Obituaries of two Christian men of New Zealand.
[Image of page 433]
Missionary Register. OCTOBER, 1835.
Biography.
OBITUARIES OF TWO CHRISTIAN MEN OF NEW ZEALAND.
IN Mr. Yate's Account of New Zealand, lately published, he has depicted some affecting death-bed scenes. One of these, the Obituary of Ann Waiapu, appears at pp. 425-427 of our last Volume: others are here subjoined.
COLEMAN DAVIS AOHEKE.
Aoheke was a Youth, who had been taken, in the days of his infancy, and made a prisoner of war, by the Bay-of-Islanders. He was permitted by his master to reside in the Mission Settlement at Paihia, where his conduct recommended him as one whom the Society might with advantage redeem from slavery: the tyrant, to whom he formerly belonged, soon came to terms; and the price of his redemption was paid.
There was nothing in his conduct at this period, nor for some years afterward, which would justify the opinion that he was under any serious religious impressions. His general conduct, as a native lad, was good: he was attentive to the school; and was easily taught the art of carpentry, in which capacity he was particularly useful to Mr. Davis. A few months after the battle of Kororareka, Aoheke first began to manifest a serious feeling toward the things which belong to our peace. The religious knowledge which he possessed he began to put into practice, and a general change for the better was observable in his whole conduct. He became a candidate for baptism; and, at the Waimate, on Sunday, November 13, 1831, he, together with six other adult natives, was admitted into fellowship with the Church of Christ.
He was a strong, healthy lad; and, to all appearance, was likely to live to a good old age: but, in an incautious moment, he seated himself, while in a state of profuse perspiration, on the cold, damp ground. He was taken ill the following day; and was soon confined to a bed of sickness, without a hope of his ever being removed from it alive.
He seemed to be all resignation to the will of Him, by whom he was afflicted: he always appeared grateful for any little attentions paid to him; and was remarkably pleased, when any of his friends visited him for the purpose of reading to him the Scriptures, or of conversing with him on religious subjects. The nature of his disorder was such as to allow him time and opportunity to read and hear much, and to meditate on what he heard and read. His mind was very serene: and there is ground to believe that it was the serenity which the Gospel imparts, when it assures the sinner that his sins are forgiven, and that he is accepted in the Beloved.
In some of my conversations with this Youth, (I call him Youth, though a Husband and a Father,) he expressed himself in the most pleasing and satisfactory manner. "Is it true," he one day asked me, "is it indeed true, that Christ is willing to save sinners; and that He is desirous of saving sinners?" My answer was-- "Yes: He is able and willing to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him." "Ah, ah!" said he, "it is good--it is good-- then I shall be saved! Jesus will not send my soul to hell! Ah, ah! my heart is light now: it was dark before, but now it is light: fear made my heart dark; and sin made me afraid--afraid of God; afraid of you; afraid of death; afraid of judgment. Oh, Mr. Yate! since I have thought at all, I have always been afraid." I repeated this text to him: "Jesus Christ came to deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage." His reply was: "Oh, Mr. Yate! why did not you tell me that before? But you did tell it me: I remember it now: you spoke to us in the Chapel, one day a
[Image of page 434]
long time ago, about that. Aye, I remember it now: why did not I remember it before, and ask Jesus Christ to deliver me?"
He continued in this teachable frame of mind to the very last. His only anxiety was, to see his wife and child baptized before his death. A day was appointed for that purpose; and he was desirous, and expected to be able to bear being carried to the Chapel, to witness the baptism of those whom he held most dear on earth: but when the day arrived, he was so near to death that he could not be removed.
His last hours were peace. He died in a full persuasion that his sins were washed away in the blood of Jesus. No cloud seemed to overshadow his path to glory; and no thoughts of this world seemed to banish, for a moment, the thoughts which possessed his mind, of the world which is to come.
Thus died Coleman Aoheke, redeemed by the servants of God from the slavery of an earthly master; and redeemed by God Himself from the still more dreadful slavery of sin, the world, and the devil. He was attended to the grave by Mr. Davis and his family, and by all the Natives in the Settlement; many of whom were much affected at the recollection of what he once was--the view of what he is now--and the thought of what he will be for ever.
The burial of a Christian Native, in New Zealand, is always a season of deep solemnity; and we endeavour to make it as impressive as possible to the living, by singing a hymn, and delivering an address at the grave, in addition to the Burial Service.
JAMES WAKAIHI.
James Wakaihi was one of those pleasing instances of the effects of the grace of God on the hearts of some of these people, which have strengthened our faith, and encouraged us to go on our way rejoicing in the faithfulness of our Heavenly Master.
James was a lad of a very sprightly form and disposition, though naturally obstinate and self-willed. At times, his temper was so trying, as to cause his employer to send him to his native residence, and altogether to dismiss him from his service. But he never was happy, except when residing with an European.
In the year 1830, it was apparent that he was under some religious impressions; and it soon became evidently marked in the change of his behaviour. He was always a free and willing-working lad; but now it was evident that he was, from principle, desirous to be employed. On Sunday, the 26th September, 1830, he was admitted to the ordinance of baptism, after which he continued long to adorn the religion which he professed.
He had a very obstinate temper to struggle against; and a disappointment, in not being married to the person on whom he had set his affections, soured his mind, made him careless and thoughtless, and had, in other respects, a very injurious effect upon him.
But it pleased the Good Shepherd to restore this wandering sheep to His fold. Mr. Yate proceeds--
That he might not be lost for ever, a bed of sickness was prepared for him. Many months was he stretched on it, racked and agonized with pain, before he was prepared, by the grace of the Saviour and the sanctifying influences of the Spirit, to meet his God. He clung for a long time, with much eagerness, to his own poor and imperfect righteousness; but, at length, he cast off all hope of being saved by any thing which he could do himself, and rested entirely on the goodness and mercy of Christ. His faith was simple, his professions sincere.
He was not a youth who indulged in many words; and it was but seldom that any of us could engage him in a conversation of any length, till nearly the closing scenes of his earthly career: then it was that he began to speak of what the Lord had done for his soul, and of the many mercies which he had received at His hands. Redeeming love was his theme; and, much time as he had on his hands, he seemed to find no time for other thoughts--no space for other words.
I visited him, almost daily, for many weeks previous to his death; and, though his cough was exceedingly troublesome and his pain great, I never once heard him murmur. He could scarcely find breath to articulate what he wished to say; and when, at length, his speech nearly failed him, he would write on a slate what he desired to express. "Mr. Yate," he one day said, "are you sure, that, when I die, my spirit will go to heaven and not to hell? are you sure that Jesus Christ will not send me away,
[Image of page 435]
as a wicked man who has often denied Him? are you sure that God will not be angry with me, and condemn me when He is my Judge?" This series of questions, put with great earnestness and simplicity, I endeavoured at some length to answer. When I told him, that if he believed in Christ, he would assuredly go to heaven when he died, and would be happy for ever--and that Jesus never denied any one who loved Him--and that God was not angry, and never would be angry, with those whom He found believing in His dear Son--his eyes sparkled with joy, and he exclaimed, "Tell me again--tell me again! I want to hear more about it!"
The bell at this moment rang for Evening Prayers; and I was obliged to leave him, with a promise to see him again, and sit longer with him, on the morrow: but the morrow came, and, with it, so great an alteration in him for the worse, that he did not know who was present or what was said. The weakness of the body overcame the strength of the mind; and he remained in a wandering or insensible state, till all sin and sorrow, all pain and sickness, were for ever gone.
I buried him at Waimate, on the 4th of December 1833, in sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection at the East Day; and with a thankful acknowledgment of God's mercy, in adding another seal to our ministry from among this people; thus putting it beyond all controversy, that the New Zealanders are neither too ignorant nor too savage to be made the subjects of the saving and sanctifying influence of the Gospel.
