They had at these two last stations, however, much cause for mingling grief with their joy; for several of those of whom they hoped well drew back, and some of the baptized even forsook them and returned to the heathen. "We compare," say they in one of their letters, "our Esquimaux congregations to an infirmary, in which patients of all descriptions are to be met with. However, we can plainly discover the power of God manifested among our people, and upon the whole we have had more cause for joy than grief. Whoever is acquainted with this people in their natural and unconverted state, and sees them met together at the church, attentively listening to the word of God, tears flowing down the cheeks of many, or beholds a company of converted Esquimaux surrounding the table of the Lord, and favoured to enjoy his body and blood sacramentally, under a deep and comfortable sense of his gracious presence, must stand astonished at the power of Jesus' love, which is able to melt the hardest heart, and make them partake of heavenly blessings." 1803 was a year of trial at Okkak; several of their members were seduced to go south among the heathen, and the arrival of some Europeans who came to hunt, and took up their habitation within the bounds of the settlement, caused the brethren many a heavy hour. An epidemic distemper visited them; but although many in the time of sickness promised to love the Saviour and seek to know him, no permanent effect followed; yet they attended the daily meetings during the passion-week to hear of his sufferings, and seemed attentive to what they heard, which somewhat encouraged their teachers, who thus wrote to England, "We do not despair. We believe that the agonies of Jesus are not in vain, and that the Esquimaux shall share in the merits of his passion." Nain was similarly situated—their wine also was mixed with water.
But at Hopedale the work of the Lord went steadily forward; several were added to the church, and those who departed gave good evidence that they went to the Saviour, particularly Benjamin, who died of an inflammatory fever in the month of February. From the first he was convinced that his dissolution was at hand. Being asked whether he thought he should go to Jesus, he cheerfully answered in the affirmative. After some conversation on the subject, the missionary present sung that verse:—
"The Saviour's blood and righteousness
My beauty are—my glorious dress;"
and others of the same import, in which he joined with great fervency of devotion. He then, of his own accord, began to sing other hymns, "Christ my rock, my sure defence" "Jesus my Redeemer liveth" "No, my soul he cannot leave" "Thy blood, thy blood, the deed hath wrought." Before his departure he was frequently delirious; but even during this period of his illness, we, and the Esquimaux who visited him, were delighted and greatly affected by the subjects his spirit seemed always engaged in. His thoughts were occupied with nothing but Jesus Christ his Saviour; and he kept repeating the most beautiful and appropriate texts of Scripture: "This is a true and faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." "The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth us from all sin;" never failing to add, "Yes! on account of my sins he shed his blood." He often pronounced with great earnestness, "Little children abide in Him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His appearing." 1 John ii 28. Nor did he cease, in the midst of his greatest sufferings, to speak of the love of the Saviour, till he drew his last breath. He was 40 years of age, and left a widow and two young children. He had sometimes fallen into deviations, which occasioned the missionaries many fears and much anxiety about his perseverance in the faith; but his last illness fully satisfied and comforted them respecting the state of his soul. And it made a deep and salutary impression upon the Esquimaux at the station, who expressed themselves, when speaking of his happy departure, in a manner which proved it had been sanctified for their real spiritual benefit and instruction.
When the people returned from their summer occupations, 1803, —4, the missionaries spoke with each of them, both baptized and unbaptized, and had the pleasure to find that during their absence, they had been preserved from falling a prey to the seductions and wicked practices of the heathen, with whom they had been forced to associate. The communicants they conversed with, previous to their partaking of the Lord's supper, afforded them much satisfaction; while they, on the other hand, expressed their thankfulness for their exhortations, by which they had been led to forgive and forget old injuries and quarrels, and to speak freely with each other in love. On this point their tenderness of conscience was strikingly in contrast with that of the promiscuous multitudes who rush to the table of the Lord, in the professing congregations of more civilized lands. Peter observed, that his mind was not quite at ease respecting the subjects in dispute between him and others, and that he had better not go to the table of the Lord with an unreconciled heart. He at the same time spoke humbly of himself; and added, that he did not wish to grieve the Spirit of God by indulging anger. One of the women, Brigitta, said, that she was not quite sure whether she dared approach the Lord's table, feeling still much uneasiness and displeasure in her mind; but that she would once more in prayer cry unto our Saviour to help her, and take away those evil things that separated her from Him. On the day following she came again to the missionaries, and, with many tears, declared her thanks to the Lord, that he had delivered her from her perplexing thoughts, and granted to her his peace in her soul, and therefore begged to be admitted to the holy communion. On the 3d of December they partook of this heavenly feast; and it proved a time of refreshing to them all. The season of Christmas was celebrated with much blessing, and they rejoiced with thanksgiving in the incarnation of God our Saviour, this amazing proof of his infinite love to the lost human race! Again, on the 31st, they were strengthened anew by participating in the sacred ordinance together, and closed the year with praise and prayer, thankful to the Lord for the numberless favours they had experienced, and particularly for his mercy to the Esquimaux congregation.
This year the brethren had another proof of the kind and watchful providence of God—their vessel which, on her return home, usually took advantage of the Hudson Bay ships' convoy from the Orknies to London, left Hopedale on the 11th of October, and in sixteen days was within three days' sail of these islands, when strong easterly gales drove her back and kept her three weeks longer at sea. But these apparently adverse storms proved, by God's great mercy, the very means of the hallowed barque's deliverance from the enemy. On the 18th November she was chased by a French frigate, brought to, and forced to keep her company; but the sea ran so high that it was impossible for the frigate to get out a boat to board the Resolution, and continued so during that night and the following day. The second night proving extremely dark and boisterous, the Captain set as much sail as the ship could carry, and before morning was out of sight of the frigate. But two days after he had the mortification to meet her again, and to be brought to a second time. Again the Lord interposed in his behalf, the wind was so violent that the Frenchman could not put out a boat, and during the following night, the Captain, crowding all sail, escaped, and saw no more of the enemy.
A new epoch in the Labrador mission commenced in 1804. Amid all the cheering realities and promising appearances which had hitherto sustained the spirits of the missionaries, there had been much hypocrisy, cold-heartedness, self-deceit, backsliding, and apostasy, among those who formed their congregations; and what was painful almost beyond conception, even in their church. But now the Lord appeared in their behalf, and in his adorable procedure, the most unlikely were the first objects of his awakening grace; and that station, which for many years had been so barren, that the brethren at one time had contemplated giving it up as hopeless, was that to which, in his inscrutable sovereignty, he chose to give the precedence in his gracious visitation. The beginning of the year had proved very unfavourable, and the Esquimaux at Hopedale had experienced considerable distress for want of provisions; but amid all their difficulties they attended church with cheerful countenances, and some of them would say, "If we only feel in our hearts the presence of our Saviour, who has loved us so much, and died and shed his blood that our sins might be forgiven, we may well be cheerful and contented, though our outward circumstances are difficult, and we have not much to eat, for we trust he will care for us in that respect, and we look to him for help." The behaviour of the people during this time of trial gave the missionaries much pleasure and encouragement. There was a general and powerful awakening among them, which first began to be perceived among some women who were baptized the winter before, but who appeared to have become cold and lifeless. These were led by the Spirit of truth, in a particular manner, to a knowledge of their sinful and depraved hearts. An earnest desire was at the same time created within them, not only to experience the forgiveness of all their sins, but to know the crucified Saviour, so often described to them as their reconciler; and by the testimony of their own hearts and consciences, to be assured of their interest in Him and his atonement. Their declarations on this occasion were such, that the missionaries were quite surprised at the knowledge they had already gained by the Spirit's light, and not by the instruction of man; and with fervent thanksgivings to the Saviour they joined frequent prayer, that he would grant them grace and wisdom to lead these souls, awakened from death unto life, according to their measure, and in the best manner, so as to farther their progress on the way to everlasting life.
The first person with whom this delightful and amazing work of grace began, was a female, and such an atrocious sinner, that she was abhorred even of the heathen. Hearing a discourse from these words, "The son of man came to seek and save that which was lost," she was much struck with it, and asked herself, "Can this be true, that the Saviour came to save such sinners as me? ah! there are none so wicked as I!" Wholly absorbed in these thoughts, she remained in the meeting-hall when the others had left it, unconscious that she was alone. Then suddenly starting up, she ran to a solitary mountain to give vent to her full heart, where, falling down upon her knees, she cried, "O! Jesus, I have heard that thou camest to save the wicked—is that true? make me also to know it. See I am the most wicked of all, let me also be delivered and saved—O! forgive me all my sins!" While she continued fervently praying, she experienced a peace in her heart she had never felt before, and returned from this exercise so completely altered that it was evident to every one; her mouth now overflowed with praises for what her Saviour had done for her soul.
Her change made a deep impression on a moral, intelligent, but self-righteous unbaptized woman. She could not comprehend how one so wicked and debased could speak of Jesus with so much joy and praise, when she, who was so very superior a character, felt nothing of the kind. On this she became unhappy; she began to perceive her hitherto supposed righteousness was only a filthy garment, and in an agony, ran to her she had formerly despised as a sinner, to ask how she could obtain forgiveness of sin, and love to Jesus. The latter took her by the hand, and both went to a solitary place, where she prayed that the Saviour might also shew mercy to her; and now these women got rest to their souls, and with one mouth declared what great things the Lord had done for them. Shortly after, two other women joined them, and these four were of one heart and one mind. Their uncommon spirituality attracted the notice of the congregation, and they were honoured by the formalists among them, with the epithet of "enthusiasts," but soon the Spirit of God was shed abroad on them also, and new life was infused into the members of the church, and throughout the settlement.