MISSION WORK IN THE NEW HEBRIDES.
By John G. Paton
FORTY-TWO years ago I found myself in the South Sea Islands. The natives were cannibals with no knowledge of the love and truth of God. Five missionaries had preceded me. The first two were killed and eaten by the savages, and the other three killed by them. My own life was attempted some thirty or forty times, until at last there was no hope of maintaining our ground, and only by escape could we hope to save even our life for future service for the Master. On one occasion Mr. Mathewson, a missionary, and his wife, sent word to me that they were without English food, weak, sick, and dying, and unless I could get to them they must perish. I could get no one to go with me, the dangers were so great. I sent some food by natives, and afterward went to inquire about it, when the chief seized his club, and threw a stone at me. It did not strike me, and I rushed to him, and threw my arms about his neck. He brandished his club, but my head being so close to his head prevented the club striking me. These are the times when we need a personal Saviour—a living Christ with whom we walk from day to day. We missionaries must believe in prayer, and in answer to prayer. We have no police to fall back upon, no government there. And we need none; for Jesus has “all power in heaven and in earth,” and He can make all things, animate and inanimate, serve His purpose. I escaped from this island, and returned home, where by God’s blessing I obtained a new vessel and six more missionaries for the work. I then returned to the island with them; and the natives were astonished. They said: “How is this? We stole all he had, and he laid one after another of his own in the grave. But he returns with more. There is no need to come to trade, but to talk of13worship. If their God gives them blessings we have not, let us hear all about their God, and by and by we may worship Him, and He may give us after a while the blessings He gives them.” We occupied new ground there, and the work has been going ever since. One white missionary has been murdered since that time. These islands number thirty in all, and are supposed to have a population of from 80,000 to 100,000. They are not annexed to any country, are under the control of no government, and are therefore the hunting-grounds for traders seeking cheap labor traffic. When we go to these islands, we have not a word of their language. We look at each other, make signs, and smile. So we meet, and so we part. When I first went there, I used to listen to the sounds and compare the circumstances, in order to try to understand what was meant by the various sounds. One day I saw two men coming up. One lifted something, uttering certain sounds. I thought it was intended for the query, “What is this?” I then picked up something and repeated what he had said. They were much pleased, and answered me. By asking, “What is this?” and pointing to various objects, I began to get an introduction to their language by their replies. After a while we began to put it into written form; a most difficult task, but so necessary. We can do nothing among them until we first give them a portion of God’s Word. It moves the human heart as nothing else can. They always ask, “Is that your word, or the Word of Jehovah God?” If it is our own advice, it goes for nothing; but if we say it is the Word of Jehovah God, there is no opposition. The first conviction is that God is their Creator, and in consequence they are responsible to Him. As soon as they get such a conviction, they fear Jehovah, and have a dread of doing anything that would displease the great God. For this reason we try to get portions of Scripture into their own language. Thus we teach them to read and understand the Word of God in their own tongue. As soon as they become acquainted with it, their minds become changed, cannibal traits are laid aside, and they imitate the missionary in everything, and so come to consecrate their hearts and lives to God. We now have twenty-two languages [in the New Hebrides] reduced to written form, in which we have printed at least portions of the Word of God. The more we study the Word of God to give the true translation to the natives in their own tongue, the more convinced are we that it is the inspired Word of God, from the first verse of Genesis to the last of Revelation. We missionaries accept the Scriptures on their own divine authority. “Thus saith the Lord!” “The Lord spake unto Moses;” “The Lord said unto Samuel!” and “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” is quite enough for us. Jesus Christ also witnessed to its inspiration: “One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” If you want a new evidence for the inspiration and power of the Holy Book, you have it in the mighty results of its teaching. Look at the heathen everywhere; they seem tired of their idolatrous worship, superstitions, and bloody rites, and they desire something more satisfactory and enduring, which can only be secured by the Word of God. That statement, “And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me,” is being fulfilled more than ever to-day. It has not become antiquated, but it still “is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” There still remain at least 40,000 cannibals whom we have never yet reached. If I had Scripture to believe that without the Gospel the heathen would be saved somehow, I would not face such difficulties. But the Word says distinctly, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” JOHN G. PATON.