that text: "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." And he helped them still further; for Mr. Egede was kind enough to give them an old European boat, and materials to repair it, and in case the brethren should not have hands enough, to man it sometimes, he lent them a little boat, in which they could visit the coasts and islands in the neighbourhood, and he also took them frequently with him to visit the heathen.

Matthew Stach and Christian Stach undertook the longest voyages this year (1735): the first went, in March, forty leagues towards the South, and the last the same distance towards the North, both of them in company of the traders, to whom their assistance was not unwelcome in their difficult and dangerous passages, attended with cold, rain, snow, and contrary winds. For several leagues they found nothing but decayed houses, whose inhabitants were dead, and some dogs, who had kept themselves alive for these two years in the great cold, by eating the old tent-skins and shellfish. At first the Greenlanders looked upon the brethren with contempt. But when they understood that they did not come to trade with them, but to make them acquainted with their Creator, and at the same time observed that they distinguished themselves from the other Europeans by their still, meek, modest behaviour, they were more attentive to their words and actions. The amicable free deportment of the Missionaries, untainted with jesting or licentiousness, but tempered by a seriousness, unsoured with severity, begat so much esteem and confidence, that the savages sought their conversation, constrained them to come into their houses, begged frequent visits, and promised to visit them again. This animated the brethren to apply with the utmost assiduity to the language. They also began to converse with the natives on ordinary subjects, but were very cautious about introducing the subject of religion, lest their imperfect understanding of the language should betray them into mistakes, which would minister subject of ridicule to the Greenlanders, and lead them to despise the truths of the gospel. They were, therefore obliged, for the present, to let the Greenlanders draw a conclusion more from their beha

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viour and walk, than from their words, with what principles and views their minds were actuated towards them. Nor was this quite without effect. In the mean time they read some of Mr. Egede's translated pieces, as, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer; they reminded them of what he had read to them in former years concerning the creation and redemption, they also endeavoured to rectify what they had misapprehended, and told them, as well as they could express themselves, that they must not only understand and avow the Christian doctrine, but experience it in their hearts. According to the Greenlander's own assertions, they were not wanting in assent and belief, but when the experience of the heart was demanded, they knew not what the brethren meant. Therefore, once when Matthew Stach read a short prayer to them, and asked them if it was good Greenlandish? they anwered, yes! but added that the words, Jesus Christ, the being redeemed by the shedding of his blood, and the knowing, loving, and receiving him, were things they did not understand; that it was a strange and too sublime language, which their ears were not qualified to admit and retain.

Besides the express visiting voyages, the brethren made several little trips to the Greenlanders in the neighbourhood in quest of necessary food: the natives also visited the brethren more than they had in times past, and by degrees learned to place such confidence in them, that if night overtook them, or they wanted shelter from bad weather, they would spend a night or two with them. It is true, the selfish view of their visits was obvious; sometimes they wanted shelter and food, at other times only to have a couple of needles and such trifles given them; they even bluntly declared, that if the brethren would give them no more stock-fish, they would hear no more what they had to say, for they imagined they did them the greatest favour, for which the brethren were bound to pay them, if they only came and heard them with patience. Nor could the brethren send them away without giving them food, especially in the beginning of the year, because then they could not procure sufficient maintenance on

account of the cold which was intense, and many a Greenlander had not a morsel to eat for three or four days together. Afterwards in summer, when the savages had taken plenty of game, and had danced themselves tired all the night at a revel, they still came now and then on a visit; but then they were so sleepy, that they were incapable of conversing with the brethren, or they were only curious to hear some news, to see whatever was strange to them; or even to have what they liked given them, and if the brethren refused, they were obliged to watch them closely, on account of their propensity to thieving. This often made the visits of the heathen very troublesome to the brethren, as much as they desired them. They were a little cheered, however, by observing that some of the natives shewed an inclination to attend their evening-meeting for prayer, and were serious at it, though it was held in the German language; they sometimes even inquired of their own accord after the ground and aim of it.

The absence of all external comforts, under which the missionaries now laboured, proved the occasion of uniting them in closer fellowship with each other. They resolved to hold, every evening, after the singing-hour between seven and eight o'clock, an hour of examination, when each of them should, according as he should be inclined, and without constraint, yet, uprightly, as before the eyes of God, and according to the best of his knowledge, declare what had passed in his soul throughout the day, what had come into his mind to ask in prayer for himself, for his brethren, for all the children of God in Christendom, and for the Greenlanders; and, finally, what hinderances or offences had occurred to him, in himself or from others. They would at the same time remind, and, if necessary, admonish and reprove one another; would take this from each other in love, seeking to make their mutual admonitions and exhortations instrumental to their growth in grace, and then would commit their wants to the Lord in fellowship, and thus help to bear one another's burdens.

These social meetings led to the following avowal of their sentiments in reference to their common work.

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Christian Stach said, he had never considered himself called to devote his whole life to the service of the heathen; yet he would remain in his present call till God took him out of it, or till his brethren called him away. The other three, Matthew Stach, Frederic Boehnish, and John Beck, declared their determination to bind themselves in the strictest manner to this work, for life, or death; to believe where there was nothing to be seen, and to hope where there seemed nothing that could be expected; nor would they in any wise be induced to desert it, till they could appeal to God with the testimony of their conscience, that they had done all that man could do and venture in concurrence with God's help. Upon further consideration, they found themselves bound, not to leave the country without a Divine conviction, even though they should be desired to do it, but to give up their lives to the heathen. They would not trouble their minds, by attemping to discover in what manner God might glorify himself in this work, neither would they look at the inability of their bodily or mental faculties, but, in the strength of the Lord, would persevere in prayerful labour, even though they should see no fruit from it for many years. According to 2 Corinthians, xi., they would, by God's grace, not let any man stop them of this boasting, to be chargeable to no one who did not count it a real pleasure to lend his share of assistance, though absent, to the salvation of the infidels; much less would they accept of benefits that might oblige them to any thing more than love. They would make it their cordial concern anew, to embrace all means conducive to winning the heathen, and would especially employ two hours every day in acquiring the language, &c.

Accordingly these three brethren bound themselves, on the 16th of March, to act on the following principles :

1. We will never forget, that, in a confidence resting upon God our Saviour, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, we came hither, not on the principle of seeing, but believing.

2. The knowledge of Christ, how he effected on the

cross the purification of our sins through his blood, and is the cause and source of eternal salvation to all that believe, shall be the principal doctrine among us, which we will confirm by our word and walk, according to the ability God shall be pleased to give us, and by this we will endeavour to bring the heathen to the obedience of faith.

3. We will diligently endeavour to learn the language, in love, patience, and hope.

4. We will own and value the grace of each other, in honour prefer one another, and be subject to each other in the fear of the Lord.

5. We will steadfastly maintain brotherly discipline, admonition, and correction, according to the rule of Christ, and will withdraw from any one who does not walk according to the purity of the gospel, and will exclude him so long from the kiss of love and peace (which we do now introduce as a token of our true fellowship), till he humbles himself before God and the brethren.

6. We will do our outward labour in the name of the Lord, and if any one is negligent therein, we will admonish him.

7. Yet we will not be anxious, and say—“ What shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be clothed?" but cast our care upon Him who feeds the sparrows, and clothes the flowers of the field. Nevertheless, we will at the same time take notice of the word of the Lord: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread;" and that of the apostle, Acts xx. 34: "You yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me." And again, "I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak.'

These solemn engagements, upon which these devoted servants of Christ now entered, were sealed by a mutual participation of the Lord's Supper, by which their hearts were strengthened in a particular manner in faith and love, and bound together in their common call.

Perhaps the annals of Christianity do not furnish a more striking illustration of Christian heroism, than