CHAPTER VII.

Progress of the Gospel-Death of an old Greenland womanSteady progress of the congregation-The Sabbath-The Lord's Supper-Deaths of converted Greenlanders-Brotherly love between the Danish and Moravian Missionaries-Labours of the Danish Missionaries-A severe winter-Visitation of a Moravian Bishop-Letter of a Christian Greenlander-Destructive sickness-Death of Nathaniel, Matthew Kajarnak, Jonas, &c.-Marked difference in the death-bed of the believing and the unbelieving Greenlanders-Another destructive sickness-Kindness of the Greenlanders to the widows and orphans-Increase of the congregation—A famine-Enmity of the Heathen to the believing Greenlanders-Some Greenlanders excluded from the Lord's Supper-Enlarged benevolence of the believers.

In the following year, the aversion of the unconverted Greenlanders to the Gospel became still more marked. One of the Missionaries thus describes a visit which he made to them in the beginning of this year: "It was as if my heart was locked up, and I could have wept on account of the horrible power of darkness dominant over the savages this winter, whereby many souls are carried away, who had once been laid hold of by grace. A couple of children, who had lived for some time among us, and had been fetched away again by their father, were very shy, and, upon being asked the reason, answered with tears, that they had been prevailed upon to return to the heathenish vanities. One man declared, that he had often a drawing to be converted, and to be a believer in Jesus, but the love

* The writer may be understood to describe such characters as are alluded to in the parable of the sower, under the similitude of rocky ground, in which the seed grows for a time, but soon withers. None who have known "the grace of God in truth" can ever fall away, for he who has begun the good work in them, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. See John x. 27-29.

PROGRESS OF THE CONGREGATION.

147 to the sinful customs of the heathen always got the sway again. So long as we were with them, they desisted from these things, in order not to grieve us; but were so much the worse when we were gone again. Another person said, what she heard of our Saviour was a refreshment to her, only she was not able to retain it, her heart being like a bag full of holes, which lets every thing through. Every morning and evening we kept a meeting in the house where we lodged, to which every one had leave to come who had an inclination. But not many attended these meetings. Oh! how we bowed down, on account of the grace our Saviour has imparted to our Greenlanders! Defective as some of them still are, yet the difference betwixt them and the savages is unspeakably great."

But still the testimony of the Missionaries and believing Greenlanders among the Heathen was not in vain; for, at the approach of winter, several families came to live at New Herrnhuth; and, at the end of the year, these were joined by several Greenlanders who had been led to serious reflection concerning their state, eight years before, at the time of the awakening in Kangek; whence it appeared that, when the gospel once takes root, even in the hearts of ignorant savages, it ceases not to grow and flourish till it has produced the fruits of righteousness.

While the brethren regarded with pleasure these accessions to the numbers of the congregation, they rejoiced still more in the growing spirituality of their people. One of the Missionaries wrote thus concerning them: "We have at present an exceeding blessed time in Greenland; such a season we could form no conception of, some years ago. The Lord hath done more for us, than we knew how to pray for. Our heart often dissolves within us, on account of the stream of life which is poured forth upon this people, and which breaks through all opposition. We are frequently filled with shame, and are astonished when we behold a people, who were lately so savage, stupid, and insensible, now so sensibly affected at speaking or singing of the sufferings of Jesus, that tears of love and joy roll in streams down their cheeks; and that a people, who usually never settle long in one place, are

now collected into a congregation; and, when they go to sea, remain still as near as possible to our place, and if they chance to be from four to six leagues off, come however almost all to their meetings on Sunday, and, like children, desire to be fed with the blessed doctrine of the wounds of Jesus. When the joyful message is carried to one of them, that he is to be received or baptized, he has scarce patience to wait the happy hour; and it is discernible in his countenance, which formerly was savage, dark, and hideous, but now clear, agreeable and lamb-like, that inwardly a greater change must have been wrought, than can be conceived by us.'

This year, eight of the baptized fell asleep in Jesus. One of these was an aged woman, named Eve. When she was asked, in her tedious sickness, how she did? her answer was, "Here I lie, and my inward part converses with my bleeding Lamb, and I long ardently soon to kiss his wounds." When it was thought she had lost her speech, it was discernible in her countenance that, instead of common death-pangs, she was occupied in happy meditations; at one time she pointed with her hands upwards, as if she would grasp at something, and immediately began to speak again, and said, "Ah! what a clear light! See the Lamb! How bright his wounds shine! Now I go!" and soon after she expired. Seven more of the congregation died this year, over whom the Missionaries could rejoice, as having fallen asleep in Jesus.

As some of the principal occurrences in the history of the Greenland congregation, which took place in the year 1749, are recorded in the memoirs of converted Greenlanders, appended to this volume, we shall here pass it over, merely remarking that the general course of the congregation, during this period, may be described in the words of Acts ix. 31-" Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."

Neither do we find that many occurrences materially differing from those which have been already related, in the history of previous periods, happened during the two next years. The congregation continued steadily

THE SABBATH.

149 to increase; the baptized, with few exceptions, adorned their profession of the gospel by a holy life; while their edifying deaths shewed that the Lord, in whom they trusted, had indeed swallowed up death in victory. Some events, however, in the history of this period, deserve to be particularly mentioned, on account of the instruction contained in them.

The first anecdote which we shall record in this place, reminds us of the natural disinclination of the human heart to trust God for a temporal supply, in the use of means which lie within the limits of his revealed will. In January and February, when there is commonly the greatest scarcity, such an immense flock of willocks visited the islands, that they could be driven on shore, and caught with the hand. The consequence of this superfluity was pretty much the same as that of the manna in the wilderness. The Greenlanders on Saturday evening brought home such quantities of them, that their bodies and kayaks were filled with forty or fifty a-piece. Many were consequently enticed to set out early on Sunday morning, in quest of more. But, in the evening, they brought back only weary limbs; and their failure was represented to them as a silent reproof for not being contented with the plenteous supply of the former day, but breaking the Sabbath out of an inordinate desire for more. Alas! how many professing Christians, in our own country, without having any such plea of necessity as had the poor Greenlanders, systematically devote a portion of the Sabbath to their worldly avocations! Such, however, are Christians in name only, and their character will generally be found to correspond to that which the prophet has drawn of the Sabbath-breakers of his day" Saying, when will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?" Amos viii. 5.

The converted Greenlanders manifested a great desire to be admitted to the participation of the Lord's supper; and it is evident, from their own declarations, that this desire originated, not from that senseless admiration of a mere external rite which we frequently see in professing Christians, but from viewing this di

vine ordinance as a channel through which the grace of Christ is communicated to his believing people. "We desire to be admitted to this most intimate fellowship with our Saviour," would these poor people say, "because we observe something particular in the life and conduct of those who enjoy that privilege, and, especially after their meeting, we can read in their countenances that they must have enjoyed something unspeakably happy." Observe how divine ordinances are recommended to others, by the holy and consistent conduct of those who participate in them. What a fearful condemnation awaits those who, by a contrary behaviour, cause the Lord's appointments to be abhorred ! "Woe unto the world because of offences; for it must needs be that offences will come, but woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh." The assembly of Greenland communicants at the Lord's supper, on Good Friday, 1758, consisted exactly of a hundred persons. How must the hearts of the faithful Missionaries have been cheered, by beholding such a goodly assemblage! One family alone was absent: they had gone out without the knowledge of the brethren; and hearing, on their return, that they had missed the holy communion, they shed floods of tears. The wife supposed that, by absenting herself from the Lord's supper, she had forfeited her right to attend the other meetings of the communicants, but upon being told that she had permission to go to them, she replied, "Now my heart is somewhat easier than before.' Surely this poor people felt that a day in God's "courts is better than a thousand," Psalm lxxxiv.

In the year 1751, eleven converted Greenlanders passed out of time into eternity: they all departed in peaceful and confident reliance on their Almighy Saviour. It may be profitable to notice a few particulars in the life and death of some of them.

Jonathan, whose heathen name was Kays, was a very singular man: humble, courteous, and cheerful, the useful services which he rendered to the congregation, as a native assistant, caused the brethren to feel his loss very much. Indeed, Jonathan was generally loved and respected. His funeral was attended by about two hundred persons, chiefly Greenlanders, whose