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that peculiar trial to which Moses was exposed, as the leader of an unbelieving and rebellious people. The colonists, owing to their exaggerated idea of the productiveness of the Greenland fishery, had taken with them but little fish, or salt provision. They were unacquainted with the country: the rein-deer and hares were shy; and as they could catch scarcely any fish with the tackle which they had brought, want began to pinch them, and many were attacked with the scurvy. Loud murmurs, owing principally to their disappointment at the non-arrival of the store-ship, arose against the Minister, for leading them to such an inhospitable desert, and they all determined to forsake the country at the departure of the ship that wintered at Godhaab.

These things reduced Mr. Egede to a state of great perplexity. His conscience would not suffer him to desert a post which he had gained after the labour of many long years, yet he could not stay behind his companions, and see his wife and children perish. Having in vain attempted to change the determination of the people, he felt constrained to take the painful resolution of returning with the ship which brought him to Greenland. But his wife withstood this intention with such firmness as re-animated his expiring courage, and shamed his unbelief-she not only refused to pack any thing up, but reprimanded those who began to demolish their habitations, admonishing them not to put themselves to unnecessary trouble, as she had a clear conviction that a ship was sent out, and would soon arrive; nor was she deceived, for, on the 27th of June a vessel arrived with supplies; and with assurance from the merchants, that they would carry on the trade; and from the Mission College, that the king would support the mission to the utmost of his power.

Even in this early stage of the history, the reader may perceive, that Mr. Egede's connexion with a colony was a grievous hindrance to him in his Missionary labours: this will be more fully seen in the progress of the narrative of his eventful life, those facts will not have been recorded in vain, if those who follow him in the same department of labour are more deeply impressed in the perusal of them, with the importance and necessity of keeping themselves clear from all such en

tanglements: connexion with a mercantile or political enterprise, is quite unsuitable to those who propose for their leading object the extension of a kingdom which is not of this world; perhaps the comparative failure of Mr. Egede's labours as a Missionary may, in a great measure be traced to this connexion.

The promises of support which Mr. Egede received from Europe, encouraged him to renewed exertion for the conversion of the heathen, and the speedy discovery and cultivation of the country. For the furtherance of these purposes, he and his two little sons took up their abode for a while among the Greenlanders, in the winter of 1722. The filthy habits of the Greenlanders, who lived entirely on seals, fish, and oil, rendered such an intimacy very disagreeable, but Mr. Egede in humble imitation of his blessed master, cheerfully submitted to any personal inconvenience which might tend to promote the eternal interests of the people among whom he ministered. He prevailed upon two orphans to promise that they would live with him constantly; and also a family of six persons requested leave to take up their winter abode with him. He saw, at once, that these people came to him merely for a livelihood: and he had already more visits from the Greenlanders than were pleasant to him, because their only motives in coming to his house, were curiosity and covetousness: he received this family, however, in hopes that he might effect some improvement upon their children, and that they would facilitate his acquisition of the language. But as soon as the severity of the winter was over, and they had an opportunity of getting something at sea, these people took their leave.

The departure of the Greenland family did not so much grieve Mr. Egede, as he was prepared to expect that they would take such a step; but, when the two boys, who had engaged to live with him, stole away privately, he was much cast down, seeing that the trouble and expense which he had bestowed on them, were all in vain. He had attempted to habituate these young people to a settled way of life, to instil into them the doctrines of Christianity, and also to instruct them in reading and writing; but he soon found that the habit of roving which they had acquired from ear

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liest infancy, was not so easily restrained. Nor were his attempts to teach these poor savages to read and write, attended with better success, at first they made rapid progress, because a fishing hook, or some other trifle was given them for every letter they learned, but they soon grew weary; and said, that they knew not what was the good of sitting all day long looking on a piece of paper, and saying "A B C:" these young savages had even the hardihood to tell Mr. Egede, that he and the rest of his countrymen were worthless people, because they did nothing but look in a book, or scrawl on paper with a feather; while the Greenlanders were brave men, for they could hunt seals and shoot birds, from which they reaped profit and pleasure. Mr. Egede took great pains to explain the advantages of reading and writing to these youths, telling them that a knowledge of these arts enabled us to know the thoughts of an absent friend, and even to learn the will of God from the Bible. But the deep degradation of these poor people incapacitated them for understanding such reasonings, they were incapable of conceiving of any good beyond food and clothing, or of any enjoyment beyond the licentious revels of the heathen; they were therefore glad, when the plenty of the returning summer enabled them to withdraw from the irksome restraint of Mr. Egede's authority and instructions. Like these ignorant savages, the unrenewed sinner withdraws from Jesus, for the depth of his spiritual degradation prevents him from appreciating the excellence and worth of the blessings which he offers to his acceptance: these poor savages are objects of pity, but how much more deeply are they entitled to our commiseration, who are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts. Who, "as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." 2 Peter ii. 12.

In the year 1723. Mr. Albert Top was sent out as Assistant to Mr. Egede. On this occasion, an order arrived for some resolute sailors to proceed on a voyage of discovery to the East coast of Greenland. Anxious to see this business faithfully executed, Mr. Egede de

termined to accompany them in this difficult and dangerous expedition.

In the course of their voyage, they proceeded 120 leagues in 15 days, and were 19 days in returning. The Greenlanders pointed out many inlets, where they said that there were still ruins of the old Norwegian houses, with pastures and brush-wood. At one place they found the ruins of a Church, with the remains of a great house, and of several smaller ones near to it. Mr. Egede prevailed upon the Greenlanders to remove a heap of rubbish from about the church, in the hope of finding some Norwegian antiquities; at first, the superstitious people would not engage in the work, lest the souls of the foreigners who were buried there should be disturbed, and retaliate the injury.

In the beginning of this voyage, the Greenlanders on the coast would not trust the Danes, but put themselves in a posture of defence. When, however, they understood from the Greenland pilot, that the Minister, or, as they called him, the great Angekok of the Kablunæts, was in the company, they received them with shouts of joy. And having heard something of the wonderful works of Jesus Christ in healing the diseased and raising the dead, these poor people expected that his minister would exhibit the same demonstrations of a divine power.

In November, we find Mr. Egede making another perilous voyage of discovery ten leagues north of the Colony; the object of this expedition appears to have been quite of a secular character, except so far as Mr. Egede's motive was concerned, the ultimate point at which all his proceedings aimed, was the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom: this he explains himself in a letter, in which he declares, that he had accepted the superintendence of the Colony, and that he laboured to promote its interest by intermeddling in affairs that might seem foreign to the pastoral office, from the conviction that his expectations of support in his grand object, the conversion of the savages, rested entirely upon the acquisition of some considerable mercantile advantage. It is much to be deplored, that the actual state of things, or Mr. Egede's erroneous judgment, should have reduced him to the necessity of leaving the word

rent course.

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of God to serve tables, surely had this excellent man conceived himself at liberty to follow the bent of his own inclinations, he would have pursued a very diffeWe are persuaded, that he would gladly have surrendered those secular employments connected with the Colony, into other hands, and have given himself "continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word."

With respect to the Mission, the arrival of a colleague encouraged Mr. Egede to renewed zeal in the instruction of the Greenlanders. He had translated, as well as he could into their difficult language, some short questions and answers respecting the Creation, the Fall, Redemption, the Resurrection, and the Judgment day, with some prayers and hymns. At first, the novelty of those things recommended them to the attention of the Natives: but they were soon tired of them, and manifested a disinclination to hear them; especially, when the reading interfered with some intended diversion or hunting excursion, or when an Angekok was engaged in practising his incantations. The conduct which the Missionaries should have observed under these trying circumstances is clearly laid down in the word of God. "The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God, peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth," 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25, but it was difficult for the Missionaries, connected as they were, with the colonists, to observe these directions, the colonists appear to have been generally nominal Christians, actuated by worldly principles, and considering any insult offered to the Missionaries as an affront to themselves, they conceived themselves called upon to resent the disrespect with which the savages had received the instructions of their ministers. The Danes therefore had recourse to violent means, they drove the Angekoks away, * and stationed some of their number among the

* The violent conduct of the Colonists towards the Greenlanders, caused some of the latter to form a conspiracy against Mr. Egede's life; their designs were, however, providentially frustrated. On another occasion, the Greenlanders, headed by an Angekok, who had been beaten by the Colonists, plotted the destruc

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