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LIVES OF MISSIONARIES.-HANS EGEDE.

HANS EGEDE, an humble pastor to a Congregation in the north of Norway, about the year 1708, became deeply interested in the accounts which he read of some Norwegian families which had settled on the East Coast of Greenland early in the eleventh century, but who had not been heard of since the beginning of the fifteenth century. He was told, in answer to his inquiries, that the ice had blocked up the whole of the East Coast, so that no ship could reach it; and that the settlers had, in all human probability, perished, either by hunger or the anger of the Natives. Egede could not be persuaded of this; and the sad state of the survivors, if there were such, so pressed on his mind, that he felt a strong desire to ascertain the fact, and, if he found any of their descendants, to labour diligently in rekindling that light of Christian truth which he feared had either died out, or was nearly extinct amongst them.

The difficulties he had to contend with were quite enough to have quenched the desire which had arisen in his mind, if it had not been of God's appointment. With himself he had a great conflict. He thought of his Congregation which he should have to leave, of the difficulties and dangers before him, of his wife and children, and what was due to them. His mind was often much perplexed as to what he ought to do. His friends, moreover, when they discovered what his mind was bent upon, wrote to him in strong language, censuring him for entertaining such a thought, and setting before him the dangers and sufferings to which he would expose his wife and children. He gave up, therefore, the whole plan as a delusion of his mind, and for some time felt tranquil, looking on himself as having been delivered from some great temptation. But soon the solemn words of Christ, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son and daughter more than me is not worthy of me," came with such force to his recollection, that he was again plunged into a state of the greatest distress. His wife, who had hitherto comforted him, now began to grow impatient, and lamented that he should be so obstinately bent on plunging them all into the midst of sorrow. But now the Lord of the harvest began to thrust him out. Circumstances arose which made them so uncomfortable, that Egede bade his wife consider whether it was not a chastisement from God because of their unwillingness to deny themselves, and counselled her to submit the matter to God in prayer. It is remarkable that from that time her views on the subject completely changed, and she was as anxious to go with her husband to Greenland, as she had been previously opposed to it.

But again, where were the necessary funds to be found, or how were his plans to be carried into execution? His own resources were altogether insufficient. Moreover, there was war between Sweden and Norway, and the persons of influence to whom he applied told him nothing could be done until the war was ended. When that

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wished-for event took place, Egede, resolved to persevere, proceeded to Bergen with his family. The inhabitants, on learning what he had in view-that he had left a benefice in the country to go out to the wild shores of Greenland as a Missionary-looked upon him as half mad, and pitied his wife and children. Egede sought an interview with the King, Frederick IV. of Denmark, at Copenhagen; and that royal person, who seems to have taken a deep interest in the spread of the Gospel, favoured his design. There was no hope, however, that a Mission could be carried on, unless the trade with Greenland, which had been given up for so long a time, could be resumed. To this the merchants were indisposed. The captains and pilots who were engaged in the whale fishery declared the coast to be dangerous, and the country inhospitable. Still Egede persevered: when one attempt failed, he tried another, until at length, moved by his untiring zeal and unceasing efforts, a few pious persons promised to assist, if he could prevail on others to do the same. Egede contributed the whole of his own little property to the object which was so near his heart; and, a sum sufficient for a commencement having been raised, in May 1721 he sailed with his wife, four children, and forty settlers, for Greenland.

The Greenland seas were found to be full of ice: not only were frightful masses of it floating about, but the coast was so blocked up, that the captain, finding it impossible to get near, after three weeks' search decided to return home. One morning, however, an opening was discovered, and it was resolved to make one more effort. The ice soon stopped them, and on attempting to get out again to sea a stormy wind met them: the ship struck on the ice, and sprung a leak. This they stopped with clothes and such other things as were available, but it was feared that the ship would be dashed to pieces, and all hope that they should be saved was taken away. The captain, coming down to the cabin, told Mrs. Egede and her children to prepare for death, as there was no hope. This was indeed a solemn moment. To Egede it seemed as if all the warnings which he had received at home of the destruction he was sure to bring on his family and himself were on the point of being fulfilled; and it required strong faith to believe that he had not mistaken the path of duty, and to cast himself, and all that were dear to him, on his Lord. A whole day they were left in suspense, for the fog was so thick that they could not see before them. Yet the ship grated less and less against the ice, and seemed to have more room. At length, after midnight, the fog disappeared, and they found, to their surprise and joy, that the danger was over. The very storm in which they had been so nearly lost had released them from the ice, and left them a clear passage to the west shore, which they reached on the 3d of July 1721.

(To be continuel.)

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DIFFICULTIES OF MISSIONARY WORK.-POLITE INSINCERITY. As the tribes and nations into which the millions of the human race are divided differ much in feature and complexion, so in their character there is much diversity: some are industrious and painstaking; others are so indolent that nothing but the fear of starvation compels them to exert themselves. Some are addicted to war: it is their grand pastime, and they are never so delighted as when they are hurrying forward to deeds of blood: others are timid, dislike war, and will submit to any oppression rather than have recourse to it. There is the same difference in the character of nations as in that of individual men; and thus the Gospel, in subduing men to the obedience of Christ, has very different cases to deal with in different parts of the world. The remedy, however, is one, although the forms which sin assumes in the different tribes of men are as various as the varied sicknesses which afflict the human body. Individuals have sometimes professed to have discovered a medicine which would meet every case of bodily distemper, and they have called it a universal medicine. Yet, when tried, it has been found to be any thing but this. But for the spiritual ailments of man, the Gospel is indeed the universal remedy," the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth," and there is no tribe or nation, in which it has been faithfully preached, where it has not proved itself to be such.

China is a new Mission-field, and the Chinese character peculiar. Some, when the Truth is first presented to them, become angry; others turn aside in cold indifference and contempt. The Chinese of the upper classes encase themselves in polite insincerity: this is their armour, and it is so polished, that the words of the Missionary glance aside, and are thus prevented from reaching the conscience. The following instance of this is related by our Missionary at Shanghae, the Rev. T. M'Clatchie—

April 23, 1850-The deadness and apathy with which very many listen to our condemnation of idolatrous worship is very distressing. If our preaching stirred up opposition, there would be much ground for hope; but the great difficulty is to make those with whom we come in contact, and especially those of the more respectable class, think on those subjects which we bring before them. Chinese etiquette generally leads a respectable man to profess a perfect assent to every statement made.

To-day I had a long conversation with three gentlemen from Hae-nan. One of them spoke the Shanghae dialect very intelligibly. I found, however, some difficulty in making myself understood by the other two when we came to speak on the doctrines of Christianity, although in common conversation we managed to understand each other very well. The first gentleman mentioned acted as interpreter. I met them in the street in which the Baptist Chapel is built, and, as they had never seen a Place of Worship before, I invited them in to look at the building. The Ten Commandments occupy a prominent position in the Chapel, being written in very beautiful characters, and placed against the wall over the

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platform on which the preacher stands to deliver his discourse. The first gentleman mentioned having looked around with much surprise, exclaimed, "What an immense building! It would easily accommodate ten thousand people." To this empty Chinese compliment I made no reply. "What is this house for ?" said he: "for carrying on business in?" "No," I replied; "the gentlemen who built this house are not merchants: they instruct the people."-"Indeed! what do they teach ?” "The doctrines of Jesus, the Saviour of the world."-" What are these doctrines?" I invited him to ascend the platform with me, and to read the Ten Commandments. No one of the three had ever seen a Christian book, or heard of the name of Jesus before this day, and yet the following is a specimen of our conversation-"This First Commandment, you see, teaches us that there is only one God in heaven."-" Oh, of course, there is only one God: true, true! But what is His name, Sir?"-" His name is Jehovah, and He forbids us to worship any other." "Of course we should not worship any other."-"Your Shang-te, then, is a false god, and you break this First Commandment if you worship him." "Certainly it is wrong to worship Shang-te."-" You must not worship ancestors, or Buddhu, or the Goddess of Mercy, or any other deity." "True, true."-"You, and all your countrymen, then have frequently transgressed this commandment." "O yes! frequently." Second Gentleman"What does he say?" First Gentleman-" He's merely talking about doctrine!" With much difficulty I prevailed on this latter gentleman to repeat to his friend all that I had said to him. He did so with evident reluctance. I told him that there was one subject in particular which I wished to bring before him, as it concerned him very deeply. I then spoke to him for some time about the resurrection of the body and the future judgment. "What does he say?" again asked his friend. "He's merely talking about the metempsychosis," replied the person addressed. "No," I said, "you mistake: it is not true that the soul after death enters into other bodies, and returns thus to the world." First Gentleman-"O no! that is not at all true."-"Your body must be laid in the grave and decay, but afterward that body shall live again." "O yes! my body shall die, and it is my body that shall return to life."-" Jesus will then judge you." "O yes! Jesus will judge me."—" And will condemn you for worshipping false gods." "True, most true."-" But all this is very awful." "Yes, very awful."-" Do you believe it?" "Yes, most truly do I believe it.' "But the Chinese nation don't believe it."-"O yes! they every one believe what you say about this doctrine.' "But many have told me that they do not believe what I preach on this subject." "Ah, Sir! these are unpolite persons, who understand not etiquette." He then coolly turned to his two companions, and having made some remarks to them in a low voice on the absurdity of all I had said to him, and on my own ignorance in believing in a resurrection, &c., he turned round to me, and, with the most bland smile and profound bow, took his leave.

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As I left the Chapel on my way home, the solemn and fearful words, "Out of thine own mouth will I condemn thee," often occurred to my mind. What hope can we, humanly speaking, entertain, when we meet with such perfect deadness and apathy?

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HOW THOMAS KING BECAME A SLAVE.

None, humanly. No, none, not the least. And it is well to know and feel this. We might as well try to raise the dead. But there is One" who quickeneth the dead ;" and to Him, who has said, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," we must apply. In answer to the prayer of faith He will manifest his power, and, even in the case of the insincere and apathetic Chinese, the words of the Psalmist shall be verified, "Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee."

HOW THOMAS KING BECAME A SLAVE.

IN our last Number we related the joyful meeting of Mr. Thomas King with his aged mother, from whom he had been separated for twenty-five years. Such re-unitings of long-separated friends have been by no means unfrequent in the history of our Abbeokuta Mission; and there is no doubt that the light in which England has in consequence appeared to the people of that town has given our Missionaries much favour in their eyes. Some years ago, and nothing seemed more unlikely than that the friends torn from them long before by the cruel slave-trade should ever be restored to them. How could they expect it? for they knew there was no pity in the slave-dealers or their agents. When, therefore, the first liberated Yorubas found their way home, we may conceive the wonder that it caused; how their friends crowded around them; and when they saw them so superior to themselves, as was of necessity the case with all who in Sierra Leone had learned to believe in God and to serve Him, how they could scarcely credit the evidence of their senses; so that the new comers had each to assure them, somewhat in the language of Joseph to his brethren, "Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you." That they should ever have returned to their

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own land must indeed be a wonder to the Liberated Africans themselves, when they look back and remember all that they have passed through. It is thus Mr. Thomas King, on returning to his own land, seems to have looked back on his eventful history: the scenes of early childhood appear to have brought it all fresh before him, and have led him to furnish us with the following brief narrative of his capture, and subsequent treatment at the hand of the slave-dealers

On the morning of that unhappy day that I was separated from my parents-about the year 1825, in the beginning of November-I left home about eight o'clock for farm, about three miles distant from home, in order to get some corn. My mother and elder sister, about a fortnight previous, went to Ishaga, a town about fourteen or fifteen miles distant, for trade. About three years before this, my elder brother, having left home, had joined the war party; but as the fact was not known to us, we concluded that he was either killed or sold. I and my niece, my sister's daughter, were the little ones that were left at home. I stayed

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