Page:Historical and biographical sketches.djvu/229



book contains a preface written at Ephrata, Pa., 14th of Fourth month, 1739, which with the title-page covers fourteen pages; seven hundred and ninety-two pages of hymns, and fourteen pages of index. It is dedicated “To all solitary Turtle-Doves cooing in the wilderness as a spiritual harp — playing in the many times of divine visitation.” There are a number of facts in the bibliographical history of the Weyrauchs Hügel, any one of which would be enough to make it a remarkable publication. It was the first book printed in German type in America. It was the first book from the justly celebrated and prolific colonial press of Christopher Saur of Germantown. A letter from Germantown dated November 16th, 1738, and published in the “Geistliche Fama,” a European periodical of the Inspired, says: “We have here a German book-publishing house established by Saur, and the Seventh-day Baptists have had a great hymn book printed of old and new hymns mixed.” In rather a curious way it led to the establishment of the Ephrata press. The 37th verse of the 400th hymn runs as follows : —

Which translated literally is —