John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 1 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brotherPaton, John Gibson
Religion
John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 1 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brother
Paton, John Gibson
Missionaries -- Vanuatu -- Biography; Paton, John Gibson, 1824-1907
He lived at the Mission House, with his wife and children, and was a
great help and comfort to Abraham and myself. He was allowed to go more
freely and fearlessly amongst the people, than any of the rest of our
Mission staff. The ague and fever on me at Mr. Johnston’s death, so
increased and reduced me to such weakness that I had become insensible,
while Abraham and Kowia alone attended to me. On returning to
consciousness, I heard as in a dream Kowia lamenting over me, and
pleading that I might recover, so as to hear and speak with him before
he died. Opening my eyes and looking at him, I heard him say,—
“Missi, all our Aneityumese are sick. Missi Johnston is dead. You are
very sick, and I am weak and dying. Alas, when I too am dead, who will
climb the trees and get you a cocoa-nut to drink? And who will bathe
your lips and brow?” Here he broke down into deep and long weeping, and
then resumed,—“Missi, the Tanna men hate us all on account of the
Worship of Jehovah; and I now fear He is going to take away all His
servants from this land, and leave my people to the Evil One and his
service!” I was too weak to speak, so he went on, bursting into a
soliloquy of prayer: “O Lord Jesus, Missi Johnston is dead; Thou hast
taken him away from this land. Missi Johnston the woman and Missi Paton
are very ill; I am sick, and Thy servants the Aneityumese are all sick
and dying. O Lord, our Father in Heaven, art Thou going to take away all
Thy servants, and Thy Worship from this dark land? What meanest Thou to
do, O Lord? The Tannese hate Thee and Thy Worship and Thy servants, but
surely, O Lord, Thou canst not forsake Tanna and leave our people to die
in the darkness! Oh, make the hearts of this people soft to Thy Word and
sweet to Thy Worship; teach them to fear and love Jesus; and oh, restore
and spare Missi, dear Missi Paton, that Tanna may be saved!”
Touched to the very fountains of my life by such prayers, from a man
once a Cannibal, I began under the breath of God’s blessing to revive.
A few days thereafter, Kowia came again to me, and rousing me out of
sleep, cried,—
“Missi, I am very weak; I am dying. I come to bid you farewell, and go
away to die. I am nearing death now, and I will soon see Jesus.”
I spoke what words of consolation and cheer I could muster, but he
answered.—
“Missi, since you became ill my dear wife and children are dead and
buried. Most of our Aneityumese are dead, and I am dying. If I remain on
the hill, and die here at the Mission House, there are none left to help
Abraham to carry me down to the grave where my wife and children are
laid. I wish to lie beside them, that we may rise together in the Great
Day when Jesus comes. I am happy, looking unto Jesus! One thing only
deeply grieves me now; I fear God is taking us all away from Tanna, and
will leave my poor people dark and benighted as before, for they hate
Jesus and the Worship of Jehovah. O Missi, pray for them, and pray for
me once more before I go!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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