STACK, Matthew

[s. 717] : Born at Maukendorf, MoDied, December 21, 1787. ravia, March 4, 1711. In his early youth he had deep religious impre ions, and, leaving Moravia, he went to Herrnhut, Soon after his conversion he received in Saxony. from Count Zinzendorf an impre ion of the condition of the Green landers which led him to devote himself to work among the heathen. He set out with his cousin. Christian Stack, and Christian David for Copenhagen, January 19, 1733. On their arrival they found that the mi ion under Egede was about to be abandoned, communication with Green land closed, and their project was regarded as romantic and ill-timed. They applied to Count Von Ple , the king’s chamberlain, who fully stated the difficulties. “How”We will cultivate live?” he asked. the soil, and look for the Lord’s ble ing.” “There is no soil to cultivate nothing but ice and snow.” “Then we must try to live as the natives do.” “But in what will you live?” “We will you —”But there is no will build ourselves a house.” wood in that country.” “Then we will dig holes there.” “No,” said the and live in the ground Count, seeing their faith, “you shall not do that. Here are $50 to help you: take wood with you.” Stronacliy John Other persons aided them. The king decided to reopen communication with Green land, and gave them a letter to Egede, commending them to his kind attention. Matthew Stack embarked with his two friends April, 1733, and after a six weeks’ voyage reached Ball’s River, where he selected a place for a mi ion and called it New Herrnhut. In commencing his work Matthew Stack encountered great The language was difficult of acquiobstacles. sition; the natives not only refused to listen to him but were positively hostile, in various ways annoying and persecuting him. They mimicked his reading, praying, and singing; interrupted his devotions by hideous howling and beating of drums. They stoned him, destroyed his goods, attempted to send his boat out to sea, and even sought to take his life. He was often in straits for provisions, and obliged to buy seals from the Green landers, who sometimes refused to sell them at any price. Often he had to live on and sea-weed, a little oatmeal mixed with train oil, and even old tallow-candles. But, nothing daunted, he toiled on, when, after five years of privation and suffering, he had the reward of his patient endurance. As one of his a ociates was copying a translation of the Gospel of Matthew some natives from South Green land pa ing by, stopped, and asked what was in that book. On the mi ionary’s reading the story of God’s love and the sufferings of Christ to save us, Kajarnak, one of the savages, said with much earnestne : “How was that? Tell me that once more, for I, too, would fain be saved.” He became a Christian, was baptized, labored faithfully for Christ, and died in the faith the following year. His companions through his converted, and soon three large efforts were families pitched their tents near the mi ionary, After that they might hear more of the Gospel. forty years spent in the Green land Mi ion, he went, in 1771, to Wachovia, in North Carolina, and for years devoted himself to teaching the children in Beth a bar a, N. C. In 1783 he united with the Salem Congregation in celebrating the semi-annual centennial jubilee of the Green land Mi ion. In 1785 he was rendered helple by a fall. When told that the Master would soon come and call for him, he raised his clasped hands and said, with deep emotion, “Yes, dearest Savior, come soon, come soon.” He died December 21, 1787, in the 77th year of his age. shell-fish STALL YBRASS, Edward: A mi ionarv of the LMS to Siberia from 1817tol839. His first station was Irkutsk. In 1819 he commenced a station at Selenginsk. The early time of his residence here was spent in exploring the southeast of Lake Baikal with Mr. Rhamn, and later with Mr. Swan among the Chorinsky Buriats. On his return from a visit to England he made his home at St. Petersburg, and for some time was engaged in the revision of the Mongolian Scriptures. In 1840 the Siberian Mi ion was suppre ed by the Ru ian Government, and he returned to England. He died at Shooter’s Hill, Kent, July 25, 1884, aged 91. 718