FACULTY OF WATTS MEMORIAL COLLEGE FOR MEN, GUNTUR.
|Early Trials.| The work was not without its hard trials. When the first financial help arrived, two years after the missionaries had landed, the drunken captain upset in the harbor the chest of treasure and it was lost. The work of the missionaries was opposed by the Danish chaplains and by the Roman Catholics. On account of his defense of a poor widow who had been cheated, Ziegenbalg was cast into prison for four months.
That the faith of these pioneers was unfailing may be shown by a prayer, written by one of them on the fly leaf of a mission church-book in 1707.
“O Thou exalted and majestic Savior, Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Redeemer of the whole human race! Thou who through Thy holy apostles hast everywhere, throughout the whole world, gathered a holy congregation out of all peoples for Thy possession, and hast defended and maintained the same even until now against all the might of hell, and moreover assurest Thy servants that Thou wilt uphold them even to the end of the world, and in the very last times wilt multiply them by calling many of the heathen to the faith! For such goodness may Thy name be eternally praised, especially also because Thou, through Thy unworthy servants in this place, dost communicate to Thy Holy Word among the heathen Thy blessing, and hast begun to deliver some souls out of destructive blindness, and to incorporate them with the communion of Thy holy Church. Behold, it is Thy Word, do Thou support it with divine power, so that by Thy power many thousand souls may be born to Thee in these mission stations, which bear the names of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, souls which afterwards may be admitted out of this earthly Jerusalem into Thy heavenly Jerusalem with everlasting and exultant joy. Do this, O Jesus, for the sake of Thy gracious promise and Thy holy merit. Amen.”
|Literary Work.| Ziegenbalg prepared an order of service and a hymnal and translated the New Testament into Tamil--the first translation of the New Testament into an East Indian tongue. An English missionary society, hearing of his labors, sent him a printing press. By 1712 he had composed or had translated thirty-eight books or pamphlets. Among his original works was an account of the native religions. The value of this treatise has become more appreciated as men have realized the importance of a thorough knowledge of those religious principles which unchristianized peoples already possess. To such knowledge was due much of Saint Paul’s success among the Greeks.
|Travels.| Ziegenbalg travelled as far as Madras. On this journey he talked with native rulers and British governors and preached to all who would hear about the only true God.
|Reinforcements.| In 1709 three missionaries were sent to his aid. Of the three John Ernst Gründler proved most able. When in 1711 it seemed best for one of the missionaries to return to Europe to present the needs of the mission, Plütschau was selected to go. There he accepted a pastorate. The testimony of Ziegenbalg to his faithful work accompanied him.
In 1714 Ziegenbalg visited Denmark, leaving the mission in charge of Gründler. Upon his return in 1716 he brought with him a plan for the regular government of the mission, the assurance of ample financial support and a helpmate, Maria Dorothea Saltzmann, who was the first woman ever sent to a foreign field.
|The New Jerusalem Church.| In February 1717, Ziegenbalg had the satisfaction of dedicating a large native church, the New Jerusalem Church, which is used to this day. He preached the sermon and the newly appointed governor laid the corner stone. He continued to establish village schools, he opened a seminary for the training of native preachers and he provided work by which the poorest of his converts could earn a living. Except for medical work his mission settlement included all the activities of the most complete missionary enterprises at the present time.
For two more years Ziegenbalg labored, growing meanwhile aware that his life was drawing to a close. The record of his service leads us to expect that when his death took place in February 1719 we should find him an old man. It is with a shock that we realize that he was only thirty-six. He was buried in the New Jerusalem Church.