1856.] FAREWELL Meeting at wanGANUI, NEW ZEALAND. 5 And now, who is willing to be "baptized for the dead," and to take Kefer's place, which he filled with such devotedness? When one soldier falls, another steps forward, and freely exposes himself to the same dangers. Is there less fidelity and courage amongst the soldiers of Christ, who, by His own example, has shown us that through death lies the path to victory? FAREWELL MEETING AT WANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND. ONE of our New-Zealand Missionaries, the Rev. R. Taylor, who for the long period of fifteen years has been alone sustaining the pressure of Missionary service in connexion with the extensive district of Wanganui, on the western coast of that island, is at present on a visit home. On his return to England he was accompanied by a Christian chief-who for many years has been one of Mr. Taylor's most efficient native catechists-deputed by his countrymen to solicit at the hands of the Society more Missionaries for New Zealand. We admire the Christian anxiety which prompted him, at the bidding of his brethren, to come so far; and we pray God that his sojourning in England may yield him much spiritual good. But we do not think that an increase of Missionaries is what New Zealand wants; but the reviving influences of the Holy Ghost, quickening into energetic action the large amount of Christian truth which has been received into the understandings of the New Zealanders. What is needed is, that their Christian profession should become of a more practical character, leading them to employ the large resources, providentially placed at their disposal, for the increase of Christian institutions throughout the land. It is time that Maori friends should begin to lean less on man, more on God, and, under God, on their own efforts. This is what they need. Mr. Taylor's account of his and his companion's farewell meeting with the chiefs and people of Wanganui presents an interesting picture of the warm feelings of our Maori brethren Dec. 10, 1854-A very rainy morning, but I had a full church. Mr. Stock took a part of the service. I preached my farewell sermon to my people, and, I trust, was enabled to speak to their hearts: they were extremely attentive. Afterwards I administered the sacrament to 140. The Rev. W. Woon, the Wesleyan minister, partook of it. During the afternoon service I baptized thirty adults and infants. Dec. 11-I was requested this morning to go to Hori Kingi's house, where the chiefs of this district had assembled to bid me farewell. I accordingly went there, accompanied by Mr. Stock and Hoani Wiremu. We found all the head chiefs of Wanganui, Wangaehu, Turakina, and Rangitikei there. Tamati Wiremu stated that this meeting had been summoned to take a public leave of me and my companion, to express their regard, and to wish us every blessing. "Go," said he, "and strive to increase our wealth The riches we desire and stand in need of are more ministers to proclaim the gospel. Go, then, and seek to obtain some for us." His thoughts, he said, did not dwell upon the Queen or the governor-though he loved them both, as being their well wishers-but upon the ministers of the gospel. B 3 6 FAREWELL MEETING AT WANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND. [JAN. "Go, then, and seek to increase their number: go and see your native land once more, your friends, your relatives, and then return to us, your children. Good bye." : Two Kaitaka mats, a green-stone mere, a war club, hi patuparaua, and meremere kokoti,* with a bag of 200 sovereigns, were brought forward and displayed before us. Hori Kingi said, "These are our offerings to the Queen we send them by you, as tokens of our remembrance and love. The green-stone mere is from myself and Mawae; the patu paraua is from Abraham Tipai; the meremere kokoti is from Rangitikei and Turakina, as also the mats and the waha a ngohi. We place them in your hands to convey to our Queen: they are the best offerings we have to make. The money is to defray John Williams' expenses. All here present have but one thought, one heart and mind: it is love to you. Go, and the Lord be with you." Meti Kingi said, "You go upon the good way, with our wishes to waft you along; but when you are gone, who will remain for us? There will be no one to set things right. The sky is dark above us. Go, both of you, and make haste back. Go, O te Teira, the father of all our tribes, of us who will be left orphans; go, you two. It is for the Lord to take care of us who are left. It is you ministers only who have had power to subdue this island, and make us dwell in peace: it is for you to speak to the Queen, and try to get back our governor; for he likewise cared for us. Go, and every blessing attend you." Paora said, "My esteem for you is not the growth of a day: no, it is the produce of years. But what remains? My hopes, like the drifted canoe which is dashed on the shore and broken, are destroyed, and the tear of affection will not cease to flow from the eyelid, because the great ocean will flow between us. Go, te Teira, and may God take care of you both, and of us who remain. When there is a flood in the river the canoe shoots along. This is the flood to carry you to England. When you get there, speak to the church, speak to the Committee, for Rangitikei; speak to the Queen for the governor. He was the only governor who came to see us; therefore we know and love him. Go, and the Lord go with you both." may The presents were then placed on the table before me, and the joint collection for John Williams' passage. I thanked them for all they had said and done. I told them that I had now been many years amongst them; that their children had grown up to manhood before me, and many had grown old with me; that I had laboured for their good in things temporal as well as spiritual; and now I rejoiced to receive their affectionate farewells. I left my wife and children amongst them as pledges of my return; and, if it pleased God, I should end my days amongst them. That when we mounted our horses at the commencement of a journey, the last thing we did, after we had said Good bye, was to give our horses the whip, and set off. They had now given us the whip to send us on the way. That a canoe, which has to contend with a strong tide, and which has only one or two paddles, cannot make much way; but with a strong crew it easily overcomes every difficulty. They had given us paddles: their good wishes and prayers would fill our sails, and waft us on our way, and shorten our journey. That I had * Different kinds of war instruments formerly in use among the New Zealanders. 1856.] SABBATH-DAYS.-FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. 7 told them I should not leave before a minister was appointed to take my place; and now I left with comfort, and trusted that they would look up to him, as they had done to me, and, above all, remember the hope whereunto they were called. Rawiri said, "The whip is cut for your horse: whip it along, and make haste back. It is no use our making long speeches. Although we paint. our canoes gaily, and ornament them with feathers, they will not sail a whit the better, or catch any more fish. Let us, therefore, bring our words to an end. Fare you both well." The whip for our journey, viz. the money for John Williams' passage, was then counted out, and the meeting dispersed. John Williams was too full to say any thing. He is carrying a beautiful embroidered mat as a present to the Queen. SABBATH DAYS. TYPES of eternal rest-fair buds of bliss In heavenly flowers unfolding, week by week- We climb to future ages-lamps that light Man through his darker days, and thought enrich, Though briars aud thorns around his pathway twine. To raise our thoughts and purify our powers- A gleam of glory after six days' showers. And the bright out-courts of immortal glory. Henry Vaughan. At FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES OF MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. THERE never existed a period in the history of Christianity when the opportunity for its extension, according to the command of Christ, was so large and remarkable as at the present moment. its first promulgation, in consequence of the wide-spread rule of the Roman empire, and the facility of transit thus afforded from one country to another, there was an open door presented for Missionary operations; so that Paul, in writing to the Colossians, could say of the gospel, "which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit." Yet that time of opportunity, great as it was, was far inferior to our day; as much so as the "all the world" of Paul's age was inferior to that of ours. In Paul's day it did not comprehend an entire hemisphere: now the whole earth is mapped out before us. Portions of Europe, Asia, and Africa, lying around the Mediterranean Sea, comprised the world FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES OF MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. [JAN. of ancient geography. These continents were only partially known, while the continent of America, and the vast Pacific Ocean, with its countless isles, remained undiscovered. All these are now familiar to us, and from every quarter of the wide earth urgent applications for Christian teaching and instruction are addressed to us. Time was when the difficulty was how to obtain access to the heathen: now, barriers and hindrances have been removed, and the providence of God has remarkably wrought to open a way for the preaching of the gospel. Never since the period of their formation had Missionary Societies so noble and encouraging a field of usefulness presented to them. Is it not remarkable, then, that, just at this crisis, most of those great institutions should be suffering under a deficiency of funds, and find themselves to be painfully crippled when they most need to be unembarrassed in their operations? The income, from home resources, of our own Society, for the year ending March 31, 1855, was less than that of the preceding year by 59551.; while its expenditure from home, for that year, exceeded its income by 89137. The Wesleyan Missionary Society is burdened with a debt of 15,000l. and upwards. The London Missionary Society is in similar circumstances. For many years past its expenditure has considerably exceeded its ordinary income, and its funded property has been exhausted in supplying the annual deficiency. A debt of 13,000l. has now accumulated. The great American Society, the Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, has a balance against its treasury to the amount of dols. 20,507.90. Another American Society, in May 1854, found its expenditure in excess of its receipts by dols.9500. The Bâle Missionary Society, at its last anniversary, reported a deficiency of 28,000ƒ. (11207.) on an income of 13,2801. How are we to account for this? Is interest declining, and that at the very moment when the efforts of the past are yielding solid and abundant fruit? Are the friends of Missions forgetful of the exhortation, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not?" We have been toiling for years up a steep hill; and now that we have nearly reached the summit shall we begin to flag, and suffer the work to retrograde? Are our faith and love inferior to that of friends in former days, and are we incapable of the same amount of self-denying exertion? Or is it that the friends of Missions are only taking breath, preparatory to an effort so unanimous and vigorous, as, by the blessing of God, to place these several institutions in a better financial position than they ever previously occupied; like the tide, that occasionally recedes, even when it is coming in, but which retires a moment only to collect its strength, and then to urge onward its waters by a bolder and further stroke? May it prove to be so! Still, it is impossible to mark this crisis without much solicitude. Our Bâle friends tell us that their financial difficulties have already yielded good to them. "The first-fruit of this crisis," said Mons. Josenhans, the principal of the Bâle Institution, at the 1856.] FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES OF MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. 9 late Missionary Anniversaries in that city, "has been to teach us all to PRAY." That, no doubt, is the great lesson. The Lord can alone dispose the hearts and open the hands of men to give willingly; and He will do so in answer to prayer, for "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." And then when, in answer, a spirit of liberality has been poured forth, this crisis will prove a means of bringing to light some lively instances of devotedness. So it has been with our Bâle friends. An African Missionary, hearing of the difficulties of the Society, voluntarily offered to relinquish his salary, and to sustain his family by working with his own hands, in order that others might not suffer. Twenty friends in Switzerland and Alsace, as an extraordinary contribution between them, sent 45,000f. (18007.) to the Treasurer. Some friends at Bâsle, learning that the Committee had been advised in various quarters to abandon the Chinese Mission, formed themselves into an Auxiliary Society to sustain this Mission till the Committee could resume the charge of it. If they cannot do so, they will take the responsibility of it. Similar instances of Christian love and zeal are not wanting amongst the Missionaries and friends of our own Society. One Missionary, in New Zealand, has been for several years struggling with the difficulties attendant on the establishment of a self supporting industrial school. We cannot, in this country, have any conception of the difficulties attendant on such an undertaking; so contrary is it to the thoughtless and improvident habits of the natives, who are disinclined to every thing of prudential forethought and system. Nor have those difficulties, in the case of the Waikato Institution, been as yet altogether overcome. The station has been very recently removed from its old site, near the mouth of the river, to a more favourable location higher up its banks. It has been a change involving great expense and trouble, and the new buildings are yet in a very unfinished state: yet, in the midst of all his own labours and inconveniences, the directing Missionary of this institution has addressed the following letter to the Secretaries Having seen, in the "Record" newspaper, that your funds, in consequence of the war, were falling short, I forward to you 100l., being from myself 501., and from my school 501. At I have long indulged the hope that the time would come when I could maintain myself in my Missionary labour. This 50l. I wish to regard as a first step to that course. The 501. from the school I regard as a return of a portion of my assistant's salary. I indulge strong hopes to be able, in the course of a few years, to maintain him ourselves. present we are not too wealthy: our crop this year has been next door to a failure, and our houses are in an unfinished state. Still, I feel that as people at home are making sacrifices we ought to do so. I would rather we should be a little inconvenienced, than that your deeply important operations in China, India, and Africa, should be affected. That is the spirit in which we ought to act at a moment like the present. May we go and do likewise! |