Therefore they hope from the justice of the Right Honorable Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, to whom their petition to their excellencies the Lord Justices has been referred, that they shall be so supported by their Lordships' report, as to be represented fit objects to be secured in the land they now do inhabit, or in some near adjoining lands remaining in the right of the Crown of said Province of New York. -August 2, 1720- But a new difficulty arose. The far-seeing eye of Weiser had Pennsylvania in view as the proper home of his people. He conceived the scheme of securing from the government an exchange of their lands in New York for others on the Swatara. To this Scheff was violently opposed, and accordingly filed his protest with the Board, declaring any such proposition of Weiser a violation of instructions. 'Your petitioner,' he writes, 'hearing with grief that John Conrad Weiser has petitioned your Lordships, for obtaining a tract of land called Chettery(Swatara), most humbly entreats your Lordships to dismiss the said Weiser's petition as being directly contrary to our instructions and the inclinations of our people, who earnestly desire to lead a quiet and peaceable life, and are utterly averse to expose their tender children and childbearing women to another transportation by water, as still remebering the loss of most of their young children at their going from home to America." " Hunter's recall to England and his appearance before the Board was an effectual obstacle to any efforts for the confirmation of their titles to their lands. Lands in other localities in New York were offered instead to those willing to remove. Some accepting this offer, removed to the district known as Stoney Arabia. Others, who, by their thrift, had accumulated means, purchased their old homes. But still others, chiefly from Hartmansdorf and Weisersdorf followed Weiser's advice, as the best solution of the problem, and turned their faces southward to Pennsylvania. As we turn from New York to descend the Susquehanna with these pioneers, we may interrupt the narrative for a few moments,and, going forward nearly a quarter of a century, look upon the closing scene of the life of their leader, as it shows whence his intrepid courage and undaunted perseverence came. 'In the year 1746,' writes Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, 'my wife's grandfather, Conrad Weiser, Sr., came to my house, having been living in the Province of New York, since 1710, and more recently on the borders of New England.* * * He was so much exhausted by the long and fatiguing journey at his great age, that he was almost dead when he was brought into my house.After he had been resting in bed for twenty-four hours and he had partaken of some nourishment he was refreshed. Then he began in half broken accents, devoutly to repeat the hymn: 'Schwing dich auf zu deinem Gott' etc., especially repeating the third verse. His eyesight was very dim; his hearing was so dull that I could not speak much with him; but as I listened to him repeating from his heart passages of Scripture, such as: 'Surely He hath borne our griefs,' etc., 'This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptations,' etc., 'God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself,'etc., I could not refrain from tears of joy. To these he added verses concerning the personal appropriation of Christ, as 'Come unto me all ye that labor, 'etc., 'Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out,' etc., and ' Father, I have sinned against Heaven,' etc. ' and God be merciful to me a sinner.' He repeated also 'Ach Vater deck all meine Suende,' the sixth stanza of the hymn, 'Wer weiss wie nahe mir mein Ende.' 'O Father, cover all my sins With Jesus' merits, Who alone The pardon that I covet wins, And make His long-sought rest my own. My God, for Jesus' sake I pray, Thy peace may bless my dying day.' I had quieted everything around him, so that he might not notice the presence of any one, in order that he might alone and in spirit hold communion with the Omnipresent God.* * *He expressed an anxious desire for the Holy Supper, adding that as there had been no pastors in the region where he had been living, he had not received it for some years. It was Sunday, and some members of our congregation had called before the hour of worship. So he made confession of his sins, humbled himself in the presence of his Saviour, as a poor worm, worthy of condemnation, implored grace and pardon, and asked for the Holy Spirit, that he might lead a better life. Such an impression was made on all present that they were melted to tears,* * * In the meantime my father-in-law sent a wagon for him, furnished with a bed, and so had him conveyed to his own home, fifty miles up the country. Upon leaving, he gave us his blessing. He arrived at the house of his son, after a very fatiguing journey, and lived yet for a short time with his Joseph in Goshen. Then at last, he fell asleep amid the loving prayers and sighs of his children and his childrens' children, who stood around him, his wandering in his pilgrimage having been continued between eighty and ninety years." ==== PENNA-DUTCH Mailing List ==== Forgot how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE? Send the appropriate one word message to PENNA-DUTCH-L-REQUEST@ROOTSWEB.COM