maintain him; promising, at the same time, to give them all the seals that he caught. Though it was not probable that he would prolong his stay after the famine ceased, they took him in, as an instrument sent from above, to teach them the language more fundamentally. Daily instruction was given him, and particular attention paid to the state of his heart. At first they perceived no difference between him and his former companions; but, by and bye, observed from his deportment, that something was going forward in his heart, which led the others to persecute him, who, after finding all allurements vain, endeavoured to bring about his dismissal from the brethren, by charging him with having purloined several articles; but, after strict examination, they were forced to own that they had invented their accusation. By degrees, some emotions were perceived in his heart, and it was noticed that, especially during prayers, tears frequently started from his eyes.

Though this young man afterwards left them, yet his partial awakening afforded them considerable refreshment, and seemed a sort of guarantee that the Redeemer would soon display the power of His blood in the hearts of the benighted Greenlanders.

But the first decided fruit of the brethren's labours was afforded in the middle of 1733. In reference to the letter above quoted, expressive of their humble trust in God, Crantz writes :

Two days after this letter was sent off, the first Greenlander, a wild native of the south, quite unknown to the brethren, and who had never heard a word about God, was solidly awakened by the doctrine of Jesus's sufferings.

This native was named Kajarnak. The circumstances attending his awakening were remarkable. It was the simple narrative of Christ's sufferings, read from the Gospels by brother Beck, which was the means of effectually moving the heart of Kajarnak.

He and his family, consisting of his wife with a son and a daughter, were taken under special in struction preparatory to baptism, and were admitted into the Christian Church, the first fruits of the mission, on Easter Sunday, 1739.

Kajarnak became an intelligent and consistent

Christian, and greatly assisted the missionaries among his countrymen.

Progress of the Gospel.

The awakening which had begun with Kajarnak's conversion gained strength during the following year. The severity of the winter had drawn the Greenlanders near the brethren for subsistence, which they were now happily enabled to render to them. Crantz says, on this subject

The brethren had now their two Greenland, houses completely crowded with these people. They embraced the opportunity to address themselves to their hearts, and the attention perceived in several showed that these exhortations were not altogether without effect. long," said they, "have we and our fathers neither known nor believed the truth! Who would still refuse to hear and embrace it ?"

"How

The brethren, on this occasion, gratefully acknowledged the favourable change in their outward circumstances. Two years ago, they thought themselves happy if they could buy such bones or offal as the Greenlanders were ready to throw away; now they had continually 15 or 20 hungry persons standing round them, and fed from their table.

The brethren now made numerous excursions. The natives, in general, showed greater relish for their company, the brethren being now able to express themselves more intelligibly in their language, and to enter into familiar conversation with them. The testimony of the truth was often attended with considerable emotion among the hearers; but, as long as they were strangers to the true life that proceedeth from God, their understandings were extremely clouded. They had learned from visible things to own an invisible Creator, to fear Him, and to call upon Him for the supply of their natural wants: but, to representations of the corruption of the soul, the necessity of a renovation, and of faith in Jesus, they returned their customary affirmation, "We believe it all;" the import of which, as the brethren were by this time aware, was, that they were unwilling to be troubled any further on the subject. Even where some degree of reflection was excited, it generally issued, not in a whole

some self-knowledge and fervent longing after a Redeemer, but incurious questions, difficult to be cleared up to a raw uncultivated understanding, and of no practical utility. One, for instance, asked if God could not hear the serpent speaking to Eve, and if He could, why did He not warn her of the danger, and prevent the Fall?

Of the great need in which this people stood of the Gospel, the following shocking circunstance is sufficient evidence. The missionaries saw many like barbarous actions, but had no power to prevent them

A son had, according to the Greenland custom, tied up his mother, who had apparently breathed her last, in a skin. An hour after, she began to utter lamentable screams. Fear hushed the Greenlanders into silence, but, on the urgent persuasions of one of the missionaries, the son uncovered her face, and asked her if she was really still alive; no answer being returned, he tied her up again. Some time after, the cries were repeated, on which her son put a piece of blubber into her mouth, which she swallowed, but as she could not speak, he once more closed the shroud. When she raised her outcry the third time, and answered his question, he reluctantly consented to release her, The poor wretch, however, was not long suffered to enjoy this reprieve: her unnatural offspring seized his opportunity to gag her, and convey her unnoticed to another island, secure from fear of interruption, where he buried her alive. This cruelty he afterwards palliated, by saying that he had merely put an end to her misery, as she had been deranged, and unable to take any food for several days.

It is added

Painfully as these proofs of the miserably degraded and obdurate state of the natives in general affected the feelings of the missionaries, they derived abundant consolation from the prosperity of Kajarnak and the rest of their catechumens. They plainly traced in them, not only a real consciousness of a Deity, but a profound reverence for Him; not only a compliance with the doctrines of a future resurrection and eternal happiness for believers, but deep views of their mísery,

joy in the love of God, as displayed in Christ's atonement, and an increasing desire for the Word of Life. The work of grace had taken deep root in their hearts, and evinced its power in a change of life, voluntary renunciation of the follies of paganism, and a cheerful endurance of the mockery of their infidel acquaintance, by whom they were forsaken, hated, and contemned.

The state of the mission at the close of 1739 is thus described—

Having now collected a considerable native congregation, the brethren could proceed to hold regular hours, morning and evening, for singing hymns and for catechising. The beneficial effects were soon perceived. Most of the hearers readily consented to throw away their amulets, and place their confidence alone in God. Still, much levity and inconstancy marked their conduct. At one time they were sleepy and indifferent during the reading of the Scriptures; at another, their attention was awake and lively, and they were eager to become pious all at once. Indeed, it gave the missionaries no small trouble to impress upon them the evidences and workings of a genuine faith, as distinct from mere approbation. Yet it was pleasing to observe the general willingness to be taught, and the children in particular, six of whom were formed into a school, gave promise of better times.

Chunge in the Mode of Religious Instruc

tion.

The manner of Kajarnak's conversion led the brethren to an important change in their method of instructing the natives. In reference to Matthew Stach's account, before quoted, of his residence among the southern Greenlanders, Crantz remarks—

So little effect was produced on the Greenlanders by dwelling on the divine attributes, eternal happiness or misery, and the Christian duties! Something else was requisite-something which must be given from above, and received in true simplicity and lowliness.

On this subject it is remarked in the memoir of our missionary, printed in the periodical ac

counts

In the beginning, their method of

preaching the gospel was very defective, consisting of much argument; but, after having received more light on this head, they were most agreeably surprised to see the blessed effects produced by the plain testimony of the life, sufferings, and death of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. This is evidently proved in the history of the first Greenlander convert, Samuel Kajarnak, whom our late brother had the joy to baptize on the 29th of March, 1739, being in the seventh year of his abode in Greenland.

The eighth year of the mission was signalized by the important change which took place in the mode of conducting it. Though the brethren, as we have seen, acknowledged the principle that their grand object ought to be Jesus Christ, and their main doctrine the purification from sins through His blood, they had not steadily acted upon it-their sincere resolves, according to their own expression, miscarrying in the execution for want of unanimity. Experience had now added its testimony, that the only efficient means of touching the hearts of the savages was, not to insist, in the first instance, on such truths as the unity of God, the creation, and the fall-a method which, though it appears in theory to be the most rational that can be adopted, proved, in effect, to be a bar to their conversion; but to proclaim to them the news of their Creator's assuming humanity, in order to redeem His fallen creatures, and His purchasing and winning them with His own precious blood, and with His innocent suffering and dying. This spread and kindled like a fire from the Lord, softened their obdurate minds, illuminated their dark spirits, and infused a vital energy into their torpid hearts. The brethren, therefore, resolved to know nothing among the Heathen but Jesus Christ the Crucified, and to confine their future efforts to the simple narrative and profitable application of His meritorious incarnation, life, sufferings, and death. By their more frequent communication with Europe, they also shared in that increased clearness which the Church at

home had attained, respecting the all-sufficient merits of our Redeemer, and could, consequently, urge the doctrines of grace more freely and effectually upon the Greenlanders.

Return of Matthew Stach to Europe.

The memoir thus reviews the mission, and speaks of M. Stach's return from his first residence in Greenland—

Whoever reads the history of Greenland with attention, cannot but be sensible that these brethren were put to very severe trials of their faith, especially during the first six years of their abode there. They were persons of no more than common school education, and yet, before they could preach the gospel to the Greenlanders, they had to make themselves masters of the language, which is one of the most difficult to learn. The smallpox, which threatened the destruction of the Greenland nation, their own bodily sufferings from the severity of the climate, and, above all, the ridicule and contempt with which the gospel was treated, and the dangers which they encountered in visiting the Heathen, were circumstances requiring no small degree of faith and confidence in our Almighty Saviour. Our late brother Stach abounded particularly in faith and reliance upon God's Providence, protection, and support; and his conversation proved no small encouragement to the rest, when they were ready to sink under their burden. In 1740 he returned to Europe, and was present at the General Synod at Marienborn, where he gave a very minute detail of all circumstances relating to the Greenland mission. Feb. 4th, 1741, he married a sister at Hernhaag, and went from thence to Geneva. He then visited our congregations and Societies in different parts of Germanywas ordained a presbyter of the church of the brethren in Marienborn, Dec. 12th

and. the day following, set out on his return to Greenland. During his abode of three months in Copenhagen, he obtained from his Danish majesty the redress of several grievances, and was confirmed by him as a missionary to the Greenlanders.

(To be continued.)

Extracts from the Minutes, Aug. 7, 1823. Dr. Milledoler of New-York, one of the agents of the United Foreign Missionary Society, was introduced, and stated the pressing wants of the Society which he represented. Several communications from the Society, which were read by the secretary at the last meeting, were also now read, and the reply to the overtures of this Society to become auxiliary to the United Foreign Missionary Society, and to convey to it all its funds, was read and considered. After some deliberation and discussion, it was, on motion,

Resolved, That all the papers relating

to the overtures be committed to Messrs.

John I. Ostrander, Mr. Ludlow, and Dr. Chester, to report on Tuesday next to this Society, at its adjourned meeting.

Whereas there is a negociation pending between the Northern Missionary Society and the United Foreign Missionary Society, to transfer all the funds, &c. of the former into the hands of the latter, and as there is little doubt but those negociations will eventuate in the transfer of all the funds of the Northern Missionary Society into the hands of the United Foreign Missionary Society. And whereas it has been stated by an agent of the lastmentioned Society, that that Society is in urgent need of funds to meet its engagements. Therefore,

Resolved, That Dr. Milledoler, the agent, be furnished with the above preamble and resolution, signed by the president and secretary. Extracts from the Minutes-Aug. 12, 1823.

The committee to whom was referred the resolutions adopted by the Board of Managers of the United Foreign Missionary Society, report-That at the time when the overture was made on the

part of this Society to transfer all its funds, missionaries, and obligations to the United Foreign Missionary Society, upon certain conditions, this Society was under the full impression, as your committee believe, that that Society was a corporate body, and in a situation to enter into such legal engagements as might be deemed necessary for the safety of this Society, in a transaction of that nature. By a letter from Mr. Lewis, Cor. secretary of that Society, addressed to the chairman of your committee, and which accompanies this report, it appears that it is not incorporated, but holds its property in the name of the trustees appointed by the board of managers. This circumstance presents such obstacles to the proposed arrangement, that your committee deem it inexpedient for this Society to do any thing further on that subject.

Your committee beg leave further to report, that as this Society did in the year 1817 become auxiliary to the United Foreign Missionary Society, and has con

ty be requested, if in their judgment circumstances render it expedient, to make collections in behalf of the United Foreign Missionary Society.

of its desire to continue in this relation, and of its disposition to aid the board of that Society in the great cause in which it is engaged, with all the strength and