The Moravians in Labrador

by Anonymous

There is not, perhaps, any surer test of a young woman's Christianity than the choice she makes of an husband; and the missionaries were highly gratified in this respect, with the conduct of a young girl, a candidate for baptism. When the winter meetings were resumed, she expressed her joy, for she was desirous of learning the doctrine of Jesus, and wished to know and love him more; and she said she was resolved never again to leave the fellowship of believers. Her resolution was almost immediately tried; a heathen, from Kivalek, proposed marriage to her, but she at once declared she would never take a husband who would lead her astray from God and his people. Some time after, her parents, Joseph and Justina, came from Okkak to Nain, to inquire whether Anauke, who seems to have been a rich Esquimaux, was a candidate for baptism, or had ever spoken to the missionaries on the subject of conversion; and when informed that he had not, they said that since their daughter had declared her attachment to the believers, and her purpose to live with Jesus, they would never bestow her upon a stranger. On which the missionaries observe, "Whoever knows the natural dispositions and habits of the Esquimaux, will, from this instance, see that there is a manifest influence of the Spirit of God in their hearts, to cause them to act with such willing conformity to the doctrine of the Scriptures, and such attention to their souls' welfare."

As the century closed, the prospects of the missionaries brightened, and they therefore with greater earnestness entreated the prayers of their brethren. "The more we perceive," say they, "our own insufficiency, the more we perceive how much we stand in need of the support and prayers of God's children, in this our important calling, to win to Christ, souls, harder than the rocks on which they dwell, and to be melted only by the fire of his love unto death." "We find every year," was the report from Okkak, "when we receive the various accounts from our congregations, abundant cause to rejoice over all the manifold proofs of His grace and faithfulness towards them; and as to ourselves, we may confidently assert, that his goodness towards us has been daily new. He has granted us the grace to preach him to the Esquimaux, both living in our land and elsewhere, as the Saviour of men, who will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, with courage and with joyful hearts, though under a sense of our own poverty and weakness;" and many heathen, who came hither from a great distance from the north for the sake of trade, heard it with attention. There was also a particular awakening among the baptized, who expressed an ardent desire to be admitted to partake of the Lord's supper, and they in general acknowledged to the praise of the Lord, that he had owned their small Esquimaux flock, and blessed them with his presence. The state of the settlement at Nain was equally pleasing. "We have had much joy," the missionaries write, "in observing the course of our small Esquimaux congregation; having perceived that they are more and more desirous to live in a manner acceptable to God, and to be cleansed from all those things which might grieve the Holy Spirit, and be a disgrace to the cause of our Saviour. In our meetings we frequently experience his gracious presence, and, more than ever before, felt the true spirit of a congregation of Jesus, especially during two baptismal transactions we have had. It proves a great encouragement to us, when we see that people, who, only a short time ago, hardly knew that there exists a divine Being, and lived in all manner of sin and abomination, now that they have learned to know the Saviour, shed tears from a sense of God in their hearts, and of their fellowship with him as their Redeemer." Nor was Hopedale less favoured. "We can declare to you with joy," was the language of missionaries in their letters to England, "that there has been a manifest work of God and his Spirit upon the souls of the Esquimaux in the year past. Most of them are in a hopeful state, and intent upon cleaving to the Lord, that they may partake of the blessings he has purchased for us by his bitter sufferings and death."

Of four families at Arvertok, not far from Hopedale, consisting of thirty persons, the greater part were awakened to a concern for their soul's conversion, by a remarkable appearance in the sky, which was repeated three times, particularly on the night of January 14th. It consisted of a vast quantity of inflammable matter in the air, which seemed to ascend from all parts of the horizon, and then to pour itself towards the earth, in immense fiery rays and balls. Karpik and his people, who first saw the phenomenon, ran to Hopedale in the greatest agitation and amazement, and awakened the Esquimaux there, with the awful intelligence that the world was at an end. They, upon suddenly rising from bed, struck with the spectacle, imagined that the stars were falling from heaven, and that they were the signs which announced the near approach of the Lord, as he had foretold. Karpik cried out in agony, "Let us turn with our whole hearts to our Saviour—this is the hour;" and began to pray aloud to Jesus, to sing hymns, and to entreat, with the greatest concern, all his household to unite with him.

These Esquimaux now attended the meetings daily, and evinced by their conduct a change in their minds; for they were not only anxious themselves about their eternal concerns, but were desirous that their children should also regard them. Instead of preventing them as formerly, they now intreated that they might be allowed to send them to school, which from this time was well attended by both old and young. Among the primary objects of the brethren is the instruction of the youth. Old trees are ill to bend, but the tender sapling is more easily impressed, and there are peculiar promises to bless the instruction of children, and to encourage to a patient and proper performance of a very trying, and not unfrequently a very irksome task. But while the brethren communicate to their interesting charge the elements of knowledge, they employ as the grand instrument for shaping their characters, the word of the gospel of Christ, and subject their pupils to a moral training, without which, the mere communication of knowledge, whether sacred or profane, is often a curse rather than a blessing. So soon as they had attained a sufficient knowledge of the language, the missionaries composed elementary books, and for those who were farther advanced they translated a history of the sufferings of Jesus, which was gratefully received by those who could read and eagerly listened to by those who could not.

About three months after this occurrence, Karpik declared that he was now in his heart convinced that the blood of Jesus could blot out his exceeding great sins—that he wept daily before him, entreating him to wipe away his iniquities, and declared that the ardent desire of his soul was to cleave more closely to the Saviour; that he was resolved to follow him only, and to give up all connection with the unbelievers. And he was diligent in speaking to all the strangers who passed that way, beseeching and exhorting them to turn to the Lord.

When the century closed, after thirty years' labour, the missionaries at the three different stations had the pleasure of numbering two hundred and twenty-eight resident Esquimaux under their care, of whom one hundred and ten were baptized. This involved them in various other avocations. They had not only to instruct them in matters of religion, but to teach them habits of industry and of economy and to show them the example; they induced them to build, and assisted them in building, substantial houses; they made them tools for working and implements for fishing[F] and gardening, which last process they had to superintend and to direct. Besides, they erected and kept in repair their own dwellings, cultivated their own gardens, fabricated tools for themselves, and used every exertion to lessen the demand for, or supply the deficiency of their European food. They had also to collect and bring home firewood for their domestic purposes—no small labour; and to fell timber and build boats for the purposes of barter, as they took nothing gratuitous from the natives, heathen or Christian.

Since the mission commenced, they had, in the mysterious ways of providence, lost two missionaries by shipwreck; and in 1800, they were tried with the loss of another, in a yet more distressing manner. One of their new assistants, Rieman, on the 2d December, had gone out to hunt alone, and had wandered, but whither was never known, as he never returned; nor, though diligent search was made for him five successive days, could any traces be found.

During the period that had elapsed since the foundation of the mission, they had been repeatedly tried both by pestilence and famine, but they now found their heavenly Father a ready help in every time of need. In one season, when the seal-catching had entirely failed, and the Esquimaux were deprived of the means of subsistence for the winter, the brethren joined with them in crying aloud to God for help, and he so directed it, that in a short time two dead whales were found, which preserved them from starving. The missionary families depended chiefly upon the supplies from Europe for their healthful subsistence, and it is an instance of the superintending providence of a gracious God which these missionaries acknowledged with humble thankfulness, that the voyages of the vessels which carried their stores, were never interrupted by storms or enemies. The Amity was preserved so long as employed in the service, but the very year when about to quit it on her return home, she was taken by the French, yet was restored without much detriment. And the Harmony, which had been purchased to supply her place, had now for more than twenty-six years traversed the wild and icy ocean, amid sunken rocks and in the sight of enemies, without accident.[G] The missionary settlements during this period, had been threatened with an attack from the French. Two of their ships of war arrived on the coast in 1796, but having landed at Chateau Bay, after plundering and burning that town and blowing up the fort, they were mercifully restrained from harming the more peaceful habitations of the brethren.

In concluding the account of this past century, it is impossible not to notice the extraordinary spirit of love and of Christian affection which pervaded the missionaries in Labrador and their brethren in Europe; they loved each other with pure hearts fervently; and it is remarkable, and worthy of peculiar observation, that before these servants of God were honoured to carry the tidings of the gospel to the heathen, a spirit of love for the brethren, and for all the members of the body of Christ, was poured out largely upon the churches at home.

Twenty-six missionaries were employed in Labrador in the year 1800.