could not entice him to leave the missionaries, and join in their heathenish practices, they tried by various artifices to induce the brethren to put him away, falsely accusing him of having purloined several articles. In the sequel, he indeed left our missionaries, yet this occurrence animated their hope to persevere in sowing the seed of the gospel, looking to God for the increase.

Five years had now clapsed since their arrival in Greenland, and except the case just now related, which was but like the first dawn of the morning spread upon the mountain,' they had seen no abiding fruit from their labours. They had tilled a soil apparently unfit for culture, and in tears, had sown the seed on hearts, seemingly, as cold and barren as the coast where they had pitched their tents. But, now the Lord heard their prayers, and made it appear that their "judgment was with him, and their work with their God."

"June the 2nd." (write the missionaries) "many Southlanders visited us. Brother Beck at the time, was copying a translation of a portion of the gospels. The heathen being very curious to know the contents of the book, he read a few sentences, and after some conversation with them, asked, whether they had an immortal soul, and whither that soul would go after death? Some said: "Up yonder," and others: down to the abbyss." Having rectified their notions on this point, he inquired, who had made heaven and earth, man and all other things? They replied, they did not know, nor had they ever heard, but it must certainly be some great and mighty Being. He then gave them an account of the creation of the world, the fall of man, and his recovery by Christ. In speaking on the redemption of man, the Spirit of God enabled him to enlarge with more than usual energy on the sufferings and death of our Saviour, and in the most pathetic manner to exhort his hearers, seriously to consider the vast expense, at which Jesus had ransomed their souls, and no longer reject the mercy offered them in the gospel. He then read to them out of the New Testament, the history of our Saviour's agony in the garden. Upon this the Lord opened the heart of one of the company,

whose name was Kayarnak; who stepping up to the table, in an earnest manner, exclaimed: "How was that? tell me that once more; for I too desire to be saved." These words, the like of which had never before been uttered by a Greenlander, so penetrated the soul of brother Beck, that with great emotion and enlargement of heart, he gave them a general account of the life and death of our Saviour, and of the scheme of salvation through him."

In the mean time, the other missionaries, who had been abroad on business, returned, and with delight joined their fellow-labourer in testifying of the grace of God in the blood of Jesus. Some of the pagans laid their hands on their mouths, which is their usual custom when struck with amazement. Others, who did not relish the subject, slunk away secretly; but several requested to be taught to pray, and frequently repeated the expressions used by the missionaries when praying with them, in order to fix them in their memories. In short, they manifested such an earnest and serious concern for their salvation, as the missionaries, had never witnessed before; and at going away, they promised soon to return, and hear more of this subject, and also to tell it to their countrymen.

The impression made on Kayarnak was not transient, but had taken deep root in his heart. He frequently visited our brethren, and at length took up his residence with them. He told them, that he often felt a monition in his heart to pray, and "when we speak to him," say they, "he is often so affected, that the tears roll down his checks." Considering the general stupidity of the Greenlanders, the missionaries were not a little surprised at the quickness with which he comprehended every thing they told him, and retained it in his memory. At the same time he manifested very strong attachment to them, and a constant desire for further instruction.

By means of his conversation, his family (or those who lived in the same tent with him,) were brought under conviction; and before the end of the month, three large families came with all their property, and pitched their

tents near the dwelling of our brethren, "in order," as they said, "to hear the joyful news of man's redemption." They all appeared much affected, and even some, who had formerly opposed the word, declared that they would now believe, and winter with the missionaries. Most of them, however, soon went away to hunt reindeer; but Kayarnak refused to accompany them, fearing to suffer harm in his soul. Hereby he was brought into great straits, as he had no tent of his own. This was the third time he had been abandoned by his friends, who had taken the skin-boat and the tent, which in part at least, were his property. Our brethren were not without fear lest his friends should entice him away, by exaggerating the difficulties of his new mode of life, and the restrictions he would be under, compared with the unbounded liberty, or rather licentiousness, in which the heathen live. But he remained firm to his purpose, and instead of long vindications, would reply to their mockeries and remonstrances, by a short remark like this: "Yes, I will stay with my teachers, and hear the words of God, which I have once found sweet to my taste." If they were disposed to hear him, he discoursed with them; if they railed at him, he held his peace, after he had borne his testimony to the truth, in a few serious words. At length he prevailed so far with some of his nearest relatives, that they resolved to return; and even some other families desired leave to settle near our missionaries.

Thus in the beginning of October 1738, when the Greenlanders leave their tents and move into their winter houses, above twenty persons took up their abode near the brethren. This induced them to commence regular morning and evening devotions with the two families of Kayarnak and his relation, Simek, every day, besides the reading and expounding of the holy Scriptures on the Lord's day. Five of these persons, who appeared most serious, they selected as suitable candidates for baptism, and gave them more frequent instruction in the truths of salvation. They also began a school with the children; but this they found a most difficult and troublesome undertaking, for their scholars were so entirely unaccustomed to any kind of discipline, that it was nearly impossible to keep them to

!

their lessons, and the parents themselves did not comprehend the use of reading and writing. They, however, succeeded so far, that some of them were able to read easy

passages.

Among other evidences of a real work of grace, having been begun in the hearts of some of the inhabitants in their little settlement, our missionaries notice particularly, their desire to be instructed in prayer, and the remarkable change wrought in them in the prospect of death. Many of them fell sick during this period, but manifested comparatively little of that horror, which generally seizes the natives when dangerously ill. Kayarnak, in a severe fit of sickness, declared, that he felt no freedom nor inclination to pray for his recovery, but was resigned to the will of God.

The year 1739 was distinguished in the mission by the baptism of the first Greenland converts. This interesting and solemn transaction was performed on Easter-sunday, March 29th. The candidates having, before the whole assembly, given a full account of the ground of their hope, and promised to renounce all heathenish customs and superstitions, to remain with their teachers, and walk worthily of the gospel, were in fervent prayer, with imposition of hands, commended to the grace of God, and baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The presence of the great Head of his church was felt in the most powerful manner during this transaction; the tears flowed in streams from the eyes of those just baptized, and the spectators were so overcome, that they earnestly desired to be made partakers of the same grace. The first fruits of the Greenland nation, who by this sacred rite were publicly ingrafted into the christian church, consisted of Kayarnak, his wife, his son, and his daughter.

A month had scarce elapsed, before the hope, excited by this propitious event, received a very severe shock. A banditti of murderers, coming from the north, killed Kayarnak's brother-in-law, who also lived with the missionaries, under the pretence, that he had by sorcery,

caused the death of the ring-leader's son. They decoyed him out to sea, and most perfidiously thrust a harpoon into his body; and though he drew it out and fled on shore, they pursued him, stabbed him in thirteen places, and threw him over the rocks, where, after diligent search, his body was found in a pit, and buried. This occurrence spread a dreadful panic through the whole little settlement, especially, as the murderers had threatened to kill Kayarnak's other brother-in-law. Our missionaries did all in their power to allay the fears of the Greenlanders; and the gentlemen of the Danish colony, likewise, interested themselves in the affair, and so far succeeded, as to take the ring-leader and several of the gang prisoners, in the presence of above a hundred of their countrymen. On his examination he confessed, that besides Kayarnak's brother-in-law, he had killed three persons with his own hands, and had been accessary in committing three other murders. But as he was subject to no human judicature, and ignorant of the divine law, they only read to him the ten commandments, threatened him severely, and let him go. This did not dispel the fears of Kayarnak, but rather increased them; and after spending some time in great disquietude, he declared, that he considered himself bound to conduct the brother of the deceased, whose life the ruffians chiefly sought, to a place of safety in the south. All the exhortations, remonstrances and entreaties of our missionaries proved ineffectual to dissuade him from his purpose; for though he wept bitterly at leaving them, his fears prevailed, and he went to the south. Thus in the course of two weeks they beheld with deep sorrow, their territory forsaken by most of its inhabitants, and had to endure the additional reproach, that they could indeed baptize heathen, but were not able to make them real christians, and wean them from their roving manner of life. They were little aware, that this occurrence, which appeared so destructive to their hopes, would, by the over-ruling hand of God, become the means of diffusing the knowledge of the gospel in distant places, and increase the number of believing Greenlanders beyond their most sanguine expectations.