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ers with the words they wanted, and often correcting them, because he pretty well understood their meaning. The most agreeable thing in teaching him was, that he did not wait till he was asked, or had learned an answer by rote, but he himself made inquiry, and let his teachers give him answers and explanations. And it might be seen on several occasions, that he did not rest in a bare knowledge of the truth, but that it was living and active in his soul: on one occasion, when the Brethren were talking with him about spiritual security, he declared, that if a bad thought dropped into his mind, or he felt the least propensity to any thing that was evil, let him be where he would, he cried to Jesus to deliver him from it through his blood. Thus this poor heathen was experimentally instructed by the Spirit, in that great truth, “ They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts."

The Missionaries perceiving in the catechumens* such evident proofs of a work of grace, took Kajarnak and his family into a more express preparation for baptism, and spent some time every day in instructing them in the most necessary articles of the Christian faith, such as they could easily comprehend and retain. March 29th, being Easter-day, they proceeded to this sacred transaction. The Missionary first asked them, before the whole assembly, the ground of the hope that was in them, of which they gave a simple account, declaring at the same time their determination to renounce all heathenism, to abide with their teachers, and to walk worthy of the Gospel. Then these four first-fruits of the Greenland nation were declared free from the powers of darkness, and devoted to their lawful proper Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, during a powerful prayer and imposition of hands. They were then embodied into the Christian church by baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Kajarnak received the name of Samuel, his wife Anna, his son Matthew, and his daughter Anne. The deep emotion of heart experienced by these converted heathen appeared in the tears which they shed, the beholders were also much affected, expressing their wish to be in like manper partakers of the same blessing; they were exhor*The name given to those heathens who are under instruction, whilst preparing for their baptism.

́ted to surrender up their hearts to the Spirit of God, and comforted with the hopes of their future admission to the same privilege. The text for the day on which this transaction took place, was peculiarly applicable to the solemnity. “Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people, and the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore." Ezek. xxxvii. 26—28.

But the brightening prospects of the Mission were suddenly clouded by a calamity, such as could not have been anticipated. Scarcely a month had passed over after the baptism, when Samuel Kajarnak's brother-in-law, who also lived with the Brethren, was cruelly murdered by a band of savages from the north, under the pretence that he had formerly conjured the ringleader's son to death. They decoyed him out to sea near Kangek, and threw their harpoon into his body in a perfidious manner; he pulled it out again, and fled to land; but there they caught him, stabbed him in thirteen places, and threw him down over the rocks, where, after great search, he was found in a pit, and buried. Now, as the murderers had threatened to kill Samuel and his second brother-in-law also, Samuel was much terrified; and therefore, after going up and down in disquietude and insecurity a while, at last he said, that he thought himself obliged to conduct Okkomiak, the brother of the deceased, whose life the ruffians chiefly conspired against, to a place of safety in the South. He himself would take up his residence with his elder brother there, and endeavour at some future period, to bring him to New Herrnhuth with him.

The Brethren made all possible remonstrances against his departure, expressing their fears, that such a novice in Christianity, as he was, would be unable to withstand the temptations to which he would be exposed among the savages. They also endeavoured to work upon his feelings of paternal tenderness, by suggesting the probability, that his children, if separated from the

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company of believers, would again return to the wild licentiousness of heathenism. They put him in mind of what he had promised at his baptism, and they promised to maintain him and his family, that they might have no occasion to go abroad, as long as the murderers remained in the neighbourhood of New Herrnhuth. These representations and arguments went to his heart, he wept with the Brethren at their grief, but yet could not resolve to stay. The Brethren were, therefore, obliged to let him go, though with a heavy heart, having first exhorted him, to continue faithful to the Lord among the heathen, and recommended him to the preservation of Jesus Christ, the good Shepherd, in fervent prayer, accompanied with many tears. Thus, in a couple of weeks, the Brethren saw the country stripped again of all the Greenlanders, except a small number living in two tents, and had to bear the reproach, that they could indeed baptize heathens, but could not make them true Christians, wean them from their roving life, nor keep them together. Like old Jacob, the Missionaries were now ready to exclaim, "All these things are against us." But like him they were to find their real gain in their supposed loss.

Like those disciples who were scattered abroad, in the primitive times, by the persecution which arose about Stephen, Samuel and his family went every where preaching the word, and thus the storm which had threatened the utter destruction of the work of Christ's faithful labourers' served to carry the winged seed of the Gospel to places, where it otherwise probably would not have reached. A short time after Samuel's flight, 21 boats of Southlanders arrived at New Herrnhuth, among whom were some of Simek's friends, who had fled away with Samuel. They brought word, that they had spoken with the refugees on the way, who told them many wonderful things about God, of which they would wish to be better informed. They also thanked the Brethren for the kindness they had shewn to their countrymen. The Missionaries, therefore, had a little specimen of the blessing likely to arise from the flight of Samuel and his family; in contemplating which, they were cheered by the hope, that he would spread the sound of the Gospel at 100 leagues distance in the South, nor

were these hopes disappointed. After some time, Simek came again with his family, and towards winter, most of the Greenlanders that had been saved from famine in the beginning of the year, returned again to their old quarters, so that this year nine families wintered with the Brethren.*

Thus there was abundance of bearers once more, and with these the Missionaries so regulated their daily meetings for instruction, that, besides the Sunday's preaching, they sung a hymn with them every evening, and then catechized them upon a text of Scripture, or upon a short article of the Gospel system, which they had translated in conjunction with the Danish Missionaries. Moreover, they now and then read a summary relation of the divine economy and proceedings from the creation to the ascension of Christ: this gave them an opportunity to explain and inculcate many useful, improving truths in free conversation, and to expose old false superstitious notions and usages of the savages. And their words found entrance, so that most of them were easily persuaded to cast away their amulets and idolatrous charms which they had hung about their persons, in the foolish and wicked belief, that they would protect them from diseases and untimely death. Many of the poor savages also expressed their determination to observe no more a superstitious abstinence from certain kinds of food and labour, in cases of sickness and death, but to place their sole confidence in God. Yet

* As an instance of the danger to which the Missionaries were exposed by living among the savages, we may mention an alarming occurrence which took place this year. A large party of people from the South called at New Herrnhuth, with an evil design, when no one was at home but Anna Stach. But as she by this time understood their language, she was apprized of their purpose, and springing into the house, she bolted the door. They tried to break it open, but could not; then they attemptdd to cut the glass windows with their knives, thinking they were made of seals' entrails like theirs. But their knives effected nothing, and provi. dentially, not having a thought that the windows could be dashed to pieces, they went away, threatening to come again unawares. Accordingly, they came again the third day in greater numbers, but the believing Greenlanders brought some boat-men from the colony to their assistance, by whom the savages were happily driven off the premises.

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many a one had a hard conflict with himself, before he could resolve to do it, and some of them would rather reject all the instructions which the Missionaries gave them from the word of God, and leave New Herrnhuth, than renounce the vain conversation received by tradition from their fathers.

Thus different were the effects produced upon the Greenlanders by the preaching of the Gospel. Sometimes they were drowsy, lukewarm, hard, and insensible in hearing the word; some of them even displayed a decided hatred to it, and such satan endeavoured to make his tools in opposing the truth. At another time they were very attentive, expressed earnest desires to be religious all at once, and without due reflection or consideration, would know and believe all upon the spot, that they supposed was conducive to it. At such times the Brethren found it difficult to bridle their rash forwardness, and to shew them the true grounds, fruits, and tokens of faith, in opposition to a mere cold assent. But notwithstanding all this, the Brethren had much more reason to rejoice at the anticipation of a rich harvest from the willingness of the heathen, than to grieve themselves at their unsteadiness. The teachable disposition manifested by the young people and children, six of whom already came to their school, also afforded the Brethren many pleasing hopes.

The reader must have observed how the glad tidings of the pardon of sin through the atoning sufferings and death of man's incarnate Creator, attracted the attention of a perfectly ignorant heathen, softened his feelings, enlightened his dark spirit, and quickened his dead heart with a new and spiritual life. Instructed by this the Missionaries determined from henceforth to know nothing among the heathen, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and to make the Saviour the grand and prominent theme of all their preaching; the effects which were daily produced, furnished new proofs that the Gospel is indeed " the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth". -a power capable of subduing and enlightening the most wild and stupid savages.

From the period at which they commenced to act upon this determination, the true awakening of the Greenlanders rightly commenced, and the number of