B. Taylor:
MY DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST - Being again favored
with an epistle from you, which arrived on the above date, to the
same I avail myself to reply. I thank you for your kind wishes
expressed in the letter, and for the serious points of the dealings of
Divine Providence. May He be our guide to the end.
We have no information about any conversions of the
heathen friends to whom we endeavoured to preach, but we are
happy to state we are much encouraged to see more readiness of
the people now to hear the Word of God. That the people are
convinced of their foolishness in trusting in those gregrees, or
charms. Last month Young Soldier went up into the interior to
settle some palaver. On his return he came to me and thanked me
heartily for the Gospel which has been preached to him and his
people. He also stated that during his stay in that part of the
country he could not enjoy himself so well, or do anything
satisfactorily, while attending to those palavers, without his private
prayers being first offered. This man is the son of the late well-
known King Soldier of this country; he is, therefore, called Young
Soldier. He infonned me, also, that he does not care any more at
all about his gregrees which he used to worship. Begged me very
much that I should do all I can for his two younger sons in this
school. They are smart boys. In intend to send one up to the
Hope, as brother Richardson wishes. He has been here lately.
The ground of my encouragement is, I remember some
years back, when the late Rev. Ivory Clarke and I used to go about
in different towns begging the people to hear the Word of God,
those willing number, that we saw in those days, were twenty at a
time. From January to this time, I have seen and preached to a
more attentive number of the people of both sexes, in different
places, at both morning and evening sendee, in their own
language. The 30 towns mentioned in my last, which you also
mention, some are improving to be larger towns. The people are
coming nearly every day from different places to place themselves
under my protection. In a word, I do not now look for the people
and beg that they should listen to the Word of truth. But they are
looking for the preacher, begging for preachers, being ready to
