At three o’clock, J.Y. writes, we set off to Kornthal under most trying feelings; I do not know when I have suffered so much from discouragement.  On account of the death of the pastor, many were come to attend the interment which was to take place the next day.  This caused the meeting to be large; not less than 700 persons were present, and among them six or seven pastors.  The service commenced with a few verses; the first words were these:—­

    “Holy Spirit come unto us,
     And make our hearts thy dwelling-place.”

I can truly say I was awfully impressed with their meaning, and a secret prayer rose in my heart that it might be experienced amongst us.  After the singing, a silence truly solemn ensued, and I intimated that I felt an impression to say a few words.  When I sat down our kind friend the Director summed up the substance of what I had said, and repeated it in an impressive and becoming manner.  He did this with the idea that some present who only understood Low German might not have clearly got the sense; however, we were told afterwards that they had understood every word that I had said.  Hoffman generously acknowledged to the hearers that what had been delivered was strictly conformable with Scripture doctrine, and that he united most fully with it.

Next morning the children being assembled for religious instruction, at the conclusion I requested they might remain awhile, and I had a few words to say to them, which was a relief to my mind.  Hoffman asked if they had understood; they almost all answered, Ja, ja, ja.

This visit has afforded an opportunity of our becoming acquainted with many serious characters out of the neighborhood who were come to the interment; many of them felt near to me in spirit.  Hoffman’s wife is a precious, still character; there is much sweetness in her countenance.  All received us heartily in Christian love; it felt to me as if it were the night before one of our Monthly Meetings, and I was at a Friend’s house, so much freedom was to be felt.  The inn is kept by Hoffman; they would make us no charge, saying love must pay all.  We were most easy to make a present to the box for the institution, but they would have refused it, saying feelingly, Travellers like you have many expenses.

The cause for J.Y.’s peculiar discouragement in the prospect of this meeting was the want of an interpreter.  Any one who knows the difficulty of public speaking or continuous discourse in a foreign language, will comprehend the anxiety which he felt when he saw no alternative but that of committing himself to preach in German.  Though very familiar with the language, he never completely overcame the want of early and of thoroughly grammatical instruction in that difficult and intricate tongue.  It was with feelings of this kind that he penned the following memorandum before going to Kornthal:—­

18_th_.—­Extremely low in mind and in want of faith.  No creature can conceive what I suffer in the prospect of having to speak in a foreign tongue in a religious meeting.