John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 3 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brotherPaton, John Gibson
Religion
John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 3 (of 3) : $b An autobiography edited by his brother
Paton, John Gibson
Missionaries -- Vanuatu -- Biography; Paton, John Gibson, 1824-1907
As results of the work, our dear Lord Jesus has given our missionaries
about 16,000 converts, and the blessed work is extending among some
40,000 or 50,000 remaining cannibals on the group. In our synod year of
1895–96, 1,120 savages renounced idolatry and embraced the worship and
service of Christ. One missionary baptized 200 out of his communicants’
class of 400, after a long and careful preparatory Scripture training.
We never baptize and teach afterward, but educate and wait till they
give real evidence of consecration to Jesus Christ, and then, at their
desire, baptize, and continue teaching them to observe in their life and
conduct all things Jesus has commanded. Hence, we have only about 2,500
communicants, though 10,000 attend our day and Sabbath schools. All of
our converts attend church regularly. In 1896 they contributed about
£900, and last year over £1,300 by money and arrowroot, and a number of
the islands now support their own native teachers. Yet they have no
money but what they get by selling pigs, fowls, cocoanuts, and copra to
passing ships. God has given four of our present missionaries each from
1,700 to 2,000 converts; and at all our more recently occupied stations
the work is very encouraging, and enjoys the divine blessing. Our chief
concern at present is how we are to get money to keep our large staff
going on, but we trust in Jesus to provide all as it is needed.
Never since Jesus Christ gave the great commission, have so many of His
servants been proclaiming the blessed Gospel, and never before in
heathen lands has it shown more vitality and power in its grand results.
Yet what large portions of the world are yet in heathen darkness! Oh,
for a new Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Spirit to all branches of the
Church, to lead her to try to “preach the Gospel to every creature,” and
by the Gospel conquer the world for Jesus Christ. A small book, showing
the extension and glorious fruits of Christian Protestant missions
during the last half century would do much to silence the infidel and
the enemies of Protestant missions to the heathen, enlighten the
indifferent, and draw forth the united praise and prayers, and increased
money support, and personal, zealous coöperation of Christians in all
lands, so to conquer the world for Jesus Christ by His own appointed
means. It would show that the Gospel is not only the power of God unto
salvation to every one who believes, high and low, of every color and of
every country, but that, wherever found, it is the only real and lasting
civilizer of man. Had Britain felt her responsibility, and improved her
privileges by spending a twentieth part of what her present wars will
cost her to subdue her rebellious subjects, in giving them the Gospel
teaching of Jesus while under her care, it might have prevented those
wars, and saved her the loss of life and treasure and carnage in
subduing her heathen revolted subjects, and the feelings of revenge that
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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