as possible, to conform to the Greenland mode of living, and thereby to lessen their demands on the Brethren in Europe: and God laid His blessing on their endeavours, so that they improved in the art of fishing more and more. They now also regulated their meetings for religious worship acrship, cording to a fixed order; and, besides the hour destined for prayer and singing, appointed one every day for reading the Holy Scriptures, and meditating thereon in this exercise, they began with the Epistle to the Romans. Besides, each of them set apart some particular time, both of the day and night, in which he importuned the Lord to bless himself, his brethren, the whole Church of .God, and, above all, their endeavours to learn the language, and convert the Heathen inhabitants of Greenland. Difficulties of the LanguageHaving as yet no field of active labour among the Natives, their chief Occupation during the winter of 1734-5, was the study of the language. The farther they advanced, the greater the difficulties appeared; especially as they now endeavoured to find appropriate expressions for scriptural and religious ideas. They had been told by grammarians, that it would be impossible for them to translate any thing more than his torical pieces: but they did not suffer themselves to be discouraged; and, in a few years, their progress exceeded their most sanguine expectations-especially as the Natives themselves, when light once broke in upon their minds, soon found words to express their newly-acquired sentiments. And they now saw that they had reason to congratulate themselves on their judicious determination, not to speak with their charge on spiritual subjects in the beginning, lest their false or equivocal expressions might give thein erroneous conceptions of the Christian Religion, and fill their minds with a strange medley of ideas. Increasing Intercourse with Natives--The longest voyages undertaken in 1735 were those of Matthew and Christian Stach: Matthew went 100 miles towards the south, and Christian the same distance towards the north; both of them in the company of the traders, to whom their assistance was not unwelcome in a difficalt and perilous navigation, attended with cold, rain, snow, and contrary winds. The Greenlanders, at first, regarded them with contempt; concluding, from the readiness with which they engaged in every kind of manual labour, that they were the factor's servants: but when they understood that their object was not to trade with them, but to make them acquainted with their Creator, and when they observed their modest and gentle carriage, so different from that of other Europeans, they paid them more attention. The frank and friendly behaviour of the Missionaries tempered with an air of earnest seriousness, gained so much on their esteem and confidence, that they eagerly sought their conversation, pressed them to come into their visit, and promised to return it them. houses, begged them to repeat their selves. "This animated the Brethren to apply with the utmost assiduity to the language, and they began to dis course with the Natives about sen sible objects. They likewise read Egede, as the Decalogue, the Creed, some of the pieces translated by Mr. and the Lord's Prayer-reminding them of the Creation and Redemp them of what he had formerly told tion recalling to their memories what they had as usual forgotten, and rectifying their misapprehensions. They were not backward in avowing their belief of what they heard; but demanded, they were completely at when the experience of the heart was a loss. A short prayer being read to them by Matthew Stach, they assured but added, that they did not underhim that it was good Greenlandic ; stand what was meant by "Jesus Christ," the being "redeemed by his blood," and the " knowing, loving, strange language, and too sublime for and receiving of Him"-that it was a them to comprehend. The Greenlanders now commenced a more frequent intercourse with the Brethren, and would sometimes spend the night with them. The motives of their visits were, indeed, glaringly selfish: they wanted either food and shelter, or presents of needles and other things: they even bluntly declared, that if the Brethren would give them no stock-fish, they would no longer listen to what they had to say: and, during the winter, which was intensely cold, the Brethren could not refuse their request for provisions. They did not altogether discontinue their visits in summer; but they generally came, after spending the night in feasting and revelling, too drowsy to support a conversation, or intent only upon hearing some news, or on begging or purloining whatever might strike their fancy. Their pilfering habits made their visits not a little troublesome to the Brethren: but the latter did not wish to frighten them away; and were content, for the present, that they came at all, especially as a few of them discovered a satisfaction in being present at the Evening Meetings, though held in German, and made inquiries into the design of them. The preceding extracts have all been made from Crantz. We shall close them, at present, with one which may be read with advantage by all Christians, and especially by Missionaries. Serious Self-Inquiries of the BrethrenWhile the Brethren were thus anxi. ously waiting till the light should dawn upon the Natives, they were by no means inattentive to their own spiritual concerns. Though they had enjoyed many blessings in their Family Worship, they were sensible that they had suffered considerable detriment from a want of closer brotherly fellowship, each having endeavoured to stand alone, and bear his own uncommunicated burden. To remedy this defect, they resolved to spend an hour every evening, in free conversation on what had passed in their minds during the day, relative to their main object, and what obstructions and difficulties had occurred to each: they would, at the same time, admonish and reprove one another in love, when necessary, and spread their common wants in prayer before their Master. That nothing might remain to prevent the closest union, they also allotted a period of some weeks for privately examining themselves on the following point : Whether they were convinced that their call was of God; and were determined never. to abandon it, whatever trials they might. have to endure, until they could conscien tiously believe that they had fulfilled their duty as faithful servants to the utmost possible extent, or until God discharged them from their call The results of this Self-inquiry, were as follows: Christian David declared, that his call to Greenland extended no further than to see the foundation of a Settlement; and, having attained this object, he intended to return by the first opportunity: yet he considered himself engaged to support the Mission, wherever he was; not only by his prayers, but by active exertions. Christian Stach had never considered himself bound to devote his whole life to the service of the Heathen: he had rather undertaken the voyage upon trial; but he would remain in his present situation, till God took him out of it, or till he was called away by his Brethren. The remaining three, Matthew Beck, were ready to enter into a soStach, Frederic Boehnish, and John lemn obligation to prosecute the work for life or death, believing, where they could not see, and hoping even against hope: nor would they desert peal to God, with the testimony of their enterprise, until they could ap their consciences, that they had done all that man could do they deter. mined to indulge no anxiety as to the means which God would make use of to glorify Himself in this work; but, through the strength of the Lord, to they would be chargeable to no one persevere in the prayer of faith: who did not freely contribute his share toward the salvation of the Infidels. In confirmation of their vows, the Three Brethren drew up the following Resolutions: We will never forget, that we came hither, resting ourselves on God our Saviour, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; not on the principle of sight, but of faith The redemption wronght out for us by Christ, through His own blood, shall be our chief doctrine; which we will confirm by ability; and, by this, we will endeavour to our words and actions, as God shall give us bring the Heathen to the obedience of faith We will prosecute the study of the lauguage with assiduity, patience, and hope We will each acknowledge and value the TESTIMONIES TO THE LATE REV. JOHN OWEN. AT THE NINETEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BRITISH & FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Ir was to be expected, that, at the first Anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society which should occur after the death of Mr. Owen, the grateful remembrance of those distinguished services of which the Grace of God had made him the instrument, would be a prominent topic with the speakers. From the following extracts of various Addresses delivered at the last Anniversary, it will appear that this expectation was fully realized. We rejoice to put on record such a series of just and honourable testimonies to the grace of God, manifested in our late Friend. LORD TEIGNMOUTH. If I do not meet you with all the pleasure which I have ever felt at the Anniversaries of our Society, your sympathy will readily suggest the cause of its diminution, in the recollected loss of esteemed associates; and of one in particular, whose presence never failed to add to the interest and the gratification of the day. If, indeed, the prosperity of our Institution depended solely on human wisdom and efforts, the loss which it has thus sustained would be irreparable; for where can the Society expect to find another Owen?-one who, with the most ardent zeal for the unlimited attainment of its object, shall possess such an assemblage of unrivalled qualifications for giving it effect. But I will not indulge my feelings, by expatiating on the pre-eminent endowments of our lamented colleague and Secretary: the record of his merits is too deeply engraven on our hearts ever to be obliterated. They were acknowledged and admired wherever they were known; and where, I may ask, in the wide range of the Society's operations were they unknown? In justice to myself, I cannot however omit saying, that I ever felt that cordial esteem and affection for his person, which the qualities of his heart never failed to impress on all who knew him. He had the happiness to witness the great and growing prosperity of the Institution, to which his labours had so largely contributed: that he was so long spared for its service demands our devout gratitude: his removal inculcates a solemn admonition of increased diligence in the administration of the great concern intrusted to us, under an humble and exclusive dependence on Him alone, who can make it subservient to His glory and to the happiness of His creatures. LORD BEXLEY. To your Lordship it must be a source of great satisfaction to consider, that you have contributed so much to the relief of the spiritual wants of this and other countries: to your Lordship, who, like myself, have passed through some of the most laborious scenes of life, what can be so consolatory and delightful as an employment so well connected as this is, with the business of the life that now is, and of that which is to come? But it is not to age alone that I would appeal: the service of this Society calls for all the zeal and all the exertions of the young and vigo rous. Your Lordship has referred to one who dedicated his strength, his time, his unrivalled talents, to the service of this Society. I will not attempt to add to the panegyric, which, from longer acquaintance and more continued intercourse, your Lordship has pronounced, but I will just allude to one circumstance in his character. We all know how eminently he was gifted with the power of satire, and how powerful that weapon is; and yet, assailed as he was from every quarter, he never was provoked to retort on the most unkind, the most obstinate, the most absurd of his opponents, by a reply that could hurt their feelings. It may be long before we again see abilities like his exerted in this cause; but we all can exert ourselves, and imitate in our degree his disinterested zeal, his active labours, his devotedness to the work. He is gone to his rewarda reward which awaits all those who sincerely labour in the cause of the Gospel. BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER. The Report has afforded ample cause for gratification and praise: our work is proceeding: but we have lost ONE chief instrument. The triple cord has been broken, which linked three individuals together, harmonizing in their minds and endowments for the work which they had in hand. Praise is, indeed, almost withheld from the living, in an assembly like this; but that obstacle is removed from the dead: and we can now be stow our full share of applause, without any offence to personal modesty, and without any suspicion of interested flattery. He, whom we all lament, was the friend of all who love the Bible Society: he is removed from us, and what is our consolation? Thanks be to God, we have two strong consolations. The loss of a hero, of a statesman, or a philosopher, is rarely alleviated by any reference to futurity: when we look at their past achievements, we allow they were great and useful in their time; yet not, in general, with any reference to eternity; but the loss of a labourer in this cause-the loss of a chief labourer-the loss of an Owen, affords the consoling thought, that his life was sacrificed to his labours for the Bible: his life is, as it were, bound up with that Bible; and, like the names of the translators of our Version, bound up with it for ever: he is gone to his rest; and his works do follow him, as the fruits of faith, and accepted only through that Incarnate Word whom he preached, and whom he delighted to exhibit through the medium of the Written Word. This is one consolation ; but I am well convinced that we shall find another. We have a promise of a worthy successor, respecting whom I would only say, may it please Almighty God to give him all that temper, that judgment, that attachment to his colleagues, that attentive regard to all connected with the Society, that zeal and perseverance, which shone in him whom he has succeeded. Then our regrets will be softened down to an affectionate recollection; and our great cause will hold on its undeviating course, with undiminished energy and unimpaired success. LORD CALTHORPE. I cannot advert to any thing connected with the Secretaries of this Institution, without looking to that individual whose loss we fament, and mentioning one proof of his eminent suitableness to the high office in which he was engaged. I happened to be at Paris at the time the Bible Society in that country was formed; and I need not tell your Lordship, who so well knew how greatly the interests of this Society filled the heart of our departed friend, with what eagerness and with what triumph he must have looked forward to the establishment of such an Institution as that, in a country, the inhabitants of which-by an abuse of terms, which I trust will never be revivedused to be called our natural enemies. As a philanthropist, Mr. Owen must have looked forward with great delight to the establishment of a Bible Society, in a country which had suffered so grievously from infidelity, and anticipated for that country some of those benefits which it has produced to ourselves; and yet, when he himself had prepared the means for its formation, finding it more expedient that he should be absent when it was definitively established, he denied himself, and retired from the interesting scene. REV. JOSEPH HUGHES. My Lord, if, while offering my grateful acknowledgments at the last Anniversary, I referred, with deep solicitude, to the indisposition of a revered and invaluable colleague, what must be my sorrow, in common with your own, while, in the discharge of the same duty, I now remind you, that our friend has been followed by a long train of mourners to the grave! Truly, and most pathetically, has a distinguished Prelate remarked, this day, The triple cord has been broken." Let us, however, embrace the comfort derived from the recollection, that the cord was preserved entire for eighteen years; and that neither apostacy, nor indifference, nor strife, nor any kind of moral failure, can be quoted as the cause of its disruption: it yielded only to the stroke of death-that awful power, which is permitted to dissolve so many other virtuous and happy bonds. And, after all that can be uttered, expressive of lamentation, it is but in reference to an official connection, a partnership known from the hour of its formation to be of a temporary nature, that the cord can be said to be broken and the bond dissolved. The individuals, who have ceased to co-operate as Secretaries, will, I trust, never cease to feel as friends: their very intercourse is but suspended it remains only for death to sever from the community of mortals those who as yet survive a fellow-labourer so much endeared; and then, if indeed they all find mercy of the Lord, they shall renew their intercourse, and that intercourse shall be more exalted and felicitous than it ever could be in a world like thisand it shall be eternal. With such a hope on each others behalf, all the pious promoters of the British and Foreign Bible Society aim, under the Divine Blessing, to inspire the breasts of millions. Turning from those solemn views, which shew that our Institution has been visited with a most afflictive bereavement, my mind traces, in the character and temper, the capacity and attainments, of Mr. Owen's successor, so many streams of relief and consolation. My highly respected : Foreign Colleague and myself are prepared to give him, what we doubt not he will more and more receive from the religious public-a cordial welcome on his part, I am persuaded, nothing would be uttered with more strength of feeling, were he in the midst of this assembly, than his request, that the prayers of all the devout might combine to bring down dium of his exertions in its behalf, upon the Society, through the mefresh tokens of God's favour and benediction. REV. ROBERT NEWTON. The operations of this Society, during the past year, have been made to pass before us in detail, and our hearts have been dissolved into mingled feelings of gratitude to Him from whom all good counsels and all just works do proceed. Yet I cannot forget the emotions of sympathy, and those feelings of a mournful kind, which have so generally mingled with those of another description, to which I have adverted, and if so obscure an individual as myself may turn to this subject, my apology is, that our late clerical Secretary was the friend of all who were friends of this Society. Again and again have my eyes been directed to the spot, where that distinguished individual was wont to sit on these occasions. ; but no! though I looked, he was not to be perceived. He has fought the fight, and kept the faith; and now, at the command of his great Master, he has put off the harness and put on the crown. Those eyes, accustomed to sparkle with living fire, are closed in death; and that once eloquent tongue, to which enraptured multitudes have listened, now lies silent in the grave. But, my Lord, though dead, he yet speaketh: he lives with the spirits of the just before the throne: he lives in the affectionate and grateful recollection of the members and friends of the British and Foreign Bible Society at home and abroad, in every part of the world where its influence is known and felt: he lives an illus trious example of piety and charity, of zeal and assiduity, which he has left to us; and most sincerely do I unite in the wish, that the mantle of this ascended Elijah may fall on many an Elisha who may be left behind. |