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
and she said to Ouben,—
“What’s the cause of that noise?”
He replied, “Oh, nothing! only the boys amusing themselves!”
Saying, “Where are the boys?” she turned round.
Ouben slipped stealthily behind her, sank his tomahawk into her back,
and with another blow almost severed her head!
Such was the fate of those two devoted servants of the Lord; loving in
their lives, and in their deaths scarcely divided—their spirits, in the
crown of martyrdom, entered Glory together, to be welcomed by Williams
and Harris, whose blood was shed on the same dark isle for the name and
cause of Jesus. They had laboured four years on Erromanga, amidst trials
and dangers manifold, and had not been without tokens of blessing in the
Lord’s work. Never more earnest and devoted Missionaries lived or died
in the Heathen field. Other accounts, indeed, have been published, and
another was reported to me by Mr. Gordon’s Christian lads; but the above
combines faithfully the principal facts in the story. One young
Christian lad from a distance saw Mr. Gordon murdered; and a woman saw
Mrs. Gordon fall. The above facts are vouched for by a Mr. Milne, one of
the few respectable Sandal-wooders, who was there at the time, and
helped the Christian Natives to bury the remains, which he says were
painfully mutilated.
Some severe criticisms, of course, were written and published by those
angelic creatures who judge all things from their own safe and easy
distance. Mr. Gordon’s lack of prudence was sorely blamed, forsooth! One
would so like to see these people just for one week in such trying
circumstances. As my near fellow-labourer and dearest friend, I know
what was the whole spirit of the man’s life, his watchful care, his
ceaseless anxiety to do everything that in his judgment was for God’s
glory and the prosperity of the Mission, and my estimate of him and of
his action to the last fills me with supreme regard to his memory. The
Rev. Dr. Inglis of Aneityum, best qualified of all men living to form an
opinion, wrote:—
“Mr. Gordon was a strong, bold, fearless, energetic, self-denying, and
laborious Missionary; eager, earnest, and unwearied in seeking the
salvation of the Heathen.... Even if Mr. Gordon was to blame for any
imprudence, no blame of this kind could be attached to Mrs. Gordon. Hers
was a weak, gentle, loving spirit; quiet and uncomplaining, prudent,
earnest, and devoted to Christ. She was esteemed and beloved by all who
knew her.”
My Amen follows, soft and deep, on all that he has written; and I add,
Mr. Gordon was doing what any faithful and devoted Missionary would in
all probability for the Master’s sake in similar circumstances have
done. Those who charge him with imprudence would, doubtless, grievously
blame Stephen for bringing that stoning upon himself, which he could so
easily have escaped!
Mr. Gordon, in his last letter to me, of date 15th February, 1861,
says:—
“MY DEAR BROTHER,—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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