FOOTNOTES:
[H] The Esquimaux always receive a new name at baptism, and most of them have such an abhorrence at the recollection of their early life as heathens, that it sickens them when any one calls them by their old Esquimaux names. They regard the days past, in which they fulfilled the lusts of the flesh, as almost literally a state of death.
CHAPTER VI.[ToC]
Mutual affection of the Christian Esquimaux and Greenlanders—their correspondence—letter from Timothy, a baptized Greenlander.—Delight of the Esquimaux in religious exercises.—Order of the congregations—distressing events, apostasy of Kapik—awful end of Jacob—peaceful death of believers—Judith, Joanna.—Revival among the communicants.—A feast by a Christian brother, to the Esquimaux.—Winter arrangements.—Childrens' meetings—schools.—The brethren's settlements contrasted with the heathen.—Progress of religion at the different stations.—Books printed in the Esquimaux language.—Number of the settled Esquimaux.—Epidemic at Nain—its consequences.—General view of the mission.
Love to all the members of the body of Christ, is the visible token of the vitality and truth of a Christian profession; and as it rises or falls, the progress of an individual or a community waxes or wanes. At this period, the converted Esquimaux felt a lively interest, not only in their countrymen, but likewise in their fellow-Christians in Greenland; the affection was reciprocal, and though they had never seen each other in the flesh, they rejoiced over each other's welfare, and communicated their feelings in affectionate letters. Jonathan had dictated an epistle to the baptized Greenlanders, in 1799; the annexed was from the Christian Greenlander, Timothy, an assistant at Lichtenfels, in return. "My beloved, ye who live just opposite us, on the other side of the great water!—You have the same mode of living that we have; you go out in your kaiaks as we do; you have the same method of procuring your livelihood as we have; our Saviour has given you teachers, as he has given us: be thankful to him that they make known to you his precious words, and all his deeds, which are full of life and happiness. I have, from my earliest infancy, been instructed in this blessed doctrine, for I have grown up in the congregation. When you read this, you may very likely think that I have always lived to the joy of our Saviour; but, alas, I have been, particularly in my youth, very often ungrateful towards him who died for me. But when this was the case, I was never happy, and I found no rest for my soul, until I cast myself at the feet of Jesus, and implored his forgiveness; and even now I can do nothing else, when I am distressed about myself and my great sinfulness. When I am in my kaiak procuring provisions, or on other occasions alone, and I call to mind that my Saviour was for my sake nailed to the cross, and suffered for my sins, which are numberless, I acknowledge myself the chief of sinners; I then pray to our Saviour with deep abasement, and often with loud weeping. At such times I feel that he draws nigh, and fills my heart with such comfort that I am quite melted by his love. This is also the reason why I make our Saviour my most important object; I cleave to him as a child does to its mother, and I will never turn away from Him. Nothing is more profitable to me than the contemplation of his sufferings. Of this alone I speak to my fellow-men.
"My dear brethren and sisters, I must still tell you that I have been four times in danger of my life when running in my kaiak, for so often have I been overset when I was quite alone. When almost suffocated in the water, I prayed to our Saviour for deliverance. Each time I raised myself up by means of the bladder, but it was God my Saviour who saved me from these dangers. In him alone I trust, and provide for myself, my wife and children with pleasure. Although, as long as I am upon earth I shall feel my weakness and corruption, yet I go with it all to our Saviour, as a child does for help to its parent. I pray thus: 'O! my Jesus! thou lover of my soul, let me feel thy nearness, impress thy sufferings and death upon my heart, melt it and make it tender through the power of thy blood, and according to thy good pleasure, make me well-pleasing unto thee. Thou hast bought me with thy blood, that I might be saved; throughout my whole life will I rely upon thee, my God and Redeemer! I will place thee before my heart, as thou for my sake in agony and sore distress in the garden of Gethsemane wast weighed down to the ground with my guilt, until sweat mixed with blood, forced itself through thy body, and fell in great drops to the ground.' At such times my heart grows warm, and my eyes overflow. This alone is able to soften our hard hearts—this I experience, and your hearts cannot be subdued and softened by any thing else. You must go to Jesus' cross, for there is no other way to happiness.—Take these my imperfect words to heart, which I write out of love to you, as a people related to us. Your Jonathan's words which he caused to be written to us, we have received to our joy; we have not forgotten them. It is very pleasing to hear such accounts. O that we all, as one people, might put in practice what our Saviour has commanded in his word, love him above all things, give him joy by our conduct, and never again cause him grief. I write to encourage the heathen in your country, of whom there are still many, to be converted to the Creator. Let them hear much of his incarnation, sufferings, and death, and relate it to them when you are with them. Remember us also, and pray for us to our Saviour. We will also pray for you, and when we do this we shall also reap those blessings which our Saviour has promised to those who pray to Him.—I am your brother, Timothy."
Diligence in the improvement of the means of grace, particularly in not forsaking the assembling of themselves together, is another evidence of the reality and health of the Christian life in any community: this awakening bore that stamp also of the genuineness of its nature; and from the frequency of their meetings, which were punctually and cheerfully attended by the people, some idea may be formed of the hungering and thirsting after divine things which marked the Esquimaux congregations. The order of the different meetings of the congregation at Hopedale during winter—and in the other settlements it was pretty much the same—was as follows:—Sunday. Public service in the fore and afternoon. In the morning the Litany was read. The children then met. After the afternoon's service the communicants sung a liturgical hymn, or the candidates for the Lord's supper held a meeting for instruction.—Monday Evening. All the baptized had a meeting, when a suitable discourse was delivered to them. After a short pause, a singing-meeting was held.—This is a service peculiar to the brethren's church, in which some doctrinal subject, commonly that contained in the Scripture-text appointed for the day, is contemplated by singing verses or hymns relating to it, so as in their connection to form, as it were, a homily on the text, according to the words of the Apostle, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs."—Tuesday Evening: A public meeting, with a discourse.—Wednesday Morning. The children had a meeting, the one Wednesday for all the children, and the next, for the baptized only. On the evening, there was a public service, when a portion of the harmony of the four Evangelists was read and explained.—Thursday Evening: The same.—Friday. Both the baptized and the candidates for baptism met, where, after a discourse on the text, a hymn treating of the Saviour's passion was sung.—On Saturday there was no service in the church. Besides these meetings, the believing Esquimaux had the worship of God regularly morning and evening in their own houses. But the crowning sheaf in this harvest of mercy, was the permanence of the awakening; the impressions were lasting, not like a momentary blaze occasioned by some temporary excitement, but a pure and steady flame, which in a majority increased in brightness, till it was lost in glory.