OBKRLIN, JEREMIAH JAMES. 



OBERLIN, JEAN-FRRDERIC. 



sio 



of Edotn. on account of their insolent triumph in the day of the cap- 

 tivit\ of their Hebrew brethren and in the destruction of Jerusalem 

 (TWMS 1-16), and foretell* the restoration of the Jews, the (objection 

 of their enemies, and of Edom among the rest, and the setting up of 

 the kingdom of the Lord (verses 17-21). The conduct of the Edomites 

 at the fall of Jerusalem, which ii referred to in the former part of thin 

 prophecy, is not mentioned in the Old Testament history, but it is 

 alluded to by other prophets and by a writer in the Psalms (Exek. xxv. 

 12; xxxv ; Jerem. xlix. 7-22 ; Amos L 11; Psalms cxxxvii. 7). The 

 latter part U supposed to have been accomplished in tho return of 

 the Jews from Babylon and the victories of the Maccabees over the 

 Edomitec, but tho last words seem to refer to the more remote period 

 when all the world shall become the kingdom of God (compare Rev. xi, 

 IS; xix. 6). The style of Obadiah is clear and energetic; his prophecy 

 forms a short poem. 



OBERLIN, JKKEMIAH JAMES, elder brother of the philan- 

 thropist Oberlin, was born at Strasbourg on the 7th of August 1735, 

 and was educated at the gymnasium of that town. He afterwards 

 spent a few months at Moutbc'liard for the purpose of learning the 

 trench language, and returned to Strasbourg in 1750, where he prose- 

 cuted hu university studies. He took the degree of Doctor of 

 Philosophy in 1758, and afterwards paid considerable attention to tho 

 study of theology. In 1763 he was appointed a teacher in the 

 gytnnabium where he hod been educated, and in 1763 was entrusted 

 with the care of the library of the University of Strasbourg, and 

 obtained ptruii.s.-iou to give lectures on the Latin language. In 1770 

 he was appointed professor of rhetoric, and from this time was 

 accustomed to give lectures on Greek and Roman archaeology, ancient 

 geography, Ac. In 1778 he was appointed extraordinary professor in 

 the university, in 1782 ordinary professor of logic and metaphysics, 

 and in 1787 director of the gymnasium. During the revolution his 

 life waa in ton.-iderablo danger. He was imprisoned at the beginning 

 of November 1793, but obtained his liberty at the end of a few 

 months, and again resumed his lectures at Strasbourg, which h con- 

 tinned till his death, which took place on the 10th of October 1806. 



Oberlin was an accurate and industrious scholar. He published 

 good editions of several of the Latin classics, of which his Tacitus and 

 Ctcsar are considered the most valuable. He had also paid great 

 attention to the study of the ancient French language, and travelled 

 more than once through some of the provinces of France in order to 

 become acquainted with tho different patois spoken in the country. 

 He published several works on this subject, of which the most 

 important are, ' Observations concernant le Patois et les Mojurs des 

 Gens do la Campagne,' Strash., 1791 ; and 'Essai sur lo Patois Lorraine 

 des Environs du ComUS du Ban de la Roche,' 1775. 



Oberlin was also the author of several other works, the principal of 

 which are Diseertatio 1'hilologica de Veterum Ritu condiendi Mor- 

 tuos,' 1757 ; ' RHuum Romanorum Tabulae in usum Auditorum,' 1774 

 (reprinted in 1784); 'Jagendorum Harinm Flnviorumque omnis tcvi 

 Molimina,' 1770-75; aud ' Dissertations sur les Minnesinger* ' (the 

 ' Troubadours of Almoe '), 1782-89. 



The life of Oberliu has been written by Schweighiioser in Latin, and 

 by Wincklrr in tie Magma. Kncycloped.,' 1807. 



NCK'DEKJC, Protestent pastor In the Ban-de-la- 

 Roche, and younger brother of the philologist Jeremiah James Oberlin, 

 was born at Strasbourg on the 31st of August 1740. His education 

 was conducted with the greatest care by bis intelligent and pious 

 parents, and while yet a child he gave striking indications of the 

 benevolence and self-denial which were afterwards so conspicuous in 

 bis conduct He had a strong taste for the military profession ; but 

 as it was his father's desire that he should devote himself to one of 

 UM learned professions, be punmed his studies at the University of 

 Strasbourg and netived holy orders. While he was at the university 

 the preaching of Dr. 1/orentr made a powerful impression on his 

 mind, and be has left behind him a record of bis strong religious 

 feelings in a solemn dedication of himself to God, similar to that 

 recommended by DodHridge in his ' Rise and Progress,' which is dated 

 "Strasbourg, the 1st of January 1760; renewed at Waldbach, the 1st 

 of January 1770." He remained without a pastoral engagement for 

 some years after his ordination (from 1700 to 1767), and during this 

 period be was private tutor in the family of M. Xirgenhagen, on 

 eminent surgeon at Strasbourg. In the year 1766 ho had just 

 accepted tbe ofler of a chaplainahip to a French regiment, when he 

 ws* invited by If. Stonber to succeed him as pastor of tbe Ban-de-la- 

 Roche. This poet afforded to Oberlin the very opportunity which he 

 longed for to devote all bis powers to the good of his fellow-men ; 

 aod he therefore at onee accepted it, and arrived at Waldbach to enter 

 on his duties on the 80th of March 1767. 



Tbe Ban de-la- Roche, or, as it is called in German, the Steinthal 

 (Valley of Stone), was part of the former province of Alsace, in the 

 north-cut of Franco. It is situated on the western slope of the Haut 

 Champ, or Cbamp-de-Feu, a range of mountains to the east of the 

 Voegem, from which chain it is divided by a deep valley. Tbe Ban 

 contains two parishes, one of which is Rotbau, and the other consists 

 of tbe five hatnleU of Foudai, Bclmont, Waldbach, Bellefosae, and 

 Jlolbach. Nearly all the inhabitant* of those hamlets are Lutherans. 

 Tbe soil is sterile, and nearly half of tbe land Is covered with wood. 

 The district was laid waste in the Thirty Years' War, and again in the 



time of Louis XIV. ; so that in the middle of the 13th century it 

 afforded a bare subsistence to some eighty or a hundred families, who 

 were in a state little removed from barbarism, but who possessed one 

 blessing of which all France except Alssce was deprived, namely, 

 religious liberty, which bad been guaranteed to the province of Alsace 

 when it was united with France. In the year 1750 M. Stouber 

 became pastor of this district, and succeeded by great exertions in 

 establishing efficient schools, and in distributing Bibles through the 

 parish, where they had been so scarce before that the former minister 

 had not possessed a copy. Stouber removed to Strasbourg in 1767, 

 after finding in Oberlin a successor well qualified to carry on the work 

 lie had begun. Notwithstanding all Stouber' a exertions, Obf rliu found 

 his parish in a wretched state, and a large party in it obstinately preju- 

 diced against nny improvement, aud prepared to oppose all hU plans. 

 It was only by his great decision and mildness that he escaped 

 personal violence on one or two occasions soon after his arrival. From 

 the moment he set foot in his parish he directed all his energies and 

 learning to the civilisation and religious improvement of bis people. 

 His first object was to bring them into communication with tip ir 

 better-instructed neighbours, from whom they ivcra entirely cut off by 

 the want of roads. He assembled the people, and proposed to them 

 to make a road to Strasbourg by blasting the rocks and building a 

 bridge across the river Bruche at liothau. The peasants with one 

 voice declared the thing to be impossible. Oberlin reasoned with 

 them in vain. At length be took up a pickaxe, and inviting all who 

 saw the importance of his plan to follow him, he set to work with hi- 

 own hands. Thj peasants at once joined him, and by their efforts, 

 assisted by the contributions of Oberlin's friends, the road w.is made 

 and the bridge built by the beginning of the year 1770. Tho results 

 which Oberlin had foreseen soon followed. The people could now dis- 

 pose of th eir produce and supply their wants ; agricultural implements 

 were imported ; and several young men from his parish were appren- 

 ticed in Strasbourg to the most useful mechanical trades, which wore 

 thus introduced into the Steinthal. Oberliu next turned his attention 

 to the agriculture of the district, which wus in the worst possible 

 state ; but he found his people little disposed to be t.tught their own 

 art by one brought up in a town. He appealed, as before, to their 

 senses, by planting with fruit-trees two large gardens belonging to tho 

 pastor's house, which were crossed by public foot-paths. His trees 

 flourished ; the people came to him to beg for slips and to 'learn the 

 art of rearing them ; and in a few years the desolate cottages of the 

 Ban-de-ki-Roche were surrounded with neat orchards. The potato s, 

 which were the principal food of the people, had so degenerated that 

 some fields only yielded about one-third of their former crop. Tho 

 people blamed the laud ; but Oberliu procured new seed, and as tho 

 soil of the mountains was well adapted to the culture of the potato, 

 abundant crops, and of a very superior quality, were soon obtained. 

 He also introduced the culture of flax and Dutch clover, taught the 

 people the value of manure, persuaded them to convert a en -at 

 quantity of pasturage into arat.lo land, and established an agricultural 

 society and a fund for the distribution of prizes to the farmers. 



Oberlin was no less zealous in promoting education in his parish. 

 He procured the erection of a new school-house at Waldbach in 

 place of the log-hut built by Stouber, which had fallen to decay; 

 and in a few years a new school-house was built in each of tha other 

 four hamlets. To him also belongs the honour of being the founder 

 of infant-schools, which he established in each commune, placing 

 them under the management of conductresses paid at his own 

 expense. In these schools the children were not allowed to speak a 

 word of patois. In the higher schools the subjects taught were 

 reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, the principles of agriculture, 

 astronomy, aud sacred aud profane history. Oberlin carefully super- 

 intended all the schools, and reserved the religious instruction almost 

 entirely to himself. He made great efforts to supply the people with 

 suitable books, some of which were printed at his own expense: 

 among these was an aluiauac which he drew up for the use of his 

 parishioner*. 



None of these schemes for the worldly advantage of his flock ever 

 diverted Oberlin from bis peculiar duties as their religious teacher. 

 He constantly laboured to impress upon them that they must do 

 everything from religious principle, aud even the planting of trees 

 and the repairing of a roal were represented by him as works which 

 were to be performed from love to God. So far did he carry this 

 mode of connecting fith and good works, that he required of all 

 young persons applying for confirmation a certificate from their 

 parents of their having planted two trees. His preaching was simple 

 impressive, and affectionate, well adapted to the minds of his poop].-, 

 and perfectly orthodox. In the year 1782 he founded a Christian 

 Society for the religious improvement of his flock ; and dissolved it 

 in 17S3, on account of the opposition it met with from some, whom 

 his gentle spirit did not wish to offend. His own conduct was always 

 influenced by the most sincere piety, and by a strong practical faith 

 in a superintending Providence. This faith he carried so far, that he 

 used to keep by him slips of paper with the words Oui and Non 

 written on them, with which he drew lota whenever he found him- 

 self unable to decide which of two courses to pursue, believing that 

 ' the lot is cart into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the 

 Lord." (Prov., xvi. 33.) At the time of the French Revolution, tho 



