Memoirs of the Life and Labours of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, of Paramatta, Senior Chaplain of New South Wales; and of His Early Connexion with the Missions to New Zealand and TahitiMarsden, Samuel
Religion
Memoirs of the Life and Labours of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, of Paramatta, Senior Chaplain of New South Wales; and of His Early Connexion with the Missions to New Zealand and Tahiti
Marsden, Samuel
Marsden, Samuel, 1765-1838; Missions -- French Polynesia -- Tahiti (Island); Missions -- New Zealand; Māori (New Zealand people)
"Some time ago," says Mr. Marsden, "I was called on to visit a young
woman, about twenty years of age, in one of our districts, who was
extremely ill, and who wished very much to see me before she died. On my
arrival at her father's house, I found her heavily afflicted, and death
appeared to be at no great distance. I sat by her bedside with the Bible
in my hand; expecting to find her, as I have but too often found others
in similar circumstances, ignorant of the first principles of religion.
"I read a portion of this sacred book to her, and was most agreeably
surprised to find that she not only understood the letter but the spirit
of the Scriptures.
"I asked her father how she became so well acquainted with the
Scriptures: he said he did not know--she was always reading her Bible at
every opportunity, and sometimes sat up whole nights for that purpose.
He observed, she was a very dutiful daughter: he had a large family, and
she, being the eldest, and very industrious, was of great service to her
mother and the younger branches of the family; the only indulgence which
she desired was to be allowed to read the Bible when her work was done;
but he could not account for her attachment to it; and it seemed very
strange to him that she should attend to it so much. I asked him if she
was in the habit of going to church, as I did not personally know her.
He said she went sometimes, but was generally prevented, from the
distance and the large family which she had to attend to.
"This young woman may be said to have obtained her religion wholly from
the Bible. None of the family knew anything of the Bible but herself. I
visited her during the whole of her sickness, from the time she sent for
me, until she fell asleep in Jesus. Her faith was simple, her views of
the way of salvation clear. She gave me many proofs of this, in the
various conversations which I had with her during her sickness. The
Bible was more precious to her than gold; she had found it, under the
influence of the Divine Spirit, her counsellor and her guide, and by it
she had been brought to a knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom he had sent; and hereby she was filled with a hope full of
immortality. Previously to her last sickness, she had enjoyed good
health: it was in the prime of youth and vigour that she had read her
Bible, and loved it, so that she had not to seek God, for the first
time, in this trying moment; but found him a present help in sickness
and in the approach of death. The Bible had testified of Christ to her:
she had found eternal life revealed therein; and the Divine promises
were both great and precious to her soul."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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